Table of Contents

Our Lord's Miracles

Contents

Foreword

W. W. F.

The Leper Cleansed.

The Centurion's Servant.

Peter's Wife's Mother.

The Storm on the Lake.

The Two Demoniacs.

The Palsied Man

Jairus' Daughter.

The Issue of Blood.

The Blind and the Dumb.

The Withered Hand.

The Five Thousand

Walking on the Sea.

The Syrophoenician Woman.

The Four Thousand.

The Demoniac Boy.

The Tribute Money.

Blind Bartimaeus.

The Accursed Fig Tree.

The Demon in the synagogue.

Ephphatha.

Men as Trees Walking

The Draught of Fishes.

The Widow's Son at Nain.

God or Beelzebub.

The Bent Woman.

The Dropsical Man.

The Ten Lepers.

Malchus Ear.

Water made Wine

The Courtiers Son.

The Pool of Bethesda.

Blind from Birth.

The Raising of Lazarus.

The Post-Resurrection Haul.

Our Lord's Parables

Contents

Foreword

W. W. F.

The Sower.

The Wheat and the Tares.

The Mustard Tree.

The Leaven.

The Hidden Treasure.

The Pearl

The Drag-Net

The Two Servants

The Labourers in the Vineyard.

The Two Sons.

The Wicked Husbandmen.

The Marriage of the King's Son.

The Ten Virgins.

The Talents.

The Sleeping Husbandman,

The Two Builders.

The Two Debtors.

The Good Samaritan.

The Stronger than the Strong

The Rich Fool.

The Returning Lord.

The Fig Tree in the Vineyard,

The Great Supper.

The Lost Sheep.

The Lost Silver.

The Prodigal Son.

The Elder Son.

The Unjust Steward.

The Unjust Judge.

The Pharisee and the Publican.

The Pounds.

The Fig-Tree and all the Trees.

"I only am left."

Characteristics of Anti-Christ in the words of Scripture

Beginnings- Chapters on Genesis

Beginnings

FOREWORD.

THE FIRST MAN.

A CREATION OF GOD.

"SPIRIT AND SOUL AND BODY."

THE FIRST FALSE WORSHIPPER

WHAT WAS WRONG WITH CAIN?

"THE WAY OF CAIN"

THE FIRST MARTYR.

CAIN AND ABEL NOT IGNORANT.

FAT, NOT BLOOD.

A TWOFOLD TYPE OF CHRIST.

THE FIRST CITY.

MEN'S VARIED INDUSTRIES.

FAR GRAVER THINGS

A CITY FOR MAN.

THE FIRST PROPHET.

ENOCH'S PROPHECY,

ENOCH'S TRANSLATION.

THE FIRST PREACHER.

THE CONDITION OF THINGS

THE PREACHER HIMSELF.

THE PREACHER'S SALVATION.

THE FIRST PILGRIM.

THE DIVINE OBJECT IN SEPARATING ABRAM.

THE COMMENT OF HEB. 11: 8

ABRAM MOVES ON.

THE FIRST PRIEST.

WHO WAS MELCHIZEDEK?

ITS APPLICATION FOR TO-DAY

PUT YOUR OWN NAME

THE EFFECT UPON ABRAM.

Why we do not possess Bishops and Deacons

Earth's notable Events

Introduction.

THE CREATION.

THE ADVENT OF MAN.

THE FALL.

THE FIRST CITY.

THE RAPTURE OF ENOCH.

THE FLOOD.

THE COVENANT WITH NOAH.

THE TOWER OF BABEL.

THE CALL OF ABRAM.

THE FIRST BATTLE.

THE OVERTHROW OF SODOM.

THE EXODUS.

THE GIVING OF THE LAW.

THE ELECTION OF DAVID.

THE DISRUPTION OF ISRAEL.

THE SUPREMACY OF NEBUCHADNEZZAR.

THE DESTRUCTION OF JERUSALEM BY THE CHALDEANS.

THE RETURN FROM BABYLON.

THE BAPTIST'S MISSION.

"THE BIRTH OF CHRIST.

THE CROSS OF CHRIST.

THE RESURRECTION OF CHRIST.

THE ASCENSION OF CHRIST.

THE DESCENT OF THE HOLY SPIRIT.

PETER'S OVERTURE.

THE DESTRUCTION OF JERUSALEM BY TITUS.

Faith and its Foundations

FAITH.

LIGHT.

REPENTANCE.

LOVE.

GOOD WORKS.

RIGHTEOUSNESS.

CONVERSION.

TRUTH.

NEW BIRTH.

LAW.

FORGIVENESS.

GRACE.

JUSTIFICATION.

IMMORTALITY.

CONSCIENCE.

JUDGEMENT.

SALVATION.

MERCY.

ETERNAL LIFE.

PEACE.

REDEMPTION.

REST.

RECONCILIATION.

ATONEMENT.

HOLINESS.

RESURRECTION.

SIN.

SAINTSHIP.

HOPE.

FEAR.

WORSHIP.

The High Priest's Garments of Glory and Beauty

"The church which is His body."

How to read the Revelation

The Book of the Revelation.

Summary

PART 1.

The Laver and the Molten Sea

Thoughts on the Lord's Prayer

"Two, or at the most three."

The Outlook

The Commercial World.

The Political World.

The Voice of God in the Scriptures.

Israel God's Centre.

The End of Gentile Rule.

Jewish Restlessness.

The Antichrist.

Russia's Destruction.

National Revival of Israel, Edom, etc.

The Appearing of the Son of Man.

The Religious Outlook.

Jehovah's Passover

"The Beginning of Months"

"Every Man a Lamb"

"The Tenth Day"

The Fourteenth Day

"Kill It"

"When I See the Blood"

"I will Pass over You"

"Eat the Flesh"

The Stroke

"For a Memorial"

A Brief Exposition of the Epistle to the Philippians

To the reader.

Thoughts on Philippians.

Philippians 1.

Philippians 2.

Philippians 3.

Philippians 4

Psalm 46

Eternal Punishment

HOW MAN WAS MADE.

THE JUDGEMENT OF GOD.

WHAT DOES "ETERNAL" MEAN?

ETERNAL PUNISHMENT. (NOTES OF AN ADDRESS.)

MAN NOT A BEAST.

MAN'S CONSTITUTION.

THREE SOLEMN TEXTS.

THE WAY OF ESCAPE.

God's Purpose and Man's Sin

Questions of the Hour

OUR LORD'S RESURRECTION.

ON MIRACLES.

THE ORIGIN OF MAN.

THE SOUL: MORTAL, OR WHAT?

WHAT'S WRONG WITH MAN?

ETERNAL PUNISHMENT.

THE DEATH-SLEEP: WHAT IS IT?

THE MILLENNIUM: MAN'S WORK, OR GOD'S?

THE PERSONALITY OF SATAN.

THE STORY OF JONAH: NEED. I BELIEVE IT?

THE BIBLE: FROM HEAVEN OR OF MEN?

The Witness of the Apocalypse to Christ

1. His Deity

A Remarkable Blending of God and Christ,

Great Vision of the Opened Heaven

2. His Humanity

One Standing in the Midst

It was a Man whom John Saw,

Two Great Signs in Heaven;

Two Principal Enemies of God

The Devil's Operations throughout the Centuries.

3. His Atoning death

John Speaks Representatively.

The Language of the Song.

They that Wash their Robes

The "Slain Lamb"

4. His Resurrection

A Clear Ring of Triumph Here.

In Jeopardy every Hour!

5. His Exaltation in Heaven

His Present Exaltation

In the Midst of the Throne

6. His Coming

The subject of our Testimony.

"I Come Quickly."

Three Voices.

Two Distinct Longings

The Holy Spirit

HIS DIVINE PERSONALITY.

HIS INSPIRATION OF THE SCRIPTURES.

HIS QUICKENING WORK

A WELL OF WATER.

RIVERS OF LIVING WATER.

ADVOCATE AND TEACHER.

"RECEIVE YE THE HOLY GHOST."

THE DAY OF PENTECOST.

IN THE FLESH AND IN THE SPIRIT.

THE ANOINTING, SEAL AND EARNEST.

THE ONE BODY.

HIS WORK IN THE ASSEMBLY.

"The wind bloweth where it listeth."

"The ways of God with man."

ADAM to NOAH

"What is man?"

Christian Worship

"What think ye of Christ? Whose Son is He?"

SON OF GOD,

SON OF MAN

SON OF DAVID,

SON OF ABRAHAM.

WWFEREDAY - Articles and Booklets

W. W. Fereday

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)

Our Lord's Miracles

Our Lord's Miracles.

W W Fereday.

Contents

Foreword

The Leper Cleansed

The Centurion's Servant

Peter's Wife's Mother

The Storm on the Lake

The Two Demoniacs

The Palsied Man

Jairus' Daughter

The Issue of Blood

The Blind and Dumb

The Withered Hand

The Five Thousand

Walking on the Sea

The Syro-Phoenician

The Four Thousand

The Demoniac Boy

The Tribute Money

Blind Bartimaeus

The Accursed Fig Tree

The Demon in the Synagogue

Ephphatha

Men as Trees Walking

The Draught of Fishes

The Widow's Son at Nain

God or Beelzebub

The Bent Woman

The Dropsical Man

The Ten Lepers

Malchus' Ear

Water Made Wine

The Courtier's son

The Pool of Bethesda

Blind from Birth

The Raising of Lazarus

The Post-Resurrection Haul

Foreword

We are living in a sceptical age. Men say they no longet believe in miracles. Not in heathendom is this said, but in Christendom, where the light of the Gospel shines. There is but one more step to take, in this unbelief — the repudiation of God Himself. This step will be taken shortly. MAN will deify himself in the son of perdition — the Antichrist of Scripture (2 Thess. 2: 3-4). When this happens, no more place will be found for God and His Son. Remarkably, when this state of things comes about, men will believe in miracles once more. "Signs and lying wonders" will appear, and be credited. Hell produces its marvels as well as heaven. This was witnessed in Moses' day, and it will be witnessed again in the day of Antichrist.

Infidelity, religious and otherwise, may carp at the records of our Lord's miracles, but the miracles were wrought, nevertheless. The fact that at least three of the Gospels were published ithin a few years of our Lord's ascension, when falsehoods could easily have been disproved, is sufficient to establish their credibility, even on the most human principles. But when we take into account the august fact (which every reverent soul believes) that the Spirit of God is the Author of the Gospels every query is hushed to rest.

But why were the miracles wrought? The Saviour Himself tells us — "the works that I do, bear witness of Me, that the Father hath sent Me" (John 5: 36; John 10: 25). They were thus graciously granted as aids to faith in His person and mission. Hence the rebuke to Philip, "Believe Me for the very works' sake." Hence, too, the Saviour's lament in John 15: 24: "If I had not done among them the works which none other man did, they had not had sin: but now they have both seen and hated both Me and My Father." Because the miracles were aids to faith they were all, with one exception, acts of mercy — acts which should have appealed to the sensibilities of all concerned as showing out the divine heart towards man.

It would be as foolish to over-state the value of miracles as it is to affect contempt for them. Aids to faith must not be confounded with the ground of faith. Faith founded on miracles is of so little worth that the Saviour, when surrounded by believers of this sort, refused to commit Himself unto them (John 2: 23-25). True faith is founded on the Word of God (Rom. 10: 17). Simon Magus was attracted by miracles, and proved a fraud; Sergius Paulus desired to hear the Word of God, and so became a true disciple (Acts 8: 13; Acts 13: 7, 12).

W. W. F.

The Leper Cleansed.

He who believes in a God Almighty and Supreme can have no difficulty in crediting miracles, especially when they are vouched for in God-breathed Scriptures. The objection that miracles are inconsistent with natural laws is beside the mark, seeing that they have nothing to do with natural laws, being instead sovereign interpositions of God altogether apart from, and above, them. No greater miracles can be conceived than the momentous facts on which Christianity rests — the incarnation, cross, and resurrection of the Lord Jesus. He who bows in faith to these will necessarily regard all other marvels as small in comparison. He who turns away from the facts of Christ's miraculous incarnation, etc., has no claim whatever to be recognised as a Christian.

Our Lord's miracles were not mere works of power; nor were they simply expressions of love and sympathy toward those who benefited by them: they were truly. all this; but they were also intended to teach spiritual truths. The cleansing of the leper is recorded by all the evangelists excepting John. Matthew gives it in the opening verses of his eighth chapter. Guided by the Spirit of God, Matthew disregards historical sequence in his presentation of it, placing the miracle after the Sermon in the Mount, although it took place some time earlier. His object apparently was to put in strong contrast the low faith of the Jewish sufferer with the high faith of the Gentile centurion described in the verses immediately following.

Leprosy is a type of sin. Those under its terrible power were as unfit for God's 'earthly dwelling-place as unpurged sinners are for His heavenly abode. The only physician for leprosy was God Himself; the same gracious One can alone meet the need of those polluted by sin. In answer to the leper's appeal our Lord "put forth His hand and touched him." Contact with the diseased one conveyed no defilement to Him, but it conveyed healing to the sufferer. Beauteous picture of the grace which brought Him from above into man's circumstances; touching sin, so to speak, at every point, yet personally unstained from first to last. The leper's faltering "If Thou wilt, Thou canst" was at once answered by the Saviour's hearty "I will; be thou clean." To His ability and willingness to heal and to bless there is no limit; whatever limitations there be are in the trembling faith of the human heart.

The healed one was then bidden "show thyself to the priest, and offer the gift that Moses commanded, for a testimony unto them." A striking testimony indeed, seeing that this was the first Israelitish leper cleansed (so far as Scripture speaks) since the instructions of Lev. 13 & Lev. 14 Were given nearly l,500 years before. The presence of a cleansed leper at the altar with his two birds in his hands testified that God had come into the land, and was meeting men's need apart altogether from priestly ministrations and religious ordinances. A principle this of the greatest possible moment for our souls today. Cleansing for the soul is found, not in human doing of any kind, but in the fountain of the Saviour's blood. This, when divinely applied, makes the vilest sinner whiter than snow, a greater moral miracle than the physical wonder wrought upon the Jewish leper.

The Centurion's Servant.

During our Lord's ministry in Israel only two persons were specially commended by Him for their faith, and they were both Gentiles — the Syro-phoenician woman, and the Roman centurion of Matt. 8: 5-13 and Luke 7: 1-10. Religious formalism had so checked the development of faith amongst the chosen people that it was scarcely to be found within their circle.

It was but a slave concerning whom the centurion appealed to the Saviour, but he was, for some reason, precious in his sight. In contrast with many in Israel, the Roman discerned God in the person of the lowly Carpenter Who was traversing the province. He at once made his supplication to Him, and was answered, "I will come and heal him." He instantly begged the Lord to take no such trouble, arguing that it was not even necessary. "Lord, I am not worthy that Thou shouldest come under my roof: but speak the word only, and my servant shall be healed. It was this that excited our Lord's commendation — his confidence in the efficacy of His word when personally absent. We have here a principle that is vital to us at the present hour. Christ is not here, having gone up to the Father's throne. But His Word is with us in the Scriptures we may at all times hear His living voice. His word declares the efficacy of His one sacrifice (Heb. 10: 12); it proclaims the pardon and justification of all who believe in His name (Acts 13: 38-39); and it gives to all such the sweet assurance that eternal life is already theirs, and that into judgement they can never come (John 5: 24). On His Word we rest; it is our all, seeing that Himself is no longer with us. If His Word could be wrested from our hands, our darkness would be impenetrable.

There are striking differences between the two accounts of this miracle, as given to us by Matthew and Luke. They are due, not to any blundering on the part of the writers, but to the special guidance of the Holy Spirit, Who indicated to each what features should be introduced, and what should be omitted. Thus Matthew, on the one hand, who wrote with Israel specially in view, appends our Lord's solemn warning to that nation that many should come from afar, and be blessed with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, while the sons of the kingdom should be cast out. Such a word was most necessary for a people who were building their hopes on religious associations and privileges, to the neglect of personal faith. Luke, on the other hand, who was himself a Gentile, and wrote for Gentiles, omits the warning to Israel, and introduces instead, what is so instructive to Gentiles, the fact that the centurion in the first instance got the Jewish elders to plead for him with the Saviour. If the warning noted by Matthew was intended to humble Jewish pride, this feature added by Luke should suffice to depress Gentile conceit. Are we not apt to forget that, as a matter of fact, we owe everything to the Jew? The Scriptures, the Saviour the first preachers of Christianity, all came to us from the bosom of Israel. Had this been remembered, Abraham's children would not have to complain of centuries of oppression from "Christian" hands.

The slave was healed. Such faith as his master evinced could not be denied. Nor will faith in the Word of the absent Saviour ever fail to receive fullest acknowledgment from God.

Peter's Wife's Mother.

Those who reverence the Scriptures and believe in their divine inspiration will have no hesitation in believing that a spiritual reason accounts for Matthew's displacement of this incident in his Gospel narrative. For he records it after the cases of the leper and the centurion's servant, while comparison with Mark and Luke makes it certain that it occurred some time anterior to them both.

The dispensational character of Matthew's Gospel is the true explanation of this seeming disorder. The first seventeen verses of his eighth chapter furnish us with a group of incidents that are most Interesting when viewed in the light of the dispensational ways of God. Thus the healing of the leper by the touch of Jesus is a picture characteristic of the time of our Lord's personal presence on earth. He was in closest contact with Israel from day to day, prepared to bestow every blessing upon the nation, yet meeting with but feeble response in the way of faith. The healing of the centurion's servant by His word spoken at a distance shows what is happening at the present time. He is no longer personally amongst us, but His Word is with us, and multitudes of Gentiles are finding blessing through faith in its wonderful message. The restoration of Peter's wife's mother is a picture beforehand of what He will do when His present gracious work amongst the nations is concluded. He will turn once more in His goodness to Israel, of which people Peter's mother-in-law was a representative. She lay sick of a great fever when the Lord found her, but one touch of His hand sufficed for her complete recovery. In like manner He will find her nation on the verge of utter ruin in the day when His feet shall stand once more on the Mount of Olives, but His personal presence will be as efficacious for Israel's full deliverance as for the raising up of Peter's wife's mother so long ago. Neither Zionist Congresses nor the favour of European powers will succeed in terminating Israel's centuries of sorrow; that blessed consummation is absolutely certain, if Scripture is to be believed, is dependent upon the appearing of the Son of Man. When the Redeemer comes to Zion He will turn away ungodliness from Jacob, and all Israel will be saved (Rom. 21: 26).

The apostle's mother-in-law being treated, the day closed with large blessing. Crowds of sufferers of every kind assembled round her door, and found healing and sympathy from the gracious One. Even so will it be at the close of the present age. When the twelve tribes of Israel are restored to their inheritance, and once more enjoy divine favour, universal peace and blessing will prevail. The world groans increasingly under its intolerable burdens, and schemes not a few are ventilated from time to time for the mitigation of them, but all efforts in this direction will be futile until earth's rightful King re- turns. His order in that day will be as follows: first, Israel blessed; then, all nations by their means. Meanwhile, pardon and salvation are available for individuals, however numerous, who will put their trust in the Saviour's precious blood.

The Storm on the Lake.

If men failed to recognise their Creator when He condescended to tabernacle here in flesh creation acknowledged His presence and power. The storm described in Matt. 8: 23-27 took place at the close of the day on which the seven parables of Matt. 13 were delivered. Tired with His day's labour, the Saviour slept, a touching proof of the reality of the humanity which He had assumed. Presently one of Gennesaret's sudden storms burst upon the little boat, to the dismay of the disciples, who. though believers. but feebly realised who it was that was voyaging with them. Had they considered that He was the Creator of the universe, would they have experienced a moment's alarm. Was it not He Who, ages before, shut up the sea with doors, and made clouds the garments thereof, and Who said, "Hitherto shalt thou come and no further; and here shall thy proud waves be stayed"? (Job 38: 8-11). Would, or could, the sea engulf its own Lord and God?

Alas for the poor human heart! Mark, with his customary observance of details, tells us the disciples roughly awoke their Lord, crying, "Master, carest Thou not that we perish. It is painful to transcribe the words; how cruelly they must have wounded the tender susceptibilities of the Saviour! "Carest Thou not." Had He not cared for the children of men, He would have remained in His own glory; the Bethlehem manger, the Galilean boat, and the cross of Calvary would never have been His lot. Yet, so gracious is He, no word of censure escaped His lips for the heartlessness of their speech; He merely said, "Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith?" Well has it been said, "Never man spake like this Man. '' But how painful to Him to find such feebleness of faith amongst the special objects of His favour after His experience of the splendid faith of the Gentile centurion!

His voice sufficed for the stilling of the elements. "Peace, be still." Long before this incarnation the Psalmist wrote of Him, "Thou rulest the raging of the sea: when the waves thereof arise, Thou stillest them" (Ps. 89: 9). Not a single attribute of Deity did He lay aside on becoming man. Omnipotence and Omniscience shone forth in Him whenever occasion called for their display. Demons, disease, death, winds and waves all fled before His word. The human mind, however richly taught of God, can unravel the mystery of the union of the divine and the human natures in His Person. Reason has insoluble difficulties here; faith finds instead material for adoration and praise.

The miracle brought the disciples to His feet In wonder, not unmixed with dread. What manner of Man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey Him? The answer is simple and plain. He was God manifested in flesh, on His way to death for the eternal blessing of all who believe. But in His humiliation, as now in His glory, He had power to dispel every danger that could befall His people. Storms of various kinds may burst upon us during our passage through this world, but none can destroy us while Jesus lives. Our part is just to confide in Him.

The Two Demoniacs.

Man's subjection to the power of Satan is the fruit of the fall, and is a terrible reality not to be underrated. On various occasions the Saviour, when here, was confronted by persons possessed with demons. This, while a special affliction in individual cases, is a picture of every unregenerate man's spiritual condition.

The prince of the power of the air regulates the present course of things here, working in all the children of disobedience (Eph. 2: 2). Yielding themselves to his authority, men become his slaves (Rom. 6: 16). One of the most blatant. proofs of this awful condition of things is modern Spiritualism.

Matthew tells us of two demoniacs who met our Lord on the eastern side of the Lake of Galilee, as He stepped ashore from His stormy passage (Matt. 8: 28-34). Remarkably, both Mark and Luke speak of one only. This probably is because one case was more desperate than the other, and the second and third evangelists were led to concentrate their attention upon him; while Matthew who always wrote with Jewish readers before his mind, and who knew the weight two witnesses would have with such (Deut. 17: 6; Deut. 19: 15), was careful to record the fact that two men were blessed, even though he omits a crowd of other details.

However blind men might be, to the personal glory of Jesus, demons always recognised Him as their Lord, and trembled and cringed before Him. Knowing Him to be the dread Judge Who will, at the opening of His reign, consign them and their leader to the abyss (Rev. 20: 1), they implored Him not to dismiss them to that awful region before the time. In answer to their prayer? they were suffered to enter into a herd of swine, with the result that the whole two thousand rushed violently down a steep place into the sea, and perished.

The whole countryside turned out at the tidings of what had occurred. They found the once-possessed men sitting peacefully at the feet of Jesus, clothed, and in their right mind. All their devilish ferocity, which had made them the terror of the district, was gone for ever. Yet not gratitude but aversion seized the minds of the people, and they forthwith besought the Saviour to depart out of their coasts. Two men had been delivered from the hold of Satan, but at the cost of two thousand swine. Were two souls worth two thousand swine? In their deplorable blindness, they judged not. If such was to be the result of the presence of the Son of God, they would prefer Satan for their neighbour. Such conduct would be incredible, did we not see men at the present hour sacrificing their own souls for trifles lighter than air. What matters it that the Saviour, by the shedding of His precious blood, has acquired the right to emancipate from Satan's power every soul that longs for deliverance? In the judgement of many, business, wealth, pleasure, are all to be preferred to any blessing He can bestow.

The Palsied Man

This miracle of healing was wrought at Capernaum, the city adopted by the Saviour as His home after He gave up Nazareth. It did not take place after His return from Gadara; this incident, though reserved for the opening verses of Matthew 9, occurred immediately after the cleansing of the leper recorded in Matt. 8: 2-5.

Every physical disease healed by the Saviour typifies In one way or another the moral disease of sin. Thus leprosy pictures the sinner in his uncleanness; fever shows him in his restlessness; while palsy is the expressive type of utter helplessness. Rom. 5:6 comes to mind here-"when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly." Most merciful provision for a palsied race!

Four friends brought the sufferer to Jesus. In their earnestness they refused to be thwarted by the crowds that barred the door, so they let down the couch, through the roof, at His feet. His first words to the palsied man were not words of healing but of pardon. "Son, thy sins are forgiven thee." Unquestionably the soul is of greater importance than the body. The forgiveness of sins is a mightier boon than the most perfect physical health. Our Lord's words provoked some unuttered criticisms on the part of some of His audience. "This man blasphemeth.” Omniscience in Him read their thoughts, and He rebuked them forthwith. Who can forgive sins but God only?" The query was reasonable. What mortal man has ever had such authority granted to him by God? But He Whom the scribes misjudged soon gave ample proof that He was God indeed by bidding the man take up his bed, and go to his house. "That ye may know that the Son of man hath authority on earth to forgive sins." Every Jewish student of Dan. 7 would know that the Son of man is identical with the Ancient of Days (vv. 9, 13, 22). If He be really the Son of man of prophecy, then is He most truly divine.

His less critical observers went home saying, 'We have seen strange things today." Had their spiritual vision been undimmed they would have recognised that Ps. 103: 3 “Who forgiveth all thy iniquities, Who healeth all thy diseases" had been fulfilled before their eyes, and each tongue would have exclaimed, "Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits." It was men's unbelief in these wonders so often repeated in favoured Capernaum, which constrained Him to say at a later date, "Thou, Capernaum, which art exalted unto heaven, shalt be brought down to hell: for if the mighty works which have been done in thee had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day. But I say unto you, that it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgement than for thee" (Matt. 11: 23-24). Privileges unvalued entail severest judgement from God. How far does this principle apply to our favoured land?

Jairus' Daughter.

During the world's preparatory ages, i.e. the ages that preceded Christ's coming, the divine dealings were especially with the people of Israel. The result of all God's dealings with that nation was to make manifest the true condition of our race. The human heart having been proved to be incorrigibly evil in the most favoured of the families of the earth, it goes without saying that it is irretrievably evil everywhere.

The case of Jairus' daughter Matt. 9: 18-26) illustrates these principles. Mark and Luke tell us that she was dying when her father first petitioned the Saviour on her behalf, and that he heard of her death from a messenger who was sent after him; Matthew shortens his report of the occurrence by commencing with her death. Her case was thus hopeless as far as man was concerned, even though her parent, as a ruler of the synagogue, was an authorised exponent of the law of Jehovah. The dead maid furnishes us with a picture of Israel dead — spiritually dead — in spite of ages of possession of God's law. It had not imparted life to Israel; it was impossible, therefore, that it could impart righteousness. If it could not supply man's first need, it certainly could not supply his second need. "If there had been a law given which could have given life, verily righteousness should have been by the law" (Gal. 3: 21). Yet in utter blindness as to their true condition, Israel has unceasingly sought righteousness by means of works of law. Gentiles have no more learned the lesson of human ruin than the chosen people; hence the painful fact that in this Gospel day the majority of persons in Christendom are striving after blessing on the principle of works In one form or another.

Jairus felt deeply the powerlessness of all ecclesiastical and legal machinery In the presence of death, and he therefore made his application to the Son of God. With His usual tenderness, the Saviour said to the distressed parent, "Be not afraid; only believe." Taking with Him Peter, James and John only, He entered into the death-chamber and forthwith overcame death by His quickening word. It sufficed for Him to say 'Damsel, arise," and immediately her spirit returned from the unseen world, and became reunited with the body. Blessed earnest of what the same gracious One will accomplish in a spiritual way for her entire nation when He comes again!

Meanwhile, the principle is stamped indelibly on the page of Scripture that man is dead In the eyes of God. It is vain to preach good works and religious ordinances to the dead. Why should we Gentiles foolishly essay to reach blessing by means that have signally failed in the case of Israel. Not law works but Christ can alone meet man's deep need. Hence His own gracious declaration: "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" (John 3: 16).

The Issue of Blood.

The woman who touched the Saviour's garment has always been an object of peculiar interest to devout readers of Scripture. Her painful case, and the simplicity of her faith, never fail to arouse our spiritual sympathies. Her case was an interruption of our Lord's mission to raise Jairus' daughter. She is thus a type of those who are today seeking and receiving blessing while our Lord's relations with Israel are suspended. The fact that the woman's case is interwoven with that of Jairus' daughter serves to bring out clearly the parts that both God and man play in the blessing of the soul. The girl, like every unregenerate sinner, was dead; Who Can quicken the dead but God? The woman exercised her faith; this God looks for in all who would receive His favours. God's part is to quicken: man's part is to believe.

A vast multitude thronged the streets of the little port of Capernaum. They were following Jesus to the ruler's house. He who judged by appearances would have concluded that the whole country was in love with the Son of God. But as it was in Capernaum, so it is now in Christendom — many follow from mere curiosity, many go because others go; but only individuals here and there, like the woman of our story, seek Him because their hearts yearn for that which He alone can supply. The woman was now penniless. During twelve years she had been vainly seeking health at the hands of Jewish physicians. Why did she not earlier make her application to the great Healer of all? She reflects, only too sadly, those In our day who, in their quest for salvation try everything and everyone rather than the Son of God. Sacraments, teetotalism, benevolence, and a crowd of other remedies, are trusted in by various souls for that which He alone can give. When the woman came to the conclusion that her only hope lay in the Lord Jesus, she formed her resolution accordingly "If I can touch but His clothes, I shall be whole" (Mark 5: 28). Marvellous faith! She had acquired such confidence in Him that she believed one touch of His fringe with its blue ribbon attached (Num. 15: 37-41 ) would suffice for her complete healing.

The Saviour was aware of what was passing, and to the astonishment of Peter and the others He turned and inquired, 'Who touched Me?' As then so now, He carefully distinguishes between the thoughtless crowd of religious adherents and the earnest individual seeker after blessing. Calling the woman before Him, and eliciting her frank confession of what had taken place, He dismissed her home with the comforting assurance, "Daughter, be of good comfort: thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace" (Luke 8:48)- It is good to have to do with One so gracious as He. The humble seeker after spiritual healing has but to claim an interest in His precious blood, and pardon, salvation, and peace become the heart's portion for ever. We believe that through the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved" Acts 15: 11).

The Blind and the Dumb.

The cases of the two blind men and the dumb demoniac recorded in Matt. 9: 27-34 are found only in the first Gospel. They apparently followed immediately upon the raising of Jairus' daughter. Taken together, these fresh incidents furnish us with a sadly complete picture of man in his natural condition. Toward God man is stone-blind. His eyes are open widely enough to the concerns of this life, its business, pleasures, etc., but to everything spiritual he is one who sees not. What though the goodness of God, the perfections of Christ, the cleansing efficacy of His blood, and the glories of heaven are portrayed before him, he sees nothing in them to attract his blinded eyes. They are the most uninteresting of all the matters that come before him. The natural man is also as dumb as he is blind. The tongue that is so ready of speech when temporal things are being discussed, collapses into utter silence when God and Christ are introduced. Concerning the highest and best of all topics he has absolutely nothing to say. His tongue is tied.

There is but One who can open blind eyes and set at liberty tongues that are dumb. The Gospel is sent to men "to open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive the forgiveness of sins" (Acts 26: 18). When the blind men were brought into the house of our Lord, He asked them, "Believe ye that I am able to do this" They replied, "Yea, Lord." Instantly the healing touch was given, and the inestimable boon of sight was granted to them. Men spiritually blind and dumb are equally welcome to the Saviour. One touch Of His gracious hand, sought in faith, and everything becomes viewed in a new light, and the delivered soul feels as one introduced into a new world. Henceforward he cries with the ecstatic apostle, "We see Jesus" (Heb. 2: 9). His eyes are enraptured with the glories of his Saviour and Lord; for the excellency of the knowledge of Him he counts everything else but loss. His tongue makes its boast in the Lord; it is continually filled with His praise. He testifies of Him burningly to all. This is surely a spiritual miracle.

We are commenting upon true cases of physical healing. In dealing with them our Lord was fulfilling what was long before predicted of Him in Isaiah 35: 5-6. The kind of miracle has ceased for the present, to reappear when the Millennial kingdom is established. But meanwhile the spiritual wonder is being enacted before our eyes every day.. The grace of God is revolutionising men's lives continually; the dead are quickened, the blind are made to see, and the dumb are made both to speak and sing. Who but our God, and what but the Gospel, could accomplish such marvels as these.

The Withered Hand.

It was the Sabbath day; and, as His custom was, our Lord repaired to the synagogue. Synagogues were not places of worship (there was but one such place in Israel-God's temple in Jerusalem): they were merely buildings in which copies of the Scriptures were kept under the charge of an official, whose duty it was to allow the people to read them, and to expound them to one another. The Saviour descried a man in the synagogue with a withered hand. His whole heart of compassion went forth at once toward him. He had but recently been criticised by the Pharisees for permitting His disciples to relieve their hunger in the cornfield on the Sabbath day; this afflicted man became a fresh ground of objection with them. According to Mark and Luke He put this question to them: "Is it lawful to do good on the Sabbath day, or to do evil." Matthew adds the query: "What man shall there be among you, that shall have one sheep, and if it fall into a pit on the Sabbath day, will he not lay hold of it, and lift it out? How much then is a man better than a sheep?" (Matt. 12: 9-14).

The natural heart loves formality. Religious ordinances appeal powerfully to it. For the due observance of them according to their own thoughts, religionists have ever been ready to contend fiercely, even at the risk of Hindering 'God's work of grace. What cared the Pharisees of our Lord's day that the land was full of misery if only Sabbath forms were carried out punctiliously. Man in this day, inheriting their spirit, would rather souls go unshepherded and perish than that established customs should be touched. Nothing so deceives the heart as religion without heart-conversion to God; nothing so betrays men into the most egregious inconsistency. The men who quibbled about our Lord healing on the Sabbath day saw no wrong in plotting on that day to murder Him. At a later date, the priests abstained from crossing Pilate's threshold, lest such close contact with a Gentile should defile them and unfit them to eat the Passover; yet. it never occurred to their seared consciences that lt. was infinitely more defiling to shed an innocent man's blood! Oh, religion without God, how dark has been thy record of inconsistency and sin!

The Saviour suffered nothing to hinder the out- flow of His goodness. Forms could not bind Him. Accordingly, the afflicted one was bidden to stretch forth his hand, and it was made whole as the other. Many of us suffer from withered hands at this hour. Sin has so paralysed us that we can do nothing for God. No good works can we accomplish, however deeply we may feel the necessity of them. But there is salvation in what Christ has done. His precious atoning sacrifice suffices for all our need. The man who confides in Him is blessed apart altogether from meritorious works of every kind. One result of His blessing is that the hand, once withered, becomes empowered to do somewhat for Him in the midst of a burdened and suffering creation.

The Five Thousand

A bloody deed had just been committed in the land. John the Baptist, the honoured forerunner of the Messiah, had been beheaded. Our Lord, feeling the pressure of the circumstances (for it was the shadow beforehand of His own death in the following year), retired into a desert place privately with the twelve. But He was not suffered to be quiet. Eager multitudes found Him out even in the wilderness. He did not resent it. Though men showed but little consideration to Him, in His perfect: grace He was prepared to show the fullest consideration to them. Though Israel had acquiesced in the murder of His herald, He loved Israel still.

His disciples would have dismissed the people, but He refused to send the hungry away. As a test of faith, He questioned Philip as to where bread was to be found wherewith to feed so many; He replied that two hundred denarii a labourers earnings for about eight months-would only suffice to give each a little. Andrew thereupon remarked that a lad was present with five barley loaves and two small fishes, "but what are they among so many" (John 6: 5-9). Neither of them realised that they were addressing the Creator of the universe, "Who calleth those things which be not as though they were" (Rom. 4: 17). In their heartlessness they would have driven the needy away; and in their unbelief they would have starved them if they must needs remain. Such is the human heart, even in Christ's true servants!

The Lord Jesus soon showed to all that He was the God who gave the manna (Ex. 16), and also the Jehovah of Ps. 132: 15, Who said: "I will abundantly bless her provision: I will satisfy her poor with bread." Accordingly He bade the multitudes sit down upon the grass in hundreds and in fifties (Mark 6: 40). Order is stamped upon all His ways, whether in creation or in grace. "God is not the author of confusion." But: before He performed what was really a stupendous miracle, He gave public thanks for the food He was about to administer (Matt. 14: 19). Wonderful combination of human dependence and divine omnipotence in One person! In His hands the five loaves sufficed for five thousand men besides women and children, with twelve baskets full of fragments remaining. Little wonder that in an outburst of enthusiasm the people at once desired to make Him king John 6: 15). A ruler who is a giver would be indeed a boon to long-taxed men.

The Lord refused the kingdom. It will yet be His, but He will accept it at God's hand, not at the hand of man. When the due time arrives, He will establish a visible government in Jerusalem, and will inaugurate an order of things that will fill the earth with peace and blessing. As in the day of the five thousand, so in the Millennial age, He will associate His own with Himself in the administration of the blessing. Never more will men complain of tyranny and wrong; never again will they know want. The social problems which baffle the keenest intellects at the present hour will find their perfect solution then, but not before. The cross of Calvary is the basis of future kingdom-glory and blessing, as well as the sure foundation of present pardon and peace for individuals who believe. If the world did but know it, the Redeemer-King is its only hope.

The feeding of the five thousand is the only miracle recorded by all four evangelists.

Walking on the Sea.

"How can these things be?" is a very natural question when the human mind contemplates the works and ways of God. lt. is, however, the query of unbelief, not of faith. Whether it be the collapse of Jericho's walls, Jonah's three days' abode In the fish's belly, our Lord's walking on the sea, or any other wonder nothing staggers the heart that has learned to trust God and believe His word.

When the Saviour refused to be made king after the feeding of the five thousand. He went up into a mountain to pray, bidding His disciples cross to the other side of the Sea of Gennesaret. It is a picture of what was soon to take place-His going up to God to enter upon His present ministry of intercession, leaving His disciples to face the billows of this stormy world during His absence. The twelve found their passage rough and trying, as followers of a rejected and crucified Lord have ever found life and testimony here. Many a storm has Satan raised in the hope of destroying all witness to the Name he hates. In the fourth watch of the night the Lord went to the disciples, walking on the water. Thinking it was an apparition, they cried out in fear, but were soon calmed by His cheery call: "It is I; (or "I am,") be not afraid." He has never failed to draw near to His own in their hours of distress and need. He is the "I am" of Ex. 3: 14. The possibilities involved in such a name forbid the smallest questioning of unbelief. "Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea" (Ps. 46: 2).

The boat is the emblem of the old system of things in which our Lord left His disciples at His glorification. The Book of Acts shows how tenaciously they clung to the old order, with its earthly sanctuary, its successional priesthood, etc., and how very slow they were in learning that Christianity is essentially a heavenly and spiritual system: instead of being a graft upon Judaism, Christianity is its total opposite in character and spirit. Judaism, with its gorgeous ritual, appealed to the senses; he who understood Christianity better than many says, "We walk by faith, not by sight" (2 Cor. 5: 7). Satan's aim has always been to corrupt the work of God; hence when the old boat of Judaism was destroyed by Titus he set to work to prepare another boat under Christ's name. Earthly sanctuaries, priests claiming successional rights, etc., soon appeared, to the complete falsification of the testimony of God.

Matthew, Mark and John all tell us of our Lord's walk on the water; Matthew adds another feature (Matt. 14: 24-33). Peter, when he learned that lt. was the Lord Who was approaching, begged for permission to go to Him. This being granted, he leaped into the sea, and went to Jesus. For a moment he faltered as he saw the wind and waves, but a cry from his lips and a touch from the Master's hand made his feet secure. In like manner the individual believer of today who turns his back on Christendom's religious boats, in obedience to the call in Heb. 13: 13, must look to the Lord alone for sustainment in his walk of faith. But the first act of faith, without which nothing else is possible, is the soul's humble obedience to Him for pardon and salvation.

The storm ceased when the Lord and Peter stepped aboard the boat. Similarly the world's raging will be hushed when Christ and His saints show themselves once more in the midst of Israel.

The Syrophoenician Woman.

In Matt. 15: we have two hearts revealed to us — the heart of man and the heart of God. In reply to the Pharisees' criticism of His disciples for eating with unwashed hands, our Lord laid down that a man is not defiled by that which goes into his mouth, but by that which comes out, the words being the expression of what is in the heart. He proceeded to draw an appalling picture of the human heart. According to His judgement, which cannot err, it is a pestilent sink of iniquity.

Turning away from His hypocritical opponents, the Saviour went into the neighbourhood of Tyre and Sidon. He had but a short time before, held up these places as specially hardened (Matt. 11: 21); what could He hope to find there to refresh His distressed spirit. He was soon appealed to by a Canaanitish woman to cast a demon out of her daughter: "Have mercy on me, O Lord, Thou Son of David; my daughter is grievously vexed with a demon." How terribly she erred! As one of a cursed race, of which remnants existed in the land merely because of the dilatoriness of God's people in Joshua's day, what could she claim from David's Son but judgement? At first the Saviour gave her no answer, but being urged by His disciples to dismiss her He said: "I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of Israel." This was indeed His mission at that time. He "was a minister of the circumcision for the truth of God to confirm the promises made unto the fathers" (Rom. 15: 8). In this character Gentiles could have no claim upon Him whatever. The earnestness of the woman, however, was such that she would take no denial. Accordingly she pressed her suit further, saying: "Lord, help me." She dropped the Jewish title of "Son of David," and craved mercy simply. But she had not gone low enough, so our Lord replied: "It is not meet to take the children's bread, and to cast it to dogs." This, was indeed a testing word. Yet she did not fire at it, and turn away, like Naaman, in a rage. She meekly retorted "Yea, Lord, for even the dogs eat the crumbs which fall from their master's table." (See Revised Version.) Her argument was perfect, and it prevailed. Though she was truly but a Gentile, outside the elect family of Israel, she had confidence that such was the goodness of the divine heart that there was blessing In it for even the meanest of His creatures. Certainly He whose eternal home is the Father's bosom would not contradict her in this. His strange bearing was intended to elicit this fine expression of faith from her. The Saviour's stern demeanour covered a heart of tenderness that yearned to bless her the moment she took true ground before Him. He appears to have visited the locality for her sake; for, having healed her daughter with His word, He forthwith returned to the place from whence He came. His eye had discerned the woman's sorrow from afar though she knew it not.

The secret of blessing is to take a low place at the divine feet. As born of a ruined stock, and individually guilty of sin, we have no claim on God save for judgement. But he who will humbly acknowledge himself ungodly and undone, will speedily learn that such is the heart of God towards him that He sacrificed His Only-Begotten Son for his blessing, and that in virtue of His atoning death, sins and iniquities are remembered no more.

The Four Thousand.

The bold faith of the Syro-Phoenician woman was truly refreshing to the spirit of the, Saviour, so often distressed by the unbelief of long-favoured Israel. In like manner he finds pleasure today in the faith of Gentile believers while Israel continues estranged and scattered. Yet nothing will ever be allowed to alienate Him from the seed of Abraham; He loves them with an everlasting love, and the gifts and calling of God are without repentance. He speedily returned, therefore, from the neighbourhood of Tyre and Sidon, and busied Himself once more in the midst of Israel.

Needy multitudes gathered around Him (Matt. 15: 29-39). His touch sufficed for the healing of every kind of disease, and delivered ones were constrained to glorify the God of Israel. These things took place on a mountainside in Galilee. After three days of such occupation the Saviour became concerned for the feeding of the people, far removed as they were from the ordinary sources of supply. He put no testing questions to His disciples, as when the five thousand were before Him; but simply declared His compassion for the people's need, and His intention Or supplying it. So forgetful is the human heart in everything where God is concerned, that the disciples, overlooking the previous miracle, expressed their doubt as to finding sufficient bread in the wilderness to feed so great a multitude. This elicited the fact that seven loaves and a few little fishes were available. This handful became mighty in the hand that once destroyed the empire of Pharaoh by means  - of a humble shepherd's rod.

In simple-hearted dependence upon God (for the Son had become truly human), He offered public thanks for the temporal mercies that soon supplied the need of the vast throng before Him. Four thousand men were fed on this occasion. besides women and children. At the conclusion of the meal the fragments were gathered up, for with the absolutely perfect One waste could not accompany wealth and benevolence. Seven large baskets full remained, as compared with twelve hand-baskets full after the earlier feast. Scripture numerals are significative of spiritual truths. Seven (twice repeated in this narrative) is the number of perfection: four is the world-number. We thus learn symbolically that when He opens His hand to remedy the woes of men there will be perfection of blessing: and this, not merely for Israel's tribes. but for the whole world. This happy condition of things, however, cannot be until His return from heaven. His appearing in majesty will be the bright opening of a day fraught with peace and blessing such as the world has never yet known.

Meanwhile, from a heart fully charged with grace and goodness, divine mercy flows freely to individuals everywhere who feel their need of these things. Though the groan of the world, as such, cannot he hushed while the Saviour remains seated at the right hand of God, no individual need go unblessed for a single hour. On the perfectly righteous basis of His death and resurrection, every yearning soul may have spiritual healing and pardon, and may find in the exalted Saviour Himself full satisfaction of that heart-hunger which the things of this world can never allay.

The Demoniac Boy.

lt. is a terrible fact that this world is under the power of Satan as its prince. The Saviour was reminded of it in a peculiarly painful manner as He descended from the holy mount after His transfiguration. He found a crowd assembled, with scribes among them, and a poor demon-possessed lad wallowing and foaming in their midst. His disciples were there; but, through lack of faith, they were impotent in the presence of the enemy's power. Divinely commissioned and endowed though they were (Matt. 10: 1), they were unable to meet the emergency.

The Lord learned upon inquiry that the lad had suffered thus from his childhood. A picture, only too correct, of our race, which fell into the hands of Satan in its very infancy, i.e., in the days. of the garden of Eden. The poor child was both dumb and deaf (Mark 9: 25), reflecting thus the spiritual condition of every representative of fallen Adam. The unregenerate man has nothing to say for God, and he has no ear for the commandments of God. God is to him as though He were not. The afflicted child was in constant peril of his life. His father said of the unclean spirit within him: "Oft-times it hath cast him into the fire, and into the waters to destroy him." In like manner every undelivered sinner is in jeopardy, not of temporal disaster merely, but of eternal destruction. Man's chosen leader is truly a cruel deceiver; would that all eyes were open to the fact!

Disappointed in the disciples, who should have been able to make potent use of the Saviour's name, the despairing father turned to the Lord Himself. With no great amount of faith, however. "If Thou canst do anything, have compassion on us, and help us" (Mark 9: 22). What words to address to the Lord of all! He Who created the universe, and all that is therein, could surely overthrow the power of Satan, a mere creature of His hand, albeit the most mighty Demons always recognised Who and what He was; men, alas, but rarely.

It is the privilege of Christ's heralds now to pro- claim not what He is able to do merely, but what He has done. Having bowed His head in death as an atonement for sin, He is righteously able "to preach deliverance to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bound" Luke 4: 18). None need remain under the galling yoke of Satan for a single hour; one simple appeal to the victorious Lord in heaven's glory sets the soul at large for ever. "If Thou canst” said the Saviour to the parent; “all things are possible to him that believeth” (R.V.). Here we have the secret of blessing and deliverance at all times. It is not human effort, whether resolutions, prayers, or religiousness, but simple faith in the Son of God. The Gospel was intended to open men's eyes, to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance amongst all who are sanctified by faith in Christ (Acts 26: 18).

With tears the father exclaimed: "Lord, I believe; help Thou mine unbelief." At once the blessing came, and the child was set free for ever. Each of the Synoptists records this touching incident Mark, as usual, with greatest fullness of detail.

The Tribute Money.

It was quite natural that the Capernaum collector should challenge Peter in regard to his Master's payment of the half shekel-a tax levied upon all males in Israel for the upkeep of the temple (Matt. 17: 24-27). In His eyes He was only an itinerant preacher, perhaps a prophet, and therefore liable for the impost as all others. But Peter erred egregiously In answering the inquiry in the affirmative. Only a little while before he had confessed Him as "the Christ, the Son of the living God," and had received the Saviour's benediction for it (Matt. 16: 16-17); now he acknowledges His liability for a petty tax as though He were a mere son of Jacob. When he entered the house, the Lord anticipated what he had to say, showing thus His perfect omniscience. ''What thinkest thou, Simon, Of whom do the kings of the earth take custom or tribute? of their own sons or of strangers?'' To this the blundering apostle returned the only answer that was possible — "of strangers." Jesus saith unto him: "then are the sons free."

A simple statement, yet how full! Jesus of Nazareth is the Son of Him Who dwelt in the temple. From Him the great Sovereign of the universe never could or would demand anything. But observe the Plural — "sons." He put Peter alongside of Him- self as sharing His position and relationship. "The grace of this is astounding. Yet Scripture is mast explicit in its address to every Christian: "Thou art no longer a servant, but a son...Ye are all the sons of God by faith in Christ Jesus" (Gal. 3: 26; Gal. 4: 7). We owe this to the Saviour's atoning blood, which has put away all our sins, and furnished God with a righteous ground for the display of all His love and grace. The blood of Christ entitles every believer to share His relationship of Son to the Father, and to be with Him in His heavenly glory for ever.

But these wonders are not yet acknowledged by the world. Neither Christ nor Christians are yet recognised in their true position of exaltation as sons to the Father. Consequently the tax must be paid without demur. Neither clamour, nor resistance- passive or otherwise could proceed from the meek and lowly One. Had the half shekel been required at census time as atonement-money (Ex. 30: 11-16) the case would have presented grave difficulties; but the collection was of a different nature, a mere change for the maintenance of the temple (2 Chron. 24: 6). Mark the tender consideration of our Lord; Notwithstanding, lest we should stumble them' He would rather pay any figure, however unjust or objectionable, than endanger the testimony of God by provoking invidious comments from the unregenerate. How little has His example been heeded by Christians when smarting under a sense of wrong!

Small though the amount was — a coin — the Saviour did not possess it. Creation must therefore supply it at His command. "Go thou to the sea, cast a hook, and take up the fish that first cometh up; and when thou hast opened his mouth, thou shalt find a piece of money: that take, and give unto them for Me and thee." Everything and everyone — wind, waves, fishes, demons, etc. discerned Who He was but poor benighted man. Painful thought! The most favoured of all God's creatures, the blindest of all through sin! Yet His infinite grace picks up multitudes of the wretched sons of men, and puts them in the company of His own beloved Son, so that He can link them with Himself and say, "Me and thee."

Blind Bartimaeus.

The Saviour was journeying to Jerusalem for the last time. In less than a week all the sorrow of earth were over for Him. Death, with its agony and shame, was behind Him, and His body lay In the tomb. But though His sensitive spirit felt the weight of all that was impending, nothing was permitted to stay His beneficent hand. Human misery and need aroused all the tenderness of His heart.

He was just passing out of Jericho, after being a guest at the house of Zacchaeus (Luke 19). The fact that this city had lain under a special curse for ages was no barrier with Him; divine grace in Him rose supreme over everything. Had it not been so, He would never have visited our earth, so long under God's displeasure because of sin. A blind beggar, hearing the tramp of a crowd, and inquiring what it meant, learned that Jesus of Nazareth was passing by. Mark tells us his name was Bartimaeus; Matthew lets us know that he had a companion, this being the third instance in which the first Gospel notes two sufferers where the other Gospels speak only of one.

Bartimaeus cried out lustily: 'Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me.' He received no rebuff from the Saviour for addressing Him by this title. In using it he was as right as the Syro-Phoenician woman was wrong. As born of the stock of Israel, he was entitled to look for a king of David's line who should open the eyes of the blind, unstop the ears of the deaf, make the lame leap as a hart, and teach the tongue of the dumb to sing (Isa. 35: 5-6). Bystanders sought to silence him, but to no purpose. "He cried out the more a great deal, Thou Son Of David, have mercy on me" Mark 10: 48). Had he missed this opportunity, he would never have had another, for the Lord never visited Jericho again.

His cry reached the Saviour's ears. Learning that he might approach, the blind man "cast away his garment, sprang up, and came to Jesus" (R.V.). This poor man reads us many lessons. There is a garment of self-righteousness which multitudes are hugging today to their soul's harm. Oh, that they would cast it from them, and as sinners seek the Saviour's feet! (Rom. 10: 3). Many among us would also do well to imitate Bartimaeus' earnestness in appealing for the blessing, and the alacrity with which he hastened to receive it. One word from Jesus sufficed for his healing: "Go thy way; thy faith hath made thee whole. ''Not only he, but a]so those who beheld the miracle, burst forth in praise to God (Luke 18: 43) The Lord did not bid him be silent about his healing as when He healed two blind men some time before (Matt. 9: 30). He was about to present Himself publicly In Jerusalem as Israel's long expected King, and it was well that a testimony should be rendered at this juncture to His person and His power. But the clearest testimony avails nothing for men willingly blinded by Satan; hence no crown awaited Him In Jerusalem but a crown of thorns; no throne of glory was in preparation for Him, but instead a cross of shame. But this, in the wonderful ways of God, has secured our salvation from eternal woe.

The Accursed Fig Tree.

Every miracle performed by the Son of God on an earth was an act of goodness and mercy, with the single exception of the cursing of the fig-tree. This occurred during His last week of sorrow. His ministry during that week was exercised in Jerusalem, but each evening He went out of the city to lodge in Bethany, preferring the simple reality of Lazarus and his sisters, to the dead religious formalism of which Jerusalem was full.

One morning, as He traversed the road between Bethany and the metropolis, feeling hungry, He paused at a wayside fig-tree intending to pluck some fruit. He found Leaves in abundance, but of figs there was no sign. The gathering time not having come, the branches should have been laden (Mark 11: 12, 13). He forthwith pronounced His anathema upon it: "Let no fruit grow on thee henceforward for ever.” The tree presently withered up from the roots (Matt. 21: 19).

The whole proceeding was so unique, and its severity so unusual for One so full of grace as the Lord Jesus, that we are arrested by it, and constrained to enquire into its significance. Some time before He had likened the Jewish people to a figtree planted in a vineyard (Luke 13: 6). This furnishes us with the key to this remarkable incident. He was Himself Jehovah who had shown favour and care to Israel for ages, and Who was entitled therefore to look for some return. Alas! Israel's history had been one of sin and rebellion from the beginning. Under every divine test they had produced nothing but thorns and briars. Now He had come from heaven in person to put them to the supreme test of His own presence. This was soon to end in blood. The air was full of conspiracy against Him; and in a few days, as He perfectly well knew, He would be lying dead in the tomb. His cursing of the fig-tree was therefore a symbolic action; for the tree represented Israel under the old covenant, soon to be utterly rejected as hopelessly unfruitful for God. When God does gather fruit from that people, it will be from a new generation under the new covenant of grace in the Millennial kingdom.

The cursing of the fig-tree has a voice for men in Christendom as well as for men in Israel. Israel's history, rightly viewed, is a mirror in which men everywhere may see their own reflection. The Christendom of today is as unreal and as unfruitful for God as the Israel of the past. Every thoughtful observer will admit that we are face to face with a profitless mass of hollow religious profession. In no sphere is there so much sham as in the religious sphere. Men commemorate with feasting the birth of the Saviour while spurning His salvation; they build costly temples in His name while refusing Him one inch of space in their hearts; they celebrate with pompous ritual His atoning death while despising it for their souls' need. The Judge of guilty Israel will not for ever spare far guiltier Christendom. In Rom. 11: 16-22 will be found its righteous doom.

Let us away with all unreality and sham. He who has given His whole heart to us is surely worthy of all that our poor hearts can render in return.

The Demon in the synagogue.

When our Lord first left Nazareth to live at Capernaum He was met with an extraordinary experience in that little port. According to His custom, He went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day His disciples attending Him. His exposition of the Scriptures was interrupted by a demon-possessed man crying out: "What have we to do with Thee, Thou Jesus of Nazareth? Art Thou come to destroy us I know Thee who Thou art, the Holy One of God' (Mark 1: 24). To be confronted in such a place with the power of Satan was surely very. remarkable. The Saviour frequently met demoniacs in the outside world, thus being painfully reminded that the world is under Satan as its prince; but that a demon should intrude, as it were, into the very presence of God was extraordinary. The demon knew Him, and did not hesitate to confess Him as the Holy One, a title long before assigned to Him in Ps. 89: 19. But the Lord could no more receive testimony from such a source than Paul later, when publicly witnessed to by a Pythoness in the streets of Philippi (Acts 16: 16-18). Between Christ and Satan there can be no affinity, but rather the deepest moral antagonism. Accordingly, in the presence of the congregation, the Lord overthrew the power of the enemy, and set his victim free. The people went home marvelling both at the teaching they had heard and the power they had witnessed.

Is there anything today answering to the demon in the synagogue? Most assuredly, for history is; repeating itself continually. The parable of the mustard-seed comes to mind in this connection. The Lord likened the profession of Christianity to the least of all seeds which developed to such proportions that it provided a lodging-place for the birds of the air. Now seeing that in the course of the same exposition He used the birds as symbols of the emissaries of Satan (Matt. 13: 4,19, 31-32), what have we here but a forecast of Christian profession losing its original humble character, and becoming a great and showy 'system, with room beneath its shelter for the very, enemies of Christ and the Gospel. How sadly this has been verified must be patent to every thoughtful observer. How comes it that in buildings erected for the preaching of the Word of God men are heard discrediting the Inspiration of the Scriptures, repudiating the possibility of miracles, doubting the virgin birth of Christ, speaking disrespectfully of His atoning blood, and spiritualising away the momentous fact of His resurrection. Comes this kind of thing from the Spirit of Truth, or from some other spirit? Let us not deceive ourselves. There is a working of Satan in Christendom today as real and as malignant as in Israel of old. The manner of its manifestation has changed, but that is all. In a polished age men are apt to use mild terms for grave offences, and thus obscure their real nature and character. It is infinitely wiser and safer to set things in their true light, however hideous they may appear.

None can put down the power of Satan but Him Who cast out the demon in the synagogue of Capernaum. This He will accomplish effectually when He comes out of heaven in power and majesty. Meanwhile, those who fear God are enjoined to have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness but rather to expose them (Eph. 5: 11).

Ephphatha.

Mark tells us that after His special journey into the neighbourhood of Tyre and Sidon for the healing of the Syro-Phcenician, the Saviour made a circuit of the Decapolis district. This consisted of ten cities which had been granted special privileges by the Roman conquerors about a century earlier. There, as everywhere else, He found abundant need for the exercise of His divine power and mercy. A man was brought to Him who was deaf and had an impediment m his speech (Mark 7: 31-37); a humiliating picture of every man's moral and spiritual condition as the fruit of the fall. God lost man's ear in the garden; ever since that fatal day the disposition of the whole human family has been to listen to anyone rather than to God. Hence the exhortation to the chosen people: "Hear, O Israel" (Deut. 6: 4), and the divine lamentation: "Oh, that My people had hearkened unto Me" (Ps. 81: 13). hence, too, the appeal to us all: "To-day, if ye will hear His voice, harden not your hearts" (Heb. 3: 7). The tongue of the unregenerate man is as estranged from God as the ear; for none can deny that the most eloquent conversationalist betrays an impediment in his speech as soon as the things of God and Christ are introduced.

The Saviour took the sufferer aside from the crowd. It is good to be alone in the divine presence. The busy hum of the world is not conducive to spiritual reflection. The great destroyer of souls would rather keep men in a continuous whirl of business and pleasure than see them sitting down quietly in meditation before God. But it is in the hush of the divine presence that we learn our sin and guilt, and our deep need of sovereign grace. There, apart from the thoughtless, clamorous crowd, we see things In their true light, and our souls find eternal blessing.

The Saviour touched first the ears of the afflicted one. and then his tongue. This order is significant In the spiritual realm the ear must be opened to receive divine Instruction ere the tongue is able to speak forth God's praise. "We believe, and there fore speak" (2 Cor. 4: 13). "Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God" (Rom. 10: 17). He who has received by way of the ear the Gospel of Christ into His heart will delight to speak of the marvels of God's grace to all around.

As He touched the man the Lord looked up to heaven, and sighed, saying "Ephphatha," that is "Be opened." The burden of the world's sin, and the many miseries attendant Upon it, oppressed His gracious spirit. He recalled the day when, ages before, He pronounced His whole creative work "very good' (Gen. 1: 31), and He groaned as He considered all the havoc that Satan and man had caused through sin. It was this that brought Him from above. But He had come, not to heal physical diseases only, But to make atonement for sin by His blood, in order that all who believe might be delivered once and for ever from the guilt and thraldom of sin, and be reconciled to God in peace and blessing.

The astonished multitudes who beheld the present miracle exclaimed, "He hath done all things well." With what fullness of meaning may this be said when the new heavens and the new earth appear, peopled by countless myriads of the blest, saved from sin, suffering, and death as the fruit of His priceless. sacrifice.

Men as Trees Walking

Our Lord on one occasion performed a miracle in two parts. The scene was Bethsaida: its record is found in Mark 8: 22-26) the other Evangelists being silent as to it. A blind man being brought to Him, the Saviour led him out of the town, and spat upon his eyes; then, putting His hands upon him, He enquired if he saw anything. The man replied: "I see men as trees, walking." The great Healer touched him a second time, after which he looked up, and saw all things clearly. He was then dismissed to his home.

The line pursued by our Lord in this instance was very singular, and its lessons are of an unusual kind. The partial sight of this man represented the spiritual condition of the disciples while the Saviour was with them. They but dimly perceived the true character of His gracious mission. They sincerely believed that He was the long-expected Messiah, Who should sit upon David's throne; but that He must needs suffer, and be made an offering for sin had no place whatever in their thoughts. They clearly understood that such a chapter as Ps. 72, with its kingdom-glories, had reference to Him, but it never dawned upon them that Isa. 53, with its predictions of suffering and shame, must also find its fulfilment in Him. His post-resurrection conversation on the way to Emmaus cleared away many difficulties for those to whom it was addressed: "Ought not the Christ to have suffered these things, and to enter into His glory" (Luke 24:26). His visit to Jerusalem later in the same day dissipated the perplexities of others. "He opened their understanding, that they might understand the Scriptures, and said unto them: 'Thus it is written, and thus it behoved the Christ to suffer; and to rise from the dead the third day, and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name among all nations' (Luke 24: 45-47). Hence forward these men were mighty witnesses to a crucified Saviour, while looking and waiting for His return from heaven as a glorious King.

Many true-hearted believers today are as imperfect in their spiritual vision as the disciples of long ago. So to speak, they "see men as trees walking." Very few things are clear to them. For example, many fear that though they are children of God by faith in Christ Jesus they may ultimately find themselves rejected. failing to understand that there is no condemnation for those whom divine grace has identified with Christ. They are apprehensive that the gift of the Holy Spirit may be withdrawn from them, not perceiving that this priceless bestowal is due to the Saviour's blood, which makes it secure for ever. They imagine that every time the Christian fails he needs a fresh cleansing in the atoning blood. their faith not having grasped that the Christian is judicially clean for ever, needing nothing for daily failures but the water of the Word of God. They are fearful concerning the coming of the Lord Jesus lest they should then be left behind, not having learned that our translation to glory is the fruit of sovereign grace alone, which can never fail. Oh, that all these would go aside once more with the Saviour and get another touch from His blessed hand, as the poor man of Bethsaida. They would then read spiritual things in God's own light, and their joy would be full for ever.

The Draught of Fishes.

It was a notable day in the history of Simon Peter when the Saviour requested the loan of his boat on the Lake of Gennesaret (Luke 5: 1-11). It was not his first acquaintance with Him. Some time before he had been introduced to the Lord by his brother Andrew, and it had resulted in a heart-attachment to Him which was abiding and eternal (John 1: 40-42) But, like many another truly converted soul. Simon had much to learn concerning the evil of his own heart and the remarkable incident upon the lake was an immense blessing to him in this direction.

It happened on this wise. The Saviour was being hard pressed by multitudes eager to hear the Word of God. Being by the lake shore, and observing two boats near by, He asked for the use of one that He might teach the people therefrom. Simon, who was washing his nets with his partners, responded with alacrity, and the preaching was continued under these exceptional conditions. When the speaking was finished, the Lord bade Simon launch out into the deep, and let down his net for a draught. Though he had toiled all night in vain, he obeyed the injunction, with the result that so great a multitude of fishes was hauled up that the net brake. The second boat was requisitioned, and both were so heavily freighted that they began to sink.

Never had Simon and his companions known such an experience. In Simon's own case, it yielded deep spiritual blessing. It so brought home to him the reality of having to do with God that all the evil of his heart became naked and bare before him, and he fell at Jesus' knees, saying: "Depart from me; for I am a sinful man, O Lord." Such was his soul distress that he was completely oblivious to the dangerous condition of the sinking boat. This was not his conversion. He had been converted at his first meeting with the Saviour; this was simply a deepening of the work of God in his soul. Job had such an experience (Job 42: 6); Isaiah also (Isa. 6: 5); and Paul. The latter was reduced to confess: "I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) dwelleth no good thing" (Rom. 7: 18). "No confidence in the flesh" was henceforth one of the mottoes of his life (Phil. 3: 3). When a man reaches this point he learns that nothing counts with God but Christ, and his whole confidence becomes centred in Him Who died and rose again. Happy position in which to stand; involving, as it does, complete deliverance from one's old self with all its pretensions and claims.

The poor conscience-stricken fisherman was soon graciously encouraged by the Lord. "Fear not; from henceforth thou shalt catch men." Accordingly Simon and his partners abandoned their boats and nets for ever, and followed the Saviour in His mission of love to the souls of men. Singularly, Luke omits all mention of Andrew in his narrative, while he alone tells us of the special work in the con- science of his brother. Catching men by means of the Gospel became the happy occupation of Simon and Andrew, James and John from that moment. An instance of fishing with the net is given in Acts 2, when three thousand converts were safely landed; and an instance of fishing with the hook is recorded in Acts 8, when an individual soul was savingly blessed by a desert road.

The Widow's Son at Nain.

It was surely not unreasonable when Paul demanded of King Agrippa: "Why should it be thought a thing incredible with you that God should raise the dead (Acts 26: 8). Let it once be admitted that there is a God Who is supreme in the universe. and it is easy to believe in resurrection, however stupendous the miracle may be. He who created man from dust is surely able to call him forth again from the domain of death, if it please Him so to do.

But God alone can perform such a marvel. When at different times Elijah, Peter and Paul raised persons from the dead, they were manifestly wielding power not their own, and the miracles were granted In response to their prayer of faith. But He who was greater than they could arrest a funeral procession with His majestic "I say unto thee, Arise," and death immediately yielded up its prey. Well might the people say that He spake as one having authority, and that never man spake as He.

We have before our minds just now His action at the gate of Nain (Luke 7: 11-17). As He approached the place, accompanied by His disciples, and followed by the usual multitude, a dead man was being carried out to burial. He was the only son of a widowed mother. So sorrowful a spectacle could not fail to appeal to the tender heart of the Saviour. All His sympathy went out forthwith to the desolate mourner. But in Him sympathy was ever combined with power. Hence He not only said to the mother, "Weep not”; He also said to her son, "Young man, I say unto thee, Arise." "And he that was dead sat up, and began to speak. And He delivered him to his mother.''

We recall His claims as recorded in John 5: 21-29. He affirmed that as the Father raises up the dead and quickens them, even so the Son quickens whom He will. He further asserted that the Father has committed all judgement unto Him, that all men should honour the Son even as they honour the Father. Quickener of the dead, and Judge. Tremendous claims assuredly, with which none dare trifle. If Jesus of Nazareth be not all this, let us never more breathe His name. He who claims such prerogatives falsely, must be branded as the worst and most dangerous of men. But if He is indeed both Quickener and Judge, let us hasten to His feet, and acknowledge His title with reverence and godly fear. He quickens the spiritually dead in this Gospel day by means of the written Word (John 5: 24-25). and all who are thus quickened become possessors of eternal life; when the Gospel day is over He will quicken men's bodies also, calling forth those who have done good unto the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil unto the resurrection of judgement (John 5: 28-29). Yet this does not imply that all will be raised simultaneously; Rev. 20: 5, 6 makes it perfectly clear that a thousand years will elapse between the resurrection of the blessed and the resurrection of the lost.

The greatest marvel of all is that One possessed of such prerogatives should have stooped to death Himself for the blessing and salvation of men ruined and undone. It becomes us to bow our heads adoringly in the presence of His own declaration: "As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have eternal life. John 3: 14-15.

God or Beelzebub.

"He was casting out a demon, and it was dumb" (Luke 11: 14). "Blind and dumb," adds Matthew 12: 22). A most merciful deliverance assuredly, for which every observer should have been profoundly thankful to God. The common people were not altogether unappreciative, for they said: "Is not this the Son of David?" It has frequently happened that the simple ones of the earth have been very true in their perception of the hand of God.

But with the religious leaders it was otherwise. They said: "He casteth out demons by Beelzebub the prince of demons" (Luke 11: 15, R.V.). Matthew says this came from the Pharisees; Mark adds that the scribes were involved in it also (Mark 3: 22). It is a question whether we should condemn the most their spiritual incompetency or their desperate wickedness. If they were really quite unable to distinguish between the hand of God and the hand of Satan they were utterly unfit to be instructors of God's people; If instead they saw God's power and deliberately imputed it to be the operation of hell, because it did not happen to work through official channels, the wickedness of it is almost too awful to contemplate. No evil is worse than religious evil; how much there has been of it let the annals of ecclesiasticism declare.

There have ever been certain recognised channels through which, in men's judgement, divine power and blessing ought to flow. But it is most certain that the blessing of God has reached multitudes of souls apart from official channels altogether. Like Gideon's fleece, ecclesiasticism has been dry while the refreshing dew of God's Spirit has been experienced all around (Judges 6: 40) This, instead of producing heart-searching In those thus divinely passed by, has only too often evoked rancour and blasphemy. It is a settled principle with ecclesiasticism that everything outside of itself is unauthorised and abominable.

The compassionate Saviour stooped to reason with His evil critics. He asked them how Satan could possibly cast out. Satan, and pointed out that a kingdom divided against itself must needs come to desolation, and that a house divided against itself cannot stand. The true position was this — Satan as the strong one had long kept his captives in peace; now a Stronger had come, with power to overcome him, and divide the spoils. For this let us praise our God. The Stronger than Satan is manifestly the victorious Son of God. He has met the enemy in his last stronghold — death, and has vanquished him, putting away sin the while; there is not a single child of Adam but may be set free from the thraldom of Satan forthwith by appealing to the Saviour's grace. Sin-distressed souls need not concern themselves with the ways and criticism of contentious religionists; the Saviour is their true resource; let them cast themselves on Him.

To His stern rebuke our Lord added these words: "He that is not with Me is against Me; and he that gathereth not with Me scattereth abroad'' (Luke 11: 23). He was undoubtedly wielding the power of God in grace and blessing to needy men; those who opposed Him were not gatherers but rather scatterers, of God's "beautiful flock" (Jer. 13: 20): Let us tremble lest religious prejudice land us in this terrible position today. Where the hand of God is clearly seen, where the Spirit of grace is really blessing and comforting souls, let us frankly acknowledge it, and without a reserve in our hearts let us praise and magnify our God.

The Bent Woman.

This was a Sabbath-day incident, and is recorded by Luke only (Luke 13: 10-17). Probably on no day in the week was our Lord so closely watched by His adversaries as on the Sabbath, in the hope that they might convict Him of some breach of the law concerning it. How little did they realise, in their unbelief and perverseness, that they were criticising the very One who gave the law from the fiery mount! The sadness of it is heightened by the fact that these were not the ignorant of the land, but the religious leaders of God's chosen people.

The present miracle was performed in a synagogue, most likely in Jerusalem. A woman was there who "was bowed together, and could in no wise lift up herself." Expressive picture of every man's spiritual condition through sin, unable to look up into the face of his God, and without strength to remedy his evil plight (Ps. 40: 12; Rom. 5: 6). The woman had suffered in her deformity eighteen years. If Scripture numbers are significant, as we believe, eighteen, being the treble of six, is suggestive of the full manifestation of evil. Compare Rev. 13: 18. She thus becomes the type of the worst of sinners. Her condition appealed at once to the sensitive spirit of the Saviour. He called her to Him, and said: "Woman, thou art loosed from thine infirmity.'' He laid His hands on her, and immediately she was made straight, and glorified God.

Had there been a spark of spiritual discernment in the ruler of the synagogue, he would have at once called for Ps. 103. From every tongue present there might well have sounded forth the refrain: Bless the Lord, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless His holy name. Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits: Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; Who healeth all thy diseases" Alas for the ruler! No such sentiments occurred to his spiritually darkened mind. Instead, he blazed forth with indignation, saying to the people: "There are six days in which men aught to work; in them therefore come and be healed, and not on the Sabbath-day. ''This outburst suggests a serious question. When God prescribed the Sabbath for man, forbidding him to work therein, did He thereby intend to bind His own hands, and make it improper for Himself to work on that day, even to perform a deed of mercy? The very suggestion is profanity itself. So good is He, so compassionate in His love, nothing can stay Him in His ministry of Grace to poor ruined man. The woman just healed was "a daughter of Abraham," i.e. she was possessed of Abraham's faith. Must faith wait for blessing because it is the Sabbath-day. Impossible, seeing that faith, not works or ceremonial observances is the standing principle of blessing with God. "To him that worketh not, but believeth on Him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness...Therefore it is of faith, that it might be of grace" (Rom. 4: 5, 16). Grace gives the blessing, and faith receives it. All the work necessary for man's eternal good was wrought by the Son of God, when He died upon the cross of Calvary.

The Saviour did not hesitate to expose the hypocrisy of His heartless critic. He would loose his ox or his ass and lead it to the water on the Sabbath day, yet would deny God the right to relieve a suffering woman. Truly our God has no more malignant or unreasonable antagonists than those who oppose Him in the name of religion.

The Dropsical Man.

Yet another Sabbath-day incident. The place, not a synagogue, but the dinner-table of one of Israel's chief Ecclesiastics, and he a Pharisee. Luke 14: 1 (who alone reports the case) says 'they watched Him". Nothing more need be stated concerning the attitude of the host and his friends towards their Guest. They were sitting at table with God manifested in flesh, yet so blind were they that they knew it not.

It was an instructive occasion for those who had ears to hear. The lips of Eternal Truth were freely opened. Things were said that day which should have sent every guest to his closet in humiliation be- fore God. The Saviour spoke of the boundless grace of God, and He spoke also of the hopeless evil of the human heart. The presence of a sufferer — a man afflicted with dropsy — furnished Him with His text. He raised the question of the Sabbath Himself this time. He demanded of the lawyers and Pharisees about Him: "Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath-day, or not." Obtaining no response, He healed the poor fellow, and let him go: knowing that they were bitterly censuring Him In their hearts for His deed of mercy, He proceeded thus: "Which of you shall have an ass or an ox fall into a pit, and will not straightway pull him out on the Sabbath-day!'' The challenge was unanswerable. Where their own interests were concerned they would not scruple to act promptly, let the day be ever so sacred.

Man-even religious man-thus stands convicted of being utterly out of harmony with God. His boasted fidelity to religious forms is not the fruit of love to God, but simply gratification of his spiritual pride. What can be conceived more offensive than this. If open transgressors produce "wicked works" (Col. 1: 21). religionists produce "dead works" (Heb. 9: 14). and both are equally hateful to Him with whom we have to do. So morally alienated is man from God, that it has to be said to all alike: "Ye must be born anew" John 3: 7).

The Saviour's exposure of the human heart at the Pharisee's dinner-table is painful to read. First. He rebuked the pride of His fellow-guests, as shown in their eager scramble for the chief seats; then He censured the selfishness of the host in that he had invited only those to his table who would be certain to recompense him again (Luke 14: 7-14). .Pride and selfishness in the presence of the self-sacrificing One who had left heaven's glory for Calvary's cross in His love to perishing sinners! A person venturing the remark, "Blessed is he that shall eat bread in the kingdom of God," He added the parable of the great supper, the sad moral of which, as regards man, is that though God provide something ever so costly and rare, man has no heart for it. The scramblers for the best seats in the Pharisee's house wanted no seat at all where God and His grace were found. "I pray thee have me excused" was their uniform reply to His loving invitation. If God would have guests at His feast, such is the animosity of the human heart towards Him, even amongst the religious, that He must needs "compel them to come in." Truly, if man's heart be only evil, the heart of God is only good, and that eternally.

The Ten Lepers.

This striking incident happened during our Lord's last journey from Galilee to Jerusalem. The record of it is preserved in the third Gospel only (Luke 17: 11-19). Ten lepers met the Saviour at His entrance into a village, and with one accord cried to Him for mercy. The fame of His deeds of power had spread from Dan to Beersheba; hence the readiness with which these victims of disease appealed to Him. Remarkably, one of them was a Samaritan, the rest being Jews. Under ordinary circumstances the nine would have spurned the company of the tenth ("for the Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans"); but the stress of a common disease had put them all on one level, and they apparently felt it. The greatest leveller of all is sin, of which leprosy is in Scripture the expressive type.. High and low, rich and poor, religious and irreligious, are all In the same position before God in this respect; "there is no difference, for all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God" (Rom. 3: 23). What matters it that some owe 50 pence and some 500 if all alike have nothing wherewith to pay (Luke 7: 41-42).

In answer to the cry of the lepers the Saviour said: "Go, show yourselves unto the priests." Why did He act thus? Why did He not put out His hand, and touch them, and so give them instantaneous healing, as with the leper of Luke 5: 13? The reason appears to be that He would test them as to their confidence in His word. Their response was perfect. With no change whatever in their condition they turned their steps in the direction of the temple to offer their two birds (Lev. 14: 1-4), being confident that healing would be experienced on the road, as really happened. "As they went they were cleansed." Let these poor fellows read us a lesson today. Confidence in the divine word (for us the Scriptures) is the deepest need of our time. Higher Criticism, and the "opposition of science falsely so-called" are destroying faith in the Word of God. Multitudes are weltering in unbelief, to their deadly peril. Yet blessing for us, as for the ten lepers, is only found in the way of faith; and "faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God" (Rom. 10: 17).

A remarkable thing happened. As soon as the little band became conscious that they were healed. The Samaritan broke away from his companions (who continued their journey towards the temple), and re- turned to Jesus, falling at His feet, and glorifying God with a loud voice. In his eyes sanctuaries, ceremonies, and priests, were the veriest trivialities compared with the Son of God. The nine might occupy themselves with the religious formalities of Jerusalem, but he could only be happy at the Saviour's feet. The Lord commended him for it in the words: "Were there not ten cleansed; but where are the nine? There are not found that returned to give glory to God, save this stranger." If the Lord could so speak in a land where the religious ceremonies of the people were of divine institution, what would He say today when the ceremonies in which men pride themselves are derived partly from Judaism and partly from Paganism, all of them in defiance of the teaching of the New Testament epistles? There is nothing so spiritually barren as ceremonial religion; there is nothing that so satisfies and delights the heart as having contact with the person of the Son of God. To Him, not to religious centres, our allegiance is due; for has He not purged our sins by His blood, and does He not live now on our behalf in the glory above. Let others impoverish themselves with mere religion if they will, but let us find our all in Christ Himself.

Malchus Ear.

"The beloved physician" tells us of a very touching scene in the garden of Gethsemane. It happened on the eve of the Saviour's last woe. The cross was looming before Him with all its anguish and shame. He had just risen from His distressful prayer when a band of armed men approached to apprehend Him. The kiss of the traitor indicated to them the One of Whom they were in search. Yet for such an One there was no peril, save as He chose to yield Himself to the malice of His foes. At the sound of His voice His assailants fell to the ground (John 18: 1-8); and nothing would have been easier for Him than to walk away, had it pleased Him so to do. But having come from above to offer Himself as an atoning sacrifice He meekly submitted Himself to their will.

But those around Him were not of the same spirit. Peter, with his accustomed fire, drew a sword and cut off the right ear of Malchus the servant of the high priest. How unlike the Lard are even the noblest of His followers! In Peter, at that moment, we see fleshly activity when his Master was submissive, and an hour or two later when Jesus was confessing before Pontius Pilate the good confession, Peter was denying Him in the presence of the servants with oaths and curses (1 Tim. 6: 13; Luke 22: 54-62).

Now mark the Saviour's grace. He rebuked His disciple for his unholy zeal, and forthwith touched the ear of the servant and healed him. It is Luke who tells us of this extraordinary display of healing grace, and it is John who records the names of the parties concerned (Luke 22: 51; John 18: 10). Truly, there is no limit to the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. Not only during the days of His ministry, but when the clouds were darkening around Him, He was the willing servant of human misery and need, This is most beautifully shown in His kindness to the dying thief, and in His healing of Malchus' ear.

An open antagonist healed and blessed! Can the annals of human nature show anything like it? Yet it is the very essence of the Gospel that the Saviour should act thus. Hence the words in Col. 1: 21: You who were once alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath He reconciled in the body of His flesh through death. He who penned these words had personally experienced the truth of them. Malchus was barely so pronounced an antagonist of the Son of God as Saul of Tarsus, "who was before a blasphemer, and a persecutor, and injurious; but I obtained mercy because I did it ignorantly in unbelief. And the grace of our Lord was exceeding abundant with faith and love which is in Christ Jesus." It is no marvel that one who had been so divinely favoured  - delighted henceforward to proclaim: "This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief" (1 Tim. 1: 12-15). No one in the universe is so able to melt hard hearts as the Lord Jesus, and to transform the most violent adversaries into humble and devoted disciples. All His ways are ways of matchless grace.

Water made Wine

It will be noticed that John in his history of the Saviour pursues a line altogether different from the other evangelists. The reason of this is that while Matthew, Mark, and Luke present the Lord to us in various human characters-as Messiah, Servant, and Son of Man, John sets forth His essential Deity. In the course of his exposition of this marvellous theme. he gives us a set of seven miracles. rightly called in the Revised Version "Signs." Four of them were performed in Galilee and three in Judea.

The first of these signs was wrought in Cana. soon after the Saviour emerged from the retirement of Nazareth, and before His first visit to Jerusalem as a Prophet. He had been invited with His disciples to a wedding feast, His mother being there also (John 2: 1-11). Unlike His herald. John the Baptist. our Lord was no ascetic (Luke 7: 33-34). He was the most accessible and gracious of men. Marriage is a divine institution; He would signify His respect for it by His presence at its celebration when called. In a world of evil, marriage is an immense moral safeguard for men, and is ''honourable in all" (Heb. 13: 4). "Forbidding to marry". is one of the predicted marks of the apastasy (1 Tim. 4: 3). Amongst the notable first preachers of Christianity Paul seems to have been the only unmarried man. Peter and the other apostles took their wives with them on their missionary journeys (1 Cor. 9: 5).

The wine ran out at Cana. Mary drew the Lord's attention to the fact, evidently prompting Him to perform a miracle. It is noteworthy that He immediately rebuked her. Only on two occasions do we find Mary intruding herself into the Lord's matters of service, and on each occasion He set her aside. (Compare Matt. 12: 46-50; John 2: 3-4). Intensely devoted to her though He was as son to mother, He would not suffer a merely natural relationship to influence the course of sacred things. All who reverence the Scriptures will see in these records a warning given beforehand against the superstitious blunder, now widely prevalent, of attributing intercessory and mediatorial powers to Mary.

The feast-chamber at Cana was furnished with waterpots, but even they were empty, sadly suggestive of the emptiness of all earthly joy and delight. At the Saviour s word the pots were filled with water, which became instantly transformed into wine of such excellent quality as to draw forth high praise from the master of the feast. "Every man at the beginning doth set forth good wine; and when men have well drunk, then that which is worse: but thou hast kept the good wine until now." What Christ gives is necessarily superior to anything this world can afford. We are hereby reminded in a typical way of the pure joy with which even earth will be filled in the day of Christ's Kingdom. When He who now sits upon the Father's throne is established upon His own throne in Zion, all earth's woes will be brought to an end. He will fill the whole scene with peace and blessing.

Meanwhile the wine is suggestive of the profound truth that all blessing for men, whether now or in "the world to come" is founded upon redeeming blood. For the Saviour ere He went on high appointed a cup of wine as the abiding memorial of His own most precious blood (Matt. 26: 27).

The Courtiers Son.

The Lord was again in Galilee, having returned from Jerusalem through Samaria. During His stay in the metropolis He had expounded the way of life to Nicodemus, and on His journey homeward He had ministered eternal satisfaction and joy to the woman by the well of Sychar. The latter incident was followed by two days of happy. labour amongst Samaritans deeply eager to hear His word.

He was once more in Cana. A nobleman, resident in Capernaum, appealed to Him to visit that port and heal his son, who was now at the point of death (John 4: 46-54). The story is interesting in all its parts, for the present and future history of Israel may be read therein. The man was a courtier, or 'King's officer" (R.V. margin); i.e. he was though a Jew. attached to the court of Herod, the alien ruler of the northern districts of Israel. Expressive picture of the false position in which the elect nation has long stood. Having proved false to its unique calling in separation from all other peoples, God has abandoned the nation to the fruit of its ways, with the result that Israel has been for ages subservient to Gentile masters. Like the courtier's son, Israel has fallen under the power of death, so that nationally the people are likened in Ezek. 37, to a valley full of dry bones, no more to live until the day of the Saviour's presence here in power. In answer to His suppliant, the Lord replied: "Except ye see signs and wonders ye will not believe." In Israel generally this was only too true (1 Cor. 1: 22), while with Samaritans and Gentiles His word sufficed. With fervour the father besought Him: 'Sir, come down, ere my child die." His faith was far below that of the Roman centurion under similar circumstances. He urged the Saviour not to come, but to speak the healing word where He was. being persuaded that nothing more was required (Matt. 8: 8). The Jewish courtier must be taught his lesson; accordingly he was dismissed with the words: "Go thy way, thy son liveth." He believed the Saviour; for his faith, though feeble, was real. He therefore turned his steps homeward, soon meeting servants who had been sent out from Capernaum with the happy intelligence that his son was well. Upon enquiry he learned that the fever left him at the very hour of the Saviour's utterance in Cana. From that moment his whole household became believers in the Messianic title of Jesus of Nazareth.

Faith in the word of the absent Christ is the great need of the present time. No longer is His voice heard speaking on earth, but He speaks from heaven in the sacred Scriptures. Therein He tells us of the infinite love of God, of the costly sacrifice of Calvary, and of pardon, justification and eternal life, the blessed portion of all who trust in Him. If the divine voice is not to be heard in the Scriptures then is heaven absolutely silent, and we are left to blindly grope our way down towards destruction. He who imagines that the Creator has thus abandoned His creatures, plagues his own heart with unreasonable thoughts concerning Him Who is both infinitely wise and infinitely good.

The Pool of Bethesda.

"What the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God, sending His own Son". No one need misunderstand these words of the apostle, transcribed from Rom. 8: 3. They declare unequivocally the powerlessness of the law to help ruined man, and the supreme necessity for the mission of the Son of God. These principles are strikingly exemplified in the case of the infirm man who was healed by the Saviour at the pool of Bethesda (John 5).

The porches of the pool were invariably crowded with sick folk, for it appears that from time to time an angel troubled its waters.. which then gave healing to the first person that stepped in. This, while a merciful interposition on the part of God, and beneficial to those possessed of some strength, was manifestly of no avail whatever for persons absolutely helpless. The pool is thus remarkably typical of the law, which promises life and righteousness to those who keep it in all its parts, but which has nothing but condemnation and death for those who fail to keep it (Gal. 3: 10-12). Now, seeing that man is utterly evil In root and branch, and so "without strength," it is manifest that the law can never yield him blessing. Scripture says truly "the law is the strength of sin" and "the law worketh wrath" 1 Cor. 15: 56; Rom. 4: 15).

The Saviour observed a man at Bethesda who had been afflicted thirty-eight years! just the period of Israel's unnecessary wandering In the wilderness as the fruit of putting themselves under law (Deut. 2: 14). Hoping against hope, the poor fellow had long watched the pool having no thought in his mind that healing could ever come to him by any other means. Sadly like the multitude in Christendom today. whose only thought concerning salvation is. that lt. must be obtained by human effort, if it is to be obtained at all. And this after the full revelation of God's grace in Christ!

To the Saviour's enquiry, "Wilt thou be made whole" the impotent man replied: "Sir, I have no man. when the water is troubled, to put me into the pool; but, while I am coming, another steppeth down before me." A truly extraordinary reply, seeing that the pool was not mentioned in the question. He must now learn that what the pool could never accomplish for such as he, the Son of God could accomplish instantly by His word. At the command of Omnipotence, "Rise, take up thy bed and walk," he arose, took up his bed, and departed to his house. In like manner all the need of the soul is now met by the Saviour's word, apart from works of any kind whatsoever. "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 judgement, but is passed from death unto life" (John 5: 24). His atoning death and triumphant resurrection explain how He is able to offer such simple terms to the ruined children of men.

Had heart and conscience been lively in Israel, there would have been national humiliation before God concerning Bethesda's suffering throng. Such was the special character of Israel's calling that suffering and disease would have been unknown amongst them had they continued faithful to Jehovah (Deut. 28). But to everything divine the people, and especially their religious leaders, were utterly insensible. Instead of appreciating the Saviour's goodness they persecuted Him for healing on the Sabbath day. Such is religion without God.

Blind from Birth.

The Saviour had just delivered Himself from the malice of His enemies. who took up stones to cast at Him because He declared Himself the "I am." As He passed by, He noticed a man who had been blind from birth (John 9). The disciples enquired whose sin was responsible for this affliction — the man's, or his parents'? They were as narrow- minded as Job's three friends. who regarded suffering as a special mark of divine displeasure. having no other thought as to it. The Saviour pointed out a higher purpose. — “that the works of God should be manifest in him." The man's misery furnished occasion for the display of divine power and goodness.

He forthwith proceeded to heal him, adopting on this occasion methods altogether unique. He spat on the ground, made clay of the spittle, put it as ointment upon his eyes, and then bade him wash in the pool of Siloam, "which is by interpretation, 'Sent."' Healing resulted immediately. But what is there for us in this extraordinary record. The clay symbolises our Lord's lowly humanity; the water is an emblem of the Holy Spirit (John 7: 37-39). Thus when a man apprehends by the Spirit's and the momentous fact that the mighty God became human for his salvation, and that He who walked here abased was indeed the 'Sent' One of the Father, his spiritual blindness is dispelled for ever. He forthwith begins to see, and everything becomes viewed in its true light. The Gospel is designed to open men's eyes, to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God (Acts 26: 18). The Gospel is not a mere system of doctrines, nor is it simply a moral code; it is God's testimony to men concerning His beloved Son-God and man in one person, once the suffering Surety, but now glorified in the highest heaven.

The healed man was soon challenged by his neighbours as to his recovered sight. He could only reply that ''a man called Jesus'' had thus blessed him. The religious leaders then took up the matter. and soon manifested their bitter animus against the gracious Healer. Proofs of His power were not wanting, but they were in no humour to acknowledge His divine mission, let the proofs be ever so many. The parents parried their enquiries, dreading excommunication, the usual resort of prejudiced ecclesiastics when Scripture and reason alike fail them. In their examination of the man himself. the Pharisees affected to honour Moses, and even God also. but both at the expense of the Lord Jesus, Whose dishonour was their undeviating aim. The man's simplicity irritated them. His expression of surprise that so great a wonder should be wrought in the land, and the professed exponents of God's truth unable to decide from whence the power came; and his guileless reasoning that his Healer must at least be a worshipper of God and a doer of His will galled them beyond endurance. Accordingly they cast him out, saying in their offended pride: "Thou wast altogether born in sins, and dost thou teach us?''

They could not have conferred upon the poor fellow a greater boon, little as they intended it. The cast-out sheep was soon found by the Good Shepherd, despised and rejected as himself. When his Deliverer revealed Himself to him as the Son of God he fell at His feet adoringly saving, ''Lord, I believe. '' Religion is as hostile to the Son of God now as in the days of His humiliation; but why need we concern ourselves with its moral and spiritual blindness when there is sufficiency in the Saviour outside of it all to satisfy the need of every longing soul?

The Raising of Lazarus.

Bethany was ever a sweet spot to the self-emptied Son of God. It was one of the few places on earth where He was loved. and where His wounded spirit found rest. Lazarus and his sisters constituted a delightful home circle. They loved each other, and they were one in their faith in the despised and rejected Messiah. Sickness invaded their home. for the wisdom of divine love does not always shield its objects from this visitation. Lazarus was laid low, to the deep distress of his devoted sisters (John 11). The Lord was at that moment in retreat beyond Jordan. There the appeal reached Him: "Lord, behold he whom Thou lovest is sick.' The sisters did not definitely ask Him to come to their aid. assuming apparently that the news would bring Him without delay. He could have healed the sick man from a distance by His word (as in the case of the centurion's servant), but He did not do so. Nor did He hasten to Bethany, but remained yet two days where He was. Were we not persuaded that such an One as He could never err, His conduct in this instance would amaze us. He was walking in the light, and saw perfectly the course He should pursue to the glory of God. Presently He announced to His disciples that Lazarus was dead, and that He was glad for their sakes He was not there, adding. "Nevertheless, let us go to him." Their warning that perhaps martyrdom awaited Him in Judea the Lord passed by without concern.

A stupendous miracle was to be performed. He had already restored two dead persons to life Jairus' daughter, and the son of the widow of Nain. The one was just dead, and the other was on the way to burial. But Lazarus had been buried four days when the Saviour reached Bethany, and his body was already advanced in corruption. Martha met Him with the remark that if He had been on the spot her brother had not died. When He spoke of resurrection she replied: "I know that he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day." She did not realise that she was addressing the Resurrection and the Life, Who has power to raise His own sleeping ones when He pleases, and to stay the march of death upon His living ones so that they will never die at all. With all the light given in the New Testament epistles since Martha's day few in Christendom are at this hour beyond her poor notion of a general resurrection at the last day.

Mary followed her sister to the feet of Jesus. Touched by the scene of grief the Saviour groaned and wept — precious proofs of the reality of His holy humanity. Coming to the tomb, the stone was removed at His word spite of Martha's remonstrance. A few words of prayer to the Father were followed by the loud summons: "Lazarus, come forth," and soul and body were united once more. Liberty followed: "Loose him, and let him go." Wonderful outshining of the glory of God in Him whom men were about to crucify! Should not this marvel have convinced His adversaries of the futility of their designs against Him?

He is the Quickener of the dead. At the appointed hour He will raise His own for glory with Himself in the Father's house, and at the epoch of the dissolution of all things He will call forth His foes for the resurrection of Judgement. Meanwhile He quickens men's souls. Those who heed His voice in the Gospel message pass even now from death unto life, and have the blissful assurance that into judgement they will never come (John 5: 24-29). Life and liberty are the present blissful portion of all who believe in the name of the Only-Begotten Son of God.

The Post-Resurrection Haul.

This was the last miracle wrought by the Saviour before going on high. The cross and the grave were now behind Him. He had been delivered for our offences, and raised again for our justification; nothing remained for Him now but to ascend up where He was before. Remarkably, John, the only one of the four evangelists who uses the word "ascend" in connection with our Lord, gives us no account of the ascension itself (John 3: 13; John 6: 62; John 20: 17). Instead, he furnishes us with a series of three incidents which seem expressly designed to show the varied results of the Saviour's atoning work as regards this world. We have first, in the Lord's manifestation of Himself to His disciples on the evening of the resurrection, a picture of the Church of God, now being gathered by the Holy Spirit to Christ as its Centre; then we have, in His showing of Himself to doubting Thomas, an earnest of His future revelation of Himself to long-unbelieving Israel; and, fin- ally, in the remarkable draught of fishes, we may see a picture of the great ingathering from all nations in the Millennial age. God's order for blessing is thus, first, the Church; then Israel; then the world as such. (Let the reader carefully peruse John 20:19 — John 21:14).

The fishing incident happened on this wise. The Lord had appointed His disciples (the men who were soon to evangelise the world) to meet Him in Galilee. On arrival there, instead of waiting for Him, they went fishing at the suggestion of Peter. This was disobedience. Their course is a vivid representation of the present condition of their nation; God's chosen instruments for the world's blessing, yet in obstinate disobedience to the divine will (Rom. 10: 21). A whole night of toil yielded no result to the disciples. Even so will Israel one day confess "We have not wrought any deliverance in the earth" (Isa. 26: 18). Now it has to be said to them: "The name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles through you. as it is written" (Rom. 2: 24).

The Saviour came upon the scene as morning dawned. His presence changed everything for the discouraged fishermen. In reply to His enquiry they dismally acknowledged that they had nothing to eat (picture of the present barrenness of disobedient Israel); then at His command they lowered the net on the right side of the boat, and forthwith enclosed 153 great fishes. "And for all there were so many, yet was not the net broken." If the sea, which is here described by its Gentile name (Tiberias, after Tiberius Casar) represents the nations, as we believe, then we have in this haul a striking picture of the great universal ingathering when Israel is once more In relationship with God (Ps. 67). This will not be until the Saviour's feet again stand upon the Mount of Olives.

Every devout soul longs to see the world delivered and blessed. It has been the holy aspiration of the pious in all ages to see the earth filled with the knowledge of God. This yearning has its source in God Himself, and He will not disappoint it. Nevertheless, Christianity is not destined to bring about its happy realisation. The world's blessing hinges upon Israel's blessing. When Israel turns to the Lord and resumes her high place as leader and teacher of the nations, universal good will follow speedily. Meanwhile, salvation is available for all — Jews and Gentiles alike — who put their trust in the Saviour Who died for their sins and rose again.

Our Lord's Parables

Our Lord's Parables.

W W Fereday.

Contents

Foreword

The Sower

The Wheat and the Tares

The Mustard Tree

The Leaven

The Hidden Treasure

The Pearl

The Drag-Net

The Two Servants

The Labourers in the Vineyard

The Two Sons

The Wicked Husbandmen

The Marriage of the King's Son

The Ten Virgins

The Talents

The Sleeping Husbandman

The Two Builders

The Two Debtors

The Good Samaritan

The Stronger than the Strong

The Rich Fool

The Returning Lord

The Fig-Tree in the Vineyard

The Great Supper

The Lost Sheep

The Lost Silver

The Prodigal Son

The Elder Son

The Unjust Steward

The Unjust Judge

The Pharisee and the Publican

The Pounds

The Fig-tree and all the Trees

Foreword

The Saviour, in His ministry, spoke so frequently in an illustrative manner that it is sometimes difficult to determine whether a formal parable was intended, or whether He merely used parabolic language. The new wine and new garments, and the lighted candle, for example, while parabolic in character, have been left aside for the purposes of this book.

But some may be surprised at the omission of the Rich Man and Lazarus, and the Sheep and the Goats (Luke 16; Matt. 25). The former I am not free to regard as a parable, while having no controversy with those who do so regard it. Not only is it not called a parable, but names are introduced, a thing without precedent in Our Lord's parables, so far as I remember. I prefer to look at the Rich Man and Lazarus as actual characters, whose history both in this world and beyond is solemnly traced by the Saviour for the moral profit of men everywhere.

Matt. 25: 31-46 is commonly regarded as a parable, but, as I judge, mistakenly. The passage describes an important incident in the judgment of the quick at the Lord's appearing. The Gentiles will be challenged as to their treatment of those whom the King calls "My brethren," i.e., the latter-day remnant of Israel. I see nothing parabolic in the passage beyond the words, "he shall separate them one from another as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats." With this explanation, I leave the matter to the judgment of my brethren.

The Parables are treated in the order in which they are found in the Gospels.

W. W. F.

The Sower.

This, the first of our Lord's parables, was uttered under very painful circumstances. The Jewish leaders, after much previous evil behaviour, had just gone the length of attributing His power to Beelzebub. Further than this they could not well go in wickedness. Leaders and people were in such a condition of alienation from God that the blessings promised to Israel could not possibly be brought in at that time. From that point the Saviour commenced to use the enigmatical form of speech, which was intelligible enough to the pious minority, while utterly obscure to the profane mass. Like the cloud in Moses' day, which stood between Israel and the Egyptians, the parables were light to the one and darkness to the other.

The Saviour likened Himself to a sower of seed (Matt. 13: 3-8) This marks a new departure in the ways of God with man. During the earlier ages of the world's history God had been seeking fruit from man (from Israel especially), as He was well entitled to do. But He sought it vain, flesh being incorrigibly evil. Every succeeding dispensation only served to bring this out the more vividly. Man violated his conscience, set at nought the testimony of God's works, trampled under foot His law, and slew the prophets who remonstrated with him concerning his evil. It only remained to murder the Father's well-beloved Son in order to fill the cup of human iniquity to the full. God no longer looks for fruit from man; His present action is to sow the good seed of the Gospel, and so produce His own fruit. This work has been proceeding ever since the Son of God came to earth.

But the human heart is not always responsive to the good seed of God's Word. The Lord shows in His parable that on this account the greater part of that which is sown becomes wasted. Men hear, but do not profit by what they hear. Four classes of hearers are indicated; the Saviour's own interpretation making the meaning clear beyond dispute. There are first the wayside hearers. Here we have the careless folk, who listen but heed not, their minds being too indifferent to permit of their becoming interested. As the birds catch up seed sown by the wayside, so Satan removes from these even the remembrance of the things which have been spoken. The preacher may be admired, but his message passes away. Then there are the rocky-ground hearers. They are perhaps the most disappointing of all. They respond immediately to the Word preached, and so cause much rejoicing to those who seek their good; but having no depth, as soon as difficulties arise, they throw their confession of Christ to the winds. These are the impressionable folk. They readily weep when the Saviour is presented to them; but it is mere sentiment, both conscience and heart being unaffected. The third class are the thorny-ground hearers. Good seed has no chance in a bed of thorns. These are the encumbered folk, and they include both rich and poor. The rich man is too full of his estates and horses and dogs to give deep attention to spiritual concerns, and the poor man is too burdened with the anxieties of life. In both cases, earthly affairs being put first, the soul is lost. The last class are the good-ground hearers. These, having experienced the action of God's harrow in their conscience, have learned their guilt and wretchedness, and have put their whole trust in the Saviour Who died for their sins and rose again. In these only is there permanence, though even amongst the true-hearted ones the fruit varies in measure some thirty, some sixty, and some a hundredfold.

The Wheat and the Tares.

Six of the seven parables found in Matt. 13 are divinely described as similitudes of the Kingdom of heaven. The parable of the Wheat and the Tares is the first of the six, and with it is given the Saviour's interpretation thereof to His disciples. The Kingdom of Heaven in its present form covers the whole profession of Christianity, whether true or false. In the coming age it will cover the whole earth, as predicted in Old Testament prophecies. Let us not confound the Kingdom of heaven with heaven itself. This is one of the blunders of Popery, and the blunder is most serious in its results, Many are to-day in the Kingdom of heaven who will have no place in heaven; their profession of allegiance to the absent Christ being merely formal and unreal.

The Son of Man has sown good seed in His field. Christianity thus began with a number of persons who were true sons of the Kingdom. Satan soon set to work to corrupt the new testimony. He effected his purpose by introducing false brethren amongst the true. This happened "while men slept," i.e., when Christ's servants became so negligent of their Master's interests, and so dull in their spiritual perception, that they admitted to the outward communion of Christianity men whom they should never have countenanced-unregenerate persons, sons of the wicked one (Jude 4). These are called, not "tares," but "darnel-a worthless weed very like wheat in its early growth.

When it became manifest that the crop was mixed and spoiled, the servants enquired of the householder if they should gather up the tares. He replied: "Nay; lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up the wheat with them." To gather out weeds is to kill them. In like manner the wheatfield of Christendom can only be weeded by putting to death every false professor of Christ's name. This is expressly forbidden, and for the grave reason that true wheat would be in danger of being mistakenly rooted up by erratic servants. Our Lord's prohibition has not been heeded in Christendom. Zealous ecclesiastics, Papist and Protestant, have from time to time sought to eradicate from the earth those whom they have judged as weeds, only to fall into the very blunder deprecated by the Saviour. Some of God's best wheat has been destroyed in the process; many of His truest saints have been burnt at the stake or otherwise martyred. Both wheat and tares are to grow together until the harvest. This means that they are to live side by side in the world (for "the field is the world"), neither molesting the other. To have fellowship together in the Church is quite another matter. So evil a blend was never contemplated in the parable.

Harvest-time is at the end of the age, at least a thousand years before the end of the world. The Saviour will gather every true believer into His barn at His coming again, and the angels will deal with the residue in unsparing judgement. Christ's heavenly glory, with all its blessedness, is the destiny of every blood-washed confessor; the lake of fire, with all its unutterable woe, is the eternal portion of every empty professor of His name. When the final separation has taken place, the righteous will shine forth as the sun in the Kingdom of their Father. From their exalted position of heavenly bliss the redeemed will dispense the blessing of God throughout the coming ages to the countless myriads who will be placed beneath their sway in the earth below. The final result will demonstrate that God's purposes of grace have not failed, whatever the seeming success of the great adversary during the present time.

The Mustard Tree.

The Saviour next likened the Kingdom of heaven "to a grain of mustard-seed, which a man took and sowed in his field: which indeed is the least of all seeds: but when it is grown it is the greatest among herbs, and becometh a tree, so that the birds of the air come and lodge in the branches thereof" (Matt. 13: 31-32). This is ominous, when we remember that the birds, according to the teaching of the parable of the Sower, represent the agents of the devil (vv. 4, 19). The mustard tree is the profession of Christianity, which began in the humblest possible way, but which in time so completely changed its character as to become a great political force in the earth. Here, as elsewhere in Scripture, the tree is the symbol of worldly power (Ezek. 17: 3; Dan. 4: 22).

Christianity is essentially a heavenly system. The Church of God belongs not to the present evil world, but to the scene of glory where Christ dwells. When Christians walked in separation from the course of things here, and with heart-devotedness to their Lord, their testimony was unequivocal, and such as God could bless to the salvation of souls. When the Christian community became influential in the earth, its spiritual usefulness declined, and it became a powerful engine in the hands of Satan. A great and imposing thing in the earth, with all the art's-music, architecture, etc.-pressed into its service, is the very opposite of all that Christ was. The sensuous worship of the cathedral and the abbey is as offensive to God as the simple worship of "the upper room" was His delight.

Let no reader misunderstand, It is not meant that the blessings of Christianity should have been confined within narrow limits. Far from it. The Gospel was intended to be spread abroad; for God loved the world, and Christ gave Himself a ransom for all. But Christian profession should have continued humble and unworldly, seeking nothing in the shape of power and honour where the Saviour only found a cross and a tomb. Instead of this, that which is called "the Church," whether viewed in its Roman, Anglican, or Nonconformist aspects, has been insatiable in its lust for worldly power. It has frequently been a terror to Governments, and it is at this hour a power in the earth which the civil authorities dare not ignore. This, instead of being matter for congratulation on the part of true Christians, is cause for deepest humiliation before God, that men bearing the Lord's name should have so blindly become the dupes of Satan in the falsifying of their own calling and testimony.

In the branches of the mustard tree the birds found a congenial home. The Scriptures speak of Christendom in its last phase as "the habitation of demons, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird" (Rev. 18: 2). This is true in a large measure at the present time. Had Christianity continued humble and unpretentious, its ministry would never have been sought as a "profession," and it certainly would never have filled its offices with sportsmen, drunkards, and the like. Alas, for the centuries of dishonour to the name of the Holy and the True which have been occasioned by the unclean birds who have found a lodging in the branches, even the topmost branches, of the great mustard tree!

The Leaven.

Of all our Lord's parables probably none have been so seriously misunderstood as that of the leaven hidden in the meal (Matt. 13: 33). It is affirmed most confidently by many that this parable shows the whole world converted by the blessed influences of Christianity. Unfortunately for this interpretation, every Scripture passage which deals with the close of the present era speaks not of conversion and blessing, but of apostasy and wickedness as its characteristic features.

Exodus 12: 15 and Lev. 2: 11 will suffice to show how the Saviour's Jewish audience must have understood the simile of leaven. For fifteen centuries they had been under divine command to exclude leaven from their houses during their religious festivals, and they were forbidden to blend it with any of their offerings made by fire. It is thus the emblem of what is evil, and in this way it was frequently used by the Saviour in His teaching. The leaven of the Pharisees, the leaven of the Sadducees, and the leaven of Herod, representing respectively Ritualism, Rationalism, and Worldliness, all came from time to time under His lash.

How then should we read the parable? Something of a corrupt character is shown as subduing everything by which it is surrounded within a certain area. It is Christian doctrine in the vitiated form in which "the Church" has presented it to the world since apostolic energy ceased. Whole nations have become Christianised, hence the familiar word 'Christendom.' Not all the nations of the earth certainly, for Heathenism, Buddhism and Mohammedanism hold sway between them over the greater part of mankind. But what has the Christianising of nations effected? It would be folly to suppose that when historians tell us that such and such nations embraced Christianity long ago that necessarily all the persons composing those nations became savingly converted to God. Nothing of the kind is meant, but simply that, as a result of certain influences that were brought to bear upon them, they were induced to change their religion. But an unfaithful Church, in order to make Christianity palatable to the masses, compromised God's truth most pitifully. Thus, as the heathen had been accustomed for ages to hold carousals at certain seasons of the year in honour of their gods, they were suffered to continue them in the name of Christ. This is the unholy origin of Christmastide, Wakes, etc.

Christianity is essentially a spiritual and heavenly order of things. Therein is the heart of God revealed to men in pardoning grace, blotting out all the trespasses of all who unfeignedly believe in the Saviour's atoning blood. All these are accorded a new standing in Divine favour in the risen One who is now in the glory of God. They belong to heaven, not merely as a place of repose when this world can be held no longer, but as a scene where they should even now live by faith. All this, and much more that is of infinite importance and blessedness, has become utterly beclouded by the invention of a sacerdotal system, which substitutes the visible for the invisible, and the priest for Christ. This is the form, alas in which the world best knows Christianity. It is leaven, corrupt and corrupting until divine forbearance comes to an end, when it will be swept out of the way in unsparing judgment.

The Hidden Treasure.

Having spoken four parables in the hearing of the multitudes on the seashore the Saviour retired into the house with His disciples. He had other matters to communicate which only men born of the Spirit could be expected to understand. In His public utterances He had shown the Kingdom of heaven, i.e., Christian profession in its outward aspect-what any eye could see and any mind comprehend. He had graphically described the rise, development, and doom of Christianity, viewed as an external system. But if He had said no more, it might have been inferred that Satan was destined to be completely triumphant over all the work of God. For it is beyond controversy that the parables of the tares, mustard-tree, and leaven portend disaster, viewed from a spiritual standpoint.

In the privacy of the house the Lord presented another aspect of things to His disciples, others besides the twelve being included in His audience (Mark 4: 10). Three additional parables were given, the first of these being that of the hidden treasure. "The Kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field; the which when a man hath found it he hideth, and for joy thereof goeth and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth the field" (Matt. 13: 44 The field is the world, according to the Lord's own interpretation; the treasure represents the saints who are in it. By the saints we mean all who truly believe in the Saviour's name, and who have been washed from their sins in His precious blood. He purchased the world for the sake of the hidden treasure, as a man to-day might purchase a quantity of old books for the sake of one volume on which his heart is set. The world is thus Christ's, not only by right of creation but also by right of purchase. Nothing can hinder it ultimately coming into His possession, with every person therein, however rebellious. The Father has given Him authority over all flesh, that He should give eternal life to as many as the Father has given Him (John 17: 2). When the age is completed, Christ will be seen surrounded by all His own (not one missing), even though the outer framework of Christendom be utterly wrecked. His enemies will then be constrained to bow to Him, in acknowledgement of His title and rights, and will for ever justify the righteous sentence which He will pass upon them for their contumacy and unbelief.

Every believing heart is overwhelmed with wonder and adoration at the thought of the purchase price. He "selleth all that He hath." Our blessing required the surrender of His heavenly glory, the degradation of the Bethlehem manger, and the shame of the cross of Calvary. Sin could only be atoned for by death and bloodshedding. But even from this the Saviour did not shrink, for the joy of being able to surround Himself eternally with happy myriads picked up by sovereign grace out of the ruin of everything below. If His own will experience joy in finding themselves in His heavenly presence, His heart will find deepest joy in having them there.

The Pearl

It is such a common notion that the pearl of great price is the Saviour Himself that it seems almost irreverent to challenge it. Yet the popular interpretation is open to serious objection for two reasons: (1) it would put this parable entirely out of harmony with the teaching of its context; (2) it represents the sinner as sacrificing something-all indeed-in order to acquire Christ. But Christ cannot be purchased. He is God's unspeakable gift to man, and all the blessings which are the fruit of His atonement, Eternal life, etc.-are gifts also. Peter severely denounced the man who thought the gift of God might be purchased with money. Moreover, the sinner is represented in Scripture as having "nothing to pay" (Luke 7: 42). He who cannot meet his just obligations is surely in no position to buy costly pearls. And it should be remembered that it is the Saviour who seeks the sinner, rather than the sinner the Saviour.

The parable runs thus:-''The Kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchantman seeking goodly pearls; who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had and bought it" (Matt. 13: 45-46). As in the case of the hidden treasure. the purchaser is Christ. The pearl is the Church, which, in Scripture, is the aggregate of all believing persons from the descent of the Holy Ghost, until the coming of the Saviour into the air (Acts 2; 1 Thess. 4: 15-18). The hidden treasure may have consisted of hundreds of pieces of gold and silver, and thus suitably represents believers in all ages, who have been, and will yet be saved out of the wreck of Adam's world by the infinite grace of God. But the pearl represents the saved of the Christian period specifically. The Church holds a very special place in the ways of God. The divine purposes concerning it were retained as a secret in the divine bosom until Paul was raised up as a chosen vessel to communicate them to men (Eph 3: 3-4). He was in a peculiar sense the minister of the Church; and from him we learn that the Church is Christ's body now, and will be His bride throughout eternity. In these special relationships the saved of the preceding and following ages have no part though the everlasting home of all God's saints is one-"the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem" (Heb. 12: 22).

The single pearl shows the unity and beauty of the Church as Christ sees and estimates it. The joyful Finder of the earlier parable is the toilsome Seeker in the parable before us. To have the pearl for His own He sacrificed His all. He left heaven's glory, and accepted in lieu thereof the lowly circumstances of earth. His earthly throne, as David's Son and Heir, He also surrendered, and accepted instead the cross and the tomb. All this was in order that He might possess Himself of the pearl upon which He had set His heart. As the Spirit elsewhere puts it: "Christ loved the Church, and gave Himself for it" (Eph. 5: 25). Surely the affections of all the objects of His favour should be set upon such a Saviour for ever.

The Drag-Net

This is the last of the series of parables that were uttered by our Lord on the memorable day of Matt. 13: "The Kingdom of heaven is like unto a net, that was cast into the sea, and gathered of every kind: which, when it was full, they drew to shore, and sat down, and gathered the good into vessels, but cast the bad away" (Matt 13: 47-48). Here we have the final results of the operations of God, man, and Satan during the period called Christianity. As a net cast into the sea the Gospel has gone forth into all the world, with its touching appeal to men of every nation. It has achieved results which are manifest to the eyes of all. Both good and bad have been gathered in: the good fish representing those who, having humbly acknowledged their guilt and ruin, have been cleansed from their sins by the Saviour's precious blood; the bad being those (alas! how many) who "profess and call themselves Christians," with no love for the Saviour's person, and no living faith in the Gospel. It is vain to urge that we must not judge. How is it possible for the Christian to obey the injunction to love the brethren if he cannot distinguish between "the brethren" and all others? (1 John 3: 14). How refuse fellowship to an unbeliever if it is impossible to define such (2 Cor. 6: 15). Or how avoid false teachers who bring in damnable heresies, if none can tell who are false and who are true (2 Peter 2: 1). Although mistakes in discernment are only too possible, all those to whom Christ is something more than a mere name are solemnly responsible to distinguish, in godly fear, between those who are good and those who are bad, companying with the one, and eschewing the other.

When the gospel net is full it will be drawn to shore. How soon this will take place is known to none but God, though everything around us is suggestive that the end of the age is drawing near. Then will ensue the great separation, which will sever the ungodly from even the outward communion of the godly for ever. According to the teaching of the parable, the fishermen's duty was to care for the good fish. This is the present responsibility of those who in this day profess to serve the absent Christ. The bad fish the fishermen merely cast out of the net, as not being those for whom they were in search. The judgement of God upon false professors will be meted out, not by human hands, but by angelic power. "So shall it be at the end of the age (not 'world'): the angels shall come forth and sever the wicked from among the just, and shall cast them into the furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth'' (Matt. 13: 49-50). Such is the end of Christendom, as described by God Himself; not the whole world subdued to Christ by the operation of religious agencies, but eternal ruin for many who have passed current amongst their fellows as Christians indeed. The Saviour will undoubtedly have His own, though the final discrimination by His unerring hand will reveal an appalling amount of unreality and hypocrisy in the circle of those who, in one way or another, bear His holy name.

The Two Servants

One of the ugliest features of fallen human nature -insensibility to divine grace-is exposed in all its hideousness in the parable of the Two servants (Matt. 18: 23-35). It happened on this wise. Peter had just enquired of the Lord if seven times would suffice for the forgiveness of an erring brother, and had received the startling reply, "Until seventy times seven." The parable before us was added immediately, and in it the exceeding grace of God and the incorrigible evil of man stand clearly revealed.

The outline of the parable is as follows. A certain king, in taking account of his servants, found one who owed him ten thousand talents about three millions sterling in English money. The defaulter being penniless, the King ordered that he, and his wife, children and goods to be sold. In his distress the debtor fell at his master's feet, crying: "Lord, have patience with me and I will pay thee all." The King's heart being moved with compassion, the whole vast debt was immediately remitted. Presently the forgiven one met a fellow-servant who owed him a hundred pence-about three pounds in our currency; and instead of extending to him clemency after the pattern of that which had been so recently shown to himself, he seized him by the throat saying: "Pay me that thou owest." In his utter heartlessness, he gave no heed to the tears of his fellow, but cast him into prison until payment should be made.

This parable may be read both dispensationally and morally. Dispensationally it presents to us the history of the people of Israel. Centuries of law breaking had made them serious defaulters before the Son of God came into the world, and to all this they added the enormous guilt of shedding His blood. In answer to His gracious prayer, "Father, forgive them," divine favour was shown to the nation after the Holy Ghost came down from heaven. To Israel first the Gospel of divine forgiveness was sent (Acts 3: 26). This instead of melting their hearts, only served to bring out their utter moral insensibility to God's goodness. Scorning the Gospel for themselves, in their hatred to the Gentiles they put every obstacle in the way of its being preached to them (1 Thess 2: 16). This has filled their cup of iniquity to the brim. They are now suffering divine chastisement until their term is accomplished, and they have received of Jehovah's hand double for all their sins (Isa. 40: 2).

We must read this parable morally also. Viewed from this standpoint, it appeals loudly to us all. Every man is a defaulter in relation to God. Perfect obedience and love is His due from us, but who among us has ever rendered it. Yet the heart of God yearns over all His bankrupt debtors, and, on the basis of the atoning blood of Jesus, He proclaims full pardon to everyone. Myriads profess to have received His pardon. "I believe in the forgiveness of sins" is the language of multitudes in Christendom daily. But conduct alone proves whether or not the grace of God has really penetrated the soul. Where this is the case, the forgiven one gratefully walks in the spirit of grace towards all, meekly enduring wrong, and sincerely seeking every man's eternal good. Those who content themselves with saying "Lord, Lord," while not doing the things that He says, will find themselves ultimately in the place of the wicked servant of our parable, who was severely denounced by his lord for his hypocrisy and evil, and was forthwith delivered to the tormentors. "He shall have judgement without mercy that hath showed no mercy (James 2: 13). Our God will be satisfied with nothing less than reality in those who have to do with Him.

The Labourers in the Vineyard.

There is absolutely nothing in this parable about the salvation of the soul. Salvation is altogether the fruit of sovereign grace, bestowed upon the unworthy on the basis of the blood of Jesus, the thought of wages or reward being utterly foreign to it. But every saved one is a servant, responsible in all things to his Lord. It is of this that our parable speaks.

Peter's remark in Matt. 19: 27 called it forth. "Behold, we have forsaken all, and followed Thee; what shall we have therefore." In reply he was told that faithful service will in no wise go unrewarded, and that as regards the apostles, special honour is reserved for them in the golden era when the Son of man will sit upon His throne. But perceiving in Peter's remark a tendency to exalt human doings and sacrifices unduly, the Lord added the parable of the labourers in the vineyard (Matt. 20: 1-16)

The penny (or denarius) for which the householder agreed with his first batch of workers was the usual labourer's wage in that day. The agreement was thus equitable to all parties. At pay-time a difficulty arose concerning some whom the master found unemployed at the eleventh hour, and sent into the vineyard. In their case no wage was fixed; they were simply told, "Whatsoever is right ye shall receive." They trusted to the master's goodness-a safe principle where God is concerned. At pay-time these eleventh-hour labourers were recompensed first, and each received a penny. When those who were engaged in the morning came before the steward they supposed they would receive more, and they did not hesitate to complain to the master because no more than a penny was given to them. The master remonstrated with the ringleader thus: Friend, I do thee no wrong; didst thou not agree with me for a penny? Take up that which is thine, and go thy way; it is my will to give unto this last even as unto thee. Is it not lawful for me to do as I will with my own. Or is thine eye evil, because I am good? (R.V)

The point is the absolute right of the Lord of all to do as He pleases in His own realm-a right which no reverent mind would contest for a moment. Human pettiness, even in true saints, is apt to appraise its own service and to magnify its own labours in the Lord's vineyard. But all such notions are rebuked by the recollection of what each soul owes to its Redeemer. At infinite cost, amidst circumstances of unparalleled grief and shame, He secured our salvation at the cross of Calvary. From the moment that this immense fact is apprehended, devoted service becomes the happy occupation of him who has received so inestimable a blessing. Love is the only true motive; every Scripture statement concerning ultimate reward being given as encouragement merely. When our noblest doings are compared with what Christ has done for us, we feel constrained to put our hand upon our mouth, and cast ourselves adoringly at His feet. He will delight to commend and reward even a cup of cold water given for His sake, but far be it from us to utter one word about the best we have done. It is grace alone which has put us into the path of Christ, the same grace sustains us therein, and grace will not fail to crown it munificently when the end is reached.

The Two Sons.

No preacher was ever less disposed for controversy than the Son of God, yet none were ever so incisive in their handling of contentious critics as He. And no wonder; being the Searcher of all hearts He knew perfectly the motives which actuated those who assailed

Him; and being Himself the Truth He knew just what was required to meet every occasion.

During His last week in Jerusalem He was frequently assailed by the religious leaders of Israel. On one occasion, after He had exposed their spiritual incompetency for the sacred office, He gave utterance to the parable of the Two sons, wherein is set forth the hopeless case of men who say and do not. "A certain man had two sons, and he came to the first, and said, 'Son, go work to-day in my vineyard'. He answered and said, 'I will not': but afterwards he repented and went. And he came to the second, and said likewise. And he answered and said, 'I go, Sir': and went not" (Matt. 21: 28-30) The rebellious son, who at first refused to do his father's will, represents the publicans and the harlots. Immersed in iniquity, these hearkened to the stern denunciations of John the Baptist, and bowed their hearts in true contrition before God. When the Saviour's ministry of grace reached their ears they welcomed it, and thus became true heirs of the Kingdom. The son who promised obedience but did not render it represents the priests and Pharisees. These, steeped in religion, and profoundly contemptuous of "publicans and sinners," were in fact the veriest hypocrites. Nothing could be more cutting than the Saviour's words concerning them on another occasion: "All therefore whatsoever they bid you, observe and do; but do not ye after their works; for they say and do not" (Matt. 23: 3). For such men, no sentence could be more righteous than this: "Verily, I say unto you, that the publicans and the harlots go into the Kingdom of God before you.

This parable should raise the most serious thoughts in men's minds to-day. All around us are those who "profess and call themselves Christians," with leaders and shepherds not a few. From all these God demands reality. Deeds, not words, are His holy requirement. A pious "Lord, Lord," can never deceive Him. True faith in the Saviour's name and in the blood He shed produces holiness, separation from the world, and devotedness to the will of God as revealed in the Scriptures. Where these things are not seen, profession is the merest sham, which may pass muster with men in the present world, but will be fully exposed in another scene. However startling it may appear, it is nevertheless true that maybe a religious person will be lost for ever. But it is equally true that multitudes of the earth's vilest will be found in the blessedness of the Father's house when the gathering moment comes. The very vileness of these latter disposes them to seek the Saviour's face, and to avail themselves of His great salvation. Like the crucified thief who said, "Lord, remember me," their cry of repentance has been heard, and divine forgiveness has been vouchsafed to them full and free. Salvation is altogether of grace, and it is the happy portion of every true believer, wherever found.

The Wicked Husbandmen.

The Saviour was fully aware, during His last visit to Jerusalem, that conspiracy was abroad, and that the leaders of Israel were planning His death. In this striking parable, recorded by Matthew, Mark, and Luke, He exposes their design fully. This so exasperated His enemies that they would have laid violent hands upon Him forthwith, but they feared the people (Matt. 21: 46).

The parable of the Husbandmen, though directed against the leaders, gives the whole history of Israel from the day that God began to bestow favours upon them. Their beautiful inheritance is likened to a vineyard, containing everything conducive to abundant fruit-bearing. In the East rent is paid, not in money altogether, but partly in kind. But God looked in vain for any return from Israel (Matt. 21: 33-41). Eight centuries before Christ's coming He complained thus: "What could have been done more to My vineyard that I have not done in it? Wherefore, when I looked that it should bring forth grapes, brought it forth wild grapes? (Isa. 5: 4). Nothing but the basest ingratitude and sin was ever rendered by Israel for all the favours wherewith God blessed them. Violence and murder were meted out to His messengers: they "beat one, and killed another, and stoned another." Stephen challenged them thus severely, "Which of the prophets have not your fathers persecuted?" (Acts 7: 52). The climax of insult and iniquity was reached when the Son came, and they said among themselves: "This is the Heir; come, let us kill Him, and seize on His inheritance." Within a week these words received their painful fulfilment - the Son of God lay dead in the tomb.

The history of Israel is the history of man everywhere. In their record we see our own hearts reflected. We shall miss all the moral value of the parable if we fail to perceive this. Fallen man is utterly unfruitful for God; and, what is worse, his heart is filled with antagonism to God and His Son. The apostle's words as to this in Rom. 8: 7-8 are very sweeping: "The carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God." Nothing avails but a new creation by means of the Spirit and the Word.

In answer to the Lord's demand as to what should be done to the lawless husbandmen, His hearers pronounced their own sentence. "He will miserably destroy those wicked men, and will let out his vineyard to other husbandmen, which shall render him the fruits in their seasons." They wanted the inheritance for themselves, apart altogether from divine interference and claim; they should have destruction instead. The Stone which the builders rejected was about to become the head of the corner; and the day will arrive when the Stone will descend with crushing violence upon all transgressors, and grind them to powder (Matt. 21: 42-44) Even the forbearance of God has its limits.

The judgement of unfruitful Israel has already fallen; the judgement of unfaithful Christendom is rapidly approaching. From it there is no escape for any, but through faith in the Saviour's name, and in His precious atoning blood.

The Marriage of the King's Son.

This parable, unlike that of the Husbandmen, is a similitude of the kingdom of heaven. The former parable gives the history of Israel under the law; the latter describes their conduct in the presence of divine grace. In the one, God is represented as presenting claims (as He was entitled to do); in the other, He invites to a feast. Taken together, the two parables show the utter failure of flesh in connection with both law and grace. Such is man that if God asks him for something he will not render it; and if God offers him something he will not accept it.

"A certain King made a marriage for his son" (Matt. 22: 1-14). The King is God; the son is the Lord Jesus. Remarkably, the bride does not figure in the parable at all: everything is ordered for the pleasure of the son. This is the principle on which God is acting in His present dealings with men. In sending salvation to us, with all its inestimable blessings for eternity, His prime object is to give joy and honour to His beloved Son, in whom all the divine counsels are centred. But men have no regard for either God or His Son; hence our parable speaks of two invitations absolutely refused. There were two distinct missions to Israel; one before, and one after, the cross of Calvary. The second was rejected with violence to the messengers; they "entreated them spitefully and slew them." The children of those who killed the Old Testament prophets treated in like manner the New Testament apostles. Peter, John, and Paul experienced their cruelty, whilst Stephen and James were murdered by them. Our Lord gave a further warning as to all this in Matt. 23: 34: Judgement followed, as the parable foretold. The King's armies (in this case the Romans, under Titus) destroyed the murderers and burnt up their city. Compare Luke 21: 20-24.

But the King's goodness was not quenched by the ingratitude and evil of the first invited guests. Accordingly the servants were bidden to go into the highways and bring in all they could find, "both bad and good." Thus the grace of God, so scornfully rejected by Israel, has been extended to the Gentiles. "Whosoever" is now the grand Gospel cry. Divine love to the world is now proclaimed on the basis of the atoning blood of Jesus. But all is not right with these Gentile called ones. "When the King came in to see the guests he saw there a man which had not on a wedding garment." A promiscuous gathering collected from the highways was not expected to possess raiment suitable for a royal banqueting house; wedding robes had therefore been provided. The individual upon whom the King's eye rested dared to affront the King by appearing in raiment of his own. He either thought too highly of his own apparel to put it aside, or too lightly of what befitted the presence of the King to suffer himself to don the wedding garment. This man is the representative of a class. In his presumptuous ignoring of the wedding garment he is the prototype of religious men destitute of Christ. All these boast of their own righteousness instead of submitting themselves to the righteousness of God (Rom. 10: 3). Unless God in His infinite mercy opens their eyes to their true position, the outer darkness with weeping and gnashing of teeth must be their portion for ever. The King's inspection of those who profess to have accepted His call may be nearer than any of us suppose.

The Ten Virgins.

This parable describes prophetically the conduct of professing Christians in relation to the hope of the Lord s coming. It is most certain that when the Son of God went up into the Father's house He left behind Him the promise to come again, and gather home to Himself all those for whom He died (John 14: 3). For the fulfilment of this, all should have looked with fervent desire.

Then shall the Kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom. And five of them were wise, and five were foolish" (Matt. 25: 1-13). Christianity is a heavenly order of things. When it really engages a man's heart it sets him entirely outside of the present evil world, with his face towards the glory of God. The fact that his Saviour is no longer here has spoiled the world for the Christian. A stranger below, he waits for Christ's coming from above. It is Satan's unceasing aim to pervert the heavenly character of Christianity; hence the worldly employments with which religious leaders fill the minds of those who follow them-bazaars, concerts, and the like.

The virgins are divinely divided into two companies-the wise and the foolish; the essential difference being that the one had oil in their vessels with their lamps, and the other had not. Oil is the emblem of the Holy Spirit, who is God's great gift to all who believe the Gospel (Eph. 1: 13). He who has not God's Spirit is no Christian, whatever his pretensions (Rom. 8: 9). "While the bridegroom tarried they all slumbered and slept. The hope of the Lord's coming for His people, which so fired the souls of believers in the apostle's day, became lost when the apostles were no more. Since that time men in Christendom have spoken only of the day of judgement at the end of all things. The Te Deum, with other ancient writings, acknowledges this solemn truth, but of the Saviour's descent into the air to call up His saints not a trace can be found in the literary remains of centuries.

But the midnight cry has gone forth. The nineteenth century witnessed a revival of the hope. From one end of Christendom to the other the cry now resounds: "Behold the Bridegroom; go ye out to meet Him. Under the mighty impulse of the midnight cry multitudes of true believers-"wise virgins" have aroused themselves, and have shaken themselves free of worldly associations, religious or otherwise, and have resumed the original waiting attitude of the Church of God. The foolish virgins are also full of activity, though in a wrong direction. Realising that something is lacking, they are redoubling their religious zeal, in the hope of fitting themselves thereby for the Bridegroom's presence. Sacraments and formalities of every kind are their confidence and stay.

Our parable shows that when the bridegroom came, "they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut." Readiness consists, not in attention to religious formalities, but in unfeigned faith in the Saviour's name, and in His atoning blood. Only those of whom this is true find themselves on the right side of the door, when the critical moment arrives. Those outside appeal in vain: "Lord, Lord, open to us." But one reply is possible: ''Verily, I say unto you, I know you not. Both true and nominal Christians, like the wise and foolish virgins, are alike in their profession, but the return of the Lord from heaven will make clearly manifest how deep is the moral gulf which really separates the one class from the other.

The Talents.

This parable has a voice to all who hold the position of servants of Christ during His absence in heaven. He likens Himself to "a man travelling into a far country, who called his own servants, and delivered to them his goods." (Matt. 25: 14-30). The only true motive for service to Christ is affection for His person. Salvation is by grace alone; it is the purchase of His blood, neither pious deeds nor service of any kind having aught to do with the matter. He who ventures to serve Christ in any capacity apart from appreciation of His blood, and love to His person, only undertakes that which will bring down judgement upon his head in the great day.

The sovereignty of the Lord is seen in that to one was committed five talents, to another two, and to another one-"to each man according to his several ability. Thus Apollos was not so richly endowed as Paul, but both were equally responsible to do their best with what they had. This principle applies still. Let no true witness for Christ bemoan the smallness of his gifts, "for if there be first the willing mind, it is accepted according to that a man hath, and not according to that he hath not" 2 Cor 8: 12 Some of the servants of our parable, having received their talents, forthwith went and traded with them. What need for delay. In like manner, those who in our day have received qualifications from Christ are solemnly responsible to go forth and use them, asking permission from no man. The notion of official ordination has been the bane of Christian ministry for centuries. Romanists, Greeks, Anglicans, and Nonconformists agree in the fiction that ordination of some kind is necessary ere a man handle sacred things. The practical result of this is that many are installed as servants of Christ who have never known His salvation, and who are in consequence dead hindrances to the operation of the Spirit of God while others of a more spiritual type are discredited as unauthorised and piratical. Scripture nowhere asserts the need of official appointment for preaching the Word of God, still less for "the due administration of the sacraments." Elders and deacons were apostolically ordained, but these officers had nothing directly to do with public ministry. The work of the one was rule and visitation; and of the other, care for widows, etc. When John, in his second epistle, warned the elect lady against heretical teachers, he did not bid her examine their credentials, but to test their teaching. Paul gloried in the fact that he was an apostle, neither of men, nor by men (Gal. 1: 1). No man had anything whatever to do with his call to service.

When the lord returned, he called his servants together, and reckoned with them. In like manner will the Lord Jesus, at His coming again, investigate the doings of all who have professed to serve Him during His absence. The man who had received five talents was called first, as the one most responsible. He had gained five talents more, and was rewarded with his master's commendation. The man who had received the two had gained two more. His commendation was word for word the same as that of his more privileged brother. Each had done his best with his master's goods, and each was therefore invited to enter into the joy of his lord. Bliss with Christ is the happy end of all true labour for His name. The man with the single talent was cast into the outer darkness. He represents Christendom's unconverted preachers, whose hearts have never been warmed by the love of Christ, and who cannot therefore find delight in pleasing Him. Unworthy motives explain their public position, the duties of which they shirk as miserably as the man in our parable. Though such speak with the tongues of men and of angels, it is but as sounding brass in the divine ears. Unless God mercifully lead them to repentance, Balaam's doom must be theirs for ever.

The Sleeping Husbandman,

"So is the Kingdom of God as if a man should cast seed on the ground; and should sleep, and rise night and day, and the seed should spring and grow up, he knoweth not how. For the earth bringeth forth fruit of herself; first the blade, then the ear, after that the full corn in the ear. But when the fruit is brought forth, immediately he putteth in the sickle, because the harvest is come" (Mark 4: 26-29) This parable is peculiar to the Second Evangelist. Its point is the non-intervention of the Lord of the harvest with the outward course of Christianity. He Himself was the beginner of the present testimony to God's grace and goodness, in person, during His humiliation and by means of the Holy Spirit after He ascended on high. The Gospels tell us of His personal labours, Mark concluding with the statement that after His departure the disciples continued the testimony, "the Lord working with them."

He has thus "cast seed on the ground," the results being left to the responsibility of men. The reception which has been accorded to the Gospel seed is fully detailed in the parable of the Sower. The greater part of it has been rendered unproductive through the evil of the human heart. But the Lord does not interfere. He remains quiescent for the present in the glory of God. The apparent indifference of the Lord of the harvest has been a frequent cause of perplexity to the godly. They have witnessed the excellent of the earth cast to the lions by the heathen, and tortured in the Inquisition, and burned at the stake by the religious chiefs of Christendom, and their anguished hearts have marvelled at the silence of heaven. No angels have appeared for the deliverance of the oppressed, as in the case of imprisoned Peter; and no miracles have been wrought on their behalf as in the day when the three Hebrews were cast into the fiery furnace. "Oh Lord, how long?" has been the agonised cry of such as have marvelled at the triumph of evil, especially in the religious sphere.

For the present, matters are suffered to take their own course. That no purpose of God is failing of its accomplishment is clear from our parable. Fruit is most certainly being produced for God in the world, "first the blade, then the ear, after that the full corn in the ear." Whatever the apparent trend of things, the Gospel is undoubtedly winning true hearts for the Saviour Who died and rose again. By and bye He will surround Himself in the Father's house with the full fruit of His great Calvary sacrifice.

When harvest-time arrives, His attitude of non-intervention will be abandoned and He will exert Himself in power. Then "He putteth in the sickle." In that day He will discriminate, as He only can unfailingly, between those who really love His name and those who love Him not. For His own there is prepared a place in the glory above; for all others, whatever their religious profession or ecclesiastical status, there is reserved blackness of darkness for ever.

The Two Builders.

Both Matthew and Luke give this heart-searching parable at the close of our Lord's sermon on the mount. Multitudes had listened to His teaching with wonder and admiration. His gracious words attracted them, and His authoritative tone (so unlike that of their scribes) commanded at least their respect. In their estimation "Never man spake like this Man."

So far well, but the human heart is deplorably fickle and unreal. This leads men to hear, and even to approve what they hear, while rendering no obedience to the heavenly message. Hence the importance of the parable of the two builders. Whosoever cometh to Me and heareth My sayings, and doeth them, I will show you to whom he is like: he is like a man who built an house, and digged deep, and laid the foundation on the rock" (Luke 6: 47-48). The man who hears manifestly stands in a position altogether different from that of him who hears not. The latter is utterly indifferent; the former gives more or less attention to the things which are eternal. But unless his sole foundation is the teaching of the Son of God, he has absolutely nothing that will avail him when the storm of divine judgement arises. "Back to Christ" is the cry today. Well, be it so; but what has Christ told us? In John 3: 5 He insists upon every man's need of the new birth; in the same chapter (v. 14) He declares the absolute necessity for His atoning sacrifice: and then proceeds to show (v. 16) that the heart of God has provided what the throne of God demanded. "He so loved the world that He gave His Only Begotten Son." His own lips have told us also that every man's eternal future depends upon his attitude towards Himself. "Back to Christ," if really meant, must lead men to bow at His feet in humble acknowledgement of His person and sacrifice. All who have taken this happy place have laid their foundation on the rock, and for them the impending judgement of God, however terrible, has no alarm.

"But he that heareth, and doeth not, is like a man that without a foundation, built an house upon the earth; against which the storm did beat violently, and immediately it fell; and the ruin of that house was great" (Luke 6: 49). Thus graphically does the Lord of all describe the collapse of all the hopes of such as have not built upon His words. Heaven is silent today: no fiery bolts proceed thence to drive the guilty into eternal woe: but a veritable hurricane of divine wrath will burst forth ere long, which will reveal indisputably where men really stand. Every unreal superstructure will then totter and fall. The fairest moral and religious exterior will not shield from judgement those who have not as lost sinners put their trust in the Saviour and in His precious blood. As the prophet declared ages ago: "The hail shall sweep away the refuge of lies, and the waters shall overflow the hiding-place" (Isa. 28: 17). Happy, eternally happy, is the man who has built on Christ, the Son of God. This foundation will stand, and this alone.

The Two Debtors.

The Saviour was sitting at meat in the house of a Pharisee. His spirit was sorely grieved at the time. He had just had occasion to rebuke the men of His generation for their indifference to both John the Baptist and Himself. The stern asceticism of the forerunner so irritated them that they said he had a demon; and the geniality and graciousness of the Saviour so offended them that they called Him a gluttonous man and a wine-bibber, a friend of publicans and sinners (Luke 7: 31-35).

Something to refresh His heart would have been deeply appreciated at that moment. But He was not to receive it at the hands of His host. He in his deplorable blindness was wholly unconscious of whom he had at his board that day. His God was there, but he knew it not. Yet he was a religious man-one of the ultra-religious indeed. His Guest, was, in his eyes, simply a travelling preacher, to whom it might be well to grant a meal. It had occurred to him that He might possibly be a prophet but this thought he dismissed as he noted His conduct in his house. So little did he esteem his Guest that he did not even offer Him the usual Eastern courtesies-water for His feet, etc. Truly there is nothing so blinding or benumbing as empty, formal religion.

Presently a woman of the city-a moral derelict from the streets-crept into the dining-hall, hearing that Jesus was there. Her soul was burdened. Sin lay heavily upon her. But she discerned in Jesus the Saviour of sinners. Whether He suited others or not mattered little to her; to one burdened with guilt like herself He was just the One she needed. None other in the universe could meet her case. She had heard of His grace to sinners, and her heart was attracted. No restraints or Pharisaical proprieties were suffered to stand in her way. She sought Him out, and claimed, not in words but in deeds, a personal interest in His saving grace. To the deep disgust of the host she rained tears upon the Saviour's feet, wiped them with the hair of her head, kissed them fervently, and anointed them with ointment.

The Lord, aware of what was passing in the mind of the Pharisee, turned to him thus: ''Simon, I have somewhat to say unto thee. There was a certain creditor which had two debtors: the one owed him five hundred pence, and the other fifty. And when they had nothing to pay, he frankly forgave them both. Tell me, therefore, which of them will love him most?" (Luke 7: 40-42). To such a parable but one answer was possible, and the application was evident. If each man's record of sin is not actually vile, there is no room for boasting, since all have sinned and come short of the glory of God." It ill becomes one therefore to scorn another. Each would be well advised to seek pardoning grace for himself.

Turning to the woman, the Saviour said: "Thy sins are forgiven. He had come down from heaven for the salvation of such as she, and He was on His way to Calvary to expiate her guilt. Never again could she number herself amongst "miserable sinners"; ever after with gratitude her lips would say, "I believe in the forgiveness of sins, and in the life everlasting. Amen."

The Good Samaritan.

This touching parable was related by the Saviour as a rebuke to a caviller, who had challenged Him as to what he should do to inherit eternal life (Luke 10: 25-37). To an honest enquirer, He would have replied that eternal life is the gift of God to those who believe on His Son; but to a caviller He could only speak of the law of Sinai. Unabashed and unconvicted (though a professional exponent of the divine law) His questioner then asked: "And who is my neighbour? This parable was then given, which not only furnished a complete answer to the question, but also shows in a vivid way man's utterly ruined condition as God sees it. No one who understands the parable of the Good Samaritan would ever seek to obtain eternal life by meritorious works of any kind.

The man who went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and who experienced so disastrous a journey is a representative character; in him every man may see his own portrait, if he will. It is folly to speak of human progress; man's course has been retrograde ever since the catastrophe in Eden. He has fallen into the hands of the hosts of evil, who have stripped him of his once fair robe of innocence, injuring him mortally in so doing. His condition is hopeless so far as creature aid is concerned.

Two persons passed by as the stricken traveller lay weltering in his blood, the one a priest and the other a Levite; but neither proffered a helping hand. Yet the law taught that even the ass of an enemy was to be succoured if he was seen groaning under his burden (Ex. 23: 5). But why did the Saviour select, out of the many classes and ranks of men, the priest and the Levite as those who did nothing for the dying one? Surely to teach us the utter inability of the system which these characters represented to meet the need of ruined man. The priest's business was with religious forms and ceremonies, and the Levite was responsible to instruct the people in the law of God: yet both of these are represented by a divine hand as doing nothing for a man in his hour of deadly peril. What a lesson is here! Yet so little heed has been paid to it that to this hour multitudes in their quest for salvation cast themselves, some upon priests, and some upon moralists, to meet their deep need. The blunder of it is painful to contemplate.

"But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was, and when he saw him, he had compassion on him, 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." Thus graphically the Saviour describes His own mission of grace. From heaven's glory He journeyed, going ever downward until Calvary was reached, where He bowed His head in death as an atonement for human guilt. Man being righteously under sentence of death, He must needs suffer and die in order to lift him out of his degradation and ruin. The Jews once called Him a Samaritan in contempt (John 8: 48); in our parable He meekly accepts the title. Yet the scorn of man could not be suffered to dry up the springs of His grace, hence His loving provision of oil and wine, typifying the Spirit's application to the soul of the healing efficacy of His precious blood. In the picture before us we have the man, cured, carried, and cared for in every way. There is yet a higher aspect of saving grace the sinner brought into the Father's presence, to be for ever a sharer of divine joys. But this is shown to us in the later parable of the prodigal son.

The Stronger than the Strong

It was suggested by some that the power by which the Son of God wrought in this world was the power of Beelzebub. The suggestion was as absurd as it was blasphemous. But it furnished the Saviour with an opportunity of showing the relation of man to Satan as the fruit of the fall, and His own relation to the enemy as having come from heaven for man's deliverance and blessing. He put it thus: "When the strong man armed keepeth his palace, his goods are in peace: but when the stronger than he shall come upon him, he taketh from him all his armour wherein he trusted, and divideth his spoils" (Luke 11: 21-22). The strong one is Satan; the stronger than he is the Son of God. Satan's "palace" is the world as it is now; "his goods" are the men and women who dwell therein. The position is a terrible one; none the less so because the mass have no realization of it. Man's revolt from God has not yielded him the independence to which he aspired; it has reduced him to Satanic servitude instead. The Lord Himself on three occasions spoke of the enemy as "prince of this world."

The blind eagerness with which men pursue their lusts and pleasures, some decent and some indecent, is sufficient proof of Satan's dominion over them. Even though no satisfaction is found for money or effort, and though the ultimate issue is manifestly ruinous, men rush heedlessly on. In fact, if they would extricate themselves from the toils of the destroyer, they have no power to do so. Satan has nothing to fear from the struggles of his captives, be they ever so frantic. His hold is firm; his dominion is ancient; and his resources are beyond anything known to the children of men.

But Christ has come. From the Father's heart He came, as the living expression of His compassion for the wretched and lost. Hear Him proclaiming in the synagogue of Nazareth the character of His mission. "The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me; because He hath anointed Me to preach deliverance to the captives," etc. (Luke 4: 18). Ere deliverance could be, He must meet the strong man and overcome him. In the wilderness He bound him; at the cross He bruised him. By submitting to death for a brief moment, He annulled Satan's Power. His resurrection is the glorious proof of His complete triumph over all the might of the enemy. Deliverance is, in consequence, available for all. None need remain a single hour under the dominion of the strong man. The cry of distress will assuredly be heard; pardon and eternal life will be freely bestowed upon all who believe on the Son. The soul is thus set free for ever.

In the same discourse the Saviour gave utterance to the connected parable of the restless spirit (Luke 11: 24-26). It is the case of one from whom the unclean spirit has gone out (not cast out), only to return later with seven-fold power. Dispensation- ally, this is the history of the nation of Israel, from which the demon of idolatry went out after the Babylonish captivity, with the certainty of returning in its most evil form in the day of the Anti-Christ (Matt. 12: 45) The Christ of God having been disowned in Zion, "the abomination of desolation" is destined to stand in Israel's holy place (Matt. 24: 15 Reformation is insufficient, whether for that nation or for individuals, in this or in any other day. It will not avail to put the soul beyond the reach of the enemy's power. living faith in the One Who died and rose again can alone effectually meet human need.

The Rich Fool.

Someone had just appealed to the Saviour concerning a property dispute. He declined to interfere, the matter being foreign to His mission at that time. He had come from heaven, not to adjust the world's wrongs, but to seek men's souls in love. The crooked will certainly be made straight by His hand, but in another era. For this He must return from His present place on high. But meanwhile, He Who never missed an opportunity of dealing with men's consciences concerning things unseen and eternal, used the occasion of the appeal to warn His hearers against absorption with this world's affairs. In order to present this the more forcibly He added the familiar parable of the rich fool (Luke 12: 13-21).

The world has never been without such characters as the Saviour here describes. His omniscient eye had observed the like repeatedly. Men to whom the Creator has been specially kind, into whose lap He has poured blessings in abundance, and who have only used His favours to the utter exclusion of Himself from their thoughts. The rich man of our parable was hampered in regard to his produce. His farm had brought forth plentifully, and his barns were full to overflowing, so that greater storehouses must be erected. The possibility of any hitch arising in connection with his projects never occurred to his mind, so self-confident was he. Accordingly, he addressed himself thus: "Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry." No thought of God, no thought of eternity, found room in his foolish mind. To him this world was everything, and he confidently expected to hold and enjoy it indefinitely.

He ought to have remembered that for man, unlike the beasts, there is a life beyond this world; and a God to meet, to whom all must render an account. The divine word to him, and to all of his kind, is, "Thou fool." This is God's epithet, not man's. Surely it is not too strong a term to apply to one who absolutely ignores his possession of a never-dying soul. He who thinks of nothing but his few years in this world, in utter forgetfulness of the ages upon ages which lie beyond, is a fool indeed. In Luke 16 the Saviour draws aside the veil, and shows us the torments of one to whom this world had been everything. He did it in mercy, as a warning to men in all succeeding ages.

The question was recently asked concerning a deceased millionaire: "How much did he leave?" The solemn reply was given: "He left it all." So to the fool of our parable God said: "This night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall these things be which thou hast provided?" "Whose," indeed! A matter of but small moment to the original possessor when the gates of death have closed upon him. To find then that a supreme blunder has been committed is almost too awful to contemplate. To get one's eyes opened to the reality of things when the border-line is passed can only lead to eternal despair; to face realities now will result in humble saving faith in God and His beloved Son. This is life indeed.

The Returning Lord.

The Saviour frequently spoke to His disciples of His going away and coming again, and indicated to them two things that should characterise them during His absence-watching and working. The watching attitude is described in Luke 12: 35-36 thus: "Let your loins he girded about, and your lights burning; and ye yourselves like unto men that wait for their lord, when he will return from the wedding; that when he cometh and knocketh, they may open unto him immediately." This attitude was early abandoned by the Church. When the Church became worldly, she lost touch of the truth of her Lord's return, and settled down to the enjoyment of ease and honour here. Having thus forgotten her heavenly calling, she fell into the blunder that her mission was to improve the world; and in the pursuit of this object she became too blind to perceive that her fancy was not being realised, and that instead the world was corrupting and ruining her.

The Lord in His grace has revived the lost hope in these last days, with the happy result that many to- day are looking with fervour for His coming again. Watching is necessarily the fruit of affection, and this the absent Lord values more than the costliest sacrifices or the most toilsome labours. The highest possible character of reward is set before His watching ones: "He shall gird Himself, and make them to sit down to meat, and will come forth and serve them" (Luke 12: 37). Every believing heart cherishes the prospect of serving Christ eternally with a perfection of service that is impossible at present; here we have quite another thought-more delightful far-that He will condescend to render service to us. It will be His joy for ever to minister to the happiness of those whom He has redeemed by His blood.

Working has its place no less than watching. Salvation is by grace alone, works having nothing whatever to do with it. Its basis is the atoning sacrifice of the Lord Jesus. But the realisation of this incites the soul to hearty labour for His name's sake. Concerning the diligent worker, the Lord has said: "He will make him ruler over all that He hath" (Luke 12: 44). This honour is great-too great, indeed, for the most spiritual mind to grasp at present; but it is altogether a lower character of reward than that which is in store for watchers. To work for Christ is good; to watch for Christ is better.

The Lord proceeded to speak of the evil servant who says in his heart, "My Lord delayeth His coming, and who. in consequence, beats his fellow servants and carouses with the drunken (Luke 12: 45). It is the false religious professor who says "Lord, Lord," but has no mind to do what He says. Such the Lord will not only disown but destroy at His coming. In His work of judgement He will discriminate between those who knew His will, and those who knew it not. This is just the difference between the professing Christian and the heathen. Evil is evil, wherever it is found, and must needs be judged; but responsibility is measured according to what men know of God and His Word (Luke 12: 47, 48). Upon this equitable principle need we marvel if the heaviest strokes of the divine hand fall upon Great Britain when the hour comes for judgement to begin?

The Fig Tree in the Vineyard,

The history of Israel is the history of man. The special dealings of God with that nation have served to bring out the incorrigible evil of human nature. Tested in every way, endowed with every conceivable privilege, encompassed by divine care and attention, man is a hopeless failure. He yields no fruit for God. The parable of the fig-tree in the vineyard shows this with all plainness.

The city of Jerusalem had just experienced a painful shock. The Roman governor, Pilate had butchered a number of Galileans, who had come thither to offer sacrifices. Some reported this to the Lord Jesus, desiring to hear His opinion upon the subject. In His usual way, He used the opportunity to deal a direct blow at the consciences of those who questioned Him. "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" (Luke 13: 1-3). Nothing is easier than to impute exceptional wickedness to those overtaken by calamity, in utter forgetfulness of the fact that man as man-man everywhere-is deserving only of the judgement of God. The Saviour accordingly added a parable, in which it is shown that the whole nation (not a few Galileans only) was altogether unprofitable to God, and, in consequence, going on to judgement. "A certain man had a fig-tree planted in his vineyard: and he came and sought fruit thereon, and found none. Then said he to the dresser of his vineyard, 'Behold, these three years I come seeking fruit on this fig-tree, and find none: cut it down; why cumbereth it the ground? And he answering said unto him, 'Lord, let it alone 'this year also, till I shall dig about it and dung it: and if it bear fruit, well: and' if not, then after that thou shalt cut it down'“ (Luke 13: 6-8). Both the vineyard and the vine represent the nation of Israel (Isa. 5; Ps. 80); the fig tree planted in the vineyard represents the remnant of Judah which returned from the Babylonian captivity. A bright testimony for God should have gone forth from a people so graciously blest; instead, such was their hypocrisy and evil, the name of God was blasphemed among the Gentiles through them (Rom. 2: 24). The "three years" suggest the various testings by means of the law, the prophets, and Christ (Acts 7: 51-53). By none of these had the people's hearts been reached. God was still without any return from them. One more opportunity-only one-was to be granted in answer to the prayer of the dresser of the vineyard. This is none other than the Lord Jesus Christ, who prayed: "Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do" (Luke 23: 34). The fresh opportunity was the testimony of the Holy Ghost after Christ's departure to heaven. This resulted in the murder of Stephen, and in the chasing out of Christ's other witnesses (1 Thess. 2: 15). The fig tree has therefore been cut down: the guilty nation has been expelled from the land by the righteous judgement of God.

Christendom's turn is coming. Nineteen centuries of Gospel light have produced little else than worldliness, pride, and blasphemy-all perpetrated under cover of Christ's holy name. Divine forbearance, long exercised, will ere long come to an end. Then the stroke will fall, and Christendom will be the scene of the sorest judgements of God. Let each individual look to himself. What answer does my heart give to the costly sacrifice of Calvary, and the exceeding riches of divine grace proclaimed in virtue of it. Not until the heart appreciates Christ and His atoning blood can fruit begin to be produced for God.

The Great Supper.

The Lord of all was dining with one of the rulers, who belonged to the sect of the Pharisees. Being the Sabbath day, He was watched critically by all who were present at the table. Observing a dropsical man before Him, He healed him, administering at the same time a stern rebuke to those who blamed Him for it in their hearts. He then addressed a remonstrance to His fellow guests for the self seeking which had led all of them to choose the best seats at the feast; and this He followed with a word to His host as to showing kindness to the poor and needy rather than to those who were certain to recompense him again. The pride and selfishness which His holy eye thus detected contrasted deplorably with His own profound humility and grace (Luke 14).

One of the guests interposing with the remark: 'Blessed is he that shall eat bread in the Kingdom of God," the Saviour gave utterance to the parable of the Great Supper, wherein is shown that, however eager men may be for the best seats at feasts provided by their fellows, when God spreads a feast they want no place whatever, but pray to be excused.

The Great Supper is an attractive presentation of the grace of God as revealed in the Gospel. The first invited guests were the religious mass in Israel. To them the Saviour first showed Himself with tenderest overtures of love. "And they all with one consent began to make excuse." The character of the excuses show that the blessings of God may be used to exclude God Himself from the affections. Such possessions as ground and oxen, and above all a wife, are good gifts from God to men. That these should turn the heart away from, rather than to, God, only proves how evil the human heart is. There is, moreover, glaring absurdity in the excuses given. Those who had bought property and oxen, having concluded their bargains, could well wait until the next day in order to see and prove what they had purchased. There was nothing in the circumstances to hinder their presence at the supper if their hearts really desired to be there.

Being thus affronted by those he had invited, the master of the house sent his servant into the streets and lanes of the city, with orders to bring in the poor, the maimed, the halt, and the blind. These represent the moral outcasts of Israel-the publicans and the harlots, concerning whom the Saviour once said to His religious hearers, "they go into the Kingdom of God before you" (Matt. 21: 31).

But this was not sufficient; accordingly the servant was instructed to "go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled." The servant referred to in this parable is the Holy Spirit of God, Who has graciously made it His business to reach men with the glad tidings of divine goodness and love. The highway and hedge folk are the Gentiles, to whom the Gospel of God is now being proclaimed, Israel having definitely refused it. As Peter put it to his Jewish audience on the day of How the Gentile world is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call" (Acts 2: 39)

How the Gentile world has treated God's invitation is painfully evident sacrifice of His Son for men's salvation should subdue every heart to which it is presented. His gracious offer of pardon and justification to all who believe in the Son should evoke the humble gratitude of every one who is privileged to hear of it. But the human heart is everywhere alike, whether in the Gentile or in the Jew. It wants nothing to do with God and His Son. The flimsiest and most contemptible excuses are too readily found, to the present and eternal loss of all who are guilty of such egregious folly.

The Lost Sheep.

The cynical remarks of the religious classes in Israel rendered it necessary for the Saviour to justify His attitude towards the guilty and lost. The three parables of Luke 15 were accordingly given, in which is explained, in a manner calculated to move every true heart, the yearning of the divine Trinity over the erring, and the various parts played by the Father, Son and Holy Spirit in the blessing of such. In the parable of the lost sheep we have portrayed the work of the Son; in that of the lost piece of Silver we have the work of the Spirit; while in the parable of the prodigal son we have graphically described the warmth of affection with which the Father welcomes the wanderer home.

The Lord spoke first of His own work for two reasons. First, because it was with Him men were finding fault at that moment, and second, because His self sacrifice on behalf of sinners necessarily precedes (and is, indeed, the basis) of the work of the Spirit and of the Father in men's souls. He put this question to His critics: "What man of you, having an hundred sheep, if he lose one of them, doth not leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness, and go after that which is lost, until he find it?" (Luke 15: 4).If they would be so solicitous about a straying animal, why marvel that the Lord of all should yearn over lost men, made in the image and glory of God? To seek and to save such, He was even then upon that wonderful journey which began from the heights of heavenly bliss, and which would only end when the cross of Calvary had been endured. Such grace as this has no charm for religionists, their self complacency hiding from them their need of it. It may suit the profligate; but pride maintains that it does not suit them. In their own eyes they are the ninety and nine just persons, who have no need of repentance. So utterly alienated are they from divine interests and affections that they are unable to understand the joy of the Father and the Son when one sinner is brought home. The fact that the religious folk were ever the Saviour's bitterest enemies is sufficient to put this painful truth beyond controversy. But the Shepherd rejoices in the fruit of His sufferings and toil. He shoulders His sheep, and carries it home rejoicing: By His mighty power is every saved one kept until the end. No force, either human or infernal, can wrest even the feeblest of His lambs from His care (John 10: 27-30). He brings them, not into the fold, but home to Himself. There is no fold in Christianity “One fold" is a sheer perversion in John 10:16; "one flock" is what the Saviour said. Wycliffe and Coverdale so rendered His words long before the Authorised Version was published it was departure from truth when "one fold" was adopted in preference. The "fold" savours of the bondage of the law, which men ignorant alas of the grace of God, have revived in Christianity; the "flock" suggests the liberty of divine love, which attracts, and binds, men to a personal Saviour.

The Shepherd's joy is shared by His friends and neighbours, to whom He says: "Rejoice with Me; for I have found My sheep which was lost." Those who are accustomed to intimacy of communion with the Son of God know, to their blessing what this means. His interests are theirs; His achievements in the way of saving grace furnish them with material for holy triumph and delight. But in what relation did these religionists stand to Him, who, instead of rejoicing in His joy, could only coldly criticise the exercise of His goodness to the needy and lost?

The Lost Silver.

Since the first of the three parables (of Luke 15) indisputably refers to the Son, and the third to the Father, it is surely reasonable to look for the Holy Spirit in the parable that intervenes. And indeed it is blessedly true that each Person in the Godhead is equally interested in the blessing of men. Father, Son, and Holy Ghost work together in holy harmony in the gracious work of salvation.

The Saviour asked: "What woman having ten pieces of silver, if she lose one of them, doth not light a candle, and sweep the house, and search diligently till she find it?" (v. 8). Here that which is lost is lifeless, in contrast with the first parable, which represents a living thing as going astray (the lost sheep). These are the two points of view from which the epistles to the Romans and Ephesians respectively regard the sinner. Activity in sin is the point in Romans; death spiritual death-is the point in Ephesians. The painstaking work of the Holy Spirit in seeking the lost is presented in a veiled form in our parable. It is a woman who acts. This suggests the Church of God, the individual members of which are the Spirit's instruments for reaching the souls of men. Many a dark heart needs the light of divine truth to be let into it, that its evil may be exposed, and its deep need of salvation be brought home. The woman's candle expresses this.

Unlike the sheep, which had strayed upon the mountains (Matt. 18: 12), the piece of silver was lost in the house. The great professing mass called Christendom is likened in 2 Tim. 2: 20 to a great house" containing a mixed medley of the precious and the vile. Thus it is not only that the profligate and the wicked are lost, but many religious persons also. Perishing souls may be found in both tavern and "place of worship." The lost sheep is the image of the one; the lost coin is the image of the other.

The joy of the woman, when the missing piece was found, is declared by the Saviour Himself to resemble the joy that bursts forth amongst the angels of God when one sinner is brought to repentance. One soul is of sufficient value to engage the interest of all heaven. Who but God knows its worth? A single weeping reprobate furnishes more delight in heaven than a whole host of religious formalists, who wrap themselves around with the garments of their self-righteousness. It is marvellous, moreover, that the angelic host should unselfishly rejoice in the blessing of a being inferior in natural status to themselves, yet raised by sovereign grace to a more exalted position of blessing than the highest of the heavenly hierarchy have ever known or ever will know. Yet Peter says, concerning our blessings, "which things the angels desire to look into" (1 Peter 1: 12). And Paul lets us know that through the Church is being made known to the principalities and powers in the heavenly places the manifold wisdom of God (Eph. 3: 10). They study His ways with us, and find profit and blessing thereby.

The Prodigal Son.

It is not now the grace that seeks the lost one, but the grace that receives the repentant one to home and blessing. This is the Father's part in the wonderful scheme of salvation. The basis of all blessing for men is the atoning blood. This, however, is not the point in the parables of Luke 15, but rather the principle upon which men are blest, which is sovereign grace.

The Saviour now depicts two sons-one profligate, the other self-righteous (Luke 15: 11-32). These represent the lawless and the religious classes respectively. The younger son, having obtained his portion from his father, forsook him, and wasted his substance in a distant land. In like manner do the mass of men live in utter disregard of Him whose offspring they are, and squander His rich endowments, health, means, and faculties, in the gratification of their carnal lusts. The first man aimed at independence of God, and the love of this has characterised all his progeny since. When the prodigal had "spent all, there arose a mighty famine in that land." Thus all around him were destitute like himself, so that no man could relieve the pangs of his fellow. Graphic picture of the godless man's utter inability to assuage the grief and disappointment of his neighbour's heart. In truth they are all needy together, if they would but confess it.

Presently the wanderer descends to the swine-trough. Penniless and hungry, he is thankful to be permitted to tend swine, and even to share their food. "No man gave unto him." So says the Lord of all. Let infidelity inform us how many hospitals, orphanages, and other refuges of mercy would be dotted about on the face of the earth if Christianity had never shed its gracious influence into the hearts of men.

Feeding swine giving time for reflection, the prodigal's mind turned to the father's house, and its abundant provision. His heart became attracted thither, and he resolved to return and cast himself upon his father's mercy. This reminds us of Rom. 2: 4 "The goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance." But the transgressor made one huge blunder. He purposed to say: "I am not worthy to be called thy son; make me as one of thy hired servants." Conscience should have taught him that he had fallen too low for this; for surely the first requisite of a servant is a good character. Let us take the very humblest place before our God. Such is our state by nature that we are absolutely without fitness for any place whatever in the divine presence. But he who gives up all thought of merit, and casts himself unreservedly upon sovereign grace, pleading only the worthiness of Christ and the efficacy of His blood, will find himself forthwith brought into the relationship of son to the Father with rights and privileges such as even elect angels can never know.

This the sinner of our parable proved. The great God is positively represented as running to meet him with kisses. Soon the best robe was upon him, with ring and shoes accompanying. The best robe is Christ, in whom the pardoned sinner stands complete, and with whose perfections he is henceforward covered in the eyes of God. "And they began to be merry." Not a hint as to its cessation. The Father's heart finds present and eternal joy in what His love has wrought for the objects of His favour; while these, and all who understand their case, feast and delight themselves in the divine presence for evermore. Truly, it is good to know a Saviour God.

The Elder Son.

Our Lord's religious critics could not fail to recognise themselves in the elder son, whose attitude towards the repentant transgressor, and towards the father also, because of his goodness to him, He so strikingly portrayed (Luke 15: 25-32).The elder son has a natural claim; and religionists in all ages have considered themselves in this position in relation to God-in a greater or less degree. But for this very reason they are rejected. "that no flesh should glory in His presence" (1 Cor. 1: 29).It is surely not without intention that the elder son is invariably represented in Scripture as outside divine blessing. Cain, Ishmael, Esau, and Reuben are a few cases in point. It is the confessedly guilty sinner, who has nothing to plead but what he finds in God Himself, who gets the blessing.

His elder son was in the field. "There was joy within, but he was without. "The field" is the place of labour. The sincere religionist is always a hard worker. He has a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge. Going about to establish his own righteousness, he does not submit himself to the righteousness of God (Rom. 10: 2, 3). Like the elder son, he is "nigh" to the Father's house, but he never gets inside, and the warmth of the Father's heart he never experiences. Occupying himself with legal works and religious ordinances, his life is cold and cheerless; so that, like the elder son, who was puzzled by the sound of music and dancing, his heart is a stranger to the fullness of joy which is found alone in the divine presence (Ps. 16: 11).

"He was angry, and would not go in: and his father came out, and entreated him.' He need not remain without; the door was not closed to him; he was as welcome as the prodigal to all the bliss of the father's house. But the whole difficulty lay there. In his self-parade-"Lo, these many years do I serve thee, neither transgressed I at any time thy commandment" he made it manifest that he looked for preferential treatment In his own eyes he was one of the ninety and nine just persons who need no repentance. In his anger he levels a positive complaint against his father: "thou never gavest me a kid, that I might make merry with my friends." Here he tells out his own heart. His nearness to his father had been external only; his toil had proceeded from some other motive than love; his notion of real happiness was to be away from the father and in the company of his friends. Terrible exposure of the religious man's true state of heart in relation to God.

Hear the father tenderly pleading with the self-righteous one: "Son, thou are ever with me, and all that I have is thine. But it was meet that we should make merry, and be glad: for this thy brother was dead. and is alive again; and was lost and is found." As far as this world is concerned, the man who has lived decently and religiously has a distinct advantage over the profligate. Health and fortune remain with him; hence the words, "all that I have is thine." But what is the value of this if pride and self righteousness are suffered to exclude the soul from the presence of God for ever. Our parable closes with the elder son still outside, angrily objecting to the grace which had been shown to his wayward brother. He is the parent of all those who in this day scorn the idea of being "converted" and "saved," and who will never consent to the wastrels of earth being labelled "the sanctified in Christ Jesus, saints by calling" (1 Cor. 1: 2). The very thought of it touches them to the quick.

The Unjust Steward.

This parable, unlike those immediately preceding it, was addressed to disciples only (Luke 16: 1-12) An important lesson is contained therein for those who follow the Lord Jesus Christ.

An unfaithful steward is held up to our view-one who was convicted of wasting his master's goods. Receiving notice of discharge, his mind turned upon his future. "I cannot dig." said he: "to beg I am ashamed." He therefore resolved to ingratiate himself with his master's debtors during his brief remaining term of office, with a view to receiving benefits at their hands at a later date. He accordingly called them together and bade one who owed his master for a hundred measures of oil, sit down and write fifty; another who owed for a hundred measures of wheat was told to write eighty. The Saviour's comment upon this has frequently puzzled even devout readers of Scripture. The Lord commended the unjust steward, because he had done wisely; for the children of this world are in their generation wiser than the children of light."

Let us consider this carefully. First, the one who thus commends is not the Lord Jesus, but the imaginary lord of the parable. Secondly the steward was not commended for his honesty, but for his wisdom. A clever rogue necessarily elicits from his observers admiration of a kind. The point of the parable is that the man acted with his eye upon the future. He used his brief term of stewardship with a view to the years that lay beyond. In doing this he set an example even to true disciples. Hence the words that follow: "Make to yourselves friends of the mammon of unrighteousness; that, when ye fail, they may receive you into everlasting habitations."

To read these words of our Lord as if they had any reference to men seeking salvation would be disastrous. Salvation is by grace alone, and it is founded upon the Saviour's atoning blood. This cannot be too earnestly or too frequently insisted upon. But those who are saved have serious responsibilities concerning which they must each one give account at the judgement-seat of Christ. Hence each "disciple" should take a leaf out of the book of the unjust steward and use the brief period of life here with a view to blessing and reward in the life beyond. Perhaps there is nothing concerning which even true Christians fail more deeply than in the matter of money. Riches are called "the mammon of unrighteousness," because they are the fruit of sin. Such conditions as now prevail, one rich and another poor, could have no place in an unfallen world. A grave responsibility therefore rests upon the Christian as to how he disposes of that which he holds, be it little or much. He is indeed a steward; to Another he must render an account. He who spends all upon himself, reserving only his threepenny-piece for God, is living for the present only; he who uses his substance for God in the midst of a needy world is making friends by means of his possessions. There is no thought in Luke 16:9 of the objects of our benefactions welcoming us into the habitations above. Reference to the Greek shows that the Lord spoke in the third person-"that ye may be received." The one who welcomes the self-denying disciple to rest and reward is none other than the living God Himself, who is prepared to abundantly honour in another world those who have surrendered aught in this world for the sake of His name, and under the constraining influence of His mighty grace.

The Unjust Judge.

In a materialistic day such as the present, prayer is at a discount. Sense is more than faith, and the visible is greater than the invisible. But it nevertheless remains true that man is the most helpless creature conceivable apart from the God who made him; and he who ignores this is riding for a fall-rushing forward to destruction.

Even true-hearted souls are frequently tried by divine delay in answering prayer and are tempted to give up the praying attitude in consequence. To all such the parable of the Unjust Judge has an encouraging voice. It was also given to the disciples as a stimulus to pray always and not faint. The parable runs thus: "There was in a city a judge which feared not God, neither regarded man: and there was a widow in that city; and she came unto him, saying, "Avenge me of my adversary." And he would not for a while: but afterward he said within himself, 'Though I fear not God, nor regard man; yet because this widow troubleth me, I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me.' (Luke 18: 2-5).

Dispensationally there is a reference here to "the days of the Son of man." In the previous chapter the Saviour had spoken of the last great crisis, and the painful circumstances in which the godly remnant of Israel will find themselves at that time. The parable of the Unjust Judge follows this immediately, and is connected with it. In the dark days of Anti-Christian apostasy, when Christendom and Judaism will join hands in the basest iniquity, those who cleave to God will have no resource but prayer. The book of Psalms gives us prophetically many of the agonising appeals that will then be wrung from their distressed hearts. God will certainly avenge their wrongs, and judge their oppressors in His own time; the question is, will His people wait for Him, and accept no deliverance but that which comes from His hand? This is the force of the Saviour's words, "When the Son of man cometh, shall He find faith on the earth?" (Luke 18: 8).

At all times, and under all circumstances, it is good to trust God. Ever since the fall, it has been the tendency of flesh to plan and provide for itself in utter independence of God. This is the root cause of the misery of which the earth is full. It is the beginning of good things when a man's pride and self-will become broken down, and he turns to God in humble penitence, pleading for salvation the Saviour's worthy name and His atoning blood. Such faith is blessed immediately, and for ever. But this step, supremely important though it be, is only an initial one. It is the introduction into a life of faith, every step of which should be marked by simple confidence in God. Let Him delay to answer prayer, if it so please Him, still faith perseveres, knowing assuredly that infinite power and love will never suffer a single trusting soul to be overwhelmed. "Weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning" (Ps. 30: 5).

The Pharisee and the Publican.

This was a shaft levelled at the self-righteousness, not only of our Lord's day, but of every other day also. Two men are represented as going up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican (Luke 18: 9-14). If men are real anywhere, surely it is in the presence of God. It is reasonable to suppose that there, if anywhere, men will weigh their words, and speak as their hearts really feel. But what have we here? A man parading his merits in the Divine presence! "God, I thank Thee that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican. I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess." Not one word of thanksgiving or adoration for what God is in His gracious attitude towards men; every word was about himself and his own fancied perfections. What a spectacle is here! A man in the presence of the Giver of all good, yet no favour besought; in the presence of the Judge of quick and dead, and the Searcher of all hearts, yet no sin acknowledged. He asks nothing and confesses nothing.

Surely a terrible possibility is suggested to us in this parable. A man's religion may be his ruin. His very strictness of life may land him in perdition. Why? Because the religious man is apt to pride himself in his religiousness, and the moral man in his morality, and so become utterly blinded to the fact of his real sinnership before a holy God. Rom. 9: 30-Rom. 10: 4 may well be pondered in this connection. The apostle groaned over his religious fellow countrymen because they were seeking righteousness on the principle of works, whereas righteousness for man is only found through faith in Christ. Paul pursued the same false line himself until stopped in his career by the revelation of the glorified Christ (Phil. 3: 4-9).

The publican took wholly different ground before God. He belonged to that corrupt and hated class who collected the Roman taxes, thus helping forward the oppression of his suffering people. But he was now in the presence of God, and he felt deeply the sacredness of the place, and his own unfitness for it." The publican, standing afar off. would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote his breast, saying, 'God be propitious to me the sinner.' "He might well smite upon his breast, for the heart is the spring of all evil. Man since the fall has been corrupt root and branch. The publican thought not of the Pharisee whether he was better or worse than himself; his own personal evil overwhelmed him as he sought to measure it in the light of God. "Be propitious to me" (for so the verse should read) was his penitent cry.

The Lord of all declared: "I tell you, this man went down to his house justified, rather than the other. "That is to say, the publican went home justified, and the Pharisee did not. This is the very opposite of all human thoughts. Weighed in human balances, the religious and benevolent Pharisee should have received the blessing, and the corrupt publican should have been driven away. But it is never so with God. This is a clear case of the kind described in Rom. 4: 5-6 of righteousness imputed apart from works. But on what equitable principle is God able to deal thus with the guilty? Let us note it carefully and reverently, it is the blood of Jesus (Rom. 3: 24, 25; Rom. 5: 9)

The Pounds.

This parable, while similar in some respects to that of the Talents (Matt. 25: 14-30), seems nevertheless to be a distinct utterance. The Lord was approaching Jerusalem for the last time, and the hopes of His disciples ran high. Their thought was that now would be established the glorious kingdom of which prophets and psalmists have spoken for ages. The moral necessity of the cross had not yet become clear to them. They did not yet understand that man's sin required the Saviour to accept the cross at His first coming, and to wait for the Kingdom until His second coming. So the parable of the Pounds was given, in which the Lord likens Himself to a nobleman going away to a far country to receive for Himself a Kingdom, and to return, entrusting His servants with responsibilities meanwhile (Luke 19: 11-27)

In the interpretation the servants are those who "profess and call themselves Christians"; the citizens, who sent the insulting message, "We will not have this man to reign over us," are the Jewish people. At the return of the Lord Jesus, two things will take place; the judgement of His adversaries, and the reward of His servants. In the parable of the talents, the trusts varied according to ability; in the Parable of the Pounds, each man received alike. Divine sovereignty is the point in the one; human responsibility in the other.

The first man called was able to say, "Lord Thy pound hath gained ten pounds." Diligence had marked his conduct in relation to his Master's trust. Warmly did his Master commend him as a good servant saying, "Have thou authority over ten cities." What a Lord is ours! Such a recompense for fidelity in so small a matter. For diligence with this petty sum he was assigned rule over ten cities in the Millennial Kingdom. No Lord is so easily pleased as the Christ of God, and none rewards so amply, devoted service to His Name. The second man's account showed five pounds. To him was granted rule over five cities. He whom we serve notices both the quantity and the quality of what is done for Him (Luke 19: 15; 1 Cor 3: 13) Thus Romans 16: 12 tells us of Tryphena and Tryphosa, who laboured in the Lord, and of the beloved Persis, who laboured "much" in the Lord. In like manner, Neh. 3 tells us of many who helped in the rebuilding of the walls of Jerusalem. but distinguishes some as working "earnestly. The "much" and the "earnestly" should be pondered by all who would be well-pleasing to the absent Christ.

There is, alas! a dark side to this parable. One man returned his pound to the Lord wrapped up in a napkin. In order to excuse his utter indifference to the claims of his absent Master, he slandered His character thus: "I feared Thee, because Thou art an austere man: Thou takest up that Thou layedst not down, and reapest that Thou didst not sow.” This wicked servant represents Christendom's merely nominal professors, who never dream of using their powers and possessions for Him whose name they bear. All such will find themselves utterly rejected in the great day; their judgement being richly deserved if only for their miserable perversion of the character of Him who is infinitely gracious and good. Has He not shed His blood for the Perishing thereby rendering salvation available for all, apart from works or price: and what does He ask from any but the simple fervent service that naturally flows from appreciation of His marvellous Love and grace?

The Fig-Tree and all the Trees.

The fig-tree is the well-known Scripture emblem representing the nation of Israel, "all the trees," in the parable now before us, represent accordingly the various nations which have to do with Israel (Luke 21: 29-31).

The Lord was giving utterance to His great Olivet prophecy. His sorrowful words about the temple being laid in ruins had drawn forth a series of questions from His surprised disciples. In His reply He spoke not only of the impending desolation by the Romans under Titus (which is the prominent feature in Luke's account), hut also of Israel's last bitter sorrow when the Antichrist is in power in Jerusalem. Concerning the latter, reference must be made to Matthew and Mark for full particulars. In all three Gospels it is made abundantly clear that deliverance will be brought in by the appearing of the Son of man in the clouds of heaven.

Our parable runs thus: "Behold the fig-tree, and all the trees; when they now shoot forth, ye see and know of your own selves that summer is now nigh at hand. So likewise ye, when ye see these things come to pass, know ye that the Kingdom of God is nigh at hand. "We are thus entitled to expect signs of life to manifest themselves in Israel and in the nations with which she has special dealings before the Saviour's coming to earth to inaugurate the visible kingdom of God. This is suggestive that that great event is near, for it is indisputable that remarkable movements are proceeding amongst the people in question. The Zionist Congresses have revived the national spirit of Israel in a marvellous degree; the past few years have witnessed similar revivals of the national spirit in Greece, Italy, Egypt, and other powers, who have their respective parts to play in the stirring events that will wind up the present age. More extensive developments will yet be witnessed. Edom, Moab, Ammon, etc., long lost to view as nations, are destined to re-assert themselves and fall into position for the last great tragedy, if Scripture is to be credited. The Eastern Question, so often discussed, is in reality the Israel Question. Its centre is not Constantinople but Jerusalem. This political problem, so long the vexation of statesmen, will not be settled until the Son of man comes forth from heaven, and takes the affairs of earth in hand as the only rightful King of kings and Lord of lords. Then Israel's tribes will be re-established in the land of their fathers, and their foes and His will be put down for ever. The world's summer-time is indeed at hand, but desolating judgement storms must needs spend their force ere it can be brought in.

Meanwhile, believers in the Lord Jesus have an even more glorious expectation. For them the Saviour has promised to descend into the air with a shout, calling them home. In that moment of moments every sleeping believer will be raised from the tomb, and every living believer will be changed, and so be caught up to be for ever with the Lord. The precious atoning blood entitles them to this, who otherwise had no hope and no claim, and no due but eternal woe. The removal of the whole Christian host will doubtless come as a tremendous shock to the world; but this must be ere the world's last fearful tragedy begins.

"I only am left."

"I only am left."

W. W. Fereday.

(Extracted from Truth for the Last Days, Vol. 2, 1901, page 37.)

It does not bespeak a very good condition of soul when Elijah made his petulant complaint against Israel thus; "I have been very jealous for the Lord God of Hosts; for the children of Israel have forsaken Thy covenant, thrown down thine altars, and slain thy prophets with the sword; and I, even I only, am left, and they seek my life to take it away" (1 Kings 19: 10).

In the main, Elijah furnishes us with a fine example of faithful testimony for God in an evil day. In the midst of widespread apostasy he stood out boldly for Jehovah, caring little whether he was supported by many or by few. None would question that he had been truly jealous for the honour of Jehovah, and that he had earnestly sought to uphold it in the face of all opposition. But at the time that he made his complaint at Horeb he had become unduly occupied with himself and his testimony, and had come to regard himself as the sole pivot on which everything turned. For the moment God had been displaced by Elijah in his soul's vision. Elijah seemed to be the great indispensable factor, and his life was in danger; what would become of the testimony then? To his mind it appeared that all true testimony for God was at an end in Israel, and that Satan had become absolute master of the situation.

How painfully self-assertive are these poor hearts of ours! The best and truest of the servants of God are not proof against the snare. True it is that He can sustain a lonely man, and make him a power for testimony in a dark scene, as in Abraham's case; "I called him alone, and blessed him, and increased him" (Isa. 51: 2). It is equally true that he can so strengthen the feeble one that he may become as David (Zech. 12: 8); but let not the witness regard himself as indispensable, or disaster will immediately result. Communities are as liable to fall into this error as individual witnesses. If a company of saints, few or many, seek diligently to recover for practical use principles of truth that have lapsed, their zeal and obedience will unquestionably turn to a testimony, and God may be relied upon to be with them for their sustainment and blessing. But let them get occupied with themselves as witnesses, let their testimony to others become more important in their eyes than their own spiritual condition; and God will no longer support them, but give them over to disaster and shame. Has not the truth of this been made painfully apparent to many of us?

Elijah's occupation with himself led him to entertain highly improper feelings towards the erring people of God around him, "Wot ye not what the Scripture saith of Elias? how he maketh intercession to God against Israel" etc. (Rom. 11: 2). Intercession against Israel! Speaking well of himself and ill of God's people! Is this the true part of God's witness? In speaking thus was he faithfully expressing the feelings of that heart which bears long with His people, and, in spite of all their waywardness and sin, never gives them up? Moses spake very differently; it is most refreshing to listen to his touching intercession to God for Israel after their worship of the golden calf (Ex. 32, 33.) Though he felt strongly the affront to Jehovah, yet in His presence not a single ill word escaped his lips concerning them. On the contrary, he persisted in reminding Jehovah that they were His people notwithstanding their grave sin, and that the honour of His great name was bound up with their blessing. Rather than they should be overthrown he was willing that God should blot him out of the book that He had written.

Let us note this principle well, for it is greatly needed in this day. Self-inflation, occupation with our own faithfulness in testimony, breeds censorious feelings in our hearts toward the people of God around us, and puts us quite out of the place of intercession with God for them. Need we be surprised, also, if our improper airs draw forth from others the sarcastic remark, "No doubt but ye are the people, and wisdom shall die with you" (Job 12: 2).

In Elijah's case his complaint had quite different results from what he anticipated. We may pass by at this time the lessons taught him by the wind, the earthquake, the fire, and the still small voice, and dwell a little on the actual words of Jehovah to him. "And the Lord said unto him, Go, return on thy way to the wilderness of Damascus, and when thou comest anoint Hazael to be king over Syria; and Jehu, the son of Nimshi, shalt thou anoint to be king over Israel; and Elisha, the son of Shaphat of Abel-meholah, shalt thou anoint to be prophet in thy room. And it shall come to pass that him that escapeth the sword of Hazael shall Jehu slay; and him that escapeth from the sword of Jehu shall Elisha slay, yet I have left Me seven thousand in Israel, all the knees which have not bowed unto Baal, and every mouth which hath not kissed him" (1 Kings 19: 15-18). Did He wish the people of God to be chastised for their sin? He Himself should anoint the executors of God's judgment — painful work surely for one who really loved the people. Did he consider himself indispensable as a witness? Then he must go and anoint his successor — Elisha the son of Shaphat. Did he regard himself as the only faithful man left in the land? Then he must learn his mistake in the startling announcement that Jehovah had still 7000 loyal hearts among Israel's tribes.

Serious lessons these, happy for us if we learn them thoroughly. To magnify our own importance in testimony is to be set aside as witnesses altogether, that others may take our place. Has not this happened, to our deep sorrow? Have not some of us been accustomed to hear many saying, "We are in the place of testimony, we are Philadelphia, and nearly all else is Laodicea," with the painful result that when we look around for the special operation of God's Spirit, we observe it not amongst those who speak thus approvingly of themselves, but amongst others possessing far less spiritual light and knowledge of the letter of God's Word. It is the inevitable result of allowing ourselves to displace God in our minds and hearts. "He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.

For not he that commendeth himself is approved, but whom the Lord commendeth" (2 Cor. 10: 17-18).

What comfort that even in the darkest hour God has this true-hearted 7000! If they do not come out so boldly in public separation from evil as we would desire, it is nevertheless joy to us to know that they sigh and groan over the sins of the times, and seek to keep their affections right towards their Lord and ours. "Thou hast a few names in Sardis which have not defiled their garments; and they shall walk with me in white, for they are worthy" (Rev. 3: 10).

Characteristics of Anti-Christ in the words of Scripture

Characteristics of Anti-Christ in the words of Scripture.

W. W. Fereday.

1. His moral characteristics are these.

Isaiah 14: 14 . . He shall say in his heart, I will be like the Most High.

Dan. 8: 25 . . He shall stand up against the Prince of princes.

Dan. 11: 36 . . He shall exalt himself above every god.

2 Thess. 2: 4 . . He shall exalt himself " above all that is called God."

2 Thess. 2: 4 . He shall show himself that he is God.

1 John 2: 22 . . He shall deny both the Father and the Son.

Rev. 13: 6 . . He shall open his mouth in blasphemy against God.

Rev. 17: 3 . . He shall be full of names of blasphemy.

2. The extent of his power.

Isaiah 14: 16 . . He shall make the earth to tremble, and shall shake kingdoms.

Isaiah 14: 17 . . He shall make the world as a wilderness.

Dan. 7: 25 . . Times and laws shall be given into his hand.

Dan. 8: 9 . . He shall wax exceeding great.

Dan. 8: 24 . . His power shall be mighty. . . . He shall destroy wonderfully.

Dan. 11: 36 . . He shall do according to his will

Dan. 11: 40 . . He shall enter into the countries and overflow.

Dan. 11: 42 . He shall stretch forth his hand upon the countries.

2 Thess. 2: 9 . . His coming shall be with all power.

Rev. 13: 7 . . Power shall be given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations.

Rev. 17: 13 . . The ten kings shall give their strength and power unto him.

3. His power will be supported by miracles.

2 Thess. 2: 9 . . His coming shall be after the working of Satan, with all power, and signs, and lying wonders.

Rev. 13: 12 . . He that ministereth in his presence shall do great wonders, so that he shall make fire come down from heaven on the earth, in the sight of men, and shall deceive them that dwell upon the earth by means of these miracles which he shall have power to do.

Rev. 13: 15 . . He shall have power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed.

4. His reception on the earth

Rev 13: 8 . . All that dwell upon the earth shall worship him whose names are not written in the Lamb's book of life.

Rev. 13: 15 . . Whosoever will not worship the image of the beast shall be killed

Rev. 17: 8 . All whose names are not written in the book of life shall wonder.

John 5: 43 . . If another shall come in his own name, him ye will receive.

5. The place of his manifestation in blasphemy.

Isaiah 14: 13 . . He will sit on the mount of the congregation, on the sides of the north.

Dan. 8: 11 . . He will take away the daily sacrifice.

Dan. 11: 45 . . He will plant the tabernacles of his palace on the glorious holy mountain.

2 Thess. 2: 4 . . He will sit in the temple of God.

6. He is named-

Isaiah 14: 12 . . "Lucifer," as blasphemously assuming Christ's character of " the morning star."

Isaiah 14: 4 . . "The King of Babylon."

Isaiah 10: 5 . . "Asshur," or "Assyria," as being king over that country.

Dan. 7: 20 . . "The Horn that has eyes," as denoting intelligence and strength.

Isaiah 30: 33 . . "THE KING," for whom Tophet is prepared.

These are his principal names in the Old Testament, where he is always referred to in connection with the Jews. In the New Testament he is called, in contrast to the holiness which is the Church's character, the Man of Sin, or the Wicked One. In Isaiah also he is called the Wicked One-"By the breath of his lips He (the Lord) shall slay the Wicked One." Isaiah 11 (quoted in 2 Thess. 2) In John he is called "the Antichrist," in his special character of opposition to Christ. In the Revelation he is called the Beast, as denoting his moral estimate in the sight of Heaven.

7. He will be destroyed by no mere human agency.

Dan. 8: 25 . . He shall be broken without hand.

Isaiah 11: 4 . . . The Lord with the breath of his lips shall slay the wicked one.

2 Thess. 2: 8 . . The Lord shall consume him with the breath of his lips, and with the brightness of his coming

Rev. 19: 15, 20. When He cometh forth who shall tread the — wine-press of wrath, the Beast is taken, and cast alive into the lake of fire.

The following connections may also be found useful:

1. Between Daniel 8. and 9.

8: 25 . . . By peace he shall destroy many.

9: 27 . . . He (the Prince that shall come) shall confirm the covenant with many.

8: 11 . . . He shall take away the daily sacrifice.

9: 27 . . . He shall cause the sacrifice to cease.

8: 19 . . . He shall prosper in the latter end of the indignation.

9: 27 . . . . . . . . till that determined is poured on the desolator.

2. Between Dan. 8 and 11.

8: 9 . . . . He waxes great towards the pleasant land.

11: 41 He enters into the glorious land.

8: 17 At the time of the end shall be the vision.

9: 40, 41 . . . At the time of the end shall he enter.

8: 19, 24 . . . He prospers in the last end of the indignation.

11: 36 . . . . . He shall prosper till the indignation be accomplished.

Between Dan. 7 and 11.

7: 25 He shall speak great words against the Most High.

11: 36. . . . He shall speak marvellous things against the God of gods.

7: 25 He shall change times and laws.

11: 37, 38 . . . He shall not regard the God of his fathers, but honour another.

7: 22 He shall continue until the saints possess the kingdom.

11: 36 . . . . . he shall prosper till the indignation be accomplished.

Beginnings- Chapters on Genesis

Beginnings

— Chapters on Genesis

W W Fereday.

THE FIRST MAN.

THE FIRST FALSE WORSHIPPER.

THE FIRST MARTYR.

THE FIRST CITY.

THE FIRST PROPHET.

THE FIRST PREACHER.

THE FIRST PILGRIM.

THE FIRST PRIEST.

FOREWORD.

The Higher Critics (as a certain class of men ambitiously describe themselves) have made the book of Genesis of ill repute with unreflecting Bible readers. As the fruit of their evil work, the first book of Scripture is regarded by many as packed with fables and allegories, containing perhaps some spiritual lessons, but not to be taken seriously as a record of historical facts. Needless to say, where this unbelief prevails, the spiritual lessons are only perceived in the feeblest measure. The chapters now offered to the reader are based upon the conviction that Moses, when penning the book of Genesis, wrote by the inspiration of God, preserving for us the history of the first twenty-five centuries of the human family (where else can reliable history be found covering that long period?) and suggesting some of the great divine principles contained therein, which God would have His people understand. May this booklet yield profit and blessing to all those into whose hands it may come

THE FIRST MAN.

GENESIS, as its name implies, is the book of 'beginnings.' It not only furnishes us with God's account of the origin of the heavens and the earth, and of the various denizens of the latter, but it shows us the rise of all the principles which have developed themselves in the subsequent history of the human race. To reject the book of Genesis is to cut away from our feet the foundations of all true knowledge.

The title of this article would possibly evoke a smile from some of the sages of this hour. "The first man, who can know anything about him? Is he not lost in the dim mists of antiquity? To such queries the soul that fears God pays no heed. The divine Spirit in 1  Cor. 15: 45 speaks of "the first man Adam"; and in Gen. 1: 2 every needful particular is recorded concerning him. This is sufficient for faith. Prove a man before Adam, or another man alongside of him, and the whole structure of Holy Scripture falls to pieces like a house of cards. For Scripture is manifestly the history of two men, the first and the Second; the one who brought in all the mischief, and the One who has triumphed over it all, and so made eternal blessing secure for all who are associated with Him through grace.

Adam may be regarded in a twofold way: (l) as a creation of God; (2) as a type of the Second Man, the Lord Jesus. First, as

A CREATION OF GOD.

Gen. 1: 27 distinctly forbids the notion that man is an evolution from some lower order of being. Three times in this verse the Spirit uses the word "created," as if He would insist with all possible emphasis on the fact that he is a distinct and independent creation of God. Not on the first day, but on the last was the man brought into being. His home was fully furnished before he was formed to occupy and govern it. When the moment came for man to be brought forward, the divine procedure was altogether different from that of the previous days. "God said Let Us make man in Our image, after Our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth" (Gen. 1: 26). Fishes, bird's, and cattle all sprang out of the waters and out of the earth at the divine fiat; but not man. A divine consultation is suggested in the words, " Let Us make man." The gravity and majesty of this utterance command our reverent attention.

What are we to understand by the words, "image"  and "likeness"? Certainly neither term has reference to man's physical frame. Putting it briefly, "image "! represents; "likeness " resembles. An image is not necessarily like the thing or person it is intended to represent. The coin that was shown to the Lord Jesus in Matt. 22:20 may not have borne a "likeness" of Caesar but it certainly bore an "image" of him. As made in the "image" of God, man is set in this world to represent Him to the lower creatures in rule and blessing; this term has thus to do with man's position. "Likeness" has reference to his moral being, as one capable of entering into relationships and bearing responsibilities. Neither God's "image" nor "likeness" has been lost by the fall (Gen. 9: 6; James 3: 9) It is because of  God's image in man that the sin of murder is so serious. To kill one who represents God is high treason against Him whom he represents.

"SPIRIT AND SOUL AND BODY."

Two steps in the creation of man are noted in Gen. 2: 7. "The Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul." The body was thus formed first, but this passage teaches distinctly that life does not inhere therein. Something else was necessary ere there could be vitality. This reminds us of our Lord's words to His disciples in Matt. 10: 28: "Fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul." Man's constitution is described in 1 Thess. 5: 23 — "spirit and soul and body." Note the order (so often quoted by Christians in the opposite way), for God always begins with what is highest. (Compare Ex. 25, etc.; Lev. 1, etc.). The spirit is the seat of the will and of the intelligence (1 Cor. 2: 11); the soul of the passions and emotions (though the word is often used in the sense of mere personality, as in Ezek. 18: 4; 1 Peter 3: 20), the body is the outer vessel by means of which the spirit and soul manifest themselves.

Unlike the Second Man, who in His wondrous grace was born a Babe, and "increased in wisdom and stature" (Luke 2: 52), Adam came forth from the divine hand full of vigour from the moment that he first drew breath. He was, moreover, no savage having to work his way upward by painful stages; he was endowed with understanding from the beginning, able to receive and comprehend communications from his Creator (Gen. 1: 28), capable also of giving names intelligently to all the lower orders (Gen. 2: 19-20). The savagery subsequently observable in the greater part of the human family came in through sin, and especially as the fruit of idolatry. Rom. 1: 18-32 shows this clearly.

Many people have a vague kind of notion that Adam, had he never sinned, would have lived here a number of years, and then have gone to heaven. The opposite is nearer the truth. Adam was created for the earth, and should have remained here, working the will of God, and enjoying His beneficence. Sin has caused the forfeiture of the earth, but the infinite grace of God (which never knows defeat) has planned a better thing for sinners who believe, even eternal bliss with Christ in heaven above.

Let us now consider Adam as

A TYPE OF THE SECOND MAN the Lord Jesus. Our authority for doing so will be found in Rom. 5: 14. In 1 Cor. 15. the Lord Jesus is called both "the Second Man" and "the last Adam." As the former, He supersedes the first man, glorifying God where he so miserably failed; as the latter, He sums up in His own blessed person the whole divine thought for man, so that there can be nothing to follow Him, for there is no advance on Christ. As the "Last Adam," He is, moreover, a quickening Spirit, imparting life to others, in contrast with the first man Adam, who was simply what God made him — a living soul.

Adam typifies Christ in his various headships. Take first his headship of creation. The fish of the sea, the fowl of the air, and every living thing that moveth upon the earth was placed under his hands. In the grant of power to Nebuchadnezzar at a later date, men were added, but the sea was omitted (Dan. 2: 37, 38). An immensely wider dominion is reserved for the Second Man. God's purpose is to "put all things under His feet," and to set Him at the head of all glory, both above and below. Adam's headship of creation was manifested before Eve came upon the scene. The Lord God brought every beast and fowl  before Adam to see what he would call them, "and whatsoever Adam called every living creature, that was the name thereof." Giving names is an expression of lordship. We see this in Pharaoh with Joseph, in Nebuchadnezzar with Daniel and his three friends, and in the Lord Jesus with Simon. Christ's headship of creation, though to be shared with the Church, is a thing above and apart from any such relationship. His headship flows from the mighty fact that "by Him were all things created" (Col. 1: 16) . Aaron, as typically representing Him!, was anointed, and the tabernacle and its vessels with him, before his sons received the sacred oil (Lev. 8: 10-12) .

Adam is also a type of Christ as head of a race. "In Adam" and "in Christ" describe the two families in Holy Scripture. In each case all share the position of their head. Adam was not the father of a family until after his disobedience; and his whole progeny stand with him under condemnation and death. Christ became head of a new and heavenly race in resurrection; all who are identified with Him stand eternally before God in His acceptance and blessing. Whatever God has made true of that blessed Man who, in contrast to Adam, became obedient unto death, is likewise true of all those whom grace has set "in Him." In the divine thought there has been a transfer from Adam to Christ; but are we in consciousness of it in our own souls?

A few words now as to Adam's headship of the woman. The very first type in the Bible shows us Christ and the Church. When the first man named every living creature he must have realised his own loneliness. Everything passed before him with its mate, "but for Adam, there was not found an helpmeet for him." Yet the Lord God had said: "It is not good that the man should be alone" How was this to be met? The woman was formed  "The Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept." Wonderful foreshadowing of the deeper sleep of death that was experienced by our blessed Lord.  "He took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof; and the rib, which the Lord God had taken from" man, made He a woman, and brought her unto the man. In like manner the Church is the direct fruit of the death of the Lord Jesus Christ. The first mention of His sufferings is in Matt. 16: 21, just after His wonderful words to Simon bar-Jona, "on this rock I will build My Church."

Mark, the bone was not taken from the man's head, nor from his feet, but from his side. The Creator's purpose was not to form for him one equal to him in every particular, still less was it His thought to create for him a slave. From his side the bone was taken, indicating the  place of the woman in relation to the man; ever by him as his companion and counselor, and the object of his love .

We may find a contrast to Christ in Gen. 2: 22. The Lord God presented Eve to Adam; in Eph. 5: 27 Christ presents the Church to Himself. Why is this? The answer is very simple — Christ is God.

THE FIRST FALSE WORSHIPPER

Genesis being, as we have said, the book of "beginnings," Cain and his brother must be regarded as representative characters. We have many amongst us corresponding to them to-day, if only we have eyes to recognise them. They are the Pharisee and the Publican of the Old Testament. Cain is the father of all those, who draw near to God on the ground of their own works; Abel is the parent of all who in faith approach Him on the ground of the death of another.

Let us look at Cain first. From our earliest infancy he has been held up to our minds as an object of infamy; indeed, as one of the wickedest men in earth's earliest ages. Presumably if many were asked why Cain is so generally regarded with abhorrence, they would reply, "Because he killed his brother." But Scripture puts the case somewhat differently. "Wherefore slew he him? Because his own works were evil, and his brother's righteous." There was thus something behind his murder of Abel, which God calls "evil." Examination will show that his sin against man was preceded by sin against God. This latter, alas, is commonly regarded very lightly.

We would not willingly do Cain an injustice. He was no wastrel. He "was a tiller of the ground" (Gen. 4.). To be a successful farmer a man must be at least industrious. Then Cain acknowledged God, unlike many in our day who give the Creator no place whatever in their scheme of life. Industrious and religious! Such a person would be considered a most desirable addition to many a modern church-membership. Yet the man is held up to our stern reprobation in several portions of Holy Scripture!

WHAT WAS WRONG WITH CAIN?

His supreme mistake lay in the character of the offering that he brought. "By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain" (Heb. 11: 4). Cain was of the school of Naaman who, although ultimately changed, said at the beginning, "Behold, I thought!" (2 Kings 5: 11). Men should not follow their own thoughts in the things of God; instead, they should, in all humility, seek to learn and follow His revealed will. "Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto Jehovah." It may be remarked by some that Jehovah Himself prescribed a handful of fine flour for a sin-offering in Lev 5: 1. But this was His merciful provision for poverty! The flour in this case (or a part of it) was burnt "upon the altar" "upon" not "according to," as in the Authorised Version) "the offerings made by fire" unto Jehovah. It was thus divinely connected with the sacrifices which spoke of death. Cain's offering savoured not of poverty, but of pride. There was in it no recognition of his fallen condition; no acknowledgement of sin and guilt; Cain approached his Creator as if all was right; when, indeed between man and God all is sadly wrong. The diligent toiler had produced "the fruit of the ground," and he judged God should be well-pleased to receive the tribute from his hands. It has frequently been said that man's religion is ever represented by the word "Do"; God's religion by the word "Done." Of Cain and his entire progeny it is true: "they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God" (Rom. 10: 3). A man's religion may be his undoing. Listen to the elder son of Luke 15: 29 as he parades his virtues in the father's ears: "Lo, these many years do I serve thee, neither transgressed I at any time thy commandment." Such a speech suggests no sense of guilt and need, and no knowledge of grace.

"THE WAY OF CAIN"

is pointed out in Jude 11 as one of Christendom's characteristic features at the end. It is the repudiation of the need of atonement; it is religion without blood. "Woe unto them," says the Spirit of God. God having sacrificed His Beloved Son for the salvation of sinners, will never tolerate men's slight of Him. When His long-suffering reaches its limit, He will arise in His might, and pour out the vials of His wrath upon all His foes. But the last great development of the Cain-principle, the Antichrist, will come upon the scene ere that day.

THE FIRST MARTYR.

ABEL was in every way a contrast to his brother . The one was a farmer; the other was a shepherd. It is an interesting question why was Abel a keeper of sheep? Animal food was not sanctioned until after the flood (Gen. 9: 3); "every herb bearing seed, and every tree in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding meat" was the food prescribed for man at his creation (Gen. 1: 29). Why, then, should Abel be a keeper of sheep, unless for the purpose of sacrifice?

But some will ask, how should Abel know that a lamb would be an acceptable offering in the eyes of God? Of this we may be assured, that whatever knowledge he possessed, his brother possessed also. "By faith Abel offered unto God a more acceptable sacrifice than Cain?" and faith is always based upon some revelation from God. We need not go far for this in Abel's case. Had not the Lord God spoken in the ears of his parents of the Seed of the woman who should bruise the serpent's head, Himself a sufferer in the performance of His mighty work? Had hot the Lord God also made coats of skins for Adam and his wife before expelling them from the garden for ever? (Gen. 3: 15-21). Is it too much to suppose that the parents instructed their lads concerning these great principles? Evidence is not lacking that Adam and his wife both welcomed the testimony of God into their hearts, Why, otherwise, should Adam call his wife's name Eve "because she was the mother of all living," when as a matter of fact, she was not the mother of anybody? Speaking of "life," at the moment of his expulsion — what was this but faith? Then observe Eve, when her firstborn came, "I have gotten a man from Jehovah." Is not this suggestive that the word in Gen. 3: 15 was ringing in her ears, and that in her heart she hoped her son was the promised deliverer? Doubtless she made a serious mistake as to the person and the time, but her words savour of faith nevertheless.

CAIN AND ABEL NOT IGNORANT.

We thus conclude that both Cain and Abel knew how God should be approached. Both had been instructed that, man being now a fallen creature, he could only have to do with God on the ground of death. But the one, like many another since, refused to take so humiliating a position; while the other accepted it in childlike faith.

Remark, it was a lamb that Abel brought — an animal the very symbol of meekness and submission (Isa. 53: 7). No wild beast could possibly typify Him whose deep delight it was to do the Father's will. Unlike his brother s fruits, Abel's offering did not in any way represent human effort; the lamb was of God's providing, which the worshipper appropriated in faith. It was a firstling also, reminding us of Him who is the firstborn among many brethren (Rom . 8: 29).

FAT, NOT BLOOD.

It is noticeable that the blood, of which so much was made in the sacrificial system of Israel at a later date, is not mentioned in connection with Abel's offering, nor indeed anywhere in the book of Genesis in connection with offerings to God. Not the blood, but the fat, is emphasised. The reason is this. It was a question, not so much of remission, as of acceptance. Not for some specific sin was the lamb brought, but as a means of approach to God. The fat represents the excellency Hence! he who had no excellency in himself, identified himself with a sacrifice which had. His sacrifice being "more excellent" than that of Cain, God accepted it, and Abel also, in virtue of it. God bore testimony to his gifts, and to himself also "that he was righteous" Not innocent, mark, but righteous. Abel "became heir of the righteousness which is by faith." "Righteous Abel." is his title in Matt. 23: 35.

This touching story furnishes us with

A TWOFOLD TYPE OF CHRIST.

The lamb upon the altar spoke to God of the sacrificial aspect of Calvary; Abel personally, in that which followed, typified Christ as the martyred witness for the truth. Cain developed into both murderer and liar, the two marks of Satan according to John 8: 44. Sin against God in the matter of the offering soon led to sin against his neighbour. Nothing so arouses men's hatred' as to have their religion impeached. For this reason Moses insisted with Pharaoh that Israel must put three days' journey between themselves and Egypt before they could offer sacrifice unto Jehovah (Ex. 8: 26).

Let it be distinctly noted that Abel was murdered in the interests of religion. His was the first of the religious murders with which earth's history has been stained, and nowhere does the stain lie deeper than in Christendom. Some of God's best wheat has been destroyed in this way (Matt. 13: 29).

If Abel typifies Christ as the slain witness, Cain represents the Jews who slew Him; though not the Jews only, for all the world was involved in the fearful crime (Acts 4: 27). But Cain was not to be destroyed, accordingly "Jehovah set a mark upon Cain, lest any finding him should kill him" (Gen. 4: 15). In like manner, the Jew is being preserved by God with a view to another and a better age. He is pleased to regard him as a manslayer rather than as a murderer (Num. 35.). The history of the Jew being the history of man, when the former is once more owned of God, universal blessing will be brought in.

We are told in Heb. 11: 4 that Abel, though dead, by his sacrifice "yet speaketh." It is God's abiding testimony that men may only approach Him on the ground of death. Never were men less disposed to heed the testimony than in our day. The way of Cain is loved, followed, and preached, to the eternal ruin of the soul.

THE FIRST CITY.

From a garden to a city was a great stride; indeed it marked a revolution in human affairs. It is surely significant that this development took place in connection with the line of Cain. The steps which led up to it are of the deepest interest. They are recorded in Gen. 4.

When Cain departed from the presence of the Lord after the murder of Abel his brother, he fixed his home in the land of Nod, on the east of Eden. Nod meant "vagabond," and it exactly described Cain's new circumstances. He is the standing type of Israel (but not of Israel only) — responsible before God for the blood of the Lord Jesus; and, in consequence, fugitives and vagabonds in a scene which otherwise would be filled with blessing for them. In his place of banishment Cain begat a son, to whom he gave the name of Enoch, which means "dedicated.'' What was intended by this soon became apparent, for the father presently built a city, and called it after his son. Enoch was thus dedicated to the worlds with his name stamped indelibly upon this doomed scene by his father's building operations. Turning over just one page of our Bible we meet with another Enoch, this time in the line of Seth, and of him we read, "he was not; for God took him" (Gen. 5: 24). The one man was thus dedicated to the world, and the other to God. The latter suitably has heaven as his abiding portion.

Immediately after the notice of the world's first city we have recorded the rise of

MEN'S VARIED INDUSTRIES.

Jabal was the father of such as dwell in tents and keep cattle; Jubal of those who handle the harp and organ, and Tubal-cain was the first worker in brass and iron. It would seem as if Cain's family, having lost God, would now get the utmost out of the present world. The city Enoch thus soon resounded with the strains of music, and with the industrious clang of the smith. Comforts and accomplishments gave character to it. It became, as men would say, the centre of light and learning; and the great commercial depot of the human family. But God had no place there; it was a city of which he was not the builder and maker.

Not only did business and pleasure mark Cain's family and city,

FAR GRAVER THINGS

soon manifested themselves. Thus we have Lamech taking to himself two wives, then, we hear him telling them in poetic language how he had slain someone. Corruption and violence — the two well-known forms of human evil (Gen. 6: 11) .

The whole story of man's cities is told out in theses brief sketches from the pen of the Spirit of God. Vast concentrations of men, whatever the conveniences and! comforts connected with them, are necessarily sinks of all evil, man being a fallen creature. The excellent and the noble that earth's cities contain are hopelessly overshadowed by the appalling evil which gives character to the whole. All the streams of human iniquity meet in one foul pool in the city of man's designing, and the larger the city the fouler the pool.

The old Mosaic record in Gen. 4. is of the greatest possible value as showing us the beginning of "the world" as we now know it. Its religious, social and commercial history are all foreshadowed in the few incidents divinely written in this chapter. It is no marvel that the apostle tells us: "All that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world" (1 John 2: 16.)

Yet God has from the outset entertained the thought of

A CITY FOR MAN.

Out of harmony with the course of things in Adam's world, Abraham, and others looked for the city which hath foundations, of which the architect and builder is God. Not here, but above, is that city found, — "the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem" (Heb. 11: to Heb. 12: 12). There holiness and! peace prevail; there too will be realised that fellowship which a city may suggest — all the fruit of redeeming love. To that sacred centre God will shortly bring the willing feet of all His beloved people. Earth's cities. with all their monuments of human pride, will come to nought when God arises to" shake terribly the earth"; God's city will abide for ever. Happy the man who has part therein!

Cain's line breaks off abruptly with Tubal-cain. This name means "flowing from Cain." Seven generations having run their course we thus come upon another Cain. The Spirit of God adds no more; a certain moral stamp marks the whole of that evil line.

Gen. 4. closes with another son born to Adam. His wife called his name Seth ("appointed"), saying, "God hath appointed me another seed instead of Abel, whom Cain slew." Seth thus took the place of the dead one, and so becomes the type of Christ risen. In Him all blessing is centred for those who believe in His name, and in Him a new resurrection world of light and love is opened up for those whom grace calls and separates from man's doomed scene. May we in spirit live and move there even while walking here.

THE FIRST PROPHET.

Genesis 5 is one of the most solemn chapters in Holy Scripture. It is a chapter of death. Eight times over we read of one and another that "he died." The wreck of all things here as the fruit of sin is thus brought vividly before us. Remarkably, right in the middle of this dismal catalogue of dying men, we read of one who did not die. "He was not; for God took him."

The man thus signalised by God's grace was Enoch —  the first prophet. A few words as to this term, so often misunderstood. The common notion is that a prophet was a foreteller of things to come. But this will not do. Many passages in which the word "prophet" is found are altogether inexplicable upon this principle. Concerning Abraham, Jehovah said to Abimelech: "He is a prophet" (Gen. 20: 7); the same is said of all the patriarchs in Ps. 105: 15. Yet it was not given to them (generally speaking) to foretell the future. When Moses demurred with Jehovah about going before Pharaoh, he was told, " Aaron thy brother shall be thy prophet"; and again, "he shall be thy spokesman unto the people" (Ex. 4: 16; 7: 1). Here we get the divine thought. The prophet was God's spokesman to the people; he was rather a "forthteller" than a "foreteller." This exactly explains the words of the woman of Samaria to the Lord Jesus:" Sir, I perceive that Thou art a prophet" (John 4: 19). He had so manifestly spoken to her from God, and had so laid bare her heart that she could not but say this to the Saviour. But while a prophet was thus not necessarily a herald of coming events, we shall find that Enoch did speak of things which have not had their complete fulfilment to this hour.

There are three things told us concerning Enoch in as many passages of Scripture. In Gen. 5: 22, 24 we have his walk; in Jude 14, 15 his testimony; and in Heb. 11: 5 his translation.

Let us consider first  HIS WALK.

It is described thus: "Enoch walked with God," and this is twice repeated. To walk with God a man must be born of God, for flesh is absolutely incapable of entering into that which is divine. Nothing could be more decisive than the language of Rom. 8: 7, 8: "the mind of the flesh is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God." Never was Satan more opposed to this humbling truth than at the present hour. In one way or another men's minds are filled with the thought that there is some good thing in flesh. Scripture speaks otherwise. To so religious a person as Nicodemus the Son of God emphatically declared that a man can neither see nor enter into the Kingdom of God apart from new birth by water and the Spirit (John 3).

There seems to be a suggestion in Gen. 5: 22 that the dawn of the new life in Enoch synchronised with the birth of his son Methuselah. One can easily understand how this might be. Births and deaths are alike solemn family events, capable of being used by the Spirit of God to direct the heart to things eternal. Accordingly we read: "Enoch lived sixty and five years, and begat Methuselah; and Enoch walked with God after he begat Methuselah three hundred years and begat sons and daughters" (Gen. 5: 21, 22).

To "walk with" implies companionship. If you saw me going down the street in conversation with anyone, the suggestion would be that I appreciate his society. God values this in His people more than anything else. It was here that Mary shone in our Lord's day. It was not that He did not prize the hearty service of Martha; He most certainly did; but He prized yet more Mary's, delight in sitting at His feet listening to His word. Enoch is the first man of whom it is distinctly recorded that "he pleased God." While others were occupied with making for themselves a name and a place here, building their city and perfecting their crafts, "Enoch walked with God." The presence of God and communion with Him. was more to his heart than anything a sin-cursed earth could give. How is it with us? We should know God better than Enoch. The Only-begotten Son having come into the world, and returned into His glory after accomplishing redemption, God is now fully revealed. The Father's name is declared. Our privileges are immensely beyond anything that could be known by Enoch. But are our hearts as responsive as his?

Walk," moreover, means progress. He who sets out to walk in any given direction terminates his journey at some point in advance of that from which he started. What progress are we making in our souls? Some of us have had the knowledge of God many years, but what advance have we made therein? "I long to make spiritual progress," says one; " how can I do so? "What do you read, dear exercised soul? This is a reading age, everyone does something in the reading line. But with what do we fill our minds? The literature to which we devote ourselves forms us in a considerable degree. What kind of story do our book-cases or magazine-racks tell? The profitless, if not positively pernicious, stuff with which some believers feed their minds is sufficient of itself to explain the lack of progress which so many deplore.

Then how do we spend our leisure? It was once remarked: "Tell me how you spend your holiday, and I'll tell you the kind of Christian you are." Is our vacation time a season when we devote more time to things eternal than is possible in the ordinary rush of life, or is it instead a season when we neglect more than usually prayer and meditation upon the Word, and the privileges of Christian fellowship? Is it a season when we put the flesh and its desires altogether in the forefront of our arrangements? Let us consider these suggestions; they may help us to see why our progress in the things of God is so feeble.

Enoch "before his translation had this testimony, that he pleased God" (Heb. 11: 5). And why should not we be equally sensible of the divine approval? "Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence toward God" (1 John 3: 21). How many of us are going about with a condemning heart?

The man who walked with God had a testimony committed to him. We find it in Jude 14, 15: "Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of His saints, to execute judgement upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against Him." The man who values communion with God is sure to have His mind revealed to him, for God loves to communicate His thoughts to His own.

ENOCH'S PROPHECY,

though it had a partial fulfilment in the flood, looks on to the day of the Lord. Indeed, all prophecy converges on that day. It would be a mistake to read any prophecy and endeavour to find an exhaustive accomplishment in events that have already taken place.

It is important to observe the use made of Enoch's utterance by the Spirit of God in Jude. He does not apply it to the world, but to the professing Church. This short epistle has for its theme the introduction, development, and judgement of evil in Christendom. "The ungodly amongst them" means wicked men amongst Christians. How many in our day, in pulpit and press, are saying "hard" speeches against Him! "The essential Deity and spotless humanity of the Saviour treated as matters to be trifled with, His every miracle denied, and His veracity impeached! When divine long-suffering reaches its limit, the stroke of God will fall unsparingly upon these appalling evils.

The witness was himself affected by his testimony His soul felt the weight of it. Accordingly he named his son Methuselah, which means "After he is dead it shall be sent." Are our souls influenced' by the testimony that we bear in this day? We speak oftentimes of the impending doom of the world; and also of the spueing out of the professing Church, but are our lives really affected by what we say? Holy separation from every form of evil, and godly sobriety, would surely characterise us were it really so.

The long-suffering of God seemed to respond to Enoch's faith in the naming of his son. The judgement of the ungodly was indeed held back until Methuselah was gone, yet his life was lengthened out beyond that of any other man who has ever trod the earth. What a God is ours!

A few words now as to

ENOCH'S TRANSLATION.

"By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was not found, because God had translated him" (Heb. 11: 5). "He was not; for God took him," (Gen. 5: 24). We cannot forbear contrasting his lot with that of Noah, another herald of the coming judgement. The latter was not removed from the scene, but was mercifully preserved through the ordeal, and then established in the purified earth; Enoch was taken away before the judgement fell. Noah represents the pious remnant of Judah in the last days; Enoch represents those who in this day believe in the Lord Jesus. Our proper hope is translation. Oh the blessedness of such a prospect! Not death, but to be caught up to meet the Lord in the air is our true expectation. In 1 Thess. 4. the analogy between ourselves and Enoch is strikingly presented; 5: 17 reminds us of the first part of Heb. 11: 5, ver. 1 links itself up with the second part of Heb. 11: 5. We shall be translated presently; let us seek to be transformed in our lives while we await so glorious a consummation.

THE FIRST PREACHER.

The most natural calling in the world is that of the farmer; the most unnatural is that of the preacher. Had men continued in innocency the ground must needs have been tilled (Gen. 2: 15), but had sin not intruded itself the admonitions of the preacher would never have been required. At the head of the long line of preachers who have testified amongst men stands Noah; he is the first man to whom this title is expressly given by the Spirit of God (2 Peter 2: 5).

The word "preacher" means "herald." Sometimes it is the privilege of God's servants to proclaim blessed things to men. Witness Paul's precious testimony as described by himself in 1 Tim. 2: 3. On the other hand God's preachers are sometimes charged with a heavy burden. Jonah in Nineveh and Noah amongst the antediluvians, are examples of this. The first is evangelising i.e., making known glad tidings. An interesting distinction in this connection may be found in the different Greek words employed in 1 Peter 3: 19; 1 Peter 4: 6.

Let us notice

THE CONDITION OF THINGS

in the days of the world's first preacher. He was born 1,056 years after the creation of Adam. During the long period men were possessed of no Bible, and there was no magistrate to call them to account. It was emphatically the age of conscience. But what state of things did this develop? Read Gen. 6: 5, 6: "God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And it repented the Lord that He had made man on the earth, and it grieved Him at His heart.' Such was the condition of the antediluvian world. Have things improved since that era? Hear what David said nearly l,500 years after the flood: "the Lord looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there were any that did understand, and seek God. They are all gone aside, they are altogether become filthy; there is none that doeth good, no, not one" (Ps. 14: 2-3) . No improvement is suggested in such language as this. And how does the world stand to-day? The world is now responsible before God for the murder of His Son, and lies under His judgement accordingly (John 12: 31). Awful position! How soon the divine stroke may fall is known to none but God.

Observe next, the moment in which Noah rendered his testimony. There is some analogy between that moment and the present. The Lord Himself pointed this out in Luke 17: 26, 27: "as it was in the days of Noe, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of Man. They did eat, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, and the flood came, and destroyed them all." Noah thus lived at the close of a dispensation, when the thunderclouds of divine judgement were gathering up on every hand. Our lot also has been cast at the close of a dispensation, and once more the judgement of God is preparing for an evil world. Men are as careless and indifferent now as they were in the days of long ago.

Let us glance briefly at

THE PREACHER HIMSELF.

It is written: "Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord." This comes before the statement, "Noah walked with God" (Gen. 6: 8, 9). This is ever God's order. No man can walk with God until he has tasted the grace of God. " Noah was a just man, and perfect in his generations." "Perfect" does not mean "sinless", his sad failure after he came out of the ark being sufficient proof (Gen. 9: 21); but (as the margin suggests) Noah was an upright man, seeking to walk before God in integrity.

The message of Noah resembled that of John the Baptist rather than that of Paul. Not grace, but righteousness, characterised it. Of Noah it is written that he was "a preacher of righteousness" (2 Peter 2: 5), and of the Baptist the Saviour said, "John came unto you in the way of righteousness" (Matt. 21: 32). Judgement was coming. and it was Noah's solemn business to announce it, if haply men would turn to God in repentance. Alas, he was met everywhere with disobedience while the long-suffering of God waited (1 Peter 3: 20).

A few words now concerning

THE PREACHER'S SALVATION.

It was wholly of God. He devised the ark, and furnished Noah with its specifications. The storm might rage, both above and around it, but the ark was never submerged. "The ark went upon the face of the waters" (Gen. 7: 9). Type of Him who bore the storm of divine wrath on behalf of all His people. The greatness of His person gave Him competency for so mighty a work.

"None but He in heaven or earth,

Could offer that which justice claimed."

Mark how Heb. 11: 7 speaks of Noah and his deliverance. "By faith, Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith." Our own position is pictured here. We have heard God's announcement of judgement to come, and though "not seen as yet," we have bowed believingly to His word, and have fled to Christ for refuge. Men scoff now at the bare suggestion that God will again break in upon the world's arrangements, and turn them upside down, yet when the sixth seal is opened by the Lamb (Rev. 6: 12-17); and men see everything tottering around them, filled with alarm, they cry to the mountains and rocks, "Fall on us, and hide us from the face of Him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: for the great day of His wrath is come, and who is able to stand?"

The ark being completed in the obedience of faith. the divine invitation was addressed to Noah: "Come thou and all thy house into the ark." "And the Lord shut him in" (Gen. 7: 1-16). None can open the door that God is pleased to shut. Divinely secure, therefore, were all the denizens of that unique vessel. The judgement of God having exhausted itself, we read: "the ark rested in the seventh month, on the seventeenth day of the month, upon the mountains of Ararat" (Gen. 8: 4). Surely no accident is here. The seventh month became the first at the time of the Exodus (Ex. 12: 2); accordingly the ark rested three days after the day appointed for the sacrifice of the paschal lamb?, the very day of our Lord's resurrection. The Saviour's triumphant return from amongst the dead is the public proof that the wrath of God in regard to the sins of His people has spent itself, and that rest and peace have been established for evermore.

THE FIRST PILGRIM.

A Pilgrim is a man on a journey. Having seen (or heard) of a brighter portion elsewhere, he abandons his present surroundings and travels towards it. He gives up the present for the future. Abram was the first man divinely called to take such a path; every believer is, in the divine thought a stranger and a pilgrim to-day (1 Peter 2: 11). How far we are this practically, each heart must answer for itself.

Pilgrimage has been occasioned by sin. Adam in innocence heard no such call as "Follow Me." Indeed it was his duty and responsibility to continue where God had placed him, and never leave his first estate. But sin has upset everything. The man having been driven out of the garden. "the world" sprang up. Its beginnings are described in Gen. 4: 16-26. Between God and "the world" there is nothing in common. Everything in man's system of things is opposed to the Divine nature.

No one was called out into a place of distinct separation until Abram's day, though necessarily every earlier man of faith felt alienated in heart and mind from the godless order by which he was surrounded. In Abram's day there was a very definite reason for the divine call, "Get thee out." After the flood a new form of evil sprang up amongst men — idolatry. Its earliest phase is perhaps indicated in Job 31: 26-28 Abraham's kindred were no better than others as Joshua 24: 2 shows. Idolatry was a formal giving up of God for the worship of demons (1 Cor. 10: 20). Rom. 1: 18-25 is the divine arrangement of the world for this dreadful sin. Be it remembered that both Noah and Shem were alive at this time; the one dying two years before the birth of Abram, and the other living on until Abram was 150 years old. But the testimony of these witnesses was apparently without effect. Satan, in turning men's minds thus to idolatry, captured the whole situation, and God was thrust out of the world.

THE DIVINE OBJECT IN SEPARATING ABRAM.

It was at this point that Abram was called. What was the divine object in thus separating this man unto God? Simply to do him good as an individual? He was indeed blessed as an individual ("I will bless thee, and make thy name great"), but there was a larger thought than this in the mind of God. He wanted a channel by means of which He could bless the world. Hence the words "Thou shalt be a blessing . . . in thee shall all the families of the earth be blessed." Thus we have in Gen. 10 & 11, the framework of the world as we now know it — parcelled out amongst the nations which have sprung from the three sons of Noah; and in Gen. 12 the man and the principle by means of which God could work in it. What grace!

Turn now to Acts 7: 1, 2; the call of Abram is there most touchingly described. "The God of glory appeared unto our father Abraham, when he was in Mesopotamia before he dwelt in Charran, and said unto him, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and come unto the land which I shall show thee." There came thus the moment when God — "the God of glory" — made Himself  known to a poor dark idolater, and won his heart for ever. It was not a new religion that Abram learned, nor a new set of opinions, but he came to know a Person". The result was that, like the Thessalonians later, he turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God. Has the God of glory revealed Himself to you, beloved reader? He has raised up His Son from amongst the dead, and enthroned Him at His own right hand on high. All the 'glory of God' now shines in His face (2 Cor. 4: 6), or in other words, all that God is has been told out in the man Christ Jesus. Do you know Him? Is your heart entranced with what it has found in Him? If so, but not otherwise, you are in a position to take the pilgrim's place.

"Tis the treasure I've found in His love,

Which has made me a pilgrim below."

None can well give up who have not already received.

Note Jehovah's word to Abram in Gen. 12: 2: "I will make thy name great," and compare it with men's ambitious work in chap. 11: 4: "Let us make us a name." Men's schemes, be it the Tower of Babel or any other, commend, and the names of those who plan them and who labour them through perish with the world to which they belong; while he who identifies himself  with the divine interests gets to himself a name which will abide for ever. Better far let God make our name great than seek anything for ourselves in such a scene as this.

Abram's obedience was but partial at first. The whole family connection removed from Ur of the Chaldees with him; and indeed Terah his father seems to have led the removal. Gen. 11: 3  says, "Terah took Abram his son," etc. Let us speak tenderly here; reproachful words ill become us. How often have we held up to reprobation the errors of those who have gone before us, with but little heart-searching on our own part! Peter's failure in looking at the winds and waves instead of at Jesus, and Martha's mistake in her complaint to the Lord concerning Mary are familiar examples of this. Yet Peter stepped out of the boat on the strength of but one word from the Saviour's lips; and Martha served with her very best and with all her heart even if she did put service before communion (Matt. 14: 29; Luke 10: 40). How many words from the Lord would we require ere we could leave the shelter of a boat to walk on the angry deep? And how many of us would be prepared to serve as Martha served?

THE COMMENT OF HEB. 11: 8

Long after Abram's pilgrim days were done, the Spirit spoke of his journey thus: "By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went" (Heb. 11: 8). What an undertaking! Had anyone asked the patriarch when he was packing his camels where he was going, he could not have told them whether he was travelling north, south, east or west! In the eyes of his materialistic neighbours he was as great a fool as Noah, when he built his extraordinary craft with no outward: and visible sign of such a vessel ever being required. But the man of faith is ever a fool in the eyes of the world!.

Haran marked a halt from which there was no progress while Terah lived. The very names are suggestive. Terah means "delay," and Haran means "parched." Alas, how many hindrances are experienced by those who long to wholly follow the Lord, the most serious of them all frequently coming from our own family circle. Unconverted relatives, or worldly-minded Christian relatives, are often a sad drag upon our souls. But full blessing cannot be known until obedience is complete. "Parched" must be confession of the one who sees where the pilgrim's path leads, yet hesitates to pursue it. The Psalmist says, "I made haste, and delayed not to keep Thy commandments." "In keeping of them there is great reward" (Ps. 119: 60; 19: 11) .

ABRAM MOVES ON.

Terah, being dead, Abram moved on again (Lot, however, accompanying him). "They went forth to go into the land of Canaan; and into the land of Canaan they came" (Gen. 12: 5). His first act, on arrival at the plain of Moreh, near Shechem, was to put up an altar. At this spot Jehovah appeared to him, and renewed His promise: "unto thy seed will I give this land." This is the first recorded divine manifestation since Abram left Ur of the Chaldees, and it just illustrates our Lords words to His disciples in John 14: 21: "he that hath My commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth Me; and he that loveth Me shall be loved of My Father, and I will love him, and will manifest Myself to him." Obedience always brings the light and' joy of the Lord's presence as  its reward to the soul.

An altar and a tent characterised Abram in Canaan. Yet, says Heb. 11: 10: he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God." Man's cities had no appeal for his heart. Babylon and Nineveh had already reared their proud heads, and Egypt's cities (the ruins of which are the marvel of our time) were  already in being. But Abram stood apart from them all with God. In looking for a heavenly country and city his faith really rose above his calling, for God had not spoken to him of such things, so far as the record tells us. In our case this is impossible. So exalted and wonderful is the calling wherewith we are called that faith can do no more than rise to it (Eph. 1: 18; Eph. 4: 1). And how many of us really apprehend! God's calling?

Compare for a moment two passages in the Epistles to the Hebrews — Heb. 2: 11; Heb. 11: 16. In the first we read: 'He is not ashamed to call them brethren"; and in the second: "God is not ashamed to be called their God." In chap. 2: 11 it is grace speaking; in chap 11: 16 government. Of all Christians without distinction it is true that Christ is "not ashamed to call them brethren"; but it is not necessarily true of all that "God is not ashamed to be called their God." He never linked His name thus with Lot, nor even with Obadiah. Why? Because neither was willing to take the outside place with Him. Brethren let us exercise our hearts as to this. We are living in a worldly age, and on every hand we hear the tacit refusal of believers to accept the pilgrim's portion. Yet people are only useful to God as they walk in separation When Abram declined into Egypt he brought trouble, not blessing, upon that land; when Israel mingled with the nations they brought down the hand of God upon themselves and upon ,all others. And what has the Church's pathway, been? May the Lord, in His mercy, raise up those who will, with holy determination, walk in spirit apart from all things here, and await with fervent desire His Son from heaven.

THE FIRST PRIEST.

There was no formal institution of priesthood until the time of Moses. For until that time there was no "people" in relationship with God. Believing individuals there were from the beginning, but in Israel was first established the principle of a "people" in special relationship with Jehovah. Priesthoods when set up in Aaron and his family, was designed for the help and sustainment of a people so wondrously placed. Every detail connected with Aaron's exalted office was typical of Christ and His present gracious ministry on behalf of His saints.

But long before Aaron's day, while his father Levi "was yet in the loins" of Abram (Heb. 7: 10), we have Melchizedek brought before us in Scripture as "priest of the Most High God" (Gen. 14: 18) . Christ as typified in Melchizedek as surely as in Aaron. But the differences between the two ministries are very marked. Aaron's was a service of sacrifice and intercession. With blood and incense he had to do. But we read of no sacrifices offered by Melchizedek, nor of incense burnt upon the altar of God. His was essentially a ministry of blessing. On God's part he blessed Abram, and on Abram's part he blessed the Most High.

WHO WAS MELCHIZEDEK?

Men's speculations have been various. An angel. the patriarch Shem, and even the Son of God Himself have been suggested. Such speculations are as unprofitable as they are foolish. The omission of his pedigree was divinely planned in order that he might stand upon the page of Scripture as the more emphatic type of Him who indeed has "neither beginning of days nor end of life." But Melchizedek personally was a man as any other.

In Gen. 14 we have a remarkable picture of what will happen at the end of the present age. The Christ of God — King and Priest in one person — will show Himself from heaven with blessing in His hands for Israel and the earth. He will establish the divine supremacy ("the Most High God") and will insist upon the divine claim to everything ("Possessor of heaven and earth") — verities so long disputed. Righteousness and peace will characterise His sway (Ps. 72: Isa. 32.) Melchizedek: means "King of Righteousness," and Salem means "Peace" (Heb. 7: 2).

But the scene in Gen. 14 has also

ITS APPLICATION FOR TO-DAY

Christians already enjoy by faith what Israel and the earth must wait for until Christ appears.

We have two kings coming forward to meet Abram as he returned from the slaughter of Chedorlaomer and his allies. They were Bera, King of Sodom, and Melchizedek, King of Salem. In the wisdom of God, Melchizedek was suffered to act first. He "brought forth bread and wine." What are these but the memorials of Christ slain? What so strengthening to the man of faith as to be vividly reminded of Calvary's mighty work? Too often, however, we think of Christ's death merely as that which has brought us salvation from coming wrath, and fail to understand that it has put us completely outside of all things here. The joy and gladness which the living Priest on high would minister to our souls is incapable of being comprehended by us if our hearts are suffered to cling to this death-doomed scene. The whole object of the present ministry of Christ (the Holy Spirit co-operating) is to lead us in spirit even now into that other world of which He is the light and the glory.

"Blessed be Abram." Hear the King-Priest.

PUT YOUR OWN NAME

into the passage, beloved Christian reader. "Blessed be___" Who and what is the God from whom all blessings flow? He is "the Most High God, Possessor of heaven and earth." He is thus higher than the highest, and richer than the richest. And this is my God! One's heart feels satisfied, elevated, energised at the thought of it.

Then on Abram's part Melchizedek blessed God for the victory which had been granted. "Blessed be the Most High God, which hath delivered thine enemies into thy hand.'' Let us pause and ask ourselves a question here. Is the Lord on high able to give thanks for victories we have gained? Does victory or defeat characterise our lives? Are we like Abram, overcomers of the world, or are we like Lot, overcome by the world? Let each heart return its answer to this challenge.

Now mark

THE EFFECT UPON ABRAM.

He is thoroughly in the spirit of that to which he had listened. When the King of Sodom presently offered to him to keep the captured spoil for himself, he replied: " I have lift up mine hand to the Most High God, the Possessor of heaven and! earth, that I will not take from a thread to a Shoe-latchet, and that I will not take anything that is thine, lest thou shouldest say, I have made Abram rich." Has he merely caught up Melchizedek's phraseology in speaking thus of God'? How easy it is to acquire mere forms of speech — words and expressions of which we know neither the meaning nor the power! How far are we prepared! to be held responsible for the language of even the hymns we sing?

Abram acted. How is it with us? The recovered spoil of five cities was doubtless a goodly pile, but the man of faith surveyed it all with supreme contempt. He had seen Melchizedek first. Else he might have said, "What harm?" Paul in Phil. 3: calls all his religious gains rubbish;* what then would he have called the world's follies? We read of one that "he would fain have filled his belly with the husks that the swine did eat" (Luke 15: 6). Are we even in the smallest degree like that man?

{*Not "dung" (Phil. 3: 8), which after all has a money value. The Apostle speaks of what is absolutely worthless. "Refuse" (R. V. margin.)}

How often believers say concerning this thing and that: "I really cannot see the harm in it!" They probably speak truly. But how is it they cannot see? Perhaps the Lord's word in Rev. 3: 18 will explain: "Anoint thine eyes with eye-salve that thou mayest see." A neglected Bible will account for the lack of spiritual perception on the part of the many. The eye that sees Christ on high in the power of the Spirit of God, the ear that hears His heavenly ministry as the true Melchizedek is proof against all the wiles of the flesh and of the devil, The moral victory gained by Abram in the neighbourhood of Sodom was greater far in the divine account than the physical victory gained in the neighbourhood of Dan. Satan is more to be feared when he comes smiling than when he comes scowling.

Why we do not possess Bishops and Deacons

Why we do not possess Bishops and Deacons.

W. W. Fereday.

(Extracted from Truth for the Last Days, Vol. 1, 1900, page 68.)

The question raised by your friend — "Why do we not possess Bishops and Deacons?" — is by no means a new one. It is a difficulty that many have found when enquiring into the principles of those who occupy the ground you and I do through grace.

It has been well remarked that the Catholic error confounds priesthood and ministry, and that Protestants mix together gifts and offices. This is unquestionably true. To the Romanist a minister is a priest, entitled to offer sacrifice and to stand between men and God. I need not stay to show that such a notion is virtually a denial of Christianity. The Jew needed a priest, most assuredly; but then (i.e., before the Cross) the veil was unrent, redemption was unaccomplished, and God's people could not draw near to Him within the sanctuary, even though but an earthly one. But all is blessedly changed now. Redemption is now an accomplished fact and the Lord Jesus has gone into heaven and is on the right hand of God. The way into the holiest is now open and believers may draw near with boldness of faith. All believers are priests. In this there are no distinctions now, (Heb. 1: 3; Heb. 9: 11-12; Heb. 10: 11-22; 1 Peter 2: 5; Rev. 1: 5-6).

Ministry is as distinct from priesthood as from office. Ministry flows down from the risen and ascended Head, as Eph. 4 shows fully. The whole epistle to the Ephesians should be carefully pondered. It unfolds the blessing of the saints individually (Eph. 1), our union together as one body (Eph. 2), the revelation of the mystery concerning Christ and the Church (Eph. 3), and the gifts of Christ for the edification of His body below (Eph. 4) As I have said, all flow down from Him. We read, "When He ascended up on high, He led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men" (v. 8). They are the result of His toil, the fruit of His victory. He went into the lowest depths in order to accomplish redemption, and to annul the power of Satan: He has now ascended far above all heavens, that He might fill all things. If the persons enumerated in v. 11 are "gifts," where does the Church come in, save as receiver? And where is there room for official men? Nearly all Christendom is united in the idea that appointment is necessary, though all are not at one as to by whom the gifts should be authorised. In the Romish body, as you know, the Pope is the fountain of all authority. Solemn as is the thought, he assumes the place and title of "Head of the Church." This is serious encroachment upon the rights of Christ, which will have to be accounted for in its day. The National bodies reject this, and have placed all power in the hands of the Sovereign of the country. This is tantamount to asserting that the Church and the World are but one thing, which is a solemn removal or ignoring of all holy landmarks. The King of the land is not Christ! He may not even be a Christian! Yet he, acting by his Prime Minister for the time being, is the recognised fountain of all authority in that which professes to be the Church of God! The Lord needed to remind Sardis (in which there is a voice for Protestantism) that He "hath the seven Spirits of God and the seven stars" (Rev. 3: 1), in other words, that He, and He alone, is the source of all spiritual power and authority.

But, as Nationalists reject the Papacy, so do Dissenters disown State control. But what have they substituted for it? The idea, unheard of in apostolic times, that the Church is entitled to order itself, and to call and appoint its own ministers. I trust I shall not be considered unkind when I say that what Radicalism is in the world, Dissent is in the Church of God. It is one thing to condemn evil principles, quite another to condemn holy men, who (perhaps) for want of clear light lend their support to them. We love such men because they are members of Christ's body, and indwelt by His Spirit, while we abhor the principles they help to support.

Leaving all these departures aside, the Head gives and the Church receives. The gifts are specified. "He gave some apostles; and some prophets; and some evangelists; and some pastors and teachers," (Eph. 4: 11). The first two gifts are of a foundation character and have ceased. I know of no promise in Scripture of a revival of them in the last days, as the Irvingites claim. They, i.e., apostles and prophets, established the Church on its base, and, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, wrote the Scriptures. Their work being done, they have gone. But the other gifts remain. The evangelist is a worker of an outside character. He goes out into the world with the glad tidings of the Saviour's love, and seeks the salvation of sinners. But though his work necessarily lies outside the Church, it is not independent of it. Many seem to think so in this day. The evangelist labours for the edification of the body in his way as truly as the pastor and teacher in theirs. This must never be lost sight of either by the saints in general or by the preachers. There is a tendency in some quarters to despise evangelisation. May the Lord mercifully preserve us from such a spirit! The evangelist is the assembly's recruiting sergeant, if I may so say; and we cannot do without him. If we were all as near the heart of Christ as Paul, we should say, even of faulty workmen, "Christ is preached; and I therefore do rejoice, yea, and will rejoice," (Phil. 1: 18).

The work of the pastor and teacher is different. The Pastor in the Church is what the father is to the family, or the shepherd to the flock; and the teacher takes the place of the instructor.

The pastor watches over the growth of souls, and counsels and guides generally. The teacher unfolds the great truths and principles of the Word of God for their instruction and advancement.

It may be asked, "But if there is no appointment, how are such men to be known I" This question is best answered by asking another, "How is a Christian known?" Surely by his actions or manner of life. In the same way we know and recognise the gifts of Christ. This suggests another grave point of departure in

Christendom. Under existing arrangements the gifts of Christ cannot discover themselves. Everything is in the hands of an official man and it is regarded as a breach of order for anyone to attempt to take part but himself or his humanly appointed assistants. Unless there is liberty in the assembly of God — liberty for the Spirit of God to act through whomsoever He will — these gifts must remain hidden or buried.

When I see a Christian man displaying tender love for souls, acting the father among them, giving counsel, etc., I say, "that man is a pastor," and I give him his place as such. Or, when I see another taking real delight in instructing the saints, I recognise in him a teacher. The same may be said of the evangelist. The man that loves the lost and goes out after them in earnest service is to be owned as one of the gifts of the risen Head.

All these gifts we have still. It is a misunderstanding of our principles to assert that we do not believe in ministry. On the contrary, we thankfully accept it, in the measure in which it is granted to us by our faithful Lord in heaven. The gifts are "for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ," and they will continue to be granted "till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ (Eph. 4: 13). However low may be the condition of the Church, and however broken, the Lord is mindful of the need of His own, and raises up those He sees fit to supply their need.

As I said at the beginning, all this must be carefully distinguished, not only from priesthood, but from offices. The latter are local, the gifts are placed in "the body," as such, and have a world-wide responsibility. So confused are the minds of those around us through the habit of centuries, that these distinctions are but little known. Thus "the minister" is supposed to be at once evangelist, pastor, and teacher. Others endeavour to make out that "priest" and "presbyter" mean the same thing.

But how does Scripture speak? That there were elders (or "bishops") and deacons in the early church no one will deny. We read that the apostles "ordained* them elders in every church" (Acts 14: 23). "Every church" means in the particular district named; the reason of this remark will be apparent presently. We find also that Titus was left in Crete to set in order the things that were wanting and to ordain* elders in every city, as the apostle appointed. (This chapter shows clearly that "elders" and "bishops" were the same persons). Such were to rule (1 Tim. 5: 17), to oversee the flock (Acts 20: 28), and to exhort with sound doctrine and convince gainsayers (Titus 1: 9). Gifts were not indispensable for this office, though doubtless of great service if possessed (see 1 Tim. 5: 17). Moral qualities were the great requisite, as both Timothy and Titus show. They must be irreproachable in every way, and their homes must be well governed. They were supposed also to be men of experience and married (1 Tim. 3: 1-6). They were appointed by the apostles or their delegates. Hands were probably laid on them, but Scripture nowhere directly says so. Their work was purely local. An elder at Ephesus had no authority at Corinth nor vice-versa. It should be noted also that there were always several in every assembly (Acts 20; Phil. 1: 1, etc.) The notion of episcopacy, i.e., one person ruling (with the title of lord, alas!) over all the churches throughout a province, is quite unknown to the Word of God.

{*Though I use this ecclesiastical term, it may be well to remark that in Acts 14: 23 the word is simply "chose," and in Titus "appoint." But this is a mere detail.}

Deacons were also apostolically appointed. Their charge was the secular affairs of the assembly. But in their appointment the church had a voice. They selected the men and placed them before the apostles, (read Acts 6) What the assembly gives (money, etc.) it is allowed a voice in the administration of, what Christ gives (ministry) He holds entirely in His own hand. Good moral qualities were looked for in deacons, as in elders, and they must be "proved" men, (1 Tim. 3: 8-13). The ecclesiastical idea of a deacon appointed to read homilies, etc., with a view to priesthood, goes in the face of all this instruction.

Again let me press that gifts and offices are quite distinct. This is strikingly illustrated in Stephen and Philip — both deacons. They were appointed to serve tables, that the apostles might be free for prayer and the ministry of the Word. Yet on another occasion we find the one to the front in ministry in Jerusalem (Acts 6), and the other preaching Christ with great acceptance and blessing in Samaria (Acts 8) Philip is expressly said to have possessed the gift of an evangelist (Acts 21: 8). Their gifts they received from Christ, their office from the assembly and the apostles.

Now comes the important question, "If there were such men as bishops and deacons in the first days of the Church, why do we not possess them now?" The answer is simple. We have no one to ordain them. There is no ordaining power in the Church of God in the absence of the apostles. I am quite aware of what thousands think and say, that apostolic succession is the resource. But I find no such thing in Scripture. All the N.T. writers speak of evil coming in after their departure, hut none refer us to any successors as a safeguard. Paul warned the brethren, and then commended them to God and the Word of His grace (Acts 20: 32), Peter provided for the need of the saints after his decease by inspired writings, speaking of nothing and no one else (2 Peter 1: 12-15), John casts the saints upon what they had heard from the beginning, and upon the unction they have received (the Holy Spirit, 1 John 2: 20-27), and Jude, after drawing a very dark picture, bids us build up ourselves on our most holy faith, etc. (Jude 20). Absolute silence everywhere as to authoritative succession. Transmission of truth I certainly find; transmissions of authority nowhere (2 Tim. 2: 2). Every thoughtful person must know that this pretended apostolic succession is the most uncertain thing in the world. It is claimed by the Romish, Greek, and National bodies, all disowning each other. Rome claims that true succession is alone found in her, and that all who have not derived their office from the Pope are impostors. The Greek Church refuses Rome's claims as baseless, and rejects her communion as heretical. Where is certainty in all this? If apostolic succession is a divine principle, and our only true safeguard, as many assert, where can I be sure of finding it? The truth is, the notion has no warrant from Scripture at all. Consequently there is no authority to ordain in the Church now, and this is why we have amongst us no men with the titles of "bishops" and "deacons." We do not pretend to a power that we do not possess. We, the rather, own the ruin and disorder that has come in, and cast ourselves upon the unfailing grace of God. And many can testify, who have been gathered to the Lord's name for many years, apart from all ecclesiastical systems, that God is faithful in these matters to those who put their trust in Him.

Here another point must be noticed. If we have not the officers named above, the work is done, and for that we thank God. I will explain what I mean. In apostolic days there were some towns where no elders (or bishops) had been appointed. Perhaps the apostles had not had opportunity to attend to the matter, but that we can leave. What did the saints do in such a case? Simply this. Certain among them, seeing the need, set about and did the work, though not formally appointed by anybody. Such were to be recognised. This was the condition of things at Corinth. "I beseech you, brethren, (ye know the house of Stephanas, that it is the first-fruits of Achaia, and that they have addicted themselves to the ministry of the saints) that ye submit yourselves unto such, and to every one that helpeth with us and laboureth" (1 Cor. 16: 15-16. See also the Thessalonians, "We beseech you, brethren, to know them which labour among you, and are over you in the Lord, and admonish you; and to esteem them very highly in love for their works sake," (l Thess. 4: 12-13). Here we have instances of what I mean. There were no official elders in these assemblies, but there were brethren who exercised themselves about the need of souls and looked to the work. Such were not to be put down, or slighted as irregular, because not apostolically appointed; but were to be thankfully accepted, esteemed in love, and submitted to. Such local workers we have to-day in every place known to me where saints are gathered in simplicity to Christ. We do not give them high-sounding titles, but we gratefully recognise their labour of love, and God is not forgetful, as His Spirit assures us (Heb. 6: 10). All is written in heaven.

Earth's notable Events

Earth's notable Events

W W Fereday.

Introduction.

The Bible is the sole depository of the history and chronology of the world for by far the greater part of its existence. The title; "father of history," so commonly given to Herodotus the Greek, properly belongs to Moses the Hebrew, as the first of the inspired writers. From Adam to the flood covered a period of sixteen and a half centuries; what do we know of that long era apart from the Scripture records? And for long after the flood there is nothing upon which we may plant our foot securely, and say, "This is fact, and not legend." This being indisputably true, their folly is apparent who labour to discredit the historical portions of Holy Scripture. The persistency of such men borders on wickedness when we consider how many of their bold denials have been thrown back upon themselves by the simple application of pick and shovel. To reject the historical records of Scripture is to turn away from the only light available concerning the early history of the human race, a history which cannot but be of the deepest interest to us all. Seeing too that the Bible narrative is largely occupied with God's ways with man, there is considerable moral profit therein for those who ponder those ways in faith. It is sometimes urged that it is possible to believe in the general Inspiration of Scripture without necessarily accepting its historical accuracy in all things. But this is to introduce a crack into the structure that must inevitably lead to its total ruin. Scripture claims, not "general," but full and complete inspiration for itself. Its "words," not its inner spirit merely, are inspired of God (Ex. 24: 4; 2 Sam. 23: 2; 1 Cor. 2: 13, etc). This being so, we have either to accept or reject the Scriptures as a whole. If we do the latter, we stand convicted of rebellion against our Maker; which awful sin, if unrepented of, He will know how to deal with when His present long-suffering is ended. The Bible has in these days been relegated to an altogether secondary place with the many. It may only be believed if it happens to accord with the latest teachings of Science. But why must the Bible always be wrong when it fails to endorse what Scientists assert? Why should it not be these teachers who are at fault? Is Science such a fixed thing that its utterances must be accepted as infallible? Or is it not a fact that Science is the most changeable thing in the world, the "facts" of today being the scorn of tomorrow? Reader, the question at issue is of the greatest importance. It is Bible or no Bible, light or no light, Revelation or no Revelation. The records of the Old Testament are so frequently referred to in the New that both Testaments stand or fall together. To reject the older revelation while generally accepting the later is illogical in the extreme. The following among the many ancient records that are challenged to-day are referred to and so endorsed in the New Testament. It will be noticed that the instances here given are mostly taken from the book of Genesis: —

The descent from a single pair  1 Tim. 2: 13.

The institution of marriage  Matt. 19: 4-5.

The fall     2 Cor 11: 3; 1 Tim 2: 14

The deluge    Matt 24: 38; 1 Peter 3: 20 etc

The personality of Abraham  John 8: 37-58; Heb 11: 8-11

The overthrow of Sodom  Luke 17: 29; 2 Peter 2: 6

The judgement of Lot's wife  Luke 17: 32.

The burning bush   Acts 7: 30.

The exodus    Acts 7: 35, 36; Heb 11: 29

The giving of the manna  John 6: 31.

The speaking ass   2 Peter 2: 15, 16.

The swallowing of Jonah  Matt. 12: 40; 16: 4.

An honest mind can only rise from the consideration of the passages here cited with the conviction that if the Son of God speaking on earth be true, and the Holy Spirit speaking through apostles after His departure, then the Old Testament writers, beginning with Moses, are true historians. However marvellous their records, however contrary to our experience today, we thankfully accept them as God's gracious gift to our souls, and humbly seek His lessons for us therein.

CONTENTS

THE CREATION

THE ADVENT OF MAN

THE FALL

THE FIRST CITY

THE RAPTURE OF ENOCH

THE FLOOD

THE COVENANT WITH NOAH

THE TOWER OF BABEL

THE CALL OF ABRAM

THE FIRST BATTLE

THE OVERTHROW OF SODOM

THE EXODUS

THE GIVING OF THE LAW

THE ELECTION OF DAVID

THE DISRUPTION OF ISRAEL

THE SUPREMACY OF NEBUCHADNEZZAR

THE DESTRUCTION OF JERUSALEM BY THE CHALDEANS

THE RETURN FROM BABYLON

THE BAPTIST'S MISSION

THE BIRTH OF CHRIST

THE CROSS OF CHRIST

THE RESURRECTION OF CHRIST

THE ASCENSION OF CHRIST

THE DESCENT OF THE HOLY SPIRIT

PETER'S OVERTURE

THE DESTRUCTION OF JERUSALEM BY TITUS

THE CREATION.

Events are either great or small in our eyes according to the point of view from which we regard them. The ordinary historian writes with the present course of things in mind, and he emphasises particular incidents accordingly. Only in the volume of Inspiration is the history of the world looked at from a truly broad point of view. There everything is considered in the light of God and eternity, and events are dealt with as they bear upon the accomplishment of the divine counsels concerning the Lord Jesus. Hence Scripture devotes no space whatever to the siege of Troy, while filling whole chapters with the story of Nebuchadnezzar's siege of Jerusalem; it ignores altogether Caesar's crossing of the Rubicon, while referring repeatedly to Abraham's crossing of the Euphrates. In this, as in many other matters, the saying is true: "My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways, saith Jehovah" (Isa. 55: 8).

The earth's first notable event was surely its birth. We do not refer to the wonderful six days' work, which was more than anything a recovery from a state of ruin, but of God's creative act at the beginning, whenever that may have been. In imagining matter to be eternal, the ancients only proclaimed themselves fools, while professing to be wise. God alone is eternal. It is true that man, now that he has been created, has no end, but GOD has neither beginning nor end. The book of God opens with the divine account of the origin of all things. "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth." How, when, and why is not stated; the one object of the verse is to tell us WHO created. It is of the first importance for man to understand that not only himself, but his little world and all that is therein, and also that vast system of which his world forms a part, was brought into being by the act of God. This puts both God and man in their true place. Job doubtless felt very small when his Maker challenged him thus: "Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth?" (Job 38: 4). Unbelief brushes all this aside with scorn, preferring the theories of its own darkness, but "by faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear" (Heb. 11: 3).

Nothing was created apart from the Son. The Son then is eternal — "before all things," as Col. 1: 17 puts it. "All things were made by Him, and without Him was not anything made that was made" (John 1: 3). But not this only: "all things were created for Him" (Col. 1: 16). Here we have a thought full of moral grandeur. Our poor earth was not made simply for man's pleasure, but to be the ultimate possession of the Son of God. This puts marvellous dignity upon our little planet: yea, it invests it with a veritable halo of glory. Hither came the Son of God in His lowly grace; here He both lived and died. Here He groaned and wept; here, too, He shed His precious atoning blood. Let the arch-rebel, Satan, and man, his petty dupe, do and say what they please; everything below, as well as everything above, will yet fall into the hands of its rightful Heir, to be His possession for evermore.

THE ADVENT OF MAN.

Man was not the earth's first inhabitant. Leaving aside the geologic ages, and the animal fossils that have been brought to light, and confining ourselves to the six days' work, man came upon the scene last of all God's creatures. Birds, fishes, and beasts were all brought into being before him who was to be their lord and head. There seems to be moral suitability in this order: first, the whole subordinate system, then him around whom it was ever after to revolve.

In the light of Gen. 1: 27, it is sheer infidelity to speak of man as an evolution from some other being. Three times in this one verse the Spirit is pleased to use the word "created" in relation to man. Man is thus a work of God distinct from every other. The whole human family has sprung from a single pair, Adam being the federal head of the race. He is thus the type of Christ as head of a new race, i.e., of the whole company of those who believe the Gospel. The dream of pre-Adamic man is absolutely forbidden by 2 Cor. 15: 45, not to mention other Scriptures. "The first man Adam" leaves no room for man in any form before him.

Man was distinguished from all other creatures in that he was made the subject of divine counsel before his creation. "And God said, Let us make man, in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion," etc. (Gen. 1: 26). There is a solemnity about this which commands attention. It was not a new kind of animal that was about to be brought into existence, but a moral being with marvellous endowments and possibilities. "Image" has reference to man's position as set here to represent God and rule for Him; "likeness" has reference to his moral being, as one capable of entering into relationships, and bearing responsibilities. Neither the image nor the likeness of God have been lost by the fall (Gem 9: 6; James 3: 9).

There was a twofold act of God in the creation of man. First, his body was formed of the dust of the ground; then life was imparted to the clay by the inbreathing of Jehovah Elohim (Gen. 2: 7). The life of man is thus a thing altogether distinct from the body. Let us note this carefully, for the lessons suggested by it are of the most momentous character.

The modern notion of "the ascent of man" is downright folly. It was no savage that God created, with power and responsibility to raise himself from degradation to dignity. God created man perfect. The moral and physical degeneration, which perplexes the philanthropists and statesmen of today, is the result of sin and rebellion against God. Men appear to have lapsed into barbarism very early; witness Job's description, in Job 30, of the abjects of his time. But it was an absolutely perfect being that came forth at the beginning from the workshop of the Almighty.

There was language from the first. God spoke to the man and his wife (Gen. 1: 28-30) and the man spoke to the beasts, etc., in giving them all their names (Gen. 2: 20). What a different story the earth would be able to tell had its most gifted inhabitant remained loyal to his Creator, and refused all the overtures of the foe! But though Eden is lost beyond recovery, heaven stands open to all who, as confessedly ruined sinners, put their trust in the Saviour who died and rose again.

THE FALL.

The story contained in Gen. 3 is no mere allegory. It is instead God's account of the greatest disaster that has ever befallen this world. The words are few; without comment or garnishing, the solemn event is recorded, for the moral profit of mankind.

The first home of Adam and his wife was in Eden — in a garden planted by the hand of God. Everything was contained therein that was calculated to make life a delight. Infinite wisdom and love could permit of no lack. The choicest blessing of all was unrestricted intercourse with the Creator, who deigned to walk there with the objects of His favour. With one single prohibition, everything around was free to them. The prohibition was necessary as a test of their obedience and fidelity.

Alas for the day! The tempter entered, speaking with serpent's voice to the weaker vessel. She in her unfaithfulness suffered him to impugn both the truth and the love of God. The man, not deceived, nevertheless followed his wife in her revolt against God. So sin entered, with all its entail of suffering and death. "By one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin." Unbelief calls death "the debt of nature"; GOD calls it "the wages of sin" (Rom. 6: 23).

The wreck was now complete. The first man, set up in responsibility, and surrounded by every blessing, had failed miserably. Hearkening to the enemy when he said, "Thou shalt not surely die," he had braved the consequences of disobedience to his utter ruin. Satan's favourite text was never more popular than to-day. The sages of our time have wiped hell out of existence, so that the multitudes persuade themselves that it is perfectly safe to indulge their passions as they please, in despisal of God and His Son. The sequel will show how fatally they have suffered themselves to be deceived.

As far as man was concerned, all was now chaos. His robe of innocence was gone for ever. Satan had become master of the situation. Never could the man have extricated himself from the thraldom into which he had fallen. His only hope now lay in the One against whom he had sinned. Soon the voice of God was heard in the garden calling the unhappy pair out of their hiding place, and bringing home to their stricken consciences the reality of their sin. But not this only. He spoke of a Deliverer. Not as promise to Adam, but as judgement upon the serpent, God said: "It (the woman's seed) shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise His heel" (Gen. 3: 15).

Here we have "the Gospel of God concerning His Son Jesus Christ our Lord" (Rom. 1: 1-3). The mystery of the incarnation is here, and also of the cross. One who should be really man, but also infinitely more than man, should meet Satan in his own stronghold and vanquish him for ever. The cross involved pangs for the Saviour ("thou shalt bruise His heel") such as none can ever comprehend; but His stooping to death for a moment, and then emerging triumphantly from it, has inflicted a fatal wound upon the foe. The completeness of His victory will be demonstrated in a later day. With words of hope ringing in their ears, and with coats of skins upon them as the gift of God, the man and his wife went forth from Eden to tread their allotted path of toil and grief, terminating in death. Their coats of skins are typical of righteousness divinely imputed on the ground of redemption, in contrast with the fig-leaf coverings of their own devising, which savour of the self-righteousness which has ever been the futile resource of fallen man.

THE FIRST CITY.

From a garden to a city was a great stride; indeed, it marked a revolution in human affairs. What were the steps which led up to this? The answer will be found in the careful perusal of Gen. 4. Two men are there seen drawing near to God; the one accepted and the other rejected. The accepted one placed a lamb upon the altar; the rejected one put fruit there — the product of his own toil. It is a typical picture both characters representing classes of men which have been found in the world throughout its history. Abel was the father of all who humbly draw near on the ground of the atoning sacrifice; Cain was the progenitor of all who presume to approach God on the ground of their own works. Rejected by God, Cain slew his brother, and thus inaugurated the era of religious persecution, which has never since died away. False religionists have in all ages vented their hatred on the true worshippers of God.

The murder being consummated, it is added significantly: "Cain went out from the presence of the Lord, and dwelt in the land of Nod." Proud and unrepentant, Cain would now make a way for himself in the world, apart from God altogether. "He builded a city, and called the name of the city after the name of his son, Enoch." He who has no regard for God and heaven naturally seeks to gratify himself with the present scene. The city Enoch soon resounded with the strains of music and with the industrious clang of the smith. Comforts and accomplishments gave character to it. As men would say, it became the centre of light and learning, and the great commercial depot of the human family. But God was unknown there; nay, He was sedulously excluded from the place. The city and all that was therein, however excellent in its way was man's great scheme for making the world agreeable without God.

Vast concentrations of men, such as a city suggests, are necessarily sinks of evil, man being a revolted creature. The excellent and the noble that men's cities contain are hopelessly overshadowed by the appalling evil which gives character to the whole. All the streams of human iniquity meet in one foul pool in the city of man's designing, and the larger the city the fouler the pool.

The ancient record in Gen. 4 is of the greatest possible value as showing us the beginnings of "the world" as we know it to-day. Its religious, social, and commercial history are all foreshadowed in the few incidents divinely written therein.

In keeping with this, we read later in Scripture: "All that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father" (1 John 2: 16). For the time being, the offensive system is borne with in divine forbearance; the crash will come when the Son of man appears. Then man's entire edifice of civilisation will fall to pieces like a house of cards.

Yet God has from the first entertained the thought of a city for man. Out of harmony in spirit with the course of things here, Abraham and others have looked for the city of which the architect and builder is God. Not here, but above, is that city found — "the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem" (Heb. 11: 10; Heb. 12: 22). There holiness and blessing will abide — the fruit of redeeming love. To this sacred rest God will in His own time bring the willing feet of every sinner saved by grace.

THE RAPTURE OF ENOCH.

A very remarkable event took place in the early history of the human family — a man was taken to heaven without dying. Singularly, his name was the same as that of Cain's son, after whom the world's first city was called. "Enoch" means "dedicated." We may thus say of the one, that he was dedicated to the world; and of the other, that he was dedicated to God. Eternity will show which had the better part.

"Enoch walked with God." This is twice stated in Gen. 5. The meaning is that his heart found all its delight in the Creator. Others might spend their strength in ornamenting a ruined world if they were so minded; Enoch looked away from the ruin to God. We need not marvel at the statement of a later commentator, that "before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God" (Heb. 11: 5). Nothing is so gratifying to God as to find loyal hearts in the midst of a revolted race.

His intimacy with the Creator led to Enoch being taken into the divine confidence concerning judgement to come. His prophecy as to this was for some reason held back by the recording Spirit until towards the close of the book of God. It will be found in the epistle of Jude. Divine forbearance was running out in Enoch's day, and destruction was imminent. The early judgement of the flood was typical of an even greater judgement that is still to come. (Compare Jude 14-15 with Luke 17: 26-27).

But while Enoch solemnly warned his contemporaries of the stroke so soon to fall (doubtless receiving in return the scorn that is the usual lot of faithful witnesses in all ages), he was himself removed from the earth before the storm burst. "By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was not found, because God had translated him" (Heb. 11: 5). No hint is given of any public display on this momentous occasion; Enoch was simply missed, that is all. No grave was required for him; no funeral rites were celebrated over him; without tasting the pangs of death, he was suddenly transported into the divine presence.

Here surely is ample material for the contempt of the proud! What cannot be understood cannot be believed. Anything outside the range of human experience is necessarily untrue. What is even more serious, anything that brings in the power of God must be instantly rejected. Such is the condition of the public mind in Christendom in the twentieth century. But what a rude shock will be administered to men's materialism when presently the Son of God descends into the air, and accomplishes for myriads what was accomplished for Enoch so long ago! For it is undeniable that Scripture speaks of the Saviour's personal coming as the proper hope of every believing soul. Every sleeping saint will be raised, and every living saint will be changed in that blissful moment, which may come upon us at any hour (1 Thess. 4: 16-17). No public display need be expected; simply the abrupt disappearance of all who love the Saviour's name. But what moral gloom will then settle down upon this infidel world!

THE FLOOD.

The flood is a calamity of which men are "willingly ignorant" (2 Peter 3: 5-6). It is a disagreeable thought that this world, with all its works, was once swept bare by the judgement of God; because conscience naturally suggests that what has happened once may happen again. This, indeed, is exactly what Peter tells us in the chapter quoted above. "The heavens and the earth which are now . . . are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgement and perdition of ungodly men." Never again will a deluge descend; as to this, God has pledged His word; the judgement that is now impending will be of a different character altogether.

About sixteen and a half centuries after the creation of Adam the flood came. Corruption and violence filled the earth. The spirit world, too, had broken bounds, and formed evil links with the human family. This is what is meant in Gen. 6: 1-4, where we read of the sons of God taking to themselves wives of the daughters of men, with marvellous progeny as the result of the union. The spirit world is exceedingly active in our day also, though after a different fashion. Under the name of Spiritualism, forbidden links are being formed between men and fallen angels continually, to the ruin of the men who are thus beguiled.

God never destroys without warning. Accordingly a hundred and twenty years' notice was given of the approaching desolation. During this period men were favoured with the ministrations of "Noah, a preacher of righteousness," the result in that scornful age being nil, none being saved but Noah and his house. The ark was constructed in obedience to the word of God, and according to divine specifications. In it were preserved two of every living species, but seven of those clean beasts and birds that would afterwards be required for sacrifice and food. Seven days after the hand of God shut the door of the ark, the stroke fell, the rain continuing for forty days and forty nights without cessation. The visitation was universal: "all the high hills, that were under the whole heaven, were covered" (Gen. 7: 19). This world-wide ruin is twice referred to in the ancient book of Job (Job 12: 15; Job 22: 16), besides being solemnly vouched for by the Son of God in the course of His oral ministry, and by the Spirit of God in the epistles of Peter and to the Hebrews. It is sheer fool-hardiness to doubt the fact.

The man who, "moved with fear," obeyed the word of God, was saved, with all his house. The scoffers of his day miserably perished. Salvation from the destruction that is now approaching is only to be found in faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. His atoning sacrifice has made it possible for God to extend the riches of His grace to all, even the most guilty. Divine long-suffering now lingers over the children of men, if haply they will turn to their God But there are limits to the patience of God; when the limit is reached, heaven will once more interfere in the affairs of men — first the judgement of the quick at Christ's appearing, followed by the judgement of the dead a thousand years' later — to the eternal confusion of all unbelief and pride.

THE COVENANT WITH NOAH.

It was a solemn moment when Noah and his family came forth from the ark, after being confined therein a year and seventeen days. It marked a fresh start for the human family. A new era now opened. Noah's first act was to build, not a house, but an altar, on which he offered sacrifices of every clean beast and fowl (Gen. 8: 15-22). The patriarch thus acknowledged that his only possible ground of standing before a holy God was atonement —  an impressive lesson surely for men in every age. As that solitary column of smoke ascended to heaven, "Jehovah smelled a sweet savour." His mind ran on from that altar to Calvary, where in due time the great sacrifice would be offered, to which every other sacrifice pointed. He responded at once, and pledged His word that He would never again smite everything living as He had done. "While the earth remaineth, seed-time and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night, shall not cease." God fully recognised that man's heart was not one whit better for the judgement that had been executed; yet in grace He bound Himself by this covenant.

Noah's was the second recorded sacrifice, Abel's being the first. Abel's sacrifice shows the ground on which the believing individual stands with God; Noah's shows the ground on which the earth stands with God. It is because of Christ's atonement that God is able to bear with the appalling mass of evil that meets His eye as He looks down from above. Patience would be impossible were it not for the atoning sacrifice which is ever before the mind of God. The infidel thus owes the very air he breathes to the Saviour whose name he scorns.

For the second time in Scripture we read "God blessed" (Gen. 9: 1; Gen. 1: 28). He blessed the first man and his wife as they came forth perfect from His hand; now He blesses Noah and his sons — sinful men — on the ground of the atoning sacrifice. His covenant with the human family at this point is given at length in Gen. 9, the rainbow (not necessarily seen then for the first time) being established as the token of it. Flesh might now be eaten, in addition to the herbs granted at the beginning. Government was now instituted, there being no trace of anything of the kind before the flood. The fundamental principle of all government is contained in the words: "At the hand of every man's brother will I require the life of man. Whoso sheddeth man's blood, by man shall his blood be shed: for in the image of God made He man. "To slay one thus characterised is to aim a blow at God Himself; the offender in consequence forfeits his life. Maudlin sentimentality would abrogate this today in defiance of the Word of God. Yet Rom. 13: 4 should have checked the presumptuous idea; writing after the grace of Christianity had come in, the apostle says of the magistrate, "he beareth not the sword in vain; for he is the minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil." The sword is not, as the rod may be, for correction, but for putting to death. The two first recorded rulers, Noah and Nimrod, failed; the one being weak and the other tyrannical. Herein we have a true picture of all human government until the Son of man appears. Not till then will the earth experience perfection of rule and blessing.

THE TOWER OF BABEL.

By the terms of the divine mandate men were to "be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth" (Gen. 9: 1). To be obedient to this, they must scatter, for how else could the replenishing of "the earth" be accomplished? But against this command of God the will of men rose up rebelliously. They would concentrate, and so consolidate their power and importance. A city and a tower were appointed as the centre and expression of their unity. The site chosen for these was the plain of Shinar, for many succeeding centuries one of Satan's chief distributing points, and possibly to be so again before "man's day" closes.

The human heart is incorrigible in its evil. The mind of the flesh is ever enmity against God, and insolently insubordinate where His will is concerned. This is the only explanation of the presumption which led to the building of Babel so soon after the awful visitation of the flood. Men said: "Let us build us a city and a tower, whose top may reach unto heaven; and let us make us a name, lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the earth" (Gen. 11: 19). It was not a short road to heaven that was in their minds, but something imposing to look upon, worthy to be the metropolis of the human race.

Judgement followed, though not without investigation on the part of Jehovah, who "came down to see the city and the tower which the children of men had builded." Confusion of speech was the judgement inflicted, which not only brought men's building schemes to an abrupt termination, but also scattered them abroad upon the face of the earth, with diverse and often conflicting interests from that hour. This was the commencement of national life. What has since been called "patriotism" is simply jealousy for the interests of one's own nation in opposition to the interests of every other; or, in other words, corporate selfishness But sin brought such a condition of things into our midst.

The Babel principle has been cherished in men's hearts ever since the day of Gen. 11, and indeed was never more popular than at the present crisis. The atmosphere is full of it under the various names of combines, alliances, co-operation and trade unions. It enters into every sphere, commercial, political, and religious. But in these last days, as in the world's earlier ages, it is infidelity and independence of God, little as some well-meaning supporters of the principle suspect it.

Scripture is very clear as to the ultimate issue of the Babel line of things. Everything professedly Christian will develop into the harlot of Rev. 17, and everything political in Europe into the blasphemous ten-horned beast of the same chapter. For a brief space the ecclesiastical will dominate the civil power once more, only to be utterly destroyed by it when sufficient strength and confidence are found for the onslaught. Then the confederated nations will turn upon the Lamb at His appearing, to their own ruin (Rev. 17: 12-18). Thus will Psalm 2. find its final accomplishment, and the Kingdom of the Man of God's choice be established on the overthrow of all man's foolish pride and glory.

THE CALL OF ABRAM.

To the cursory reader it may seem a comparatively small matter that God should reveal Himself to a man living in Chaldea, and lead him across the Euphrates into a position of separation to Himself in the land of Canaan; but in reality it was a step of the greatest importance in its bearing upon the whole future history of the world. The meaning of it will be universally understood when the Kingdom of the Son of man is brought in.

The position was this. A new and terrible form of evil had been introduced into the world since the flood in the shape of idolatry. Men did not like to retain God in their knowledge, and so fell helplessly into the hands of Satan. "Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools." Idol-worship is in reality demon-worship (1 Cor. 10: 20). Both Noah and Shem were still living when this new departure began, but their influence appears to have been nil. The new torrent of iniquity swept all before it. Then it was that God stepped in, and made Himself known to Abram, in grace giving him magnificent promises, which went far beyond his own need, comprehending in their scope the world at large unto the utmost bounds of time.

That caravan crossing the desert was thus a thing of no small interest to God. Its journey was no ordinary event. It marked an important step in the working out of the divine plans. The venerable figure at the head of that company was he through whom, in His own good time, God would bless the world. How good is our God! Men were everywhere in revolt against Him; human pride and presumption had occasioned the great Babel catastrophe; idolatry had become universal; yet He spoke of blessing! His object in the call of Abram was to establish a channel by means of which He might yet deliver a ruined world. Accordingly the promise ran thus: "I will make of thee a great nation; I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing: and I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed" (Gen. 12: 3). The divine thought was more fully expressed after the offering of Isaac, in the words "in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed" (Gen. 22: 18). The "Seed," on whom thus everything depends, is Christ, as the apostle shows in Gal. 3: 16. Isaac, whom Abraham received again from the dead "in a figure," is a type of the Lord Jesus, who went into death itself in order to make atonement for sin, and who now lives again in the power of an endless life.

In Gen. 10-11 we have the framework of the world (i.e., its national divisions) as we know it, and in the chapter following we have the man and the principle by which God would work in it. When Abraham's true Seed, the Lord Jesus, comes forth from heaven, and brings back into divine favour Abraham's children according to the flesh, the twelve tribes of Israel, the world's final deliverance will be brought in. Satan will be cast out, and fullness of blessing will be enjoyed from pole to pole. But while Israel remains obdurate, Christ remains seated in the glory on high, and the blessing promised to Abraham so long ago waits for its accomplishment.

THE FIRST BATTLE.

The expedition of Chedorlaomer and his allies against the King of Sodom and his confederates was not a very big thing in itself, but a whole chapter of Holy Scripture is devoted to it for two important reasons. First, because a saint of God (Lot) was involved in the affair; and second, because the world's first recorded battle is in many respects a foreshadowing of the last great catastrophe of Armageddon.

Faith accepts the record contained in Gen. 14, not because the tablets confirm it (however interesting this fact may be), but because the Spirit of God has written it. He who only accepts the statements of Scripture when outside evidences confirm them is at heart an infidel. This is a serious consideration for our souls in such a day as the present.

Lot's sufferings at the hands of the Gentile Kings were wholly due to his unfaithfulness to God. Had he stood, like Abram, in separation from the world and its ways, his path might have been as peaceful and happy as his. Seeking worldly advantages for himself and his family, he sank to the world's level, and accordingly suffered with it in the day of tribulation. He is thus a type of the erring nation of Israel; which, in consequence of unfaithfulness to God, has long been the football of the nations, and which is destined to suffer terribly in the world's last great scrimmage before the Kingdom of the Son of man appears.

Abram, in his swift destruction of the enemy and deliverance of Lot and his family, is a type of the Lord Jesus, who will be the hope of Israel at the end. When matters are at their worst for that nation, His feet will stand upon the Mount of Olives, and the enemies of His people will melt away as snow before the sun (Zech. 14). The highest developments of scientific warfare will be impotent in the presence of His mighty power. In that day of glorious manifestation His saints will appear with Him, to the astonishment of all who behold the sight.

Returning from their victory, Abram and his company were met by Melchizedek, King of Salem, priest of the Most High God, Possessor of heaven and earth. Ministering to the victors bread and wine for their refreshment, Melchizedek took the mediator's place, by blessing Abram in the name of the Most High, and the Most High on Abram's behalf. Heb. 7 interprets this typical scene for us. The King-Priest represents the Lord Jesus in the day of His appearing, when He will meet famished Israel with blessing from God, proclaiming in that mighty moment the supremacy of God (so long disputed by rebellious man), and His rights over both heaven and earth. This step will reverse everything for Israel and for the world at large. It will be "the day of the Lord," when He alone will be exalted, and every proud imagination will be laid low. The consequence of this will be peace and blessing from pole to pole.

Meanwhile, men of faith see the great King-Priest in His present heavenly glory, and are by Him refreshed and blessed. It is He who maintains His own in the enjoyment of heavenly things, strengthening them thus to refuse the world even as Abram was enabled to refuse all that was offered to him by the King of Sodom.

THE OVERTHROW OF SODOM.

It was an appalling catastrophe, the destruction of the cities of the plain. Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, and Zeboim were all involved in the stroke (Deut. 29: 23) Sodom and her daughter cities had been favoured with exceptional prosperity, but their prosperity became their ruin. "Pride, fullness of bread, and abundance of idleness" bred iniquity such as a righteous God would not tolerate indefinitely (Ezek. 16: 49). The evil of Sodom has contributed a word to our own Dictionary, the very mention of which fills every right-minded person with loathing.

God communicated His purpose concerning these vile cities to Abraham, who was breathing the pure air of the plains of Mamre, sufficiently removed from the pestilential atmosphere of Sodom and Gomorrah. To him God went, and announced what He was about to do. This led to the remarkable intercession recorded in Gen. 18, probably the most marvellous experience that any man has ever had with God. Beginning with fifty, and descending to ten, Abraham, overwhelmed by what God had revealed to him, pleaded that if that small number of righteous people could be found in Sodom God would spare the place. To what a condition of moral depravity had the city sunk when even the all-searching eye of the Creator could not discern ten righteous persons therein!

There was, however, one man there who must needs be delivered. Lot, however inconsistent in his ways, was at heart a true believer. Ages later, he was divinely described as 'just Lot, vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked" (2 Peter 2: 7). He had no business in such company. Had he walked in separation to God, as Abraham, he might have enjoyed fellowship with God, and the ruin which fell upon his own family had never happened. The miserable story contained in Gen. 19 has been written for the warning of all who in every age profess to fear God. Believers who mix themselves with the world will in no wise be a help to it (even though this may be their hope); the world will but defile them, and lead them astray from God.

Lot having been pulled out of Sodom by the angels, "Jehovah rained upon Sodom and upon Gomorrah brimstone and fire from Jehovah out of heaven, and He overthrew those cities, and all the plain, and all the inhabitants of the cities, and that which grew upon the ground" (Gen. 19: 24, 25). Almost in a moment of time several once prosperous cities were so effectually wiped out of existence by the judgement of God that to-day we have no certainty as to the spot upon which they stood. Well may the apostle exclaim: "It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God" (Heb. 10: 31).

The overthrow of Sodom has a voice to the men of this generation, the Lord Jesus having pointed out a solemn analogy between the desolation of that day and the judgement of the quick at His appearing (Luke 18: 28-30). In Lot's time people ate and drank, bought and sold, planted and builded, up to the very moment of their destruction. The visit of the heavenly messengers, instead of inspiring awe, only aroused their devilry to its fullest extent. And so the stroke fell. Equally careless, equally infidel, will the world be found in the dread day, not far distant, when the Son of man comes forth in all His glory to judge and make war.

THE EXODUS.

Viewed from a human standpoint, the Exodus was nothing more than the escape of a comparatively insignificant people from a state of bondage. But viewed from a divine standpoint, the event was an exceedingly important one in connection with the ways of God in relation to the earth. The people in question (Israel) had been divinely chosen to lead, and communicate blessing to, all the nations, in accordance with the promise to Abram, their forefather, "thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies, and in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed" (Gen. 22: 17, 18).

The divine plan for universal blessing required therefore the emancipation of Israel from the house of bondage Not that their servitude was in any way accidental; it had been foreseen, and even foretold to Abram when as yet he had no child (Gen. 15: 13-16). It was part of God's education of the people destined for so exalted a position, that they should sojourn in a strange land, and endure affliction there four hundred years. God is so truly the supreme Arbiter of everything that Satan was powerless to detain the people a single day beyond the appointed time.

Behold Israel now marching forth from Egypt. The power of the mightiest empire of antiquity had been completely shattered by the hand of God in order that the people of His choice might go free. They marched forth with but the feeblest sense of their high calling and destiny, yet were they marked out by the Disposer of all to govern and bless all the nations of the earth. Their miserable unbelief and sin has involved the temporary shelving of this marvellous purpose of grace. The world's blessing awaits Israel's repentance and restoration to divine favour. This will not be until Christ appears. As the Seed of Abraham and the Heir of David He will in His day make the crooked straight and the rough plain. Everything turns upon Him. He is the world's only hope. While He remains in the heavens, Satan continues the prince of this world, and men pursue their unhappy course as the tools of his malignity. His manifestation in glory will bring in rest and peace for Israel and for all.

Because everything thus turns upon Christ, and upon Israel in connection with Him, Satan devised the murderous conspiracy described in Ex. 1: 15-22. By Pharaoh's decree every male child of the people of Israel was to be cast into the Nile. Had this decree been carried into execution, what would have become of the purposes of God? Israel as a nation would have ceased to be; and what of the Christ who was to be born of that nation? (Rom. 9: 5). But God is never thwarted by the enemy, whatever seeming success He may suffer him to obtain from time to time. In this case, He so wrought, in His wisdom, that Pharaoh's cruel edict only resulted in his having to educate and train in his own palace the man who was destined to lead Israel forth in triumph from Egypt, completely destroying the might of that empire in the process. We refer, of course, to Moses, who became the adopted son of the King's daughter. What a wonder working God is ours! How worthy of the confidence of our hearts! He will yet vindicate Himself and all His ways before an adoring universe.

THE GIVING OF THE LAW.

The history of Israel is the history of man. God's dealings with that nation have demonstrated the irremediable evil of flesh, wherever found. If nothing but corruption has been discovered in the people most privileged by God (and certainly Israel has received divine attention and care in a remarkable degree) then it follows that nothing but corruption may be looked for elsewhere. All the world is therefore brought under judgement to God (Rom 3: 19).

The giving of the law was thus not a mere local incident, but an event having a world-wide bearing. The circumstances were most impressive. Sinai trembled at the presence of God. Fire and smoke enveloped the mount, from the midst of which came forth the mysterious trumpet-sound, and the voice of Jehovah. No wonder even Moses said: "I exceedingly fear and quake" (Heb. 12: 21). So terrified were the people that they entreated Jehovah not to address them in that manner any more. To this he graciously responded, promising to speak to them later in a man — a prophet raised up from among their brethren, like unto Moses (Deut. 19: 15-19). This is none other than the Lord Jesus, in whom — in His words and ways — all the heart of God has been expressed. Meanwhile, Moses was appointed to act as mediator between God and the people.

What was the divine object in the giving of the law? As to this, Christendom seems utterly confused. Certainly God never entertained the most distant thought that anyone would attain to righteousness by means of it. Such is man's state Godward, that his first need is life This, as Gal. 3: 21 assures us, the law can never give, how then can it minister righteousness? The law was Israel's schoolmaster until Christ came (Gal. 3: 24); now that He has come, grace and truth are with us, and law is proclaimed no more. When it was first sought to incorporate law with Christianity, it was sternly opposed by the devoted Paul, who foresaw the disastrous consequences that would ensue if it were permitted. On no subject does he write more vigorously in his epistles to the Romans, Corinthians, Galatians, and Colossians. In Rom. 7 he goes so far as to assert that he who would go on with both law and Christ at the same time is as a woman trafficking with two husbands. Alas! the apostle has been so little understood that to this hour the yoke of the law is upon the necks of the majority in Christendom(leaders and followers alike), to the serious detriment of the grace of God.

Why then was the law given? The answer of Scripture is plain enough. "It was added because of transgressions, till the Seed should come" (Gal. 3: 19). "By the law is the knowledge of sin" (Rom. 3: 20). These statements show that the law was intended to show up man's evil, as a mirror may reveal one's external uncleanness. The law was thus intended to prepare the way for Christ, in bringing home to men their deep need of a Saviour. This is beautifully expressed in the law chapter — Ex. 20. Ere the chapter closes we read: "An altar of earth thou shalt make unto Me, and shalt sacrifice thereon thy burnt offerings .... in all places where I record My name, I will come unto thee and bless thee." The altar and the sacrifice speak of Christ and His cross. The sound of the ten commandments had scarcely died away when God began to speak of another principle altogether. His mind passed from Sinai to Calvary, where the mighty work was to be accomplished which would perfectly meet the sinner's need once and for ever.

It is tempting God, subverting souls, and perverting the Gospel to preach law now that Christ has come (Acts 15: 10, 24; Gal. 1: 7). As for Christians, they are dead to the law, Christ risen and glorified being now their Pattern and Object. Occupation with Him makes men practically heavenly, a blessed result which the law never even proposed to those under it.

THE ELECTION OF DAVID.

When Jehovah first took Israel into relationship with Himself, i.e., at the time of their deliverance from Egypt, He established Moses as the link between Himself and the people. Moses' office was that of mediator, as Gal. 3: 19 shows. But in this he had no successor. Joshua became Israel's military leader; but in all matters relating to God he was made subservient to Eleazar the priest, who asked counsel for him after the judgement of Urim before Jehovah (Num. 27: 15-23). After the death of Moses the high priest thus became the link between God and His people. Through him the light of God was transmitted to men. But this, as everything else that God had entrusted to human hands, proved a miserable failure, the climax being reached in the days of Eli. The priesthood became so corrupt that God would no longer make use of it as a channel of blessing for His people. Accordingly, judgement was pronounced upon it; first in the message of the man of God to Eli, later in the night vision to the child Samuel (1 Sam. 2: 3).

But God is never without resource. At every turn He manifests His triumph over the wickedness of man and the machinations of Satan. No sooner does one thing fail, through human infirmity and sin, than He sets up something else — something better. Accordingly, in Hannah's inspired song we find mention of a "King," which was afterwards confirmed in the sentence upon Eli and his house (1 Sam. 2: 10, 35). This was now to be God's provision for His people. The King was henceforward to be the link between Himself and Israel (His divinely appointed channel of blessing), and the priesthood was to fall back into the shade.

God's choice for the Kingship was David, but human impatience brought in Saul's forty years' disastrous misrule before the man of God's purpose reached the throne. Remarkably, in Ps. 78, where the whole story of Israel's unfaithfulness from the exodus to David is traced, no mention whatever is made of Saul and his administration. The failure and ruin of the priesthood, with the loss of the ark, is graphically described in vv 59-64; and then the Spirit of God passes on to God's election of David as His King, and of Zion as His centre and rest. The establishment of David upon Israel's throne was divine intervention in grace. God was thus setting up for the blessing of His people a new institution upon the ruins of the old. Saul's reign came in merely as an interruption; it formed no part of God's purpose in connection with Israel and the earth.

Let us see to it that we understand the significance of God's election of David and Zion. It was in reality an important step in the direction of the world's final blessing. David's throne was "the throne of Jehovah," and his metropolis was God's everlasting earthly rest (1 Chron. 29: 23; Ps. 132: 14). God's purpose was to govern and bless the nations of the earth by means of Israel and the house of David. The evil ways of the chosen people and their royal house have deferred the blessing, but the purpose of God's heart has never been abandoned. But everything now waits for Christ. When He appears He will take in hand, and give effect to, everything in which man has failed. The marred headship of Adam, the corrupted priesthood of Aaron, the fallen Kingship of David, and all else will be taken up anew by Him, with no possibility of failure for ever. But such is man's sinful condition that even the Son of God could only minister blessing to him on the ground of His own precious atoning blood. This makes everything sure and stable for eternity.

THE DISRUPTION OF ISRAEL.

It was a calamity for the world when the Kingdom of David was rent asunder in the hands of Rehoboam. The gracious purpose of God concerning the earth — to deliver it and bless it by means of Israel and David's royal house  - was thereby rendered impossible for the time being. The disaster added another to the already long list of disappointments through human infirmity and sin, and made it more than ever manifest that there is but one man in the universe whom God can trust — His beloved Son, the Lord Jesus.

Solomon succeeded to a splendid inheritance. David's victories had brought into subjection every Kingdom from the Nile to the Euphrates. Boundless wealth was at Solomon's command as one result of his father's triumphs. Much of this was employed in the construction of the magnificent temple which graced Mount Moriah for about four centuries. Such was the fame of Solomon's wisdom and glory that monarchs came from afar to render willing homage at his feet (2 Chron. 9: 1, 14). In the midst of his prosperity he entertained the painful reflection that possibly the heir to it all might prove to be a fool. "Yea, I hated all my labour which I had taken under the sun; because I should leave it unto the man that shall be after me. And who knoweth whether he shall be a wise man or a fool? Yet shall he have rule over all my labour wherein I have laboured, and wherein I have showed myself wise under the sun. This is also vanity" (Eccles. 2: 18, 19). As the royal philosopher feared, so it happened. Refusing to listen to the reasonable complaints of his subjects, Rehoboam drove ten of Israel's twelve tribes into revolt against the house of David, the mischief of which has not been repaired unto this day (2 Chron. 10).

But the disaster had another, and even deeper, cause than the folly of Rehoboam. Solomon himself fell into grievous sins in his old age (1 Kings 11). He had been given to understand by Jehovah Himself, at the beginning of his reign, that the continuance of his Kingdom depended upon his personal fidelity. "If thou wilt walk before me, as David thy father walked, and do according to all that I have commanded thee .... then will I stablish the throne of thy kingdom, according as I have covenanted with David thy father, saying, 'There shall not fail thee a man to be ruler in Israel.' But if ye turn away, and forsake My statutes," etc. (2 Chron. 7: 17-22). Solomon, alas! did not abide faithful. His hand was not steady enough to hold the full cup of earthly glory and blessing which the great God put into it. His Kingdom therefore became doomed, its ruin being accelerated by the headstrong policy of his successor.

But no purpose of God can ever come to naught. His usual method in all matters is to commit things first into the hands of some responsible man; then, when he breaks down, to put aside that particular matter until the day of the Lord Jesus, and meanwhile take up something else. The result of these testings goes to prove that there is no goodness in man, let him be placed as favourably as he may, and that the only hope both for God and the creature is the Lord Jesus. This is a wholesome, if a humiliating, lesson for each individual soul to learn, for it serves to cast us, in all our guilt and need, upon the Saviour.

God certainly pledged Himself to David that He would establish his seed for ever, and build up his throne to all generations (Ps. 89: 4), but He did not bind Himself to maintain in power Solomon, Rehoboam, or any other. Everything now awaits the appearing of "His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, who was made of the seed of David according to the flesh" (Rom. 1: 3). When He comes forth from heaven, the throne of David will be set up anew, and be once more the throne of Jehovah upon earth. Satan will be forthwith consigned to the abyss, and all the earth will be delivered and blessed. Israel's national breach will then be divinely healed for ever.

THE SUPREMACY OF NEBUCHADNEZZAR.

While God still tolerated the people of Israel and the house of David, He did not suffer any other power to become supreme amongst the nations. After the disruption of Israel, David's heirs ruled over their attenuated dominion for nearly four hundred years, continuing this indeed more than a century after the deportation of the revolted ten tribes. During all this time the ancient powers of Assyria and Egypt contended for supremacy in the earth, but neither was permitted to attain its object. When the time came that God could no longer bear with the evil ways of the chosen nation, He Himself raised up Nebuchadnezzar, King of Babylon, who was strengthened to subdue, first Assyria, and then Egypt, all the minor contiguous Kingdoms falling an easy prey to his arms. As late as the days of Manasseh, Babylon was still a vassal city of the Assyrian Empire (2 Chron. 33: 11).

The divine setting up of Nebuchadnezzar was one of "earth's notable events." It marked an epoch in the history of the world. Israel was by no means the only iniquitous nation, all others having departed from God in perhaps an even greater degree. Accordingly while God was chastising His own people, He took occasion to chastise other guilty nations also. "Lo, I begin to bring evil on the city which is called by My name, and should ye be utterly unpunished? Ye shall not be unpunished: for I will call for a sword upon all the inhabitants of the earth, saith Jehovah of hosts." Such is the word of the Lord in Jer. 25: 29. A complete break-up of the whole political framework of the world ensued, Nebuchadnezzar becoming God's hammer for this purpose. Very early in his reign, the Chaldean was granted the vision of the great image (Dan. 2), in the interpretation of which he was told by the prophet that it was the God of heaven who had given him his Kingdom, strength, and glory, and that his continuance in this position of exaltation depended entirely upon his faithfulness to Him who doeth according to His will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth: and none can stay His hand, or say unto Him, "What doest Thou?" (Dan. 4: 35). It was impossible that God should uphold the house of Nebuchadnezzar, if unfaithful, after having desolated the house of David for its sin.

It happened with Nebuchadnezzar and his heirs as with all others to whom God has committed trusts. Sin marked their career, though Nebuchadnezzar himself became converted as the result of God's heavy dealings with him described in Dan. 4. After less than a century of supremacy, Babylon succumbed to the arms of the Medes and Persians; these in their turn yielding to Alexander and his Macedonians; who. later still, fell before the power of Rome. None of these received their authority directly from God, as Nebuchadnezzar. They followed one another providentially, being divinely permitted in each case to destroy its unfaithful predecessor and then supersede it in the earth. The next Kingdom that God will establish is that of His Son (comp. Dan. 2: 36-38, 44). After the recrudescence of the fourth empire(Rome) for a short period, God will bring once more upon the scene the Lord Jesus who will take all the affairs of earth into His own blessed hands, and rule for the divine glory. As Son of David, He will rule over the house of Jacob; as Son of man His dominion will cover the whole earth. But the entire political framework of the world must once more be shattered before His glorious Kingdom can be brought in. When HE obtains His throne, every thing will be established on an immutable basis for ever.

THE DESTRUCTION OF JERUSALEM BY THE CHALDEANS.

It was a sad day for many pious hearts when Jerusalem capitulated to Nebuchadnezzar, and it was a yet more melancholy occasion when the temple was destroyed by the King's officer a month later. Both days were formally observed as fasts for long afterwards (2 Kings 25: 1-10; Zech. 7: 3; 8: 19). But perhaps few realised the full significance of what had happened. Doubtless many cities and temples had been devastated by Nebuchadnezzar, but the overthrow of Jerusalem could not be put into the same category with them. Jerusalem was the chosen resting place of Jehovah (Ps. 132: 14), its sanctuary was His house, and the throne of David was His throne (1 Chron. 29: 23). Accordingly the giving up of these to the enemy was the abandonment (at least for a season) of a divine purpose. Jerusalem was destined to be the centre of light and blessing for the world, and the seat of its administration. But God will be no partner with iniquity. He could therefore do no less than chastise His people when their ways became utterly corrupt before Him.

God has now no earthly throne and no earthly dwelling-place. He has withdrawn from the active government of the earth. "I will go and return to My place till they acknowledge their offence, and seek My face; in their affliction they will seek Me earnestly" (Hosea 5: 15). In keeping with this He is styled "the God of heaven "in the later Old Testament books. His title, "Lord of the earth," so familiar in Joshua's day will not be put forward again until the last great crisis arrives (Joshua 3: 11; Rev. 11: 4). The heart of God felt the necessity for this change very keenly. Among many touching outbursts, we hear Him expressing Himself thus in Jer. 12: 7: "I have forsaken Mine house, I have left Mine heritage; I have given the dearly-beloved of My soul into the hand of her enemies." The reference is to Israel, the failing, but loved, people of His choice.

It is vain to look for universal conversion, and equally vain to search for a place of worship on earth, while Jehovah's relations with Israel are suspended. When, in the day of the Lord Jesus, He shows mercy once more to that nation, Jerusalem will become the centre of the world's government and worship, and all the woes of men will be banished. From Jerusalem, then "an eternal excellency," will flow fullness of blessing to all the nations. But until the ways of God permit of this blissful consummation, He is occupied with another kind of work altogether. By the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven on the basis of Christ's atoning blood, He is gathering out an elect company from every nation to share the heavenly glory of His Son for ever. When this purpose is concluded, the Lord Jesus will come, and take the whole host of His heavenly redeemed ones into the Father's house. Then the clock of prophecy will begin to move once more. The divine attention will again be directed to Israel and Jerusalem, and the last great tragedy will begin which will usher in the earth's final deliverance and blessing.

THE RETURN FROM BABYLON.

To the casual observer it must have seemed quite a small matter the restoration of about 42,000 Jews to the land of their fathers under the leadership of Zerubbabel (Ezra 2). And when we remember that in the days of Jehoshaphat Judah was able to maintain a standing army of 1,160,000 men, the returned remnant was poor indeed (2 Chron. 17: 12-18). It was "a day of small things," as Zech. 4: 10 expresses it.

But the interest of all heaven was concentrated upon that band as it traversed the Syrian desert. These were the people who formed the centre and pivot of the divine ways in connection with the earth, and upon whom the world's blessing depended instrumentally. From their nation the Christ was to spring, "who is over all, God blessed for ever" (Rom. 9: 4-5). He was the destined bruiser of the Serpent's head, the deliverer of the world from the thraldom of evil as the fruit of His great atonement. The prince at the head of the returning remnant was in the direct line of the Messiah's ancestry.

It was necessary that some part of the chosen nation should be restored to the land in order that the Christ might be presented to them. The "Lo Ammi" sentence was not revoked, nor will it be until the Millennial Kingdom. Only by the sufferance of their Gentile masters were they permitted once more to tread the soil of the promised land. In the wisdom of God they returned in order that they might be submitted to the supreme test of Christ. They had possessed the law for about nine centuries, and had violated it from first to last, slaughtering prophet after prophet who had been sent to recall them to their duty. God was ere long to say: 'What shall I do? I will send My beloved Son: it may be they will reverence Him when they see Him." The parable of the vineyard. (Luke 20: 9-15) gives Israel's entire history both in connection with the law and with the Son.

Our God works upon a set plan. Accordingly He revealed to Daniel the very time that the Messiah should appear. This will be found in the prophecy of the Seventy Weeks, which was given at the epoch of Zerubbabel's expedition (Dan. 9: 24-27). The "weeks" are weeks of years, and were appointed to commence with Artaxerxes' decree as recorded in Neh. 2, and which was issued about ninety years after the restoration from Babylon. This important prophecy shows how perfectly everything is before the divine mind. Sixty-nine of the seventy weeks should run their course, and then "shall Messiah be cut off, and have nothing." That is, He should be crucified by those He came to bless. This has occasioned a hiatus in the prophecy. The seventieth week yet awaits fulfilment. At its close Israel's sorrows will be ended for ever.

Everything fails in human hands. The returned remnant might have been the nucleus by means of which God would have blessed the world. The rejection of His Son has made this impossible. Hence a fresh scattering ensued in due course, with no hope for Israel or the world until God acts apart from man altogether, and Himself establishes His Son upon His holy hill of Zion. But while this consummation lingers, individual sinners of every nation may be pardoned and blessed through faith in the Saviour's blood.

THE BAPTIST'S MISSION.

For nearly four centuries the prophetic voice had been silent in Israel. After the return from Babylon, the remnant were privileged to listen, first to Haggai and Zechariah, then to Malachi, after whose day the divine voice ceased to be heard. The Old Testament was thus completed, and the people were left in expectation of the promised Messiah, whose coming, if only they would receive Him, would end, not Israel's griefs merely, but the griefs of the whole creation.

The deep importance of the coming of the Messiah, and the tremendous issues dependent upon it, led God in His great mercy to appoint a forerunner who should prepare the way for His reception. This gracious arrangement put altogether beyond excuse those who refused Him. The forerunner thus holds an important place in Scripture, and in the development of the ways of God in connection with the earth. Both the first and the last of the prophets  - Isaiah and Malachi — predicted his coming (Mark 1:1-3), and described beforehand the character of his mission. His own account of his errand runs thus: "I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, ' make straight the way of the Lord'" (John 1: 23). His whole business therefore was to prepare men for the Christ. It is true he himself attracted much attention, the whole country being filled with discussion concerning him, but with all inquirers he sought to divert attention from himself, and to fix attention upon his more glorious Master and Lord. "I am not the Christ." "Behold the Lamb of God" (John 1: 20, 29). This is after all the proper function of every true servant of God in every age.

Such was the condition of the human family, and of the favoured nation in particular, that a preparatory ministry was urgently needed before the Christ showed Himself from heaven. Long before, it had been written: "Who may abide the day of His coming? And who shall stand when He appeareth?" (Mal. 3: 2) John was accordingly sent in advance "preaching the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins" (Luke 3: 3). John was a great leveller. All came under his lash; no class being spared. The religious sects, both Pharisees and Sadducees, were denounced for their hypocrisy; soldiers, tax-gatherers, and the multitude in general, all had their sins brought home to them vividly and convincingly. Men must learn how sick they are ere they can appreciate the physician; it was to teach this great moral lesson that John the Baptist was sent into the world. But it was rapture to him, after having so heavily scourged all ranks and conditions of men for years, to be able, when the due moment arrived for it, to point men to their only Hope. "Behold the Lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the world" (John 1: 29). The appointed sign, by which John knew certainly that it was He, was the descending Spirit. "I saw, and bare record that this is the Son of God" (John 1: 34). This point having been reached, John's mission was ended. The preparatory work was over; the herald's unique duty was discharged. The Baptist accordingly fell into the shade, and the Christ of God was left before the eyes of men for their acceptance or rejection, as their hearts might be disposed. Not only in that day, but ever since the Saviour's manifestation, every man's eternal destiny has depended upon the attitude of his soul towards Him. The great test question for every child of Adam is this: "What think ye of Christ?

"THE BIRTH OF CHRIST.

The cross alone exceeds the incarnation in its deep moral significance. It was wonderful indeed that God should have stooped to human flesh; it was infinitely more wonderful that, having humbled Himself thus, He should have bowed His head in death — and such a death!

Ever since the day of Adam's transgression, men of faith had the hope shining before them that in God's good time One would undertake their cause who should be truly man, and yet infinitely more than man. He was to be the woman's Seed, the man having no place whatever in the prediction (Gen. 3: 15). Later, He was foretold as the virgin's Son (Isa. 7: 14), and by a contemporary prophet Bethlehem was designated as the spot where the mysterious event was to take place (Micah 5: 2). The prophets speak as distinctly of the Deity as of the humanity of the heavenly Visitant. Those already cited, Isaiah and Micah (leaving other witnesses aside), testify to Him as the Mighty God, the Father of eternity, and as the Governor whose goings forth have been from everlasting.

Here then we are face to face with a fact — an event which should bow down all our hearts in deepest adoration. God has been manifested amongst us in flesh. In our midst He lived and laboured; eating, drinking, weeping, praying even as ourselves; and then, His testimony being finished, He suffered and died. What grace is this; what transcendent love! Concern for men's salvation brought Him thus from on high. Sin can only be expiated by blood, but how could creature blood avail for this? How could the effusion of it settle a moral question, such as the question of human guilt? Angels and men were alike powerless for this stupendous undertaking. Only He against whom the sin had been committed was competent to purge it away. And it was for this He descended from heaven. "Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners," and this salvation is based entirely upon His atoning blood.

It is customary in some quarters to speak of Christ as though He were the flower of the human family, the crown of the human race. The guile of the serpent is here. Under the appearance of doing Him honour, men, in speaking thus of Him, deeply dishonour Him. He did not come from heaven to glorify man, as such sentiments would suggest; nor to rehabilitate man in his forfeited position in this world. He came to suffer for sins, the Just for the unjust, having it before Him to inaugurate in resurrection a new order of heavenly blessing for all who believe in His name. He may now only be known as Man upon the throne of God. Having taken upon Him the form of a servant, He will never again lay it aside. But not a single divine prerogative has He thus surrendered. He is indeed Man, truly Man at this hour, but in Him dwelleth all the fullness of the God-head bodily" (Col. 2: 9). Most blessed are they whose hearts have been drawn to Him by the Holy Spirit, and who are now consciously accepted in His acceptance, blessed with all His blessings, and loved even as He Himself is loved.

THE CROSS OF CHRIST.

It is becoming that we should in spirit draw our shoes from our feet, for we are standing upon holy ground. The cross of Christ is beyond all controversy the greatest moral wonder in the universe. That the Being who was before all worlds, who created them all, and who ever sustains them by His power — that such an One should have stooped to death, is a marvel too profound for the finite mind to grasp in its full value and significance. But no fact is more certain. Not only is it solemnly recorded in God-breathed Scriptures; the fact is more than accredited by its mighty influence upon the hearts of millions during nineteen centuries of the world's history. The evidences of the fact of the cross of Christ are around us on every hand.

The cross of Christ may be viewed in a twofold way. It was at once the full manifestation of the evil of the heart of man, and also the perfect revelation of the love of the heart of God. Considered from its human side, the cross is the greatest crime that has ever stained the dark pages of human history. It was perfect goodness violently rejected; more, it was God Himself cast out of the world His hands had made. All classes fell into line that day, in order that their own part in that most sinful of sins might be fully played. Jews and Gentiles were for once agreed; rival leaders buried their jealousies; proud religionists joined hands with the rabble for which at another moment they expressed their deepest contempt (John 7: 48-49). The whole human family was (representatively) one in casting out with execrations the Son of God. Even persons of education and refinement thought it not beneath them to scoff at His dying woe. The crime lies at the door of the world as such, and must yet be avenged by the Righteous One to whom the holy Sufferer committed His cause (John 17: 25; 1 Peter 2: 23). Only those who, in defiance of the world's enmity and scorn, come out distinctly in their confession of Him as Saviour and Lord will be exempted from the destruction that will most certainly fall when the long-suffering of God reaches its end.

The Cross of Christ ended the probationary periods of the world's history. The irremediable evil of flesh has now been fully demonstrated. Hence the words, "Now is the judgement of this world" (John 12: 31). Men everywhere are divinely written down as "lost"; wise indeed are they who humbly acknowledge themselves as such, and then cast themselves unreservedly upon the infinite grace of God. For all such there is salvation full and free.

But what a marvel of divine love is the cross of Calvary! Where man did his worst, God accomplished His very best. For sinners He sacrificed His well-beloved Son, and this in pursuance of a gracious purpose formed before the world began. There is no love like the love of God. Human love might possibly go the length of dying for a good man, "but God commendeth His own love towards us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us" (Rom. 5: 7-8). Callous indeed must the heart be that can refuse attention to so touching a commendation. 'Love is so amazing, so divine, demands my heart, my life, my all." So mighty is the appeal of the cross of Christ to all who have come under its subduing influence that henceforward the heart is closed to the world with all its folly and sin.

THE RESURRECTION OF CHRIST.

"If Christ has not been raised, your faith is vain." Thus wrote the devoted apostle to the speculative Corinthians. Not that any among them questioned the fact of Christ's resurrection; it was rather the resurrection of men's bodies in general concerning which some had their doubts; but the apostle met their reasonings by insisting upon the indubitable fact of Christ's resurrection, indeed hanging his whole argument thereupon. If the Saviour has really been raised, then it follows that the resurrection of the body is a divine truth. Every man will therefore be raised from the tomb when God's time comes for it.

The resurrection of Christ is the keystone of the arch of Christianity. If this mighty fact could be shaken, the whole superstructure of our faith must needs totter and fall. But in the mercy of God the fact is beyond all quibble. The action of the authorities in sealing the stone and setting a watch, the unbelief of the disciples, and the large number of persons who saw (some even eating with) the Risen One during the space of forty days, establishes the fact beyond dispute for every reasonable mind. He who suffered and died upon the cross of Calvary is indeed alive again, and enthroned at the right hand of the Majesty on high.

The resurrection of Christ is a fact of great moral significance. (1) It was God's vindication of the character of His beloved Son. Men called Him a malefactor, and put Him to death as such (John 18: 30); God, to whom He appealed in His woe, intervened on the third day, not suffering His Holy One to see corruption (Ps. 16: 10). As Peter put it: "Whom God hath raised up, having loosed the pains of death; because it was not possible that He should be holden of it" (Acts 2: 24). (2) The resurrection was God's public expression of His acceptance of the atoning sacrifice. He who put the Saviour to grief in the day of Calvary, has Himself raised and exalted Him to His own right hand. What more striking proof could be looked for of God's perfect satisfaction with the work of His Son?

The fact of Christ's resurrection has also an important bearing upon the blessing of believers. (1) It is the assurance of our justification. He "was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification" (Rom. 4: 25). In His perfect clearance from all charge of sin we perceive our own. None dare lay anything to the charge of God's elect, for God has justified them. (2) It is our moral severance from all things here. Those who have been baptised unto Christ Jesus have been baptised unto His death (Rom. 6: 3). In His death we read our own, God having accepted the death of Christ as on our behalf. His resurrection opens to us a new world of heavenly blessing which should henceforward possess and absorb the soul (Col. 3: 1-3). Such immense weight did the apostle attach to this that he burst forth in Phil. 3: 10 in holy yearning "that I may know Him, and the power of His resurrection." Finally, the resurrection of Christ is the earnest of resurrection from among the dead for all who believe in His name. "Christ the firstfruits; afterwards they that are Christ's at His coming" (1 Cor. 15: 23). What God has done for His Son, He will presently do for all His saints. It is impossible that God should involve them in the resurrection of judgement at the epoch of the dissolution of all things; He has purposed for them a resurrection identical in character with that of His Son. This will take place in the moment of His descent into the air according to 1 Thess. 4: 15-18. Then every sleeping saint will be raised, and every living believer will be changed, that all may enter in one complete company into the eternal blessedness of the Father's house on high.

THE ASCENSION OF CHRIST.

The disciples were doubtless deeply perplexed when the Saviour said to them: 'What then if ye shall see the Son of man ascend up where He was before?" (John 6: 62). Their expectation was that He had come from heaven to set up a visible Kingdom, with Jerusalem as its centre, and themselves as its principal officers. No other thought seems to have possessed them during the time of their companionship with the Lord. Their hopes were for the moment dashed to the ground when they beheld Him crucified, but His resurrection revived them again in all their vigour (Luke 24: 21; Acts 1: 6). That He had visited the earth to settle the sin question seems never to have been understood by them during the years of the Saviour's sojourn.

Yet this was the mighty work which He came to accomplish. The Kingdom was indeed offered to Israel, and will yet be established spite of their scornful unbelief, but the greater work of making atonement for sin must needs be wrought (and was wrought) in the hour of His rejection and woe. It has thus come about, in the wonderful ways of God, that the precious blood, so guiltily shed by the hands of wicked men, has made propitiation for sin, even for the sin of shedding it. The answer to this, for the Holy Sufferer Himself, is glory at the right hand of the Majesty on high.

There is thus a Man accepted in heaven. Upon the throne of God He sits, with all the favour and love of God resting upon Him eternally. Never again will He touch the sin question (save for judgement at the last day); never more will the wrath of God be poured out upon Him. His one perfect offering has answered every possible demand of the throne of God. In His acceptance, every believer in His name is entitled to see his own. "Accepted in the Beloved" is God's account of His people (Eph. 1: 6). Faith's triumphant response to this is thus expressed: "As He is, so are we in this world" (1 John 4: 7). He who looks into his own heart may well be troubled, and even filled with despair; but he who, taught by the Holy Spirit, looks away from himself to the accepted Saviour in the glory on high, enjoys rest and peace, full and eternal.

It was indeed a "notable event ' for the earth when the Saviour took His departure from it. Its deliverance from the bondage of corruption was thereby indefinitely postponed. Refused as King by all, Jews and Gentiles alike, how could He establish the glorious kingdom so "abundantly spoken of by the prophets and psalmists in the Old Testament Scriptures? Earth had signified that it had no room for Him; what then could He do but return to the glory from whence He came? With anxious eyes the disciples beheld Him ascend from the Bethany slope of Mount Olivet, gazing intently after Him until a cloud received Him out of their sight. But ere any expression of grief or disappointment became possible, two shining ones stood by them with the assurance that the same Jesus, who had been taken from them into heaven, should so come in like manner as they had seen Him go into heaven (Acts 1: 10-11). Fortified with this divine comfort "they worshipped Him, and returned to Jerusalem with great joy" (Luke 24: 52). The long-hoped-for Kingdom must now stand over until another day; meanwhile they waited in prayer in the city of David for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, which would fit them for the great spiritual enterprise that was henceforward to occupy their lives.

THE DESCENT OF THE HOLY SPIRIT.

It was a great moment when the Holy Spirit of God descended from heaven to earth to take charge of the interests of the absent Christ. This took place ten days after the glorification of the Son. It was in answer to the Son's request, and in fulfilment of His promise to His disciples before His departure. The atoning sacrifice of Christ having satisfied all the claims of divine righteousness; nay, more, He by His costly sacrifice having perfectly glorified God, no blessing nor privilege was too vast or too wonderful for God to bestow upon His people. Accordingly the Holy Spirit was poured forth — that precious gift of love which remains with us during the whole period of the Saviour's session on high.

The Spirit's coming has proved the world to be in a most solemn position in relation to God He is the personal demonstration to it of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgement (John 16: 8-11). The very fact that Christ has to be represented here by a Vicar is witness that the world has been guilty of the enormous sin of rejecting Him; else would He not still be here to carry on His own interests? The Spirit's presence is proof too that righteousness has glorified the Son on high, and that the world as a system is now under divine sentence for its murder of Him.

Never in any previous age was the Spirit personally present on earth as now. This marks the period in which we live as the most wonderful in all the ways of God. One result of the Spirit's coming is that a divine unity has been created amongst the saints. Prior to Pentecost (Acts 2) believers were so many units dotted about on the face of the earth, those of the Jewish nation holding aloof from all others as outside the constituted fold. The death of Christ has abolished the fold altogether, and the coming of the Spirit has baptised all believers into one body, whether they be Jews or Gentiles, whether they be bond or free (1 Cor. 12: 13). Every Christian thus belongs to the assembly (or Church) of the living God, of which Christ is the exalted Head, and of which the Holy Spirit is the bond and the power. No other Church or spiritual organisation of any kind whatever has any place in the Scriptures. "Churches" may, and will, have an end; but the "Church" remains indestructible and indivisible for eternity. Divine workmanship can never fail.

The Spirit, moreover, is given to each individual believer as the Seal, the Anointing, and the Earnest from God (2 Cor. 1: 21, 22). He has graciously constituted Himself the servant of the saints for Christ's sake. Each saint, however insignificant, is guarded by His power and grace, and is tenderly nourished by His priceless ministry of Christ from day to day. The New Testament Scriptures are the Spirit's testimony to us concerning the One who has gone up from us. All that He was when Man on earth; all that He is as Man in the glory of God; and all that He will be in the ages that are yet to come, constitute the exhaustless theme of the Spirit of God in His gracious instruction of our souls. Who amongst us can take it all in? But what we are able to apprehend of these divine unfoldings should at least have the effect of delivering us completely in heart and mind from the present evil world. He to whom Christ is precious can never accept a home and a portion in the scene where He was slain.

PETER'S OVERTURE.

Israel having scornfully rejected the Messiah, and the Holy Spirit having now come from heaven to form another people for God, the door would seem to have been definitively closed to the guilty nation. But not so, for the riches of divine grace and forbearance are unsearchable. Accordingly the true nature of the Spirit's new work was not declared for the present, and another overture was addressed to Israel by divine command (doubtless in answer to the Saviour's prayer in Luke 23: 34), Peter being the instrument employed for the purpose. The terms of the overture are given in Acts 3: 19-21. The people assembled in Solomon's porch were told that if they would repent and be converted, their sins should be blotted out, and times of refreshing should come from the presence of Jehovah. God would, moreover, send back to them Him who was foreordained for their blessing, even Jesus whom they had crucified. He had gone up from them into heaven, and there He must remain until the times of the restitution of all things. It was now made to rest with Israel when this blissful era of universal restoration should be brought in.

Surely it was a moment of suspense for both heaven and earth During long ages God had been speaking by His prophets of a glorious time when the earth shall be fully and finally delivered from the thraldom of Satan, and be brought back to its Creator. But it had been abundantly shown that earth's deliverance depends upon the Lord Jesus — the Man of God's right hand, the Son of man whom He has made strong for Himself (Ps. 80: 17).

Israel's sin had driven Him out of the world, and He was now in heaven. Earth can experience no Millennium of blessing while He remains away. His continuance in heaven, as Peter showed, is contingent upon Israel's attitude towards Him. While the nation which has been so divinely chosen to be the centre of light and blessing for the earth remains obdurate and unbelieving, Christ cannot return, and universal blessing cannot be established.

How much, therefore, depended not only for that nation, but also for all the peoples of the earth, and for the brute creation as well, upon Israel's answer to the overture of Acts 3: 19-21! It was a momentous evening. Both heaven and earth waited, as it were, for Israel's "Yes" or "No" to the infinite mercy of God. The answer was not long delayed. While Peter was yet pleading with his audience, the priests and the captain of the temple, with the Sadducees (the "Higher Critics" of that day) came down upon him in rage, and dragged both himself and John off to prison. Those who should have been the instructors of the people in all that related to their true obedience to God thus openly declared themselves the very emissaries of the devil. Jesus they would have none of, whatever might be the consequences both for themselves and for others. Their hatred found an even stronger expression a little later when Stephen met his death at their lawless hands, as the reward of his faithful remonstrance with their souls as recorded in Acts 7. In this manner did they send a message after the rejected King, saying, 'We will not have this Man to reign over us "(Luke 19: 14). Accordingly universal blessing stands over until Israel comes to a better mind. Meanwhile the executors of God's judgements destroyed the murderers and burned up their city; God throughout the present period of Israel's unbelief being occupied with another work of grace altogether, even the gathering out from the world of the heavenly Church to share Christ's glory on high.

THE DESTRUCTION OF JERUSALEM BY TITUS.

Jerusalem as the earthly throne of Jehovah was captured and destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar about six centuries before Christ. This was in consequence of its people's sins. A century and a half later the city was rebuilt under a decree granted to Nehemiah by Artaxerxes Longimanus, King of Persia (Neh. 2). Ninety years previously the temple had been restored by permission of Cyrus (Ezra 1). It was necessary in the ways of God that the city and sanctuary should be re-established in order that the Messiah might be presented to the people according to Jehovah's ancient promises of grace. Daniel was even informed when the long-expected One should come. Sixty-nine heptads — 483 years — from the publication of Artaxerxes' decree, the Messiah should be found in the midst of His people (Dan. 9: 25). How faithfully and punctually this prediction was fulfilled all the world knows But Israel (that is, the returned remnant) refused the Messiah, with the result that deliverance and blessing have been deferred both for the chosen people themselves and for the whole creation.

The Saviour felt keenly the disastrous unbelief of the people. It had indeed been foretold that thus it would be, Dan. 9: 26 explicitly stating, "Messiah shall be cut off, and shall have nothing," but this did not mitigate the painfulness of the circumstances when they came to pass. Twice at least in the course of His ministry He warned His hearers of the impending desolation of their city as the fruit of their unbelief. In the parable of the Vineyard He declared that God would miserably destroy the wicked husbandmen (Matt. 21: 41); and in the ensuing parable of the Marriage Supper He spoke of the King sending forth His armies and burning up the city of the despisers of His Son (Matt. 22). In addition to this, at His last approach He apostrophised guilty Jerusalem with tears, saying: "The days shall come upon thee, that thine Enemies shall cast a trench about thee, and compass thee around, and keep thee in on every side, and shall lay thee even with the ground, and thy children within thee; and they shall not leave in thee one stone upon another; because thou knewest not the time of thy visitation" (Luke 19: 41-44). Then in His great prophecy on Mount Olivet (all these utterances being delivered during the last sad week) He said to His disciples: "When ye shall see Jerusalem compassed about with armies, then know that the desolation thereof is nigh. . . . These be the days of vengeance, that all things which are written may be fulfilled. . . . There shall be great distress in the land, and wrath upon this people. And they shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shall be led away captive into all nations: and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled (Luke 21: 20-24). Titus and his Roman legions were the instruments of this vengeance, as Josephus tells us in his lurid story of that most fearful catastrophe. The council of priests in our Lord's day felt that their choice lay between Christ and the Romans (John 11: 47-48). They were indeed right, but not in the way their murderous hearts supposed. To sacrifice Jesus, they thought, would be to escape the Romans; instead, their bloody deed brought the dreaded legions upon them as the ministers of the wrath of God.

And so Israel remains scattered, and Jerusalem continues in the hands of its Gentile masters until He comes whose right it is to reign. While Israel remains obdurate, His world-kingdom cannot be brought in. Earth's next notable event is the public manifestation of the Son of man. In power and majesty he will appear, to the confusion of all His foes. With that mighty day Israel's repentance stands connected in the purposes of God, to be followed by the deliverance and blessing of all the earth.

Faith and its Foundations

Faith and its Foundations

by W W Fereday

FAITH

LIGHT

REPENTANCE

LOVE

GOOD WORKS

RIGHTEOUSNESS

CONVERSION

TRUTH

NEW BIRTH

LAW

FORGIVENESS

GRACE

JUSTIFICATION

IMMORTALITY

CONSCIENCE

JUDGEMENT

SALVATION

MERCY

ETERNAL LIFE

PEACE

REDEMPTION

REST

RECONCILIATION

ATONEMENT

HOLINESS

RESURRECTION

SIN

SAINTSHIP

HOPE

FEAR

WORSHIP

FAITH.

In days of agitation and doubt, such as the present, the question is of paramount importance to us all — What is Faith? Much depends, both for the present and for the future, upon the answer we are able to give our hearts to this question. Perhaps the simplest account of what faith is, is furnished to us it the words of Paul the Apostle, uttered in the midst of the violent storm which befell him on his voyage to Rome. The circumstances were most distressing. For several days the vessel in which he sailed had been tossed up and down in the Adriatics with every prospect of total loss. When his fellow travellers were at the point of despair, he told them of the simple message that had been conveyed to him by an angel of God, that not a life should be lost of all the two hundred and seventy-six contained within the ship, adding: "Wherefore, sirs, be of good cheer; for I believe God that it shall be even as it was told me" (Acts 27: 25).

Here we have the whole secret of faith — "I believe God." The first man and his wife lost confidence in their Creator when in the garden, preferring rather to credit the word of the serpent; ever since it has been common with man to distrust and disbelieve his God. Faith is the return of the soul to man's original confidence in his Maker.

May the voice of God be heard today by those who desire to hear it? Most assuredly. Is it conceivable that a Being of unfathomable love and goodness would leave the vast human family without some light wherewith to illuminate its darkness? The thought is unnatural and impossible. Where, then; may the divine voice be heard? In the Scriptures, which are "God-breathed," as Paul assured his son Timothy long ago. Let us, then, cherish confidence in the sacred writings, accepting them as the very Word of God. If these be surrendered, all is gone; we are then without shaft or rudder wherewith to shape our career through the intricacies of the present world. Where, too, if we refuse to hear the Scriptures, are we to turn for light concerning the unfathomable beyond?

The arch-enemy well knows where the key of the situation lies; hence his persistent efforts throughout all ages to wrest the Scriptures from human hands. His tactics change with changing times; at one season rousing secular authorities to an epidemic of Bible burning, at another season filling the religious atmosphere with unholy criticism. But whatever the tactics the aim is always the same — to destroy both faith and that on which faith rests.

"Sirs, I believe God." In the Book He tells me of my sins, humbling me into the dust thereby. As a faithful Watchman, He warns me, in writings that will never deceive, what must be the consequences of sin, if pursued and loved. More, and better than all, He unfolds to me a heart of infinite affection, which held not back even from the sacrifice of His own well-beloved Son, that sinful men might, on a perfectly righteous basis, be saved and blessed for evermore. Surely such a God is worthy of all my heart's confidence and love!

LIGHT.

Light and love are the two essential names of God; the one being expressive of the absolute purity, and the other of the perfect tenderness, of His nature. The same writer who tells us that "God is light" declares also that "God is love." These most important statements are both found in the first epistle of John.

Man being now a fallen creature is morally the exact opposite of what God is. Hence the Apostle's words to the Ephesian believers: "Ye were once darkness" (Eph. 5: 8). Peter, in addressing other believers, says: "He hath called you out of darkness into His marvellous light" (1 Peter 2: 9). As in the physical sphere, so in the spiritual, darkness and light are the opposite of each other, and cannot in the nature of things intermingle. Man is thus by nature in total ignorance of God; the prince of darkness, having complete control of the mind, filling it with false thoughts of God. Sin, and nothing but sin, marks those who are so deeply alienated.

An everlasting night of darkness must have been the portion, of us all had not God intervened in the plenitude of His grace. "Through the tender mercy of our God the dayspring from on high hath visited us, to give light to them that sit in darkness, and in the shadow of death" (Luke 1: 78-79). John tersely speaks of the Saviour's coming thus: "In Him was life; and the life was the light of men" (John 1: 4). Christ was thus the revelation of God to men for their, blessing. The cross could alone adequately declare all that God is; that mighty event has shown for ever His immaculate holiness and love.

When Christ becomes known to the soul by faith there is a very real and positive shining of God into the heart. This dispels a man's moral darkness once for all. Hence forward he walks in the light of the knowledge of God and His Son. He is "light in the Lord" a "child of light," a "son of the day" (Eph. 5: 8; 1 Thess. 5: 5). He has the light of life, and from him in consequence goes forth a holy reflection of Christ in his ways. He puts off the world of darkness, and puts on the armour of light. In him is seen the fruit of the light in all goodness and righteousness and truth. He has no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather exposes them (Rom. 13: 12; Eph. 5: 8-11). His whole life is a divine testimony in the midst of the moral gloom of this evil world. How deep and fundamental is the difference between those who believe and those who believe not! The one class walk by faith in the light now, and will dwell in, heaven's light eternally. The other grope in darkness now, and have nothing before them but blackness of darkness for ever.

REPENTANCE.

Repentance is treated in Holy Writ as the natural concomitant of faith. Hence the Apostle preached to both Jews and Gentiles "repentance toward God; and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ" (Acts 20: 21). What is this repentance? It may be defined as self-judgement or self-loathing. Now, seeing that we are all far more prone to judge others rather than ourselves, and to see other people's sins more readily than our own, repentance, such as God looks for, must be, like faith, divinely wrought in the soul.

Perhaps the greatest preacher of repentance the world has ever known was John the Baptist. It was one of the most striking features of his testimony. His austere manner gave such offence to his contemporaries that they declared he had a demon. He was certainly a great leveller. All classes felt the sting of his words. Pharisees, punctilious in their religiousness though they were winced under his stern denunciations of unreality. Sadducees also, who were characterised by their free handling of divine revelation, whereby they sought to eliminate from it all that is supernatural, trembled at the preacher's burning words. John did not hesitate to call both Pharisees and Sadducees "a brood of vipers." Yet, while doing this, he was by no means a companion of present-day Socialistic demagogues who have eyes only for the sins of the rich and exalted; tax-gatherers, soldiers, and the common people in general all felt the severity of his lash in their turn.

The truth is that the whole human family, high and low, learned and unlearned, religious and irreligious, is by nature in a condition of alienation from God. Hence Paul's statement when at Athens: "God commandeth all men everywhere to repent" (Acts 17: 30). For our help, we are furnished in the Scriptures with examples of repentance in persons drawn from all classes, both social and moral. Who is not familiar with the Miserere, Psalm 51? It is the confession of a king. Who has not heard of the words of sorrow for sin that were uttered in the ears of the dying Saviour at Calvary? It was the confession of a common thief. We recall also the wail of the upright Job, "Behold, I am vile"; and the lowly acknowledgement of the once self-righteous Paul that he was "the chief of sinners."

It is the goodness of God that leads to repentance; (Romans 2: 4). When the eyes of a man become opened to the truth concerning the God with whom we have to do, when all His love and grace pass in review before his soul, the natural pride and rebellion of his heart utterly gives way, and he is glad to lie in dust and ashes at His blessed feet. When the stupendous thought is grasped (fathomed it never can be) that God sacrificed His only-begotten Son for the putting away of our abominable sins and iniquities, even the most stout-hearted is constrained to yield. And what next? "A broken and a contrite heart, O God, Thou wilt not despise" (Ps. 51: 17)

LOVE.

God is not light only; He is also love. Light and love are not mere attributes of the Deity, as righteousness and holiness; they are the very nature of God. Light condemns sin, and demands judgement upon it; love seeks the salvation of the sinner; and has provided an all-sufficient sacrifice for sin. Hence the magnificent Gospel message: "God so loved the world that He gave His Only-begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life" (John 3: 16). These words came from the lips of none other than the Only-begotten Son Himself. The cross declares God's love in all its fullness of meaning. What it cost Him to put the Son of His love in the sinner's place none of us will ever comprehend. If the cross of Calvary fails to convince men of God's fervent desire for their blessing, nothing else, whether deeds or words; could ever prove convincing.

Scripture describes man as a naturally loveless creature. Amiable qualities he may indeed possess, but love is lacking. "Hateful and hating one another" is God's description of the revolted human family (Titus 3: 3). The whole law is summarised in the commandments to love God with all the heart, and one's neighbour as one's self. But where is the natural pan who does either Christ is the true test of man's condition in this as in everything else. He was once here tabernacling amongst us as God manifested in flesh. Was He loved as such? Having become man He thereby became man's neighbour; was He loved in this character either? Both as God and man He was hated and rejected, even unto death; what can be said for man in view of such an appalling fact?

It would be as reasonable to look for grapes on a bramble-bush as to look for love to God in the heart of the natural man. The heart must welcome to itself God's great love ere it can move aright towards God. The response soon follows the reception of the love of God. "We have known and believed the love that God hath toward us" says the happy Apostle. He adds almost immediately: "We love Him because He first loved us" (1 John 4: 16-19). Love to God and Christ, love to the brotherhood! love to all men, flows naturally from the heart that has been filled and warmed with the infinite love of God. What is impossible to the unregenerate man is the most natural thing conceivable to all who are born of the Holy Spirit. They are partakers; through grace, of the divine nature.

GOOD WORKS.

Good works have invariably been held in high esteem amongst men, but it has sometimes happened that they have been accorded a false place in the mind. Some, for example, have judged them to be the sole procuring cause of salvation; others; not caring to go so far, have considered that they at least help forward the matter, even if something divine is required in addition. Both opinions are at fault, if Scripture is to be believed. If it is indeed true that the fleshly mind is enmity against God. filled with rebellion against His law, and incapable of being brought into subjection thereto, then it follows that "they that are in the flesh (i.e. the unregenerate) cannot please God" (Rom. 8: 7; 8). This entirely disposes of the notion that human works of any kind can contribute in the smallest degree to the salvation of the soul. God's titles for the varied products of our fallen nature are "dead works" and "wicked works."

Salvation is the fruit of a totally different principle. "By grace are ye saved, through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: not of works lest any man should boast" (Eph. 2: 8-9). He who knows the plague of his own heart will be grateful for such a statement as this. Such a principle as grace gives hope for the most unworthy; indeed it opens the door for us all. But grace must have a foundation of righteousness on which to work; else the grace of God would be mere trifling with sins which is impossible. The majesty of the divine throne must be upheld at whatever cost; the holiness of the divine nature must be met in all its claims and dues. Here the cross of Christ comes in, which is at once the full answer to all the divine requirements and the very expression of all the grace of the heart of God towards erring man.

In the presence of the stupendous work of the cross, none of us dare entertain the thought of salvation by our own efforts. Had this been possible for any, then surely Christ died in vain. Nor dare we think to add to the virtue of that work by our own petty deeds, however and whenever performed. Either notion would really be an insult to Him who suffered immeasurably for our blessing.

What, then, is the true place assigned to good works in God's great plan? They follow salvation as naturally as fruit springs from a living tree. The New Testament epistles are full of strongly worded exhortations as to the propriety of good works, but they are all addressed to those possessed of living faith in the Son of God. Paul, Peter, John, and especially James, all insist earnestly that they that believe should be careful to maintain good works. Christianity is a vital reality, and revolutionary in its effects when really received into the soul. It makes the proud man humble, the selfish man unselfish, and the thief a worker and a giver. There is no moral force in the world to be compared with the true grace of God revealed in Christianity.

Nothing acceptable can be rendered to God until all His gifts of love have been received; then begins a holy activity which will not end with this fading scene, but will be continued in His heavenly presence for ever.

RIGHTEOUSNESS.

Righteousness may be defined as uprightness and consistency in our moral relationships. Tested by, this standard the whole human family must be brought in guilty. What avails it that a man be ever so scrupulous in his dealings with his fellow creatures if he breaks down in his responsibilities towards God? For man's highest relationship is with God, who is at once his Creator and Governor.

It was a pitiful sight that God beheld when He took His survey of men in the manner described in Ps. 14. "The Lord looked down from heaven upon the children of men to see if there were any that did understand, and seek God." His verdict was: "There is none righteous, no, not one; there is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable: there is none that doeth good, no, not one" (Rom. 3: 10-12). In view of such sweeping statements as these, it is sheer insensibility to the true condition of things for any to plead righteousness with God. It is more becoming on the part of us all to acknowledge ourselves verily guilty, and then cast ourselves unreservedly on God's unlimited grace.

God in His perfect wisdom has found a way whereby He can justify the ungodly, and yet maintain His own inflexible righteousness. The cross has made possible what otherwise would have been morally impossible. Christ's redemptive work has so perfectly satisfied the claims of divine righteousness that God now proclaims Him as a mercy-seat to which all who feel their need may with confidence approach. God has publicly signified His acceptance of the work of Jesus by raising Him from among the dead, and glorifying Him in Himself above. The moment a man turns from himself to God, pleading the death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus, he is divinely cleared from all charge of guilt, and henceforward stands before God in all the efficacy of Christ's atoning sacrifice. It is righteousness without works, celebrated by David in his thirty-second Psalm, and illustrated long before in Abraham the believer (Rom. 4: 1-8).

The most righteous man that ever lived Saul the Pharisee rejected with loathing the thought of merit in all his once-boasted-of attainments when he saw the righteousness which is of God by faith. Christ; in whom all blessing is centred, became from that moment his glory and delight. He described the new position of Christians to the Corinthian believers thus: "Of Him are ye in Christ Jesus who from God is made unto us... righteousness" (1 Cor. 1: 30).

From this flows righteousness in the dealings of every-day life. With one accord the inspired writers of the New Testament press the exceeding importance of practical righteousness in all whom God has justified. The Gospel is belied where this is neglected or repudiated. An unblemished life, which is impossible for the sinner, is more that possible for the saint.

CONVERSION.

Conversion is a moral necessity for all who would have to do with God in peace and blessing. The Saviour indicated its indispensability plainly enough when He said, "Verily, I say unto you, except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall in no wise enter into the kingdom of heaven" (Matthew 18: 3). The statement is startling in its peremptoriness; put in such a form it constrains us to pause and inquire what this conversion means. To have any misunderstanding here would clearly be fatal to any of us.

Of all the pictures of conversion given to us in the Scriptures, none is more expressive than that of the Thessalonians. Their city had been steeped in idolatry from its foundation, and with the exception of a few Jews who worshipped Jehovah, all the Thessalonians bowed down to the deities of the heathen. Suddenly there entered the place a small band of itinerant preachers, who proclaimed not only the living and true God Whom the Jews acknowledged, but also His Son, Jesus Christ. Concerning the Son of God, they told of His death and resurrection, His entrance into heaven, and His future coming for the full deliverance of all His people. The preaching gripped the hearts of many. Dead deities they had long known, but a living God was a new idea! Deities supposed to be possessed of every savage passion they had long served, but a self-sacrificing Saviour aroused thoughts and feelings in their minds such as they had never experienced before. One of the preachers afterwards described the effect thus:  -  Ye turned to God from idols, to serve the living and true God; and to wait for His Son from heaven, Whom He raised from the dead even Jesus, Who delivered us from the wrath to come" (1 Thess. 1: 9-10).

"Ye turned to God!" That is conversion. The necessity for it arises from the fact that we are all sprung from a corrupt stock; every individual on earth having been shapen in iniquity, and conceived in sin. It is natural to every child of Adam to go astray like a lost sheep. The divine judgement of our whole race was long ago expressed in the sorrowful words: "They are all gone out of the way; they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no not one" (Rom. 3: 12).

"Ye turned to God," wrote the Apostle to the Thessalonians. The forceful preaching to which they listened brought them face to face, as it were; with God. In His light they saw light. The awfulness of sin, and especially the vanity of idolatry, was thus brought home to their hearts and consciences; terrible lessons truly for any to have to learn. But it was a Saviour-God to whom they turned; hence not terror nor despair, but rest, peace, and satisfaction became their portion, as they learned of His tremendous sacrifice of love when He gave up His only-begotten Son to death for their salvation. Never again could they turn their backs upon such a God; He had fixed and attracted their hearts for ever. "Ye turned to God!" Yes, that is Scriptural conversion, and that only.

TRUTH.

"What is truth?" The question was once asked by a high Roman official under peculiarly solemn circumstances, but with a flippancy that argued no real longing in his soul for a satisfactory answer. After addressing his question to the only Being in the universe who could answer it, he turned to the clamouring multitude at his palace gates, and surrendered his admittedly blameless Prisoner to their will. The favour of Caesar, even the favour of a fickle crowd, was more to him than God and the truth. It was a truly pitiful scene.

To every serious inquirer after truth (and there have been such in all ages and in every land) God points the finger to Christ. In Him is the truth, and in Him alone. "The law was given by Moses; grace and truth came by Jesus Christ" (John 1: 17). The law of Sinai is true, but it could not be said to be "the truth." It expressed in measure God's abhorrence of sin, and it showed His claim to man's allegiance, but GOD was unrevealed by it. None of the ten commandments suggested that behind them was a heart of infinite love which had long before planned to yield up its dearest Object to the agony of the cross for the salvation of offenders. Given too, as it was, to men on the earth, there was nothing in the law to suggest that God had ages! before formed a purpose to have multitudes of men in His own presence for ever, sharing the heavenly glory and blessedness of the Firstborn Son.

Christ is the Revealer of God. Before His incarnation clouds and darkness more or less hid the Creator from the ken of His creatures. Christ's coming into the world has made known all that God is. His love, His grace, His holiness, His righteousness, have all been expressed perfectly in Jesus Christ. He who would know God need not study nature or providence for this purpose (these at best only declare parts of His ways); Christ and Christ alone is the manifestation of God to man. We recall His own words: "I am the way, the truth, and the life; no man cometh unto the Father, but by Me" (John 10: 6).

But not only has Christ's coming brought out the truth as to God; it has revealed the truth as to man also. Corruption and violence had marked man's course here ever since the fall; the advent of the Son proved that man is an incorrigible God hater, even though God was visiting the earth with a heart full of love, and with hands burdened with blessings. When they saw the Son, they said: "This is the Heir; come, let us kill Him" (Matt. 21: 38). In the presence of such a crime, still unrepented of, let non- speak of improving or ameliorating the condition of human nature. All such dreams are idleness and folly. Nothing avails for any but a new creation. "Ye must be born anew."

The truth as to Satan has also been manifested by Christ's coming into the world. For ages he had been the chief rebel in the universe, not only transgressing against God himself, but inciting others also to rebellion; the presence of the Son in human flesh developed the murderer in him. He it was who led all classes on to the murder of their Creator and Lord.

"What is truth?" No more important question could possibly be raised. Tremendous issues depend upon the answer the soul accepts to the esquire. Christ is the only true test and touchstone for us all. In Him, and in Him alone, the soul finds all its problems solved for ever.

NEW BIRTH.

It was a severe set-back to Nicodemus when our Lord said to him, "Ye must be born anew" (John 3: 7). The circumstances were very remarkable. The Lord had but a little while before come up to Israel's stately city of ceremonies from the Galilean village in which He resided. Being indignant at what He beheld in the temple, He forthwith purged it before the very eyes of the authorities. After such an act it was a great thing for Nicodemus, one of the principal religious leaders of the people, to visit Him and say: "Rabbi, we know that Thou art a Teacher come from God." It was in answer to this greeting that our Lord insisted upon the necessity of new birth for every one, and for Nicodemus in particular.

The visitor was puzzled. Had the Saviour asserted that publicans and sinners needed to be born anew in order to enter the kingdom of God, he would have understood Him more readily; but the Lord made it a personal thing for himself — "YE must be born anew." Was he not both upright and moral, and withal an instructor of God's people? What more could be required? Surely, such a man as he merited favour from God?

Many in this day are as perplexed as to this matter as Nicodemus. The human heart is slow to admit that we have all sprung from a corrupt stock; that we all entered the world morally tainted; in a word, that our very nature (to say nothing of our actions) is unsuitable to God and to His holy presence. Yet it is true. Every man, therefore; however excellent in the eyes of his fellows, needs a new and spiritual life from God. How is this life implanted in the soul? By the Holy Spirit's application of the Word of God, which is likened to water in John 3: 5, and to incorruptible seed in 1 Peter 1: 2, 3. Persons are spiritually begotten, not by ordinances, but by means of the Gospel (1 Cor. 4: 15).

And what is the Gospel? The Saviour presented it, as it were, in a nutshell to Nicodemus during their midnight talk. He announced himself as "He that came down from heaven" — a divine person tabernacling in flesh. Then He declared that "as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have eternal life." He followed this up with the wonderful statement that "God so loved the world that He gave His Only-begotten Son." All is told out here. Our only hope is in the once-crucified Son of Man. His cross has secured life and healing for all who believe. The moment the eye of faith turns to Him there is wrought in the soul by the divine Spirit that new life of which our Lord spoke, which fits the soul for God and for the light of His sacred presence for ever.

LAW.

We refer to the law of God, given under most impressive circumstances at Mount Sinai. "Wherefore serveth the law?" asks the Apostle in Gal. 3: 19 the point of his enquiry being the object fort which the law was given. In the opinion of many, both in his day and in our own, it was furnished as a means whereby men might attain to righteousness before God. But is this the teaching of Holy Scripture?

It is most certain that God's purposes of blessing were formed long before the day of Sinai. His heavenly elect (Christians) were chosen before the foundation of the world (Eph. 1: 4); and His earthly elect (Israel) were certainly before His mind as far back as the Babel-scattering (Deut. 32: 7-8). The law, then, whatever its value, has nothing to do with the blessing of God's people. Their blessing rests upon an entirely different basis.

"Wherefore then serveth the law; It was added because of transgressions, till the Seed should come," etc. Here we have God's answer to the query. All hope of salvation for men rested from the first on the long-promised Seed — the Son of God. For His advent the pious yearned and prayed for ages. God filled the waiting time with instruction of the deepest possible importance, using various means for this purpose. Thus the law was given in order to make manifest the awful evil of sin, God intending in this way to prepare men for the coming of the Sin Bearer. Tested by the holy enactments of Sinai, men found themselves transgressors. Such is man's nature that the application of God's law to it only provokes its evil. Hence the startling statement "the strength of sin is the law" (1 Cor. 15: 56). As a natural consequence, therefore, "the law worketh wrath" (Rom. 4: 15); it can do naught but curse all who are under its claim (Gal. 3: 10). In keeping with this the law is described in 2 Cor. 3 as the ministration of condemnation and of death. As a plummet it shows man his crookedness; as a mirror it shows him his vileness; but help him it cannot. "It is weak through the flesh" (Rom. 8: 3).

Whom the law can only curse, grace can both justify and save. Our hope, then, as ruined ones, is in the abounding grace of God. This marvellous grace found its full expression at Calvary, when the Only-begotten Son of God suffered and died in order that guilty ones might be blessed. Apart from law altogether God has manifested His righteousness, which is unto all (in its scope), and (in its application) upon all them that believe (Rom. 3: 21). Righteousness apart from works is the amazing principle of Christianity (Rom. 4: 6). It is hard to surrender the pride and self-importance so natural to the flesh; yet he who is prepared to humble himself at the divine feet, and take the worthless sinner's place, pleading only Christ and His blood, will be eternally saved, and that without labour and without cost.

FORGIVENESS.

"I believe in the forgiveness of sins." Familiar words, often used by our fellow-men in the presence of God. Yet it is to be feared that many who thus speak would hesitate to assert that their own sins are forgiven, and that they stand perfectly clear before the throne of God for ever. Under such circumstances, one naturally inquires, "Whose sins do they believe in the forgiveness of?"

Certainly, there is not a soul who does not need, forgiveness, though we do at times fall in with some of the ninety-and-nine just persons who judge that they have no need of repentance. But they are deceiving themselves. The wise man's words are all too true: "There is not a just man upon earth that doeth good and sinneth not" (Eccles. 7: 20). The summing up of the Apostle is even more conclusive: "There is no difference, for all have sinned and come short of the glory of God" (Rom. 3: 23). Such comprehensive language leaves no door of escape for any; the whole human family is brought thereby under the judgement of God. Moreover, from such a condition none can extricate themselves; no amount of human effort, as amendment of life, almsgiving, etc., can possibly purge away a single sin.

In such circumstances one's heart turns in all its helplessness to the One against whom all our sins have been committed. In Him is mercy, compassion, and love. And there is more. In Him is the matchless wisdom that has found a way whereby He can fully and frankly forgive the sinner, and yet retain the righteous consistency of His throne. That way is Christ, "whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation (or mercy seat) through faith in His blood" (Rom. 3: 25). If this is the character of Him with whom we have to do, let us away with both the pride that refuses to acknowledge its guilt, and the despair that feels its sins are too grievous to be forgiven. For some are afflicted with the one disease, and some with the other. Nearly nineteen hundred years ago Paul made proclamation in the Pisidian Antioch — "Be it known unto you that through this Man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins" (Acts 13: 38); and the proclamation has not yet been withdrawn by the God who authorised it. Such a welcome as the scapegrace of Luke 15 received on his return to his father is awaiting all who will return in true contrition unto our God. The kiss of forgiveness and the ring of endless love are favours He delights to bestow.

GRACE.

The usual definition of grace "unmerited favour" does not suffice as a description of the grace of God. A coin given to a wayside beggar is grace in the usual and human sense, but there is little in common between such a deed and the gracious ways of God as revealed in the Gospel. We would prefer to define divine grace as the active exercise of love towards those who have no claim.

Assuredly none of us have the smallest claim on God. Men in their natural state are described by the Holy Spirit as "foolish, disobedient. deceived, serving divers lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy; hateful, and hating one another" (Titus 3: 3). Such a condition could not possibly attracts but must rather repel, an infinitely holy God. Yet the Gospel proclaims that God loved not merely, pitied, but loved men so morally ruined and undone. Hence the passage already quoted goes on to speak of "the kindness and love of God our Saviour, toward man"; telling us, too, that "according to His mercy He saved us," and that all who believe are "justified by His grace, and made heirs together according to the hope of eternal life." This is! worthy of God. He blesses and saves in the sovereignty of His love! finding sufficient cause in Himself; though none be found in man.

On this principle Israel was blessed in a past age. They were divinely favoured, not because of merit in themselves that distinguished them from all others; but because of the sovereign grace of God towards them. On identically the same principle souls are blessed in Christianity. It is not the good folk, the workers for reward, who receive special notice from God, but publicans and sinners, harlots and outcasts, the base and the foolish. Believing in the Son of God, all these are cleansed from their sins by His blood, and "made meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light" (Col. 1: 12). In the ages to come God will show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness towards them in Christ Jesus (Eph. 2: 7).

All the energy of the divine heart is engaged in the blessing of sinners. God loves to bless. The leading principle in the well-known parables of Luke 15 is the joy each Person in the Trinity finds in the salvation of the perishing. The shepherd rejoiced in having found his sheep, the woman in having recovered her silver, and the father in receiving home his wandering son. The Son, the Spirit, and the Father are respectively set forth in these parables in their loving interest in men.

The human heart rebels against the principle of grace. "To him that worketh not" grates sadly upon many ears (Rom. 4: 5). "Without money and without price" has no pleasant sound for the self-righteous and proud. Naaman was offended at the simplicity of God's ways, and his followers are offended still. Yet it is impossible that works should have any place in men's salvation. "If by grace, then it is no longer of works; otherwise, grace is no longer grace" (Rom. 11: 6). The principle of works glorifies man; the principle of grace glorifies God. This last must prevail; to God must be all glory, both now and evermore.

JUSTIFICATION.

It was a great moment for his own soul, and fraught with immense consequences for many others when Luther learned from God that justification is by faith alone. For centuries the mass in Christendom had groaned under the mistaken notion that only by toilsome works and the observance of religious ordinances could men hope to stand ultimately in the favour of God. The truth was all along enshrined in the Scriptures, but somehow the eyes of men were holden that they could not see it.

To justify a man is to reckon him righteous. Against such an one no charge can ever be brought; before the throne of judgement he stands acquitted for ever. To justify one who has committed no offence is a simple matter, of which every magisterial bench in the world is capable. But to justify a sinner is another matter altogether; this presents a problem that only God can solve. Both Job and his friend Bildad long ago raised the question, "How can man be just with God?" (Job 9: 25); both having before their minds the fact that man is fallen and guilty. Their question found no definite answer in Old Testament times; for this, as for the solution of many another riddle, men had to wait until God sent forth His beloved Son. "But now," says the Apostle, "the righteousness of God is manifested" (Rom. 3: 21). It is offered "unto all," and it is "upon all them that believe." Its foundation is the blood of Christ; which, shed once upon the cross of Calvary, has answered all the claims of the throne of God in regard to the sins of all God's people, whether they be Jews or Gentiles. Christ's resurrection is the token before all eyes that God's righteous claims have been satisfied. The Man who bore my sins in His own body on the tree is now sitting on the throne of God without one of them. For Him; condemnation is past for ever; and in Him every believer is justified from all things. The believer possesses in Christ a life which is characterised by resurrection-power, and to which no charge of sin can ever be attached. This is what is meant by "justification of life" in Rom. 5: 18. From such a vantage ground the Christian is able to challenge all his foes: "Who shall lay anything to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth; who is he that condemneth?" (Rom. 8: 33, 34). The very righteousness of God, so dreaded by the guilty, becomes the safeguard and boast of the justified.

The Apostle James has been thought to contradict in his epistle the Pauline doctrine of justification by faith. Even Luther failed to reconcile the teaching of the two inspired writers. Whatever difficulty the reader may find vanishes immediately the fact is grasped that Paul is occupied (in Rom. 3: 5) with the justification of the ungodly, while James (in James 2) speaks of the justification of the godly. The one is before God and the other is before men. God justifies the ungodly on the principle of faith; it is of grace alone, works being altogether excluded; the godly justify themselves (i.e., their confession) before men by their good works, hence the statement of James 2: 18. "I will show thee my faith by my works." A life abundant in good works naturally results from the possession of a living faith; when the works are lacking, we may well doubt the profession of the lips.

No man could well be more occupied with self-righteousness than Saul of Tarsus, but there came a day when God revealed Christ to his soul, and divine righteousness in Him. From that moment all his boast was in Christ alone.

IMMORTALITY.

Man is the most richly endowed creature in the universe, so far as Scripture speaks. While the possession of soul and body allies him to the brute creation, his higher faculty — the spirit — assimilates him to the angels. Yet man's position is more wonderful than even that of the heavenly host, in that he is the divinely constituted head and centre of a system. For everything in this world is dependent upon, and revolves around, man.

Eight times in the New Testament the human body is said to be mortal; but not once is the word used of man's soul and spirit. Our Lord's words in Matt. 10: 28 are decisive that the soul, in contrast with the body, is deathless. "Fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul." Man having received his being by the inbreathing of God has a character of life essentially different from that possessed by the brutes. HE can say, "The breath of the Almighty hath given me life"; THEY are "natural brute beasts made to be taken and destroyed" (Job 33: 4; 2 Peter 2: 12).

Man's constitution and being are altogether unique. As bearing God's image, he is the intelligent link between God and the lower creatures, having been placed among and over them as God's representative; as bearing God's likeness he is a moral being, capable of entering into relations with God as those under him could not possibly do. This world has witnessed no greater catastrophe than the fall of man. In one moment this highly gifted creature became a moral wreck, everything subordinate to him was involved in ruin, and all God's delight in the works of His hands was destroyed. "It repented the Lord that He had made man on the earth, and it grieved Him at His heart" (Gen. 6: 6).

We are face to face to-day with this tremendous fact: the whole human family in its millions of immortal beings in high revolt against its Creator and Lord. But such is the love of God that He has provided a way of salvation for all at the infinite cost of the blood of His own well-beloved Son. All who receive Him in faith are awarded a better portion than that which was forfeited by the fall. Eden is lost irretrievably; but heaven stands open for all believers. In this way has our wonder working God triumphed over all Satan's machinations and man's sin, gaining for Himself thereby an everlasting name. Amidst the blessedness of the Father's house the redeemed of earth will for ever ascribe the glory of their salvation to God and the Lamb. Not a single child of Adam need be outside of this; the heart of God yearns over all alike, and He has taken infinite pains in order to make His goodness and mercy known. How awful that any being possessed of immortality should wantonly involve himself in an eternity of woe for the sake of a few years of self-indulgence and sin in this blighted scene!

(See also "The dead: where are they?" by the same Author).

CONSCIENCE.

Conscience may be defined in a twofold way: (1) as a sense of responsibility, and (2) as a knowledge of good and evil. The first man was created with a sense of responsibility. From the beginning he knew that he was a moral being, whose life had been communicated to him by the in-breathing of God; but it could not be said that in his unfallen state he had the knowledge of good and evil. It was impossible in the nature of things that he could have such knowledge, seeing that he was surrounded by good, and nothing but good. Wherever his eye turned he saw nothing but what spoke to him of God, his kind and beneficent Creator. His innocent mind did not come into contact with evil until the fatal day when he and his wife listened to the promptings of the serpent, and disobeyed God in the matter of the forbidden fruit. Then he acquired in the fullest sense what we commonly call conscience; so that from that day he not only had a sense of responsibility, but he also had the faculty of discerning good and evil. "The Lord said, behold the man is become as one of Us, to know good and evil" (Gen. 3: 22). Alas, for man, Conscience whispers to him ever and again, telling him where his duty lies; but fallen nature is at all times disposed to shirk the good and practise the evil. Conscience is a useful monitor; but it is too much subject to influence and pressure to be an infallible guide. Conscience may become "seared as with a hot iron" (1 Tim. 4: 2). Of what value is it then? Saul of Tarsus with a perfectly good conscience shed the blood of Christians, thinking that he "ought to do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth" (Acts 23: 1; Acts 24: 9). The unenlightened heathen have consciences which bear witness to them (Rom. 2: 15); yet they debase themselves with idolatry.

The truth is; the human conscience needs to be brought under the holy influence of the Spirit of God, in order that its functions may be healthily developed. Then it becomes the most morally sensitive faculty conceivable; it shrinks with abhorrence from every form of evil, and approves and earnestly pursues all that is excellent and good. But when the conscience first becomes awakened by God it is a solemn business. Sin becomes viewed as the mind never viewed it before; in the light of God all its horribleness becomes apparent. "Woe is me! I am undone," cries the alarmed sinner. Then comes the sweet assurance, divinely imparted, that the blood of Jesus has made full atonement for sin. That precious blood is sprinkled (figuratively speaking) upon the sinner's conscience, and it becomes purged for ever. A more wonderful boon than a "purged conscience" could not be imagined (Heb. 10: 2, 22). He who has it can appreciate the words of the poet:

"Not a cloud above,

Not a spot within."

JUDGEMENT.

Judgement is a strange word to a God of infinite love. To show mercy is His delight; in executing judgement His heart finds no pleasure. But every Sovereign must of necessity be a judge; how much more Him who is not only Sovereign but Creator? If judgement could be dispensed with, the whole moral order of the universe must collapse. No throne, human or divine, could stand.

As in creation and redemption, so in judgement, the Son is the Person who represents the activity of the Godhead. "The Father judgeth no one, but hath committed all judgement unto the Son" (John 5: 22). Thus the One who once died for sinful men will, at God's appointed season, be men's final Judge. Grace and forbearance characterise the divine dealings in the present age; judgement will mark the ages that are to come. Peter, in his address to Cornelius, spoke of judgement for quick and dead, a dual thought clearly confessed in the creeds of Christendom. The judgement of the quick precedes the judgement of the dead, beginning, as it does, on that solemn day when Christ will be publicly manifested in glory, accompanied by all His saints. This event is at least a thousand years before the end. The principal incidents in the judgement of the quick are (1) the destruction of the armed hosts (European) who will oppose the Lamb at His appearing; (2) the overthrow of Israel's great Northern foe (Russia); (3) the annihilation of Edom for its persistent hatred to God's chosen people; and (4) the sessional judgement upon the nations who have had the Gospel of the kingdom proclaimed to them. These incidents will be found prophetically described in Rev. 19: 11-21, Ezek. 38-39., Isa. 63: 1-6, Matt. 25: 31-46. To these visitations may be added the divine dealing with the revolt at the close of Christ's reign —  i.e., a thousand years after His glorious appearing. (Rev. 20: 7-9).

The judgement of the dead is another matter altogether. In the judgement of the quick the redeemed will have some part ("Do ye not know that the saints will judge the world?" — 1 Cor. 6: 2); in the judgement of the dead, with its issues for eternity? no throne appears but one, and no judge but Him who is the Supreme over all (Rev. 20: 11-15). On that awful day, at the very close of the ages of time, men will be confronted with the record of their deeds to their horror and dismay. Not a single lost one but must appear before that dread tribunal. The proudest heart will be constrained then to bow; and the haughtiest knee must bend in acknowledgement of the Lordship of Jesus. From His verdict there is no appeal; the decision is final, irrevocable, and eternal.

How comforting to the sin-burdened soul it is to know that there is a perfect refuge from the judgement conscience so much dreads! The atoning blood of Jesus justifies God in bestowing a full pardon upon every believing soul." Hath everlasting life... shall not come into judgement... is passed from death unto life" is the divine description of the happy position of all who trust in the Son (John 5: 24). For those so blessed judgement, whether of quick or dead, has no alarm.

SALVATION.

Salvation is only needed by those who are in distress or danger. It is not too much to say that the whole human family is in deadly peril through sin. Every member of our race enters the world morally poisoned; for who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean? Not only this, but at the earliest possible stage each one enters upon a career of active transgression against God. Yet, though sin is exceedingly hateful in the eyes of God, the condition of the sinner does not excite His aversion, but rather His deep compassion and love. Hence Paul speaks repeatedly of Him as "God our Saviour." In His great mind a plan of salvation was formed even before sin made its appearance in this world.

As in creation, so in the matter of salvation, the Son is the person Who works out the divine purpose to its appointed end. He came into the world to save sinners; yet men are not saved by His incarnation, but by His atoning death. The death of Christ has furnished God with an irrefragable ground of righteousness on which to act in His grace towards perishing men. Nothing is demanded from men but faith — simple confidence in God and His beloved Son. He who in his deep need turns his eye in faith to God and Christ becomes at once entitled to all the advantages of Christ's most costly sacrifice.

Salvation is presented in the New Testament in a threefold way. (1) It is a PRESENT thing, in the sense of acceptance with God. The Christian is now "in Christ," and is consequently beyond condemnation, justified and reconciled. He stands in the divine favour now and for ever, and is loved as Christ is loved. So we read in Eph. 2: 8. "By grace ye are saved through faith." In 2 Tim. 1: 9 also: "God who hath saved us." The Spirit's use of the present tense in these passages should dissipate every unbelieving doubt and fear. Doubts and fears are an insult to the love of God and a dishonour to the work of the Lord Jesus.

(2) Salvation is also a PROGRESSIVE thing, but in this aspect it is not acceptance with God that is in view, but the difficulties of the daily path. These are very many, and often very serious. The power of Satan, the allurements of the world, and the treachery of the heart within are a trinity of opponents not to be treated lightly by the devout. But Christ is able to save to the uttermost them that come unto God by Him? "seeing He ever liveth to make intercession for them" (Heb. 7: 25). This is an effectual guarantee that every saint, however harassed, will reach the destined goal. Christ's present ministry of intercession is the assurance that not one of His own will be suffered to perish on the road.

(3) Salvation is, moreover, a FUTURE thing; in this sense it includes the body as well as the soul. Though free and happy in spirit in the consciousness of the love of God, the believer is frequently constrained to groan by reason of his unchanged body. His body is a link with the yet undelivered creation, and in sympathy with it his groan ascends to God. This will cease at Christ's return. "Unto them that look for Him shall He appear the second time, apart from sin unto salvation" (Heb. 9: 28). The first coming of Christ met the need of the soul; His second coming in glory will meet the need of the body.

What anguish men will experience who place themselves entirely outside of this great salvation by their rejection of the Saviour-Son of God!

MERCY.

Mercy pre-supposes guilt in the person to whom it is shown. If there were no offence, there would be no need of mercy. In the present condition of human affairs the man who would repudiate his need of mercy would be a strange person indeed. It matters little that some are five hundred pence debtors and others but fifty; all are alike bankrupt, and dependent upon the mercy of God for escape from eternal ruin.

"God, who is rich in mercy." So the Apostle wrote in Eph. 2: 4: "Rich" is a word deep and full when applied to the most exalted Being in the universe. Mercy is a quality in which He abounds beyond the competency of any creature mind to comprehend. But righteousness and holiness —  qualities of a very different character — are also found in God, or He would not be the absolutely perfect One that He is. The cross alone reconciles these in their application to guilty man. Hence the magnificent statement of the Psalmist: "Mercy and truth are met together; righteousness and peace have kissed each other" (Ps. 85: 10). Truth and righteousness demanded justice on offenders; mercy and peace provided the costly sacrifice which has answered all the claims of God's throne, and secured pardon and eternal blessing for all who believe.

He who penned the words "God, who is rich in mercy," also wrote "I obtained mercy." So sweet was the thought to his soul that he states it twice in the first chapter of his first epistle to Timothy. It was not a mere doctrine with him that such a quality is found in God; he had himself experienced its beneficent action. Yet he was not a moral reprobate. His early course had not been of that scandalous character which merits the just censure of the honourable and the upright. From his youth he had been a religious devotee, zealous beyond all his contemporaries, and blameless in the eyes of the law. It was the discovery that along with his religiousness and morality there was real and deep aversion of heart to God and His Son that constrained him to call himself "chief of sinners," and to cast himself upon divine mercy.

The first drink at mercy's stream transforms the sinner into a saint. All such are bound for glory. Every vessel of mercy will share eternally the bliss of the Son of God. But mercy is needed all along the road, so frail is the truest and best. How comforting therefore the invitation to the tried pilgrim: "Let us come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need" (Heb. 4: 16). Thus it is mercy at the beginning of a man's Christian course, mercy from day to day, and mercy at the close when Christ comes again. Therefore the exhortation of Jude the Apostle: "Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life."

ETERNAL LIFE.

Eternal life has been erroneously regarded by some as synonymous with immortality. The mistake is a serious one, because it confounds what God has given to all men in the way of nature with what His grace bestows on those who believe in His Son. By the divine in-breathing at the beginning God was pleased to confer upon our race a character of being which is inextinguishable. This we call immortality; and it is possessed by all men alike, whether their eternal destiny be one of bliss or woe.

Eternal life is a totally distinct thing. It is most certain that the contemporaries of our Lord regarded it as an immense boon to be earnestly desired; the various questions that were addressed to Him concerning it leading us to this conclusion. All his inquirers seemed to be of one mind in supposing it to be the reward of human effort; the earnest young ruler of Mark 10. and the captious lawyer of Luke 10. both putting their question in the same form: "Master, what must I DO to inherit eternal life?" It was natural that they should speak thus; for among men every desirable thing is only obtained by, money or toil. Yet if they had realised man's true condition in God's sight and their own condition in particular, they would have expressed themselves differently. Has not the Spirit of God described men as "dead in trespasses and sins?" (Eph. 2: 1). What can the dead do? Did not the Saviour liken men to a debtor who "had nothing to pay?" (Luke 7: 42). What price can bankrupts render?

The truth is, eternal life is the gift of God. As Paul expresses it: "The wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Rom. 6: 23). Here we have the principle on which God grants this inestimable boon. It is not the reward of good works, or it would be a debt (Rom. 4: 4); it is the gift of sovereign love to those who could neither do nor pay anything in order to secure it. The ground on which eternal life is given is fully expressed in our Lord's familiar words to Nicodemus, recorded in John 3: 14-16. His cross, the satisfaction of God's righteousness and the mighty expression of God's love, has made it possible for Him to confer eternal life on all who obey the Gospel.

Eternal life has two aspects. Scripture speaks of it both as a present possession and as a prize to be gained at the Lord's coming. The one aspect is to be found in the writings of John; the other in the writings of Paul. John's words are most explicit "God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He that hath the Son hath life" (l John 5: 11, 12). This is a great reality, to be enjoyed here and now by every believer. Its grand characteristic is the knowledge of the Father and the Son. Paul's language runs differently: "The end, everlasting life" (Rom. 6: 22). Is this a contradiction of the teaching of the beloved Apostle? By no means. Paul's thought includes the body as well as the soul; it looks on, therefore, to the glorious moment of the Lord's return when the bodies of all the objects of His love will be instantaneously transformed, and become instinct with eternal life even as their souls are now. As the same inspired writer strikingly puts it in 2 Cor. 5: 4: "Mortality, will be swallowed up of life."

PEACE.

No more profound mistake could possibly be made than to bid a man make his peace with God. Such a way of putting things suggests that the questions at issue between man and his Creator are of so slight a character that they may easily be settled by some act on man's part. This is very far from the truth.

The need of peace speaks of a previous condition of war and estrangement. Almost from the beginning of his history man has been at open war with God; his course has been one of rebellion against His will. When we take into account the almightiness of God and the insignificance of man the position is a truly serious one. The struggle, if persisted in can only result in the utter destruction of the puny creature who has dared to lift up his head against the Most High. The great Sovereign of the universe, however, yearns over His petty foe, and has devised a plan whereby, in consistency with the majesty of His throne, He can offer pardon and peace to him. Thus we are told in Col. 1: 20, that Christ "hath made peace through the blood of His cross." Apart from the precious blood of Christ, God could have nothing for man but judgement. His righteousness demands that sins be not slurred over, but adequately expiated.

His atoning work being accomplished, Christ has gone up into the glory of God. Consequently peace is now proclaimed to all. As Paul expressed it to the Ephesian believers (Eph. 2: 1-7) — "peace to you (Gentiles) which were afar off, and to them (Jews) that were nigh." A full amnesty is thus offered to the whole world. Every offender what will acknowledge his guilt, and lay down his arms of rebellion, is at once pardoned and reconciled. He has no further need to dread God; between his soul and God all is settled for eternity. Pardoned and justified ones are entitled to say "We have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ" (Rom. 5: 1); and as they look above and behold the once slain One now glorified upon the throne of God, they can add, "He is our peace" (Eph. 2: 14). There is thus no peace to make. Christ has made peace by His blood; God proclaims it to all, and the Holy Spirit enables all who believe to enjoy the blessedness of it now and for ever.

From this flows peace in the circumstances of daily life. He who has trusted in God for his eternal concerns is privileged to trust in Him for his temporal affairs also. He need carry no weight of care. H e has the divine assurance that the very hairs of his head are all numbered. The tender interest of God extends to the minutest things belonging to His people. In everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, they are invited to make their requests known to God, with the promise that the peace of God which passeth all understanding shall keep their hearts and minds in Christ Jesus (Phil. 4: 6-7). To the query of the poet, "Peace, perfect peace, in this dark world of sin?" the Holy Scriptures thus give a full and precious answer.

REDEMPTION.

To persons in bondage the word redemption should be a very welcome sound. In lands where slavery is still practised it would doubtless be so; but in spiritual things it is frequently otherwise. It is a humiliating truth, and one which men find it hard to accept, that sin has reduced the whole human family to a condition of servitude. The proud Jews of our Lord's day were offended when He said, "The truth shall make you free. They answered Him, 'We be Abraham's seed, and were never in bondage to any man; how sayest Thou, then, ye shall be made free?' "In their case the boast of liberty was doubly false. Politically, they had been in bondage to at least a dozen different powers in the course of their national history; while spiritually they were where all are by nature, in bondage to sin. Hence our Lord's further words to them: "Verily, verily, I say unto you, whosoever committeth sin is the servant (or slave) of sin" (John 8: 32-34).

Slavery to sin is a terrible thing. In various gross ways the reality of it meets our gaze every day, some of our fellow-men manifestly "yielding their members servants to uncleanness, and to iniquity unto iniquity" (Rom. 6: 19); but even where its most hideous forms are not seen, the slavery is just as real. And from this terrible condition no man has power to extricate himself; Satan, working through the natural evil of the heart, having forged the fetters securely and well.

The sin-bound sinner must therefore look outside of himself for deliverance. A Redeemer has stepped forward in the person of the Only-begotten Son of God, the redemption price being His own most precious blood. This having perfectly satisfied the claims of God's throne, gives the Redeemer the right to set free all who look to Him in the simplicity of faith. Believers are entitled to say, "In whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace" (Eph. 1). Over all such, sin has lost its power, and Satan his authority. They delight to yield themselves servants to righteousness unto holiness, and' have become the willing bondservants of God and the Lord Jesus. They serve in liberty of spirit, love being their governing motive from first to last. Perhaps the finest example of this in the New Testament is Paul the Apostle.

Christ's redemption includes the body as well as the soul; but for its application to the body the believer has to wait until His return from heaven. Hence the groaning of which we read in Rom. 8: 23, which has reference solely to the present condition of the body. Even though the Father's love be fully enjoyed, and though identification with Christ in His present glory be sweetly experienced; still the Christian is constrained to groan. The body is yet unchanged, it is liable to suffering and death; and it clogs the spirit in its aspiration after full conformity to Christ's image. In a moment this will cease at Christ's coming, and the believer will find himself, body, soul, and spirit, before the throne of God, from every hindering influence set free for ever.

How mournful that so many should deliberately prefer bondage to the liberty wherewith Christ makes all His people free!

REST.

In a world of toil and strife the very word has a refreshing sound, in whatever connection it may be used. Rest for body and mind is sweet; how much more rest for the soul? To be in quietness in relation to our fellow-men is good; better, infinitely better, is it for the soul to be in quietness with its God.

Rest is spoken of under different aspects in Holy Scripture. We are all familiar with the evangelical invitation given at the close of Matt. 11. First, our Lord says, "Come unto Me all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." This 'is manifestly rest of conscience. Many labour under the burden of realised guilt; others groan under the yoke of religious ordinances by means of which they hope ultimately to obtain salvation. To all these the Saviour offers rest as a gracious gift. His atoning sacrifice has so perfectly satisfied all the claims of divine holiness in regard to sin that none need carry the burden of guilt for a single hour; so completely, too, has H e finished His work that none need toil on their own account. Both the guilt laden and the ordinance-laden are thus tenderly invited to be at rest. Believers having been purged once for all have "no more conscience of sins" (Heb. 10: 2). On the ground of the Saviour's work their consciences are in rest and peace before God for ever.

Our Lord proceeds thus in Matt. 11: 29: "Take My yoke upon you and learn of Me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls." This goes beyond' rest of conscience. It is rest of heart in the circumstances of daily life. Many who enjoy the one blessing know little of the other. Yet the condition is a very simple one. It is the abandonment of self-will, and the hearty acceptance of the authority of Him whose yoke is easy and whose burden is light. Nothing is more disquieting than thwarted self-will. The Saviour knew no such painful experience. In meekness He ever bowed to the Father's will; it was characteristic of Him to say, "Even so, Father, for so it seemed good in Thy sight." He alone is the Christian's perfect pattern. In measure as He is imitated so the heart finds perfect repose whatever befalls. Abraham is the Old Testament type of the restful believer, as Jacob is of the unrestful. The stories of these two men are highly instructive in this connection.

Rest both of conscience and heart may be enjoyed even in the midst of the storms of life; there is another kind of rest yet to come. "A promise is left us of entering into His rest.... There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God" (Heb. 4: 1-9). This lies outside of the present world. It will be found in the new creation which God will bring in when the heavens and the earth that are now have fled away. Then, when all God's purposes of grace are accomplished, and the full fruit of Calvary is seen both above and below, God will rest, surrounded by all the objects of His favour, eternally. Divine perfection will mark that rest. There no sin will enter, no foe will intrude, no jarring note will be heard, and toil and suffering will be unknown. Each happy saved one of earth will bear the image of the First-born Son, and will enjoy, conscious nearness to God for ever.

How mournful it is that any should spurn such a Saviour; and thus consign themselves to endless woe where "they have no rest day nor night" (Rev. 14: 11)

RECONCILIATION.

Sin has dislocated the whole moral order of God in the universe. It has robbed Him of all His delight in the works of His hands. In the inspired record of His creative operations we are told repeatedly that "God saw that it was good." At the close of the sixth day's work, when the man was made, a stronger expression is used: "Behold, it was very good." How long the divine delight in His handiwork was suffered to continue we know not; but the very next page of our Bible tells us of man's revolt against the Creator, whereby he involved himself, and the whole system dependent upon him, in ruin and misery. From the third chapter of Genesis we pass to the sixth, and read: "It repented the Lord that He had made man on the earth, and it grieved Him at His heart."

If matters had been suffered to rest there, ' As triumph of Satan would have been complete. But that could not be. The infinite resources of God's wisdom, grace, and power have provided means whereby the whole ruined system shall be restored to its Maker. The basis of this reconciliation is the blood of Christ, which, Col. 1: 20 tells us, has already made peace, with a view to reconciling to God all things on earth and all things in heaven. The hour has not yet arrived for the realisation of this. In His long-suffering, God is still bearing with His adversaries, both angelic and human; but when His long-suffering reaches its appointed limit, He will exert His power, and rid Himself of all who continue to oppose His will. The heavens will first be cleared, the final conflict there being described in Rev. 12: 7-9; the clearance of the earth will follow quickly. When the whole scene, both above and below, has been purged by judgement, new heavens and a new earth will appear, wherein righteousness will dwell eternally. In the new creation, with the triumphant Second Man at its head, God will find full delight, the reconciling blood being the moral foundation of it all.

Though the reconciliation of things awaits a day yet to come, the reconciliation of persons is being, effected now. The Gospel is a ministry of reconciliation, and is addressed to all; none need remain outside of its priceless blessings. But only those who unfeignedly believe in the Son of God and His sacrifice are, or ever will be, restored to God. It was to such, and such only, that the Apostle wrote." You that were once alienated, and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath He reconciled in the body of His flesh through death, to present you holy; and unblameable, and irreproachable in His sight" (Col. 1: 21-22).

ATONEMENT.

Atonement in its primary meaning is the vindication of the claims of the throne of God in regard to human sin. This stands out very clearly in the High Priest's procedure on the Day of Atonement in Israel as described in Leviticus 16. First he carried into the holiest the blood of the bullock for himself and for his house; then he presented the blood of the goat for the people of Israel; but not until these things were accomplished was the scapegoat dismissed with all the sins of the people upon its head. God was considered first, then man.

Sin is a grievous offence in the eyes of the Creator. It has destroyed His delight in man; it has wrought mischief and ruin in His creation both above and' below; it challenges His authority perpetually; and it menaces His throne. Not even divine long-suffering, still less divine grace, could be shown to the guilty save on the ground of atonement. The mercy-seat in Israel's tabernacle was God's earthly throne, but it typified His throne in the heavens. The animal blood that was sprinkled on and before His earthly throne spoke to Him from year to year of the richer blood that would in due season be shed — the blood of His own dear Son. God has signified His acceptance of the precious blood of Christ by raising Him up from the dead, and seating Him in glory at His own right hand. The Old Testament declares "it is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul"; the New Testament solemnly insists that "apart from shedding of blood is no remission" (Lev. 17: 11; Heb. 9: 22). Good resolutions and deeds of charity cannot be accepted in atonement for sin. To present them to God for such a purpose would be to repeat the grave blunder of Cain. Abel's lamb was "a more excellent sacrifice" than the products of his brother's toil. The one was a humble acknowledgement of guilt; the other was a virtual repudiation of guilt. God could not do otherwise than resent the attitude of Cain, while opening the door for repentance even for so serious an affront.

The Christian has the testimony of no less a person than God the Holy Ghost that all the claims of the divine throne have been met by the one offering of Jesus. No other offering of any kind whatsoever is required or could be accepted. To put anything human alongside of Christ's perfect sacrifice would be to question its worth and efficacy. If God is satisfied with what Christ has accomplished; the Christian may well be satisfied also. The Israelite on the afternoon of the Day of Atonement had the comfort of seeing all his sins dismissed with the scapegoat; the Christian has the assurance from God that his sins and iniquities He will remember no more (Heb. 10: 17). There is this immense difference however between the Israelite and the Christian: the one was set right with God for twelve months by Aaron's atoning work; the other has been set right with God for ever by the infinitely more precious work of the Lord Jesus Christ. "Sanctified" and "perfected" are God's grand terms descriptive of the present position of all believers.

HOLINESS.

The great Apostle of the Gentiles was most emphatic when he wrote "without holiness no man shall see the Lord" (Heb. 12: 14). The nature of God being immaculate in holiness, none can tread His courts who do not answer morally to that nature. It is impossible that anything defiling should enter there, or anyone who works abomination.

Holiness may be distinguished from righteousness thus: the latter is consistency in one's relationships; the former is an inherent abhorrence of iniquity, and delight in what is excellent and good. Measured by such a standard as this, every member of our fallen race stands disqualified by nature for the presence of God. In this "there is no difference, for all have sinned and come short of the glory of God" (Rom. 3: 23). It would be as reasonable to expect to gather figs of thistles, or grapes of thorns as to look for natural holiness in a single scion of the first man. It is the beginning of good things with a man when this is frankly and humbly acknowledged before God.

Here Christ comes in as the sinner's only hope. Himself the Holy One of God, on whom death had no claim, and for whom judgement had no meaning, in His grace He condescended to suffer and die for the sins and unholiness of others. Risen from the dead, He is presented by God to all as the One who meets every need. To the Corinthian believers the Spirit wrote: "Of Him (God) are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom and righteousness, and sanctification (or holiness), and redemption" (1 Cor. 1: 30). Every believer has in Christ a new and absolutely holy life and natures which enables him to delight himself in God, and which fits him for the divine presence for ever.

Holiness in the daily life flows from the realisation of this. The true Christian yearns to be practically consistent with what God has made him in Christ. He does not occupy his mind with himself; but with Christ, to whose image he earnestly longs to be fully conformed. He looks no longer for any good thing in the flesh; instead, he treats it in faith as a crucified thing, and seeks to develop his new man by the power of the Holy Ghost. He keeps before him continually the important exhortation in 1 Peter 1: 15-16 "as He which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation (or behaviour); because it is written, Be ye holy, for I am holy." In accordance with this, he yields his members "servants to righteousness unto holiness" (Rom. 6: 19). Affliction, when it comes, he welcomes as discipline from God, sent for his profit, that he may become a partaker practically of God's holiness (Heb. 12: 10).

What a wonder-working God is ours, who is able to take up sin-stained children of the fall, and produce in them a nature and character which answer in every respect to His own! The beginning, or first step, in the path of true holiness is faith in our Lord Jesus Christ.

RESURRECTION.

There are unquestionably natural laws, and God is the Author of them. But only irreverence could suppose Him to be subject to, or bound by, natural laws. In this, as in everything else, God is supreme, and acts as He pleases in the universe of His own creation. Resurrection is a divine act. All other miracles pale before it. That a great fish should swallow a prophet, or Jericho's walls fall flat are mere trifles when compared with the power that can enter the domain of death, and call forth in bodily, form persons long since forgotten from this scene.

Three things come before us in our consideration of this theme: the resurrection of Christ, the resurrection of believers, and the resurrection of unbelievers. If Christ's resurrection is fable and not fact, then is Christianity a hollow farce. Preaching and faith are alike vain. Believers, instead of being saved, are yet in their sins, and those who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. So the Apostle argues in 1 Cor. 15. Thank God, no such uncertainty exists. Christ's resurrection is one of the best attested facts in the history of this world. The precautions taken by the authorities of that day, the stern regulations concerning sleeping soldiers, the unbelief of the disciples, the large number of those who interviewed the Saviour subsequently, all combine to prove that no pious fraud was perpetrated, but that God really raised His beloved Son from amongst the dead. The fact itself is of immense import. It was God's public vindication of the claims and character of the crucified One, it signified His acceptance of His atoning work, and it involved the complete justification of every sinner who believes in His name.

What God did for Christ, He will presently do for all who belong to Christ. They will have a resurrection in character like unto His. "Every man in his own order; Christ the first-fruits; afterwards they that are Christ's at His coming" (1 Cor. 15: 2 3). The notion of a general resurrection at the end of time is erroneous. No such confusion could possibly mark the ways of God. He has drawn a sharp line of demarcation between those who serve Him and those who serve Him not. At the moment of Christ's descent into the air according to 1 Thess. 4, all believers who have fallen, asleep from the beginning until that time will be raised from their tombs; and, together with the changed living ones, will be taken in triumph into the Father's house. Apocalyptic martyrs will subsequently be added to their number, but the mass of the believing dead will be raised at Christ's return. "Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection; on such the second death hath no power" (Rev. 20: 6).

A first resurrection implies that there will be a second. This will be the resurrection of judgement, and will take place at the close of Christ's kingdom — at least a thousand years after the resurrection of believers. The Father having given the Son authority over all flesh, He will, at the appointed hour, summon even His enemies into His presence. Alas for all such! Constrained to meet Him as Judge whom they spurned as Saviour, they will be confronted at the great white throne with the record of their works to their confusion and dismay. Beyond that dread event there is no resurrection; the second death is "a death that never dies," and none will ever be raised out of it.

SIN.

To the question, "What is sin?" many contradictory answers would in all probability be given. God's definition of it — which alone is authoritative —  may be found in the Revised Version of 1 John 3: 4: "Sin is lawlessness." This way of defining it cuts very deep. Every exercise of the human will in independence of God is by this divine statement declared to be sin. It matters not what the act may be, whether it be that which human courts would punish, or whether it be what would pass muster in the eyes of men, every action taken without reference to God is sin. This leaves no loophole for escape to any of us. Judged by such a standard, every child of Adam must be brought in guilty. Man having been created a being dependent upon his Maker, the fact that he acts, and even loves to act, apart from Him is proof of his revolted and alienated condition.

Our Lord's words in Luke 5: 31-32 are familiar to all: "They that are whole need not a physician, but they that are sick. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance." Man is here shown to be both diseased and criminal. As the former, he needs healing; as the latter, he needs pardon. The Son of God is both Physician and Saviour, and beside Him there is no other.

In espousing man's cause, the Son of God made Himself answerable for his sin and guilt. This rendered the cross a moral necessity. Not by His incarnation, but by His death, He made atonement for sin. He who personally knew no sin was made sin for us — such is the teaching of the Apostle in 2 Cor. 5: 21. Having placed Himself in His ineffable grace in this position, sin's wages were meted out to Him in divine righteousness. Hence the prophetic statement of Isaiah: "It pleased Jehovah to bruise Him; He hath put Him to grief; Thou shalt make His soul an offering for sin" (Isa. 53: 10).

Such an offering for sin fills the believing soul with holy wonder and awe. The thought that the Creator and Judge of all took upon Himself human flesh in order that He might die for the guilt of His rebellious creatures is too profound for any human mind to fully comprehend. But faith reverently accredits God's testimony to the stupendous fact, and bows humbly and gratefully in the divine presence because of it. Faith recognises the suitability of the confession in Isaiah 53: 6: "All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and Jehovah hath laid on Him the iniquity of us all." From the moment the soul is able to speak thus in truth, sin becomes a thing of deepest loathing and abhorrence. Every sinner saved pursues holiness and righteousness all the days of his life.

SAINTSHIP.

Those responsible for the printed English Bible have led us somewhat astray (doubtless unintentionally) in regard to this most important matter. Our allusion is to the habit of prefixing "Saint" to the names of the four evangelists, and to theirs only. The unreflecting reader would naturally conclude from it that some special sanctity appertained to those particular servants of God.

Scripture teaches otherwise. Every genuine believer is a saint, the most simple as truly as the most experienced. In nearly every New Testament epistle the term is applied to the whole Christian company without discrimination. The status of saint cannot be conferred by ecclesiastical authority after the soul has quitted this world; still less can it be acquired by self-effort in life. A person can no more become a saint by striving after holiness than he can become Prince of Wales by apeing the manners of that exalted personage. Persons become saints by divine call (Rom. 1: 6-7). They hear the voice of God speaking to them in the Gospel, telling them of their sins and of the Saviour's atoning bloods and they bow believingly to the message. Hearing the loving invitation to believe and be saved they unfeignedly respond to the call. In a moment they are transformed from sinners into saints. It is God's doing; and it is a marvel of infinite grace. The robber of Calvary and the religious zealot of Tarsus; Mary Magdalene and the excellent Sarah, though drawn from widely different surroundings, were all alike saints, each one having experienced the same gracious work of God in their souls.

The word "saint" means "holy one." Every true believer has been born anew by the power of the Holy Ghost. The new nature thus implanted is holy, and it cannot sin because born of God. Compare 1 John 3: 9. But the most advanced Christian having also within him the evil principle inherited from the first Adam, there is need for watchfulness at every moment lest it lead him astray. Hence the Ephesian brethren were exhorted to behave "as becometh saints" (Eph. 5: 3), for it is always possible for the Christian to disgrace his high calling, and to be false to the position in which' divine favour has set him. Inconsistency of this kind causes the enemies of the Lord to blaspheme, and to point the finger of scorn at those who profess so much, yet practise so little. King David is a peculiarly painful example of this; and the humiliating story has been recorded by a divine hand for the warning of the people of God in all ages.

There are two great families in the earth — two only. The one is divinely labelled "sinners"; the other "saints." No merit attaches to the second of these, for they are just what the grace of God has made them. Many of them once wallowed in the depths of guilt; but, having responded to the Gospel message, and having put their trust in the Son of God, they have been cleansed from their sins by His atoning blood, and made meet to stand in heavenly light. "By the grace of God I am what a am," wrote the grateful Apostle. "He that glorieth let him, glory in the Lord" (1 Cor. 1: 31).

HOPE.

Hope is an important factor in all human affairs. It has its place in family life, in business life, and in every other department and sphere. Men are enabled to bear the circumstances of the present by reason of the prospects that they see, or think they see, in the future. If hope were eliminated from it, life would be insupportable.

The exceeding importance of hope only makes man's position in relation to God the more serious. As a sinner, what has he to look for in that direction? The Ephesian believers were reminded of their position when unregenerate thus: "At that time ye were without Christ... having no hope and without God in the world" (Eph. 2: 12). "No hope" — terrible words! Yet what human heart would question the truth of them? Conscience assents that Scripture is true in its assertion that "all have sinned and come short of the glory of God" (Rom. 3: 23). Not a single man on earth has the least natural fitness, nor the smallest shadow of a claim, to stand in the presence of God's glory.

But what a God is ours? Unwilling that any should perish, He has sacrificed for man's salvation His Only-begotten Son. He became a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death. By His death He has made propitiation for sin. God is not only satisfied with His great accomplishment; He has been glorified by it, so that the claim has been put over on the other side. The Son has earned the right to have all His own with Himself in heavenly glory for ever. This result is infinitely more than a mere cancelling of guilt.

Every Christian is therefore entitled to "rejoice in hope of the glory of God" (Rom. 5: 2). Hope is likened in Heb. 6: 19 to an anchor which, gripping the unseen, holds the vessel steady amidst the stress of storm and tide. The Christian's hope is thus set on the unseen Christ, who has gone into heaven on behalf of all His people. His presence there as Man on the ground of redemption secures the right of all who believe in His name to be there also. When the appointed hour arrives (He has said, "I come quickly") He will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the Archangel, and with the trump of God. His sleeping ones will hear His voice and respond to it, coming forth from their tombs in resurrection-power; His living ones will be instantaneously transformed; and all together will enter the Father's house in His glorious train; (1 Thess. 4: 16-17). This is the true hope that divine grace has given to every blood-washed soul. How inconceivably blessed to have part in it; but how deplorable the folly of those who exclude themselves from all participation in it by their unbelief and sin.

FEAR.

This is a very comprehensive term, for it covers sentiments

so widely different as the criminal's dread of his judge, the reverence of the child for its parent; and the respect of the wife for her husband. When Scripture states of Gentiles and Jews alike that "there is no fear of God before their eyes" (Rom. 3: 18) it means that God has no place in their thoughts, and that His commandments are not suffered to have any restraining influence upon their ways. Terrible condition truly, especially when we remember that man was created by God for Himself to walk with Him, and to do His will.

Of Abraham and Job, among others, it is expressly said that they feared God. Seeing that moral alienation is stamped upon the whole human family, such fear of God is the fruit of divine grace alone. This is abundantly manifested in the case of the dying thief. At first a reviler of the Son of God in the-hour of His woe, we presently hear him saying to his fellow, "Dost not thou fear God?" (Luke 23: 10). As he drew near to eternity God rose up before his soul, and he became filled with reverential awe. His own evil, and the infinite holiness of his Creator, overwhelmed him as he reflected upon them.

When the reality of guilt is brought home to a man he cannot but be filled with dread. Thus Felix trembled as Paul pointedly urged upon him the claims of God. There will be a universal trembling when the great Judge appears in the clouds of heaven, and every eye beholds Him. But to every soul whose confidence is in Christ and in the precious blood He shed, the divine message is, "Fear not." such are entitled to know that their sins have been adequately atoned for and put away for ever. Their hearts turn gratefully to the God of infinite love who provided such a costly sacrifice for them. Dread is at once displaced by love. "There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear, because fear hath torment" (1 John 4: 18). The Holy Spirit, who is then conferred upon them, is not the spirit of fear, but the Spirit of sonship whereby they cry, "Abba, Father" (Rom. 8: 15). From that moment we "serve Him without fear, in holiness and righteousness before Him all the days of our life" (Luke 1: 74).

But though dread is thus banished from the believing soul, reverence remains and deepens as God and His Word become more fully known. Hence the exhortation, "Let us have grace whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear" (Heb. 13: 28). Along with this there is developed an inward horror of sin in its every form, and an earnest desire to walk in complete separation from it. "The fear of the Lord is to hate evil" (Prov. 8: 13). He who wallows in sin, whatever his religious profession, has never known our God.

WORSHIP.

Worship is so commonly associated in people's minds with external ceremonies that the fact is sometimes overlooked that true worship is a thing of the heart, an emotion of the soul. Prayer is a blessed exercise for all who realise their weakness and need; thanksgiving is comely for those who have received great things from God; but worship is a higher sentiment than any of these, because it contemplates not His works only, but God Himself —  His perfections and glories. Our English word is simply a contraction of the Anglo-Saxon "worthship," which means ascribing honour to one who is worthy.

Mere formalities can never satisfy One who has, as it were, emptied His very heart for the blessing of men. The love that expressed itself in the cross of Jesus deserves more in return than the most elaborate ritual that could be devised. Of mere ceremonialists our Lord once said: "In vain do they worship Me" (Matt. 15: 9); and to one who represented a people who had long contended about places of worship His word was, "Ye worship ye know not what" (John 4: 22). The heart cannot adore One whom it knows not. The heart begins its knowledge of God with the realisation of its guilt, and the sweet assurance that the blood of Jesus has put it all away. This sets the conscience at rest for ever and dissipates all its dread. Then, the gifts being appreciated, the Giver becomes all in all. The more He is known the more profoundly does the soul bow down in adoration before Him. "God my exceeding joy," says the Psalmist. "We joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ," says the Apostle (Ps. 43: 4; Rom. 5: 11),

Though worship is in itself essentially the same in all ages, there are differences connected with it in the different dispensations instituted by God. Thus the patriarchs adored Him as God Almighty; Israel as Jehovah; while Christians are privileged to know Him as Father, the Only-begotten Son who is eternally in the bosom of the Father having been here and told out all His love. Again, in patriarchal times, worship was a family thing exclusively, any kind of congregational gathering being unknown; in Israel, worship was centred in the national gathering, no distinction being made between converted and unconverted; in Christianity worship is associated with the assembly of God, which is a divine election drawn from all the peoples of the earth.

The Holy Spirit is the power for worship, as for every other spiritual exercise. As a skilful Musician He plays upon the hearts of those who have received the infinite grace of God, and produces harmony delightful in the ears of heaven. The Lord Jesus said of true worshippers, "The Father seeketh such to worship Him" (John 4: 23). It is truly wonderful that He should find delight in the spiritual sacrifices of the children of men, but the presence of the great High Priest in the heavenly sanctuary explains the marvel. The perfections of His own person and work give efficacy before God to all that ascends from His people below.

The High Priest's Garments of Glory and Beauty

The High Priest's Garments of Glory and Beauty.

W W Fereday.

The people of Israel were possessed of a magnificent ritual, every detail of which was ordained by God Himself. This has led some to argue for ritualistic forms in Christianity. If God was pleased with such things in Judaism, surely He will be pleased with them in Christianity. So it is urged. But this is to lose sight of the typical character of the ancient ritual. "The example and shadow of heavenly things," is God's account of it all in Heb. 8: 5. Christ having come, and redemption having been accomplished, the reality is ours; the shadows therefore pass away. Christianity being an essential]y heavenly and spiritual system, everything connected with divine worship therein is of the simplest possible character. The contrast is complete between the imposing ritual described in Exodus and Leviticus and the simple order of things found in the Acts and the Epistles. Ritualistic symbols are now a positive insult both to Christ and to the people of God. To Christ, because they practically ignore what He is and what He has accomplished; and to the people of God, because they reduce them to a condition of tutelage. Surely one could not insult a grown person more than to engage him with a picture-book of horses, dogs, etc., as though he knew nothing of the animals portrayed therein.

Because Israel's ritual pointed to Christ, the smallest details are given. Nothing is too small for notice that in any way speaks of God's beloved Son. Our present study is Ex. 28. This chapter describes the priests' robes, as the chapter following describes the ceremonies connected with the consecration of Aaron and his sons for the priestly office. The types of Ex. 28 have reference to the needs of the people; those in Ex. 29 to the claims of God.

Let us clearly understand where priesthood comes in in the ways of God. When Israel was in Egypt, groaning under the yoke of Pharaoh, God did not provide a priest but a saviour. But when the people were delivered, having come under the blood of the Lamb, and having passed through the Red Sea, then — and not till then — did God say anything about a priest. In like manner today, the Saviour is God's provision for the burdened sinner, and the Priest is God's provision for the delivered saint. It is the "holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling," who are exhorted to consider the Apostle and High Priest of their confession (Heb. 3: 1). Priesthood is not designed to bring men into relationship with God, but rather to help those who are already in relationship with God.

Let us next observe the point at which the priesthood is introduced in the book of Exodus. Ex. 25-30 are occupied with the Tabernacle, but there is an evident break in these instructions at Ex. 27: 19. Down to this verse we have God's manifestation of Himself to man; in that which follows we have man's approach to God. Accordingly, the first part begins with the ark, and ends with the court; the second part begins with the priesthood, and includes the incense altar and the laver, these article of furniture having to do with man's approach to God, rather than with God's manifestation of Himself to man.

Now observe another thing The instructions concerning the priesthood are prefaced by the oil for the light (Ex. 27: 20, 21). This looks irrelevant at first sight, but is it so in reality? Is it not to remind us that the God with whom we have to do, dwells in the light? The time had not come in Moses' day for the blessed revelation that "God is light" and "God is love." Christ alone could, bring this to us (1 John 1: 5; 1 John 4: 8). But the type teaches us what is suitable for the divine presence. All works a darkness must be put off by those who would be before Him in the joy of His presence. "Always” means that the lamps were to burn with regularity. There is no thought of their being alight in the daytime. It was reserved for men in Christendom to invent so childish a practice. “From evening to morning” is God's word.

Aaron and his sons typify Christ and Christians. The priesthood of Aaron's sons depended upon the priesthood of their father as ours depends upon that of the Lord Jesus They were priests by divine call (Heb. 5: 4). Christ's call is found in Ps. 110: 4; ours in 1 Peter 2: 5. Aaron's sons are divided into two pairs, the shadow beforehand of the great separation so soon to come (Lev. 10). Nadab and Abihu typify all false worshippers, as Eleazer and Ithamar the true. For the making of their garments "the Spirit of wisdom” from God was necessary. Similarly “men full of the Holy Ghost and wisdom” were required to attend to the money matters of the early Christians (Acts 6.). Nothing, either great or small, can be efficiently wrought for God by unspiritual hands.

The Ephod.

The garments are not named in Ex. 28: 4 in the order in which they were put on. Compare Lev. 8: 7-9 for this order. The ephod is described first, as being the principal priestly vestment. David's use of the ephod suggests that to him the ephod stood for all that the priesthood represented (1 Sam. 23: 6-9; 1 Sam. 31: 7). The ephod resembled the veil of the sanctuary, but with important differences. There were cherubim in the veil but not in the ephod. The veil speaks of Christ's holy humanity (Heb. 10:20); the cherubim of government and judgement; we thus learn that these high functions are destined for the hands of the man Christ Jesus. But the cherubim would have been out of place in the ephod, every detail of which speaks of priestly grace. But gold — typical of what is divine, while unsuitable for the veil, necessarily comes into the ephod, for our great High Priest is “Jesus the Son of God” (Heb. 4: 14).

"They shall make the ephod of gold, of blue, of purple, of scarlet, and fine twined linen, with cunning work “The gold speaks of the divine in our adorable Lord, Ex. 39: 3 shows how it was used. They did beat the gold into thin plates and cut it into wires, to work it in the blue, and in the purple, etc." The gold being thus interwoven with the blue and other colours, none could have separated it without destroying the whole beautiful fabric. And who can separate the human from the divine in our Lord Jesus Christ? The union of the human and the divine in His person is one of the holiest mysteries of our faith. In all His ways and words, as recorded in the Gospels, this marvellous union shines forth. for example, in John 4. we see Him as a tired and hungry man on the one hand, and as the Discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart on the other. In John 11 we behold Him, first; as a weeper (how intensely human), then as the divine Quickener of the dead. In Matt. 14 we observe His giving thanks in the most human manner in the presence of the multitude, and then wielding divine power for the supply of their heed. Again, we find Him in Mark 4. at one moment asleep in human weariness, and the next moment with divine authority bidding the winds and waves be still.

Blue is the heavenly colour. "The Second man is from heaven" (1 Cor. 15: 47). "He that cometh from heaven is above all" (John 3: 31), Unbelief in Israel stumbled at this. "Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph: whose father and mother we know? How is it then that He saith, 'I came down from heaven'?" (John 6: 42 His spotless humanity was indeed born of the virgin, and had no existence before, but He who thus condescended to become human had subsisted from eternity in His own proper uncreated glory above.

Purple is the royal colour. The Son of God has kingly rights. He who is Priest in the heavenly sanctuary to-day will be King in Zion to-morrow. "The Lord God shall give unto Him the throne of His father David; and He shall reign over the house of Jacob forever; and of His kingdom there shall he no end” (Luke 1: 32, 33). He inherits Joseph's rights as his legal Heir (Matt. 1).

Scarlet — a dye obtained from the coccus — speaks of both suffering and glory. So Peter refers to “the suffering of Christ and the glories that should follow” (1 Peter 1: 11) Was there ever such a sufferer as the Son of God? Is there a being in the universe, therefore, so competent as He to take up all the burden of His people, and to enter into all the sorrows and trials which beset the path of faith? He learned obedience through suffering, and is able in consequence to succour those that are tried (Heb. 5: 8; Heb. 2: 18). Scarlet speaks also of earthly glory (Rev. 17: 3, 4; 2 Sam. 1: 24). It is not enough that Christ should be glorified on high; God will see to it that He is also glorified below in His own time. When Satan offered Him "all the kingdoms of the world and the glory of them" (Matt. 4: 8), He refused them, preferring to receive them from the hand of God when the due season arrives for Him to possess them (Rev. 11: 15).

The fine twined linen testifies to His perfect spotlessness. Though born of a human mother the reverse of immaculate, He inherited from her no moral taint; He was emphatically "that holy Thing" (Luke 1: 35). All His ways, too, were stainless. He only of all who have ever walked the earth could say to His critics: “Which of you convinceth Me of sin?” (John 8: 46).

In all this we have typified such a High Priest as Israel never knew. He is both divine and human, and He combines in His own person the offices of priest and king. When one of Israel's kings dared to exercise priestly functions he was smitten with leprosy for his presumption (2 Chron. 26: 17, 18). But the Lord Jesus will, in the coming age, “be a priest upon His throne” (Zech. 6: 13). Melchizedek is needful as a supplement to Aaron in order to present this to us in the types of Scripture (Heb. 7.).

The Girdle of the Ephod.

Exodus 28 contains the divine instructions concerning the High Priest's robes; Exodus 39 shows how the instructions were carried out. In comparing these portions one is impressed with this thought — the carefulness of the people to carry out the will of God to the very letter. "As Jehovah commanded Moses," occurs seven times in connection with the robes alone, and many more times in connection with the Tabernacle in general. The principle of human choice and opinion in divine things had no place in the minds of Israel's workers; God had spoken, and it was their desire to be obedient to His word in every particular. Let us note this fact well as an example for ourselves today.

Following the ephod, we read of the curious girdle of the ephod, which was made of the same materials as the ephod itself (verse 8). The girdle is the emblem of service compare Luke 12: 37; 17: 8. When we consider what the gold, purple, etc., mean as typifying the Deity, royalty etc., of our Lord Jesus, the thought is overwhelming that such an One could possibly constitute Himself the servant of His people. But it is true, nevertheless, so wonderful is His grace. The form of a bond-servant, taken by Him in incarnation, will never be laid aside. He was not only the unwearied servant of all in the days of His humiliation but, like the Hebrew servant of Ex. 21, He had purposed to be servant for ever. Accordingly He ministers on our behalf in the heavenly sanctuary during our earthly pilgrimage; and Luke 12:37 lets us know that when He gets His waiting ones home it will be His joy to gird Himself, and make them sit down to meat and come forth and serve them. Do we appreciate as we should the matchless grace of our Lord Jesus Christ?

The Shoulder-Pieces.

We have next the shoulder-pieces (verses 9-13). On these were two onyx-stones, with the names of Israel's tribes engraved upon them, six on each stone. The shoulder is the place of power. Hence the good Shepherd lays His once-lost sheep on His shoulder, and brings it home rejoicing (Luke 15: 5). In Ps. 28: 9 we read: “Save Thy people, and bless Thine inheritance; feed them also, and bear them up for ever" (R.V.). Every saint is thus remembered by the Great High Priest, and is sustained by His power, victorious as it is over all the might of Satan and of death. Merit has nothing to do with this; it is all of grace alone. The names of Israel's tribes were engraved "according to their birth" (Ex. 28: 10). Thus Reuben stood first, and Joseph and Benjamin came last. Reuben's appalling failure was not suffered to affect God's thoughts of grace, though it necessarily brought him under His holy hand in discipline (Gen. 49: 3, 4). If Christ only interested Himself in those who are worthy of His interest, where would even the best of us stand?

The names were cut into the stones “with the work of an engraver in stone, like the engraving of a signet." The names must neither be written nor painted, but cut deeply and indelibly. The stones were then "set in ouches of gold." The names upon the stones were thus ineffaceable, and the stones themselves could never fall out of their place. The realization of this type is exceedingly blessed. Paul in all his weakness and need in the Roman prison was so consciously upheld by the power of Christ that he was enabled to pen those marvellous words: "I can do all things in Him that strengtheneth me” (R.V.). The fact that he had a living Saviour in the glory of God gave the word “impossible” no place in his vocabulary. Hear him again in 2 Cor. 12: 9, 10. Smarting under the infliction of the thorn in the flesh, he thrice besought the Lord that it might depart from him. This could not be, but he was given this sweet assurance: "My grace is sufficient for thee; for My strength is made perfect in weakness." The thought of this was so delightful to his heart that he immediately responded: “Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distressed, for Christ's sake; for when I am weak, then am I strong."

The Breastplate.

The people's names were not only on the shoulder pieces; they were on the breast-plate also. Why this repetition? There are two reasons for it. First, God would show us that in Christ power and love combine for the blessing of His people. We read in Ex. 28: 29: “Aaron shall bear the names of the children of Israel in the breast-plate of judgement upon his heart, when he goeth in unto the holy place, for a memorial before the Lord continually." Note the words "upon his heart," twice repeated in the verse following. The changeless love of Christ is our solace and joy. John 13: 1 is as true for us as for the disciples of long ago: "Having loved His own which were in the world, He loved them unto the end." Neither the doubting of Thomas, the denial of Peter, nor the defection of all together could alter the sentiments of His heart towards them. We dare not speak of our love to Him; it is too variable a quantity to be worthy of mention; but we delight to dwell upon His wonderful love to us. The breast-plate was connected with the shoulder-pieces by gold chains (verse 25), showing the union of power and love in the Lord Jesus for the good of His people. Each individual saint is entitled to say:

"Out of myself for help I go,

Thy power alone resolved to know,

Thy love's the plea I make."

The breast-plate was also connected with the ephod itself by blue lace attachments, the reason being “that the breast-plate be not loosened from the ephod” (verses 26-28). There must be no possibility of the breast-plate getting out of its place for a single moment. The eye of God must never rest upon the priest without being reminded of all His people.

The second reason why the names were inscribed upon the breast-plate as well as upon the shoulder-pieces is that God would show us His tender interest in each individual believer. In the shoulder-pieces six names were engraved on each stone; in the breast-plate each name had a stone to itself. What a vast family is the family of God, in its millions, spread over all the earth! Yet each individual saint, however poor and lowly, has his Own place in the divine affections. The book of Job is very interesting in this connection. It is one of the largest books in the Bible, but it is altogether occupied with the story of God's dealings with one man's soul. So minute is the divine care that not a sparrow falls to the ground without our Father, and we have it from the Son of God Himself that -not only is the individual saint remembered as the individual sparrow, but the very hairs of our head are all numbered (Luke 12: 6).

Turn now for a moment to Josh. 4: 7, where we read of twelve memorial stones of a very different character. When Israel passed through Jordan into the promised land, they took up by divine command twelve stones from the bed of the river, and set them upon the Canaan shore. “These stones shall be for a memorial unto the children of Israel for ever." The twelve precious stones in the priest's breast-plate were a memorial for God; the twelve rough stones on the bank of Jordan were a memorial for man. The human heart is so forgetful and fickle that there is need of some abiding memorial of God's goodness. The Lord's Supper has this character in Christianity.

What a lovely picture is suggested by the high-priest of Israel bearing the names of the people of God upon his shoulder and heart in the divine presence continually! Yet how soon everything failed in the hands of man! The garments of glory and beauty appear never to have been worn in the presence of God after the calamitous circumstances of the day of consecration (Lev. 10.). From that point the holiest was closed to the priesthood, save on the annual Day of Atonement, and on that day Aaron was to draw near in white linen garments (Lev. 16: 1-4). His beautiful robes were thus worn everywhere but in the immediate presence of God, where, according to the typical teaching, they were most needed. What immense comfort it is for our hearts to know that there can be no such failure in our Lord Jesus Christ!

The Urim and Thummim.

In the breast-plate, amongst the names of the children of Israel, was placed the Urim and the Thummim. The words mean "the lights and the perfections." What it was, none can now say with certainty. It is mentioned altogether seven times in the Scripture; in two of the passages the Urim only is named, and in one (Deut. 33:8) the order is reversed, and given as "Thy Thummim and Thy Urim." It was probably a precious stone, which by means of its various scintillations gave the answer of Jehovah concerning matters that were referred to Him by the priest. That this was its use is undoubted. Thus Eleazar was to ask counsel for Joshua "after the judgement of Urim before Jehovah"; Saul in his last extremity appealed to God by means of the Urim (though he obtained no response); and the governor of the returned remnant was obliged to defer the claims of some unregistered priests because the Urim and the Thummim was not available (Num. 27: 21; 1 Sam. 28: 6; Ezra 2: 63). It is because the breast-plate contained this instrument by which divine decisions were given that is called “the breast-plate of judgement."

It is thus God's delight to make known Himself and His will to those who desire this blessed knowledge. The Urim and the Thummim in the breast-Plate of the high priest was the pledge that Israel never need be in darkness about any matter. And is the Christian less favoured to-day? With the Holy Spirit dwelling within us, the completed word of God in our hands, and a glorified Christ interesting Himself in us, there need be no obscurity in our minds concerning the smallest detail of our pathway It is, alas! not an uncommon thing to find the children of God blundering along from day to day, making a multitude of mistakes, to the grief of their own souls, and the dishonour of the worthy Name by which they are called. To hear them speak one would imagine that God has given His people up to this kind of thing. In the midst of their blunders they ask in perfect bewilderment how others manage to ascertain the mind of the Lord, and so walk consciously in the light. Self-will is the true explanation of this disastrous condition of things. Where the eye is single, and the heart is true, the path becomes as clear as the noon-day sun.

The Robe of the Ephod.

After the Urim and the Thummim comes “the robe of the ephod," which was made wholly of blue (Ex. 28: 31). The fact is thus emphasised that ours is a heavenly Priest. "Such a High Priest became us, who is holy harmless, undefiled, separated from sinners, and made higher than the heavens” (Heb. 7: 26). This is a truly marvellous statement. Who and what are we that no less a priest than this will suffice for our need? The answer is: — we are the brethren of Christ, His sanctified company, and partakers of the heavenly calling. Heavenly people need a heavenly priest. If Aaron were on earth today, and were to come amongst us in full canonicals offering us his gracious services, our reply could only be that a priest of his order is of no manner of use to us. His priesthood was earthly in its character, and was exercised in an earthly sanctuary on behalf of an earthly people. The feeblest Christian stands on higher ground than Israel ever knew. A priestly caste in Christianity, whatever form it may assume, is a base cheat of the enemy, designed for the degradation of the children of God, and to hide from their souls the wonderfulness of the grace of God towards them.

Around the hem of the blue robe were golden bells and pomegranates alternating (verses 33, 34). “It shall be upon Aaron to minister; and his sound shall be heard when he goeth in unto the holy place before the Lord, and when he cometh out, that he die not." The bells and pomegranates speak of testimony and fruit. 'His sound shall be heard when he goeth in." We know what happened when Jesus went in to God. The Holy Spirit came forth, and set the golden bells of Gospel testimony ringing in this dark world. We hear their joyful sound in Acts 2. The fruit quickly appeared, three thousand souls being blessed on the first day. God be praised, the bells are still ringing, and the fruit is still being gathered. The sweet story of the Gospel has reached our ears, and we are some of the fruit thus produced for God. The bells also sounded when Aaron came out from the divine presence. In like manner a fresh sound will be heard when the Lord Jesus comes again. A new testimony will be commenced in the earth, and abundance of fruit — a new crop — will be gathered by means of it. Israel, not the Church, will be God's witness in that day: "out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem” (Isa. 2: 3). It will be the time of the world's blessing. Israel being restored to divine favour, all the ends of the earth shall fear Jehovah (Ps. 67.). “The earth shall be full of the knowledge of Jehovah, as the waters cover the sea” (Isa. 11: 9). In connection with this new testimony there will be a second outpouring of the Holy Spirit (Joel 2: 28, 29). It is often said by pious people who feel the present low and unspiritual condition of things that the Church needs a fresh outpouring of the Spirit of God. This is incorrect. The power and blessing vouchsafed at Pentecost is with us still, spite of all our failure and sin. The great need of the hour is an awakening amongst the children of God as to what the abiding presence of the Holy Spirit means. There will be no second outpouring of the Spirit until the High Priest comes out of the heavenly sanctuary to inaugurate the new era.

It may be a question with some as to whether the new testimony of which we have spoken involves a further opportunity of salvation for those who are now rejecting the Gospel. By no means. All who in this day are privileged to hear the proclamation of the grace of God, yet do not bow to the Lord Jesus, will, after the present testimony is ended, be given up to the lie of the Antichrist to their eternal ruin. As to this, 2 Thess. 2 is perfectly clear. But the world's unevangelised millions (what a reproach to the Church that there should be such!) will hear the new message of God; and abundant will be the harvest.

The Holy Crown.

We come now to the plate of pure gold, with its striking inscription: “Holiness to the Lord "(Ex. 28: 36). This was fastened to the forefront of Aaron's mitre by a blue lace. It is twice called “the holy crown” (Ex. 39: 30; Lev. 8: 9). We are thus reminded that ours is a crowned Priest. He whose blessed brow was once encircled with the crown of thorns is now crowned with glory and honour” (Heb. 2: 9). Whatever God saw in the people of Israel, He always saw holiness in the priest. Typically, of course, for, personally, Aaron was no better than his fellows. The golden plate was put upon his forehead, "that Aaron may bear the iniquity of the holy things, which the children of Israel shall hallow in all their holy gifts; and it shall be always upon his forehead, that they may be accepted before the Lord” (verse 38). The high priest was thus responsible for the people in divine things, i.e., in all matters concerning their worship and sacrifices. Surely there are no occasions on which we so much needs the gracious intervention of the Lord Jesus as when we assemble for worship. Such is our infirmity that, with the purest of motives and with the best of intentions, we are utterly unable to render spiritual sacrifices to God in perfection. More serious still, in all that transpires there seldom lacks sin. Our comfort lies in the fact that all our offerings come before God through the hands of the perfectly Holy One in His presence. God looks at Him —  at His perfections, and so accepts His people and what they bring. Faith says: Look away from me” (Ps. 39: 13, R.V.); “Look upon the face of Thine Anointed” (Ps 84: 9).

Unworthy is thanksgiving,

A service stained with sin;

Except as Thou art living,

Our Priest to bear it in.

There is a day coming for Israel when, not the high priest's mitre only, but even the commonest of their possessions will bear the inscription, “Holiness to the Lord” (Zech. 14: 20). This will be in the day of glory —  earthly glory, according to their hope. In our case, heavenly glory will yield this blessed result, for which every pious soul yearns. We shall be absolutely and wholly for God throughout the ages of eternity. There remains to be noticed Aaron's embroidered coat, of fine linen, with its accompanying girdle of needlework (Exod. 28: 39). This coat was worn as an inner vest (Lev. 8.), and it typifies the personal purity of the Son of God.

Aaron's Son's Robes.

Aaron's sons' robes, though of linen, are said to be “for glory and for beauty" (Ex. 28: 40-43; Ex. 39: 27-29). Aaron's sons typify Christians, viewed, not as members of Christ's body, but as belonging to the priestly family of which Christ is the Leader and Head. Every detail of the sons' robes as well as of the robes of their father, speaks of Christ. What have we then in this picture but every Christian so completely covered with the perfections of Christ that the holy eye of God sees upon us nothing but Christ when we draw near in faith before Him!

"The church which is His body."

W. W. Fereday.

(Extracted from Truth for the Last Days, Vol. 1, 1900, page 119.)

My present purpose is to consider briefly the work of the Holy Spirit in the formation of the Church of God — the body of Christ. "By one Spirit are we all baptised into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit" (1 Cor. 12: 13). The Baptism of the Spirit is but feebly understood by the many. Some imagine it to be a kind of "second blessing" entered into by a favoured few at some time subsequent to salvation; others suppose it to be a repeated thing to be called down by saints individually and collectively by earnest prayer.

Scripture speaks otherwise. The baptism of the Spirit (Christ being the baptiser, John 1: 33) is with a view to the body of Christ. By reason of it the saints of God, however numerous, are united to the living Head in heaven and to each other. Such a thing was unknown until Christ was glorified. There were godly men before, of course; individual faith has been since the days of Abel, if not of Adam. But there was no union, nor could there be until redemption was accomplished and Christ ascended to the right hand of God. Then was brought out a purpose, which was formed before the world was, but kept hidden in the heart of God until the suited moment arrived. That purpose was to have a company of persons in heavenly glory with the Second Man to share with Him all the results of His glorious work, in closest association with Him as members of His body. The members are being gathered while the counsels of God concerning the earth are in abeyance. When the Messiah was presented to Israel, He was refused. This has delayed the Kingdom, with all its connected blessing for the whole earth. All will be made good by-and-bye, and all that the prophets have spoken will be accomplished: but for the present Christ sits at the right hand of God, and the Holy Spirit is here, gathering out His members and joint-heirs. When the number is complete, the Lord will descend into the air, and receive them to Himself. It is a wonderful thing to have part in such a counsel. It was an immense privilege of old to be a Jew, and to be in possession of the word of God and the divine sanctuary. But the new wine is surpassingly better for faith. In the new company all fleshly distinctions between Jew and Gentile disappear, the middle wall of partition having been broken down, all have access by One Spirit unto the Father, and all the blessings of the risen Head are ours who are one with Him (Eph. 2) Thus to know our place truly, we must learn Christ's place to grasp our heavenly portion. Christ's portion must be comprehended; for in this all the members share, through the infinite grace of God. All spiritual blessings in the heavenlies are ours in Him; and all the Father's love rests on us in Him.

This lifts the soul right out of the world, and gives it a heavenly character. If our portion is altogether heavenly, and if we are really one with the exalted Man there, it makes us want to know what is there and to become familiar with it all. Impossible that a saint could really grasp by faith his union with Christ in glory and love a hostile and evil world. Intellectual understanding is worthless and vain.

The apprehension of such a place of blessing and privilege carries with it its corresponding responsibilities for our walk on earth. These the apostle presses in 1 Cor. 12. The difference between Eph. and 1 Cor. as regards the truth of the one body is, that the one gives us the heavenly side, and the other the earthly. The members have all received something from the Head for the general edification and blessing, and there is to be no discontent with the place and functions divinely assigned to each (1 Cor. 12: 14-18), on the other hand there is to be no contempt on the part of the more eminently gifted for those who are but slightly endowed. All are necessary and none are to be despised (v. 19-21). The feeble and the uncomely members, far from being useless in the body, are to have our special affection and care. There is to be a community of interest among Christ's members (v 22-26).

We see these divine principles understood and acted upon in faith by the early saints. The picture presented by the Spirit of God, in the opening chapters of the Acts of the Apostles is charming in its loveliness and simplicity. From all this, the Church of God has grievously departed. The honoured vessel who was used as the administrator of the truth of Christ and the Church — the apostle Paul — beheld with sorrow the vast majority declining ere he was called to his rest. How rapid the decline after his departure! How soon was the truth completely lost! It is only of late that God has recovered this for His own. Much truth concerning the individual blessing of believers was won back in the sixteenth century, but little or nothing was then entered into as to the Church of God. But the Spirit of God has brought the truth to the front once again before the Lord comes. He would have the saints enter into their true relationship to Christ, that there may be a becoming walk, individually and collectively, and a right attitude towards Him.

It may be argued that it is practically impossible to act upon such principles after all that has come into the professing Church. With the vast mass of Confessors of Christ spending their energies in building up humanly formed bodies, what is to be done? Let us not forget that the Church of God is made up of individuals and each individual saint has his own responsibility to the Lord. To attempt to get the public body right is futile, each must tread the Lord's path for himself. The Holy Spirit is still on earth, and the body of Christ is still here, as we read, "there is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling" (Eph. 4: 4). If but few seek to carry this out in faith, they may count on the presence of the Lord with them and the power of the Spirit of God. What more can heart desire? (Matt. 18: 20).

How to read the Revelation

How to read the Revelation.

W. W. Fereday.

"Surely the Lord God will do nothing, but He revealeth His secrets unto His servants the Prophets." — Amos 3: 7.

"Tell them therefore, thus saith the Lord God, 'The days are at hand and the effect of every vision.'" — Ezek. 12: 23.

"I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the Churches." — Rev. 22: 16.

"Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things that are written therein, for the time is at hand." — Rev. 1: 3.

"The vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak and not lie; though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry." — Hab. 2: 3.

"We have something more abidingly established — the prophetic word — to which ye do well to take heed in your hearts, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place until the day dawn and the day star arise." — 2 Peter 1: 19.

The Book of the Revelation.

Summary

Rev. 1 — The Preface.

Rev. 2, 3. — Epistles to seven of the then existing churches of Asia.

Rev. 4, 5. — The circumstances in which the Revelation was given to John, and the future glory and power of the risen saints for service.

N.B. — From Rev. 6 and onward all is future, and is divided into two parts.

PART 1.

Part 1 comprises Rev. 6 — Rev. 19: 10: concerning events to take place in this Dispensation before the Lord comes.

Part 2, Rev. 19: 11, — Rev. 22 — Events at and after the coming of the Lord.

Rev. 6. — is an outline of the whole of part 1.

Rev. 8-9. — form one vision; and relate to chastisements to come on the Jews in Jerusalem.

Rev. 10. — Preface to Rev. 9, 11, 13, which are separate narratives of events taking place during the same evil period.

Rev. 11. God acting, in sending two witnesses to preach  -  for the last 1260 days of this Dispensation.

Rev. 12. Satan acting, in expelling true Christianity from the ten kingdoms during that period.

Rev. 13. — ANTICHRIST acting in supreme power and glory, governing the ten kingdoms at that time.

Rev. 14. — A vision by itself; from v. 6, a consecutive succession of events just before the Lord comes.

Rev. 15, 16. One vision. Judgments to be sent on the Jews and extending to the ten nations.

Rev. 17. — BABYLON viewed morally, or "ANTICHRISTIANISM," showing that Antichrist at first sustains, but afterwards destroys the system which will give to Babylon its characteristic distinctness.

Rev. 18 — BABYLON viewed materially; its greatness and its doom; and, as in Rev. 17, the announcement of its destruction is given before the description of that which is to be destroyed is given.

PART 2.

The Personal Coming of the Lord.

Rev. 19: 11.

Rev. 19: 11-21: 8. — Consecutive events from the Lord's coming, up to the creation of the New Heavens and the New Earth.

Rev. 21: 9-22: 5. — Retraces, and gives description of the Millennial City — the New Jerusalem — the home of the risen saints.

Rev. 22: 6-21. — Precepts suitable to the end.

It is very important in reading the Word of God, to consider the particular Dispensation which this or that portion refers; to know what period in the Dispensation we come under; the character of the hour in which we are living and the peculiar features which apply to us in the Scriptures now.

Was there not an exceeding difference in the condition of Israel under David and the days of ruin when Jeremiah wrote his Lamentations? And has there not been the same experience in the history of the Church? So is it not needful that we should have a due sense of all the ruin and failure that have come in and a just estimate of the character of the present practical condition of the Church of God ?

The whole period of the present Dispensation is in Scripture marked by the appellation "the evil day," and we can see it must be so, from the circumstance of the Lord Jesus being withdrawn from the earth by the distinct act of God in judgment and seated on His Father's throne; not as yet on His own.

In the early Pentecostal days the Church presented a beautiful picture, but that has long since passed away! When Paul began his ministry, he saw the unity of the Churches he had planted among the Gentiles looking so fair for a little moment. Then this also passed away! He never saw their failure, tho' taught to know corruption would come in, whereas John had to outlive them all and to see the setting in of the tide of iniquity that was to mark the history of the Church increasingly until the Lord should return and to hear testimony against the evil that would render "judgment" on them needful, while yet they were recognised as in a Church position.

We, on the contrary, are drawing near to the very maturity of that evil which was then becoming manifest. We are on the eve of the latter days. The standing of the Church has long been forfeited, so we have not to testify against evil COMING INTO the Church as he had, but to bear testimony to the entire ruin IT HAS BECOME, yet still to hold fast the true position from which it has fallen "till He come;" expecting tribulation, but  not being moved by afflictions, knowing we are appointed "hereunto."

The Laver and the Molten Sea

The Laver and the Molten Sea.

Truth for the Last Days Vol. 3, 1904, page 304.

W W Fereday.

The laver of brass (or perhaps copper) which stood in the court of Israel's Tabernacle, and the molten sea which Solomon placed in the court of the Temple, have each their own word of instruction for our souls. In contemplating the laver, it is important to observe the place given to it in the Divine specifications for the Tabernacle. These may be divided into two parts, as follows: — Exodus 25 — Exodus 27: 19; Exodus 27: 20 — Exodus 30, the first part being occupied with God's manifestation of Himself, the second with the means whereby His worshippers might have to do with Him. The first part, accordingly, begins with the ark, the well-known symbol of Jehovah's presence, and the highest manifestation of Himself in that age, and from thence the mind travels outward until the court is reached. The second part begins with the oil for the light (Ex. 27: 20-21), for the first lesson God would impress on those who desire to draw near to Himself is that He is light, and dwells in light. Next follows the priesthood (Ex. 28, Ex. 29) for how can faulty and feeble man have to do with a holy God save by such means? The golden altar, the place of priestly worship, follows appropriately (Ex. 30: 1-10); then, after the notice of the atonement half-shekel, we have the laver, on which we would dwell a little.

The laver was provided for the use of the priests, for the removal of the defilements that were contracted daily in the handling of the external things of the Tabernacle. Aaron and his sons typify Christ and Christians, for all who believe have been constituted a priestly family — "a holy priesthood," as Peter tells us (1 Peter 2: 3). It was not enough for God's priests that they had undergone a total washing at their consecration (Ex. 29: 4); they must wash their hands and feet day by day. The total washing (referred to, doubtless, by the Apostle in Heb. 10: 22) typifies the new birth, which every believer in Jesus has experienced through grace. This has made us in nature meet to draw near to God, but the laver teaches us that we must be meet also in practice in order to really enjoy His presence. As the psalmist said, when confessing his affection for Jehovah's house, the place where His honour dwelt, "I will wash my hands in innocency, so will I compass Thine altar, O Lord " (Ps. 26: 6). God demands purity of thought and life in those who approach Him. We are reminded, too, of the Apostle's words, " I will, therefore, that men . . . lift up holy hands " (1 Tim. 2: 8).

The laver was made of the mirrors of the women who served in connection with the Tabernacle (Ex. 38: 8). This is suggestive of self-renunciation on their part, for the mirror is an important item amongst a woman's possessions. Another lesson is, therefore, stamped upon the page of Scripture for us — the abasement or setting aside of self is looked for in those who would have to do with God. Before Him, flesh finds itself unable to glory: where fleshly boasting is found, it is evident that the soul knows but little experimentally of the presence of a holy God. The mirror is used by James as a symbol of the Word of God (James 1: 22-25), which faithfully shows the man who looks into it what he is. What a merciful provision for us in our wilderness circumstances! When we come to the Word, and lay ourselves open before it, every secret of the heart is exposed, every impure motive is detected, every bit of defilement in the practical life is shown up, and that in its true character as God sees it. The Word is both the detector and the cleanser of evil. What the water of the laver was to Israel's priests, the Word of God is to us to-day. Hence the words in Ps. 119: 9: "Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed thereto according to Thy word." Hence, too, the instruction of the Lord in John 13: 10, when washing the feet of His disciples before He suffered.

God insisted on purity in the priests of Israel — "that they die not" (Ex. 30: 21). Are we exempt from this because we live not under law but under grace? By no means. Where personal holiness is neglected, God's holy hand in government descends upon the offender. Why? Because He loves us not? Nay, but because He does love us, and will have us in a practical way to be partakers of His holiness (Heb. 12: 10). It was because of their trifling with evil that the Apostle had to say to the Corinthians — "Many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep" (1 Cor. 11: 30). The command is still as imperative as ever — "Be ye clean that bear the vessels of the Lord" (Isa. 52: 11).

It will be observed that in the specifications for the laver no measurements are given. This is very remarkable, because in connection with the various parts of the Tabernacle details of size and measurement are given with great minuteness. Surely the omission in the case of the laver is as full of meaning as the omission of Melchizedek's ancestry in Gen. 14, of which the Spirit of God makes so much in Heb. 7! It is undoubtedly God's happy way of teaching us that the grace which forgives and cleanses us day by day is without limit or measure. It is always absolutely true, however deep and frequent our failures may have been, " If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness" (1 John 1: 9). Well may we sing, therefore: —

"Who is a pardoning God like Thee,

Or who has grace so rich and free?"

We turn now to Solomon's molten sea (2 Chron. 4: 2-5). This being a development of the laver, we have necessarily the same thought of priestly cleansing connected with it, but not this only. There are further thoughts also. Solomon's reign is remarkably typical of the future reign of the Lord Jesus. It was a period of peace and glory for Israel, all foes having been put down. The Temple arrangements accordingly suggest to us various

Millennial features. Thus we have the Cherubim looking "toward the house" (2 Chron. 3: 13, R.V.), i.e., outwards, toward the people, telling us of Divine righteousness looking abroad in blessing to men. Compare Psalm 72: 2, 3; Isa. 32: 1. Then the two great pillars called Jachin and Boaz,; meaning respectively "He will establish" and "in Him is strength," teach us that Christ in the day of His kingdom will establish all things in power for His earthly people, and will uphold and preserve from ruin that which He will establish for them. He is the true Boaz, the Kinsman-Redeemer.

But what place has the molten sea in this connection? If we observe a few particulars, this will become clear. "It stood upon twelve oxen, three looking toward the north, and three looking toward the west, and three looking toward the south, and three looking toward the east: and the sea was set above upon them, and all their hinder parts were inward" (2 Chron. 4: 4). This is very interesting. The ox is always the type in Scripture of the patient labourer for God (1 Cor. 9: 9,  10); twelve is the number of Israel's tribes. In all probability, there were pipes running downward through the mouths of the oxen whereby the water, when needed, flowed forth. Here, then, we have the word of the Lord flowing through Israel in the coming day for the blessing of all the nations, for the oxen looked towards every quarter under heaven. Under the powerful impulse of the latter-day outpouring of the Spirit, from their inward parts will flow "rivers of living water." In the past, the seed of Jacob have been a coldly conservative people. Even the Gospel, which they did not desire for themselves, they sought to hinder going out to others (1 Thess. 2: 16; Acts 13: 45; Acts 14: 2-19). But when the Redeemer comes to Zion, and their hearts are wrought upon by Divine grace, they will realise the purpose of God in their election, and will gladly throw themselves into the current of the Spirit's operations, thus spreading blessing far and wide. "Out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem" (Isa. 2: 3). "The remnant of Jacob shall be in the midst of many peoples as a dew from the Lord, as the showers upon the grass" (Micah 5: 7). Notice, also, the prayer of the remnant in Ps. 67 — "God be merciful unto us, and bless us, and cause His face to shine upon us, that Thy way may be known upon earth, Thy salvation among all nations." Like the stream (doubtless a literal one) that will flow forth from the sanctuary in that day, fertilizing wherever it goes (Ezek. 47), so will the blessings of redemption flow into the remotest corners of the earth in the day when Israel's heart is turned once more to God. For Israel's conversion the world's blessing waits.

In the brim of the molten sea were wrought flowers of lilies. This carries our minds into the Song of Songs, where we have the various fruits of grace that will be displayed in Israel consequent upon their reconciliation. In that book the King repeatedly likens His people to lilies (Cant. 2: 2-16 etc.) A beautiful simile, assuredly, telling of purity and lowliness, two features ever delightful to the eye of the Lord. The reverse of this is seen in Isa. 45: 2-5 — gross corruption combined with Pharisaical pride. These odious characteristics will yet give place to the lily character; in the school of affliction, in the day to come, God's holy lessons will be learnt.

We cannot close without a brief reference to Rev. 4: 6. Here we see the whole company of the heavenly saints, under the symbol of twenty-four elders, at home in glory with the Lord. They are shown to us, not clad in armour, with sword in hand, as in Eph. 6, but as wearing the priestly ephod, each one crowned and enthroned. Wilderness dangers and needs are past for ever. "Before the throne there was a sea of glass like unto crystal." The allusion to the molten sea in the earthly sanctuary is too obvious to be mistaken. But it is not a sea of water, as there, but of glass, a silent yet eloquent witness to the fixed and unalterable purity of the eternal abode of the glorified. On earth the water (of the Word) is often needed because of the defilements picked up by the way, and which come in between our souls and God; in the blissful scene to which we are going defilement will never be possible. The water gives place, in consequence, to the sparkling crystal.

Thoughts on the Lord's Prayer

Thoughts on the Lord's Prayer.

W W Fereday.

No devout mind will ever question the absolute perfection of the prayer itself, seeing that it came from One with whom neither error nor flaw are possible. But we may legitimately question whether it was intended for the perpetual use of His people, and under all circumstances. Even that which is divinely excellent may prove injurious to the soul if wrongly applied. Spiritual intelligence in the ways of God is of the greatest possible importance to us all.

The Lord's prayer was admirably suited to the disciples in the position in which they found themselves as favoured with the personal presence of the promised Christ. He Himself emphasised the privileges of their position in Matt. 13: 16-17: "Blessed are your eyes, for they see; and your ears, for they hear. For verily I say unto you, that many prophets and righteous men have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them; and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them," Others had looked and yearned for His coming; the disciples had Him before their eyes from day to day.

This being so, their experience went beyond anything known by Psalmists and Prophets, and this must needs be reflected in their prayers. But Christ not having yet died and risen again, and redemption being yet unaccomplished, the disciples were not in the marvellous position of blessing in which Christians now stand. Hence, while they could speak to God in a way that saints of earlier ages could not, they were quite unable to speak to Him as we can who are in the full grace and blessing of a perfect Christianity.

The prayer was thus suited to the intermediate or transitional condition of things then prevailing, and it will probably be found truly suitable again when Israel's believing remnant steps into our place of testimony after the Christian era is closed.

It is a fact to be noted that (leaving aside the Lord's prayer for the moment) no forms for use in approach to God, whether in prayer or worship, are ever suggested in the New Testament Epistles. Moreover, there is no reference whatever to the Lord's prayer after Pentecost. The Acts and the Epistles are alike silent as to its ever being used in the early Church. Why is this? The answer is very simple. This is the dispensation of the Holy Spirit. He is personally present upon the earth while Christ is away. By His power the Church has been formed, and in it He dwells, for it is God's habitation in the Spirit (Eph. 2: 22). The living presence of the Spirit suffices for every need. He is perfectly able to furnish the suited language for every occasion. All that is needed is simple-hearted subjection on the part of those who are born of God. To no others could it apply.

Was the Lord's prayer meant to be a model or a form? Scarcely the latter, for then we should be obliged to ask which form we should use, seeing that in Luke 11 the prayer is given more briefly than in Matt. 6 (see Revised Version).* Moreover, the fact that the Lord has left the prayer in what some would consider an unfinished state has led to the unauthorised addition of the words "for Thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever, Amen," in order to render it suitable for congregational use. We suggest therefore that the Lord intended no more than a model of prayer for His disciples.

{*Taking into account the context in both cases, it is possible that Luke's shorter form was given at an earlier date than Matthew's longer form.}

True Christian prayer is in the name of the Son (John 16: 23-24) and obviously the Lord's prayer is not that. Prayer in the name of the Son is not the mere tacking His name to the end of our petitions; it is prayer in the consciousness that Christ by His death and resurrection has brought us into His own standing before God, accepted in His acceptance, blessed as He is blessed, and loved as He is loved. Praying in this happy consciousness, we expect the Father to respond to our requests according to His delight in His Son: with whom we are now eternally identified. Several years after the Lord's prayer was given, the Lord said to His disciples: "Hitherto have ye asked nothing in My name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full." (John 16: 24). The whole context in John 16 shows that He was now leading them into a deeper privilege in connection with prayer than they had ever known before.

Let us now briefly consider the prayer itself in the fuller form of Matt. 6: 9-18. It may be divided into two parts: — the divine interests (5: 9-10); and the disciples' need (5: 11-13). "Our Father, which art in heaven." This is a distinct advance on anything previously known of God. The patriarchs communed with Him as the Almighty; Israel knew Him as Jehovah; but the coming into the world of the Only Begotten Son has brought out the sweet name of Father. Here then He is declaring the Father's name, as He says in John 17: 6-26. It is true that in Ex. 4: 22, Jehovah says, "Israel is My son, My firstborn," but that was merely a national relationship; while we have in the Lord's prayer is personal and individual. But Matt. 6: 9 falls far short of John 20: 17. There we hear the risen One announcing the fruits of His great victory thus: "go to My brethren, and say unto them, I ascend to My Father, and your Father; and to My God, and your God." In Matt. 6: 9, there is no suggestion of identification with the Son; it goes no further than this, that men who had previously know God as Jehovah should now know Him as Father; John 20: 17 lifts us up to the Son's own platform of blessing. To His Father and God we are henceforward "many sons" (Heb. 2: 10) and to Himself we are many "brethren" (Rom. 8: 29).

A moment's reflection should convince anyone that it is perfectly shocking to teach a mixed company to say "Our Father." It is teaching them to utter the biggest of all falsehoods, to their own hurt and delusion. as well as to the divine dishonour. Though the Lord's prayer was uttered in the hearing of the crowd, the Lord was manifestly instructing His disciples only (Matt. 6: 1). In the words "which art in heaven," supplemented later by the title "your heavenly Father," the Lord was seeking to lead His disciples beyond Jewish hopes to relationships and expectations of an immeasurably higher character. As Jews, they followed Him with anticipations of an earthly kingdom; the Lord knew that no such kingdom was possible for the time being, and so in all His teaching He sought to prepare them for the heavenly unfoldings of Christianity.

"Hallowed be Thy name." Grace must not be presumed upon. He who has brought us wondrously near to Himself is our Creator and God. The deepest reverence becomes us in our every thought of Him, and with unshod feet we should draw near into His presence.

"Thy Kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in Heaven." Thus were the disciples (and we also) taught to desire that throughout the universe everything may be brought into fullest correspondence with the Father's character. This petition goes beyond the Millennium in its scope; not until the new heavens and the new earth appear will the Father's kingdom be fully established. We shall enter into the Father's kingdom as soon as we are caught up, and from thence we shall shine forth as the sun, as Matt. 13: 48 shows; but not until the Son of man has subjugated every foe will He deliver up the kingdom to Him who is God and Father, that God may be all in all (1 Cor. 15: 21-28). But realising, as we do, that everything here below is as wrong as it could be, we long, and we pray for, this blessed consummation. Meanwhile, we seek to be fully subject to the Father's will ourselves. Else, how could we consistently take such a petition upon our lips? Thus the Lord teaches us that the divine interests should be uppermost in our hearts. But human need has a large and sympathetic place in the Father's heart, and so the disciples were taught to say next:

"Give us this day our daily (or sufficient) bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors." Thus both body and soul are considered in their various necessities. An aspect of forgiveness is here found which needs to be carefully considered. It is not sinners speaking to God, but disciples — children to their Father. The Gospel to the sinner speaks of forgiveness full and free in virtue of the Saviour's blood, nothing that the sinner can do having anything whatever to do with the matter; in Matt. 6: 12 it is the Father's government of His family, a different principle altogether. He expects to see in all His children a merciful spirit towards everybody. His own attitude towards men is to govern ours, and "He maketh His sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust" (Matt. 5: 45). Those who do not cultivate this generous spirit of grace cannot walk happily with the Father.

It is interesting to note that while we read "debts" in Matthew, we have "sins" in Luke. Now Matthew's is essentially the Jewish Gospel. Most suitably therefore are the disciples taught to ask forgiveness for "debts." Did they not belong to a people who had long stood in special relationship with God, and who had grievously failed in the discharge of their obligations? (cp. Matt. 18: 23-35). Luke's Gospel, on the other hand, has Gentiles more particularly in view. They never stood in special relationship with God, but they were "sinners" indeed, if not exactly "debtors" as the people of Israel were.

"And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil." Here we have the language of dependence upon God, and of utter mistrust of self. We may well deprecate being put to the proof, Knowing how very frail we are. Both Job and Peter were thus tested, and how much badness came out in both cases, though the utterances of the patriarch are not to be compared with those of the apostle, If God is pleased to test us, then we may well consider ourselves "blessed" as James tells us in his first chapter, for God will not fail us, and He is well able to turn the painful experience to profitable account for our souls. But it is fitting that we should humbly pray that no such sifting may be our portion. Our Lord could meet the full power and deepest subtlety of Satan, as the story of the forty days in the wilderness shows; But we are not equal to these things.

Brief as the Lord's prayer is, it is wonderfully complete, as far as it goes. It takes into account both the divine interests and human necessities, physical and spiritual. It speaks of the realities of to-day, while looking onward to the final issue of all the ways of God in the new heavens and the new earth. We repeat, the prayer is complete, as far as it goes. It was the Lord's gracious provision for believers who lived prior to the accomplishment of redemption, who were therefore not in the blessed condition of having their consciences once for all purged from sins (Heb. 10: 1-2), and in whom as yet the Holy Spirit did not dwell. Indeed, in Luke 11: 13, immediately after the giving of the prayer, the disciples are instructed to ask the Father for this crowning endowment.

We look in vain in the Lord's prayer for any reference to the characteristic blessings of Christianity, and to use it habitually now is to put ourselves back into the dim light from which the death and resurrection of Christ has delivered us once for all. "Wherefore leaving the word of the beginning of Christ, let us go on to perfection" (full growth). (See Heb. 6: 1. R.V. margin.)

"Two, or at the most three."

"Two, or at the most three."

W. W. Fereday.

(Extracted from Truth for the Last Days, Vol. 4, 1905, page 158.)

The first epistle to the Corinthians undoubtedly gives us the mind of God as to the inner working of the assembly on earth. Not divine counsels (as in Ephesians) but divine order is the main thought of the Spirit of God in that epistle. Amongst much other valuable instruction, we have in 1 Corinthians 12-14. the manifestations of the Spirit in the various members of the body of Christ, with the rules which should govern those manifestations. In 1 Corinthians 12, it is laid down that divers gifts have been divinely distributed amongst Christ's members here below, all of which should be in exercise for the edification of the whole body. Not concentration, but distribution, is God's idea. Following this is the well-known chapter on love — that precious divine quality which is so necessary if all the machinery of the assembly is to work harmoniously and for blessing. To this is added in 1 Corinthians 14 many practical rules concerning the public exercise of the gifts. It has often been urged that these rules are virtually obsolete now, because the two gifts specially named — tongues and prophesying — have ceased to exist in the Church. To this we must reply that if certain gifts have been withdrawn from us, the great truth on which all is based, the presence of the Holy Ghost in the Church, remains as true as ever. The reason why the apostle says so much about tongues and prophesying is because the Corinthians were foolishly ignorant as to the relative value of those gifts. The first-named, being the most showy, had a very large place in their minds, and was apparently being freely used when the assembly came together, in forgetfulness of the fact that the object of tongues was for a sign to them that are without (verse 22); prophesying, on the other hand, being an essentially spiritual gift (verse 3) was naturally at a discount amongst a people whose condition was carnal and infantine (1 Corinthians 3: 1). But while the assembly on earth remains the temple of God, indwelt by the Holy Ghost (1 Corinthians 3: 16, 17), the rules divinely laid down in chapter 14 have their full application to all the gifts which God still permits us to possess and enjoy.

To come to the words at the head of this paper. In verse 27 we read, "If any man speak in a tongue, let it be by two, or at the most, by three." In verse 29, also, "Let the prophets speak two or three." There is no mistaking the force of these instructions. Those possessing gifts were not to suffer their desire to exercise them, to overpower them (verse 32); not more than two or three were to speak at one session. This deserves the earnest attention of all who would please God in the assembly at the present time. On special occasions, when saints come together at convenient centres for mutual edification, there is a great danger of these divine limitations being disregarded. Speakers, in their longing to impart as much spiritual instruction as possible to their brethren, and hearers in their desire to hear the voices of servants of Christ whom they value and love, are apt to transgress the Spirit's rules, without perhaps considering that they are doing so. Yet Leviticus 5: 15, and many kindred Scriptures, shew that sin cannot be viewed lightly, even if committed unwittingly. It should be confessed and judged in its true character before God.

The measure prescribed by the Holy Spirit naturally commends itself to the mind as good and wise. Is it possible to carry away from a meeting the substance of more than two or three valuable discourses? (I say "valuable," for that which has no value should never be intruded upon the assembled saints). If more discourses are given, is it not just so much waste? And are we not in some danger of developing "itching ears," if our desire to hear has no limit? Is it not infinitely better to attend humbly and devoutly to a little given to us from God, exercising our consciences and searching our hearts in the light of it, than to flippantly gulp down a mass of matter that in the result leaves us no spiritual gain?

Some public holidays are just passed. Tidings which have come to hand from various quarters, concerning special meetings which have been held, have suggested these few remarks. May the Lord, in His mercy, lead us all into deeper conformity with His own blessed Word and ways.

The Outlook

The Outlook.

W. W. Fereday.

The commercial, political, and religious tendencies of the present day considered in the light of holy scripture.

We are living in serious times. The most superficial observer cannot fail to perceive that everything is changing around us. Great changes have taken place during the past few years in every sphere, and even greater changes seem probable in the near future. He who refuses to consider the tendencies of the things that are happening is foolish beyond expression.

The Commercial World.

Everything is in a condition of unrest. If we look at the commercial world, the relations between Capital and Labour have become strained to a dangerous degree, and this in nearly every country on earth. All around us we hear mutterings of an approaching storm. From time to time the daily press reports outbreaks here and there of a more or less disastrous character. Combination confronts combination menacingly; Labour Unions on the one hand, and Capitalist Trusts on the other. There is every prospect of the two being locked in the throes of a great death-struggle ere long, unless God mercifully intervenes in some unforeseen way. To every eye anointed by the Spirit of God it is clear that the way is being prepared for the time when men will be suffered neither to buy nor sell unless they accept the mark of the Beast (Rev. 13:  16, 17). Truly "Coming events cast their shadows before," though men in their infatuation frequently perceive it not.

The Political World.

The political world is as disturbed as the commercial world. In the United Kingdom the doctrine of "Government BY the people and FOR the people" is now the darling ideal of the many. Ever since the passing of the Reform Bill in 1832 the masses have been clamouring for increase of power and influence. Statesmen of all parties fawn upon the people, and pamper them in every way in order to gain their favour, and so secure a few years of office. A strong Government, which will sternly repress lawlessness, and maintain righteousness, seems out of the question in these days. Even Members of Parliament — law-makers — are suffered to preach sedition both in India and at home, and to speak of the Sovereign himself with the gravest disrespect publicly, and no hand is laid upon them. The women also are in motion. The great cities are becoming accustomed to displays on the part of the gentler (!) sex which are a disgrace to any civilised country. That the fear of God has absolutely no place in the minds of these feminine agitators is sufficiently proved by their habitual desecration of the Lord's Day for the purposes of their propaganda. The fact is that the masses are refusing to be ruled. Having been educated in the notion that the people are the real source of power, they are determined to exert their power and be quit of all restraint. Socialism suits the present condition of the public mind, and cannot fail to make progress. When it finds itself in a position to strike, may God have mercy on the nation. Outbursts of Sansculottism are more appalling evils than the selfishness of the rich, against which they are professedly directed.

We need not go far afield in order to find the Spirit of revolution. Within the memory of many of us, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Austria-Hungary, Serbia and Norway have had their Governments subverted. As we write, Russia, Persia, and Turkey are in the melting-pot, with what result time will show. With Socialists and Suffragettes clamouring around us, dare we say that Great Britain is secure from the possibility of these dire calamities?

The nations have come to dread war. With the present-day implements of destruction, both naval and military, it is felt that everything possible should be done to avert it. Every thoughtful man shudders at the thought of Europe's scientifically armed millions coming into conflict. The Russian Czar was probably sincere enough when he proposed the first Peace Congress, though he found his own nation plunged into the horrors of war soon after the Congress closed.

We might say much as to the condition of things in the social Sphere — the growing disregard for parental authority, the jeopardising of home life in the modern mania for pleasure, and the morbid taste of the many for pernicious literature, but we refrain. Concerning the religious position we shall have somewhat to say later on.

The Voice of God in the Scriptures.

Now to what point are things drifting? Is it possible to obtain light from any quarter as to this? Surely It is. We aver without hesitation that God has spoken in His most Holy Word, and it is wisdom on our part to give heed to His voice. But here we are confronted with a serious difficulty. The irreverent tampering of the clergy in recent years with the Scriptures has seriously shaken men's confidence in their divine authority. Strange as it may seem, it is the Protestant rather than the Romanist clergy who have been guilty of this great sin. Both the late and present Popes have acknowledged with no uncertain sound in public documents the divine authority of the Scriptures. For ourselves, we are satisfied that the old faith is the true one, i.e., that the sacred writings are in their entirety God's message to men. No higher ground could possibly be conceived than that which is claimed in 1 John 4: 6 for the writers of Scripture: "We are of God: he that knoweth God heareth us; he that is not of God heareth not us. Hereby know we the Spirit of truth and the spirit of error." If this claim of the Apostle be not admitted, if the inspired writings are not God's infallible standard of truth, then are we absolutely without light as to the future, and are at the mercy of familiar spirits, designing priesthoods, and wolves of every kind.

But God has spoken. He has certain definite purposes concerning the earth, and He has been pleased to reveal them in the Scriptures for those who have ears to hear. It is His intention to give the earth into the hands of His Son as part of His vast inheritance. His good pleasure, purposed in Himself, is to gather together in one (or "head up") all things in Christ, both things in heaven and things on earth (Eph. 1: 10). The rightful Heir was refused His inheritance when He came into the world the first time, and He did not enforce His claim. He accepted instead the cross and the tomb, which, though apparently a great defeat, was in reality a victory of the first magnitude. for by the blood of His cross He has made peace, thus rendering it righteously possible for God to bless individual souls now, as well as laying the foundation for a new and perfect order of things in the whole universe by-and-bye. At the present moment He who should be sitting upon His own throne in Zion is sitting as earth's rejected One upon the Father's throne in heaven (Rev. 3: 21). But the divine purpose has not been abandoned. The Son of Man will yet be enthroned here — "The Lord shall be King over all the earth" (Zech. 14: 9; Ps. 2: 6). Until this comes about, God takes no active part in the government of the earth, though watching the development of things! from His heavenly dwelling-place, and interposing restraints from time to time when matters seem likely to go beyond His purpose. But the day will come when the silence of heaven will be broken, and the King of kings and Lord of lords will come forth in all His majesty and power (Rev. 19). His kingdom will be established upon the ruins of everything human. Mighty convulsions will precede the holy calm and universal blessedness of His reign.

Is all this mere poetry? Nay, it is sober, solid fact. But we must examine these great matters in detail.

Israel God's Centre.

It is God's intention to deliver and bless the world by means of Israel. Let the Gentile powers behave ever so proudly towards the seed of Abraham, it is nevertheless true that the world's blessing turns upon that despised people. When God scattered men at the time of Babel, He divided to them their inheritance with a view to Israel (Deut. 32: 7, 8), i.e., He put certain nations to the north of Palestine and certain nations to the south thereof, because the future history of the chosen people required them to be in those geographical positions. Strange as it may seem, the map of the world has been, divinely planned in view of one comparatively insignificant people. The history of Israel cannot be discussed here. Let it suffice to say that the people never realised the divine purpose in their election. Instead of bearing a true testimony in the midst of the world's evil, their ways became so abominable that God was constrained to overthrow the throne of David and eject the people from their land. Supreme power in the earth was then given into Gentile hands, and in their hands it remains until "David's greater Son" comes upon the scene and gives happy effect to the purposes of God.

The End of Gentile Rule.

The course of Gentile rule was shown to Nebuchadnezzar in the vision of the image composed of four metals, and to Daniel in the vision of the four wild beasts (Dan. 2; Dan. 7). The empires thus represented are Babylon, Persia, Greece and Rome. Concerning the latter power very much is stated in Scripture. It is singular in this respect that while none of its predecessors will ever again fill any important place in the earth, the Roman Empire is destined to reappear and to become the leading factor in the politics of the last days. It will revive as a consequence of the disturbed condition of the European nations, and it will be energised by Satan for his evil purposes. This is the force of the symbols "sea" and "bottomless pit," out of both which the Beast is seen to emerge in Rev. 13: 1, and Rev. 17: 8 respectively. It will be a confederation of ten kingdoms, under the presidency of a powerful chief called in Dan. 7: 8 "a little horn." Each State will retain its own Sovereign, as in the German Empire to-day, but the whole mass will be swayed by one head.

The last wild struggle between democracy and monarchy will result in the complete triumph of the latter. Democracy will be squelched in torrents of blood. We do not presume to offer a list of the ten kingdoms in question, but it is interesting to remember that England, France, Spain and Italy were some of the countries included in the ancient Roman Empire. Egypt and Greece, though formerly ruled by Rome, will have no place in the revived Empire, as Scripture predicts for both of these States independent action in the latter-day crisis (Dan. 11: 40; Zech. 9: 13). What will be the potent factor in the reconstitution of the Empire none can say at present. It may be that the growth of Socialism in every country will cause the crowned heads of Europe to combine for mutual help; it may be the Yellow Peril, or it may be the increasing aggressiveness of Russia. We leave this for the future to unfold. It is significant, by the way, that the Press of to-day frequently speaks airily of a possible "United States of Europe." The writers perhaps little realise that the thing of which they speak so lightly is destined soon to become an accomplished fact.

The Empire will be infidel.. "He (the Beast) opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme His name." It will also be a persecutor. "It was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them" (Rev. 13: 6, 7). The saints referred to here are not the present Christian community, the whole of which will be removed to heaven before the Empire re-appears. The proper hope of Christians is described in 1 Thess. 4: 13-18. Sleeping believers wilt be raised, and living believers will be changed and glorified in the moment of the Saviour's descent into the air, which may take place at any hour. The latter-day sufferers are a new order of believers, in whose hearts God's Spirit will work after the history of the Church is closed, The Roman Empire will meet its doom at the hands of Christ When He appears in the clouds of heaven accompanied by His heavenly elect. The destruction of the Empire was shown to Nebuchadnezzar pictorially as the falling of a stone cut out of the mountain without hands upon the toes of the image, and grinding the whole mass to powder (Dan. 2: 34, 35); Daniel saw in vision the Son of Man receiving the universal kingdom from the Ancient of Days, and then coming forth to claim it in power (Dan. 7: 13, 14); John Saw the great King of kings riding triumphantly' upon a white horse in righteousness to judge and to make war (Rev. 19: 11-16).

The annihilation of the Empire will be a merciful deliverance for the world. Its tyranny will be insupportable. Idolatry of the most advanced type will be forced upon the nations. Every man must accept a brand upon his flesh, or be debarred from doing business in any shape or form (Rev. 13: 8, 15, 16). The head of the Empire is expressively likened to the sun "having power given unto him to scorch men with fire" (Rev. 16: 8). Men's rapturous welcome of the great leader will give place after a time to a wail of despair when they learn the true character of that to which they have committed! themselves (Rev. 13: 4). Democracy will end in the most galling despotism Europe has ever known, from which no deliverance will be found until the strong hand of the Son of Man shows itself from heaven. In the past, revolutions have bred dictators; history will repeat itself in this respect in the disturbed future. The doom of the cruel oppressor is peculiarly terrible. Taken red-handed at the head of armed hosts madly gathered together to oppose the Lamb at His appearing, he, with his coadjutor the False Prophet (of whom more later), is cast alive into the lake of fire. This pair of transgressors will not pass through death and resurrection, as other sinners, but, without experiencing either, will be despatched from the field of battle to Gehenna (Rev. 19: 20). To such an end will come Europe's greatest ruler — its insane pride and boast in the last days.

A few words more as to the ten kingdoms of which the Roman Empire of the future will be composed.

Fifty years ago the map of Europe presented a vastly different picture from that which it presents to-day. The ancient dominions of the Caesars were parcelled out into nearly a hundred independent States. That the number could ever be reduced to ten must then have seemed very unlikely. But since that time the several States of Italy have come together; the many States of Germany also. A yet further closing up is predicted in Scripture, which will alter the map of Europe for the last time before the earth's true Sovereign appears.

Jewish Restlessness.

By far the most interesting sign of the times is the restlessness of the Jewish people. The fig-tree, long ago cursed by the Lord Jesus for its fruitlessness, is putting forth its leaves again (Matt. 21: 19; Matt. 24: 32). National aspirations, which have lain dormant for ages, are re-asserting themselves once more. The Zionist Congresses, now being held annually, are not the work of a few fanatics, whom the world can afford to treat with contempt; the movement is backed by many of the most influential and wealthy of the Jewish race. The kindly offer by the British Government of territory in East Africa for the planting of a Jewish State under British suzerainty has been declined as altogether inconsistent with the expectations of the people. Their eyes are upon the inheritance of their fathers, and nothing will satisfy them but to be possessed once more of the land of Israel. The Turkish Sultan has on several occasions discussed the project with Zionist leaders, but up to the present, nothing has come of the negotiations.

The establishment of a Jewish State in Palestine, when it takes place, will be one of the most important events in the history of our planet. It will prepare the way for the stirring events of the last days. It is in Jerusalem that the Antichrist of Scripture will first assert himself. Accepted by an unbelieving people as the long-promised Messiah, he will become their civil head. He is the King of Dan. 11: 36-39, against whom the Kings both of the North and of the South declare war. The Jewish State being wealthy, and not over strong, and having many dangerous enemies, a seven years' treaty will be made with the restored Western Empire. This short period is the closing part of the remarkable prophecy of the seventy weeks, spoken of in Dan, 9: 24-27. The treaty in question being made in independence of God, and moreover with the most blasphemous power in the universe, is stigmatised in Isa. 28 as a "covenant with death" and an "agreement with hell," and it will avail the people nothing in the time of emergency.

It is at this juncture that Satan is cast out of the heavens into the earth (Rev. 12: 7-12). Being no longer able to oppose the Lord Jesus in His priestly character, he will busy himself in raising up opposition to Him as Prophet and King. The Beast and the False Prophet are his chosen instruments for this purpose.

The Antichrist.

Politically, the Antichrist will be of but little importance, being only the ruler of a small buffer-state; but religiously his influence will be very far-reaching. In his day the profession of Christianity will be nonexistent. "The salt of the earth" being removed at the Saviour's descent into the air according to 1 Thess. 4: 16, 17, the mass of merely nominal Christians will speedily renounce even their empty profession. In a word, the predicted apostasy will set in (2 Thess. 2: 3). The present tampering with divine truth in almost every religious circle is preparing the way for this catastrophe. Our grandfathers, could they rejoin us for a season, would be shocked beyond measure to hear pulpit orators flouting the plenary inspiration of the Scriptures, the virgin-birth of Christ, His miracles, His atoning death and resurrection, and the doctrines of the immortality of the soul, and of eternal punishment. Yet this is done today in every quarter of Christendom. As a direct result of the apostasy, the Antichrist will advance his pretensions. There will be three objects of worship in his day: the Roman Emperor, the Antichrist, and the Dragon (Rev. 13: 4; 2 Thess. 2: 4). These are men's substitutes for the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, all then utterly discarded. The dream of universal conversion before the opening of the Millennial era, though piously held by many true Christians, finds no support in Scripture. On the contrary, it is distinctly asserted that before the glory of the Lord arises "darkness shall cover the earth and gross darkness the peoples" (Isa. 60: 2). Instead of the Church converting the world, the world will convert the Church. The latter is happening even now before our eyes. From Jerusalem as a centre the new religion, strongly backed by miracles, will spread itself over all Christendom. The thoughtless multitudes in this and other lands, who know all the great facts of the Gospel, yet care nothing for theory will shortly become frantic in their acclamation of the new system. "Who is like unto the Beast?" will be their jubilant cry (Rev. 13: 4). The Eden promise, "You shall be as God." is at last fulfilled; Man is deified, and the Creator is bowed out of the world.

The desirability of a universal religion — a religion that will suit the tastes of all — has been frequently spoken of. The "Review of Reviews" (June, 1908), in describing the Theosophist propaganda of a well-known Methodist (who yet retains his church membership without protest) remarks: "Nowadays all religions tend to approximate. The sharp corners and cruel angles are smoothed down. It is possible to preach in a Christian pulpit doctrine to which Jews, Buddhists and Moslems would listen with approval." It is reserved for the Man of Sin to bring this kind of thing to perfection. His system will be palatable to the mass. Woe to the godly few who refuse to conform to it!

The temporal power of the Antichrist will be seriously inconvenienced by Russia, a power ever bitterly hostile to the Jews. The King of the North, who invades their territory, and works the fearful havoc described in Dan. 11: 40-43 and other passages, is an ally or puppet of Russia, and acts by her instigation. This is the evident meaning of the words in Dan. 8: 24: "His power shall be mighty, but not by his own power." This Northern Kingdom has yet to be created out of the Asiatic dominions of the Turkish Sultan. When it does come into being (and a fresh outbreak of atrocities in Armenia might easily bring it about) it will lean upon Russia as its natural supporter. The future King of the North is the representative of the ancient Seleucidae, and will manifest the same antagonism towards the Jews as they formerly did. He will be actually engaged in the siege of Jerusalem when the heavens open and the Son of Man appears and overwhelms his forces with destruction (Zech. 14: 1-4). The Western hosts, hastening to the relief of Jerusalem, in keeping with the treaty already referred to, and finding the Lamb and His heavenly hosts there, madly turn their arms against them, to their own irretrievable ruin (Rev. 19: 17-21). This is the battle of Armageddon — the last great conflict between East and West (Rev. 16: 14-16). There the costly militarism of Europe will find its grave and from that dread battlefield both the Beast and the False Prophet (the Western Emperor and the Antichrist) will be despatched to the lake of fire, fully a thousand years before the mass of the ungodly.

Russia's Destruction.

Russia will not be represented at Armageddon, having its own special part to play in the tragedy of the last days. This great power was spoken of in Scripture, and its last disastrous enterprise described in detail, nearly fifteen hundred years before Ruric arrived at Novgorod with his Varangians and laid the foundation of the Empire. Our reference is to the thirty-eighth and thirty-ninth chapters of Ezekiel's prophecy. Instead of "chief prince" in Ezek. 38: 2, 3 read "Prince of Rosh." This is the rendering in the Greek Septuagint, and also in the English Revised Version. "Rosh" means Russia; "Meshech and Tubal" refer to her ancient European capital Moscow, and her well-known Asiatic mart Tobolsk. Even Gibbon, the historian, who had no love for God's Word, appears to have been impressed with this Biblical reference to the Northern Empire.

The ruin of her ally, the King of the North, will cause Russia to arise and put forth all her strength for the extermination of the restored Jewish State. A number of satellite powers will join her in the enterprise, among others Persia and Ethiopia (known to us as Abyssinia). Persia and Ethiopia have been for many years centres of political intrigue on the part of the European powers, each endeavouring to checkmate Russian influence and establish its own. The diplomatic game may as well be abandoned; Persia and Ethiopia are destined to fall under the thumb of the Muscovite. The voice of divine inspiration so declared it two thousand six hundred years ago. Every political question will find its solution in connection with Israel. The King of the North and his Asiatic confederates will find their grave in Palestine, the Western Emperor and his European hosts will meet their doom there also, and upon the same rock the vast Russian power will be utterly wrecked. Russia's meddling with the returned Jews will be her last piece of meddling. The prophet graphically describes the fury of Jehovah as it bursts forth against this malignant enemy of His people. His story of slaughter is terrible reading. The carnage will be so great that it will be a national work on the part of the people of Israel for seven months to bury the bones (the birds leaving nothing more); and the number of Russian weapons left upon the field will be so enormous that the whole nation of Israel will not require to cut firewood for seven years afterwards (Ezek. 39: 9-16). "Thus will I magnify Myself, and sanctify Myself; and I will be known in the eyes of many nations; and they shall know that I am Jehovah" (Ezek. 38: 23).

National Revival of Israel, Edom, etc.

Let it be distinctly understood that it is against the whole twelve tribes of Israel the malice of Russia is directed. Only the two tribes, representing the ancient Kingdom of Judah (known to us to-day as "the Jews") will be in the land when the Antichrist is in power there. They being directly responsible for the betrayal and murder of the true Christ will suffer retributively under the oppressive rule of the false Christ. The ten tribes,

who were deported by the Kings of Assyria about seven and a half centuries before the Saviour's first coming, will be regathered to their own land by the blast of the trumpet at His glorious second coming (Isa. 27: 13; Matt. 24: 31). Where these tribes are at the present moment need not concern us. He who scattered them will know where to lay His hand upon them when the appointed hour for their restoration arrives.

Concurrently with the re-appearance of Israel upon the platform of the world's politics there will be seen again many of the powers with which Israel had dealings in the past. Edom, Moab, Ammon, and the Philistines, among others, have quite a shoal of prophecies yet to be fulfilled in them. In Greece, Italy, and other prophetic powers the national spirit has markedly revived in recent years. It reminds us of the Lord's words in Luke 21: 29: "Behold the fig tree, and all the trees." If the fig tree is Israel, "all the trees" represent the powers which have to do with her. All must take up their respective positions in order to play their allotted part in the last scenes. Europe, Asia and Africa will contribute the various actors required. America, so far as Scripture speaks, has no special place in the prophetic future.

The Appearing of the Son of Man.

The days preceding the final crash will find men at once confident and uneasy, inconsistent as this may seem. The Lord Jesus has likened their false feeling of security to the indifference that marked men in the days of Sodom and Gomorrah and the deluge (Luke 17: 26-30). Having both a religion and a leader to their taste, and having brought all their works to a higher pitch of development than the world has ever known, "Peace and safety" will be their satisfied cry (2 Thess. 5: 3). They have broken the divine bands asunder, and have cast away from them the cords of Jehovah and His Anointed. The earth is theirs in full possession, and they flatter themselves that it will abide for ever. Yet underneath all the infidel boasting of that day there will be a certain indefinable dread which perhaps men will scarcely care to broach to one another. The Son of God has expressed it thus: "Men's hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after 'those things which are coming on the earth" (Luke 21: 26).

The revelation of the Son of Man from heaven will come as a terrible shock to the world. In one moment its boasted leaders will be brought to nought, and their enterprises will perish. Accompanied by all His heavenly saints — the redeemed of earth — and attended by His holy angels, the once-crucified One will subdue all before Him. His enemies being swept out of His path, He will establish His throne in Zion "for Jehovah hath chosen Zion; He hath desired it for His habitation. This is My rest for ever, here will I dwell; for I have desired it" (Ps. 132: 13, 14). Israel will then be the head of the nations, and no longer the tail. To Israel's metropolis every country must send its ambassadors at least once in the year in token of allegiance to the great King who reigns there. Chastisement will be inflicted upon any country that fails in this obligation (Zech. 14). Each nation will have its own Sovereign during the Millennial era, but all will be repaired to acknowledge the supremacy of the Lord Jesus as King of kings and Lord of lords. This is God's answer, as far as earth is concerned, to the humiliation of Calvary.

During a thousand years the government of the earth will thus be in the hands of the Son of Man, the tempter being under divine restraint in the bottomless pit. Peace and blessing will characterize that glorious age. The science of war will no longer be studied. The dread of conscription will be gone for ever. Righteousness will be administered with equity to all; high and low, rich and poor, alike. Want will be unknown, and every burden will be removed. The social problems which baffle to-day the intellects of the world's wisest statesmen and philanthropists will then be solved perfectly and for ever. Earth's long moan will be hushed by a divinely sympathetic hand. The true hope of the world is most assuredly the long-rejected Lord Jesus Christ. When will men see it? Neither wise legislation nor lavish benevolence will succeed in healing the woes of men, though they may mitigate them in some' degree. No human hand however well-disposed, can make the crooked. straight nor the rough smooth. But when He who is infinite in power and wisdom rises up from the Father's throne and asserts Himself, perfect deliverance and fulness of blessing will be brought in for all.

The Religious Outlook.

The political and commercial outlook is thus grave enough. Human sin and folly are destined to plunge the world into a veritable whirlpool of agony before the mighty yet gracious hand of the Redeemer shows itself front heaven for deliverance and blessing. What is the religious outlook? It is certain that in religious circles there is much the same spirit of self-complacency as is observable in the world. Glowing statistics are published, learning and modern thought" are idolised, and imposing clerical Congresses are paraded with enthusiasm. "I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing " is the boast, as predicted long ago (Rev. 3: 15). The few who express themselves with misgiving about the present trend of things are brushed aside with contempt as cranks and pessimists. But Scripture shows that a similar feeling of security prevailed amongst the religious chiefs of Jerusalem on the very eve of its destruction (Jer. 7).

Is the present complacency of the professing Church justifiable? What do the Scriptures say? It will perhaps help at this juncture if we briefly indicate the true nature and character of the Church of God as revealed therein. The Church (or assembly) of God dates from the day of Pentecost. On that memorable day the Holy Spirit descended from heaven as a result of the divine acceptance of Christ's atoning sacrifice and His departure out of this world unto the Father. By the baptism of the Spirit, all believers were united to the Head in glory; and became members of His body. They were also constituted the temple of God, in which the Holy Spirit was pleased to take up His abode. The new order of things was in every particular the exact opposite of that which had prevailed from the days of Moses. No earthly sanctuary, no priestly order, no religious festivals nor legal enactments, were prescribed for Christianity. The religion of "the upper room" was marked by unworldly simplicity. Strict separation from the world and all its ways characterized the new community. The living Saviour in the glory of God satisfied all their hearts, and for His coming they looked with fervent. desire. With burning lips each and all declared the exceeding riches of God's grace as God was pleased to give ability and opportunity. No one dreamed of waiting for official authorisation before speaking of the things which delighted their hearts.

How soon the fine gold became dim! Paul and his fellow-apostles had a fierce fight to wage with those who were determined to assimilate Christianity to Judaism. Through their faithfulness the heavenly character of Christianity was preserved for a season. But these spiritual heroes had no successors. Paul saw none to follow him but grievous wolves and perverse men, and could only commend the saints to "God and the Word of His grace" (Acts 20). Peter and John also, in view of their departure, cast the flock wholly upon the Scriptures as their safeguard and stay. Apostolic energy having ceased, everything in the Church gradually changed its character. The spirit of self-assertion soon bred a clergy; a little later a diocesan episcopacy; and, when full-blown, a Papacy. Christendom became in time an unholy blend of Judaism, Paganism, and Christianity. The hope of the Lord's coming being dropped, the Church sought ease and honour in the world. The Scriptures, so grievously slighted in their teaching, became a sealed book. While "the Church" ruled supreme, the grossest horrors prevailed. Men call those centuries "the dark ages," and one historian has said "the annals of the Church are the annals of hell."

In due course came the Protestant Reformation — the mightiest religious upheaval that has yet been witnessed. The Bible became an open book once more. But Scriptural simplicity was not recovered. The civil authorities took religious matters in hand, with the result that State Churches were formed. These, which soon became as intolerant as Popery, ultimately drove out from; amongst them those who dissented from their Rubrics, and so various Nonconformist bodies came into being. But both the State and the Free Churches were one in their reverence for the Scriptures, their fidelity to the great fundamentals of Christianity, and their horror of Popery. But troy do matters stand to-day? The Church of England is honeycombed with conspiracy, hundreds, if not thousands, of its clergy being members of Romanising Societies. The Bishop of London is suffered without rebuke to fraternise with Greek idolatry in St. Petersburg and the Archbishops of Canterbury and York are allowed to speak in Convocation of "our sister-Church of Rome," without protest from those around them. In addition to all this, many of the clergy openly scoff at the inspiration of the Scriptures, and repudiate some of the most sacred verities of the faith, as the Saviour's virgin-birth, etc. The ranks of the Nonconformist ministry also contain a large number of men who are best described as religious infidels. Socialist leaders are welcomed into their pulpits with acclamation. There are doubtless faithful individuals in many quarters, but we speak of what characterise the mass.

Let us briefly state the present religious position in England, where perhaps things are seen at their best. Romanism is gaining ground everywhere, largely helped by the encouragement which misguided Protestant parents are giving to its educational system; the Church of England is filled with Ritualism and Rationalism, with fierce contentions such as Parliament finds itself obliged to notice, the Nonconformist bodies are riddled with infidelity and worldliness; multitudes are carrying on an illicit intercourse with demons under the name of Spiritualism. and to increase the confusion, swarms of American heretics are diligently canvassing the land with their blasphemies — Mormonism, Seventh-day Adventism Millennial-Dawnism, and Christian Science.

Whither are things drifting? What will be the outcome of the present condition of affairs? We believe Rev. 17 supplies the answer. A gorgeously appareled woman is seen riding upon a scarlet-coloured beast, which, from the description given, is manifestly the revived Roman Empire. The woman's name is emblazoned on her forehead:"Mystery, Babylon the Great. the mother of the harlots, and the abominations of the earth" Protestant expositors teach with all readiness that this evil woman is the Church of Rome, and some Papist expositors admit it. But this is not the whole truth. If Babylon is Rome, where are all the other so-called churches represented? It is beyond controversy that the Apocalyptic vision shows us one woman only. The reason, we believe, is this: that ere the vision is fulfilled "the re-union of Christendom" so often discussed now, will become an accomplished fact. Painful and repugnant as the thought may be to godly men, every professedly Christian body will coalesce before the end comes A way will be found whereby the Roman, Greek, Anglican, and other Churches can unite and submerge all differences. Union, at whatever expense as regards truth, is the cherished ideal to-day. The Scotch Presbyterian amalgamation of a few years ago, the more recent Methodist amalgamation, and the federation of the Free Churches, are all steps in the direction indicated. Instead of many Churches, one vast and pretentious, but unutterably corrupt, system will be seen at the end. "The Church of the future!" Familiar words in present-day literature, but suggesting painful thoughts to those who seek to view matters in the light of the word of God.

The woman rides the Beast. For a brief season ecclesiasticism will be supreme in Christendom once more. "The Church" will again rule the State. The civil power will tolerate this for its own purposes until it finds itself in a position to shake off the incubus. Then will happen what is described in Rev. 17: 16, 17: "The ten horns which thou sawest, and the Beast, these shall hate the whore, and shall make her desolate and naked, and shall eat her flesh, and burn her with fire. For God hath put in their hearts to fulfil His will, and to agree, and give their Kingdom unto the Beast, until the words of God shall be fulfilled." The Beast and the ten horns are the Western Emperor and his ten associated Kings. These being utterly apostate, will riot tolerate even Babylon's caricature of Christianity, but will wipe it out with overwhelming destruction. The horrors that are wrapped up in the words of the two verses just quoted, none at present can know. The wholesale butchery of clergy in France when the Revolution was proclaimed, and the desecration and confiscation of religious property, suggests in a lurid way something of what will then be witnessed. It is infidelity's utter suppression of everything suggestive of Christianity.

But the hand of God also is in the great catastrophe. Hence, in Rev. 18: 5 we read: "Her sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities." The saints in heaven rejoice over Babylon's downfall, and praise God for it with Hallelujahs. "True and righteous are His judgments; for He hath judged the great whore, which did corrupt the earth with her fornication, and hath avenged the blood of His servants at her hand." This happens on the eve of the Saviour's public manifestation from heaven. That great event, in which the "caught up" ones of 1 Thess. 4: 17 will share, will be the first divine step towards the complete adjustment of all earthly affairs. When Christ and His heavenly bride (composed of all true Christians) are in the ascendancy here, every problem, whether religious, social, commercial, or political, will be perfectly and divinely solved. Till then everything is out of course. Well, therefore, may we pray: "Thy Kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven" (Matt. 6: 10).

Jehovah's Passover

Jehovah's Passover

W W Fereday.

"The Beginning of Months"

The Passover was Israel's fundamental institution. It marked the commencement of their history as a nation, and as a people in special relationship with Jehovah. That night in Egypt was never to be forgotten by them. Its terrible doings were to be rehearsed in the ears of their children from generation to generation.

What a night! The angel of Jehovah sweeping through Pharaoh's empire from end to end with his destroying sword! Every house, save those which were marked with blood, was bereaved of its firstborn. Every stable too was robbed of its choicest and best. One deep united wail ascended to heaven as Jehovah thus vindicated His offended majesty, and manifested His superiority over all the gods of the heathen, and over all the might and glory of men.

The awful story has a living voice for men today. God was acting in His judicial character as the avenger of sin. Pharaoh and his people had openly defied His commandments. Spite of plague after plague they still refused to let Israel go. Even divine long-suffering has its limits. Accordingly we have Jehovah in Exodus 12 carrying into effect His original threat as given in Ex. 4: 22-23: "Thou shalt say unto Pharaoh. thus saith Jehovah, Israel is My son, even My firstborn; and I say unto thee, Let My son go, that he may serve Me; and if thou refuse to let him go, behold, I will slay thy son, even thy firstborn." Are men more subject to the voice of God in our day than in Pharaoh's time? Is it not a fact that His every commandment is outraged amongst us, and His authority everywhere challenged? As surely then as He desolated Egypt in ages past, so will He desolate the whole earth shortly. None will escape His avenging hand but those who are sheltered beneath the Saviour's blood.

The Passover chapter opens very suggestively. "And Jehovah spake unto Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt saying, This month shall be unto you the beginning of months: it shall be the first month of the year unto you" (Ex. 12: 1-2). The month in question was Abib, otherwise Nisan (Ex. 13: 4), and corresponded to our March-April. It had hitherto been the seventh in order of reckoning; from the time of Israel's deliverance from Egypt it was to be accounted the first. Redemption thus gave the people a new start with God. Even so is it now. When a man acknowledges himself a sinner in the divine sight, exposed to eternal wrath, and in simple faith takes refuge under the blood of the Lamb, he begins life anew. His past of sin and guilt is divinely expunged. His whole previous course, "alienated from the life of God" (Eph. 4: 18), is accounted as so much waste, and so utterly worthless that it is mercy on the part of God to wipe it out of all remembrance.

We are aware that this is not men's usual way of looking at things. When it becomes whispered around that such and such a one has become "converted," it is too commonly supposed that the individual referred to has said "good-bye" to "life" once for all. What men call "life" and what God so describes, are two wholly different things. Men's idea of "life" is the gratification of their own lusts and pleasures at the utmost possible distance from their Creator. Bitterness and disappointment result, as the Lord so graphically showed in the parable of the lost son in Luke 15, and as the wise man so painfully records (writing down his own experience) in the book of Ecclesiastes. It is feeding upon ashes and striving after the wind. Life according to God is participation in divine joys. "He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life" (John 3: 36). The happy man of whom this is true finds himself in heart and mind in touch with pleasures outside this world. The life he has thus received, as the fruit of sovereign grace, is of a heavenly order, and carries with it capabilities of entering into divine thoughts, divine affections, and divine counsels. This is life indeed. He who is in it looks back with shame and selfjudgment upon all the years spent in ignorance of God and His Son. The knowledge of redemption involves a tremendous revolution; it is "the beginning of months" — a new point of departure. a new mode of being: altogether.

"Every Man a Lamb"

Ten plagues in all fell upon rebellious Egypt. From nine of them the captive Israelites were markedly exempt. When their oppressors were enveloped in darkness that could be felt, the Israelites had light in their dwellings; when the deadly murrain destroyed the cattle of the Egyptians, the cattle of the Israelites escaped unharmed; when the hail wrought havoc with the crops of the one people, the crops of the other were absolutely untouched; and so on. The captives were spared all the providential inflictions from which their tormentors suffered. Thus did Jehovah openly signify the difference between those who were His and those who were not His. But when the moment came that the angel of death must be sent through the land, invading with his sword the homes of all who transgressed the divine will, Israel could be exempted no longer. However favoured these people might be, in the sovereignty of God's grace, they were sinners like all others (Ezek. 20: 5-9); if therefore they were to be spared the last dread stroke some righteous ground for this must be discovered. This is why the lamb was prescribed.

The instructions concerning the lamb were very comprehensive. "Speak ye unto all the congregation of Israel, saying, In the tenth day of this month they shall take to them every man a lamb, according to the house of their fathers a lamb for an house" (Ex. 12: 3). There is no mistaking the plain force of such words as these. "All the congregation of Israel" were addressed, and "every man" was to take a lamb. There were at that time about six hundred thousand men amongst them capable of bearing arms; reckoning upon this basis there were probably some three millions of Israelites in Egypt that night. Amongst so large a number of people there were doubtless great differences in character and ways. The religious and the irreligious, the amiable and the cantankerous, the honourable and the dishonourable, the generous and the mean, not to mention the universal distinction between high and low, and rich and poor. But every man must take to himself a lamb. Neither character nor station counted for anything in the presence of the judgement of God. In thus insisting upon a lamb Jehovah was thinking of Christ. 1 Cor. 5: 7 puts this beyond all dispute. "Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us." Accordingly this ancient story of Israel in Egypt has its voice for our consciences at this hour. Nothing counts with God but Christ. "Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world" (John 1: 29). The most outrageous sinner who shelters himself in faith in Christ and His blood is secure from all alarms; the most estimable character that ever lived who has not humbly availed himself thus of God's merciful provision is speeding to eternal ruin. No proposition could be more simple, and yet nothing seems so difficult for the human mind to grasp. We all love to think that there is some thing in us that should commend us to God; like the Pharisee of Luke 18: 11 we are more or less disposed to say, God, I thank thee that I am not as other men are." In such an assertion, however badly expressed, there may be a measure of truth, yet it still remains true that with God nothing counts but Christ. The Lamb, and the Lamb only, is our sole hope and plea.

"The Tenth Day"

The fact is remarkable that while the Passover month was to be henceforward the first in the year to the people of Israel, the lamb was not appointed to be slain on the first day of that month. One might almost have supposed that Jehovah would have commenced the new reckoning with the great fact of redemption. Yet this is what we read in Ex. 12: 3: "Speak ye unto all the congregation of Israel, saying, In the tenth day of this month they shall take to them every man a lamb. "Ten days were thus to run their course ere the victim was drawn from the flock for death.

Numbers are used in Holy Scripture with divine significance The frequent occurrence of "seven" and "twelve" in the book of God is sufficient to suggest this to every observant reader. This is scarcely the place in which to show the meaning of all the numerals divinely employed; for our present purpose it is enough to say that "ten" represents the full measure of human responsibility. Thus we have ten commandments in Ex. 20, ten virgins in Matt. 25: 1-13, and ten pounds in Luke 19: 13. The ten days of Ex. 12: 3 speak to us therefore of the ages of responsibility (or probation) which ran their course ere God sent forth His beloved Son to be the Lamb of God, the taker away of the sin of the world.

The preceding ages of responsibility were divinely designed to teach men their deep need of a Saviour, that thus they might be disposed to welcome Him with adoring appreciation at His appearing. Taking Archbishop Usher's chronology (which cannot, however, be insisted upon) men were being thus disciplined during forty centuries. During that long period God's ways with His fallen creatures varied considerably. Until Noah's day men had the testimony of creation and the voice of conscience. No Scriptures existed, and there was neither sovereign nor magistrate to call evil-doers to account. The end was the Deluge, the earth having become full of corruption and violence. When Noah and his sons were re-established in the cleansed earth, God set up the principle of human government (Gen. 9: 6) — a merciful provision intended as a curb upon wickedness. This quickly failed; Noah's drunkenness, Nimrod's tyranny, the building of the tower of Babel, and the idolatry which soon covered the earth proving only too sadly that magistracy (however excellent as an institution) is inefficient as applied to so rebellious a being as man.

Later there was the giving of the law, with its solemn "Thou shalt not's," and its accompanying threats and curses for all who were disobedient thereto. The law was given to Israel only (Ex. 20: 2; Ps. 147: 19-20); for God would demonstrate in that nation the moral condition of flesh everywhere. The commandments had scarcely gone forth from Jehovah's lips before the first was violated by the setting up of the golden calf: and this was but the commencement of a long history of transgression culminating at last in the murder of the Son of God, who was constrained by lawless men to tread the same path of blood as all others who had ever sought to bring God before their consciences. The parable of the husbandmen in Matt. 21: 33-46 declares the wretched story vividly.

Thus men proved, during forty centuries, that under every variety of circumstances and conditions there was nothing but evil in their hearts. This terrible fact having been fully demonstrated, God sent forth His Son. "When we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly" (Rom. 5: 6). God's "due time" is set forth typically in "the tenth day" of Ex. 12: 3. Oh, that men everywhere understood the lesson of it for then would they renounce all pretension to goodness and strength in themselves, and glory in Christ alone!

The Fourteenth Day

The lamb was thus to be taken out from the sheep or from the goats on the tenth day of the month; nevertheless it was not to be slain on that day. "Ye shall keep it up until the fourteenth day of the same month: and the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill it in the evening" (Ex. 12: 6). Under this arrangement the victim was for three or four days under the immediate observation of those for whom its blood was to be shed. This finds its answer in the years of the public ministry of the Lord Jesus. During the first thirty years of His earthly pathway He lived in the retirement of Nazareth. His perfections during those years are known to God alone. It was when He emerged into public view that John the Baptist gave utterance to that marvellous word: "Behold the Lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the world." There before John's eyes was He to whom the Paschal lamb and every other sacrifice pointed. He had come from heaven to fulfil all the types and shadows of the law. But He did not go to Calvary at that moment. He was indeed on His way thither when John beheld Him but three and a half years of ministry — matchless ministry — ran their course ere "His life was taken from the earth" (Acts 8: 33). He was thus, as it were, "taken out" on the tenth day, and "kept up" until the fourteenth. The typical picture is the more complete when we remember that His death actually coincided with the Passover feast of that year. His priestly murderers would fain have had it otherwise, fearing a tumult amongst the people (Matt. 26: 5); but God's hour had struck, and the deed must be done at that time, and at no other.

During His three and a half years of ministry the Saviour lived in the fierce glare of hostile criticism. No ascetic was He. as John; not in the desert was His home; He moved freely in and out amongst the people. All the facts of His life were therefore fully known. If His foes could have discovered a single flaw in Him, how it would have delighted their evil hearts! But He was God's holy One. The Paschal lamb was to be "without blemish"; only thus could it set forth Him who was at once holy in nature, and stainless in all His ways. At the end His judge had to say, "I find no fault in Him" (John 19: 6) and His enemies could only find the semblance of a charge against Him by bribing men to commit perjury in their court (Mark 15: 55-60).

His spotless life proclaimed His fitness to die in atonement for the sins of others. Could it be proved that He was ever guilty of the smallest transgression, then salvation is impossible for any of us; for in that case He would have needed a Saviour for Himself. His years of public life demonstrated that death had no possible claim upon Him. He was thus divinely competent to take up the sin question and settle it to the eternal satisfaction of the claims of the throne of God. "Hallelujah! what a Saviour!"

"Kill It"

Death is everywhere stamped upon our chapter (Ex. 12), Let us at this moment lay all possible emphasis upon the solemn words of verse 6: "The whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill it in the evening." Nothing short of this could satisfy the claims of God, and avert the destruction that was approaching. The lamb must die; the blood of the innocent must be shed if the guilty were to be spared.

Death lies upon men everywhere as the fruit of sin; it is sin's wages, as Rom. 6: 23 tells us. Had sin not intruded itself into God s fair creation, not a grave would ever have been dug, not a tear of bereavement would ever have been shed. Let us have no misunderstanding as to this. Those who speak of their impending dissolution as "the debt of nature" are simply hiding from themselves the real truth of their position in relation. to God and His throne. No folly could be greater. The presence of death in the world admits of but one explanation — man is a fallen creature, a rebel against his Maker. For those who fail to seek divine grace and pardon the death of the body is but the Prelude to "the second death, the lake of fire" (Rev. 20: 14). The righteousness of God demands that if any are to be spared the last dread sentence then death must fall upon another instead.

This is what is set forth with all plainness in the ordinance of the Paschal lamb. The angel of death was to pass through the land of Egypt at midnight to destroy the firstborn in every house. No way of escape was possible from so fearful a visitation. but the death of the lamb. In every home in which death had done its work upon the sacrifice death passed the firstborn by. Wherever the people failed to put the death of the lamb between themselves and God there the stroke fell. Even so is it now, The death of Christ, humbly accepted and appropriated in faith, is our only possible door of escape from the eternal judgement. of God. A living lamb would not suffice in Israel; a living Christ could not suffice for us. His personal presence on earth was an inestimable privilege and blessing for men, but atonement was not effected thereby. He must die ere He could be available as Saviour for the lost. His own words in John 6: 51 show this conclusively: "I am the living bread which came down from heaven; if any man eat of this bread he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is My flesh, which I will give for the life of the world." To this may be added His memorable utterance to Nicodemus: "As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have eternal life" (John 3: 14-15). Happy is the man who can say, "The Saviour died for me." Upon such a one the stroke of divine judgement can never fall. The whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill it in the evening." Not 'them," but "it.' Thousands of lambs were slain that night, and yet in the mind of God there was but One. Christ is God's first great thought, and to Him every sacrifice pointed. There is no salvation in any other.

"Take of the Blood" In Ex. 12: 7, for the first time in Holy Scripture, we have blood mentioned in connection with man's deliverance and blessing. In various passages in the book of Genesis, blood is spoken of as evidence of human guilt (notably in the story of Cain and Abel), and in the early chapters of Exodus blood is twice introduced as one of God's judgements upon rebellious Egypt (Ex. 4: 9; Ex. 7: 17); now, in the ordinance of the Paschal lamb, it comes before us as the means whereby God's believing People were sheltered from destruction. From this point onward to the close of the book of God the doctrine of atoning blood stands out in unmistakable characters. By blood, and by blood alone, can men be saved. These were the instructions given to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt: "They shall take of the blood, and strike it on the two side-posts and on the upper door-post of the houses wherein they shall eat it" (Ex. 12: 7). Further on in the chapter we hear Moses addressing the elders of Israel thus: "Draw out and take you a lamb according to your families, and kill the Passover, And ye shall take a bunch of hyssop, and dip it in the blood that is in the basin, and strike the lintel and the two side-posts with the blood that is in the basin; and none of you shall go out at the door of his house until the morning" (v.v. 21-21). The various steps were thus made perfectly clear for God's people. The dullest amongst them could not well misunderstand what was so essential to his salvation. First the lamb was to be selected for sacrifice; then it was to be brought into the house; four days later it was to be killed; and finally the blood was to be sprinkled upon the lintel and side-posts of the house of every man of Israel. It was not enough to kill the lamb, nor even to present the blood in a basin; it must be sprinkled in obedience to the word of Jehovah.

The meaning for us in this day is plain enough. Christ, the Lamb of God, has been slain; His precious blood has been shed: all that God requires from the sinner who would escape the wrath to come is to accept these mighty facts in simple-hearted faith. But just as in Egypt that night no man could help his neighbour, each being compelled to sprinkle the blood for himself, so now no man can shelter himself under the cloak of another's faith; each must appropriate for himself Christ's precious blood as the only safeguard of his soul. To those who have done this Peter writes thus: "Ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold..... but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot; who verily was fore ordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you, who by Him do believe in God that raised Him up from the dead, and gave Him glory; so that your faith and hope are in God" (1 Peter 1: 18-21). The sentiments expressed in this passage manifestly go far beyond anything that was experienced in Egypt in Moses' day. Then it was simply a matter of keeping God as Judge out of the house; now, on the righteous basis of the blood of Christ, every believer is brought to God, accepted and taken into favour in the risen One, and withal entitled to know it in the power of the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven.

"When I See the Blood"

If the instructions to Israel were very explicit, so that no one could well misunderstand them. they were also severely inflexible. No room whatever was left for human opinion as to what was right and proper that night, and no deviation was permitted from the strict letter of the divine word. The blood of the lamb was the divine requirement. and nothing else could be accepted in its stead. Here is Jehovah's message to the people: "I will pass through the land of Egypt this night, and will smite all the first-born in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgement: I am Jehovah. And the blood shall be to you for a token upon the houses where ye are: and when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and the plague shall not be upon you to destroy you, when I smite the land of Egypt" (Ex. 12: 12-13).

Suppose some in Israel had pleaded that their lives were so much better than their neighbours', that therefore there was not the same urgent necessity for putting the blood upon the door-post, what would have happened? The angel of death would have swept through that dwelling, even though the people therein were in very deed the most upright and the most religious in the land. Jehovah did not say, "When I see your excellent lives," but, "When I see the blood." Again, suppose some had objected to slaying the lamb, their minds revolting from the gruesomeness of shedding blood, and had instead tied the living animal to the door-posts of their houses, would this have been accepted? By no means. Jehovah did not say, When I see the lamb," but "When I see the blood." The blood was the confession on the part of those who sprinkled it that they were personally only worthy of death, and that they sheltered themselves under the death of another. To God the blood witnessed that death had already entered the houses upon which it rested ; and this justified Him in bidding His ministers of judgement pass such houses by. How simple are these lessons, and yet how difficult it is to get men to take them in, albeit they concern their eternal peace! How many plead their moral and religious lives as if excellent living should exempt them from the holy judgement of a sin- avenging God. Again, how many profess for the living Christ, admiring His perfect ways, and acclaiming Him as the great Preacher to whom all men would do well to hearken. "Back to Christ," they say. "Let us live according to the principles of the Sermon on the Mount, and all will be well." Vain delusion! False hope! Men's great need is not a holy example, nor a teacher of good, but a sin-atoning sacrifice. This is found alone in the precious blood of Christ. He has made peace through the blood of His cross (Col. 1: 20), and in no other way could peace ever have been made between men and God. "Apart from shedding of blood is no remission" (Heb. 9: 22). A millennium of holy living and divine teaching on the part of the Son of God would have left the sin question just where it was before He came to earth. Sin could only be expiated by blood.

God be praised for the atoning death of Christ. It has made it righteously possible for Him not only to exempt from judgement the sinner who believes, but also to take such a one into His heart of love for ever and ever. No wonder the redeemed on high ascribe all worthiness and glory to the Lamb who was slain.

"I will Pass over You"

The significance of Jehovah's pledge to Israel — "I will pass over you," is frequently misunderstood. By many it is taken to mean mere exemption from destruction; whereas, in reality, a great deal more than this is involved in the words. We will quote Ex. 12: 23 at length in order that we may have the whole Pledge before us: "Jehovah will pass through to smite the Egyptians; and when He seeth the blood upon the lintel, and upon the two side-posts, Jehovah will pass over the door, and will not suffer the destroyer to come unto your houses to smite you."

Jehovah "passing through" is thus one thing; but Jehovah "passing over" is quite another. Our inquiry just now is to the latter. What does it mean? lsaiah 31: 5 (R.V.) will help us here. "As the birds flying, so will the Lord of Hosts protect Jerusalem; He will protect and deliver it, He will pass over and preserve it." The language of lsaiah 31 is thus very similar to that of Ex. 12, and its meaning is transparent, It gives the idea of a mother bird hovering over her nest, anxiously watching it, and mounting guard over her young. This is what Jehovah promised to do in Egypt for all who, in obedience to His word, sprinkled the blood upon their houses. He would Himself be the protector of such people. He would Himself stand between them and all harm. "I will not suffer the destroyer to come in unto your houses to smite you."

This presents to us a truly delightful view of the God with whom we have to do. He positively ranges Himself upon the side of those who, in faith, have sought the shelter of the blood of Jesus. The fact that He has raised His Son from amongst the dead is the public proof that every requirement of His throne has been fully met. In perfect consistency therefore with His own character of righteousness, He against whom all our sins have been committed is now able to constitute Himself the guardian of His believing people. Faithful to His word and to the precious blood of Jesus, He will never, while eternal ages roll, permit judgement to touch His own. This being most certainly true, let us get rid of all servile fear. There is no room for dread in our relationships with such a God.

The men of Israel might well sit down in quiet confidence that night. Even if others' wail of distress reached their ears, they had no occasion for alarm. They had put the blood of the lamb between themselves and the destroyer, and they had Jehovah Himself standing sentinel, as it were, outside their sprinkled doors. Had anxious thoughts been entertained by them, they would have cast dishonour upon God — His faithfulness and truth. In like manner the unbelieving apprehensions of many in our day who truly love the Saviour's name are a deep affront to the God of our salvation. As Toplady's lines put it:-

From whence this fear and unbelief,

If God, my Father, put to grief

His spotless Son for me?

Can He, the righteous Judge of me,

Condemn me for that debt of sin,

Which, Lord, was charged on Thee?

Impossible!

"Eat the Flesh"

The blood of the lamb having been sprinkled according to the ordinance of Jehovah, the flesh of the animal was to be cooked and eaten. Here also for every detail there was divine legislation; nothing whatever was left to the decision of the people. So we read: "They shall eat the flesh in that night, roast with fire, and unleavened bread; and with bitter herbs they shall eat it. Eat not of it raw nor sodden at all with water, but roast with fire; his head with his legs, and with the purtenance thereof" (Ex, 12: 8-9). Eating has in Scripture the double force of appropriation and identification. In John 6: 51-57 the Saviour insists upon the necessity of eating His flesh and drinking His blood in order to have and enjoy eternal life. It is folly to drag the Lord's Supper into John 6., for it had not been instituted at the time our Lord thus spoke. The meaning is that not only must He be slain in order to meet the need of sinful men, but men must distinctly appropriate Him in faith in that character. Hence the language of the new song in heaven: "Thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by Thy blood" (Rev. 5: 9). They who surround the throne adoringly acknowledge that their every blessing is due to the Saviour's death. Israel's feeding upon the lamb in Egypt is thus typical of our appropriation to-day of the once-slain Christ.

But there is more than this. It was distinctly forbidden to boil the flesh, as also to eat of it raw. It must be "roast with fire." Fire is the emblem in Scripture of the holiness of God in judgement. It is not enough for me to know that Christ died; it is essential that I should believe that He died atoningly, having first exhausted all the judgement of God that my sins deserved. "His own self bare our sins in His own body on the tree" (1 Peter 2: 24). Feeding, as it were, upon the roast lamb, I enter in some measure into the awful judgement which fell upon Christ as my sin-bearer, and I realise that but for His self-sacrificing love I must myself have remained under the wrath of God for ever (John 3: 36). A sense of this doubtless weighed heavily upon the soul of Saul of Tarsus in Damascus when for three days he could neither eat nor drink (Acts 9: 9).

The "bitter herbs" which accompanied the roast lamb are suggestive of the same principle. The realisation that sin — my sin — is of such exceeding gravity in the sight of God that nothing could expiate it, and thus save me from eternal ruin, but the death of Christ, and that in the midst of circumstances of unparalleled grief and shame, is bitter indeed; though the knowledge of redemption yields ultimately and for ever exceeding joy. Anything that remained of the Paschal lamb was to be destroyed in the morning. The sacrifice in all its ceremonial was to be completed within a single night.

Ye shall let nothing remain until the morning; and that which remaineth of until the morning ye shall burn with fire." The rising sun was thus to see no trace of the slain lamb. In like manner the atoning work of Christ is not a progressive, but a completed thing. It is not in process of being accomplished; it has been accomplished definitely and eternally. As a fragrant and hallowed memory Calvary's costly sacrifice abides with God and the redeemed for ever, but the sacrifice itself is past and complete So divinely efficacious is it that nothing further could ever be required or accepted. For God's suffering Lamb the dark night of judgement is no more, and He lives on high in the eternal sunshine of divine favour and love.

The Stroke

Men's threats are sometimes mere idle words or empty bombast; not so the predicted judgements of God. At no stage in the worlds history has the Creator threatened judgement which He had no intention of executing. There have been occasions when His hand has been averted by the repentance of the people. The sparing of Nineveh in the time of Jonah an example of this. It is part of the declared ways of God to withdraw sentence when men humble themselves before Him Jer. 18: 7-8 shows this plainly. It is also true that He is "slow to anger," leaving until the last an open door for repentance but even the long-suffering of God has its limits. This was solemnly proved by the defiant Egyptians in the days of Moses At the commencement of Moses' mission Jehovah said to Pharaoh: "Israel is My son, even My firstborn and I say unto thee, Let My son go that he may serve Me, and if thou refuse to let him go, behold, I will slay thy son, even thy first born (Ex 4: 22, 23). The patience of God being now exhausted after various appeals and preliminary judgements, this dread sentence took effect on the night of Israel's Passover. It came to pass that at midnight Jehovah smote all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh that sat on his throne unto the firstborn of the captive that was in the dungeon; and all the firstborn of cattle. And Pharaoh rose up in the night, he, and all his servants, and all the Egyptians; and there was a great cry in Egypt; for there was not a house where there was not one dead" (Ex. 12: 29-30). There was thus no respect of persons. The royal palace, in every country shielded to the utmost from the calamities which befall the lowly, was no more immune that night than the prison cell or the stable. The king's heart was torn with anguish as well as that of the meanest of his subjects. Truly, it is a terrible thing to defy the God of judgement!

Yet while desolation thus spread itself throughout the land of Egypt, the houses of the Israelites were absolutely unharmed. This was due solely to the fact that they obeyed Jehovah in faith, and sprinkled the blood of the slain lamb outside their dwellings. Neither good conduct nor religious orthodoxy saved them that night, but the blood of the lamb alone. Under the shelter of this they could eat and drink in peace, with girded loins and staff in hand, prepared to march out of a scene which was in no sense their home.

We are ourselves living in a solemn moment in the world's history. The Gospel day is ending, with all its opportunities of eternal blessing. The hour for God's judgements to begin will shortly strike. Then the once-crucified Lord will arise from the throne on which He is seated, and will come forth in His might as the divinely-appointed Judge of quick and dead. First He will deal with the quick (i.e., the living), destroying His enemies before Him like the driven snow; later, when His Millennial reign has ended, He will summon the dead from their tombs to stand before the great white throne. These are tremendous considerations, which it is folly and madness for any to ignore. Happy is the man who, as a confessedly guilty sinner, worthy only of eternal wrath, has fled to the Saviour for refuge, trusting wholly and solely in His precious atoning blood. Such a one is eternally secure — as secure as a righteous God can make him,

"For a Memorial"

That night in Egypt was to be kept in perpetual remembrance by the people of Israel. That it might never be forgotten, the Passover was to be observed annually as a feast to Jehovah throughout their generations. "Ye shall keep it a feast by an ordinance for ever" (Ex. 12: 14). There is a dangerous tendency in the human heart to forget, particularly in matters relating to God. How often in Deuteronomy — that book which gives us Moses' final addresses to the people we come across such admonitions as 'Beware lest thou forget," and "Take heed that ye remember." Peter's last epistle was written in order that his readers might after his departure have his teaching "always in remembrance." One of the marks of a backslider, according to this apostle, is his having "forgotten that he was purged from his old sins" (2 Peter 1: 9). The Lord's Supper comes to mind here. The Saviour was on the eve of death when He instituted it. His wonderful course on earth was ending, and He was about to undergo the supreme anguish of Calvary. Only by His death could atonement be effected and salvation be made possible for sinful men. Yet even One so divinely unique as He, and a sacrifice so stupendous as the sacrifice of Himself, would be in danger of being forgotten by His own. Accordingly He gave to His disciples first the bread, and then the cup, saying, "This do in remembrance of Me" (Luke 22: 19-20). Years after His return to heaven's glory, the Holy Spirit reiterated His words in 1 Cor. 11: 23-25, adding, as often as ye eat the bread and drink the cup, ye do show forth the Lord's death till He come." Thus during the whole period of His absence on high the Lord's Supper remains with the Church as the memorial of her once-slain Lord and Saviour. The absurdity of encouraging any to partake thereof who have no saving knowledge of Christ should be apparent; for how can I recall to remembrance a person I have never known? Year by year the Passover feast was to be observed in Israel. In this way the goodness of God was to be kept alive in the minds of the people, and the mighty fact that He redeemed them from the bondage of Egypt, taking them into relationship with Himself on the ground of the blood of the lamb. Connected with the Passover there were to be seven days of unleavened bread. Leaven is everywhere in Scripture the type of evil. Thus in God's picture-book, as elsewhere in the plainest language, He insists upon purity of life and doctrine in all whom grace has sheltered beneath the Saviour's blood.

The children of the Israelites came into the divine thought also. They were to be carefully instructed as to the meaning of the Paschal feast. The case is supposed in Ex. 12: 26-27 of the children inquiring at a later date: "What mean ye by this Service?" The parents were to reply: "It is the sacrifice of Jehovah's Passover, who passed over the houses of the children Of Israel in Egypt, when He smote the Egyptians, and delivered Our houses." Let us in this day see to it that we are not only ourselves under the shelter of the blood of the Lamb, but that our children are also in the same position of divine security. The wrath of God against all ungodliness is a tremendous reality, from which nothing can screen either ourselves or our children but the Saviour's blood.

A Brief Exposition of the Epistle to the Philippians

A Brief Exposition of the Epistle to the Philippians.

W W Fereday

To the reader.

The following brief exposition of the Epistle to the Philippians was written in 1894, and appeared at that time in the form of articles in a magazine which has long ceased to exist. Perhaps a new circle of readers will find help and profit from this re-issue. This precious Epistle has been happily divided thus:-

1 — Christ our Life.

2 — Christ our Pattern.

3 — Christ our Object.

4 — Christ our Strength.

Thoughts on Philippians.

Philippians 1.

The Epistle to the Philippians is experimental rather than doctrinal in its character; we get the inner life of the saints and of the Apostle unfolded in a very precious way. The first epistle to the Thessalonians also brings before us Christian experience: but with this difference; the saints in the latter place were but young converts, consequently we see in them divine life manifesting itself in all its first freshness and vigour; whereas the Philippians when Paul wrote to them were tried saints; they had run the race for many years, and had proved God faithful throughout. The Thessalonians were characterised by their work of faith, labour of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ; they had turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God and to wait for His Son from heaven: the Philippians had weathered the storm, and had patiently continued their support of, and fellowship with, the Apostle in all his labours and necessities.

In Philippians 1, we get the blessed motives of the Apostle's heart; in Philippians 2, what has been appropriately termed the graciousness of the Christian life; in Philippians 3, its energy, steadily pursuing its heavenly Object; and in Philippians 4, its superiority over all circumstances.

"Bishops and deacons” are found in the address (in the plural, note). These were local officers, the one to care for the spiritual, the other, the secular, affairs of the saints; and must not be confounded with the gifts for the edifying of the body, as in Eph. 4.

Paul thanked God for his "whole remembrance” of these saints; to no other company does he speak quite in the same way. In some quarters he was able to thank God for some things, while groaning over others; here there was nothing to cause him pain. We get thus a striking illustration of Heb. 13: 17. He gave account of the Philippians with joy, and not with grief: to their profit undoubtedly. What particularly refreshed his heart was their fellowship in the Gospel: they had borne him as a labourer on their hearts before God, had sent once and again unto his necessity, and, more than all, had shared with him its trials and reproach. This he recognised as God's work in them, and his heart was assured that, having begun a good work in them, God would perform it unto the day of Jesus Christ. This remark of the Apostle's is to be noted; for he regards the saints in this epistle as counting on God for themselves, he, the Apostle of the Church, being no longer active, but in prison. This letter prepares the way, as it were, for the Church being left entirely without apostolic care. Apostolic succession is unknown to it: God working in the saints, to will and to do of His good pleasure, is prominent.

It was only just that the Apostle should be assured concerning them all; he knew he had a place in their hearts;* they had been partakers of the afflictions of the Gospel according to the power of God, they were also partakers of the grace wherewith Paul had been supplied. Further, God knew how greatly he longed after them all in the bowels of Jesus Christ. The same tenderness of affection is seen in 1 Thess. 3. He greatly desired to see them, as they to see him, night and day praying exceedingly that he might see their face, and perfect that which was lacking in their faith. His dear Philippians he also describes as "dearly beloved and longed for, my joy and crown." Precious outflow, and acknowledgment, of affection!

{*v.7 must be read, "because ye have me in your hearts}

He prayed for them: desiring that their “love might abound more and more in knowledge and in all judgement." Love must not be unwisely displayed — it must learn in God's school. At times, love speaks tenderly, at other times sharply; to act and speak aright in love, knowledge and discernment are needed. Love must be evenly balanced by other divine qualities. He desired, too, that they might approve excellent things — the new man exercising himself by the Spirit in God's presence as to good and evil; that they might be sincere and without offence until the day Christ. Note, “the day" is always introduced when it is a question of responsibility. (Compare Rom. 13: 12, 1 Cor. 1: 8, 1 Thess. 3: 13). “The fruit of righteousness" (1 John 3: 7, Rom. 4: 18, 19) is before the mind of the Spirit here; “the fruit of the light" in Eph. 5, "the fruit of the Spirit in Gal. 5. "To the glory and praise of God," the Apostle adds: ever, surely, the object of the believer's life and ways.

Verses 1-11 are a sort of introduction: in verse 12 he commences upon the subject matter of his epistle. His unselfish heart rejoiced that God had so over-ruled his bonds that the things which had happened unto him had fallen out rather to the furtherance, than to the hindrance, of the Gospel: he would have his brethren know it, that they might rejoice together. Instead of his being regarded as a malefactor, as Satan desired, God had made it plain that his bonds were for Christ's sake, and it had turned to a testimony. How wise is our God; and how blessed to simply trust in Him! To the human eye the imprisonment of such a labourer as Paul (and at such a time, when decay was beginning to set in all around) was disastrous, but the Lord knew best. Paul's chain enabled him to reach persons in Caesar's court, and elsewhere in Rome, whom he probably could not have reached under ordinary circumstances. It is striking that the only note Scripture gives of an apostle being at Rome is as a prisoner; and that many years after the planting of Christianity there.

His bonds had operated also in another way. Many brethren in the Lord, who at first were discouraged by his imprisonment, were now waxing confident as to it, trusting the Lord, and were much more bold to speak the word without fear. What a cheer to the heart of the true-hearted prisoner! If he was bound, the Word of God was not: it was running its course. Though this joy was not without alloy; for some persons were preaching Christ of envy and strife, supposing to add affliction to his bonds. How unworthy! Yet his unselfish heart could rejoice, because Christ was being preached, so assured was he that that Name could not be set forth in vain, whatever motives might operate in the speaker. Besides, he felt that all was contributing to the final victory over Satan — all was leading up to the Apostle's final salvation. "Salvation" in verse 19 is not, I judge, his deliverance from prison — that is alluded to in verse 26 — but deliverance at the end, which is quite in accord with the use of the word throughout Philippians. Salvation is at the end of the warfare, i.e., at the coming of the Lord Jesus (the salvation of the soul being enjoyed meanwhile). He counted on their prayers too, and the supply of the Spirit of Christ Jesus. The vessel needs to be kept constantly filled with the pure oil from above, that the light may shine out.

Verses 20 - 30. The Apostle too had confidence in the Lord — it was his earnest expectation and hope — that the grace which had sustained him hitherto would sustain him to the end; that in nothing he might be ashamed; but that, as always, Christ might be magnified in his body, whether by life or by death. ' For," says he, “to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain." So thoroughly was Christ before him, and so thoroughly was he yielded up, body and soul, to Him, that he was content to live or die, as might best suit the Lord, and conduce to His glory. In such language we observe self completely displaced, and the Lord — His service and His glory — filling the vision and heart. Christ was his one object: to live longer here was to labour further for the honour of His Name, and to become more deeply acquainted with Himself. To die would be undoubtedly gain to the suffering Apostle, for then he would be with Christ — he would be at home with the Lord. To one so true of heart, how painful to have to write in Philippians 2: 21: “All seek their own, not the things which are Jesus Christ's." Few walked as himself and Timotheus; the many, even in his early day, mixed self with the service of the Lord.

It was happy to remain, it was happy to depart: he felt in a strait betwixt the two. “If I live in the flesh, it is worth while"; for so the verse should read. But he thought of the Church: he was its minister in an especial manner; he bore it on his heart, sharing the affections and feelings of the Head for His members; and it was this which made the difficulty. For him it would be far better to depart, and leave all the suffering and affliction behind; but "to abide in the flesh is more needful for you." We must remember that decline was setting in on every hand, though the days were early: evil men were already at work, seeking to corrupt the testimony of the Lord, and lead astray the saints. Paul knew that the evil would spread — he told the Ephesian elders so (Acts 20.) some time before the writing of this letter to the Philippians — he desired therefore to stay, and guide the Church's barque a little longer over the troubled sea. And having this desire, and this confidence that his abiding in the flesh was needful, he knew that he should abide, and continue with the saints, for their furtherance and joy of faith. Observe the calm elevation of the man! Viewed from a human standpoint, it rested with the Emperor whether he stayed or not; but he looked not at man, whether in power or otherwise; but calmly settles his own case in the presence of the Lord. It was needful for the saints that he should remain for a season: neither Jewish hatred nor Imperial caprice therefore could interfere. He was persuaded he should see his beloved Philippians again; and he reckoned on their love, that, when they saw him, their rejoicing would be abundant in Christ Jesus.

Mark, he desired to stay for their “furtherance and joy of faith." Sweet and simple language from an Apostle, one armed by the Lord with authority. As far as possible he always avoided any display of authority, being very far removed, in spirit, from those who would lord it over God's heritage; he preferred to say: “Not for that we have dominion over your faith; but are helpers of your joy; for by faith ye stand” (2 Cor. 1: 24). But, whether he came or not, he desired that the walk of the saints should be good: “only let your conversation be as becometh the Gospel of Christ." This was his joy; as he said to the Thessalonians: “Now we live, if ye stand fast in the Lord" (1 Thess. 3: 8). And as John: “I have no greater joy, than to hear that my children walk in the truth” (3 John 4). Precious identification with the glory of Christ!

He desired two things for the Philippians: (1) that they might "stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the Gospel," and (2) that they should not be terrified by their adversaries.

Practical unity is a precious thing, and of the first importance, as the Apostle earnestly shows in Phil. 2: 1-4. "Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity” (Ps. 133). The Spirit of God is the bond of unity, as also its power. He, working in the hearts of the saints, fixes them upon one Object, and binds (or knits) them together in one purpose and aim. Outward uniformity must not be mistaken for this. The latter may be brought about by a general subscription to a creed, or submission to a code of laws, or to a person, as in Popery: but the oneness of mind which the Spirit produces and sustains is a transcendently higher and more blessed thing.

"Striving for the faith of the Gospel," is, I conceive, a different thing from "contending earnestly for the faith once for all delivered to the saints" (Jude 3); the latter is in view of internal corrupters, the former is in view of a hostile, and in the case of the Philippians, a pagan, world. They were not to be terrified by their adversaries, knowing that He Who was in them was greater than he who is in the world. They were to present a courageous front to the persecutor. This calm courage which grace supplies operates in two opposite ways: — to the enemy it is an evident token of perdition; to the suffering saints, it is an assurance of salvation, and that of God. The enemy on the one hand is made to feel that the Christian is invincible, that the worst only deepens his bliss; and he cannot resist the conviction in his conscience that he is fighting against God, which can only result in perdition, "seeing it is a righteous thing with God to recompense tribulation to them that trouble you." But the saint, on the other hand, feels that the grace which is preserving him through the furnace, will keep him to the end; and, having for an helmet the hope of salvation, he goes forward undaunted and with holy calm. To suffer is a privilege, the Apostle tells us. Compare Mark 10: 35-40. There is a difference between suffering with Christ and for Him. The first is the necessary fruit of having His nature, and is the portion of every Christian in a greater or less degree; the latter is the result of identification with Him and His cause in the world. It is for Christ here. Paul had suffered at Philippi, and was suffering at Rome; the Philippians were now tasting the same cup. But it was "for His sake," and that sweetened all; even as when Israel were at Marah, and could not drink of the waters because they were bitter, and God showed Moses a tree, which, when cast into the waters, made them sweet to the taste.

Philippians 2.

The Apostle had in Phil. 1: 27, expressed his heart's desire that the Philippian saints might walk together in unity; this he now follows up in a touching way. "If there be therefore any consolation [or encouragement] in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any bowels and mercies, fulfil ye my joy, that ye be like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind." All this his heart was deeply enjoying, their gifts and loving messages to him in prison being the immediate cause. To be thus thought of, when so many were forgetting him, and ashamed of his chains, was indeed encouragement, their love had comforted his heart, it was a true display of fellowship in the Spirit, and of bowels and mercies, i.e., the tender compassions of Christ. Would they fill up his cup of joy? One thing would do it — to hear that they were "of one accord, of one mind." He desired them to show the same love among themselves that they had so sweetly shown to him. His heart was not content to see them merely outwardly one (i.e., not outwardly dividing): he wished their hearts to be “knit together in love." Their state was far better than that of the saints at Corinth, where party-making, in the most carnal way, was going on in the assembly. Still the Apostle's heart was not satisfied. He always wished the saints to be what they should be for Christ. He would not have them rest short of a full answer to the mind of God. To rest satisfied with our spiritual state, even if comparatively good, is a snare. Paul could commend the Thessalonians for loving one another and all the brethren in all Macedonia, but would not have them stop there; and adds, “but we beseech you, brethren, that ye increase more and more" (1 Thess. 4: 10). To walk together thus in unity lowliness of mind is requisite, and affectionate consideration for each other. The apostle warns against strife and vainglory (compare Phil. 1: 15, Gal. 5: 26); and another apostle tells us that "where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work” (James 3: 16). The opposite spirit should prevail: each in lowliness of mind esteeming other better than themselves. Only grace can enable us to do this: but where grace is enjoyed, and the Spirit is working unhindered, it is a joy to see Christ in my brother, while I see failure and shortcoming in myself. An affectionate interest is enjoined in each other; saints are not to be exclusively occupied with their own interests, but, as Paul puts it elsewhere, by "love to serve one another” (Gal. 5: 6, 13). Love delights to serve; it cannot be self-occupied.

The pattern is given in Christ Jesus, who humbled Himself in love that He might serve us. Marvellous grace! Wonderful and exalted pattern for our souls! He was in the form of God; to Him it was no robbery to be equal with God, but He emptied Himself, and took upon Him the form of a servant. The contrast with the first Adam is very marked. Adam was made in servant's form, and was created to obey, but aspired to be “as God." This was robbery, and brought its judgement. How different was it with the second Man! As the eternal Word, He was in the beginning with God, and was God: without Him nothing was made that was made. But He emptied Himself, choosing to serve. The form of God was laid aside for a while, though never His divine prerogatives. When here in flesh, He could raise the dead, cleanse the leper, command the winds and the waves, and read the hearts and thoughts of men.

He came to serve, saying, "A body hast Thou prepared me . . . Lo, I come to do Thy will, O God" (Heb. 10: 7). To His disciples He could say, "The Son of Man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister” (Mark 10: 45). And again, “I am among you as He that serveth” Luke 22: 27). And He has not laid the servant's form aside: He is the girded One still, though in glory. He is the true Antitype of the Hebrew servant, who said, "I love my master, my wife, and my children, and I will not go out free” (Ex. 21.) And even in the future, He will love to serve His own. "Blessed are those servants, whom the Lord, when He cometh shall find watching; verily, I say unto you, that He shall gird Himself, and make them to sit down to meat, and will come forth and serve them" (Luke 12: 37).

But the Lord, in His downward course in grace, did not stop at the assumption of servant's form: "being found in fashion as a man, He humbled Himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross." What a stoop! What a wondrous pathway! But it has ended for Him in glory. He Himself laid down that "he that humbleth himself shall be exalted." God has seen to this. He hath highly exalted Him, and given Him the name that is above every name, and has decreed that every knee, whether heavenly, earthly or infernal, shall bow to Him, and own His lordship, to His glory. It is important to observe the point of view from which the Lord's humiliation is spoken of in this chapter. It is not that He came to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself, though that, blessed be His Name, is true; but that He humbled Himself in love, to serve. This is our pattern: "let this mind be in you."

The Apostle continues to exhort the saints. They had always obeyed; not merely when he was present with them, but much more in his absence. To the Galatians he had to speak differently. “It is good to be zealously affected always in a good thing, and not only when I am present with you" (Gal. 4: 18). And now that the Apostle was absent, the Philippians must work out their own salvation with fear and trembling. They no longer had him to encourage them, and lead them in their conflict with the foe: they must count on God for themselves. If Paul was unable to help them, God was there still, working in them to will and to do of His good pleasure. This is the only resource for the saints now. The Apostle, in bidding farewell to the Ephesian elders commended them to God and the Word of His grace (Acts 20.) Apostles have ceased, but God remains: to Him we turn.

He desired them to do all things without murmurings and disputings, and to be blameless and harmless, children of God without rebuke in the midst of a perverse generation. Verses 15-16 are very striking: every sentence reminds of Christ. Was He not blameless and harmless, Son of God without rebuke in the midst of perverse Israel? Was He not the Light of the World, and the Word of life? Saints are thus to have Him before them, and follow His blessed steps. And if the saints so walked, Paul would rejoice in the day of Christ: so evident would it be that he had not run in vain, nor laboured in vain. No labourer boasts of work that turns out badly, even though the fault may not lie at his door. Apostolic exhortations are frequent as to this. See 2 Cor. 6: 3; "Giving no offence in any thing, that the ministry be not blamed." Also 1 John 2: 28; "little children, abide in Him, that when He shall appear, We may have confidence, and not be ashamed before Him at His coming." And many other passages.

So dear was the service of Christ to him, that Paul was quite willing to be poured out as a drink-offering; to him it would be a matter of rejoicing. In verse 17, he regards the Philippians as a sacrifice, himself merely (so lowly were his thoughts) as the hin of wine poured on the sacrifice. (See Num. 15: 1-10}. If this would glorify Christ, he was willing to be martyred and even desirous; and called upon the saints to rejoice with him. Unselfish servant; and unselfish saints, upon whom he could count to rejoice even at losing him whom they so dearly loved that Christ might be magnified. But though he was thus quite willing to be poured out, and expected sooner or later to be so dealt with, he believed he should abide for the present, as we have seen in Phil. 1. Therefore he hoped to send Timotheus to them shortly, that he might be comforted by having the latest information as to their state. He knew not who else to send. Timothy trod in his footsteps, and loved to care for the saints, but he could not say this of all. The majority sought their own things, not those of Christ Jesus. Painful and early departure from the simplicity and singleness of heart of Acts 2 - 4! What is man! Need we wonder at the worldliness and apathy of our own days? Let us examine our hearts: has Christ the first place there? Are His interests ours? Timothy had proved himself: as a son with a father, he had laboured faithfully and well in the Gospel; unlike John Mark, who commenced well, but departed from them at Perga, and went not with them to the work. (Acts 15: 38). Him, therefore, Paul hoped to send presently, trusting in the Lord that he also himself would soon be able to follow.

Meanwhile, however, he would send to them Epaphroditus, who had come to him with gifts from them: "my brother, and companion in labour, and fellow-soldier," as Paul affectionately describes him, “but your messenger, and he that ministered to my wants." Verses 26-28 furnish us with a fine picture of delicacy of affection and tender consideration for others. Epaphroditus had been sick, "for the work of Christ he had been nigh unto death;" the Philippians had heard of it, and this distressed the heart of the devoted sufferer. That he should have caused them a moment's anxiety was a deep trial to him, and caused him to long to see them again, that their hearts might be set at rest. Paul thoroughly shared this feeling, and much as he desired to keep him, he urged him to return, that when the saints saw him again, they might rejoice. Wonderful! What does the selfish heart of man, as man, know of such feelings? This is the Spirit's fruit — He forms the new man after Christ. God had mercifully spared Epaphroditus to Paul and the saints: the Apostle would have him held in reputation. Like Paul, he regarded not his life that he might serve Christ. (Acts 20: 24). Such characters shine the more brightly in the day of declension: we have seen that the Apostle had to groan over the majority of the labourers; here was one who gave his heart (and the heart of God) deep joy.

Philippians 3.

The Apostle now exhorts the saints to rejoice in the Lord; a word, to his mind, so important, that he repeats it emphatically in Phil. 4: 4. He has already spoken of different kinds of joy: (1 ) In making request for the saints, (2) That Christ was abundantly preached, (3) In seeing the saints walking together in unity, (4) In being poured out as a drink offering. Here he leaves the streams, as it were, and traces all up to the source, directing their hearts to the Lord Himself. To write such things could not be grievous (irksome) to him, and it was safe for the saints. How much we need to be reminded of the true source of all our joy! We undoubtedly find joy in the fellowship of the saints, and in the service of Christ; but it is unsafe for our hearts to rest there. The saints may cause pain and disappointment, and the service may discourage; where then the joy? But if the heart is set upon the Lord, whatever the days or circumstances, all is well.

But there are things that cloud our joy, and intrude themselves between the soul and Christ. The Apostle proceeds to speak gravely of one in particular. Judaising teachers were everywhere at work; active enough when he was moving about, they were probably much more so now that he was a prisoner. He describes them unsparingly as "dogs," for they had no sense of conscience or of shame; as “evil workers," because they were corrupting the work and truth of God; and then contemptuously calls them “the concision." The saints were to "beware": to be led by these teachers after the law and ordinances would ruin their joy, and separate them in heart from Christ. Any merely outward rite * is of no value in the eyes of God (circumcision now is only "concision," i.e., maiming): “we are the circumcision," finding our death and separation to God in the death of Christ, “who worship God in the Spirit and have no confidence in the flesh."** It is to be observed that it is not the grossness of the flesh that is spoken of in this chapter, but its religiousness: it is worthless, and they that are in the flesh cannot please God.

{*I do not include the Lord's Supper here. That is connected with the new creation and stands on wholly different ground.}

{**It is worthy of remark, as confirming the character of this epistle, that sin is not once named in it, and the flesh here only just to say we have no confidence in it. The believer is regarded throughout as walking in the power of the Spirit.}

If any one thought he had whereof he might trust in the flesh, Paul had more. He was a circumcised man, a Hebrew of the Hebrews, a Benjamite, a Pharisee, zealous against all who appeared to slight the law, and as touching the righteousness which was by the law, he was blameless. Who could show a fairer picture? But whatever Saul of Tarsus might have gloried in, Paul the saint and Apostle gloried in Christ alone. “What things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ." The ardent legalist and persecutor was arrested by a glorified Christ at the height of his course; he saw, on that memorable day, the despised Nazarene, whose followers he was pursuing to death, in the glory of God. His conscience was touched, his heart attracted. He saw a righteousness revealed in Christ, which put all human doings in the shade, so that what he had regarded as gain, he now counted but loss; he would no longer stand in his own righteousness, even if it were possible. Henceforward his heart was occupied, not with himself and works, but with Christ. And after many years of suffering and loss for His Name (a path surely of unparalleled trial, except as we remember the path of his Lord) he was of the same mind, Christ was all. Every thing to him was but loss and dung, as compared with the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus the Lord. Unlike the foolish Galatians, he continued to run well, allowing none to hinder. He regards Christ here as a prize to be won at the end, and divine righteousness as that in which he will stand in that day, which is quite in accord with the character of the Epistle. In another aspect, Christ was his when he wrote, and divine righteousness too; but throughout Philippians the believer is regarded as passing through the wilderness to the heavenly goal. The Apostle kept the goal before him — Christ; allowing nothing to divert the attention of his heart, and thus he was energised for, and sustained in, the path of peculiar trial, reproach, and labour to which the Lord had, from the first, called him. To him the end was so blessed, to have Christ for his own, and to be found in Him, not having his own righteousness, which was of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith, that he cared not how bitter and rugged the path might be which led him to it. He desired a yet deeper experimental knowledge of Christ, and the power of His resurrection (and who knew it better than he?) and the fellowship of His sufferings, being made conformable unto His death. To him it was no small privilege to drink of His cup, and to be baptised with His baptism: indeed the deeper his sufferings, the more he would be like Christ, and that was enough for him. In verse 11 we must read —  The resurrection "from among" the dead." What possible meaning can be attached to ;"of the dead"? The general fact of resurrection can scarcely be an object of desire, for no man can evade it, all must rise again; but Paul had before him the glorious day when Christ will return and call His own from their tombs to bear His heavenly image, the rest of the dead being left in their graves until the judgement of the great day. The resurrection of the believer is of the same character as that of the Lord Jesus; “from among the dead," for blessedness, for glory in the Father's house.

Clearly to this the Apostle had not yet attained, nor was already perfect; but he followed after, if that he might apprehend that for which he was apprehended of Christ Jesus. Christ had laid hold of him for glory; he desired to lay hold of it that the glory might have its full power over his soul. He would forget all the things behind, and do but one thing, pressing toward the mark for the prize of the calling of God on high in Christ Jesus. He would not forget grace, and what it had done for him (1 Tim. 1: 12-16), but would forget, i.e., not rest in — all attainments by the way. If I had a twenty-mile walk before me, I might be thankful when the fifteenth mile stone is passed; but it would not do to rest there, but I must leave the fifteenth and sixteenth behind as all others, and press on towards the end. So pressed Paul: the glory, yea Christ was before him; he would not stop short of that. He exhorts the saints to do the same: “let us, as many as be perfect,* be thus minded "; and if any had not properly learned their heavenly calling, God would reveal even this unto them. But all are responsible to walk up to attainment, whether great or small. The Apostle then calls upon the saints to imitate him (in 1 Cor. 11: 1 he qualifies it, “even as I also Christ") in running this race towards the heavenly goal, and bids them mark any amongst them who walked in the same way.

{*"Perfect” here is in the sense of full growth, in verse 12, it is likeness to Christ in glory.}

There is another class of men we are to “mark" according to Rom. 16: 17 — those who cause divisions and offences (stumbling blocks) contrary to the doctrine which we have learned. Such are to be avoided, but all who walked as Paul walked, and were thus ensamples to the believers in word, in behaviour, etc. (1 Tim. 4: 12), were to be studied and imitated. The mention of this brought to the Apostle's heart a painful thought; there were those of whom he had often spoken, and of whom he now spoke weeping, who were enemies of the cross of Christ. They were not necessarily persons who had abandoned the profession of Christ, though they never had life; they were enemies of the cross. Having found the path one of reproach and loss, they had renounced it, loving earthly things, and preferring a path of self-indulgence and ease. Their end was destruction; but the Apostle felt keenly the open dishonour to the Name of the Lord Jesus.

The Christian's citizenship is in heaven, not here; his home, his portion, his all, is where Christ is. From heaven we look for Him, as Saviour, to complete His work in us by changing our poor bodies. The salvation of the soul we have now; for the salvation of the body we wait till that day. He will then change our body of humiliation (a better reading than "our vile body"), and fashion it like unto His own body of glory. Wondrous thought! The same power which He will display in the millennial kingdom in subduing all things to Himself, He will presently put forth upon the bodies of all who are His. He is thus the Hope of our hearts in the close of this chapter, as He is the Object of our hearts in the centre of it.

Philippians 4

Verse 1 is a fitting close to the precious subject treated in Phil. 3. "Therefore, my brethren dearly beloved and longed for, my joy and crown, so stand fast in the Lord, my dearly beloved." He had placed them, as it were, in Phil. 3, outside the world, with their citizenship in heaven, Christ in glory the Object and Hope of their hearts: in this position and experience he would have them stand fast, and not be moved by the wiles of the enemy.

The Apostle then appeals to two women who were evidently at variance, “that they be of the same mind in the Lord." Theirs was not strife of the gross and loose character as at Corinth; still it was a defect among the godly which the Apostle could not sanction. 'Take us the foxes, the little foxes, that spoil the vines” (Cant. 2: 15). He entreated the mediation of his true yokefellow (probably Epaphroditus). These women had laboured with him in the Gospel, and he had a regard and concern for them: he would have his yokefellow act the blessed part of the peacemaker, as our Lord Jesus Himself enjoined. Again he exhorts the saints as in Phil. 3: 1, to rejoice in the Lord. Precious testimony to the faithfulness of the risen Lord to His poor tried servant; for his own heart was most assuredly enjoying what he here presses on his brethren.

In this chapter we see how the Christian, walking in the power of the Spirit, is enabled to walk above all circumstances. Therefore are we exhorted to moderation (or yieldingness), for the Lord is at hand. It is not the part of the saint to resent wrong, or to contend for rights: doing well and suffering for it is rather our path while the Lord is hidden in heaven. When He is manifested, all will be changed, for His saints will share with Him. Meanwhile it is our privilege to be without care, making known all our requests to God. Not merely large matters, but small also; everything we are invited to pour out before Him. In Matt. 6. the Lord Jesus instructed His disciples in faith as to food and clothing; here the word is wider, “Be careful for nothing." What repose this gives in such a world — -and, may we not add, such a church — as this! We are not told that we shall get all our requests (that might not be well) but that the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Paul requested, yea besought, the Lord thrice to remove the thorn from his flesh; but was simply told that the Lord's grace was sufficient for him, and that His strength was made perfect in weakness (2 Cor. 12.) The same apostle requested to be allowed to go to Rome, but for many years was denied his request (Rom. 15: 23). He desired also "a prosperous journey "; but the Lord saw fit to send him as a prisoner, and to wreck the ship (Rom. 1: 10). We are in the Lord's hand, He orders all in perfect wisdom for His beloved saints; and who can be His counselor?

The peace of God is a somewhat different thought from the peace of Christ; as both differ, though flowing from, peace with God. “Peace I leave with you; My peace I give unto you" John 14.) This is the peace which ever filled the heart of Jesus as a perfect Man of faith below. He committed everything to the Father; we are called into the same path. The peace of God is that which pervades God's own heart above, which nothing disturbs. The heavens have been corrupted, the earth ruined, Israel has failed, the Church likewise; yet nothing disturbs the peace of the Divine heart. His counsels stand, in spite of all creature failure; there God rests and there we rest also.

Food is furnished for our thoughts, for the loins of our mind are to be girded up: the lovely things, the things of good report, etc., are to engage us. Blessed portion! The true heart does not wink at evil, the rather abhorring and shunning it; but it does not dwell upon it. We cannot touch the unclean in any way without contracting defilement. We see this strikingly in Numbers 19. The priest who sprinkled the heifer's blood, the man who laid up the ashes in a clean place, indeed all who had to do with the matter were unclean until even, though they had only acted in putting sin away. We particularly need this injunction as to our thoughts in the present day, when there is so much of a painful character to fill the mind. If our minds dwell on evil, we get defiled, our communion is marred, our spiritual tone is altogether lowered.

If the Philippians practiced what they had learned, received, and heard, and seen in Paul, the God of peace would be with them.

The Apostle proceeds to commend them for their care of him, proved by the coming of Epaphroditus. There had apparently been a long interval without any tokens of love; but the man of God loved to regard it, not as carelessness on their part, but lack of opportunity. In those days saints could not remit by post to the Lord's labourers; the gifts must be carried, perhaps afoot many hundreds of miles. But though thanking them and the Lord for their care the Apostle does not speak in respect of want. “I have learned," says he, 'in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content. I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: everywhere and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me." Blessed superiority over all circumstances — Christ engaging the heart, the Spirit operating powerfully in the soul! It is easier to some to be abased than to abound. David, when hunted as a partridge upon the mountains, trusted God; when dwelling at ease in Zion, Satan allured him into the foulest sins. Jehoshaphat, when weak, counted on God, saying, “We know not what to do"; when strong and rich, he joined affinity with Ahab and helped the ungodly.

Paul had been well disciplined. The Lord said when He called him, “I will show him how great things he must suffer for my Name's sake" (Acts 9) Whether full or hungry, Christ was all. What can the enemy do to such? The believer has a life, which, wrought upon by the Spirit of God, rises quite above the difficulties of the way, and is unquenchable.

Still, the Philippians did well in their expressions of practical fellowship. If the Apostle had learned how to suffer need, it ill became the saints to permit him so to suffer. In this respect the Philippians had always ranked well, even sending long distances to minister to the need of the Lord's servant. Paul calls it fruit which would abound to their account; and “an odour of a sweet smell, a sacrifice acceptable, well pleasing unto God." Marvellous! The Spirit uses language similar to that used of the sacrifice of Christ in Eph. 5: 2; it partook of that character with God. Would the Philippians be the losers by their liberality? Nay, Paul's God would supply all their need according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus. The beauty and fullness of this expression is to be found in the Epistle to the Ephesians.

Note, he does not say "our," but "my God"; for he is speaking of experience, not doctrine. He had proved God; he knew Him to be faithful; he could vouch for Him to those to whom he wrote. When it is a question of relationship, he says “our God and Father," as in verse 20; every believer, experienced or not, being a child through grace.

He concludes with salutations from all the brethren with him, mentioning particularly some who were of Caesar's household, proving Christ had a people there, fruit possibly of his labours as a prisoner. Precious simplicity of affection, which our hearts will do well to cultivate more and more.

Psalm 46

Psalm 46.

W. W. Fereday.

(Extracted from Truth for the Last Days, Vol. 4, 1905, page 75.)

The book of Psalms constitutes an exceedingly precious heritage for saints of all dispensations. In it the experiences of the soul while passing through a stormy world are given with a remarkable degree of fulness; and although the different writers were men under law, and therefore unaccustomed to the full grace of Christianity, the most enlightened believer in the present favoured period will never fail to discover much that exactly corresponds with the exercises of his own heart today.

Christ has a large in the book of Psalms, as He Himself told His disciples (Luke 24: 20). His birth into the world, His path of dependence and obedience, His faithful testimony, His sufferings, His death, His resurrection, His present session at God's right hand, His future manifestation as king, and His coming glorious kingdom, including not only Israel, but all the ends of the earth, are dealt with fully by the inspiring Spirit.

Israel has also a considerable place in the book, which does not surprise us when we remember that all the writers — David Asaph, Moses, etc. — belonged to that privileged nation. And because Israel comes so largely before us in the Psalms, the Psalms necessarily contain a vast amount of prophecy as yet unfulfilled. It is of the utmost importance to grasp this fact, else much of the language used will be unintelligible to us. So many glorious statements will be found which have plainly received no accomplishment in the past, that, unless we discern the prophetical character of the book, we shall be in danger of suspecting the inspired writers of using the language of exaggeration.

Psalm 46, while it furnishes a precious meditation for saints in all ages, most distinctly looks forward to the future. Not until the day of the appearing of the Son of Man will it receive its full accomplishment. The psalm that precedes it (Ps. 45.) tells plainly of the coming forth of the great King to take His throne, and the psalm that follows it (Ps. 47) gives us Israel's glad shout of triumph when His throne is established over all the kingdoms of the earth. Must not the intervening psalm therefore have a place in God's prophetic scheme also?

But we must first glance at the inspired heading. "To the chief musician. For the Sons of Korah. A song upon Alamoth." These headings should never be omitted in the reading of the psalms. Unlike the summaries printed in italics in most English Bibles, the headings have been given by the Spirit of God, and should be viewed as part of the psalms to which they are attached. Frequently there is contained in them much food for the soul. "The chief musician." Who is he? Is it not Christ? When He gets all His heavenly redeemed around Himself in the Father's house above He will be the leader of their everlasting song of praise; and when He surrounds Himself with His earthly redeemed in this lower scene He will also be the leader of their song (cf. Ps. 22: 22; Heb. 2: 12). He will enjoy more deeply than any the fruits of His own past toil and woe. "The sons of Korah." Who were they? These were the family of the man who led the disastrous revolt in the wilderness described in Numbers 16. When he and his company were swallowed up, God in His mercy spared his sons, as we read, "Notwithstanding, the sons of Torah died not" (Num. 26: 11). These, snatched as it were by sovereign mercy from the very brink of destruction, were afterwards brought into God's sanctuary, and given places of honourable service there (1 Chron. 26). How remarkably typical of our own case! We were once standing on the brink of a more dreadful destruction than they, but God has saved us in His grace and brought us into His own presence, and given us the privilege and joy of ministering before Him. Are we not justified therefore in claiming a spiritual interest in every psalm dedicated to the sons of Korah? "Alamoth" means "maiden's voices," and has reference to the custom of publishing victory by means of maidens in the song and dance (Ex. 15; Ps. 68: 11). This psalm is therefore one of deliverance and victory. Prophetically, it celebrates just that for Israel by-and-bye; spiritually, it celebrates for US the even greater deliverance that we have experienced at the hands of our God.

Keeping for the moment to the prophetical aspect of things, Psalm 46 seems to find its fulfilment immediately after the appearing of the Son of Man, and before Israel's deliverance from her foes is completed. The beast and his western hosts have been dealt with (Rev. 19: 11-21), and this they joyfully proclaim; yet the horizon is far from clear, a black cloud threatening from the north (Ezek. 38, 39); but as to it they are calm and confident, feeling assured that He who has done so much for them already will not fail to complete what He has begun. So they say, "God is our refuge and strength. a very present help in trouble. Therefore will not we fear. though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; though the waters thereof roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof. Selah" (ver. 1-3). Tremendous language this! If "mountains" and "the sea" may be viewed symbolically here, as in other parts of the prophetic word (Rev. 8: 8; Jer. 51: 25; Dan. 7: 2-3), general revolution and subversion of authority is referred to. The people of Israel will see much of this before the appearing of the Lord Jesus: here they say that if yet more of it is to be witnessed they will not fear, because of what God is for His people. Let everything that is stable be overthrown, their hearts will be confident. How different the experience where God is not known — "distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring; men's hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth" (Luke 21: 25-26).

Here let us pause, and apply this to our own hearts. We are living in troublous times, when those who seek to be "men of God" have in many things a very painful path to tread. Are our hearts restful and calm simply and solely because we know what God is for us? Or do we suffer our hearts to be discouraged by reason of the way? Mark, He is "a very present help" — One always at hand. This cannot always be said of human helpers. In a time of distress and need one's truest friend might chance to be in the Antipodes, and so be inaccessible when most wanted, but this could never be true of our God. Oh, to grasp the fact with a more simple faith, that we have to do with a "living" God, and a "very present" God ! (Read 1 Kings 17: 1; Heb. 13: 5, 6).

God our refuge is a sweet thought, but in 1 John 4: 16 we have what is yet sweeter, and transcendently higher. "God is love, and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him." Dwelling in God! God our home! What do we know of this in our practical experience? To turn to Him in trouble is one thing, but to make Him the very home of our souls both in sunshine and in storm is quite another. It should be as natural to our hearts to turn to God as it is for a labouring man to turn his steps towards the place he calls home when the toil of the day is done. And what home is to such — a haven of rest from all the vexations and trials of the work-a-day world, a centre where his heart finds comfort and peace — just that should our God be to us at all times. Would that we all knew more of it.

In verses 4-7 — the second section of our Psalm — restored Israel celebrates the blessedness and the security which result from having God in Zion once more. "There is a river, the streams thereof shall make glad the city of God, the holy place of the tabernacles of the Most High. God is in the midst of her, she shall not be moved; God shall help her when the morning appeareth. The nations raged, the kingdoms were moved: He uttered His voice, the earth melted. The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah." Blessing necessarily flows from God's presence, hence the "river," which will have a literal as well as a spiritual fulfilment in the coming day (Ezek. 47: 1). Power is there also — "She shall not be moved." Israel may then say, "If God be for us who can be against us?" (Rom. 8: 31). "When the morning appeareth" (ver. 5, see margin); i.e., when the Sun of Righteousness arises this will be experienced by Israel (Mal. 4: 2). Then "His voice" will be sufficient for the dissipation of all their enemies, however numerous and powerful; no battle need be fought. See Rev. 19: 15-21 for their hosts; and 2 Thess. 2: 8, Isa. 11: 4 for the Antichrist.

Here again we may find an application for ourselves. While Zion is divinely forsaken the Christian assembly is the temple of the Holy Ghost (1 Cor. 3: 16). Of her it may be said, as in our Psalm: "God is in the midst of her." What a wonderful fact is here! Yet what unbelief has long prevailed in Christendom as to it! To the practical oversight of this great truth, may be traced most, if not all, of the evils that have afflicted the Church from the days of the apostles until now. But the presence of the Holy Ghost is an abiding fact, however unbelieving we may have been as to it. Where His presence is confessed in faith, blessing is experienced (see ver. 4 of our psalm), and there is power (ver. 5). In 1 Corinthians 14: 24, 25 the apostle states what ought to be: the fact that it is little more to us to-day than an ideal should humble us unto the dust before God.

To proceed with Psalm 46. In the concluding section delivered Israel says, "Come, behold the works of the Lord, what desolations He hath made in the earth. He maketh wars to cease unto the end of the earth: He breaketh the bow, and cutteth the spear in sunder; He burneth the chariot in the fire" (v. 8-9). War is not yet at an end, the sorrowful events of the present time being witness. But when the last great crisis has come and gone, with all its unparalleled horrors and bloodshed, men will delight in instruments of destruction no more. Under the beneficent reign of the great King "they shall beat their swords into ploughshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more" (Isa. 2: 4). Happy time for this poor distracted scene!

God's voice is now heard. "Be still and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth" (v. 10). Here we have the object and result of all the discipline through which Israel and the world have passed. God is known by the works that He has wrought, and His universal supremacy is indisputably established. Then will be fulfilled the words: "Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven" (Matt. 6: 10).

The psalm closes with a repetition of faith's confidence in God. "The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge" (v. 11). The first clause reminds us of Elisha's words to his terror-stricken servant in Dothan, when the Syrians besieged the city in order to take him prisoner: "'Fear not, for they that be with us are more than they that be with them.' And Elisha prayed, and said, 'Lord, I pray thee, open his eyes that he may see.' And the Lord opened the eyes of the young man and he saw: and, behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha" (2 Kings 6: 16-17). This guardian care of God is as true for us to-day as for the prophet then: He is always with and about His own, that the enemy may do them no harm.

But why does the psalmist twice say "God of Jacob?" In 47: 9 we read, "God of Abraham." There is surely instruction in the difference. Think of the contrast between the two patriarchs, and the meaning is plain. Abraham was the pre-eminent man of faith and obedience, leaving, himself and his affairs in the hands of God in a way that draws forth our admiration to this hour (though he was not perfect); Jacob, on the other hand, though as truly a saint of God as he, was a poor wayward schemer whom God had to pass through much painful discipline ere his heart could really find its all in Himself. After ages of Jacob-like wandering in the earth, Israel will by-and-bye find comfort in the fact that Elohim is Jacob's God as well as Abraham's. Do we hesitate to put ourselves down alongside of Abraham, feeling that we find the reflection of our own history rather in Jacob? Well, be it so. He is the God of Jacob, and will never give up even the feeblest and most unbelieving of His people, though He may chasten them sore for their good and blessing in the end.

W. W. Fereday.

Eternal Punishment

Eternal Punishment.

W W Fereday.

HOW MAN WAS MADE.

We have two things here: First, the formation of the body; then the impartation of life by the inbreathing of God. Man has, in consequence of this, a character of life within him that is not possessed by the lower creatures of God's hand. He holds a very special place in God's universe. Angels are spirits; beasts, etc., have soul and body; man is distinguished from them all by the possession of spirit, and soul, and body (Ps. 104: 4; Gen. 1: 20, 21, 24; 1 Thess. 5: 23).

Constitutionally, then, man is amenable to the judgement of God, being a creature with great responsibilities. Morally also, man is amenable to judgement because he is a sinner. The fall, as described in Gen. 3, is no allegory (whatever some perverse persons may say), but a humiliating fact. Who would pretend that man is today what God made him at the first? Do not the experiences of every hour assure us that our race has met with some fearful moral catastrophe? The truth is, that man has revolted against his Creator, and has, in consequence, filled the earth with sin and misery. In Luke 5: 31-32 our Lord speaks of sin in a two-fold way — as a moral disease requiring a divine physician, and as a moral offence calling for repentance on the part of the offender.

THE JUDGEMENT OF GOD.

We come now to our second question: "What is the judgement of God?" Here we must distinguish between what is called the intermediate state, and the eternal state. Hades describes the one, and Gehenna — the lake of fire — the other. The bottomless pit has nothing to do with men; it is a place of punishment for rebellious angels only. We have a solemn view of the intermediate state granted to us in Luke 16: 19-31, in the story of the rich man and Lazarus. I will briefly indicate some of its features. First, there is consciousness there. Memory was lively with the rich man, and he was capable of describing his painful sensations. Second, there is suffering there. If it be asked, how can spirits suffer? I need only draw attention to the fact that Satan is said to be "tormented day and night for ever and ever" (Rev. 20: 10), and he is a spirit, most assuredly. Spirits therefore are capable of suffering. Third, conditions are fixed there. Notice Abraham's words: "Between us and you there is a great gulf fixed, so that they that would pass hence to you cannot; neither can they pass to us that would come from thence." No hint was dropped, either by Abraham or the rich man, that ultimately the sufferer would obtain deliverance, nor even that he would at some future epoch escape from his woe by the extinction of his being. In this connection, how deeply solemn are the words in John 3: 36: "He that believeth not the Son, shall not see life, but the wrath of God abideth on him." Fourth, prayers cannot be answered there. The rich man gave utterance to two simple requests, one for himself, and one for his living brethren, only to get the refusal of both. When he might have prayed to God, he had no desire to do so; in Hades it was too late for God to hearken to his supplications.

WHAT DOES "ETERNAL" MEAN?

All this relates to the intermediate state; that is, the condition of the lost from the moment of the dissolution of the body until the judgement of the great white throne. Let us now consider their eternal condition. The question is sometimes asked, "What does 'eternal' mean?" 2 Cor. 4: 18 will answer the question for the simplest mind. "The things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal." "Eternal" is thus the opposite of "temporal." "Temporal" means for a time only; "eternal" refers to that to which no time limit can be assigned.

We will now briefly examine some of the most important passages of Scripture bearing on the eternal condition of the ungodly. Turn first to Mark 9: 47-48: "If thine eye offends thee, pluck it out; it is better for thee to enter into the kingdom of God with one eye, than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire (Gehenna); where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched." One need have no contention with any who claim that this is figurative language; what I desire to impress upon you all is that the conditions described are abiding. The undying worm and the unquenchable fire mean nothing if those upon whom they are inflicted ever pass from under their terrible power. Turn next to Rev. 14: 10-l l. Concerning the worshippers of the Beast, we read: "The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is prepared unmixed in the cup of His anger; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb; and the smoke of their torment goeth up for ever and ever; and they have no rest day and night" (R.V.).

Such language is too plain to require much comment. "No rest" suggests eternal consciousness, and reminds one of our Lord's expressive words, many times repeated, "Weeping and gnashing of teeth." Lest any have a difficulty as to the precise force of the words "for ever and ever," I would point out that they occur twenty times in the New Testament: sixteen times they are applied to God, His being, reign, and worship: once they are used concerning the reign of the saints: and three times concerning the punishment of the lost. What the words mean in one passage they must of necessity mean in every other passage in which they occur; thus the very being of God, the blessedness of believers, and the torment of unbelievers, all continue, or come to an end together. Some will perhaps say, "Then immortality is only a curse to many of our race." But is this a reasonable objection against immortality itself? Riches are a curse to some men; education to others; but who would be so foolish as to declaim against these things because some men know not how to use them aright.

ETERNAL PUNISHMENT. (NOTES OF AN ADDRESS.)

"As he reasoned of righteousness, temperance, and Judgement to come, Felix trembled" (Acts 24: 25).

BEFORE going to the heart of our subject for this evening, I desire to draw your attention to the faithful dealing of Paul the Apostle with the Roman governor Felix. He had been brought up from his prison in order to have an interview with the governor and his wife. It was a capital opportunity for him to press the injustice of his imprisonment, and to plead for his liberty. Instead of doing so, he used the occasion, as a devoted soul-seeker, in dealing earnestly and pointedly with Felix and Drusilla about their souls' condition. Mark the effect produced. "As he reasoned of righteousness, temperance, and judgement to come, Felix trembled." Note this fact well, that judgement to come, as preached by Paul, was something for a wicked man to tremble at. The Revisers use an even stronger term in their Version: "he was terrified." Is it always so at the present time? Or is it not a fact that God's judgement of sin is frequently presented to-day in a fashion that is rather soothing than alarming to the consciences of the wicked?

I propose to deal with three questions this evening. First, "Is there that in man which renders him amenable to the judgement of God?" Second, "What is the judgement of God?" Third, "What is the way to escape from the judgement of God?"

MAN NOT A BEAST.

To the first of these questions the answer must be, "Yes, there is that in man, both constitutionally and morally, which renders him amenable to God's judgement." I should reply differently if the question were put as to a dog. The dog has no existence apart from the body, nor is he a moral being, with responsibilities concerning which he must give an account to his Creator. Scripture everywhere assumes that man has that within him which does not die when the body dies. Look at Matt. 10: 28. The Lord Jesus, in His charge to His disciples, said, "Fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul." No one can well misunderstand this language. Enemies, in their hatred to the Gospel, might kill the messengers of Christ; but, though the body be thus destroyed, there still remained the soul, altogether beyond the reach of creature harm. Look also at Luke 16: 19-31. There three men are shown to us, holding conversation together in the unseen world after earthly conditions had been left behind for ever. Abraham, Lazarus, and the rich man were all dead persons as far as this world was concerned; but they had by no means ceased to exist. To these passages let us add Ecc. 12: 7: "Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was, and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it? Here body and soul are carefully distinguished the one from the other. Matt. 22: 31-32 is a very striking passage in this connection. In replying to the quibble of the Sadducees about the resurrection, our Lord said: "As touching the resurrection of the dead, have ye not read that which was spoken unto you by God, saying, I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob? God is not the God of the dead, but of the living."

The allusion is to the incident of the burning bush. Abraham, Isaac and Jacob had long been dead as regards this world, when Jehovah said to Moses, "I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob." The Lord hangs His whole argument on the divine use of the present tense, reasoning that God could not proclaim Himself the God of men who had altogether ceased to be. Though dead, they were yet living, "for all live unto Him". I would remind you also, that Peter, in a much-discussed passage, speaks of the men of Noah's day as "spirits in prison," though some 2,500 years had elapsed since the deluge (1 Peter 3: 19-20). Those who suffered under that divine visitation had plainly not passed out of existence when Peter wrote his first epistle.

MAN'S CONSTITUTION.

Man's constitution is defined in 1 Thess. 5: 23 as "spirit, and soul, and body." (Observe the order, for careless folk frequently reverse it when making use of this text). Our English word "spirit" represents the Hebrew word "Ruach," and the Greek word "Pneuma." The spirit of man is the seat of his intelligence and judgement, and for this reason "Ruach" is sometimes rendered "mind and understanding." "What man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him?" (1 Cor. 2: 11). These words show plainly the proper quality and functions of the human spirit. Our English word "soul" is the translation of the Hebrew word "Nephesh," and the Greek word "Psuche." The soul, as distinguished from the spirit, is the seat of the affections and desires. Various Scripture passages show that the soul loves, hates, and lusts. The body is, of course, the outer vessel by means of which the spirit and the soul manifest themselves. The word "mortal" is frequently applied in the Scriptures to the body (Rom. 8: 11; 2 Cor. 4: 11, etc.); but the body is the only part of men to which the term is ever applied by God. What is the significance of the divine inbreathing recorded in Gen. 2: 7? The birds, fishes, and beasts were called into being by the word of God, but when the moment came for the creation of the man, something very different appears. "The Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul."

THREE SOLEMN TEXTS.

Suffer me now to link together three exceedingly solemn passages in the closing chapters of the Book of Revelation. Some principles of great importance are contained in them. Let us read first, Rev. 19: 20. This verse speaks of the doom of the two great leaders of the coalition that will confront the Lamb at His public appearing. "And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into the lake of fire burning with brimstone." This is very terrible, without passing through death and resurrection as other men, and without any manifestation before the great white throne, these arch-enemies of Christ are dispatched to the lake of fire. Having signalised themselves in wickedness, the Lord signalises them in judgement. But turn now to Rev. 20: 10. A thousand years have passed since the awful incident described in chapter 19: 20, during which the kingdoms of the world have been in the hands of the Lord Jesus Christ. Now see what happens. "And the devil . . . was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and they shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever." Observe, please, that though various Scripture passages speak of the false prophet as "consumed," "destroyed," and "slain" (2 Thess. 2: 8; Isa. 11: 4), both he and his associate, the Beast, are still existing in the lake of fire, a thousand years after being sent there. To be "consumed," "destroyed," etc., is clearly not extinction of being. Observe also the word "they," added by the Revisers in their translation. The meaning is, that not only will Satan be tormented for ever and ever, but the Beast and the false prophet also. They will thus never cease to be. Satan is sometimes spoken of as if he were king in hell. This is a complete mistake. Far from exercising any authority there, he will be the greatest sufferer of all, being the greatest offender in the universe of God. To these passages add Rev. 20: 1, where it is written, "Whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire." Note the order: First, the Beast and the false prophet; then, a thousand years later, Satan; finally, after the judgement of the great white throne, the lost in general are cast into the lake of fire. Truly, "it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God" (Heb. 10: 31).

THE WAY OF ESCAPE.

This brings us to our third question: "What is the way of escape from the judgement of God?" That there is a way of escape divinely provided is unquestionable, seeing that God has said: "Have I any pleasure at all its the death of the wicked?" (Ezek. 18: 23). Has He not also told us that He "desires all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth"? (1 Tim. 2: 4) . The heart of God yearns over the erring children of men; fain would He welcome all to His bosom, and imprint upon every cheek the kiss of divine forgiveness. Heb. 9: 27-28 sets before us God's grand principle of salvation and blessing. "And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgement: so Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many: and unto them that look for Him shall He appear the second time apart from sin unto salvation." Sins; death; judgement ! Three terrible realities, which are all my own as one born of Adam's ruined race. But over against my sins God has set Christ's one offering. What matchless grace! The costly sacrifice of Calvary has made it possible for God to take every humble and contrite sinner to His heart for ever. The foulest sinner may be pardoned and cleansed in virtue of the Saviour's precious blood. Then over against death and judgement God has set Christ's second coming to complete the blessing of His people, when the body as well as the spirit shall experience the sweetness of God's salvation.

God will not proclaim these glad tidings for ever. Even His long-suffering has a limit. "Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation" (2 Cor. 6: 2). "To-day, if you will hear His voice, harden not your hearts" (Heb. 3: 7-8). Let no man be mistaken in this great matter. Salvation is proclaimed earnestly to all while in this world; when the border-line is passed, salvation's amazing story of divine love and grace is heard no more.

We commenced with Paul; we will close with him. He could affirm in the presence of those who were familiar with his ministry: "I am pure from the blood of all men; for I have not shunned to declare unto you all the counsel of God" (Acts 20: 26-27). No one-sided preacher was he. With delight he told men of the love of God, but with all due solemnity he also warned men of the wrath of God. It was this faithful man who penned the words: "How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation?" (Heb. 2: 3). To such a question there is absolutely no answer.

God's Purpose and Man's Sin

God's Purpose and Man's Sin.

W. W. Fereday.

(Extracted from Truth for the Last Days, Vol. 1, 1900, page 24.)

It is very striking the way in which these points are brought out m Isaiah 7. The circumstances are given in verses 1-2. The apostate Pekah, king of Israel had formed an alliance with the king of Syria against Jerusalem, filling the hearts of Ahaz and his people With terror. "His heart was moved, and the heart of his people, as the trees of the wood are moved with the wind." They had no power to contend with such powerful foes, and God was not in all their thoughts (contrast 2 Chron. 20)

But Jehovah took the matter up. The plot was of a very determined character. Nothing less was in the minds of those kings than the blotting out of the house of David, and the setting up of a personage called "the son of Tabeal." However little they intended it, this was really a blow at the promised Messiah. If they did not mean this, Satan did, he was the real author of the movement unquestionably. This became at once a case for Jehovah to deal with. It touched the accomplishment of His purposes. True, the house of David was in a deplorable state. David's heir was an evil man, one of the worst that ever sat upon the throne of Judah (2 Chron. 28: 1-5, 22-25). There was no reason, its far as he was concerned, for Jehovah to interfere. Ahaz and Judah deserved the worst that their enemies could inflict upon them.

But God takes care of His own purposes; no power on earth or in hell can frustrate them. He intends David's son and heir to have universal dominion in the coming day; He would therefore preserve the line until the end. "If we believe not, yet He abideth faithful: He cannot deny Himself" (2 Tim. 2: 13). Accordingly, the prophet was sent to Ahaz to assure him concerning the evil counsel of his enemies that "it shall not stand, neither shall it come to pass." Ephraim should be broken within 65 years, spite of the alliance with heathen Syria.

But Jehovah vouchsafed more than this. He spoke of Immanuel. He bade Ahaz ask a sign of Him, "either in the depth, or in the height above." Ahaz hypocritically declined, "I will not ask, neither will I tempt Jehovah." Then came the wonderful word, "the Lord Himself shall give you a sign: behold a virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel." This was enough. Messiah must come of David's line, according to promise, the house of David therefore, however unworthy, should be divinely preserved until the appointed hour. I do not stay to go into the details of the prophecy, very blessed though they are; my sole object being to draw attention to the fact, so full of comfort to the believing heart, that God's purposes never fail, however great may be the sin of man. Wherever we look at the creature, in Israel, in the Church, or elsewhere, it is a history of deepest failure, nevertheless God's will goes on to its accomplishment — He will make all good in its day, for His own name's sake.

But does the sin of man go unpunished? By no means, whether in the house of David, or in guiltier Christendom.

Consequently Ahaz, in verses 17-25, had to hear the righteous sentence of God upon himself and his wicked people. The promise concerning the virgin's son was given to "the house of David" (ver. 13); the threat of chastisement was addressed to "thee and thy people, and thy father's house" (verse 17; compare 2 Sam. 7-9) If David's house was to be preserved, individual and national iniquity should be dealt with fully. Hence Jehovah would hiss for the fly from Egypt (fulfilled in the days of Josiah), and for the bee from Assyria. Jehovah would shave Judah with his hired Assyrian razor, and leave her poor and desolate. Where there had been many, there, should be few, and where prosperity and plenty had been known, briers and thorns should abound. All this has been fulfilled to the letter, as we know. On the same principle will be the dealings of God with Christendom presently, " For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God " (1 Peter 4: 17). All individual iniquity will be visited, for every evil worker will be made to feel His hand, every corrupter of the temple of God will be destroyed (1 Cor. 3: 17). But His purposes will not fall to the ground. However deeply the church has failed in her responsibility, and however sadly she has mixed herself with evil men, His purposes concerning her will all be accomplished. He will soon have all His own in heavenly glory. Christ will shortly present the Church to Himself glorious, holy and unblemished, His holy loving hand having removed every spot and wrinkle, and all such things.

Happy resting place for faith in an evil and dark day!

Questions of the Hour

Questions of the Hour

W W Fereday.

The Virgin-Birth of our Lord

Our Lord's Resurrection

On Miracles

The Origin of Man

The Soul: Mortal, or What?

What's Wrong with Man?

Eternal Punishment

The Death-Sleep: What is it?

The Millennium: Man's Work, or God's?

The Personality of Satan

The Story of Jonah: Need I Believe It?

The Bible: From Heaven or of Men?

THE VlRGIN-BIRTH OF OUR LORD.

It is surely one of the strongest proofs of the incorrigible evil of fallen humanity, and its inveterate hostility to everything that is of God that so sacred a mystery as the miraculous conception of our Lord should, after so long a time, be seriously challenged. If this unbelief manifested itself in the non-professing world, it would evoke no surprise (what else indeed could be expected there?); but when we find it breaking out within the compass of the professing Church, and that not in obscure individuals, but in those "who seem to be somewhat"; and when, moreover, we find this particular form of unbelief welcomed, it becomes a painful proof that the predicted apostasy is now very near.

This subtle attack upon our Lord's humanity is at the same time an attack upon His Deity. If He really had a human father, then plainly He is man only. All the Scripture passages which speak of His Deity (and their number is legion in both Old and New Testaments) are thus swept overboard at one blow. Never again can we entertain them. Along with the truth of our Lord's Deity goes all hope of salvation for any of us. What creatures however holy, however gifted, could possess the competency to lay down his life it atonement for the sins of others, yea, for the sins of myriads upon myriads of transgressors against God? Further, if our Lord be only a man, He must needs have inherited from His parents the same moral taint as ourselves; in a word, He must have been a sinner even as we. May the God of grace pardon the awful thought!

When Christendom becomes prepared, upon any considerable scale, to throw over the Virgin-birth of our Lord Jesus Christ, union with Judaism and Mohammedanism will be more than possible. A significant change has passed over the minds of Jewish leaders in recent years in regard to our Lord. They have stated repeatedly that they are now prepared to acknowledge Him as a prophet. Mohammedanism has always done this; when Christendom reaches the same point, the apostasy will be complete. But what saith Scripture? "Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesseth Jesus Christ come in flesh is of God; and every spirit that confesseth not Jesus is not of God; and this is that spirit of Antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world" (1 John 4: 2, 3). It is necessary to omit (as we have here done) a few of the superfluous words in the Authorised Version of this passage in order to perceive its true force. It is not a bare acknowledgment of the historical fact of His erstwhile presence on earth that is in question (none could well deny that); it is really a confession of both His Deity and humanity. Who but a divine person could be said to "come in flesh " No angel has the power so to come, and no mere man could enter the world in any other condition. Accordingly; the true test as to whether a man is speaking by the Spirit of God or by the spirit of Antichrist is his confession of our blessed Lord as a divine person come to earth in human flesh.

In such a matter it is useless to appeal to mere reason, and it will not be attempted here. Yet it should not be unreasonable in our eyes that God is able to do as He pleases, even to become Himself incarnate amongst us, if so His heart disposes Him. But we shall simply draw attention to a few Scripture statements concerning this mystery of mysteries counting upon the Spirit of God to use them for the strengthening of faith where it already exists, and for the awakening of faith where at present faith is not.

The very first announcement concerning the Saviour is to the point here. To the serpent in Eden the Lord God said: "I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise His heel" (Gen. 3: 15) . Three things are here predicted of our Lord: His incarnation; His sufferings, and His victory. But mark the total omission of all reference to the man in this prophecy. The woman, the enemy, and the Deliverer are the only parties mentioned therein. As Revelation unfolded itself, so did the mind of God concerning the coming One. Thus of all Adam's sons Seth was to be His progenitor; later, of Noah's sons, Shem; of Terah's sons, Abram; of Jacob's, Judah; and of Jesse's, David. In due course, the very village was named in which He should be born; and the time of His coming (Mic. 5: 2; Dan. 9: 25). Then in Isa. 7: 14 we read: "Behold; the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call His name Immanuel." How this passage is applied by the Spirit of God in Matt. 1: 23 is known to every Bible reader.

It is interesting to observe the difference between the manner of our Lord's annunciation in Matthew and in Luke. In Luke's Gospel we have the angel coming to Mary, informing her that she was the vessel chosen of God for the accomplishment of Isa. 7: 14 in answer to the simple inquiry of her piety how this could be, seeing that she was not in relationship with a man, she was told: "The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God." (Luke 1: 3-5). There are three things here: conception by the power of the divine Spirit; protection of the human vessel and her sacred burden; and the actual birth. Mary's babe was thus not only Son of God as eternally co-existent with the Father, but also by reason of the miraculous circumstances of His coming into the world. Comparing this with Matthew, we have the angel appearing to Joseph — at a somewhat later date. This was for the removal of his righteous scruples when he found his betrothed with child. To him the angel said: "That which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost" (Matt. 1: 20), and to him was committed the responsibility of naming the child. In these two accounts of our Lord's birth is manifest the perfect wisdom of God. seeing that Joseph was in the direct line of succession to David's throne (Mary being descended from a junior branch of the same stock) it was necessary that Jesus should be Joseph's legal heir. This was secured by Joseph's reverent acceptance of the situation as explained to him by the angel. Matthew's Gospel brings this out clearly, while Luke occupies himself simply with the story of the birth without special reference to Joseph and the Davidic title .

Wonder of wonders! Born of a sinful mother (for Mary herself humbly acknowledged her need of a Saviour — Luke 1: 47), yet inheriting no moral taint from her. "A body hast Thou prepared Me; Lo, I come to do Thy will, O God" (Heb. 10: 5-7). In Adam as originally created we see humanity innocent; in ourselves, fallen; in the Son of God; holy. Stainless in nature and in ways, death had no possible demand upon Him. But in His ineffable grace He submitted to-the pangs of death that He might thereby make effectual atonement for human sin and guilt. Mere reason may well stagger in the presence of such a mystery as this; but herein is food for faith. "God was manifested in flesh" (1 Tim. 3: 16). Shame on us that so infinite an expression of divine grace should be made a matter of mere idle cavil. Be it the part of every one of us to bow adoringly at His feet, like Thomas of old, exclaiming; "My Lord and my God" (John 20: 28).

OUR LORD'S RESURRECTION.

It is no marvel that Satan should rage against the truth of our Lord's resurrection, and seek to discredit it in every way; for that mighty fact proclaims his greatest defeat, and it is also the earnest and the assurance of his coming final overthrow.

Christianity is built upon the twofold basis of the death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus. The apostle makes this abundantly clear in 1 Cor. 15: 3; 4 in his rebuke to certain speculative brethren in Achaia. The death and resurrection of our Lord are not mere "spiritual ideas," but sober historical facts. So well authenticated are these facts that if they may really be doubted we cannot reasonably believe anything outside the range of our immediate observation.

The resurrection and ascension of our Lord were predicted in plain language as early as the days of David, at least a thousand years before the events took place (Ps. 16: 11; 68: 18) . The Lord Himself spoke distinctly of these things while yet He was engaged with His ministry (John 2: 19-21; John 6: 62; Matt. 16: 21; Matt. 17: 9, etc.). His enemies well understood His words, and in view of them besought Pilate after His death to secure the sepulchre until the third day was past (Matt. 27: 62- 66). But their precautions only served to contribute to the absolute certainty of the fact of His resurrection when it was accomplished.

If the resurrection of Christ must really be relegated to the realm of fancies, then faith is at an end and Christianity stands convicted of the greatest fraud that was ever imposed upon the credulity of men. It is the essence and heart of Christianity that the Saviour is alive again from amongst the dead, and enthroned on high, victorious over all the power of death and Satan, with the sin-question settled once for all to the entire satisfaction of the claims of God. If He who entered the portals of death nearly two thousand years ago has indeed never since been seen, upon what has faith to rest?

If the whole story of the resurrection, as given in the Gospels, be read without prejudice it will be perceived that everything connected with that glorious event served to authenticate it to the full. The presence of a Roman guard at the door of the tomb; the unbelief of the disciples at the first news that He had risen (and this recorded by themselves with the utmost simplicity); the lengthy period — forty days — of His sojourn upon earth before He ascended; and the number of persons who saw Him during that period, on one occasion as many as five hundred — all these facts combine to prove that no mistake has been made, and no fraud perpetrated.

Christ, then, is risen. His claims, made when on earth, thus stand divinely vindicated. In contrast with John, He claimed to be the Christ, and was charged before Pilate accordingly (John 1: 20; 10: 24; Luke 23: 2). He claimed also to be the Son of God; and was accused of blasphemy in consequence (John 19: 7; Luke 22: 70, 71). Resurrection demonstrated Him to be Lord and Christ; and Son of God (Acts 2: 36; Rom. 1: 7).

His character, too, stands vindicated. Was ever servant of God so maligned as He? Crucified as malefactor, He committed Himself in faith to Jehovah as "Thy Holy One" (Acts 2: 27) . The divine answer to this was resurrection on the third day.

More than this. Not only is the resurrection divine testimony to Christ Himself; by raising Him from amongst the dead God has publicly sealed His atoning work. Having brought again from amongst the dead the great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, God is able to declare Himself "the God of peace" (Heb. 13: 20). Peace with God; the full assurance that every righteous claim has been settled, is the present happy portion of all who believe the Gospel.

The Lord is risen, and now sits on high as the Church's exalted Head. In His hands are the keys of death and Hades, and at His summons the occupant of every tomb will yet be constrained to respond: first, the redeemed at His coming again; then His foes at that dread moment when heaven and earth shall flee away.

ON MIRACLES.

On miracles in general it will not be necessary to say much. He who, in humble faith, accredits the marvelous facts of our Lord's incarnation and resurrection will have no difficulty in accrediting other wonders recorded in Holy Scripture. He who declines to believe the great basic facts which lie at the very foundation of Christianity; should not ask to be accepted as a Christian at all.

In this matter-of-fact age men are apt to become scornful at the bare suggestion of a miracle. What man cannot do cannot be done. The folly of this attitude should be apparent to the most superficial observer. Upon this principle the charioteer of ancient Rome would have been justified in ridiculing the notion of horseless carriages ever driving through the streets of the Imperial city, and Queen Elizabeth's hardy seamen would have done well to regard as insane anyone who suggested that men would some day navigate the air. Yet now we know that these things, absurdities as they might have appeared in their eyes, are perfectly practicable.

It is sometimes objected that miracles are opposed to natural laws. It would be more correct to say that they have nothing to do with them. Whether performed by God Himself, or by others by His permission, they are sovereign interpositions outside and apart from natural laws altogether. "Laws" suppose a Law-giver. Is it seemly on our part to limit Him, and to affirm what He is able, or ought to do?

The miracles of Scripture have a twofold character. They were, first of all, tokens of God's power.

By means of them it was sought to bring home to the consciences of rebellious men the fact that GOD IS. For this reason many marvelous works were shown in idolatrous Egypt; and for the same reason, in the days of Israel, many mighty deeds were performed in the Kingdom of the ten tribes, and but few in the Kingdom of the two tribes. The latter continued to acknowledge God after Jeroboam led the bulk of their brethren astray in the matter of the golden calves. Scripture miracles were also the expression of God's mercy. The two greatest miracle-workers were Elisha in the Old Testament and the Lord Jesus Christ in the New. The deeds of the son of Shaphat were all of a kindly nature, with one solemn exception; while the works of the Saviour were all, without a single exception,* gracious and merciful in their character. By means of these extraordinary interpositions God was seeking to reach the hearts and consciences of men.

{*The cursing of the fig tree Matt. 21: 19), not being a miracle wrought upon men, does not invalidate this statement.}

Even miracles must not be accepted as irrefutable proofs of a divine mission on the part of those who perform them. A warning as to this may be found in Deut. 13: 1-5. The possibility is there supposed of one giving a sign or wonder which really came to pass, and which had for its object to divert men from their allegiance to the true God. " Jehovah your God proveth you, to know whether ye love Jehovah your God with all your heart and with all your soul." The magicians of Pharaoh performed marvels in Moses' presence; Rome claims her miracles to-day, and the Antichrist of the future will outstrip all previous pretenders in this direction. But the aim in each of these cases is to draw men, away to that which is apostate and evil.

Miracles have therefore to be tested as to their tendencies ere they are accepted as tokens from God. And what is the true safeguard of the soul? We have it in Paul's charge to the Ephesians in; Acts 20: 32: "I commend you to God, and to the Word of His grace; which is able to build you up, and to give you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified." The Word of God abides with us to the end; and it speaks with no uncertain sound to those who have ears to hear and hearts to obey.

THE ORIGIN OF MAN.

It is somewhat late in the day for man to raise questions as to whence he sprang, and yet nothing should surprise us in this period of the world's dotage. Is man a being distinct in nature and character from every other, or is he simply an improvement upon something else? Is he a being divinely created, or is he instead an animal who has struggled through various forms up to his present status; in fulfillment of a mysterious law which no one pretends to completely understand? Such are the questions which are being gravely discussed in the twentieth century. Even in religious circles these questions are considered legitimately debatable.

For those who fear God there is but one way in which to get light upon these matters. So important is it that man should understand what he is and whence he came, that it is only reasonable to suppose that God Himself has somewhere spoken upon the subject. This proposition can only appear unreasonable in the eyes of those who doubt or deny that there is a God at all. Now we hold in our hands a book called "the Bible" which comes to us with the highest possible claims. It demands our attention and obedience as a revelation from our Maker and Judge, and it warns us with the utmost gravity of the consequences of turning a deaf ear to its voice. The first book in the Bible goes by the name of Genesis, which means "beginning." It is thus God's account of the beginning of things — heaven, earth, beasts, man, etc. Seeing the exceeding value and importance of such a book; and seeing too that apart from it we have absolutely no light at all as to the origin of things, it is not surprising that the enemy should labour to discredit Genesis in every possible way. But foolish indeed are they who yield to the fell destroyer in so momentous a particular.

We turn to the book of Genesis therefore in order to learn the truth as to the origin of our race, being fully persuaded that we can learn it in no other way. The conflicting theories of philosophers; ancient and modern; and the egregious folly frequently expressed by them (one generation of philosophers holding up to ridicule the theories of other generations of the same breed) serve to prove that outside of Genesis everything is shifting sand.

Man was created on the sixth day — last of all the works of God. The work of the sixth day (as that of the third) was in two parts, first cattle etc., then man (Gen. 1: 24-31). In connection with the latter there was divine consultation. "Let Us make man in Our image, after Our likeness." When lower creatures were required it sufficed to say: " Let the waters bring forth . . . let fowl fly," etc., and the creatures required were forthwith alive upon the scene. The grave consultation recorded in Gen. 1: 26 should of itself suggest to the most cursory reader that now a being of a different order from all others was to be brought into the world. Man is thus a distinct and independent creation, having no link whatever with beast; fish, or fowl. "Created" is repeated three times in; v.27; as if the Spirit of God would be beforehand with his rebuke of evolutionist absurdity. Moreover; Adam was the FIRST man. The whole structure of Holy Scripture falls to the ground if there were really men before, or independent of Adam; for the entire volume of inspiration revolves around two men-the fallen first man Adam, and the peerless Second Man, the Lord Jesus (1 Cor. 15: 45-47). One man and one stock is God's account of our race and its head. "He hath made of one blood all nations of men ....we are the offspring of God" (Acts 17: 26-29). Such was the elementary lesson administered by Paul to the learned heathen in Athens.

The truth of Creation and the theory of Evolution cannot subsist together. There is nothing in common between them. He who holds to the one must needs despise the other. The Evolutionist would do well to ask himself, did the Son of God leave His glory to die for an improved ape? The question has only to be stated to be rejected with holy abhorrence. The Scripture truths of Creation and Redemption both forbid the Evolutionist's foolish dream. Whatever its pretension to superior learning, Evolution is a degrading lie of Satan, designed to hide from man his true relationship to his Maker, and to destroy in him all sense of responsibility, thus ensnaring him into excess of sin to his eternal ruin.

THE SOUL: MORTAL, OR WHAT?

A great question, assuredly, with immense issues (some of us believe eternal issues) dependent upon it. If man is altogether mortal; if his every constituent part is capable of coming to an absolute end then farewell to all responsibility; for judgment is impossible. Man is just an animal, and no more. Accordingly, "let us eat and drink for to-morrow we die" (1 Cor. 15: 32).

Where may we find certainty concerning a matter so important? Not in the reasonings and speculations of men, but in the Word of the living God. Does it, or does it not, teach that there is something in man which does not perish with the body? The question is virtually answered in God's account of the beginning of things. We learn from Gen. 2: 7 that the body of the man was first formed of the dust of the ground, and then, as a separate act, God breathed into his nostrils the breath of life. The true life of man is thus not inherent in the outer frame; it is something distinct from mere bodily vitality. Add to this our Lord's words to His disciples in Matt. 10: 28, "fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul." Supplement this with the Saviour's reference to the long-departed patriarchs, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; in Luke 20: 38, "He is not a God of the dead, but of the living, for all live unto Him." These passages prove conclusively that when earthly conditions are ended there is another sphere, in which the released spirit lives and moves, where no persecuting hand can ever come. And need we remind the reader of the rich man and Lazarus, who are vividly presented to us in Luke 16 in their respective conditions of anguish and bliss when this world had by both been left behind for ever?

Man differs from other created beings in that he is made up of "spirit, and soul, and body" (1 Thess. 5: 23). Angels are spirits only (Heb. 1: 7); animals, etc., consist of soul and body (Gen. 1: 20, see margin). The spirit is the seat of the will and of the intelligence — the mental and moral faculties (1 Cor. 2: 11); the soul is the seat of the affections and desires (1 Sam. 18: 1; Luke 2: 35); the body is the vessel by means of which these express themselves. The word "mortal" is only applied in Scripture to the body; never to either soul or spirit. It is sometimes objected that the term "immortal soul" is not found in Scripture. This is admitted; but what is the force of the objection if that which the orthodox mean by the expression is found there? Moreover, it should be remembered that "immortal" is a negative term; and could only properly be applied. to that in man which at some time was "mortal." Since the soul never was mortal; there was no need for the Spirit of God to specifically describe it as immortal.

The Anihilationist will say, in reply to all this, that he believes in "life only in Christ." This is at first sound satisfactory enough, seeing that scripture emphatically declares that "he that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life" (1 John 5: 12). But the argument of the Annihilationist is fallacious nevertheless; for it confounds what God has given to all men in the way of nature with what He has given to believers only on the ground of Christ's redemption. "Eternal life" is not mere being, but life in association with the Son of God in His own sphere of blessedness above. This, while open to all, and proclaimed to all in the Gospel, is not entered into by all, being contingent upon faith in the Saviour's name.

The contrasted terms "death" and "life" are used in various senses in Holy Scripture, and it is well to note this carefully. Thus a man may be morally dead — "dead in trespasses and sins" — while full of bodily and mental vitality (Eph. 2: 1); he may be physically dead, and yet be alive unto God (Luke 20: 3, 8); and he may experience the horrors of the second death, the lake of fire, and yet continue in being for ever (Rev. 20: 10-14)

Happy is the man who, instead of contending with his Maker, humbles himself contritely at His feet; and then, as a confessedly guilty sinner, casts himself upon His sovereign mercy revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.

WHAT'S WRONG WITH MAN?

Certainly there is something radically wrong with man, and that universally. In the political world, the nations are filled with mutual distrust, each suspecting the other of the most evil designs; party leaders, too, abhor and denounce each other as wreckers of the public good. In the commercial sphere, every man considers he must sharpen his wits, or someone will take an unfair advantage of him. In the social circle it is notorious that envy, jealousy, and hypocrisy abound on every side. And if we take the merest glance at the religious realm it is manifest there is much there in doctrine and practice, in both leaders and followers, that is hot as it should be.

No doubt there are those who endeavour to persuade themselves that things are not as bad as we have represented them. So obsessed are they with the notion that the world is improving, and that man is all the time struggling upward that they are tempted to close their eyes to ugly facts, or at least to minimise their importance. But the facts are there; spite of theorists and faddists of every kind. The world is a great open sore, let dreamers speak as they may.

It used to be suggested that if men's temporal circumstances were bettered the moral condition of things would improve. The idea was foolish from the first; and carried its refutation upon its face. If education and comfort can do so much for man; then surely the higher classes should always have been the very mirror of virtue. Yet, as everyone knows, these classes have generally been the most corrupt of all God's creatures. Now there has been a tremendous betterment of the circumstances of all ranks and conditions during the past century; but with what result? Are men really more truthful more obedient, and more generally disposed to be holy than formerly? Instead of this being so is it not the fact that the world was never more full of refined devilry than at the present hour?

What is wrong with man? Surely God did not make him as we see him? Scripture says, God made man upright (Ecc. 7: 2, 9). An infinitely holy Creator could not have made him otherwise. It was an absolutely perfect being that came forth from the divine workshop at the beginning. Some thing then has happened which has resulted in the moral ruin of our race. What is it? Let the humiliating story of Gen. 3 supply the answer.

In that chapter we have no mere allegory or fairy, tale, but God's soberly indicted account of the entrance of sin into man's world. The tempter has been heeded, the leadership of Satan has been accepted, and this accounts for all the evil of which the universe is full. The following Word of God is clear and emphatic, and withal sweeping in its charge: " By one man sin entered into the world; and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned" (Rom. 5: 12). Man is thus a fallen being, in open rebellion against his Maker; with the death-sentence lying upon him in consequence.

This is what is wrong with man, and it is clearly a state of things beyond all creature aid. philanthropists and legislators may alleviate some of the details of man's condition, but the root is beyond them. The need is two fold. First, an absolutely new kind of life and nature. The Saviour said to one of the best of men, "Ye must be born again" (John 3: 7). This is imperative for all who would dwell with God, flesh being irremediable. Then, in view of sins committed, there must be an atoning sacrifice. The one perfect offering of the Lord Jesus upon the cross of Calvary has met this deep need for all who believe in His name. "Christ hath once suffered for sins, the Just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God" (1 Peter 3: 18). Christ is the only resource both for God and the sinner. He who examines the problem of the world's condition, while ignoring the fall, is on the wrong scent altogether; and he who would benefit his fellows, while leaving out of his scheme the new birth and the precious atoning blood, is pursuing a chimera hopelessly.

ETERNAL PUNISHMENT.

If modern theology may be credited, there is no longer a Hell to be feared, nor is there in man that which must necessarily abide for ever. Satan, Hell; and the soul (as we have always understood these terms) have been practically eliminated from the text books of Christendom. To all this no objection could be offered, if there was any divine authority for such a revolution of thought and idea. Since the voice of God can only be heard in Holy Scripture, we must submit all human propositions, whether ancient or modern, to its arbitrament. He who is willing to take eternal risks on the dubious authority of the word of man should be an object of deep compassion to us all.

To Scripture then we turn. First, as to the word "eternal" (or "everlasting"); what does it mean? 2 Cor. 4: 18 will suffice to answer the question. "The things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal." The eternal is here contrasted with the temporal. The temporal has an end; the eternal has no end. Now precisely the same word is used in Scripture to denote the divine Being (1 Tim. 1: 17); the blessedness of believers (John 3: 16); and the punishment of unbelievers (Matt. 25: 46). God is eternal; the portion of believers is eternal; and the doom of unbelievers is eternal. All are alike without end.

To this it is sometimes objected that the wicked are to be "destroyed" or "perish," and that these terms indicate the absolute end of their being. But this is false, as a very little examination of the Scripture usage of these terms will show. "Destroyed" and "perish," it should be noted; are but different translations of one Greek word concerning which the lexicographers tell us that "its fundamental thought is not annihilation, but ruin, loss." Take a few examples. In Luke 5: 37 our Lord says if new wine is put into old bottles (or skins) the wine will burst the bottles, and the bottles will "perish." He did not mean that they would hence forward cease to exist in any form, the point is that as wineskins they would be marred and ruined. So in 1 Cor. 8: 12, where the apostle asks, "Shall the weak brother perish for whom Christ died?" there is no suggestion that the weak one might pass out of being; but simply that, if not considerately treated, such an one might make shipwreck of his Christian testimony.

Even in our daily talk we never think of attaching the thought of annihilation to the words "destroy" or "perish." If I destroy a letter, or an article of furniture, I do not thereby annul their existence in any shape or form, but I so far annul them that they can never again be what they were formerly. The Saviour in Matt. 10: 28 and John 10: 10 expressly distinguishes between "kill" and "destroy." To "kill" is to take life, and in consequence the word is never used in Scripture of the soul. The reader is earnestly recommended to examine these two important passages carefully.

Scripture is explicit — terribly explicit — concerning the impenitent that "the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever, and they have no rest day nor night" (Rev. 14: 11) . It insists, moreover, that "their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched" (Mark 9: 46). It declares, too, as one of the principles of God's moral governments that He will render "unto them that are contentious; and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness — indignation and wrath, tribulation and anguish; upon every soul of man that doeth evil" (Rom. 2: 8, 9) . The word "punishment," so often used in Scripture in this Connection, "requires (as another has said) a conscious subject to endure it." It could have no possible meaning as applied to persons who have ceased to be.

No hope of change of condition, nor of extinction of being, was held out to the rich man by "father Abraham" (Luke 16: 24) . The doctrines of universal salvation and of annihilation (so popular in our day) were quite unknown both to the one and the other. The man who had lived wholly for this world was solemnly told that he had received his good things, and that now a great gulf was fixed between himself and the blessed. His humble prayer for even a drop of water could not be granted.

We may well marvel at the madness of those who defy the Almighty to His face. In infinite love He sacrificed His beloved Son in order that men might not perish, but have everlasting life. Now, in the Gospel, He "commendeth His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us" (Rom. 5: 8). Further than this even God could not well go, and those who reject or neglect the preached Saviour can expect nothing else than to reap the eternal consequences of their guilt and folly. In their case, grace being refused, the government of God must take its solemn course. To every man who may be disposed to argue and cavil instead of repent and believe, our counsel would be, "Escape for thy life, look not behind thee . . . lest thou be consumed" (Gen. 19: 17) .

THE DEATH-SLEEP: WHAT IS IT?

Among the many strange doctrines industriously spread abroad in our day is the unconsciousness of the soul after death. In support of this theory every Scripture passage which speaks of men falling asleep is pressed into service. When Scripture is freely quoted, the unreflecting are apt to be carried off their feet, in forgetfulness of the fact that Satan is as capable of using the sacred writings upon them as upon our Lord Himself in the wilderness (Matt. 4: 6). Even the appeal to Scripture has therefore to be tested, in order to ascertain whether it is just and reasonable.

To our subject. Let us glance at the Saviour's case first. In John 20: 17 we hear Him saying: "I am not yet ascended unto My Father." This was after His resurrection, and yet on the day of His death He entered into Paradise, taking with Him the repentant thief according to His gracious promise (Luke 23: 43). How are these things to be reconciled? Simply by recognising the distinction between soul and body. In the disembodied condition both the Saviour and His saved one passed into Paradise at the moment of death; while in body the Saviour did not reach heaven's glory until six weeks later, when He ascended from Olivet in view of His disciples. In Ps. 16: 9, so also, where the Lord Jesus speaks prophetically, the distinction between "My flesh" and "My soul" is clearly indicated.

Take the case of Stephen next. After his martyrdom, devout men carried him to his burial, and made great lamentation over him, yet a little before we hear him saying, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit" (Acts 7: 59; Acts 8: 2). Obviously it was his body that men buried, but while men wept over it below his spirit was already in the blessedness of his Master's presence above.

If the Scriptures be read without prejudice it will be perceived that the term "sleep" is always used in connection with the body, never in connection with the soul. Thus after our Lord's resurrection "many BODIES of the saints which SLEPT arose" (Matt. 27: 52). The expressions so frequently used in the Old Testament that such and such a person "slept with his fathers" and "was buried with his fathers" have reference to the body only; and follow each other in natural sequence. The SLEEPING body was BURIED. The expression "gathered to his people" may possibly have a larger meaning, perhaps indicating that the departed one had joined his forefathers in the unseen world.

What had Paul in view when he said; "to depart and to be with Christ is far better," and "to die is gain"? (Phil. 1: 21-23). Surely he was not yearning for two thousand years of senselessness? How could this be "far better" than the enjoyment of the love of Christ in the midst of labour here? But he himself tells us in 2 Cor. 5: 8 that to be "absent from the body" is to be "present (or, at home) with the Lord." This should suffice to put Paul's blissful experience at this hour beyond all dispute.

Naturally the story of the rich man and Lazarus is hotly assailed by, those who insist upon the sleep of the soul (Luke 16: 19-31). It is regarded as the citadel of the position against which they revolt; and therefore it must be reduced by any means possible. But the waves of unbelief may lash themselves against it ever so furiously; it stands nevertheless. Call the story a parable if you please (though the Saviour does not), there you have men in the world of spirits the reverse of unconscious — fully alive to the sensations of bliss and woe. Moreover, this is not the only Scripture passage which represents men in conversation in the spirit world; Isa. 14: 9-11; Ezek. 32: 21 are as explicit, if not as graphic, as Luke 16: 19- 31. The rich man "died and was buried"; that is, his body. Next we are told: "In hell (Hades) he lifted up his eyes, being in torments"; that is, his soul. The body was in the tomb; but his soul was in Hades. Let us not seek to evade the plain force of this; it is wiser far to take home to our souls the lesson divinely intended. The conclusion of the matter is this, that when the border-line is crossed, the disembodied soul passes forthwith into conscious bliss or woe; though it is admitted that neither saved nor lost reach their final consummation until the resurrection day is over. Let us not fail to remember that that which marks the line of demarcation between saved and lost is faith in our Lord Jesus Christ and in His precious atoning blood.

THE MILLENNIUM: MAN'S WORK, OR GOD'S?

The idea of a Millennium is more or less familiar to the minds of people throughout Christendom. It crops up repeatedly in literature and in politics; sometimes even in trade advertisements. The general conception is a golden age of prosperity, wherein all perplexing problems, whether religious, social, or political, will find their complete solution. Some, it is true, regard the idea of a Millennium as dreamy and Utopian; others, again, consider that education, legislation, etc., are steadily leading up to the longed-for consummation.

It cannot be denied that Holy Scripture predicts a golden age for this poor tempest-tossed world. In the inspired pages we read that in that era "there shall be abundance of corn in the earth upon the top of the mountains," and "the wolf and the lamb shall feed together, and the lion shall eat straw like the bullock" (Ps. 72: 16; Isa. 65: 25). What prosperity! What peace! And such passages could be multiplied indefinitely.

The question before us in this article is, whose hand will bring in this ideal condition of things? Is the Millennium man's work, or God's? Man's hand has certainly caused the ruin that we all deplore, but is man's hand able to repair it? Can the philanthropist with his humanitarian schemes; the scientist with his discoveries, the legislator with his remedial measures, or the diplomatist with his international treaties, even contribute to the final blessed result? Can any or all of these bring us one real step towards the desired haven? Unhesitatingly we answer, NO. God is our only hope. His plans are already formed, and they are clearly quoted in His Word. At His right hand on high sits a Man, who was despised and rejected of men at His first coming to earth, and who is to this hour still emphatically refused by men at large. Under His feet God has pledged Himself to place everything in full subjection (Heb. 2: 8). He has said; moreover "that He shall put down all rule, and all authority and power" (1 Cor. 15: 24). Even before His incarnation, the voice of prophecy addressed Him thus: "Jehovah shall send the rod of Thy strength out of Zion; rule Thou in the midst of Thine enemies" (Ps. 110: 2). Towards the accomplishment of these predictions no divine step has yet been taken. The Son of Man still sits in patience at God's right hand, and heaven is quiescent as regards the public affairs of earth. The moment will come when Jehovah will say to His Anointed; "Ask of Me, and I will give Thee the nations for Thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for Thy possession," but He has not said this yet (Ps. 2: 8).

To put it plainly, what will happen is as follows. At a moment when men least expect it, the heavens will be rent asunder, and the Son of Man will appear as with lightning flash (Luke 17: 24). He will be accompanied by all His believing people (previously caught up to Him in the air), and attended by myriad hosts of angels (2 Thess. 1: 7-10). All opposition however considerable from the creature point of view, will melt before Him, and Jehovah will establish Him upon His destined throne in Zion (Ps. 2: 6). Every knee will be constrained to bow to Him, and every tongue will confess His title.

The Millennium is thus the age when the Christ of God will at last receive His rights. This is "man's day," as the margin of 1 Cor. 4: 3 so expressively, tells us; THAT is "the day of the Lord." Now the will of man runs riot in the earth; THEN the will of the Lord will alone be done. "The Lord alone shall be exalted in that day" (Isa. 2: 17).

There can thus be no Millennium without Christ. Every scheme which leaves Him out of the account must necessarily be futile. Men's devices can only serve to hasten on the last great clash. Were it possible for man to bind up his own wounds, he would only become more proud and independent of God than ever. It is God's purpose to put the reins into the hands of His Son. Then will the nations get perfect administration; every created thing upon the earth; man and beast alike, will be set free from the thraldom of corruption; and even nature's barren spots will be rejuvenated. But the great King's first steps will be the staining of all human glory, and the dethronement and imprisonment of the usurper Satan. A solemn beginning, which will yield the most happy results while the blissful age rolls on.

THE PERSONALITY OF SATAN.

No Bible student would dream of defending all the grotesque representations of Satan, in poetry, prose and picture, with which Christendom has so long been afflicted. Our inquiry just now is as to the personality of the great adversary, for it is being gravely asserted in some quarters that he is not a living being at all, and that the whole mass of Scripture teaching concerning him must be read allegorically, as applying to a mere principle of evil. Certainly, if Satan is indeed a personality, he must be credited with a masterpiece of ingenuity in so far as he has succeeded in persuading his victims that he has no existence at all! A good preparation, surely, for a great victory!

In this short article we shall deal principally with our Lord's relations with Satan during His sojourn upon earth. First, let us consider the forty days' experience which followed the Saviour's baptism. Both Matthew and Luke state with the gravest details that He was tempted in the wilderness by the devil; Mark also alludes to the fact, but passingly. The very words of the adversary are given, including his quotation of Scripture; and his actions are described in setting our Lord upon the pinnacle of the temple, and in showing Him from a mountain-top all the Kingdoms of the world and the glory of them in a moment of time. If these are not the motions of a PERSON, then we know not how to read a single passage in the book of God.

If the story of the temptation in the wilderness is not sober fact, then surely nothing can be safely, credited in the entire Bible. Another thing: if the temptations came not from a person distinct from our Lord Himself, then they must have proceeded; like many of our own sinful promptings, from some evil principle in His own heart! Such an alternative is too horrible for words, for it deprives us at one stroke of our Saviour! The tempted One was in that case only a man like ourselves plagued with a sinful nature, and consequently quite incompetent to make atonement for others. Let us not deceive ourselves. The query as to the personality of Satan is a blow at the Son of God, as indeed is every mischievous doctrine that was ever presented to the minds of men.

To proceed. The Pharisees once wickedly suggested that in the performance of His miracles, the Saviour was operating in collusion with Satan. This He rebutted by showing the absurdity of Satan casting out Satan, and to this He added a parable wherein He likened the foe to a strong many and Himself to a stronger vanquishing him (Matt. 12: 22-30). Moreover, before He entered the garden of Gethsemane on that last night, He said to His disciples: "The prince of this world cometh, and hath nothing in Me" (John 14: 30). Surely such words can have no other meaning than that the Saviour was meeting a personal foe!

The future of Satan is so graphically described in the Apocalypse that it should suffice of itself to satisfy every honest mind that a person is intended. In Rev. 12 we behold him cast out of the heavens into the earth (in the midst of the Antichristian period); and in Rev. 20. we see him, first shut up in the bottomless pit for 1,000 years; then, the reign of the Son of Man nearing its end, he is released for a little season; next, provoking a revolt against earth's rightful King, he is deprived of his liberty for ever by being cast into the lake of fire. If any reader can see nothing more in such detailed statements than the extirpation of an evil principle; it is to be feared he is beyond the reach of both Scripture and reason. Could an evil principle be "tormented day and night for ever and ever"? (Rev. 20: 10).

It will thus be perceived that the denial of the personality of Satan is no light matter. By it the Son of God stands dishonoured in reference to the period of His temptation; and moreover, by it the Bible is discredited throughout. For none can dispute that from Genesis to Revelation the ways and words of the great adversary are recorded, the opening chapters of the book of Job going the length of reporting verbatim two conversations between him and the Creator. It would be necessary to tear the whole Bible to pieces in order to get rid of the doctrine of Satan, the great antagonist of both God and man.

THE STORY OF JONAH: NEED. I BELIEVE IT?

The question is more serious than appears at first sight, for it involves everything of a miraculous character that is recorded in the Old and New Testaments. If one miracle may be discredited; we cannot upon any reasonable principle accept any; especially as all come to us upon exactly the same authority. What then becomes of Christianity; which is founded upon miracles of the profoundest character? What greater marvels can be conceived than the Virgin-birth of our Lord, and His glorious resurrection? If these may be safely believed, we need have no difficulty about lesser wonders; but if the momentous facts just named are indeed no facts at all, then woe unto us, for salvation becomes impossible. There is nothing before us but eternal ruin.

Now in regard to Jonah and his sojourn in the fish's belly, we ask, "From whom have we received the story? Who is the author of it?" In reality, everything turns upon this. I could believe the most extraordinary story if it were related to me by one in whom I had full confidence; while I might be dubious concerning the simplest narrative if brought to me by a person upon whose word I could not rely. Who, then, is the author of the story, of Jonah? The answer is really very simple — the Holy Spirit of God is the author of it (whoever the penman), as of all else in Scripture. This statement may evoke a smile on the part of some in these days of widespread unbelief, but it is true, nevertheless. "All Scripture is given by inspiration of God" (2 Tim. 3: 16). "Men spake from God, being moved by the Holy Ghost" (2 Peter 1: 21). These statements, while perfectly true of the whole canon of Scripture, have special reference to the Old Testament (and, let us remember, Jonah is an Old Testament book). The 39 books which begin with Genesis and end with Malachi were in the hands of the Jewish people in their complete form long before the Son of God entered the world. They never confounded the Apocrypha nor any other writings with the sacred books. The Lord Jesus frequently endorsed the Jewish canon in its threefold division, " the law of Moses, and the prophets, and the psalms" (Luke 24: 44), and has thus made Himself personally responsible for it before all the world.

Further, He most emphatically endorsed the story of Jonah. He spoke of the three days and three nights in the fish's belly as prophetic of His own impending descent into death and the grave; He spoke also of the prophet's preaching, and of the humble repentance of the Ninevites, contrasting the latter sadly with the obduracy of His own hearers (Matt. 12: 39-41). Clearly to the Lord Jesus these things were not allegories, but facts. Historical facts may on occasion be used allegorically, as the apostle used the story of Hagar and Ishmael in Gal. 4: 21-31, but they are nevertheless facts still. It is sometimes asked: "But does it really matter whether we believe the story of Jonah or not? Is there anything spiritual involved in it?" It is not it. too much to say that the whole of Christianity is involved, in the truth or otherwise of that story. The same voice which said when on earth, "Jonah was three days and three nights in the whale's belly," also said, "God so loved the world that He gave His Only-Begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life" (John 3: 16) . If I may not trust the first of these utterances, how may I trust the second? I would go even further. If His word may not be taken about a simple matter of fact, how can I rely upon it when eternal issues are in the balance? He who doubted the word of his neighbour about a comparatively small matter, and yet trusted it in a matter of vital importance; would be accounted a fool. Let us not deceive ourselves. The real question is not as to Jonah, but as to Christ, land this the arch deceiver knows right well. He who rejects the Jonah story will, unless grace intervene, ultimately reject everything else that is contained within the covers of his Bible. The infidel sneers now to be heard on every hand concerning Jonah are an insult both to the Holy Spirit who indited the story, and to the Son of God who publicly endorsed it. If these are not sins to be confessed in dust and ashes then I know not any.

THE BIBLE: FROM HEAVEN OR OF MEN?

A great question was agitating the minds of men in Israel when the Son of God came to earth. John the Baptist was in the land, thundering at the consciences of all, and claiming to have a divine mission. The people at large regarded him as a true prophet, and many bowed humbly at his words; but their leaders treated him very differently. They did not openly reject him, denouncing him in terms as not of God, yet they were not at all disposed to acknowledge him. The Saviour's challenge to Israel's spiritual guides was therefore very pertinent: "The baptism of John, was it from heaven, or of men?" (Luke 20: 4). Their reply exposed at once their wickedness and their incompetency.

A similar question is before men's minds to-day. It is not now as to John, but as to the Bible. A book is in our hands, with the highest pretensions to a divine mission. The challenge therefore comes to us: "If it be from heaven, or of men?" If it be from heaven, the enquiry very naturally follows: "Why do ye not then believe it?" (Matt. 21: 25) . But if the Bible be of men, let us relegate it to the museum as a curious relic of an ignorant past.

Some will say, "But the Bible states such impossibilities! An ass speaking, walls falling down flat," etc. Pray, from what standpoint do we reason when we pronounce things impossibilities? Is it simply from the standpoint of our present-day experiences? If so, we are manifestly very foolish. Suppose the Bible had spoken of men navigating the air in Noah's day; only fifty years ago one might on this principle, have said it could never have been. But how is it in the year 1910? Because I have never met angels walking the earth, am I wise in saying they never walked here? One has only to bring GOD in, and the greatest marvel becomes simplicity itself. "With God all things are possible" (Matt. 19: 26).

One of the greatest of Scripture miracles is prophecy. I do not refer to that which is still unfulfilled (a most edifying study), but to that which has already been accomplished. Whatever date captious critics may choose to assign to the books of the Old Testament, it is undeniable that they were all in the hands of the Jewish people before the Saviour's birth. Yet the prophets testified beforehand so many things concerning Him that a life of Christ could be constructed from their writings. They predicted His birth of a virgin, they named the village in which He should be born, they described His ministry and His miracles, foretold His residence in Galilee, His rejection by both Israel and the Gentiles, His betrayal, death, resurrection, and ascension. Is not all this previous testimony miracle? If not, what is it?

The great effort of today is to exclude God from everything. We may not even regard Him as our Creator now (save in mere terms). We are but developed apes, the fruit of a law which no one understands, and which manifestly has no continuity; for no Scientist pretends that man is still developing towards some higher form of being. God excluded from both His Word and His works! Where are we getting to?

If the Old Testament writers were indeed the ignoramuses they are now proclaimed to be, so childishly simple as to pass on to us gravely as facts what after all are only legends, how comes it that their work still holds its unique place in Christendom? Is it not an insult to twentieth-century enlightenment? If the Bible is of men written with some measure of divine aid (its critics would probably admit this much), why does not the concentrated wisdom of to-day produce for us something distinctly in advance of it? Some measure of divine aid would as surely be granted to sincere writers now as of old. Why should "the old-fashioned and almost exploded truths of the Bible" (to quote a recent speech by a Bishop, as reported in the daily press) be still taken to the heathen if something better and higher can be provided? We have a right to demand a new work that shall once for all supersede the Bible in our homes and churches — a work in which our hearts may more safely rest than in the old Book. The critics have been destructive long enough; is it not time they became constructive?

The Bible in all its parts undeniably makes tremendous claims for itself. Moses felt so deeply the divine importance of his writings that he delivered them with all solemnity to the care of the priests, with instructions to read them periodically to the people, men, women and children alike (Deut. 31: 9-13) . Moreover, when the time should come for Israel to possess a King, he was "to write him a copy of this law in a book out of that which is before the priests the Levites: and it shall be with him, and he shall read therein all the days of his life, that he may learn to fear Jehovah his God," etc. (Deut. 17: 18-20). The sweet psalmist of Israel claimed divine inspiration when he said: "The Spirit of Jehovah spake by me, and His word was in my tongue" (2 Sam. 23: 2). The prophets also with one consent spoke with the loftiest authority. Take the first of them: "Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth: for Jehovah hath spoken" (Isa. 1: 2). The minor prophets begin with "the word of Jehovah that came unto Hosea." Joel, Jonah, Micah, and Zephaniah open with almost identical words. Amos says five times over in his first chapter, "Thus saith Jehovah." Peter says of the whole of them, "Men spoke from God, being moved by the Holy Ghost" (2 Peter 1: 21, R.V.). Paul (in a passage upon the unfair handling of which in the Revised Version I would say much, if space permitted) says: "All Scripture is given by inspiration of God," i.e., "God-breathed" (2 Tim. 3: 16). Concerning his own writings in particular, he tells us "We speak not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth. . . . If any man think himself to be a prophet; or spiritual, let him acknowledge that the things that I write unto you are the commandments of the Lord" (1 Cor. 2: 13; 1 Cor. 14: 37).

Such are a few of the claims put forth in the Bible. If they are false claims, then let us reject the Book with the same indignation with which we reject the Koran and the Book of Mormon. No more dangerous book can be conceived than that which comes to us with exalted divine demands which have no real foundation. Any excellent things that may be found in such a book only render it the more to be feared.

We leave the matter at this point. "The Bible is it from heaven, or of men?" If the former as we reverently believe, woe to any man who would persuade us otherwise. He not only jeopardises his own soul, but ours also. Never was there a time when it was more important to turn away from the clamour of men to God Himself. As the apostasy draws on, our only safeguard is the Word of the living God. Men and their opinions and criticisms are as unstable as the shifting sand, but "the Word of the Lord endureth for ever" (1 Peter 1: 25). To this, and to this alone, Paul commended the brethren when his public work was done (Acts 20: 32).

The Witness of the Apocalypse to Christ

The Witness of the Apocalypse to Christ.

W W Fereday

Whatever date may be assigned to the Apocalypse and concerning this there has been much disputing). its only rightful place is at the end of the Book of God. Some one has happily described Genesis as "the book of origins," and the Revelation as "the book of issues." This is true. The beginnings of all God's ways with men are shown in Genesis, and the results for time and for eternity are seen in the Revelation.

But our present object is not to deal particularly with the prophetic aspect of the book, but to draw attention to the completeness of its witness to Christ, In the wisdom of God all the great cardinal truths of our faith concerning the person and work of the Lord Jesus are here gathered up and reaffirmed by the Divine Spirit before the canon of Scripture was closed for ever. As we survey the Apocalypse we find His Deity, His humanity. His atoning death, and much more besides.

1. His Deity

This is the foundation of everything. Disprove it, and all that may be said about His true and perfect humanity will profit me nothing. Prove to me that the Person who died on Calvary's tree is not God, and all the value has gone out of His work. Salvation becomes impossible for the guilty sons of men.

"No victim of inferior worth

Could ward the stroke that Justice aimed;

For none but He in Heaven or earth

Could offer that which Justice claimed."

While the Apocalypse opens with the Lord's humanity (for it introduces Him to us as the Servant-Son who gets a revelation from God to pass on to His servants), it quickly reminds us of His Deity. Thus in verses 4, 5, John sends the seven assemblies a threefold greeting from the Eternal God, from His sevenfold Spirit, and from Jesus Christ. Who but a Divine Person could be set in such associations! In Galatians 1: 1 another Apostle not only links Him with God the Father, but even names Him first! Every question as to who He is is thus hushed to rest, and we fall at His feet like Thomas of old, exclaiming, "My Lord and my God." In verse 8 there is

A Remarkable Blending of God and Christ,

which all careful readers will have observed to be characteristic of the writings of John. But the Alpha and the Omega is undoubtedly Christ. Rev. 22: 13 puts this beyond dispute. Alpha and Omega being the first and last letters in the Greek alphabet, we thus learn that He is the beginning and the end, i.e., the sum, of all that the Holy Spirit has ever written. He is the theme of Scripture from first to last. What a thought!

Now note His appearance to John on the Lord's Day. Head and hairs white like wool remind us of the Ancient of Days in Daniel 7: 9, to whom the Son of Man comes with the clouds of Heaven, and is invested with all the rights and dignities of the Kingdom. But verse 22 of the same chapter lets us know that the Son of Man is Himself the Ancient of Days! In verse 7 the Son of Man comes, and in verse 22 it is the Ancient of Days who comes! Thus the Son of Man and the Ancient of Days are one!

Moreover, the Son of Man affirms three times in the Apocalypse that He is the First and the Last (Rev. 1: 17; Rev. 2: 8; Rev. 22: 13). In Isaiah's prophecy, Jehovah in His controversy with Israel about their idolatry, declares that He is the First and the Last, and that beside Him there is no God. This He affirms three times (Isa. 41: 4; Isa. 48: 12; Isa. 44: 6). Who then is the Man who spoke to John in Patmos, and takes to Himself that which pertains to God alone! "What manner of Man is this!" (Matt. 8: 27). Turn now to the

Great Vision of the Opened Heaven

In Rev. 19: 11-16. There we see the Sovereign of Divine appointment, coming forth in righteousness to judge and make war. On His vesture and on His thigh He has a name written, "King of kings, and Lord of lords." In 1 Timothy 6: 15, 16, this is the title of Him who dwells in light unapproachable, and of whom the incarnate Son is the manifestation to men. Thus, what the Spirit through Paul says of the Eternal God, the Spirit through John says also of Jesus (see also Rev. 17: 14).

When John first saw Him, he fell at His feet, and as we realise that in Him all glories dwell, we feel that our true place is at His feet also, and that in adoration.

Throughout the Apocalypse both God and the Lamb are worshipped; God and the Lamb are the Temple of the Holy City Jerusalem (Rev. 21: 22); and God and the Lamb occupy the one final throne of blessing (Rev. 22: 1). In contrast with this, when John on two occasions was so overwhelmed with the marvels that were being shown to him, that he was disposed to fall at the feet of the angel, he was rebuked, and told to "worship God" (Rev. 19: 10; Rev. 22: 8, 9).

"It is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and Him only shalt thou serve" (Matt. 4: 10). "But the Godhead of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, is all one: the glory equal, the majesty co-eternal. Such as the Father is, such is the Son, and such is the Holy Ghost" (Athanasian Creed).

2. His Humanity

Although it was specially given to John to emphasise the Deity of the Lord Jesus when writing his Gospel, His unique humanity is not lost sight of there. Indeed in John 4: 6; John 11: 33-35; John 19: 25-27, we have some of the most exquisitely human touches to be found anywhere in the pages of the Evangelists. In like manner, while John beheld in Patmos One who could declare Himself the First and the Last. it was a very real Man who thus spake to him.

John was in the Spirit on the Lord's Day (not "the Day of the Lord"), and heard a trumpet-like voice speaking to him. Turning himself, he saw seven golden lampstands, and

One Standing in the Midst

like the Son of Man. It was the same Person whom John had seen sitting by the well of Sychar conversing with a sinful woman, and in whose bosom he himself reclined at supper. but the circumstances how changed!

Not as the Revealer of the Father's love did He now appear, but as the Executor of the righteous judgement of God. "His eyes were as a flame of fire, His feet were like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace; and His voice as the sound of many waters." The same lips that once said so tenderly, "Come unto Me, all ye that labour, and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest," now resounded in majesty like the roar of mighty cataracts. Righteousness, not grace, characterises the Apocalypse. Everything there passes under the searching eyes of the Judge--the Assemblies, the Beast, the False Prophet, Satan, and the dead, great and small. But

It was a Man whom John Saw,

and presently He laid His right hand upon His prostrate servant, saying, "Fear not; I am the First and the Last; and the living One, and I became dead ; and behold, I am alive for evermore; and have the keys of Death and Hades" (compare R.V.).

The hand was very real, it was no mere vision. It was the same hand that was once laid so compassionately upon the poor Jewish leper (Matt. 8: 3): that touched the bier whereon the only son of the widow of Nain was being carried to his burial (Luke 7: 14); and that was pierced for our many iniquities (Ps. 22: 16).

In what He said to John He not only proclaimed His Deity as the First and the Last, and as the Living One (in contrast with idols), but He spoke of the completeness of the victory which by His death He has gained. Death has no more dominion over Him; He has annulled him who had the power of death; and He has authority (symbolised by the keys — Isa. 22: 22) over both Death and Hades, and will summon both at the appointed hour to deliver up their solemn charge.

Revelation 12 gives us another remarkable picture of God's Man, but viewed as the object of the Devil's murderous hatred. John sees

Two Great Signs in Heaven;

first, a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and a crown of twelve stars upon her head, travailing in birth; and then, a great red Dragon standing before her, ready to devour her child as soon as it should be born. The woman thus seen invested with all the symbols of authority is neither the Church nor Mary, but Israel, viewed from the standpoint of Divine counsels; for the proper calling of the nation is to govern and lead the peoples of the earth.

From Israel the Christ has come forth, who will yet rule with a rod of iron. In Romans 9: 1-5, where the Apostle enumerates Israel's privileges and favours from God, he says last of all, "And of whom, as concerning the flesh, Christ came, who is over all, God blessed for ever. Amen." Could Israel but see it, no greater honour has ever been hers than the wonderful fact that God's Anointed has come forth from her midst.

Chapters 12 and 13 of the Apocalypse should be considered together. In Rev. 13 we have the

Two Principal Enemies of God

and His people in the world's last crisis — the Beast that arises out of the sea, the head of the revived Latin Empire, and the Beast that arises out of the earth, the Antichrist; the seat of the one being Rome, and of the other Jerusalem. These move and act upon the open stage of human affairs. Chapter 12 shows us the spirit force that operates from behind the scenes. The Dragon (for the serpent has developed into this — deceit into violence) is fiercely opposed to all that is of God, and is determined, if possible, to remove every suggestion of Him from the earth; and seeing that a pious remnant in Israel will bear witness for God, and will endeavour to hold aloft the lamp of truth in the midst of the world's gross darkness, his malignity will be chiefly concentrated there. Rev. 12, viewed as a whole, shows the awful consistency of

The Devil's Operations throughout the Centuries.

In this respect this chapter reminds us somewhat of Acts 7. He sought to destroy Israel's King when He was born, that God's purposes concerning the earth might be frustrated. Foiled in this, he will seek to destroy the witnessing remnant (and the whole nation, if possible) in the last days.

The two comings of our Lord are thus suggested in this remarkable chapter. Two parentheses may be noted. In the middle of verse 5, thirty-three years are passed over between the bringing forth and the catching up of the Man Child; between verses 5 and 6 nearly two thousand years intervene, for the woman has not fled into the wilderness yet. It will; be her place of refuge during the period of the great tribulation.

The Devil hates the Man Christ Jesus. For Him is destined universal rule, and the enemy knows it. In his insensate pride and enormous self-sufficiency, he seeks this for himself. Witness his words to our Lord in the wilderness: "All this power will I give Thee, and the glory of them: for that is delivered unto me; and to whomsoever I will I give it. If Thou, therefore, wilt worship me, all shall be Thine." (Luke 4: 6, 7). These blasphemous pretensions God will yet judge. Meanwhile the Object of the Devil's spite is on high, "caught up unto God, and to His throne." From that seat of exaltation and glory He will presently come forth to claim His rights, and put down every opposing force of every kind throughout the universe of God.

3. His Atoning death

Although the Apocalypse is the book of His glory and triumph, the death of Christ underlies all its unfoldings. Several times He is referred to as the slain Lamb, and in chapter 1:18, we hear Himself saying to John, "I became dead." But what is the character of that death? What is its value and significance!

Some years ago, it was my lot to lodge under the same roof for several days with a West of England gentleman whose natural charm and amiability is unforgettable. He was a devout Churchman beyond many, and found pleasure in discussing Biblical themes. But every mention of the blood of Christ aroused his ire, and his indignant language concerning it I will not transcribe. I pointed out to him on several occasions that a person of his views, whatever his natural kindliness, could have no place in Heaven, for the theme of its song is "Thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by Thy blood" (Rev. 5: 9), and in such a song he could not join. Alas! the attitude of that gentleman is sadly characteristic of the majority in the Christendom of to-day. They have no use for the atoning blood; their benighted minds see no necessity for it.

But let us see what the Apocalypse has to say about this. In the very opening verses of the book we have John's remarkable outburst, "Unto Him that loveth us, and washed us from our sins in His own blood, and hath made us a kingdom of priests unto His God and His Father; to Him be glory and dominion for ever and ever, Amen" (Rev. 1: 5, 6). This is the response of his heart to the threefold presentation to him of Christ as the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth.

John Speaks Representatively.

His praise is ours. He knew, and so likewise do we, why the precious blood was shed. The wicked hands of men were indeed active at Calvary's tree, but His self-sacrificing love to sinners shines out in all its Divine brightness. For our sins that blood was outpoured, and in virtue of it, the whole sanctified company stands "perfected for ever" (Heb. 10: 14). The cleansing is once for all, and its efficacy remains eternally, but the love is present and continuous, "changeless as the eternal laws."

We have referred to the glorified throng in Heaven. John sees them in Rev. 4 and Rev. 5, represented by twenty-four enthroned elders. The sight of the once-slain Lamb standing in the midst of the throne brings them down upon their faces in adoration and song. Be it noted that there will be only one wounded Man in Heaven. Whatever may have been the sufferings of saints throughout the dispensations, and however mangled their poor bodies may have been, no trace of it will be seen in Heaven. It will be a brilliant throng of perfected humanity that will surround the throne of God. But the One to whom all are indebted for their salvation and blessing will carry the marks of earth's indignity and suffering for ever. This tender appeal to our affections will never pass away.

The Lamb takes the seven-sealed book out of the right hand of Him who sits upon the throne, and forthwith the new song begins. Other versions than the Authorised may well be consulted concerning

The Language of the Song.

It appears to be abstract in character, not "redeemed us" or "made us," but simply "redeemed" and "made." The fact is that the happy singers celebrate the marvel of the act, rather than state specifically who are the beneficiaries of it. They are not occupied with themselves as richly blessed at tremendous cost (although that is true); they think rather of the personal worthiness of the Lamb, and of the value of His redeeming Blood.

The scarlet thread runs through the Apocalypse from the first chapter to the last. In chapter 7:14, the white-robed throng who come out of the Great Tribulation are said to have "washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb." What robes are these? Scarcely "the best robe" of Luke 15: 22, for that is the righteousness which is not my own, but "that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith " (Phil. 3: 9). Assuredly such a robe needs no cleansing; it is as perfect as He who in grace confers it. The "white robes" (three times thus described in Rev. 7) are "the righteousnesses of the saints" (Rev. 19: 8).

These, albeit they are produced by the Holy Spirit working within, are so sadly mixed with that which proceeds from ourselves that only the cleansing blood could make them acceptable to our God. The same figure is found in Rev. 22: 14. rightly rendered, "Blessed are

They that Wash their Robes

(not, 'do His commandments') that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city." Nothing that even saints can show could give a right of entry there; but the precious Blood of Christ furnishes a title that is without flaw, and that never can be challenged.

The sufferers of Rev. 12: 10, accused by the Devil before God, "overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony." The Blood maintains them in a good conscience before God. Being right with Him, they dread no other. The enemy may kill their bodies, but morally the victory is with those who are killed, and their testimony continues amongst men. Once more we read of

The "Slain Lamb"

in Rev. 13: 8. All the dwellers upon earth will worship the Beast but those whose names were written from the world's foundation in the Book of Life. He will deceive many, but not "the very elect" (Matt. 24: 24). Thus in earth's darkest hour, when the greatest lie of the ages is being eagerly believed, God will preserve to Himself a testimony here. There will not be wanting those who will fearlessly maintain the rights of Christ in the presence of men's pretensions and who will confess, at all cost to themselves, that the sole ground of their confidence and hope is the precious atoning Blood.

4. His Resurrection

Is Christ risen! Has the Man whom transgressors slew come back from the grave? Everything depends upon the answer that we are able to give to this question. If there be any doubt here, if the resurrection of Christ may reasonably be challenged, then Christianity is at an end. Salvation is impossible, and all our hopes are myths. Blessed be God. nothing is more certain than the rising again of the Son of His love. The evidences are so many, and so complete, that he who would refuse them after careful examination can scarcely be expected to believe anything. The Apostle of the Gentiles deals elaborately with the great truth of Christ's resurrection in his famous fifteenth chapter of the First Epistle to the Corinthians.

But we turn to the Apocalypse, and in its opening chapter we hear the Lord Himself saying: "I am the living One, and I became dead, and behold, I am alive for evermore." There is

A Clear Ring of Triumph Here.

The once crucified One is risen. "Death hath no more dominion over Him" (Rom. 6: 9). It is on the Lord's Day He speaks, the day of His mighty victory over all the powers of darkness, the day when John and his brethren saw Him come into their midst, drawing their attention to His hands and His side, and saying, "Peace be unto you" (John 20: 19, 20). The day, too, when the saints after His ascension made it their practise to come together to break bread (Acts 20: 7). the day that has been sacred to His own throughout the Christian era.

In Revelation 2: 8, we hear His voice again — this time to the suffering Assembly in Smyrna: "These things saith the First and the Last, which was dead and is alive." What suited consolation to those who stood

In Jeopardy every Hour!

They might indeed be called to tread His own painful path, and lose their lives for His Name's sake, but resurrection would be as sure for them as for Himself. Slain they might be by those who hated them, but in His eyes they would nevertheless be overcomers, and they should not be hurt of the second death. His own mighty victory has secured life eternal for all who believe. Paul, who also lived in daily peril, was similarly cheered by the thought of His triumph. "Knowing that He which raised up the Lord Jesus shall raise up us also by Jesus, and shall present us with you" (2 Cor. 4: 14).

5. His Exaltation in Heaven

To the astonished Jews on the Day of Pentecost, Peter announced that God had completely reversed their judgement against Jesus. They had slain Him, but God had raised Him up, loosing the pains of death. He is now by the right hand of God exalted, Psalm 110 being quoted by the Apostle to show that this had been in the mind of God for ages. "Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye crucified, both Lord and Christ" Acts 2: 24, 33-36). The Lord Himself forewarned the Sanhedrin that it would be so. "Hereafter shall the Son of Man sit on the right hand of the power of God" (Luke 22: 69).

The Apocalypse confirms this. Let us again turn to Rev. 12. The Dragon's determination to devour the Man-child is shown, but God's intervention is shown also. "Her child was caught up to God, and to His throne." There for the moment He remains. He is destined in the Divine purpose to rule all nations with a rod of iron, but the day for this is not yet. The long-suffering of God with an evil world still runs on. When that is exhausted, God will bring again His First-begotten into the world; then, let Satan and the kings of the earth do what they may, He will establish Him upon His holy Hill of Zion, King of kings and Lord of lords (Psalm 2).

His Present Exaltation

is variously presented in the New Testament Scriptures. Paul, the depository of God's counsels concerning the Church and its Heavenly relationships and blessings, sees Him in Ephesians 1: 20, 21, seated at God's right hand in the Heavenly places, far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age, but also in that which is to come. Peter, with a less comprehensive vision, tells us that He "is gone into Heaven, and is on the right hand of God; angels and authorities and powers being made subject to Him" (1 Peter 3: 22). The Epistle to the Hebrews introduces Him to us in its opening verses as the triumphant sin-purger sitting down on the right hand of the Majesty on high.

Each vessel of inspiration speaks of the exaltation of Christ in terms consistent with the subject-matter in hand. The writer of the Apocalypse does the same. His mode of presentation is different from that of all others. Thus, we see the Lamb

In the Midst of the Throne

and of the glorified throng in Rev. 5: 6; we see Him as the cloud-clothed Angel in Rev. 10 coming out from Heaven. little book in hand, to claim His rights, and in Rev. 19: 11 as the Rider upon the white horse. Head and Leader of the armies of Heaven in the final conflict with wrong. The viewpoint of the Apocalypse is God's vindication of Him who as the meek and suffering Lamb endured the rejection and scorn of men the while He was laying the only possible foundation of blessing for men, and of glory for God.

6. His Coming

Upon this not much need be said. The Apocalypse is full of it. The Rapture is not expressly mentioned there (although in a veiled form it may be found in Rev. 4: 1); the book concentrates rather upon His glorious manifestation. All the main lines of prophecy, whether Old Testament or New. converge upon that great Day. It is the epoch of Divine intervention in the course of earth's little history, for the putting down of all that is offensive to God, and for the establishment of another order of things consistent with His own nature. The Man who now sits at His right hand in Heaven is alone competent to carry all this out for God.

We shall do little more than quote the Spirit's words. First, in Rev. 1: 7: "Behold, He cometh with clouds, and every eye shall see Him, and they also which pierced Him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of Him. Even so. Amen." This is

The subject of our Testimony.

rather than our hope. All classes are comprehended in this solemn passage. Those who are in the mind of God, and who realise in any measure the awfulness of the evils which call aloud for judgement, can but add their grave, "Even so. Amen."

The messages to the last four of the Seven Assemblies all contain references to the Lord's Coming. To the overcomer in Thyatira He not only promises a share in His rule, He adds also "I will give him the Morning Star," and withal gives the needed exhortation, "that which ye have already, hold fast till I come" (Rev. 2: 24-28). To Sardis, religious indeed, but to be treated as the world, He says, "If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come upon thee as a thief" (Rev. 3: 3). To Philadelphia, after the gracious promise to keep His own from the hour of temptation which shall come upon all the world, He adds, "Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown" (Rev. 3: 10, 11). And to the overcomer in Laodicea, He says, "To him will I grant to sit with Me in My throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with My Father in His throne " (Rev. 3: 21). All these words from His own blessed lips are meant to be a holy stimulus to our souls as the dispensation runs out, and as His return draws ever nearer.

When the seventh angel sounds his trumpet, great voices in Heaven proclaim, "The Kingdom of the world of our Lord and His Christ is come" (Rev. 11: 15, J.N.D.). But — "the nations were angry." God's King is still unwelcome. In all His majesty the King of kings and Lord of lords is seen coming forth from the opened Heavens in Rev. 19: 11, "in righteousness to judge and make war." An awful moment for a rebellious world.

The Apocalypse concludes with His thrice repeated,

"I Come Quickly."

In verse 7 (Rev. 22) it is in connection with keeping "the sayings of the prophecy of this book; "in verse 12 it is linked with reward, "to give every man according as his work shall be;" but in verse 20 it is just Himself that is before us. Let us not forget that these are the very last words that have reached us from the lips of the Lord Jesus. Since that day in Patmos, Heaven has been silent, and we need expect to hear nothing further from thence until we hear the great shout of 1 Thess 4: 16. No saint will miss that welcome sound, whether asleep in the tomb or occupied with the activities of service, all will hear it and recognise it, and in one vast company the whole blood-washed host will be caught up to be "for ever with the Lord."

Three Voices.

may be discerned in the two closing verses of Holy Scripture. First the voice of the Lord, "I come quickly," then, the voice of the Church in her glad response, "Amen. Come, Lord Jesus," and finally, the voice of the Holy Spirit in the benediction, "The grace of our Lord Jesus be with you all." A sweeter close to the Book of God could scarcely be conceived. "The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ" is what the Church has had to live upon while toiling, suffering, and witnessing here, and the storehouse has never failed. Until His return to call us home, whenever that may be, the grace of the risen One on high may be counted upon to sustain our souls in their every need. The thought of His coming creates

Two Distinct Longings

Within us: first, for the consummation of our hope, that we may see His face, and enter with Him into all the joys of the Father's House, and second, that others may be blessed before the door of salvation is closed for ever. Another has expressed it thus: "The Bride in Revelation 21 descends in the most lovely way from the highest occupation with Christ Himself step after step, until she becomes Evangelical to the utmost extent. 'The Spirit and the Bride Say COME.' That is occupation with Christ, and must be first. Then 'let him that heareth Say, COME,' then 'let him that is athirst COME," and last of all, Evangelical to the largest degree — 'whosoever will, let him take of the Water of Life freely."

Thus may it be with us all until we meet Him in the air, and see Him as He is.

The Holy Spirit

The Holy Spirit

W W Fereday.

HIS DIVINE PERSONALITY

HIS INSPIRATION OF THE SCRIPTURES.

HIS QUICKENING WORK.

A WELL OF WATER.

RIVERS OF LIVING WATER.

ADVOCATE AND TEACHER.

"RECEIVE YE THE HOLY GHOST."

THE DAY OF PENTECOST.

IN THE FLESH AND IN THE SPIRIT.

SEAL AND EARNEST.

THE ONE BODY.

HIS WORK IN THE ASSEMBLY.

HIS DIVINE PERSONALITY.

Man by all his searching cannot find out God; but what God has revealed in His word concerning Himself is for our adoring contemplation and study. But we do well to engage in such studies with reverence and godly fear. If there be a right attitude of soul toward God, and due subjection of spirit, our souls will be nourished, and our worship deepened; but if the mind be allowed to stray in any measure, or if we go in any wise beyond what is written, we are in jeopardy, as many have proved to their sorrow.

Scripture is most plain, whatever unbelief may say, that there are three distinct persons in the Godhead, equal in power, majesty, and glory, each taking His own part in all that is done, whether in creation or redemption, yet ever acting in perfect unity and communion.

It is interesting to observe that the Trinity was first clearly revealed at the baptism of the Lord Jesus. When coming up from Jordan, after having fulfilled all righteousness, the Father opened the heavens to Him, and expressed the delight of His heart in Him, and the Spirit descended in bodily form as a dove upon Him (Matt. 3: 16, 17)

What can be clearer to a simple mind than this! The Father speaks, the Son receives His testimony, and the Holy Spirit descends to seal and anoint Him. Three persons, yet but one God.

It is proposed to deal somewhat, if the Lord will, with the person and work of the Holy Spirit, particularly with His gracious operations during this period of privilege while the Lord Jesus is hidden in heaven at God's right hand. The personality of the Holy Spirit has been called in question by not a few, some speaking of Him as though He were a mere influence; others alas! sinking in their ideas lower still. Many also who truly love the Lord Jesus, and desire to have right thoughts, are often very vague as to the person and work of the Spirit of God.

On this occasion, I shall do little more than bring together some of the scriptures which distinctly assert His personality and deity. We will let scripture speak for itself to our souls. Could the following be said of aught but a person! "I will send him unto you." "When he is come." (John 16: 7, 8) "He shall testify of me" (John 15: 6). "God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father" (Gal. 4: 6). He is represented too, as striving with man (Gen. 6:3), revealing things to the saints (1 Cor. 2: 10; Luke 2: 26), and He it was who sent forth Barnabas and Saul from Antioch to evangelise the Gentile world (Acts 13: 2). Can any of these things be said of a mere influence! Moreover He can be resisted (Acts 7: 51) Vexed (Isa. 63: 10), grieved (Eph. 4: 30) lied to (Acts 5: 3), and, solemn to say, blasphemed (Matt. 12: 31)

Further; scripture declares He has taken a part in the birth, death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus. The angel said to Mary, "The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that Holy Thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God" (Luke 1: 35). The Spirit of God was thus the antitype of the oil which formed one of the ingredients of the meal offering, as it is said, "mingled with oil" (Lev. 2: 4).

As to the cross, we read that Christ "through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God" (Heb. 9:14). Then, after having been put to death in the flesh," on the third day He was "quickened by the Spirit," "declared to be the Son of God with power according to the Spirit of holiness by the resurrection of the dead" (1 Peter 3: 18; Rom. 1: 4). The last passage, I may say in passing, includes doubtless the resurrection of others as well as the Lord Jesus, as Lazarus, etc. But all these scriptures speak to us of a person, beyond all dispute; and a divine person too, as I shall now proceed to show. The word of God declares His creatorship! His omniscience! His omnipresence, His sovereignty, and His equality with Father and Son.

(1) His creatorship. He had a part with the Father and the Son in all that was done; else what is the force of the passage! "By his Spirit he garnished the heavens"! (Job 26: 13) As to the inferior creation we read, "Thou sendest forth thy Spirit, they are created" (Ps. 104: 30). And to go back to the earliest record, the very first mention of divine activity in the six days' work is, "the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters" Gen. 1: 2). What can be plainer!

(2). His omniscience. We read that "he searcheth all things, even, the deep things of God" 1 Cor 2: 10 We cannot do this. The apostle shows that we should never have known God's depths had not the Holy Spirit come from heaven to be our Instructor.

(3) His omnipresence. David said, "Whither shall I go from thy Spirit? Or whither shall I flee from thy presence?" (Ps. 139: 7). He felt that wherever he went, below or above, whether in darkness or light, the Spirit of God knew all his movements, and discerned the thoughts and intents of the heart. And in the present period of grace, does not one Spirit dwell and act in all the saints of God the world over!

(4) His sovereignty. 1 Corinthians 12 speaks of His manifestations in the saints for their mutual Profit and the Lord's glory, and there we read, "dividing to every man severally as he will." This is a plain assertion of His sovereign action, and they are the losers who fail to understand and act upon it in faith.

(5) His equality. Though a distinct person, in no sense is the Holy Spirit inferior to the Father and the Son. All are co-equal and co-eternal. In concluding his second epistle to the Corinthians the apostle links the Holy Spirit with God and the Lord Jesus Christ, in his salutation. And the departing Lord, in giving instructions to His disciples, bade them "teach all nations, baptising them in unto the name of the Father and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost" (Matt. 28: 19).

Are not these divinely formed links! Who would venture to join with the Father and the Son one who was not divine! Faith may therefore rest assured that the Holy Spirit, whereof we speak is a person, and properly and essentially divine.

HIS INSPIRATION OF THE SCRIPTURES.

We have seen that the Spirit of God is a person, and that He is divine in the fullest sense of the term; we will now look at His gracious operations with regard to the scriptures.

It is an unspeakable mercy in such a scene as this, with the Babel of human opinions on every hand, that our God has given us a perfect revelation of His mind and will in His own precious word. Where else could we turn for divine certainty! Where besides is there a solid rock for our feet! And whither, if not to scripture, could we turn for a sure and settled resting place! Possessing the word of God, we are thoroughly furnished; we have food for our souls, and light for our path.

Scripture is the work of the Holy Spirit. He it was Who guided each writer, whether in the Old Testament or the New, filling and taking possession of the vessel, holding in check all that would be of man, that we might have the mind of God in its Perfection and purity without adulteration or alloy. Let us hold this firmly. Lack of decision is serious in such a matter. This is a day of loose thoughts as to Inspiration. Never was Satan more determined to wrest the scriptures from souls than at the present time. Ritualism on the one hand places a priest between the word of God and the soul; Rationalism on the other, throws doubt on all that is revealed. Both systems, though in different ways, would rob us of the priceless treasure God has given. 1 Cor 2: 10-14 furnishes valuable instruction concerning the connected subjects of Revelation and Inspiration. The apostle reminds us of the word of Isaiah that “Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him;" adding, "but God hath revealed them unto us by His Spirit." Here he asserts divine revelation is the source of the vital truths he taught. See also Ephesians 3: 3-5 By revelation he made known unto me the mystery (as I wrote afore in few words, whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ, which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit." The apostle was the administrator of blessings not made known by God until his day. Such a truth as the union of the saints with the glorified Head in one body was hid in God until the Lord Jesus went on high and the Holy Ghost came down. Paul was the honoured vessel — he had "visions and revelations of the Lord." It was his to fill up the word of God, i.e., to complete the subjects of which it treats (Col. 1: 25, 26). Now no one can reveal the things of God but the Spirit of God. The Apostle asks, "What man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? Even so the things of God knoweth no one but the Spirit of God." As no one knows my things (thoughts) but my own spirit, until I utter them or reveal them, so no one knows God's things but God's Spirit.

Nothing can he more degrading than the notion that God cannot reveal His mind to man. This is to lower God painfully. If the creature can communicate his thoughts to another, is it to be supposed that the Creator cannot do so!

Some men speak much of reason in connection with the word of God, but where is their reason to suppose such a thing of our God! The truth is that the Spirit has revealed the mind of God, and we have it in the scriptures. Thus the apostolic writings are the standard whereby truth and error may be tested. As John says, "We are of God: he that knoweth God heareth us; he that is not of God heareth not us. Hereby know we the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error" (1 John 4: 6).

But, as is often remarked, revelation does not go beyond the person receiving it; to pass the truth on, in its perfection, to others requires divine inspiration. Such is man, that even the favoured recipients of divine revelations could not he trusted to communicate them to others without marring them.

Here, therefore, the Spirit of God comes in again. Hence Paul tells us, "which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth, communicating spiritual things by spiritual means" (1 Cor. 2: 13; compare J. N. Darby's translation). This is inspiration. Here, too, we may see how far inspiration extends; concerning which many have vague thought's. Some have taught that the doctrines of scripture are inspired of God, but that the writers were allowed to express them in their own language; others, as Burnet, that the reasoning so often found, particularly in the epistles, was left to the writer; and yet others, as Paley, think them to have used their own illustrations, and to have selected O.T. scriptures to confirm their words. All such thoughts are below the truth, and scripture is injured thus by those who sincerely desire to be its friends. The fact is, nothing was left to the vessel — the words, not merely the truths or doctrines, were given by the Holy Ghost. Were it otherwise, we could have no divine certainty. Where should we draw the line between the human and divine? And is it likely that all would agree as to the line to be drawn? Not that a human element is altogether denied. Paul has his style, and Peter his; for the Spirit took up the men as He found them; nevertheless, every word thus written was from Himself.

No one would be so foolish as to contend for the inspiration of a translation, unless it were the Trent fathers. In such efforts there may be (and are) blemishes, for God does not work perpetual miracles; and here the study of languages comes in as an important and valuable work. All that is asserted is, that the original writings, as sent forth by Matthew, etc., were inspired every word by the Spirit of God.

Just a few scripture proofs. As to the OLD Testament Peter says, "Prophecy came not in old time by the will of man; but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost." Also, he tells us that the Spirit of Christ was in them, testifying beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glories that should follow (2 Peter 1: 21; 1 Peter 1: 11). Paul says in Acts 28: 25, "Well spake the Holy Ghost by Esaias the prophet unto our fathers," etc. Joel is quoted in Acts 11: 17, as follows, "And it shall come to pass in that day, saith God. In Acts 3: 18, we are told that God showed by the mouth of all His prophets that Christ should suffer. As to the Psalms, we find, "Who by the mouth of thy servant David hast said" (Acts 4: 25). And the Psalmist said of himself, "The Spirit of the Lord spake by me, and his word was in my tongue" (2 Sam. 23: 2). The Books of Moses are declared to be divinely inspired in such passages as Matt. 15: 4, "For God commanded, saying," etc.

The new Testament, as well as the Old, is vouched for in the general statement of 2 Tim. 3: 16, ''All scripture is given by inspiration of God." The word "scripture" I admit, merely means "writing," but it is the technical term for the sacred books, and understood as such. We are quite understood when we say "the Bible," which, after all, simply means "the Book." Consequently whatever comes under the heading of "scripture" is inspired of God. Thus Paul's writings are vouched for, including, and I suppose specially referring to, the epistle to the Hebrews, in 2 Peter 3: 16. Paul calls his epistles "scripture" himself in Romans 16: 25, 26, where read "by prophetic scriptures," not by the scriptures of the prophets." And in Timothy 5: 18, he quotes from Luke 10, and says "The scripture saith."

The book of Revelation is a singular one among the New Testament writings, but its character is clearly indicated in chapter 1: 2: John "bare record of the word of God, and of the testimony of Jesus Christ — all things that he saw." Omitting the "and" before "all things," we learn that the visions vouchsafed to John were the word of God, etc. Let none, therefore, despise the book because of its symbolism.

These are but a small part of the proofs. Let the diligent soul search it out, and the more deeply the subject is investigated, the deeper will be the soul's confidence in God that He has given us by His blessed Spirit His unerring word in all its fullness and beauty.

In conclusion, one more thought remains to be noted in 1 Corinthians 2. We have seen that the Chapter asserts revelation and inspiration; it also lays down that the help of the Holy Ghost is needful in order to receive and understand the things that have been given.

This is why enemies stumble. Man's wit fails here. His learning is at fault, his powers are unavailing, apart from the Holy Ghost. "The natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned." The soul must he born of God, and the Spirit must be the teacher; then all is simple and plain. He has come down from above to guide the saints into all the truth, and He never disappoints or fails the humble waiting soul.

HIS QUICKENING WORK

We have had before us the personality of the Holy Ghost and have also considered His gracious work; with regard to the Word of God. Now we will enquire into His work in the soul in producing new life towards God, where once sin and death reigned.

This is unfolded very simply in John 3. Nicodemus came to the Lord by night. He had been outwardly convinced by the miracles which the Lord was performing, as were many others in Jerusalem at that time (John 2: 33). He came "by night," feeling instinctively that the world and Jesus were opposed, and, that to be seen going to Him would bring down persecution, or at least reproach upon himself. He opened by saying, "Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher Come from God, for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God he with him." The Lord met him instantly with the Solemn statement, "Verily, verily, I say unto thee except a man he born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God."

How deeply humbling! What a check upon the thoughts of the ruler of the Jews! We learn here the solemn fact, that man in his natural condition, cannot perceive or understand the things of God. Privileges or advantages make no real difference. Nicodemus had many. He was not a profane immoral man, nor was he even a Gentile. He was a Jew of high position as a teacher among his fellows, acquainted with the letter of scripture, and, we have no reason to doubt, moral and religious. What fairer specimen of humanity can be supposed!

Saul of Tarsus was just such a man. Read his account of himself in Philippians 3. Possessed of every natural, dispensational and religious advantage.

Some, perhaps, would have understood the matter better if the Lord had spoken of the new birth in Phil. 4 instead of Phil. 3 In Phil. 4 He is seen dealing with an openly wicked woman at the well of Sychar. Not there, but here, does the Lord say, "Ye must be born again."

All must learn sooner or later that man's nature is altogether antagonistic to God, — altogether bad and corrupt before Him. It is not only that men have done bad things, but the very nature is bad beyond repair. Few accept this. We hear much in these days of improvement of man, of the raising of the masses, etc., but all this only shows that men have not accepted the verdict of God about themselves. If they did but bow to it, they would be thankful to be objects of God's sovereign grace and love.

But it remains true, in flesh dwells no good thing. Its mind is enmity against God and they that are in the flesh cannot please God (Rom. 7: 18; Rom. 8: 7, 8). This admits of no appeal and no modification. A man must be born again, or he can never see or enter the kingdom of God.

But how is this brought about! Nicodemus could not tell, nor can many in this day, but the Lord Jesus explains. "Verily, verily, I say unto thee, except a man be born of water and of the Spirit," etc. Here we have it in a few words. It is the direct work of the Spirit of God, acting by means of the word of God upon the soul. Perhaps I need hardly say that "water" here is the figure of the word of God. Some have imported the idea of baptism into this chapter and the Lord's Supper into John 4. But Christian baptism was not instituted until after the Lord's resurrection, and the Lord's Supper not until the night of His betrayal. Consequently neither can possibly be found in the early chapters of John's Gospel.

The water is a symbol of the word of God, which the Jewish teacher should have understood from such Old Testament passages as Ezekiel 36: 25, and Psalm 119: 9. Christians have the thought confirmed in Ephesians 5: 26 and John 15: 3. The Spirit of God brings the word to bear upon the soul, convincing it of sin and revealing the Saviour dead and risen. To this the soul believingly bows, and thus a positive new life and nature is imparted. As we read in 1 Peter 1.

"Being born again, not of corruptible seed but of incorruptible, by the word of God which liveth and abideth for ever." This is not an improvement of the old nature. By no means. That remains as evil as ever, to be kept under by the soul that has learnt deliverance through the death and resurrection of Christ. It is a life imparted that had no existence in the person before, enabling him now to sorrow for sin according to God, to believe the gospel, to love the Saviour, to pray and worship, and to love the ways of holiness and truth. It partakes of the nature of Him Who is its source — "That which is born of the Spirit is spirit."

This is not peculiar to Christianity. Ever since sin came into the world, men have been thus graciously wrought upon by the Holy Spirit. What is peculiar to this period is the Spirit's indwelling, of which we shall speak on another occasion; but His quickening operation in the soul is true at all times, irrespective of dispensational differences.

Still, the Lord says more in John 3. than could have been made known in Old Testament times He speaks of eternal life. He had come from heaven to make God known and to show what suits Him and His presence, and He was the manifestation of eternal life. Eternal life was Himself; yea, He was it, a life heavenly in source and character, of which heaven is proper and suited sphere, but which is the enjoyed portion now of all who believe in the Son. The Son has been uplifted that life might be bestowed upon all who trust His name. It is not denied that saints of old time had eternal life. But the life was not made known in its full and heavenly character until the only begotten Son came forth from the Father into the world.

A WELL OF WATER.

In John 4, the Spirit of God is presented under a figure. The Lord Jesus speaks of Him as a well of water within the believer, springing up into everlasting life.

It is to be observed that this instruction was given by Him, not in Jerusalem to a Pharisee, but to a woman of Samaria, by the well of Sychar. To the Pharisee, He said the solemn word, "Ye must be born again," and then proceeded to unfold the meaning of the new birth and the Divine Person by Whom it is brought about.

Here the circumstances are altogether different. The Lord is seen outside the circle of Judaism for the moment, and among the despised Samaritans Why? Because of the enmity of the Jewish heart. He knew they were aware that His disciples were making and baptising many on His behalf; and knowing this would draw forth hostility, He withdrew from their midst. He went towards Galilee, and must needs go through Samaria. There He met the woman and ministered blessing to her soul, which resulted in blessing for many others also. If some reject His grace, their unbelief does not dry up, but diverts the channel: others get it.

It is a picture in some sort, of the Lord's position at the present time. He is away from Israel because they have rejected Him and He is showing grace to the stranger. Here we come in It is a lovely scene: a weary man by well, yet withal, God manifest in the flesh, asking drink of a woman of Samaria. Why? Merely to satisfy His own need! Oh, no: He saw her need and meant to satisfy it out of the bounty of His grace. She had tried the world, but had found no rest to her spirit. She had drunk deeper than most, but had proved it all to be vanity and vexation of spirit. She had found death in the pot at every turn.

The Lord meets her; He begins gently and graciously — "Give me to drink," — words as marvellous as "Let there be light." The Eternal Son asking drink of an outcast like her! She was surprised. To her He was a Jew — she a Samaritan. The two races had no dealings. The Jews hated the Samaritans as imitators of their worship and aliens in their land. He answered, "If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith unto thee, Give me to drink, thou wouldest have asked of him and he would have given thee living water"(John 4: 10). "The gift of God!" What glad tidings for a sinner! Not the law of God, which exacts, and curses all who fail to render its requirements; but God revealed as a giver. "it is more blessed to give than to receive." This is one of the first and greatest principles of Christianity. Do you know Him thus, dear reader! Or do you regard Him as an austere Person, reaping where He has not sown, and gathering where He has not strawed! (Matt. 25: 24) If so, you are a stranger to our God. He delights to give, He has given His Son, He gives eternal life to all who believe, and all things besides (John 3: 16; Rom. 4: 23; Rom. 8: 32)

And do you know the Son! The Lord said, "and Who it is." She did not know. She thought Him a mere Jew, until He proved Himself the Searcher of her heart. These are two essential principles of Christianity — God known as a giver, and the knowledge of the Only Begotten Son.

Well, the Lord speaks of the gift of the living water; the woman did not understand. She was so full of earthly things that she could not get above them. She spoke of the well, its depth, and His lack of a pitcher. How true it is that the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God! (1 Cor. 2: 14) He referred to the gift of the Holy Ghost, soon to be the enjoyed portion of all who believe in His name. This is quite distinct from quickening. He first acts on the man, implanting a new life, as John 3 shows; then after faith in the gospel, He takes up His abode within, and that for ever. This is peculiar to Christianity. The Spirit was not thus bestowed until Jesus was glorified, however He may have wrought in men from the first. This is a day of wondrous privilege. Would that all our hearts grasped it! Redemption being accomplished, the Son is in heaven, glorified as man at the right hand of God, and the Spirit is here, God's priceless gift to all who really believe in the name of the Lord Jesus.

Let us look further. "Whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life." A thirsty Christian is an anomaly. The Spirit is the seal to us of fullness of blessing. Having come from the glory into which Christ has gone, He assures us of sins put away, of righteousness completed, of acceptance, of sonship to the Father, and of liberty of access to the presence of God on high. All that was merely promised of old, as righteousness, salvation, etc., is ours now. The work is done, the Holy Ghost has come, all is made good to the souls of those who believe. How can we then thirst! I find a good deal of thirsting in the Psalms and in the Prophets; but I do not turn there for proper Christian experience. It is the language of souls under law, before redemption, and before the accomplishment of God's promises of grace. Those who are sealed with the Spirit of God have nothing left to desire, save to enjoy simply and fully what has been given.

But more -the Lord speaks of a well of water springing up into everlasting life. It is the Spirit acting as a living power in the Christian. As water always rises to its own level, so does the new man, led by the Spirit, ever rise up to God. What holy exercise should we be capable of apart from the Holy Ghost? He is the power of Worship. He leads the soul beyond such systems as Jerusalem or Gerizim, up to the Father (where He is), in worship, in spirit and in truth. The Father seeketh worshippers. Wondrous thought! Once He sought sinners. Having found us as such, He now seeks us in a new way. Do we respond!

The Spirit is the power of prayer. "We know not what we should pray for as we ought;" hence we read of "praying in the Holy Ghost" (Rom. 8: 26; Jude 20). He identifies Himself with us in all our circumstances, forming our thoughts and drawing us forth suitably in prayer and intercessions.

In closing, how could we bring forth fruit without Him! (Gal. 5.) Or how could we serve effectually apart from His power! (Rom. 15: 19). In every way He acts within us on earth to form us after the pattern of Christ, that we may be to His honour in this scene.

RIVERS OF LIVING WATER.

In John 4. the Spirit of God is brought before us again under the figure of Living Water, but the circumstances and instruction for our souls are different.

The feast of Tabernacles had come round, and all were going up to Jerusalem to keep it. It is noticeable in John's gospel that the feasts are always called "the feasts of the Jews" (John 2: 13; John 6: 4; John 7: 2; John 11: 55), whereas in Leviticus 23 they are declared to be "the feasts of Jehovah." This altered way of speaking of them is not without meaning; they had become mere forms; they were no longer occasions when loyal hearts gathered up to God's centre, because moved by a sense of His goodness. This had faded completely, and they had degenerated into merely ritualistic observances. The Lord's brethren urged Him to go up to the feast, to avail Himself of the opportunity of making Himself known to the world (John 7: 1-5) They had no faith in His person. They saw not in Him the sent one of the Father, here for the accomplishment of the Father's will and glory. Their counsel was purely carnal; what else could be expected? The Lord did not go up when others did, but in the midst of the feast He went up as it were in a private way. He went up, not to join in the hollow rejoicings of the season, but to meet the longing of any individual seeker who might happen to be among that religious crowd.

The feast of Tabernacles was a memorial of Israel's passage through the wilderness, and typifies the coming kingdom of Messiah when all Israel shall be restored and be found in the land of their fathers, filled with the goodness of the Lord. How solemn therefore, that He should have to take His place entirely outside of its celebrations!

God hates mere forms. He cannot bear men who honour Him with their lips, while all the time their hearts are far from Him. Thus it was at Jerusalem. The feast was running its course; ritual was in full swing; all were filled with rejoicing; but the Son of God held Himself entirely aloof.

"In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst let him come unto me and drink" (John 7: 37) It is Possible there were some thirsty souls in the throng. Hearts in whom divine craving has been created by the Holy Spirit cannot be satisfied with the mere forms of religion. These satisfy flesh. Too often they serve as a veil to hide from the soul its true condition in the sight of a holy God. Flesh loves religion, and the more pompous it is the more it is preferred. But true hearts want something more; whether they know it or not Christ alone can satisfy them. Here we see the rejected Jesus outside all the display and religiousness of the hour, inviting any thirsty souls to come to Him and drink. What such could not find in mere religion, they would find in Him. And is it not so to-day! Can all the carnal forms and display of Christendom slake the thirst of a soul who is feeling after God! Nay, they keep the soul at a distance; they cast a cloud over it and plunge it into distress and doubt. But Jesus can satisfy every longing. He is still outside. Those who really seek Him must go forth to Him without the camp, as Hebrews 13 speaks. Having found Him the heart is divinely satisfied. It never thirsts again. How can one thirst, knowing deliverance and acceptance, being assured of the Father's love, enjoying liberty of access to God without a veil, filled with the Holy Ghost, and taken up with Christ!

The Lord adds more. "He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. But this spake he of the Spirit which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified" (vv 38, 39) Here we have more than satisfaction for our souls, the gift of the Holy Spirit as an overflowing power. Observe, there could be no such thing until Jesus was glorified. He had received the Spirit personally at Jordan, as an expression of the infinite delight of the Father in Him; but He must go into death and accomplish redemption ere He could receive the Spirit in a new way for those who believe in His name (Luke 3: 22; Acts 2: 33) Having thus the Spirit of God, we are responsible to be channels of blessing while passing through this arid scene. But I must be satisfied myself, yea, more than satisfied, ere I can impart to others. I cannot give away if I have not enough myself. What a test for all our hearts! Have we enough! Have we found in Christ risen and glorified sufficient to satisfy every desire of our souls! He was enough for Paul, everything else in comparison was as loss and dung (Phil. 3.) "Freely ye have received, freely give." All around are needy souls. The world cannot meet their need, religion cannot; those who have the truth can, by presenting Christ in all the glory of His person and the efficacy of His work. But it must flow from the inward parts, or but little blessing will result. That which comes from the head, while it may please the ear and charm the intellect, leaves the poor famished soul where it was before, unsatisfied, unfed. May the Spirit of God work so uninterruptedly in us all, ministering Christ to our souls, that we may overflow in happy, holy service, to the Lord's glory, and the blessing of man.

ADVOCATE AND TEACHER.

In John 14 we are in a sensibly different atmosphere. The Lord uses figures no longer, but speaks directly of the Spirit of God as a divine person, Whom He would send from the Father after His ascension on high. The communications of John 13-16. are always precious to the believer's heart. The Lord was just about to leave His own. The hour was come that He should depart out of this world unto the Father. Before doing so (and His pathway lay through death), He gathered His disciples around Him in Jerusalem, and put the facts of their new position before them, or as far as it was possible to do so at that time. He promised to return and introduce them into the Father's house. He promised to manifest Himself to them in a spiritual way, as a, result of their keeping His word, and (what is particularly before us now) spoke to them of the other Comforter, Whom He would pray the Father to send.

John 14: 16, 17. The Spirit could not come until Jesus was gone. He was not given to all Old Testament believers, as now to all who are Christ's. Redemption must be accomplished, and Christ must be glorified as man at the right hand of God, ere such a gift could be granted to the saints. The work is done, Jesus has gone, and the Comforter is present. The word rendered "Comforter" here (Paraclete) is the same as that rendered "Advocate" in 1 John 2: 1. It means one who takes up the cause of another, and who pledges himself to see us through all our difficulties. What a Provision for our souls in such a world as this? He has come to abide for ever, in contrast with the Lord Jesus, Who was only with His disciples for a short time and then returned to the glory. The world cannot share in this. Some have taught otherwise, but the scripture is very plain to a simple mind. The Spirit has not become incarnate, as the Lord, therefore it cannot see Him, neither does it know Him. "But ye know him," the Lord says, "for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you." This is true Christian knowledge and experience. But how many fall short of it! How much real unbelief there is abroad as to the personal presence of the Divine Spirit! Many in this day pray for His outpouring, or for a fresh baptism, while others dread lest He should leave them because of their shortcomings and failures. But He is to be with us for ever — the righteous basis being the sacrifice of Christ.

John 14: 26. The Lord promised the disciples also that He should be their Teacher, and bring all things to remembrance that He had said to them. Much that the Lord told them they could not understand then, but when the Spirit came, what a flood of light was thrown back upon all the gracious communications of the Lord Jesus!

John 15: 26, 27. Coming from the glory, He would bear witness to Christ. He would bear testimony to the glory into which He has entered for us, that our souls might be formed by it. What could we know of this but for Him! What could Rebekah have known of Isaac and his father's house, had not Eliezer told her, who came from thence! The Spirit loves to bring before us the blessedness which is now His, and to assure our hearts that all is ours because we are in Him before God. He would use the disciples also. They knew all the facts of the Lord's life and should bear testimony to all the things they had seen and heard. We know how this enraged the Jewish rulers, in the Acts of the Apostles.

John 16: 7-15 Now the Lord goes a step further. "Nevertheless I tell you the truth. It is expedient for you that I go away." Filled as they were with Jewish thoughts, this was inexplicable. It seemed rather incalculable loss. They looked for a kingdom of glory on earth, for the restoration of Israel's scattered tribes, and for all that the Old Testament prophets had spoken of to the fathers. They knew not yet that His death and resurrection would inaugurate a new order of blessing, heavenly in character, of which the indwelling Spirit is the Divine Seal. God has brought in an altogether better thing than the kingdom, though He will not disappoint faith as to that in its day. Souls who believe in the Son while He is thus hidden in heaven, are privileged to know the blessedness of accomplished redemption, of sonship with the Father, and of union with the exalted Lord as members of one Body. All this could not be known until Jesus went away and the Spirit of God came down. His presence here is solemn as regards the world. He convicts it of sin, of righteousness, and of judgement. The world's greatest sin is its rejection of Christ; and this the Spirit presses. Righteousness is only to be seen in Christ at God's right hand — there is none here. Judgement has been pronounced, because the prince of the world is judged, and the world and its chosen prince are to share it together. Judgement is not yet executed, but will fall when God's present purpose of grace is completed.

As regards the saints, the Spirit is the guide into all truth. He is the Spirit of truth. The Lord had many things to say but the disciples could not bear them then. They were not in a position to enter into the circle of truths which we call Christianity, until the Spirit came. But now we are fully furnished. We have the complete word of God, Paul being used to complete its subjects, and we have the Holy Spirit to unfold it to our hearts. Why is it, that in very many cases the souls of the Lord's people are so lean? Why do such a number fail to apprehend the mind of God as unfolded in the scriptures? Because man is so generally looked to, to the overlooking of the Spirit of God. He may use means to lead on our souls, indeed this is His usual method. Gifts have been given, teachers among others, that we may grow up into Christ in all things; but such must ever be regarded as but vessels of the Spirit. The Spirit is the true Guide; our dependence must ever be upon Him.

"RECEIVE YE THE HOLY GHOST."

The Lord was now risen. His mighty work was accomplished. He was now alive from the dead to die no more. He had laid down His life for God's glory and for our redemption, and had taken it again in resurrection. God had shown Him the path of life, and He was soon going into His presence, where there is fullness of joy, to His right hand, where there are pleasures for evermore.

But first, the Lord shows Himself to His own. Mary Magdalene has the joy of hearing His blessed voice once more, causing her to dry up all her tears, and changing her lamentations into divine rejoicing (John 16: 20-22).

It was the first day of the week. The Sabbath (an high day just then with the Jews) He had spent in the grave. Now He comes forth to inaugurate a new order of things on the ground of His precious and perfect sacrifice. The old order was now judicially done with; God no longer owned it. Judaism was an empty house. The Lord finds His own gathered together (John 20: 19-23) They feared the Jews, and so assembled, as it were, in secret. Contrast with this their boldness in the presence of the enemy after the descent of the Holy Ghost. But the Spirit had not yet come, hence we observe only the weakness and timidity of poor human nature. The doors were shut. The Lord came and "stood in the midst, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you." Precious words from the lips of the risen Jesus! Glorious proof that all the work was done! "He Came and preached peace." He had drunk the cup of wrath for them (and for us),little though they understood it at the time. He had stood in the breach and met and endured in His most holy person all that was due from a righteous God against sin. All being past, every question having been righteously settled, He is able to speak "peace" to His own.

And not only so, but He showed them His hands and His side. The memorials of Calvary were not effaced, nor will they ever be. The adoring disciples could see with their very eyes something of what the Blessed One had passed through in deepest love to their souls. His incarnation was not sufficient to make peace. Death must be endured, His blood must be shed. He has made peace by the blood of His cross (Col. 1: 20).

"Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you. This is not needless repetition, He was giving them a commission now. His Father had sent Him into the world for His glory, and to bear witness to the truth. His work was done, and He was about to resume His place at the Father's right hand. But He never leaves Himself without a witness; therefore the disciples must take His place in this scene. Mark carefully their place and ours. Taken out of the world, heavenly persons because associated with Christ, sent into the world to bear witness for Him. Such is our business here: would that all our hearts realised it more! In connection with the commission, then, the Lord says, "Peace be unto you." Amid all the disturbances and trials of this hostile scene, we are privileged to enjoy, not only peace with God as to our sins, but the peace of Christ filling our hearts (John 14: 27; Col. 3: 15)

"And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost." What is this! Clearly not yet the gift of the Spirit as a divine person to abide with them: for He said to the same disciples some days later, "Ye shall be baptised with the Holy Ghost not many days hence," "ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you" and He told them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to "wait for the promise of the Father" (Acts 1.). The Spirit came from heaven in fulfilment of this on the day of Pentecost not before. To understand these words of the Lord in John 20: it is necessary to refer to Genesis 2: 7. There we have the Lord God first forming the man's body of the dust of the ground, then breathing into his nostrils the breath of life. Here then, we have the Lord breathing His own risen life by the Holy Ghost into His disciples. They were converted men before, beyond all question; now they partake of the great blessing peculiar to Christianity, the risen life of the victorious Son of God. Let it be distinctly understood that all the saved from the very beginning of time have had divine life in their souls communicated to them by the Holy Spirit, but it could not be said of saints before the cross that they were partakers with a risen Christ. This is "life more abundantly," as the Lord speaks in John 10: 10. The possession of this places us in Him beyond death and judgement. It is a life that Satan cannot touch, and that we cannot forfeit. It is heavenly in its character, and eternal in its nature. Heaven is its proper and suited sphere.

The difference between the Spirit as life and His personal indwelling may be seen in Romans 8: 1-11 There we have Him presented as characterising our life and relationship to God, instilling Himself into all our thoughts and feelings; in verses 12-27 He is spoken of as a distinct person dwelling within us, bearing witness with our spirit that we are the children of God, groaning within us, and leading us out in prayer according to God.

The words of the Lord in John 20: 23 should be carefully weighed. "Whose soever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them; and whose soever sins ye retain, they are retained." This is supposed by some to mean priestly absolution. Need I say that there is no such thing in Christianity! A priestly class now is a denial of the work of Christ. All believers are equally priests unto God (1 Peter 2: 5; Rev. 1: 6). The Lord's words refer to reception and discipline in the assembly, and should be compared with Matthew 16: 18, 19; Matthew 18: 18, 20.

When the assembled saints receive a person, whether out of the world, or for restoration after exclusion, they "remit" his sins; and when one is put away, as the wicked Corinthian, they "retain" his sins. But this is administrative for the earth and must be distinguished from the eternal forgiveness of the soul.

THE DAY OF PENTECOST.

This was a Wonderful day in the history of the ways of God. Redemption was now accomplished. Christ was glorified as Man at His right hand. The moment had come for God to give effect to His counsels formed before the world was. Accordingly the Spirit of God descended according to the promise of the Lord Jesus. The disciples are shown as a waiting company. They had been bidden to tarry in Jerusalem until endued with power from on high. The day of Pentecost had come, and they were gathered together with one accord in one place. It was the first day of the week, the formal meeting day of those who believe in Jesus, being the day of His glorious resurrection from among the dead.

While together, "suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them" (Acts 11: 2, 3) Such was the manner of the descent of the Holy Ghost. Never had He come from heaven to dwell in and with the saints before. He had wrought in them, of course, producing in the first instance a sense of sin, then faith in the living God; but He had never been given of God as His seal upon any. He had come upon certain persons (as prophets, etc.) at times for special purposes, but the time had now come for something beyond all this. During the present period He dwells Within every believer, making his body His temple. The blood having been shed and sprinkled, the oil has followed, to use the language of the type (Lev. 8.)

"But," it may be asked, "why should He come upon the disciples in the form of tongues of fire, when He descended upon the Lord Jesus as a dove?" The answer is to be found in the character of the recipients and the testimony they were called to bear. The Lord was here as the expression of God's grace and love. He came not to judge the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. Personally He was the meek and lowly One: what more apt emblem of this than a dove! As for the disciples, their testimony was of a very solemn, as well as blessed, character. The word of God through them, while it brought peace and blessing to all who received it, nevertheless judged all before it, and gave no quarter to anything of the first man. Their testimony was to branch out to both Jews and Gentiles, hence "cloven tongues."

The first effect of the Spirit's presence was that they "began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance." Thus did God surmount the confusion brought in at Babel (Gen. 11), though the time had not come to do away with it. He intended the gospel for every creature. The law was given in one language, and to but one people; but the gospel of God's grace, God's precious testimony concerning His Son, could not be thus limited. Gentiles and Jews were equally needy, and all should have the offer of the Saviour. This, however, the early Christians were slow to learn. They were ready enough to preach Christ to the children of Israel but God had to specially intervene to make Peter; open the door to the Gentiles, even though the commission was clear and plain (Acts 10; Luke 24: 47; Acts 1: 8). So slow is the heart to take in the extent of God's thoughts of grace.

The tongues, I need hardly say, were miraculous. Peter and the others had not learned these languages, yet they were suddenly able to speak them. Who but God could have wrought this! It astonished the multitude. Being the feast of Pentecost, Jerusalem was full of Jews from all parts of the Roman empire, and they heard these men, who were evidently all Galileans, declare in their own tongues the wonderful works of God. Some were honest, and enquired concerning the marvel. Cavillers were not wanting, as always, who attributed it to wine. The early hour of the day (the third) should have preserved them from such an insinuation, as Peter soon pointed out.

It was not fleshly excitement; it was divine power. A Divine Person had come down from the glory into which Christ had so recently entered; and was here to bear testimony to Him and His finished work. Thus it was that day. Peter was the chosen vessel. He had but recently denied his Lord with oaths and curses, but grace had fully restored him; and he was bold as a lion. He could even charge the Jewish people with the very sin of which he himself had been guilty (Acts 3: 14) So reassuring is the grace of the Lord. Peter reminded the multitude of the prophecy of Joel God had spoken of an out pouring of the Spirit, before the great and notable day of the Lord: need they wonder at what had occurred Then he brought home to their consciences their dreadful sin with regard to Jesus. They had rejected and slain Him, but God had raised Him up, and exalted Him. This he proves conclusively from their own scriptures; for Peter could see the bearing of all these Passages now that the Holy Ghost had come.

The result we know. Three thousand persons were saved and added to the little band. Thus was the church of God commenced, though the truth concerning it was not unfolded until Paul was called, some time later.

IN THE FLESH AND IN THE SPIRIT.

Romans  8 is the climax of a very important series of instruction. Most readers have doubtless observed that the Epistle is divided into three parts. Part 1. consists of chapters 1-8, and brings out the fullness and the completeness of God's salvation. Part 2 embraces Rom.  9-11 and is dispensational, explaining God's present dealings through the gospel, in view of the special promises made to Israel. The remaining chapters (Rom. 12-16.) are practical, pressing upon the recipients of God's mercies a becoming walk below.

Part 1. is however subdivided. In Romans 1: 5-11 the apostle takes up the question of sins, and shows our complete justification from them all through the death and resurrection of Christ; from chapter 5: 12 to the end of 8. it is more a question of sin; and our complete deliverance from both our old standing and former bondage is shown in the risen Christ. We were once in Adam (Rom. 5.), and were then lying under death and condemnation we were once under the bondage of sin (Rom. 6.) as truly as Israel of old were under the hand of Pharaoh in Egypt; we (or at least Jewish believers) were once under the law with all its solemn consequences for our souls (Rom. 7.).

But from all this we have been delivered. We have passed out of our old position by death. and we are now before God in the risen Christ. This Romans 8 brings before us fully. "There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus" (ver. 1). The added clause mars the beauty of the Spirit's words. Our standing is not dependent on our walk in any way, though our enjoyment of it is. "In Christ describes our new position before God, through grace. We have in Him a life which death cannot touch, and which is beyond all condemnation. We have all the advantages of His risen position. All that is His in virtue of His accomplished work is ours also. The same divine favour and love which rests upon Him, rests upon us also who are in Him. Marvellous place to be brought into! Mighty change from our former place in the first man, where all consequences brought in by Adam's fall were ours, because of our connection with him as our head. Adam became head of a race after the fall, and all therefore have his position, with everything that attaches to it; Christ became head of a new race after His resurrection, and all who are in Him share the blessedness that is His, our sins having been put away for ever, sin having been condemned in His death and righteousness established.

But if "in Christ" expresses our new standing before God, "in the Spirit" characterises us now as men walking below. Romans does not regard us as in heavenly places, as Ephesians, but as those who are set free to walk to the glory of God on earth. "In the flesh" characterised our former state. The flesh was the source of all our thoughts and actions. Flesh is antagonistic to God and they that are in it cannot please Him. The mind of the flesh is not subject to the law of God neither indeed can be. The sure result of following its course is death, as the apostle speaks, "For to be carnally minded (or the mind of the flesh) is death if ye live after the flesh ye shall die" (verses 6, 13)

We are not in the flesh now (Rom. 7: 5; Rom. 8: 9), though the flesh is still in us. It is no longer a controlling power, it does not characterise our lives as once. Faith treats it as a condemned thing, and allows it no place. If it acts, it leads us from the Lord into some by-path of sin and sorrow. We are not now debtors to it, to live according to it. "Ye are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his" (Rom. 8: 9). The Holy Spirit is God's great gift to every believer; and it is He, in contrast to the flesh. Who now gives character to all our walk and ways. He gives us the happy knowledge that Christ is in us — as He Himself said, "In that day ye shall know that I am in my Father and ye in me, and I in you" (John 14: 20 — He forms all our thoughts and desires, teaches us how to pray, enables us to bring forth fruit for God, strengthens us for all our conflicts with the enemy, and sustains our hearts along the road by His gracious ministry of Christ to us. He is our Leader, and by His power we are enabled to mortify the deeds of the body.

Every soul will do well to enquire of itself before the Lord how far this is practically realised. It is one thing to know and accept it as doctrine, quite another to walk in the power of it. Every Christian lives in the Spirit or he would not be a Christian, but every Christian does not necessarily walk in the Spirit (Gal. 5: 25) And we should not forget, too, that it is perfectly possible for a true believer to sow to the flesh and not to the Spirit. Lot is a painful instance of this in the Old Testament. This brings us under God's governmental dealings. "Whatsoever a man soweth that shall he also reap:" and this is as true for the Christian as for others; though it is not possible, through God's grace, to lose the eternal life, which he has in the Son (Gal. 6: 8).

"The mind of the Spirit is life and peace" (Rom. 8: 6). The secret, therefore, of a peaceful walk is to follow the gracious leading of the Divine Indweller. If flesh is habitually judged and mortified, and the Spirit of God allowed His true place, our souls thrive and grow. Things that would disturb and cause bitter sorrow, do not intrude themselves then. The Spirit has not to be occupying us with ourselves and our state, but is free to lead us on to a fuller knowledge of Christ, which is His delight. The apostle, in Romans 8, traces the Spirit's gracious work in us and for us, onward to the resurrection. "If the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwelling you, he that raised up Christ from the dead! shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you" (ver. 11). Our bodies being the temples of the Holy Spirit, the God Who raised up Jesus will not suffer them to remain in the grasp of death. "Because of his Spirit" (for so the sentence should read), He will raise them up at the appointed hour, and conform us to the image of His Son.

THE ANOINTING, SEAL AND EARNEST.

In 2 Corinthians 1: 21, 22, the Spirit of God is brought before us under three striking figures. "Now he which stablisheth us with you in Christ, and hath anointed us, is God; who hath also sealed us, and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts." The apostle is setting forth the settled place of blessing into which God has introduced every believer in Jesus. We are no longer in Adam, exposed to death and condemnation, but in Christ, and in Him we find every purposed blessing made everlastingly good. But so abounding is the grace of our God, that over and above all this, He has given us the Holy Spirit as the anointing, the seal, and the earnest. He dwells within us.

(1) The anointing. The Lord Jesus received the Spirit in this way when walking as a man on earth as we read, "Thy holy child (servant) Jesus, whom thou hast anointed" "God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power" (Acts 4: 27; Acts 10: 38) This was an expression of divine delight and complacency in Him personally. The Father saw in Him perfect dependence and faultless obedience; the Spirit was sent upon Him in token of His full approval and complete satisfaction. He was the true meal offering 'Anointed with oil" (Lev. 11: 4). Believers are anointed with the Holy Ghost on an entirely different principle. 1t is not because of what God sees in us, but because of what His eye sees, and what His heart has found, in the risen and exalted Christ. One grand result of the anointing is, that we have fellowship with the mind of God. The Holy Spirit introduces us into the circle of the thoughts of God, as revealed in His word. It is not enough that we should be born again, the Spirit must be possessed ere any advance can be made in the things of God." Hence when the beloved apostle warned the babes against the many antichrists that were even then abroad in the world, he refers them to two things as safe- guards. (1) Apostolic teaching: "Let that there- fore abide in you which ye have heard from the beginning" (1 John 2: 24) (2) The anointing: 'The unction which ye have received of him abideth in you," etc. (1 John 2: 27) Souls who avail themselves thus and abide in the circle of the Spirit's instruction, are preserved from all the many efforts of the enemy. Our hearts are then in the enjoyment of what the Spirit imparts; and thus are in a position to reject the devil's counterfeit. There may not be ability to expose the error that is presented, but it is known to be not the truth, and that is sufficient for the simple soul (compare John 10: 5). In considering the anointing, we are reminded of our kingly and priestly place. Both kings and priests were inducted into their office in this way. Both dignities are ours through divine grace. Believers are "a holy priesthood" now, with title to draw near to God through the rent veil; and in the approaching day are to reign with Christ, when all things are given into His hand by God. Suffering is our appointed lot meanwhile.

(2) The seal. "Who hath also sealed us." The Lord Jesus could say of Himself, “Him hath God the Father sealed" (John 6: 27). The same is true of all who believe through His death and resurrection. Sealing follows faith. This is quite plain in Ephesians 1: 13 "In whom after that believed ye were sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise." thus we note two distinct operations Of the Spirit of God: first He works in us to produce faith in God and in His Son then He is given as God's seal. Believers are thus marked off as belonging to God. Our connection with the world has been broken, the fetters which once Satan bound Upon us have been severed, and we are now the possession of our God (1 Peter 2: 9). Do all our hearts respond loyally to this! Are we yielded up, body and soul and spirit, to Him, for His service and glory! Alas, there is not a little keeping back of part of the price. How much self-will works, how strongly the world is clung to "Of a few of those who really belong to the Lord Jesus! Let each one of us own more thoroughly His gracious claims and surrender ourselves entirely to Him.

What immense comfort that this Divine Seal will never be removed from any, even the feeblest believer. Many are defective as to this point. Many fear that the Holy Spirit will really be withdrawn, because of their faulty ways and walk. Not so. God gave me His Holy Spirit well knowing what I should turn out to be, and gave Him not because of what He saw in me, but because of what He saw in Christ. This will never change. But a careful holy walk is nevertheless due from us. "Grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption" (Eph. 4: 30)

(3) The earnest. "The earnest of the Spirit in our hearts." This is in view of the future inheritance. God intends to give everything in heaven and in earth to His beloved Son. The usurper may hold at present part of His dominions, but divine power will shortly wrest them from him and give them over to the Lord Jesus. He will share this universal inheritance with us such is the Purpose of His heart. But it cannot be given to us yet. There are purposes yet to be accomplished, and enemies to be put down. The Spirit of God dwells therefore within us as the earnest (or pledge) of all that is to come. He is the earnest of our inheritance, until the redemption of the purchased possession (Eph. 1: 14; 2 Cor. 5: 5). Thus we wait in confidence for God to make good all His word. As the seal, the Spirit is the token of God's claim on me as the earnest, He is the token of the claim which divine grace has given me on God.

He is not the earnest of divine love, nor of relationship. We know and enjoy both now. We are already in a circle of boundless unchanging love, for all the affections of the Father's heart rest upon us in Christ Jesus; and we are already children of God. But the inheritance is not yet ours, for it has not yet come into the hands of Christ — hence the earnest of the Spirit. He waits at the right hand of the Father; we wait in this scene for the same appointed hour. The Holy Ghost is the present blessed link.

THE ONE BODY.

We have had before us the work of the Spirit of God in the individual believer; we will now consider His gracious operations with regard to the church of God. There are not only blessings and responsibilities of an individual character, which every believer should know; there are corporate ones also. The reception of the Holy Spirit introduces the believer into the wonderful unity spoken of in scripture as "the body of Christ.'' Of the truth concerning this, the apostle Paul was the honoured administrator. Neither John nor Peter tell us anything in their Epistles about the church. The conversion of Paul — then known as Saul of Tarsus — was of a very remarkable character. He was not brought to the knowledge of Christ through the preaching of the gospel (God's usual way of acting), but was arrested by the Lord Jesus on the Damascus road when actively engaged in the persecution of His saints. On that memorable occasion Paul learned among other things, the following weighty truths; (1) that Jesus of Nazareth, Whose name he so cordially despised, was a glorified Man in heaven (2) that He owned His saints on earth as part and parcel of Himself. The Lord did not speak of them as His disciples, nor even as His brethren, but as "Me" (Acts 9: 4).

This then was the vessel chosen of the Lord to unfold to the saints the great purpose formed in the divine heart concerning Christ and the church, before the foundation of the world. It was not made known in Old Testament times, as we read, "Which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit" (Eph. 3: 5). It was "hid in God," not even in the scriptures, as some have affirmed; though, now that the truth is revealed, faith can turn back to the Old Testament writings, and observe many striking pictures of it.

The body of Christ is dealt with especially in Ephesians and 1 Corinthians. In the former we get the heavenly order; in the latter, the earthly. In Ephesians we have the divine counsels, and our many blessings in association with the risen Head in heaven; in 1 Corinthians we have rather our responsibilities as members of Christ and of each other, called to walk together below.

Notice carefully that Christ became Head of the body, the church, in resurrection (Eph. 1: 20-23). Union in incarnation is never taught in scripture, but the very opposite. It was impossible that the holy Jesus should unite Himself to sinful and fallen humanity. The corn of wheat must fall into the ground and die, or for ever abide alone John 12: 24). God be praised, He has died, putting away all our sins by His one sacrifice, and is now in glory as Man, against Whom no charge can be laid. Hence, in virtue of the presence of the Holy Ghost on earth, every believer is one with Him on high. In this wondrous circle of blessing the distinction between Jew and Gentile has no place. The former was outwardly nigh to God, having the sanctuary, the law, etc.; the latter was afar off from God, having no part in the promises, and no hope (Eph. 2: 12). Now the wall of partition is broken down. The God Who raised it has demolished it, the enmity between Jew and Gentile is slain through Christ's work, and every believer in Him is brought into a wholly new place of blessing. We have been made nigh through the blood, we have access by the Spirit to the Father, and share with the exalted One all that has come to Him as result of His toil. What a position for the Christian! Blessed a Christ is blessed, loved as He is loved! Accepted too in His acceptance. Would that every saint entered into it in simple faith. We should not then see true souls going mourning all their days as so often is the case.

Now turn to 1 Corinthians 12. Here we have the side of responsibility. This epistle presents to us the church of God not as blessed in the heavenly places in Christ, but in its practical working on earth. The apostle uses the expression, "the Christ," to describe the Lord and His saints (ver 12). How wonderful! It helps us to understand the "Me" of Acts 9: 4. This unity he shows to be due to the baptism of the Holy Ghost. Faith does not unite us to Christ; the Spirit is the bond It is important to see this clearly. This helps too as to the limits of the body of Christ. It began when the Holy Ghost descended at Pentecost; it will be completed when the Spirit of God leaves this scene at the Lord's coming. Believers neither of preceding nor succeeding dispensations come into it. They will have their own portion of blessing of course; but they have no part in the church of God.

Then we get practical exhortations (1 Cor. 12.) The apostle lays down that every member has his place assigned to him by God, and there is to be no discontent(ver. 14-18). The ear, the eye and the foot have their own proper functions. All are necessary. There are no irresponsible members in Christ's body. Not only is there to be no discontent, but contempt is forbidden (ver. 19-25). The more gifted must not slight others, as though they are of no value. None can be dispensed with. The feeble furnish occasions for the exercise of love and patience (Rom. 14: 1-6) and the "Uncomely" are to be cared for also, the blemished being graciously covered, not exposed. All round there is to be godly care and affection, and a holy recognition in every way of the profound and divine fact that we are all members one of another, as of the risen Head above.

The apostle concludes the section with. "Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular" (1 Cor. 12: 27). In the early days of the church, all this was understood, at least in measure, and acted on in faith; but what can we say now! For many dreary centuries the great truth was completely lost, and to-day how few enter into its meaning in power! We hear much of "bodies" that men have formed, and of persons being members of them; but how feebly is it grasped that there is still "one body and one Spirit" on earth! Where this is learned from God, separation from all that is of man must ensue. Not that the church of God can now be reconstructed as at the first but the few who are content to be together in simplicity as members of Christ's body, in dependence on the Holy Ghost, will never fail of blessing. The Lord knows how to minister to, and sustain His own.

The one body finds its great expression in the breaking of bread. "We being many are one loaf, one body; for we are all partakers of that one loaf" (1 Cor. 10: 17) Anything like sectarianism has no place here. As members of one body it is our privilege to meet, and in that simple character to remember the Lord until He come.

HIS WORK IN THE ASSEMBLY.

There are two main branches of the Spirit's work amongst Christians; (1) in the individual believer, and (2) in the assembly of God. The latter is not so commonly apprehended as the former. Very many believers understand His blessed operation in the individual, but few comparatively enter into the meaning and blessedness of His action in the church of God. We find the two things clearly marked in 1 Corinthians 6: 19, we read, "Know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own!" The connection shows that believers are here addressed individually, for the apostle is exhorting to personal holiness. Then in 1 Corinthians 3: 16, we read, "Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you!" Here he addresses "the church of God which is at Corinth" (1 Corinthians 1: 2) hence the instruction is of a very different character.

It is a vital truth of Christianity, that the church is "an habitation of God through the Spirit" (Eph. 1: 22). Of old, God dwelt in the tabernacle in the midst of His redeemed people, and later in the temple which Solomon built for His name. But there was always distance between God and the people. The veil shut God in, and the people out. There was no drawing near to God within the sanctuary (Heb. 9: 8). But mighty changes have been wrought through the accomplished work of Christ. Not only is sin put away, so that a purged conscience is the birthright portion of every believer, but the Spirit of God has come down from heaven to form the church and to dwell in it. As we read "Ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them and walk in them" (2 Cor. 6: 16). God the Holy Ghost dwells in the church, to guard the lordship of Christ, and to lead out the saints in all their exercises towards God. This is very little understood. It was thoroughly believed in the first days of the church of God. The shaken building (Acts 4: 31) and the deaths of Ananias and Sapphira (Acts 5: 1-11) were striking proofs that a divine Person was really among them. And though we have no such outward signs now, His presence is as real and true; faith has but to act upon it.

He is the assembly's all-sufficient Leader and Guide. When together for worship or prayer, what further need is there for anyone to regulate or superintend! Such human provisions were only made when the truth of the Spirit's presence became weakened in men's minds. In 1 Corinthians 12: 10, 11, it is laid down that the Spirit distributes to all the saints severally as He will. There is great variety, and all is needed for general edification and blessing. The modern idea is concentration, not distribution, as if it were possible for one member of Christ's body to have everything requisite for the help and advancement of all. Those who act on such principles most assuredly suffer deeply in their souls in consequence.

1 Corinthians 14. is of great value as to the regulation of things in the church of God. Everything is to be done for edification, this being the golden rule that is laid down. For this reason those in Corinth who possessed the gift of tongues were not to exercise them unless an interpreter was near by. We read of prayer, singing and prophecy. Verse 26 would seem to show that there was considerable eagerness in the Corinthian assembly to take a part in the public gatherings of the saints. But the saints are not bidden to keep silence and to fall back upon an official leader, but are simply told, "Let all things be done unto edifying." Liberty is allowed as of God, but apostolic counsel is given. The only persons who are to keep silence in the church are the women, and this on natural as well as on other grounds. When the Spirit of God is really looked to and trusted, the saints will not come together in vain. However few and feeble they may be, the divine Indweller will not fail to give them through one vessel or another what their souls desire and need.

What real unbelief has long existed in Christendom as to all this! By some, the Spirit of God is prayed for, as though He had not yet come; by others His presence is recognised as doctrine, but that is all. All this is serious dishonour to God, however little intended. Let it be our earnest and unceasing prayer that God may graciously arouse the whole church to a deeper sense of the reality of the presence of the Holy Spirit, and to more. simple reliance on Him for all the need of our souls until the Lord Jesus come.

"The wind bloweth where it listeth."

"The wind bloweth where it listeth."

W. W. Fereday.

(Extracted from Truth for the Last Days, Vol. 2, 1901, page 69.)

Nothing is more observable in the book of the Acts than the sovereign action of the Spirit of God In a general way, that book is the record of His testimony through the apostles Peter and Paul, the apostles respectively of the circumcision and the uncircumcision. But the Spirit's action is always free; thus we find Him not acting according to one defined rule, but occasionally raising up special witnesses in a very remarkable manner.

Foremost amongst these was Stephen. In his day, Peter and John were being prominently used of the Spirit in Jerusalem. They (especially Peter) had borne a bold and faithful testimony there, and had suffered not a little in consequence. We have no reason to believe that the Spirit was unable to use them for a season because of any declension in their souls; nevertheless, the fact remains that Stephen was suddenly called to the front to bear a very striking testimony to the Jewish nation. This is the more remarkable because Stephen had but lately been appointed to "serve tables." He was one of the seven set apart by the choice of the saints, and by the laying on of the apostles' hands to look after the temporal affairs of the assembly. His appointment did not extend to preaching; indeed no one in scriptural times was ever appointed to preach the Word of God. But Stephen proved in himself the truth of the word in 1 Tim. 3: 13: "They that have used the office of a deacon well, purchase to themselves a good degree, and great boldness in the faith which is in Christ Jesus"; hence we find him very soon brought into the forefront of the testimony. Truly, "the wind bloweth where it listeth" (John 3: 8). All the apostles were apparently in Jerusalem at the time, and in all probability filled with the Spirit, and so in a condition to be divinely used, yet the Spirit took a Hellenist from his diaconal work, and set him to render to Israel one of the most solemn testimonies ever rendered to that nation. In the presence of the Sanhedrim, he recounted the history of the people from the call of Abraham, and shewed conclusively their habitual resistance of the Holy Spirit. He solemnly charged home upon them their disobedience to the law, their persecution of the prophets, and their betrayal and murder of the Just One. It ended, as we know, in the utter rejection of the testimony of the Holy Spirit through him; and the faithful witness was cast out and stoned. This was Israel's way of sending a message after Christ, saying: "We will not have this man to reign over us" (Luke 19: 14). Stephen's testimony marked an epoch in the history of God's dealings with Israel, and it was the close of the first part of the disciples' commission. ("Beginning at Jerusalem" — Luke 24: 4). Why did not the Spirit of God use Peter or some other member of the apostolic band to bear so important a testimony? We cannot tell; but we learn from it the sovereignty of His action, and the freedom of His ways.

Philip's case, recorded in Acts 8 is remarkable also in its way. Samaria was to be brought under the power of the Gospel. This was a work of unusual importance, because of the peculiar position that Samaria had maintained for several centuries in relation to Jerusalem. Though a mixed race, the Samaritans professed to worship Israel's God, they reverenced their Scriptures, and had a temple of their own on Mount Gerizim. For all these things the Jews hated them, and had no dealings with them. Their conversion was therefore a matter of great importance and significance, yet we find the Spirit of God again passing by the twelve, and using for the blessed work another of the chosen seven. Philip preached Christ to them, and wrought miracles of healing amongst them, filling the city with joy. In the wisdom of God the Samaritan converts did not receive the Spirit until Peter and John went down (for unity's sake); but all the foundation work in their souls was wrought by the preaching of the ardent evangelist. Who can fail to see in Philip's case, as in Stephen's, the sovereignty of the Spirit's action?

Saul, of Tarsus, comes before us next. The time had come for the unfolding of the heavenly relationships of the newly gathered church, and the counsels of God respecting it, but God did not use any of the existing twelve for the purpose, but brought upon the scene a new worker altogether, and from a most unexpected quarter. A malicious persecutor of the saints is suddenly arrested in his evil career by the revelation of a glorified Christ, and in due course made the depository of the divine thoughts and plans concerning God's assembly. And as if God would make this display of His sovereign action the more striking, though He intended Saul to play so distinguished a part, it was not an apostle that was sent to his relief during those dreary days in Damascus, but a plain disciple, of whom we never hear again. He (Ananias) imparted to him the Holy Ghost by the laying on of his hands, and forthwith baptised him. All this was done apart from Jerusalem and the twelve altogether. Truly, "the wind bloweth where it listeth!"

Further on in the book of Acts, another extraordinary worker is brought to view — Apollos (Acts 18: 24, 28). This man at first knew nothing beyond the baptism of John, but what he knew he preached diligently, enforcing all he said by Scripture. Two humble souls heard him in the synagogue at Ephesus — Aquila and Priscilla; and perceiving him to be a true soul only needing light and help, "they took him unto them, and expounded unto him the way of God more perfectly." The result was that he became a powerful preacher of the Gospel of Christ, and a great spiritual help to those who already believed through grace. Called apart from both Paul and the twelve, he seems to have pursued his path of service independently throughout: At a later date we find Paul writing to the Corinthians concerning him: "As touching our brother Apollos, I greatly desired him to come unto you with the brethren: but his will was not at all to come at this time; but he will come when he shall have convenient time." (1 Cor. 16: 12)

From all these instances, valuable lessons may be learned by all who have ears to hear. The Spirit of God is here for Christ's glory, and the blessing of men; and is sovereign and free in all His actings. Men like stereotyped forms, and would have divine blessing habitually flow through certain recognised channels; but such is not the way of God's Spirit. He uses one, and sets him aside again, for a time, or altogether as it pleases Him; He blesses a particular method on an occasion, and perhaps never reverts to it again. He is not here to exalt men or methods but Christ; would that we could all learn the lesson well.

"The ways of God with man."

"The ways of God with man."

W. W. Fereday.

ETERNITY  -  Three things are told us in Scripture.

(1). The Father loved the Son (John 17: 24); Comp. Prov. 8: 30.

(2). The Lamb appointed for sacrifice (1 Peter 1: 20).

(3). The Saints chosen in Christ for blessing, and their names written In the book of life (Eph. 1: 4; Rev. 13: 8).

CREATION — Gen. 1: 1; Job 38: 6-7. The Son the active person in the Godhead (John 1: 3; Col. 1: 16; Heb. 1: 8).

CHAOS. — Gen. 1: 2. Earth only, not the heavens. A condition subsequent to the original creation (Isa. 45: 18; Deut. 32: 4). The geologic ages come in here.

CONSTRUCTION — Gen. 1: 3 - 2: 7. "The renewing and refurnishing of our planet as a home for man. "Done in six days (Ex. 20: 11). MAN created last (Gen. 1: 26-27). "Image" refers to his position as representing God in rule; "likeness" refers to his moral being as an intelligent creature, capable of receiving communications from God. Neither God's image nor God's likeness lost by the fall (Gen. 9: 6; James 3: 9).

Two steps in man's creation — first, the body; then soul and spirit (Gen. 2: 7; Job 33: 4).

THE FALL — occasioned by the woman listening to the tempter who raised questions both as to the truth of God and the love of God.

The Seed of the woman man's hope now (Gen. 3: 15).

Man driven out of Eden.

ADAM to NOAH

— 10 patriarchs. The Age of Conscience.

No written revelation from God.

CAIN and ABEL representative characters — the false worshipper and the true (Gen. 4: 1-8).

CAIN'S LINE given next (Gen. 4: 16-24). Seven (number of completeness) in all, ending with a second Cain. (Tubal Cain means "flowing from Cain.") In this line we have the beginnings of "society," and the cultivation of the arts and sciences. God left out of it all. No ages given here, nor in the case of descendants of Ishmael (Gen. 25: 12-18) and Esau (Gen. 36)

Enoch. — "Seventh from Adam," translated 67 years after the death of the first man (Gen. 5: 22-23). Reminds of 1 Thess. 4: 15-18; 1 Cor. 15: 51. Prophet as well as saint (Jude 14-15). There were two Enochs — one "dedicated" to the world (Gen. 4: 1), the other "dedicated" to God.

NOAH. — "Preacher of righteousness " (2 Peter 2: 5). The earth now full of corruption and violence (Gen. 6: 11). The apostasy of the sons of God (Gen. 6: 1-4; Job 1: 6, 38: 7; Jude 6).

Divine warning and long-suffering (Gen. 6: 3).

Man's indifference (Luke 17: 26-27); Comp. 1 Thess. 5: 3.

Noah believed God (Heb. 11: 7).

Ark — type of Christ, in Whom alone is salvation.

The flood universal (Gen. 7: 19).

The ark rested on the day of our Lord's resurrection (Gen. 8: 4).

NOAH to ABRAM — 10 patriarchs. But compare Gen. 11: 12 with Luke 3: 36.

The Earth given a new start on the ground of sacrifice. God's covenant with Noah and the earth described in Gen. 8: 21 — Gen. 9: 17. Two hearts revealed in chap. 8: 21: God's — full of goodness; man's — full of evil.

MAGISTRACY now established (Gen. 9: 5-6). The two first recorded rulers failed: Noah through weakness; Nimrod through oppression (Gen. 9: 21; Gen. 10: 9).

Jehovah connects His name with Shem (Gen. 9: 26); from him the Seed should come.

The beginnings of national life in Gen. 10; 11.

BABEL the cause of the break-up. The end of political confederacy is found in Ps. 2 of religious confederacy in Rev. 17.

IDOLATRY soon appeared, and became universal (Rom. 1: 20-23; Joshua 24: 2).

ABRAM now called out, and made the depositary of God's promises. Separation God's invariable principle from this point.

Abraham's three seeds: the Natural ("dust," Gen. 13: 16; John 8: 37); the Spiritual ("stars," Gen. 15: 5; Gal. 3: 29); the Personal (Gen. 22: 18; Gal. 3: 16).

Abraham's life given in three parts. Gen. 12-14 is the history of God's public dealings with him; chaps. 15-21 is the history of God's private dealings with his soul; chaps. 22-25 is his history in connection with the risen heir. Each part concludes with a millennial picture.

The world's FIRST BATTLE recorded in Gen. 14. It is noticed because it is a type of the world's last conflict (Rev. 16: 14-16).

Genesis closes with Abraham's seed in Egypt in fulfilment of 15: 13.

ISRAEL called out. God enters into relationship with this people by His name Jehovah (Ex. 6: 1-8). His name the guarantee of their ultimate blessing (Jer. 31: 35-37; Mal. 3:  6).

Pharaoh's decree a Satanic blow at Christ (Ex. 1: 16). For similar efforts, see 2 Chr. 22: 10-11; Isa. 7: 3-7.

Israel delivered in sovereign grace, on the ground of the blood of the lamb.

LAW given at Sinai. not intended to give either life or righteousness (Gal. 3: 21); this impossible because of man's condition (Rom. 8: 3).

Designed to show up the awfulness calf sin. It made sin transgression (Gal. 3: 19; Rom. 4: 15). At the close of the "law chapter" we read of altar and sacrifices (Ex. 20). Here the heart of God expresses itself. Note — along with the law was given the Tabernacle system, which speaks throughout of Divine grace. Law broken before the tables entered the camp (Ex. 32). Fresh tables given with the accompaniments of Ex. 34.

The promises stand spite of the broken law (Gal. 3: 15-18).

SCRIPTURE began to be written by Moses. Human life now shortened (Ps. 90: 10).

MOSES' SONG (Deut. 32) shows how Israel entered Canaan. It speaks of Jehovah's election and grace, Israel's evil and punishment, and of Divine goodness at the end at the epoch of till world's blessing. This song, intended to be a witness to, Israel.

CANAAN. Moses could not lead Israel in (1) because of his personal failure (Deut. 1: 37); (2) because the law is unable to bring men into blessing (Rom. 8: 3). Joshua — type of Christ acting by His Spirit — the leader into Canaan (Deut. 1: 38). AMORITES' iniquity now full (Gen. 15: 13-14). The land vomited them out (Lev. 18: 25-28) Israel God's scavengers.

The guilty inhabitants saw judgment approaching, yet did not repent (Joshua 2: 10-11, Joshua 9: 24; Jer. 18: 7-8). Contrast Jonah 3.

Israel's course in Canaan marked by failure of faith and open sin (Judges 1, 2). Divine judgment repeatedly brought them low. Twelve judges raised up as deliverers. Four periods of respite are noted; three of 40, and one of 80 years (Judges 3: 11, 30; Judges 5: 31; Judges 8:28).

PRIESTHOOD broke down in Eli's day (1 Sam. 1, 2, 3). After Moses it was the formal link between God and His people (Num. 27: 18-21). Ark carried into captivity (1 Sam. 4: 11; Ps. 78: 61).

God now speaks of a king (1 Sam. 2: 10, 35).

SAUL man's experiment. Victorious over every foe but the particular one he was commissioned to subdue (1 Sam. 9: 16; 1 Sam. 15: 47-48; 1 Sam. 31: 1-6). He reigned 40 years. Type of Israel's latter-day experiment (Dan. 11: 36).

DAVID God's king. Also reigned 40 years. God's choice of David and Zion a new start in grace (Ps. 78: 59-72). God's covenant with David in Ps. 79.

SOLOMON man of peace as David man of war. Both typify Christ as King. Solomon's reign a third period of 40 years.

REVOLT of ten tribes as result of the unfaithfulness of the house of David (1 Kings 11). Nineteen kings reigned during 260 years; all of Jeroboam's evil type. Prophets raised up from time to time as witnesses. CAPTIVITY followed, partial at first, then total (2 Kings 15: 29; 2 Kings 17: 6-22).

JUDAH subsisted as a separate kingdom under 20 sovereigns during 390 years. Not having profited by Israel's calamities, Judah also swept out of the land (2 Chron. 36: 15-21).

While God was bearing with the house of David, no Gentile power was permitted to attain to supremacy in the earth, though both Assyria and Egypt struggled for it. Now Nebuchadnezzar raised up, and permitted to subdue all the kingdoms round about him.

CAPTIVITY of the two tribes — Judah and Benjamin — involving the overturning of Jehovah's earthly throne (1 Chron. 29: 23); and the forsaking of His earthly sanctuary. Glory cloud then departed (Ezek. 10: 4, 18; Ezek. 11: 23; Hosea 5: 15). For the feelings of the godly at this crisis see Jer. 14: 17-21; and for Jehovah's feelings see Jer. 12: 7-9; Hosea 11: 8.

God now assumes the title of "God of Heaven." See the books of Ezra and Daniel.

GENTILES now in possession of supreme power, and Israel subject (Luke 21: 24).

The Book of Daniel is entirely occupied with "the times of the Gentiles." The world-power shown to Nebuchadnezzar in the vision of the image (Dan. 2) and to Daniel in the vision of the wild beasts (Dan. 7). The image presents Gentile dominion as one whole, with its successive deteriorations in character of rule. The wild beasts present the powers separately, and from a moral point of view.

BABYLON — Gold (Dan. 2: 38); Lion (chap. 7: 4). Power divinely granted (Jer. 40: 2-3; Dan. 2: 37-38; Jer. 25: 8-12).

PERSIA. — Silver (Dan. 2: 39); Bear (chap. 7: 5); Ram (chap. 8: 3). Cyrus named before he was born (Isa. 44: 28 45: 5). Jews returned by his decree (Ezra 1: 1-4).

GREECE. — Brass (Dan. 2: 39); Leopard (chap. 7: 6); Goat (chap. 8: 6). Alexander the Great noticed in chap. 11: 3.

ROME. — Iron, &c. (Dan. 2: 40); Nondescript (chap. 7: 7). Christ born under this empire (Luke 2: 1). Rome to re-appear as an imperial power (Rev. 13: 1-3; Rev. 17: 8). A confederacy of 10 Kingdoms (Dan. 7: 7, 24; Rev. 17: 12-14).

LITTLE HORN. — The last Emperor of Rome (Dan. 7: 8, 24-25; Rev. 13: 9-11).

CHRIST'S KINGDOM will destroy and supersede all other Kingdoms (Dan. 2: 44-45, Dan. 7: 13-14; Rev. 17: 14, Rev. 19: 11-21).

SEVENTY WEEKS prophecy (Dan. 9: 24-27) is divided into three parts — 7, 62, and 1. The period begins with the decree to build Jerusalem (B.C. 445: Dan. 9: 25; Neh. 2) and ends with Christ's appearing. They are weeks of years — thus 490 years. Seven weeks — 49 years — were occupied with the re-building of the city and the wall (Neh. 3, 4); add to these 62 weeks — 434 years — making 483 in all, and we come to Messiah the Prince. His rejection by Israel (Dan. 9: 26) has deferred the blessing; hence the missing week remains for fulfilment in the future (Dan. 9: 27) Seven years of trouble — 3.5 of which will be intense — thus await the restored Jews before the final blessing is brought in by Christ's appearing (Rev. 12: 6, 12-14; Dan. 12: 1, 7, 11).

CHRIST God's last test for Israel (Matt. 21: 37).

Rejected (Isa. 50; 53; Micah 5: 1-3; John 19: 13-15).

Exalted by God (Acts 2: 33-36). Remains in the heavens until Israel's repentance (Acts 3: 19-21). BOOK OF ACTS the story of God's grace and forbearance with Israel. Gospel first preached to them (Acts 2: 30; Acts 3: 26). Kingdom again presented to them (Acts 3: 19-21). Stephen's testimony refused, and Luke 19: 14 fulfilled. Divine sentence passed upon them in Acts 28: 25-28. Comp. 1 Thess. 2: 15-16.

CHURCH now being gathered. The Gospel at present preached differs both from the Gospel of the Kingdom (Matt. 3: 3; Matt. 4: 17; Matt. 10: 5-7), and from the everlasting Gospel (Rev. 14: 6-7). It is the Gospel of the grace of God (Acts 20: 24). For other descriptions of it see Rom. 1: 1-9; 2 Cor. 4: 4; 1 Tim. 1: 11, etc. The Church period lies outside prophecy. It is an interruption of, or interval in, the ways of God with Israel. It comes in between the 69th and 70th of Daniel's 70 weeks. Church first mentioned in Matt. 16: 18, and then as a thing still future. It began in Acts 2, but the truth concerning it was not revealed while God's grace still lingered over Israel. The mystery ultimately revealed to Paul (Eph. 3: 3-6). He was pre-eminently the minister of the Church (Col. 1: 24-25).

The Church is the BODY of Christ — a competent vessel for the display of the glories and perfections of its Head (Eph. 1: 23).

It is the HABITATION of God (Eph. 2: 22). Thus the place where God dwells.

It is the TEMPLE of the Holy Ghost (1 Cor. 3: 16-17). Thus the place of Divine manifestation and worship (Ps. 29: 9).

It is the HOUSE of God (1 Tim. 3: 15). Thus a place of responsibility for all God's servants.

The Church period is the most privileged of all. The Holy Ghost is personally present in the saints on earth, and the heavenly calling is in operation. This will close with the Lord's descent into the air according to 1 Thess. 4: 15-17.

The history of the Church viewed as a system of profession is given prophetically in the epistles to the seven churches in Asia (Rev. 2; 3).

AFTER the Church of God is removed to the Father's house evil will run riot in the world.

BABYLON THE GREAT will be developed out of the union of the religious bodies of Christendom (Rev. 17).

TO ROMAN EMPIRE will come together again as a confederacy of ten kingdoms (Rev. 17: 12). It will be essentially infidel (Rev. 13: 5-6), though it will suffer the religious power to ride it for a while (Rev. 17: 3, 16).

The ANTICHRIST will appear in Judea, and be accepted by the returned Jews (John 5: 43). On their behalf he will confirm a covenant for seven years with the Roman head (Dan. 9: 27). This is the missing "week" already referred to. In the midst of the term these confederates will turn upon the Jews, and seek to force idolatry upon them (Dan. 11: 36-39; Rev. 13: 11-18). This will bring about the great tribulation (Matt. 24: 15-22). A special testimony rendered at this period in the streets of Jerusalem by witnesses similar in character to Moses and Elijah (Rev. 11: 3-13). Satan will be active with special malignity at this time, having just been cast down from heaven (Rev. 12: 13-17). From Judea as a centre Antichristian apostasy will spread itself over all who have "not received the love of the truth" (2 Thess. 2)

In the East, both the Kings of the North and South — Syria and Egypt make war upon the Antichrist (Dan. 11: 40-45). The King of the North will be a great troubler of the returned Jews (Dan. 8: 9-12, 23-25), and will meet his doom at the Lord's appearing.

During this short period much is transpiring in heaven. The glorified saints will stand before Christ's judgment seat to have their works (Matt. 25: 19; 2 Cor. 5: 10). Then will be settled the places all are to occupy in the millennial Kingdom. The marriage of the Lamb will then be celebrated (Rev. 19: 7-9). The Seals, Trumpet, and Vials of Revelation — various judgments are all poured out upon the earth at this time.

APPEARING OF CHRIST AND HIS SAINTS describe It symbolically in Rev. 19: 11-16. Angels are in attendance (2 Thess. 1: 7). It is the day of Christ's power (Ps. 110: 3), and wrath. Contrast John 3: 17. Armed hosts oppose Him, only to provide a feast for the birds of the air (Rev. 19: 17-21). The Beast and the false prophet the Roman chief and the Antichrist — sent forthwith to the lake of fire. Comp. Isa. 14: 12-20 for the doom of the Beast. Christ's feet stand upon the Mount of Olives. Jerusalem in the last extremity when He appears (Zech. 14: 1-5).

ISRAEL then gathered, the two tribes only being in the land at His appearing (Matt: 24: 31; Isa. 11: 11-16).

The rebels among them purged out (Ezek. 20: 33-38).

Mercy shown to the remnant (Rom. 11: 26-32). The whole twelve tribes re-united (Ezek. 37: 15-27).

Israel then led against Edom, Moab and Ammon (Isa. 11: 14; Ezek. 25: 14, Ezek. 35: 14-15). The Russian invasion (Ezek. 38; 39). In this enemy will probably be fulfilled the many unaccomplished prophecies concerning the Assyrian (Micah 5: 5-6; Isa. 10: 12, Isa. 14: 24-27) The Spirit of God again poured out (Joel 2: 28-32). The temple rebuilt (Ezek. 40-42). The Shekinah returns (Ezek. 43: 1-6).

A prince appointed as vice-gerent for Christ (Ezek. 44: 1-3; Ezek. 46: 1-18). The priesthood re-appointed (Ezek. 44: 9-31). Sacrifices again offered (Ezek. 46: 13-15). The Passover, Feasts of Unleavened bread, and Tabernacles revived, but not Pentecost or the Day of Atonement (Ezek. 47: 18-25). A river will flow out of the temple (Ezek. 47: 1-12; Zech. 14: 8). The land divided on a new plan — temple in the midst, six tribes to the North of it, and six tribes to the South (Ezek. 48).

MILLENNIUM brings in universal blessing, but through Israel as channel (Ps. 47; Deut. 32: 43). All nations recognise Israel's special place (Zech. 8: 20-23; Ps. 68: 29). Ambassadors from every land attend at Jerusalem at the Feast of Tabernacles (Zech. 14: 16-19). Each nation retains its own sovereign, but all own the supremacy of Christ (Ps. 72: 10-11; Rev. 21: 24).

THE HOLY CITY JERUSALEM — the glorified Church of God — in close proximity to the earth during the 1,000 years (Rev. 21: 9  -  Rev. 22: 5). All Christ's saints share His rule. See Dan. 7: 18 for Old Testament believers; Eph. 1: 22 for the Church, His body; Rev. 20: 4 for the Apocalyptic martyrs. Places in the kingdom allotted according to faithfulness (Luke 19: 15-19; Matt. 16: 27, 19: 28; 2 Tim. 4: 1-2). Our standing in the Father's house, the fruit of grace alone (John 17: 24).

TYPES of Christ as King: —

David the man of war (Ps. 45).

Solomon the man of peace (Ps. 72).

Melchizedek the man of blessing (Ps. 110).

At present He sits in Jehovah's throne; then He will sit in His own. "Sit Thou" describes His position now; "Rule Thou" will describe His position then (Ps. 110: 1-2).

Christ to be the Head of all glory (Eph. 1: 9-10; Heb. 1: 2).

RIGHTEOUSNESS the leading characteristic of His reign (Isa. 32: 1, Ps. 72: 2-3). See Ps. 101 for His sentiments as King. Punishment for transgressors (Isa. 65: 20). Compare 2 Sam. 23: 1-7.

PEACE will prevail as the fruit of righteousness (Isa. 32: 17; Ps. 72: 7). No more war (Isa. 2: 4).

All creation blessed and delivered (Rom. 8: 19-22; Ps. 8: 7-8; Rev. 5: 13). See Isa. 65: 25 for the single exception.

THE CROSS the foundation of Kingdom-glory and blessing (John 12: 12-24; Heb. 2: 6-9). This will be acknowledged (Ps. 22: 31). Christ will lead the praises of "the great congregation" (Ps. 22: 25). His Kingdom is "the world to come" of Heb. 2: 5.

AFTER the 1,000 years Satan is loosed from the abyss, and provokes revolt against the great King. Swift retribution follows, and Satan is consigned to the lake of fire (Rev. 20: 7-10). Under all God's tests —

Law, Grace, Glory — man has failed John, 2: 23-25).

The great white throne set up at the epoch of the dissolution of all things (Rev. 20: 11-15; 2 Peter 3: 10-12). The last resurrection and the last judgment now take place.

ETERNITY. Time and dispensations over. New heavens and new earth appear (Rev. 21: 1; 2 Peter 3: 13). Both occupied for ever by redeemed ones. The Holy city Jerusalem in eternal proximity to the earth (Rev. 21: 2-4). The Rest of God has come, and the everlasting Sabbath of His people (Heb. 4: 1-9). The saints reign in life for ever (Rev. 22: 5; Rom. 5: 17). Heaven and earth now reconciled to God (Col. 1: 20). Hell subjected (Phil. 2: 10-11).

"God All in All." — 1 Cor. 15: 28.

"What is man?"

"What is man?"

W. W. Fereday.

(Extracted from Truth for the Last Days, Vol. 4, 1905, page 25.)

Three times in the Old Testament Scriptures we meet with the query, "What is man?" The very repetition of the words is sufficient to arrest our attention; we naturally pause to enquire what connection there is between the passages in question, and what are the lessons that the Spirit of God would convey to our souls.

We turn first to Job 7: 17-19, where we read: "What is man, that Thou shouldest magnify him, and that Thou shouldest set Thine heart upon him, and that Thou shouldest visit him every morning, and try him every moment? How long wilt Thou not look away from me, nor let me alone till I swallow down my spittle?" (R.V.) This is the language of petulance, wrung from the lips of a deeply tried man. The story is a well-known one. God, in the beginning of it, raised a question with the enemy concerning His servant; and was answered with the sneer that he was only pious for gain, and that if all his worldly advantages were taken from him, he would readily renounce his Creator. Job was accordingly tested. The malicious adversary was permitted to strip him of his possessions, family, and even health itself. He then had to retire from the case, completely baffled, for the saint maintained his integrity in spite of all his afflictions. If the matter had been allowed to rest there, the experience would probably have proved harmful to Job, for he might have said with complacency that he had stood true to God both in prosperity and in adversity. The twenty-ninth chapter makes it plain that there was already a weed of self-satisfaction springing up within him, unknown, probably, to himself, but manifest enough to the holy eye of God. God, therefore, went on with the work at the point where the enemy was compelled to abandon it, that He might effectually rid His servant of the noxious weed, and so do him good in his latter end.

How did Job bear the divine hand? The Spirit truly tells us of his "patience" (James 5: 11), but has He not also recorded for our instruction not a little impatience? Let us deal tenderly here. Who among us would have stood the strain of suffering better than Job? How amazed we have been at times at the amount of perversity and unbelief suffering and trial have discovered within ourselves! With humble gratitude, therefore we welcome the portrait of the human heart as given to us in the book of Job; for it is no small help to our souls even in this most privileged day.

Job saw the hand of God very clearly, and confessed it, but he did not understand it; nor could his three friends enlighten him upon the subject. The patriarch looked at the almightiness of God, and then at his own weakness and insignificance, and he marvelled that He could occupy Himself so intensely with him. Hence his exclamation: "What is man, that Thou shouldest magnify him? . . How long wilt Thou not look away from me?" In his deep distress he wished that God would turn His eyes in some other direction, and give attention to someone else.

Poor Job! How much he would have missed, how much the whole family of faith would have missed, if God had taken him at his word!

The interest of God in the individual soul, though so inexplicable to Job at that moment, is most precious. What greater proof could we have of its reality than the book of which we are speaking? Think of one of the largest books of the Bible (for not many exceed forty-two chapters) being entirely occupied with the history of God's dealings with one soul, and he not of Abraham's seed! Such was God's interest in His servant that He did not "look away" from him, nor "let him alone," spite of his prayer; but went forward with His gracious work until it was completed, and the full blessing of it had been reaped.

Our second passage is Psalm 8: 3-6: "When I consider Thy heavens, the work of Thy fingers, the moon and the stars which Thou hast ordained; what is man, that Thou art mindful of him? And the son of man, that Thou visitest him? For Thou hast made him a little lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honour; Thou madest him to have dominion over the works of Thy hands; Thou hast put all things under his feet." This, as 4, seems to be one of David's night psalms. It was, perhaps, written on one of those nights when he was watching his father's sheep in the fields of Bethlehem. As the pious shepherd looked above, and contemplated the heavens and their glorious host, he was so overwhelmed with the majesty of Him who made them all that he burst out with the words we have just transcribed. Why should One who has such marvellous things before Him as the moon and the stars give such a large place in His mind to man, and the son of man? It is undeniable all Scripture being witness, that man has a place in the Divine thoughts that even angels have not, with all their superior glory and might. How is this to be explained? What is the answer to the Psalmist's query? The Spirit of God gives us the answer in Hebrews 2: 5-10. There He quotes the words of this psalm and applies them to Christ. He is the man who fills the mind of God; He is the ideal Son of man for whom all dominion is purposed. He having become man in His grace explains in the fullest way God's tender interest in our poor race. Having been made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, in resurrection He has brought man (i.e. believers) into a higher place and a nearer relationship to God than angels have ever known, or ever will know.

As Son of man He will shortly have all things placed beneath His feet; the Church, His body, being associated with Him in His glory (Eph. 1: 22). Adam in his extensive dominion was but a figure of Christ (Gen. 1: 26-28). The first man failed in his divinely appointed place of rule, and ruined the whole system that God had made dependent upon him; the Second man, with an even wider dominion, will fill all the earth with the excellence of Jehovah's name, ministering withal fulness of blessing to all His subjects. Then will be creation's jubilee after ages of bondage and groaning, as Romans viii. speaks. John, in a bold figure in Rev. 5: 13, 14, represents all created things, including the denizens of the sea, as praising God and the Lamb in the day of their deliverance and blessing.

Our third passage is Psalm 144: 3-6: "Lord, what is man, that Thou takest knowledge of him? Or the son of man, that Thou makest account of him?* Man is like to vanity: his days are as a shadow that passeth away. Bow Thy heavens, O Lord, and come down; touch the mountains, and they shall smoke. Cast forth lightning, and scatter them: shoot out Thine arrows and destroy them." In these verses David has his enemies before his mind. He was God's Anointed, known and owned as such years before he sat on Israel's throne (2 Sam. 23: 17; 2 Sam. 24: 20); yet there were never wanting enemies, both before and after his accession, who did their best to frustrate the purposes of God concerning him. He speaks of these in Psalm 144. Filled with thoughts of the resistless power of God, he marvels that He should permit man who is like to vanity to so constantly fling himself across His path, and seek to obstruct Him in the accomplishment of His counsels. He follows this up with the fervent appeal: "Bow Thy heavens, O Lord, and come down . . . Cast forth lightning, and scatter them." It is the old problem of God's permission of evil. This has perplexed the godly in every age. The wicked triumph, and the righteous suffer; the plans and purposes of the one are carried through to a successful issue, while those of the other too often meet with disappointment and discomfiture. God could so easily order it all otherwise, yet He does not act! Heaven is silent. Who has not felt the strain and trial of this!

{*There is an interesting difference between this Psalm and Psalm 8 that should be noticed. Here "man" in the Hebrew is "Adam," and "son of man" is "son of enosh," in Psalm 8 the words are used in the reverse order. "Enosh" means "feeble, mortal man."}

Here let us turn to Rev. 10. A mighty angel is seen coming down out of heaven, clothed with a cloud, having a rainbow upon his head, his face as the sun, and his feet as pillars of fire. Surely this is God's Christ. With one foot upon the sea and the other upon the earth, he lifts up his hand to heaven, and swears by Him that liveth for ever and ever, that there shall be no longer delay, " but in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he shall begin to sound, the mystery of God shall be finished, according to the good tidings which He hath declared to His servants the prophets" (R.V.) "The mystery of God," i.e., the mystery of His non-intervention, of His permission of evil, will then be cleared up. The heavens will no longer be silent, but opened. The rightful Lord of all will come forth, and take His rights; evil shall be dethroned, and righteousness will be exalted in peace. Every riddle will then be explained; every difficult problem will be solved; and we shall see that, spite of all appearances, no purpose of God has really been hindered by the enemy; but that, on the contrary, God has been silently working out to a completion all His counsels of grace, for His own glory, and for the blessing of men. In the midst of wreck and ruin all around us, this thought is full of comfort and hope to the exercised soul.

Let us take heart. Faith will yet be constrained to say with the adoring Apostle: "O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are His judgments, and His ways past finding out! . . . For of Him and through Him, and to Him are all things, to Whom be glory for ever. Amen." (Romans 11: 33-36).

Christian Worship

Christian Worship.

W. W. Fereday.

(Extracted from Truth for the Last Days, Vol. 1, 1900, page 168.)

Worship is the highest possible exercise of the renewed soul, whether here or in glory. Prayer and thanksgiving are both unspeakably blessed in their place, but the one takes cognisance of our wants, and spreads them out before God; and the other has in view the blessings wherewith He has blessed us in His grace; whilst worship rises up to God Himself, and the heart loses itself in the blissful contemplation of His excellencies and deep perfections. Prayer will cease when we attain to the rest of God; worship is unending, and indeed will only be exercised in its fulness when we are with the Lord above.

Worship varies in its character according to the character of the different dispensations, and God's revelation of Himself. In patriarchal times, He was adored as "El Shaddai" — God Almighty. The fathers, while waiting in faith for the fulfilment of His promises, rested in Him as the all-sufficient and ever-faithful God. Worship then had rather a family character, the head of the house acting as a kind of priest for the household. Job is an instance of this (Job. 1: 5).

We mark a great change in the order when Israel was called out to be the people of God in the earth. God dwelt among them in the tabernacle, an inestimable privilege and blessing quite unknown by man before, either in his fallen state or in the condition of innocence. This involved the institution of the priesthood, for man in his natural condition is unfit to draw near to God. Sacrifices had always been (though not defined so clearly as in the opening chapters of Leviticus); for Israel the priesthood was added. But this necessarily put the people at a distance. It was the desire of God that they should be "a kingdom of priests and an holy nation" (Ex. 19: 6), but the realization of this awaits another day when they are restored to God on the ground of sovereign grace. In the past the priests acted for them. They dealt with the blood of the sacrifices and they presented the sweet incense before Jehovah in the sanctuary.

All this is changed now, for Christ has come. God is no longer hidden behind a vail, but has revealed Himself fully in the person of His beloved Son, so that we who believe know Him as the Father. Not only this; redemption being accomplished, Christ has gone back to God, and sits at His right hand on high. Hence, the whole character of worship is altered in this period of grace.

Turn now to John 4: 20-24. Here we have the Lord Jesus dealing with the conscience and heart of the woman at the well. Feeling pricked in her conscience by His word, she sought to avert its keen edge by turning to the subject of worship. To this the Lord graciously responded, and spoke of the great change then being brought in. The woman referred to Mount Gerizim, where the Samaritans had their false temple, with its imitation of Jewish rites, and reminded the Lord of the Jewish assertion that Jerusalem was the place where men ought to worship. To which He replied, "Woman, believe me, the hour cometh when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father. Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship; for salvation is of the Jews. But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth; for the Father seeketh such to worship Him. God is a spirit; and they that worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth " (John 4: 21-24).

Several things must be noticed here. First, the Lord completely sets aside Samaritanism as false and evil — "Ye worship ye know not what." Secondly, He vindicates Judaism as intelligent and of God — "we know what we worship," &c. He then proceeds to show that the hour had come to set both aside, that a better thing might be established. There are no holy places in Christianity. Simple as this is, how few comparatively understand it! To recognise and serve a holy place on earth now is to rob one's soul of the enjoyment of all that is distinctively Christian. Alas, this is where the great majority of professors of Christianity are to-day, and where they have been for centuries.

Further, we worship "the Father." What nearness and affection is implied in this! We stand now in the relationship of children through Christ's work, and can lift up the heart in worship in the conscious liberty of sonship. Is not this infinitely higher and more blessed than groaning that the burden of our sins is intolerable, beseeching Him not to remember against us our offences, and the sins of our forefathers, and not to be angry with us for ever? Assuredly it is. But this quite shuts out all who are not children of God. For such the gospel is intended; until that is received in faith, none have title to join in worshipping the Father, neither indeed are they in a spiritual condition to do so.

The Father seeketh worshippers — precious thought! But He seeks those who will worship Him in spirit and in truth. This implies that the inner man is engaged under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, and that His truth is known and controlling the soul. This is in direct contrast with mere forms, which require neither God's truth nor His spirit, and can never satisfy His heart.

Further, not only does the Father desire spiritual (in contrast with ritual) worship, but His solemn "must" comes in — "they that worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth." His nature is now fully revealed; what God requires — what is suitable to Him — is now declared in consequence. Men who come before Him with mere external rites treat Him as if He were a nonentity as the deities of the heathen; the Christian who has been brought to know Him, yea, who has been born of Him, understands that spiritual worship alone can suit such a God as ours. May we ever delight to render it according to His word.

The Epistle to the Hebrews introduces to us an entirely different line of truth. Throughout the Epistle, the believer is regarded as in the wilderness, passing onward to the rest of God. His infirmities are recognized, and the priesthood of Christ is brought in for help on the road. As to worship, we have liberty of access by faith to the heavenly sanctuary. This is all quite different from John's line of instruction. There, as we have seen, the family relationship is prominent — we are viewed as children, worshipping the Father in spirit and in truth.

Let us examine Hebrews 10: 19-22. The apostle says we have boldness (or liberty) to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus. Under the law, the worshippers could not go into the presence of God. The veil barred the way. But there is no hindrance now. The work of Jesus has so satisfied God's claims that the veil is rent, and the way into the holiest is now made manifest. Moreover, our consciences are purged, so that we are able to stand in peace before Him. We have the assurance that the one sacrifice of Jesus has removed all our sins, and has perfected us for ever. His present seat at the right hand of God is the glorious proof that the question of sins has been settled once and for ever. If we had not this confidence, we could not worship. A man who is uncertain and unhappy as to his position before God is not in a condition to worship, however upright and good his desires.

The flesh of Jesus having been rent — His work being accomplished, the way to God is open, and every believer may draw near with holy boldness. 'Full assurance of faith' glorifies God really, whatever some may think. We constantly fall in with those who have no certainty about anything, and who think it a right and proper Christian condition. Far be the thought. If aught depended on ourselves, we might well be filled with fear and trembling; but knowing that our Christian privileges are all based upon the work of the Lord Jesus, we dare not dishonour Him by entertaining a doubt.

Yet we do well to remember our present imperfect condition. To be "perfect, as pertaining to the conscience," is not necessarily to be perfect in every other sense. In fact, while we are in the body, every service will fall short of God's standard and of our own desires. I do not now speak of positive sin, but of the shortcoming which is due to our infirmities. Here the priesthood of Christ comes in as our aid. "Having an high priest over the house of God," through Him all our spiritual sacrifices rise up to God acceptably. He presents them to God for us, accompanied by all the excellency and fragrance of His ever blessed person and work. What comfort for our hearts! Who has not felt the truth of the words, "Weak is the effort of my heart, and cold my warmest thought?" How dependent we are on Him, not only for our general need in the wilderness, but even in the highest possible service of our renewed hearts!

In verse 22 we have an important allusion to the installation of the Aaronic priests. "Our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water," reminds us of the sprinkling of the blood of the sacrifice, and of the washing at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, see Lev. 8: 6-24. The latter is typical of the new birth, without which none can serve the living and true God; the former is the token that we are clean in His sight, and that no sin can ever be laid to our charge.

Such, in brief, is our Christian position, yet how little is it understood by the many! When Paul wrote, souls were slow to grasp the blessedness of the new order which Christ had brought in, because of the blinding power of ancient religious prejudices; and the same thing accounts for the darkness which covers many minds today. Earthly systems have been reared up in imitation of a judged Judaism, and the tendency of them all is to keep the soul more or less at a distance from God. May He establish our souls more completely in His own grace and truth.

"What think ye of Christ? Whose Son is He?"

"What think ye of Christ? Whose Son is He?"

— Matt. 22: 41.

W. W. Fereday.

It is a sorrowful fact that in these days everything is being called in question. Even the most important truths of Christianity are being assailed, and as a result the minds of many true children of God are being sadly shaken. Many who unfeignedly love our Lord Jesus Christ, who truly desire to do His will, and to hold nothing but the truth, are in perplexity at the present time because of theories that are being circulated around them. I trust we may be enabled to help one another's souls during this Conference, so that we may go hence more firmly established in all "those things which are most surely believed amongst us."

There was a time when the attacks upon the truths of Christianity came from those without, which was no matter of surprise to Christians. Persons who make no religious profession cannot be expected to have any sympathy with the things that are very dear to us. But in these last days Satan has changed his tactics, and his most serious assaults upon the truth are now being made, not by the avowed enemies of Christ, but by those who profess to be the friends of Christ. The most dangerous antagonists of the truth of God to-day are some of the reverend critics.

A few years ago these opponents of God's truth contented themselves with attacking the Book. They raised the most serious questions in regard to some of the things contained therein. Thus, for those who believed them, Moses did not write Deuteronomy and many other parts of the Pentateuch; Isaiah was not the writer of the last twenty-seven chapters of his prophecy; and Jonah never existed. It was feared then by those who loved the Lord Jesus Christ that the time would come when they would push their attacks still further, and assail the holy person of our Lord. For in their statements concerning the Book, they frequently put themselves in direct opposition to Christ Himself. It is certain that He more than once attributed to Moses the very portions of Scripture which they say he never wrote at all; and in regard to Jonah, He most solemnly affirmed him to be a historical personage, and that he was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, even as the Old Testament records.

It was inevitable that sooner or later the critics should assail the Lord Himself, in order to make their own position consistent in the eyes of the public. Thus these unholy traffickers are now speaking of Him as if He were just an ignorant country Jew! If He said Moses wrote Deuteronomy, it was because He did not know better, the modern critics being in a much more advantageous position to pronounce upon such subjects than He! They have invented a doctrine called the Kenosis (a word borrowed from the Greek of Phil. 2: 7), by which they mean that our Lord Jesus in becoming a man became limited in knowledge, knowing no more than was generally known in His day, and that therefore His utterances upon some subjects cannot be regarded as authoritative.

It behoves us to look into these things seriously, that our souls may be established in what God has written in His Word. In the passage of Scripture before us, we have the Lord Jesus submitting a test question to the people standing about Him. It happened at the close of a day of questioning. First the Pharisees came to Him raising a query about the tribute money. Then the Sadducees stepped forward and propounded their difficulty about the resurrection of the dead. They were followed by a lawyer, whom the Lord silenced as the others. Then He turned upon them and said (to the Pharisees especially): "What think ye of the Christ? Whose Son is He?" Everything depended on their answer to that question. If they had believed the prophecies of the Old Testament concerning Him, and had replied that He was Son of God, though born of the line of David and Abraham, but one course would have been open to them — to fall at His feet in worship, owning Him God manifested in flesh, the true hope of Israel. The crown and the kingdom would then have been His, instead of the cross and the grave.

The test question for that day is the test question for this day also. Everything depends upon the answer that our souls give to it. The Word of God furnishes us with the answer, and every heart that values the Word and bows to its authority is satisfied with what God has said therein.

Turn to Heb. 1. Here we have the deity of our adorable Lord presented to us. He is the

SON OF GOD,

more exalted than the angels, having inherited a more excellent name than they. Some people profess to see a difference between the expressions "Son of God" and "God the Son," saying that they accept Him as the former but not as the latter. The difference is altogether a fanciful one. In John 5, where we have the Jews finding fault with the Lord Jesus for saying, "My Father worketh hitherto, and I work," we read that "the Jews sought the more to kill Him, because He not only had broken the Sabbath, but said also that God was His Father, making Himself equal with God." They understood Him to mean that when He said He was the Son of God He claimed equality with God, and the Lord did not repudiate their interpretation of His words. Had He been mere man He would certainly have done so. If any servant of Christ on this platform were to put out an expression that appeared blasphemous to any hearer, and no such thought were intended, he would indignantly repudiate it upon its being pointed out to him Our Lord could not have done less had He been merely a good man as some assert. On the contrary He accepted His objectors' interpretation of His words, and went on to confirm it in every possible way in the course of the chapter. (See also John 10: 33; 19: 7). Accordingly our Lord Jesus Christ is the "Son of God," and the expression is equivalent in meaning to "God the Son." He is equal in majesty, power and glory with God the Father, and with God the Holy Ghost.

In the Gospel of Matthew the Lord Jesus Himself answers the question that He put to the Pharisees. On that very day, or perhaps the previous day, He gave utterance to two parables, in both of which He asserted that He was the Son of God. There was first the parable of the vineyard and the husbandmen, in which the owner of the vineyard says: "I will send my beloved son: it may be they will reverence him when they see him." The Pharisees knew perfectly well what the Lord meant when He put that parable before them, and described the casting out and murder of the Son. He then proceeded to tell another parable about the marriage supper that the king made for his son, to which the invited guests refused to come. It was another plain assertion of His divine Sonship. (Matt. 21: 33 — Matt. 22: 14).

This is what the apostle is occupied with in Heb. 1. He gives us seven quotations from the Old Testament Scriptures in proof of the dignity and glory of the Lord who died. It is very striking how, in verses 2 and 3, in very few words an outline sketch is given to us of the whole career of our blessed Lord from the eternity that lies behind this world up to His present seat at the right hand of God. First we read, "Whom He hath appointed heir of all things." This was before the world began. We are thus given an insight into the eternal counsels of God, and we learn that Christ was always His one grand thought. In the formation of His purposes, whether in regard to creation or redemption, He was thinking of His beloved Son, and of what would be for His glory. Next we have, "By Whom also He made the worlds." This carries our minds back to Gen. 1, to the beginning of material things. The active agent in the great work of creation was the Son — nothing came into being apart from Him. Then we are told that He is "the brightness of His glory, and the express image of His substance" (R.V.) This has special reference to His incarnation. He was, of course, ever the effulgence of the divine glory, but I take it that in this place the apostle is especially occupied with what He was amongst men. So from Gen. 1 we pass to Matt. 1, where we have Him born into this world in order to make God known, to bring Him very near to the hearts of men, and to bring men to the heart of God. Following this we read, "and upholding all things by the word of His power" — a plain assurance to us that when our Lord Jesus became incarnate He did not surrender a single attribute of Deity. In the days of His humiliation He proved His omniscience by reading men's thoughts, and laying bare the purposes of their hearts, and He showed His omnipotence by commanding the winds and waves to obey Him. And more, the whole universe depended upon Him even in the days of His deepest distress. The apostle's next sentence takes us in thought to the cross — "when He had by Himself purged our sins." Amazing truth — the eternal Son of God stooped to become a sacrifice for us! How awful is sin, if nothing less would suffice to put it away. He brought the world into being by His word, and by the same word He upholds all created things, as the apostle here teaches us; but His word was not sufficient for the putting away of our sins. A work must be wrought, the Son of God must die. By His atoning death purification has been effected, all the claims of the throne of God have been satisfied, and the One who died has gone above and taken His seat at the right hand of the Majesty on high. There the Spirit leaves Him in Heb. 1. He has not got beyond that point yet, but the time will come when He will get on the throne on which He now sits and will come back into the world as its rightful king and judge.

The Lord's question comes again to my mind, "What think ye of Christ? Whose Son is He?" If that question were put to this audience this morning, would not every believer present exclaim with all his heart as Peter long ago, "Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God?" Or would we not say with Thomas, falling at His feet in deepest adoration, "My Lord and my God"? Let others have their doubts as to His peerless person if they will, but He is to our souls their all in all.

Turn now to Heb. 2. Here we have a further answer to our Lord's great question. This chapter gives us, not His divine being but His human nature. He is Son of God in chap. 1; He is

SON OF MAN

in chap. 2. In chap. 1. He is much better than the angels; here He is made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death. We shall never be able to comprehend the union of the divine and the human in our blessed Lord, and we dare not venture in our thoughts beyond what is written in the Scriptures. We unfeignedly believe it, though we cannot fathom the mystery of it, that He who was very God became very man for our redemption. Have you noticed where, in the New Testament, we first find His title "Son of Man?" It is in Matt. 8: 20. In reply to one who volunteered to follow Him whithersoever He went, He said, "The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man hath not where to lay His head." The Divine Son put Himself in the position of Son of Man, not having where to lay His head! He became Son of Man for the suffering of death. In Heb. 2 several reasons are assigned for this. In ver. 9 we are told that He tasted "death for every thing." (The word "man" is not found in the original). In virtue of His death every created thing, both below and above, will be reconciled to God, and He will find pleasure once more in the works of His hands. Secondly, we learn that the majesty of God required His suffering unto death. "For it became Him, for Whom are all things, and by Whom are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the Captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings" (ver. 10). It was impossible for God to carry out His purposes of grace towards sinful men save on the ground of Christ's death. The perfection spoken of is not personal but official. Personally He was always perfect; but He was not, and could not be, Saviour (in the full meaning of that word) until He had passed through all the suffering of Calvary. Thus was He officially perfected. Thirdly, He suffered and died that "He might destroy (or annul) him that had the power of death, that is, the devil" (ver. 9). Fourthly, He died that He might "deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage" (ver. 15). Consequently the dread and the bondage which characterised the saints of Old Testament times have been dispelled for ever for all who now believe.

Fifthly, He became man and suffered in order into make propitiation for the sins of the people" (ver. 17, R.V.); and Sixthly, He became in all things like unto His brethren as a preparation for His present priesthood "for in that He Himself hath suffered being tempted He is able to succour them that are tempted" (ver. 18). While we glory in our Saviour as the divine Son of God, the fact appeals to us most touchingly that He is also Son of Man. As man He walked this earth before us, tempted and tried, enduring the contradiction of sinners against Himself from day to day. Having passed through these experiences, He is perfectly able to understand our case, and to sympathise with us in all that comes upon us as children of faith passing through a sinful world. The tender sympathetic heart of Jesus is with us every step of the way. But if He had not passed through this world as man before us, He could not have entered into our circumstances, as now He is able to do.

Because He is Son of Man, He is entitled to universal dominion. He is going to be the Head of all things in "the world to come." When God made the first man He gave him dominion over the beasts of the field, the fowls of the air, the fishes of the sea, indeed, over all the lower creatures of His hand. But the first man proved himself utterly unworthy of the position of responsibility and authority in which God set him. Instead of being able to rule over everything that God had placed under him, he soon proved that he was unable to rule himself. He fell into the bondage of the devil, and man has been there ever since. But God is going to give universal dominion by and bye to the Second Man, called in Psalm 8, "the Son of Man." This Psalm cannot refer to Adam; he was not the Son of Man — he was nobody's son in that sense. We read "What is man that Thou art mindful of him? And the Son of Man that Thou visitest him? For Thou hast made Him a little lower than the angels, and hast crowned Him with glory and honour. Thou madest Him to have dominion over the works of Thy hands; Thou hast put all things under His feet. All sheep and oxen, yea, and the beasts of the field, the fowl of the air, and the fish of the sea, and whatsoever passeth through the paths of the seas." As Son of Man who has perfectly glorified God, He is entitled to take up the first man's forfeited rights, with an immeasurably wider glory. The time is coming when He will sit upon the throne of the universe; in that blessed era the whole creation will rest peacefully under His beneficent sway. The first man failed, but the Second Man can never fail. The Son of Man — God's ideal man — will yet be seen in His rightful place as Head of all things that God has made.

We will now leave the epistle to the Hebrews, and turn to Matt. 1 for further answers to our Lord's question. This Gospel opens with "the generation of Jesus Christ, the

SON OF DAVID,

the son of Abraham." No doubt the Spirit of God began in that way because it was His design in the Gospel by Matthew to show the Jewish people that Jesus of Nazareth was the One on Whom their national hopes were based. The first of the four Evangelists makes it plain that the babe who was born in Bethlehem is David's true seed according to the flesh, the heir to the promises contained in the Old Testament Scriptures. In Psalm 132: 11, it is written, "the Lord hath sworn in truth unto David; He will not turn from it; of the fruit of thy body will I set upon thy throne." This passage has, no doubt, some reference to Solomon, but its primary application is to David's greater Son, the Lord Jesus. Before our Lord came into the world, the right to David's throne was in the hands of Joseph, who was his descendant through Solomon. Mary was also of David's line, but she belonged to a junior branch, being descended from the great king through Nathan. Through Mary alone the Lord Jesus could never have inherited David's throne, for Joseph and his heirs would have barred the way. God had thus this problem to solve, how to give Him Joseph's rights, without making Him Joseph's actual son. Had He been Joseph's son He could not have been our Saviour; He would then have been just a man like ourselves, and nothing more. But God in His infinite wisdom ordered it that He should be born in wedlock, yet by the miraculous intervention of the Holy Ghost, whatever some of the evil critics of the present day may say in their unbelief The facts were put before Joseph by God Himself, and devoutly accepted by him. All responsibility connected with the babe was divinely put upon Joseph, according to the Matthew account of the matter. To him the angel appeared, not to Mary; it was he who took both mother and Babe into Egypt, and it was he who brought them back again into the land of Israel Our Lord thus inherits Joseph's rights indisputably. Before all Israel He stood forth as his legal heir, and probably no Jew would ever be disposed to question His claim to that position. And so it is divinely said, "the Lord God shall give unto Him the throne of His father David: and He shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of His kingdom there shall be no end " (Luke 1: 32, 33).

His title Son of David involves within itself the restoration of the people of Israel to their land. At the present time there is no nation of Israel for David's greater Son to rule over. It is a remarkable sign of the times that the Jewish people are now desiring to be a nation once more. During the past few years they have held their Congresses in various parts of Europe for the discussion of the question how they can get Jerusalem and Palestine into their own hands again Their minds are bent on accomplishing this, and they are not willing to accept any refusal. It surely points to the speedy return of our Lord Jesus Christ. He will indeed soon appear, and will deliver Zion so long trodden down by the Gentiles, setting up again the throne of David so long dishonoured in the dust. The whole twelve tribes of Israel will then be restored by divine favour, and He will establish them in the land of their fathers, Himself administering the government of the kingdom in perfect righteousness and equity. We thus look to see our Lord Jesus Christ getting His earthly rights as Son of David.

We come back again to the great question, "What think ye of Christ? Whose Son is He?" Matthew furnishes us with yet another answer to it. Not only is He Son of David; He is also

SON OF ABRAHAM.

It was not Isaac but Christ that God had before His mind when He said to the patriarch at Moriah, "In thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed" (Gen. 22: 18). This is fully argued by the apostle in Gal. 3. God is not only going to bless the whole house of Israel in the day to come, He has also in His mind purposes concerning universal blessing He means to bless the human family as such, filling the whole earth with the knowledge of Himself "The glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together: for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it" (Isaiah 40: 5) When God's time comes for this, the tempter will be hurled from his throne, the rightful King of Kings and Lord of Lords will be established on His throne, and all the nations of the earth will enjoy His sway. All that men can do will never bring in universal peace and blessing. Civilization will not accomplish it. Peace Congresses will not bring it about. But God is going to bless all the nations in Abraham's Seed, the Christ who died and rose again. The world's hopes centre in Him, although the world as yet neither knows it nor recognises it. But the day will dawn when the whole world will be brought to His feet, and men of every clime will be able to give a true answer to the question in Matt. 22: 41. From one end of the universe to the other men will say with Thomas, "My Lord and my God"

This happy condition of things will not be brought about by evangelistic effort. Some Christian people imagine that the whole human family is to be brought to Christ through the preaching of the present Gospel. But it is a mistake. God is occupied during this age in taking out from among the nations a people for His name (Acts 15: 14). When this work is completed, the Church of God will be called up to the Father's house. Then God will turn to the accomplishment of His larger purposes; Israel will be restored, and all the nations of the earth will be blessed in the true seed of Abraham. He is both the hope of Israel and of the whole creation.

Our Lord Jesus Christ is thus Son of God, Son of Man, Son of David, and Son of Abraham, and worthy of the homage of our hearts both now and for ever.