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 1 
 
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 << 
 
God's Truth, 
 
 / 
 
 — AND — 
 
 Man's I 
 
 N FIDELITY 
 
 — OR -- 
 
 Faitli and Sight Eontrasted, 
 
 . - ■• •■ ■ , ■ 
 
 A BOOK FOR ** THESE LAST DAYS," 
 
 By LeRoy Foote, 
 
 «< 
 
 «i 
 
 ••'Contend for the faith which was once t'.elivered \nito the Saints. "—Jude 8. 
 
 For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but migthy in the Lord 
 to tlie pulling down of strongholds."— -2 Cor. x. 4. 
 
 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, 
 against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against 
 spiritual wickedness in high places.'^— Eph. vi. 12. 
 
 ** For we walk by faith and not by sight*"'- 2 Cor. v. 7, and we " sow 
 l»eside all waters.^ 
 
 OTTAWA : 
 
 PRINTED BY A. S. WOODBURN, ELGIN STREET. 
 
 iSSi. 
 
■">.v 
 
 TABLE OF CONTENTS. 
 
 -•♦•- 
 
 GOD'S TRUTH AND MAN'S INFIDFLITY. 
 
 Chapter i.— The Simplicity and Stable Character of Scriptural 
 Authority— Origin of Infidelity— Different Phases of Un- 
 belief — Reflections. ... .... .... • - • • Page 5 
 
 Chapter 11- —Cain and Abel and their Offerings— God's Esti- 
 mate of Man before the Flood— The Building of Babel and 
 the Idolatry of the Nations— The Calling of Al)raham— 
 Review of Princif>les .... •/♦- P* ^^ 
 
 Chapter hi.— Israel as a Nation under the Lnw— God's Provi- 
 sion* and Man's Necessity— The Utter Failure of the Flesh 
 to Please God — Reflections .... p. 21 
 
 • • • 
 
 Chapter iv.— God's Dealings with the Jews in the Land and 
 Their Unfaithfulness— The ** Times of the Gentiles "—The 
 Advent of Our Lord Jesus Christ and Mis Rejection- 
 Character of His Opposers P* 3^ 
 
 Chapter v.— The Promise of the Holy Ghost and His Descent 
 at Pentecost— His Mission and Rejection by Israel— Paul's 
 Ministry and the Church of God— Messages to the Seven 
 Churches in Asia — Reflections P* 45 
 
 Chapter vi.— Results of Infidelity and Departure from God in 
 Modern Times— Historical Proofs that Man Without God, 
 ends in Total Ruin— Reflections P- 74 
 
 Chapter vii.— Brief Notes and Essays on Different 
 
 Subjects— PMrophecy 83 
 
 The Treasure in Earthen Vessels 
 
 104 
 
III. 
 
 83 
 
 104 
 
 The Opened Heavens 
 - 7.' 
 Election 
 
 .♦ ^ •"• 
 
 • • • • 
 
 • • • • 
 
 CJidcon and his Army in their Typical Character . . .'. 
 Teaching the Angels .... 
 
 • • • • 
 
 Letter on the Development and Growth of Spiritual 
 Perceptions 
 
 Woman's Rirhts .... .... ^• 
 
 • . . . • • • • .... » » . ♦ 
 
 Letter to a Friend- ; 
 
 . •••• •••« ••«« 
 
 Sincerity of Purpose .... 
 
 —_ ' '' ■ ' 
 
 The Dignity of La1)or 
 
 ■••• .... ..■, 
 
 Christian Conflict .... * ' ' 
 
 •••• •••• •«», 
 
 On the Evils arising from Popular Amusements 
 Earthly Lore and Spiritual Attainment 
 
 Yokes of Bondage 
 
 Truth ..." 
 
 • • • « 
 
 • • • • 
 
 ,/ 
 
 POETRY. 
 
 Jesus Died on C^va<J5-y . . . 
 The House-Top Saint 
 Comfort in the Scriptures 
 The Beacon Light .... 
 Joy in Temptation . . , , 
 My Home Up There 
 
 To Faith 
 
 Trust in Christ 
 
 t • • • 
 
 • • • f 
 
 • • • • 
 
 119 
 
 123 
 127 
 
 131 
 
 132 
 150 
 
 151 
 
 m 
 
 154 
 
 155 
 
 157 
 
 160 
 
 161 
 
 162 
 
 • • • • 
 
 103 
 109 
 122 
 130 
 156 
 163 
 '164 
 164 
 
r 
 
 INTRODUCTORY NOTE. 
 
 l^eader, the God with whom we have to do, is a God of solemn, 
 divine reality. He is presented in H's Word, as revealed in 
 the Person of Christ, for "great is the mystery of godliness, 
 God was manifest in the fleshy justified in the spirit, seen of angels, 
 preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received 
 up into Glory. " In the face of this solemn truth, we propose to 
 look at some of the realities which our God has revealed unto us, 
 and may our hearts be subject to His Word, and our spirits ton- 
 ed with deep reverence, as we enter upon our meditations over 
 what He has presented for our edification and comfort. And 
 as a result of our brief re\pew of Divine Truth, may we not only 
 prize His Word more highly, but become more fortified against 
 lit which He is forced to enter into judgment upon, that what 
 He approves may stand out in strong contrast to what He must 
 (if consistent with HimselQ necessarily condemn. We ask all 
 who love the truth as it is revealed in the Person of Christ, to 
 resist error, "to prove all things and hold fast that which is 
 good." W^e would put no legal bondage upon the necks of any, 
 but endeavor to set forth the true character of that which makes 
 a "fair show in the flesh," by presenting something desirable 
 while it contains the very essence of spiritual distraction, and 
 we would briefly attempt to show that "the way thereof is 
 death " The increasing prevalence ^f false doctrine, and its 
 finely clothed appearance to resemble truth, calls for plain speak- 
 ing and earnest, simple detail, that all who read may understand 
 something of the character of that in which we are moving " in 
 these last days." On every hand, false lights are rising up to 
 lure simple souls into infidelity and despair, God's own Word is 
 scorned and derided by the proud assumptions of man, while 
 human reason and carnal speculation, seek to measure the In- 
 finite God, and deduce their own finite conclusions from the 
 base material which the natural man can only possess to work 
 upon. To meet the subtlety and craft of such spiritual foes, we 
 need to bring them into the light of God's Word, and glance at 
 their origin and results, for by its light, all that which is oppos- 
 ed to God is made mainfest. The following brief effort, aims to 
 present a line of contrast between faith and sight, and the reader 
 IS especially requested to mark the difference of character be- 
 tween what man desires in naturCj and that which God values 
 according to His own estimate. If this difference is entered 
 into in spirit, the value of the work will be more fully apparent. 
 
 L. F. 
 
mm TRUTH and MAN'S INFIDELITY. 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 The simplicity and stable character of scriptural authority — 
 Origin of infidelity — Different phases and forms of unbelief — 
 Reflections. 
 
 Authority for what we assert, is of paramount im- 
 portance. Imaginative conclusions, will not stand 
 thorough tests. The human mind is susceptible to 
 influences, and unless the heart be established in grace 
 with truth in the inward parts, there will be instability, 
 double-mindedness and an uncertain sound produced. 
 Man needs authority from God for what he asserts, or 
 he soon manifests what God's Word declares, that 
 " he that trusteth in his own heart is a fool." To 
 what then can we look for authority, with such confi- 
 dence, as to the Word of God ? • ■ 
 
 What can take its place and inspire such strength 
 of faith as it ? What authority is so simple, yet so 
 comprehensive ; so varied yet so permanent ; so min- 
 ute in detail and so general in scoi)e ; so descriptive 
 of the outward creation, yet so profound in its re- 
 velation of the inner and unseen though to the eye 
 of faith. Its character is above (juestion, for who will 
 attempt to set aside what . ' has declared ? It 
 matters not, whether as men we accept the Bible as 
 God's Word or not, our unbelief will not change itS 
 true character and import ; ^ further than our own 
 individual profit and influence is concerned. There 
 is a power atten g its utterance and use, which the 
 boldest adversar uinot withstand. It is rightly term- 
 ed the " Sword of the Spirit," for with it the simplest 
 minded christian, using it in the energy of the Holy 
 Ghost, can confound the most profound and crafty 
 opposers. We need not human reason to meet Satanic 
 
 s 
 
arguments, for trusting to reason we are soon })ut to 
 silence for reason unsanctified by grace is but flesh, 
 which in its best eatate, cannot withstand Satanic 
 power. To God's Word we must refer for authority 
 for what we set forth and claim it as the ground u])on 
 which to raise a barrier against the subtle opposition 
 of Satanic power. Fidelity to God, is faithfulness to 
 Him under a knowledge of His revealed will, working 
 out under a sense of dependence, ///fidelity (with- 
 out faith), is a disregard of God's will, and a positive 
 denial of those judgments and punishments which He 
 is sure to visit upon those who scorn and neglect the 
 offer of His Christ as a needed ransom for a lost and 
 ruined race. 
 
 The origin of infidelity is set forth in the Word of 
 God. The condition of Adam in Eden before sin 
 came in, was that of perfect innocence, with every 
 want supplied, and man constituted lord over all creat- 
 ed things. — Gen. i. 28, 30. 
 
 Eve was taken out of Adam, and formed " bone of 
 his bone," as a companion in this happy condition of 
 innocence, and so long as they walked in obedience, 
 God had communion and fellowship with them, 
 for what he created was very good, and He cared for 
 Adam and Eve, as the highest type of his own handi- 
 work on earth. God establishes his authority over 
 Adam, for without authority all is chaos and confusion, 
 by giving a command : '' Of every tree of the garden 
 thou mayest freely eat : but of the tree of the know- 
 ledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it, for in 
 the day thou eatest thereof, thou shalt surely die.'* 
 Gen. ii. 16, 17. Here was the command with the 
 penalty attached, putting Adam into a place of respon- 
 sibility and bringing in the character of disobedience 
 as sift before God. But Satan tempts the woman to 
 believe that God had kept back the best tree from 
 their use. *' Yea, hath God said ye shall not eat of 
 every tree of the garden ?" He feigns ignorance by 
 
put to 
 . flesh, 
 vitanic 
 thority 
 
 I upon 
 
 losition 
 
 less to 
 
 orking 
 
 (with- 
 )ositive 
 ich He 
 ect the 
 )st and 
 
 lord of 
 ore sin 
 every 
 
 II creat- 
 
 bone of 
 ition of 
 idience, 
 I them, 
 ired for 
 1 handi- 
 ty over 
 tifusion, 
 garden 
 ; know- 
 :, for in 
 ly die.'* 
 nth. the 
 respon- 
 edience 
 man to 
 :e from 
 ; eat of 
 mce by 
 
 this ([uestion, and when Eve repeats Clod's command 
 with the penalty modified to " lest ye die," Satan 
 comes in with a positive denial of what God had said. 
 Mark the influence he gets over the woman ! " Ye 
 shall not surely die : for God doth know that in the 
 day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be openeu 
 and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil." 
 — Chap. iii. 4, 5." God's result of their disobe- 
 dience was, " Ye shall surely die ! " Satan's result 
 is " Ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil." Thus 
 the lie of the devil prevails over the weaker side of 
 Adafnic life in Eden. What is the result ? Eve, by 
 placing herself under the power of God's enemy sees 
 in the fruit the seducing character of the world in 
 \.hich we are now moving. " And when the woman 
 saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was plea- 
 sant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one 
 wise, she took of the fruit thereof and did eat, and 
 gave also unto her husband and he did eat. (Verse 6). 
 It was the power the serpent gained over the weaker 
 vessel, that gave her a sight of the three things which 
 characterise the world under Satan's rule, as opposed 
 to God. 
 
 The tree was good for food, here is the lust of the 
 flesh. It was pleasant to the eyes, here you get the 
 lust of the eye. It was a tree to be desired to make 
 one wise, and here the pride of life. If we turn to i 
 John ii. 16, we see these three things, '' which are 
 not of the Father but are of the world," and christians 
 cautioned against loving the world, or the things which 
 characterise it, for they are of Satanic origin, and came 
 in as a result of sin. Death, is God's penalty upon 
 Adam and Eve for disobedience, for f/ie wages of sin 
 is death. Satan is the one who holds the power of 
 death, and our first parents, by putting themselves 
 under his power, and committing sin, get the w^ages 
 due to those who disobey God and serve the devil. 
 It is in this spirit of disobedience that unregenerate 
 
mr 
 
 i 
 
 man acts and brings forth sin instead of fruit unto 
 God, for ** whatsoever is not of faith is sin," and bears 
 that character before Ood. "Without faith we can- 
 not please (lod," and the characteristic of infidelity 
 as well as of idolatry, is to walk and estimate from the 
 sight of the eye and not by faith. Adam and Eve 
 sewed fig leaves to make aprons to cover their shame 
 and guilt, /or in consequence of knoivin^ good and evil 
 they had a guilty conSi nee. (len. iii. 7. Here is 
 the uneasiness of the natural heart set forth as it 
 labors in its own strength to ^(c; something to hide its 
 own lack of i)erfection, from the justice and condem- 
 nation of (lod. Adam and Eve knew they had dis- 
 obeyed God, hence their miserable attemi)t to evade 
 the responsibility of rendering an account, and the 
 displeasure of God which must result from their sin. 
 Man in Adam owns his need, in his very attem))ts to 
 satisfy God by good works in the energy of th^ fltsh, 
 he says Ijy his restless fleshly activity *' something is 
 wrong and I must do the best I can to set it right," 
 and the fig leaves of self righteousness are the result. 
 But God condemns their device,'calls them to account 
 and gives Adam, Eve, and the Serpent each their sen- 
 tence. Adam by the sweat of his brow must eat of 
 the fruit of a cursed earth ; Eve must have sorrow and 
 conception multiplied, and be a subject to her hus- 
 band's rule, while the Serpent was cursed above all beasts, 
 and sentenced to crawl upon its belly. Vers. 14-20. 
 
 But what does God do in marvellous condescending 
 grace so like Himself. " Unto Adam also and unto 
 his wife, did the Lord God make coats of skins and 
 clothed them." v. 21. Of that, which resulted from 
 the death of the animals, the skins, a covering was 
 made, which was according to God's mind, a striking 
 type of God's Lamb which was to be offered as a sac- 
 rifi^ and substitute for sinful man on the cross. 
 What a rebuke to the busy activity of man's self- 
 righteous, legal heart. 
 
lit unto 
 u\ hears 
 wc can- 
 nfidelity 
 rom the 
 uid Eve 
 r shame 
 a;id evil 
 Here is 
 th as it 
 hide its 
 condom - 
 had dis- 
 to evade 
 and the 
 their sin. 
 tem])ts to 
 til. fltsh, 
 lething is 
 it rigiit," 
 he result. 
 :o account 
 their sen- 
 jst eat of 
 Drrow and 
 I her hus- 
 : all beasts, 
 s. 14-20. 
 iesccnding 
 and unto 
 skins and 
 ilted from 
 ^ering was 
 a striking 
 d as a sac- 
 the cross, 
 nan's self- 
 
 We get the origin of infidelity and all its multifari- 
 ous- phases, in the principle of disobedience. Ood 
 commands and Satan suggests, and Satan is believed • 
 instead of (lod. God's love and tender mercy, is 
 (juite accei)table to all propagators of false doctrine, 
 as it bears with their j)reverseness and headstrong 
 wills; and they can talk elocjueptly about His love, 
 but touch the (juestion of His justice and they rebel 
 at once. To vindicate his own character and be con- 
 sistent with Himself, God must deal in judgment with 
 sin ; and judgment is called in His Word, His 
 " stninge work," for it is foreign to His nature for God 
 is Love. lUit vSatan and wicked men have forced God 
 to deal in judgment, and it is because infidels refuse 
 to own the judged Condition of man in Adam, that 
 they deny God's justice and try to exalt man into a 
 position cf favor and consequence before Him con- 
 trary to His estimate. Each of the different phases 
 and forms of unbelief extant, present some central 
 thoughts of Satanic suggestion, around which their fol- 
 lowers gather and fortify their minds against the V'ord 
 of (iod. It may be well to present here in brief some 
 of the leading characteristics of the different forms of 
 unbelief to jjrove the above assertion. Take for ex- 
 ample, Unitarianism. — It positively denies the need 
 of Christ as a sacrifice on the cross, to atone for sin, 
 rejects His divinity and reduces Him to the standard 
 of a mere man in the flesh. It does this while it talks 
 about (Jod, proving that its followers "profess that 
 they know God while in works they deny Him." In 
 denying the divinity of Christ surely they are far from 
 (iod, for it is only he that hath the Son, that hath 
 the Father also. Unitarianism is a solemn theolo- 
 gical cheat, a device to present a semblance of belief 
 in God, while it sets aside Christ in His true character 
 who is the very ground of faith and reconciliation to 
 God the Father. A glance at Universalism^ shows it 
 to be another crafty effort on man's part to evade 
 
 •. 
 
 •!' 
 
i 
 
 ! i 
 
 ( 
 
 
 10 
 
 God's solemn, unerring judgments upon the wicked. 
 It encourages the natural out-cropping of man's sin- 
 ful nature, by setting aside the word, respecting God's 
 everlasting punishment of the wicked in the lake of 
 fire. God's word about judgment and the punishment 
 of the wicked in the lake of fire, is as positive as it is 
 in setting forth His love. Universalists deny the fall 
 of man in Adam, and by so doing, virtually set aside 
 the need of Christ as a sacrifice for sin. Sin, as to 
 its hateful nature in the sight of God is not acknow- 
 ledged by them, because they have not the light of 
 the Holy vSpirit, which alone can reveal the true 
 character of sin in its opposition to God. It is only 
 by being born again by the Word,, and the Spirit, that 
 men can lay claim to Christianity at all, and the new 
 birth, Universalists practically deny. Its position and 
 teachings are thus op])osed to God. 
 
 Spiritualism^ is a modern out-growth of man's un 
 easy natural heart, energized by Satan to manifest 
 error and propa;i;ate opposition to God's Word and 
 work. It is evidently ancient witch-craft cropping 
 out under a new dress, and assuming a less repulsive 
 form, that it may the more effectually lure a greater 
 number of followers into its pernicious train. Dis 
 traction of mind and disorder of life, is the result of 
 yielding to the vagueries which its supporters set forth, 
 and the insane asylums reap a large share of patronage 
 when it brings forth its repulsive fruits. This may 
 seem like severe dealing, but it is what it deserves. 
 
 Mormonisin^ is a modern phase of Mahomedanism, 
 and upon the crime of polygamy, as a basis, is bringing 
 forth a generation of illegitimate creatures to fill the 
 records of crime and social disorder. It has its head- 
 quarters in Utah la the United States, and sends out 
 its missionaries to all i)arts of the world to lure poor 
 credulous people, (chiefly women), into its ungodly 
 courses. They misrepresent the life they will lead 
 when they get to the head quarters of the " Latter Day 
 
II 
 
 he wicked, 
 man's sin- 
 ting God's 
 ;he lake of 
 punishment 
 tive as it is 
 ny the fall 
 y set aside 
 Sin, as to 
 ot acknow- 
 he light of 
 .1 the true 
 It is only 
 Spirit, that 
 id the new 
 )osition and 
 
 man's un- 
 ;o manifest 
 Word and 
 ft cropping 
 ;s repulsive 
 e a greater 
 rain. Dis- 
 e result of 
 rs set forth, 
 f patronage 
 This may 
 leserves. 
 medanism, 
 is bringing 
 to fill the 
 is its head- 
 sends out 
 lure poor 
 ts ungodly 
 r will lead 
 Latter Day 
 
 Saints," as they style themselves, and when ♦^he poor 
 dupes arrive there, they are treated mor^ ijkt slaves 
 than otherwise, and subjected to the nios flagrant 
 outrages. Not having the means of returr g, these 
 deluded ones are forced to drag out a life .' misery, 
 under masters who only have their lusts and passions 
 to satisfy, and who adopt any base means necessary 
 to carry on their infernal social schemes of luring 
 souls down to crime and perdition. All should be 
 warned and an led against its ungodly allurements. 
 
 AnnihilationisfH, is another false scheme of man's 
 naturally obdurate heart, devised to evade judgment. 
 It is but a poor panacea to that end however, as it 
 teaches non-existence after death, and affords no place 
 of rest for the poor heart that has grown weary of life, 
 under the bondage and oppression of Satan. He so 
 employs agencies and temptations to plunge his sub- 
 jects into sin, that he may burden existence and create 
 desires for non-existence, and then causes them to 
 imagine that there will be no life after the death of 
 the body. Mark reader, this is Satan's work, and 
 just the opposite of the life that is produced in the 
 soul by faith in Christ. But God's own word plainly 
 shows that there will not only be existence after death, 
 but at the great White Throne judgment after the 
 millennium reign closes, the wicked dead will be rais- 
 ed in bodies, and after they have heard their sentence 
 out of the books that then will be opened, they will 
 be cast into the lake of fire. Rev. xx. 11-15. What 
 a solemn undeniable proof is here presented, that An- 
 nihilationism is utterly false. " The last enemy that 
 shall be destroyed is deaths That is, at the Great 
 White Throne the wicked dead will be raised to suf- 
 fer in bodies in the lake of fire eternally. As it is 
 in the body that sin is committed, so it is in a body that 
 the wicked are to suffer the justice of an offended God. 
 So the christian gets a glorified body in which to enjoy 
 the presence of Christ and the glory of the Father. 
 
?? 
 
 Darxvinism or Progressiveism, The principle of 
 Progressiveism, or improvement of the natural man in 
 the flesh, is gaining head in the form of the organiza- 
 tion of men and women, into what are called " Pro- 
 gressive Societies." Their aim is evidently to set the 
 need of revelation aside and substitute a rationalism 
 based upon such authority as Paines " Age of Reason," 
 and the Darwinian theory of a man springing from 
 an ape or a baboon. It is astonishing what theories 
 men will invent for the purpose of trying to set aside 
 God's account as given in His w^ord ! Instead of the 
 lying account which Satan puts into tha hearts of re- 
 bellious men, may the Lord give us to trust His ac- 
 count and hold fast the faithful word, despite all the 
 superbly false inventions of those w^ho would rather 
 believe and circulate a lie than the truth. Antinoini- 
 anisui^ is a perversion of the doctrine of election, 
 and is set forth by men who have not believed unto 
 salvation, or having believed, are willing to justify 
 themselves in sin by claiming that they will be saved 
 at all events, let them do what they will. This is 
 "doing evil that good may come, w'lose condemnation 
 is just." While the doctrine of the choice or election 
 of the church of Christ in the purpose of God before 
 the foundation of the w^orld, is not only a scriptural, 
 but a soul-comforting doctrine, it by no means opens 
 a license to sin, with the expectation that God wdll 
 save at all hazards, and thus allow^ the old nature in 
 the christian to bring forth its pernicious fruits. " If 
 any man sin we have an Advocate with the Father 
 Jesus Christ the righteous," and further, " If \vc con- 
 fess our sins. He is foithful and just to forgive us our 
 sins." Antinomianism would recklessly set aside the 
 gracious provision for the need of failing Christians, 
 and justify sin in a presumptuous dependence upon 
 God's long-suffering and tender mercy. We might 
 enumerate other fallacious doctrines which have sprung 
 up in an organized form to resist God's Word, but 
 
 no 
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 saved 
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 e the 
 tians, 
 upon 
 night 
 )rung 
 but 
 
 13 
 
 we give the reader a test from that Word by which 
 to detect false doctrine. " Every spirit that confesseth 
 not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of 
 Ciod ; and this is that spirit of Anti-Christ whereof 
 ye have heard that it shall come ; and even now al- 
 ready is it in the world." — i John iv. 3. The very 
 spirit of pride which first brought in rebellion and cast 
 Satan out of Heaven, was reproduced in Eve when 
 she tasted the forbidden fruit, and now characterizes 
 the different forms of unbelief This innate pride, 
 which comes in as the result of sin, stands between 
 the soul of the unbeliever and God, for it prevents 
 him seeing his lost condition in the old Adam and his 
 need of Christ as an Atoning Sacrifice. Instead of 
 accepting God's estimate of the old Adam nature as 
 " dead in trespasses and sins," both as to standing 
 and fruit, clever and ambitious men, puffed up by 
 knowledge and spiritual pride, set about working out 
 theories of progress and inherent human G^oodness, 
 which only reveals the solemn fact that the\ have a 
 sense of lack in their own souls, apd that some thing 
 must be done to improve man as a creature. Alas ! 
 for human expediency and clever devices for human 
 improvement. But " let God be true, though every 
 man be a liar," for His Word is " yea and amen in 
 Christ Jesus," in whom was no failure. And when we 
 reflect on the wondrous grace and mercy which has 
 followed man through all his wanderings and head- 
 strong opposition to God, how thankful ought we to 
 be that a testimony is preserved of the source of it all, 
 in the gift of His well beloved Son. The scathing, 
 sweeping blasts of infidelity, would demolish every 
 land-mark of faith by scandalous denials of God's 
 Word, and substitute if they could, the empty, virtue- 
 less speculations of corrupt concience-seared minds. 
 God's promise to Adam after his sin had expelled him 
 from Eden was, that " the seed of the woman should 
 bruise the Serpent's head." This promise was kept 
 
!■•» ■^Ili JM I 
 
 14 
 
 good to man, until Christ came as the embodiment of 
 grace and truth, as the One who could stnnd between 
 fallen man and an offended God, One in Whom 
 the sinner could be reconciled to the God against 
 whom he had sinned, and a way of escape opened up 
 from the lake of fire, which was created for Satan and 
 his angels. What a God we have reader ! What do 
 you think of His Christ ? Is He to you the fairest 
 among ten thousand, the One altogether lovely? 
 Have you realised your need as a lost sinner in the 
 old Adam condition, and accepted Him as your Sacra- 
 fice and substitute ? Or is He to you as the One who will 
 come to you r.s a judge in conse(}uence of your rejec- 
 tion of Him ? Ponder this r^viestion seriously, as it 
 is important to you as a test to your soul. 
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 
 Cain and Abel and their offerings — God's estimate of man be- 
 fore the flood — The building of Babel and the idolatry of the 
 nations — The calling of Abraham — Review of principles. 
 
 The first two children born of Adam and Eve, 
 brought each an offering to God, under a sense of 
 need, for with the fall, man got a conscience which in 
 its activity creates a sense of want in the soul. These 
 two offerings, present a strong contrast, between the 
 efforts of fallen man to do something worthy of God's 
 approval, and the place of faith which says, " I can 
 do nothing apart from God's plan and ways." " Abel 
 was a keeper of sheep, Cain was a tiller of the ground, 
 and in process of time, it came to pass that Cain 
 brought of tlie fruit of the ground, an offering unto 
 the Lord. And Abel he also brought of the firstlings 
 of his flock and of the fat thereof, and the Lord had 
 respect unto Abel and to his offering. But unto Cain, 
 and to his offering. He had not respect. And Cain 
 was very wrath and his countenance fell. Gen. iv, 2, 
 4. Why did God show this preference? Cain 
 brought the fruit of the earth as it was, with the curse 
 
ment of 
 jetvveen 
 
 Whom 
 
 against 
 ened up 
 tan and 
 
 hat do 
 e fairest 
 lovely ? 
 
 in the 
 
 • Sacra- 
 
 vho will 
 
 ir rejec- 
 
 ly, as it 
 
 man be- 
 •y of the 
 
 s. 
 
 id Eve, 
 
 ense of 
 
 hich in 
 
 These 
 ?en the 
 ^ God's 
 ' I can 
 " Abel 
 ground, 
 t Cain 
 g unto 
 rstlings 
 'd had 
 ) Cain, 
 i Cain 
 • iv, 2, 
 
 Cain 
 ; curse 
 
 - ^5 
 
 upon it ; he also brought that which was the result of 
 his own labor. Abel brought of the firstlings of his 
 flock, in which was life that God alone could give 
 *' for the life is in the blood." Abel presented to God 
 that which was purposed as a type of the One Seed, 
 whom He had promised Adam should bruise the 
 Serpents head. Cain's offering was on the ground of 
 works, but Abel's offering was purely on the ground 
 of faith. Cain was wroth through envy, that his 
 work had been set aside, and a simple offering 
 of faith instead, had been received. " And the 
 Lord said unto Cain, why art thou wroth, and why is 
 thy countenance fallen? If thou doest well, shalt thou 
 not be accepted ? And if thou doest not well, sin, (or 
 a sin offering in margin), lieth at the door." Gen. iv. 
 6, 7. Here was God's provision for Cain, in case he 
 failed in his efforts to do well in his own strength. 
 God would accept a sin offering from him, as well as 
 from Abel, if he failed on the ground of works. But 
 did Cain succeed in his doing well ? Let God's v'/ord 
 tell the story of his failure. "And Cain talked with 
 Abel his brother, and it came to pass when they were 
 in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother 
 and slew him. And the Lord said unto Cain, where 
 is Abel thy brother ? And he said, I know not : am 
 I my brothers keeper? (vers. 8, 9.) Here is tlje issue 
 of Cain's efforts to do well, or to live by law keeping, 
 for this is the principle standing out in Cain's oflering. 
 By endeavoring to "do the best he can " as many say 
 now-a-days, he ends in becoming a murderer, and is 
 driven out from God's presence with a curse and a mark 
 upon him, (vers. 11-15.) Abel's offering set forth the 
 principle of faith, " by which he obtained witness that 
 he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts ; and by it he 
 being dead, yet speaketh." Heb. xi, 4. His faith laid 
 hold of the promise according to God's mind, but Cain 
 trusted in his own work, and came under condemna- 
 tion. And this is just what the natural ma 1 does, in- 
 
l!!|il! 
 
 i6 
 
 stead of, in faith, accepting the work wrought out on 
 Calvary in the person of Christ for his salvation, he 
 denies God's account, refuses His estimate of the 
 natural man as a lost sinner in th*: old Adam state, 
 and sets about to invent a plan of his own to work up 
 a stock of excellence out of that which God has con- 
 demned. We see them, all mankind out of Christ, 
 unawakened, as dead in trespasses and sins running 
 in the course of Cain, and in the same spirit of selfish- 
 ness and defiance to (iod asking by their acts and 
 lives, "am 1 my brother's keeper?" Pride, self 
 will, ambition to excel in the world's estimation of 
 excellence, and every conceivable shape which the 
 flesh can present its pretensions to importance, are set 
 forth in the most enticing forms to ensnare the heart 
 and keep faith from acting in any way. All the sys- 
 tems of infidelity, whether they take a religious form, 
 or more openly and scandalously deny God and His 
 Word entirely, are prolific in schemes for law keeping 
 and setting the natural man to work out a degree of 
 excellence, apart from faith. It is natural for man to 
 act independent of God, and to endeavor by law works 
 and fleshly efforts, to bring God in debtor, which it is 
 impossible for God to ack owled 'e, as He has long 
 since declared the flesh as of no value in His sight. 
 The violence and bloodshed w^hich characterized the 
 antedeluvians, drew from God the just sentence that 
 " The end of all flesh is come before me ; for the 
 earth is filled with violence through them, and behold 
 I will destroy them with the earth," Gen. iv, 13. For 
 in verse 5, we read, " and God saw that the wicked- 
 ness of men was great in the earth, and that every im- 
 agination of the thoughts of his heart 7uas only evil 
 Goiiiiiinally.^'' This was God's estimate of man when 
 He resolves to destroy him off the face of the earth, 
 and He declares (v. 3.) that his "days shall be one 
 hundred and twenty years," just the length of time 
 'Noah was building the Ark to pass through the judg- 
 
17 
 
 out on 
 ion, he 
 of the 
 
 1 state, 
 ^ork up 
 as con- 
 Christ, 
 unning 
 selfish- 
 :ts and 
 le, self 
 tion of 
 ch the 
 are set 
 e heart 
 he sys- 
 5 form, 
 id His 
 :eeping 
 ^ree of 
 man to 
 r works 
 ch it is 
 LS long 
 
 ; sight, 
 ed the 
 :e that 
 for the 
 behold 
 3. For 
 ^'icked- 
 ery im- 
 /v e7>tl 
 when 
 earth, 
 3e one 
 if time 
 
 2 judg- 
 
 ment in safety with his family. As soon as the keel 
 of Noah's Ark was laid, he preached the coming 
 judgment. The idea of a man building a huge ves- 
 sel, upon dry land, far from the sea shore, was no 
 doubt a strange one to natural judgment, and seemed 
 very absurd to the antedeluvians, but, no more so 
 than that of preaching a crucified and risen Christ for 
 salvation to the natural man now, if he allow his reason 
 to work and bring in a human estimate of what God 
 has wrought. Faith lays hold of what God has said, 
 and is thankful for deliverance through a divinely ac- 
 complished work in Christ, but human reason attempts 
 to measure God's work and purposes, from a human 
 stand point, and signally fails, for the finite cannot 
 grasp and comprehend the Infinite. So before the 
 flood we have the flesh thoroughly condemned by 
 God the Father, after He had tested it by its legiti- 
 mate fruits, which were violence and bloodshed. The 
 great fulcrum upon which Satan works his mighty lever 
 of unbelief, is self will. God's Word makes little of 
 man in any way as mati but failure, and self-will in 
 man loves exaltation, which begets pride and earthly 
 consequence, and that God hates. It follows of 
 course, that unbelief and hardness of heart are the re- 
 sult of self will acting. Noah's carpenters or helpers 
 in building the Ark, typified a large class of people 
 in these days. Many are active in forwarding enter- 
 prizes to spread the truth, who will not have Christ for 
 themselves, to meet their own individual need as a 
 Saviour ? They are much concerned about the poor 
 heathen in far off lands, while at heart they despise the 
 blessed Lord. But then it is a respectable thing to 
 be acting with good people in doing good, as they say, 
 while at heart, like Noah's carpenters they laugh at 
 the apparent (to them) foolishness of preaching the 
 gospel. Noah's carpenters got their day's pay, and 
 these apparently well doers, get patronage, and a re- 
 spectable reputation to help them on in the world, 
 
'I 
 
 T 
 
 i8 
 
 and that is their main object. Reader are you like 
 Noah's carpenters? 
 
 After the flood, Noah and his family go out to 
 people the earth vvirh the principle of retribution to 
 prevent violence and bloodshed which existed before 
 the flood. God puts the sword of government into 
 Noah's hand as it were, and says : " Whoso sheddeth 
 man's blood, by man shall his blood be shed, for in 
 the image of God, made He man. And you, be ye 
 fruitful and multiply, bring forth abundantly in the 
 earth and multiply therein.'^ Gen. ix. 6, 7. But Noah 
 plants a vineyard, drinks of the wine thereof, becomes 
 a drunkard, and Ham is cursed for beholding his 
 father's nakedness in the tent while intoxicated, vers. 
 22-26. So man sadly iails again as head of a new 
 order of things, as did Adam and Eve. Noah had 
 been placed lord over all created things, as Adam had 
 before him, but sin came in and spoiled the trust that 
 God had placed in him, another proof of the in- 
 herent failing tendency of man as 7tian . 
 
 The lapse of time brings a multitude of people into 
 existence again upon the earth, and what is the promi- 
 nent land-mark of man's weakness and presumption, 
 do we see ? He has a desire to reach heaven, as 
 as every unre generate heart now has m some way. 
 There is an unsatisfied vacancy in the heart of every 
 one born into the world which nothing but Christ can 
 fill. But instead of having Him to fill it, the great 
 bulk of mankind run after something else for satisfac- 
 tion. Some seek wealth, some political distinction, 
 others military glory, others again, pleasures and sen- 
 suality, others fame in various avenues of effort, but 
 ah ! he few^ compared to the great stream that is 
 rushing down to judgment, are Vv'illing to accept Christ, 
 the One who can fully satisfy ? This intense desire 
 for Heaven, evinced itself in the descendants of Noah 
 in an attempt to build a tower upon which they ex- 
 pected to reach it, Gen. xi. 1-6. But God confounded 
 
 rij 
 
19 
 
 )ou like 
 
 out to 
 iition to 
 I before 
 cnt into 
 iheddeth 
 1, for in 
 be ye 
 y in the 
 ut Noah 
 becomes 
 ding his 
 :ed, vers. 
 if a new 
 oah had 
 dam had 
 Tiist that 
 f the in- 
 
 iople into 
 le promi- 
 umption, 
 saven, as 
 >me way, 
 of every 
 Christ can 
 the great 
 r satisfac- 
 stinction, 
 and sen- 
 ffort, but 
 n that is 
 pt Christ, 
 se desire 
 of Noah 
 they ex- 
 ifounded 
 
 their language and scattered them, and their tower 
 stood unfinished, a striking proof of the restless am- 
 bition of man to attain to a place of excellence and 
 happiness by his own efforts. Their tower was cal- 
 led " Babel," meaning confusion, and is a ^air represen- 
 tation of the result of all of man's self exaltation. In 
 stead of laboring to glorify Ciod, they say : " Go to, 
 let us build us a city and a tower, whose top may reach 
 unto Heaven, and let -f ffiake us a ftame^ lest we be 
 scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth," 
 (v. 4.) And this is the ultimate of man in his own 
 strength, to exalt himself and leave God out of the 
 question, just the opposite of what God created him 
 for. The world is full of modern Babel-builders, 
 with their various projects and schemes to attain to a 
 high state of perfection and to make a name. This 
 making a name among men, is a cunning snare of 
 Satan to detrac. from the importance of trusting Christ, 
 and looking to -Him for grace to " serve the living and 
 true God, and to wait for His Son from Heaven." 
 It matters not what man occupies himself with, in 
 Satan's account, if he turns his back upon God and 
 His gricious offers of salvation in Christ. Everything 
 out of Christ, bears the character of Babel building, 
 and will nd in confusion, and banishment from God. 
 Idolatry characterised the nations after the confusion of 
 Babel. The natural tendency to worship soitieihing^ 
 in the heart of man, produced objects which the eye 
 can see, as sight is tke characteristic of the Adam 
 nature, as faith is of the new life in Christ. So after 
 the flood we have "god's many " and all turning from 
 the living and true God. It was in this idolatrous, in- 
 fidel, unbelieving condition of things, that God came 
 in and chose Abraham out as a man of faith. He is 
 called in scripture '* the father of the faithful." And 
 why ? Others had acted in faith before him, 
 but Abraham's faith " was counted unto him for 
 righteousness " and marks him out m an especial way 
 
I 
 
 ao 
 
 m 
 
 I >>nw 
 
 M 
 
 II 
 
 !1. 
 
 iiH'l 
 
 as an example of faith in all times to come. And 
 God proved him in the path of faith too, when He 
 ■commanded him to offer up Isaac as a burnt offering. 
 No other man's faith was tried like Abraham's. He 
 did not let him say he had faith without proving him 
 in the path. Abraham in obedience, gets a great 
 name, for God promises to make his name great and 
 to make him a blessing, (ien. xii. 2, 3. How different 
 from the builders of Babel who were to make a great 
 name by their own efforts. These get confusion, 
 while Abraham gets blessing, just the diffe)ence be- 
 tween sight and faith. The infidel (or unbeliever) will 
 accept nothing but what his eyes can see, or his senses 
 itealize, but the man of faith sees nothing with his 
 natural eye of what he accepts upon trust from God, 
 by resting in His promises. The infidel's portion as 
 l^e sees it, is passing away, going on to judgment, but 
 the believer in (jod's promises has " an inheritance 
 incorruptible, undefiled, and that fadeth not away, re- 
 served ir heaven " for him, a portion in Christ that 
 never enus. What an overwhelming thought ! Dear 
 reader ! what are you striving for as you tarry for a short 
 space of time in this shifting scene ? Is it for some 
 t)f its paltry things that perish with the using ? . Do 
 they engross your heart, instead ofa rich and precious 
 portion in the person of Christ ? Remember it is /lere 
 that the matter is to be decided between you and God. 
 You *' brought nothing into this world, and it is cer- 
 tain you can carry nothing out," and if "in this life 
 only you have hope in Christ, you are of all men 
 most miserable." If you have not learned what a 
 flimsy, bootless portion you get from your own works 
 out of Christ, accept the fact now that " by the works, 
 of the law, noyZ^^/r shall be justified," and that "the 
 just shall live by faith," and you have the matter at 
 once decided between you and God. 
 
 Sill 
 
e. And 
 
 rhen He 
 
 offering. 
 
 n's. He 
 
 v^ing him 
 
 a great 
 
 reat and 
 
 different 
 
 e a great 
 
 Dnfusion, 
 
 cnce be- 
 
 sver) will 
 
 lis senses 
 
 with his 
 
 )m God, 
 
 Drtion as 
 
 iient, but 
 
 lieritance 
 
 away, re- 
 
 irist that 
 
 ; ! Dear 
 
 )r a short 
 
 or some 
 
 ? Do 
 
 precious 
 
 it is here 
 
 nd God. 
 
 t is cer- 
 
 this life 
 
 all men 
 
 what a 
 
 n works 
 
 le works, 
 
 lat "the 
 
 latter at 
 
 21 
 
 CHATIKk III. 
 
 Isi;icl as a nation under the law. Ciods provision and man's 
 necessity. The utter lailurc of the Hesh to please God. Re- 
 flections. 
 
 We i);iss hastily over the history of Abraham's de- 
 srendants, until wc come to the deliverance of the 
 nation of Israel from the bondage of KLrypt. There 
 is much in the history of Jacob and Ksau, to illustrate 
 tlu; lines of contrast between taith and sight, but space 
 will not permit more than a passing reference. " Jacob 
 have I loved, and l^sau have I hated," is the expres- 
 sion of (iod's prerogative, in carrying out His own jnir- 
 |)oses in the lives of the two sons of Isaac, and it 
 matters not how much the reasoning flesh in infidel^ 
 may cavil at the management of Rebecca and Jacob, 
 (iod allowed it, in order to accomplish His ov.-n lines 
 of i)urp;)se in the lives of Jacob and Esau. Jacob, 
 like Abel, represents the choice and favour of (iod, 
 while ICsau, as C'ain, shows the course of the Adam 
 nature. God wisely maintains His prerogative to 
 make His own choice in His instruments of mercy 
 and usefulness. He doeS not see as man sees, according 
 to the (lesh. This is one of the most prominent stum- 
 bling blocks to the ])ropagators of unbelief, and they 
 accuse a wise and faithfu God, of partiality and in- 
 consistency, because He claims the right to choose 
 or refuse whom He will. " Hath not the potter 
 power over the clay, to choose one vessel unto honor 
 and another unto dishonor ? " *' Who art thou O man 
 that repliest against God?" What a deeply solemn 
 thing it is to judge God and cast back in His face the 
 ungodly murmurings of a corrupt, perverse and fallen 
 nature. What a heinous thing sin must be in the 
 sight of a holy God, who cannot look upon sin with 
 the least degree of allowance. And when we remem- 
 ber that' disobedience is the origin of sin, and reflect 
 too that it is man alone of all God's created universe 
 that can sir, how deeply it should concern us to point 
 
 if 
 
' 
 
 22 
 
 id 
 
 the way to avoid it, while we are left here among our 
 fellow men. Christ is that way, not only for past sins 
 committed, hut as an Advocate, if they sin, for all 
 who accept Him as their needed Saviour. Joseph, 
 going down into Egypt, and as a man of faith, serving 
 in the purpose of (iod as a type of Christ, presents 
 another instance of (iod's j)Ower in defeating the ends 
 and aims of the flesh, and turning them to account in 
 forwarding His own glorious ends. It is only by being 
 in the i)ath of faith ourselves, that we are able to un- 
 derstand in any degree, how and wliy Cod deals in 
 the choice of His own instruments to carry out His 
 purposes, 'i'he natural man cannot do anything but 
 cavil and murnuu', thus proving that "there is a '>ath 
 that the vultures eye hath not seen or the lion's wnelj) 
 hath not known," and this may api)ly to the path of 
 faith, that the infidel and promulger of false doctrine 
 knows nothing of. Jacob and his sons and grand- 
 children, in allabout seventy ])ersons, go down into 
 Egypt as a family, but in time become a nation, 
 which (iod regards as His own nation, "clioseu from 
 the foundati()!i of the world'," as had been pro- 
 mised to Abraham that (iod would make him a great 
 nation, and his name great. When they were forcibly 
 enslaved by the king of Egy])t, (iod hears their cry for 
 deliverance and raises up a deliverer in the person of 
 Moses. So great had the persecution against them 
 become through the jealousy of the Egyptian king, 
 that he gave orders that the male children of the 
 Israelites should be put to death, Exodus i, i6. But 
 God ordered the circumstances of Moses' birth and 
 infancy, so that he was taken and cared for by the 
 king's daughter and grew to manhood in the house- 
 hold of the king, chap, ii, i-ii. By faith, as led of 
 God, " Moses when he was come to years refused to 
 be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter, choosing, 
 rather to suffer affliction with the people of (jod, 
 thantoenjoy the pleasures of sin for a season, esteeming 
 
nong our 
 past sins 
 n, for all 
 Joseph, 
 h, serving 
 presents 
 ; the ends 
 ccount in 
 y by l)eing 
 )le to un- 
 deals in 
 / out His 
 thing but 
 ; is a i>atli 
 )n's wnel]) 
 e path of 
 : doctrine 
 id grand- 
 lown into 
 a nation, 
 Dsen from 
 l)een i)ro- 
 n a great 
 e forcibly 
 eir crv for 
 person of 
 nst them 
 an king, 
 n of the 
 1 6. Hut 
 irth and 
 »r by the 
 le house- 
 as led of 
 sfused to 
 choosing, 
 of God, 
 esteeming 
 
 23 . 
 
 the reproach of Christ of greater riches than the treas-. 
 ures in Egypt ; for he had respect unto the recompense 
 of the reward. Hy failh he forsook l^gypt, not fear- 
 ing the wrath of the king : for he endured as seeing 
 Him who is invisible/' Heb. xi, 24-28. Here was a 
 man of faith, leaving all the tempting offers of sight, 
 and endurin^ as '' seeing Him who is invisible." This 
 is just the opjiosite of man in nature acting according 
 to the estimate of the llesh, iMoses leaves Egypt, and 
 spends forty years at the backside of the desert in 
 Midian, learning in (Jod's school the needed le:i*i>ns 
 to become a leader of Israel from the land of Egypt, 
 (iod delivered the nation with a hi'Mi hand and out- 
 stretched arm, using Moses as an instrument to lead 
 them, (Ex. xii, 51.) and brought them to Mount Sinai, 
 (chap, xix, 2) where He put His promise before thoni 
 as follows : "" Now therefore, if ye will obey My voice 
 indeed, and kee|> my covenant, then shall ye be a 
 ])eculiar treasure unto me above all people, for all the" 
 ccUth is mine ; and ye shall be unto me a kingdom 
 of priests, an holy nation," chap, xix, 5, 5. And the 
 boast of the i)eople went back to the Lord, "all that 
 the Lord hath spoken will we do," (v. 8.) Ah vain 
 boast of nature to do what (iod rccpires, in its own 
 strength. I>y the time the ("om'mandinents of (jod's 
 law reached them at the hands of Moses, they had er- 
 
 cted an idol of gold in the form of a calf, and were 
 jhouting, " Thesf^ oe thy gods O Israel, which brought 
 
 hee up out of the land of Eg^ ^-t," (chap, xxxii, 4.) 
 
 What a humiliating fact for the boasters in human- 
 "xcellence to contemplate ! In this act of foolish 
 dolatry, we have the natural outcropping of the human . 
 leart, worshipping a senseless piece of metal fashioned 
 )y human skill ! Alas for natural goodness in thti 
 "ace of such fruit. Moses, ' 'ore going back to the 
 mount to confess the sin dt the people, calls to the 
 )eople in the gate of the camp : Who is on the liOrd'- 
 
14 
 
 ^ 
 
 side ? Let him come unto me. And all the sons of 
 Levi gathered themselves unto him, (verses 2-6.) 
 
 . 'I'he next order is for the execution of judgment, 
 and is very significant in accordance with God's deal- 
 ings with sin. And he said unto them, (the I.evites,) 
 thus saith the Lord Ciod of L^rael : Put every man 
 his sword by his side, and go in and out from gate 
 to gate, throughout the camp and slay every man 
 his brother, and every man his com])anion, and every 
 man his neighbor. And the children of Levi did ac- 
 cording to the word of Moses, and there fell of the 
 people that day about three thousand men, (vs. 27, 28.) 
 From this time forth, instead of the nation being a 
 " kingdom of priests," that would have resulted from 
 their obedience as a nation, the priesthood was con- 
 fined to the family of Levi. The nation at large 
 could Ciily apjiroach God henceforth, through the 
 priesthood, of the tribe of Levi, which had been faith- 
 ful to God in the execution of judgment when the 
 sin of idolatry came in. 
 
 The second tables of law, as we say, came from God 
 in pure grace, for the nation had forfeited all claim 
 upon His love and care, through their sin. Grace, is 
 love manifested where condemnation is merited. So 
 it was grace on God's part, to open up a way of ex- 
 piation from sin, through a |)riesthood and sacrifices, 
 and what is known as ceremonial law^ bears the 
 character of ^race, for (iod acts in answer to the inter- 
 cession of Moses for the people. ,^tlt was under this 
 provision for man's necessity under law, that brought 
 the children of Israel throu<^h the wilderness to the 
 
 o 
 
 borders of the land, which Me had promised to Abra- 
 ham and his seed forever. As they approach the land 
 the Lord directs Moses to send one man from each 
 of the twelve tribes, to spy it out, (Numb xiii, 1-20.) 
 The spies return, bringing with them the grapes of 
 Eschol and other evidences of the riches of the land, 
 but all but two, Caleb and Joshua, protested against 
 
e sons of 
 
 2-6.) 
 
 udgment, 
 od's deal- 
 
 l.evites,) 
 ^ery man 
 'rom gate 
 i^ery man 
 md every 
 VI did ac- 
 ^11 of the 
 s. 27, 28.) 
 1 being a 
 Ited from 
 was con- 
 
 at large 
 ough the 
 een faith- 
 when the 
 
 from (jod 
 all claim 
 Grace, is 
 ted. So 
 ly of ex- 
 acrifices, 
 ears the 
 he inter- 
 ider this 
 brought 
 s to the 
 to Abra- 
 the land 
 )m each 
 ii, 1-20.) 
 apes of 
 e land, 
 against 
 
 25 
 
 going into the land. They plead that the Anakim 
 giants were there, that the land devoured the inhabi-. 
 tants thereof, that the cities were walled and very 
 great, and the character of their report was evil gene- 
 rally, (vs. 29-33.) Now came a test of the nation's 
 faith. '*And all the congregation lifted up their 
 voices and cried, and the people wept that night. And 
 the children of Israel murmured against Moses, and 
 against Aaron, and the whole congregation said unto 
 them, would God that we had died in Egypt, or would 
 God that we had died in this wilderness," chap. xiv. r, 
 2. And so they murmured on, a fair example of the 
 uneasy, disobedient heart of man, as he cavils against 
 God, and resists the wise provision that God has made 
 for his deliverance from the bondage of sin, and the 
 enjoyment of His wondrous grace and love. This is 
 the return they make to God, for all the care He had" 
 exhibited in bringing them from the bondage of Egypt, 
 and up to the borders of the land of promise. But 
 such is man in his best estate, acting in nature and 
 apart from God. The people would rather believe the 
 lying ten with their evil report, than the faithful two 
 who acted for God and in the strength of His promi- 
 ses. Alas ! for man in nature Under the headship of 
 the first Adam is *' prone to do evil as the sparks fly 
 upward." These ten lying spies, were forerunners of 
 a large class of people in these days, who are constant- 
 ly resisting and casting back a lie in the face of God, 
 in contrast to thoseTike Caleb and Joshua act in faith 
 and inherit the promises. But how does God answejr 
 the unfaithfulness of the nation ? Solemn question 
 for those who are now ** going in the way of Cain, and 
 running after the error of Balaam for reward," and 
 who if they continue in their present head-strong 
 course, " will perish in the gainsayings of Core," or 
 of Korah and his company. Moses pleads for the 
 people with all the fervency that an intercessor could^ 
 vs. 13-19, and God consents to spare the nation but 
 
26 
 
 takes them back into the wilderness for forty years, 
 Until the carcases of all who came out of Egypt of 
 over twenty years old, should fall in the wilderness, 
 " save Caleb the son of Jephunneh, and Joshua the son 
 of Nun," verse 30. " And your children shall wander 
 in the wilderness forty years and bear )'our whoredoms, 
 pntil your carcases be wasted in the wilderness. 
 'After the number of the days in which ye searched 
 the land, even forty days, each" day for a yea/, shall 
 ye bear your iniquities, even forty years, and ye shall 
 know my breach of i)romise," vs. 33, 34. And further, 
 tne ten men or lying spies who l)rought up the evil 
 report, died of the plague then and there before the 
 Lord, verse 37. »Vith this deeply solemn record bcr 
 fore us, can we but wonder, when men with oily speech 
 and talented minds, enlarge so elociuently upon God's 
 love, mercy and providential care, and yet sarcastically 
 apd sneeringly deny His judgments? Ah, righteous- 
 ness is at the right hand of God and now God is 
 dealing in mercy and grace, but that man will come 
 to reign whom God hath ordained to rule the world and 
 then the door of grace and mercy will close, and sin 
 will be met with its punishment as soon as it is com- 
 mitted. 
 
 All who do not bow the knee now in the day of 
 ^race will be forced to l)OW' in judgment, but they get 
 'then^ the lake of fire w^hich w^as created for Satan and 
 his angels, and which wicked man gets as a result of 
 Kelieving the lie of Satan instead of the truth of God 
 concerning His Son. The condemnation now comes 
 in because " light is come into the world, and men 
 loved darkness rather than light because their deeds 
 were evil." St. John iii, 17. Christ died to take away 
 the sin of the world, that is, the old root which pro- 
 duces the root sins^ but it is only for those who trust 
 the blood, that His death avails as to sins committed. 
 So an infant is saved if it dies before God holds it account- 
 able for the commission of sins. Judgment is passed 
 
27 
 
 forty years, 
 
 f Egypt of 
 
 wilderness, 
 
 liua the son 
 
 hall wander 
 
 vhoredoms, 
 
 wilderness. 
 
 'e searched 
 
 yea.', shall 
 
 nd ye shall 
 
 ^nd further, 
 
 up the evil 
 
 before the 
 
 record be- 
 
 oily sj^eech 
 
 upon God's 
 
 sarcastically 
 
 , righteous- 
 
 ow God is 
 
 will come 
 
 e world and 
 
 se, and sin 
 
 i it is com- 
 
 the day of 
 3ut they get 
 • Satan and 
 a result of 
 ith of God 
 now comes 
 , and men 
 their deeds 
 3 take away 
 which pro- 
 who trust 
 committed, 
 sitaccount- 
 t is passed 
 
 upon the wicked at the great Wliite Throne accordhig 
 to their works^ or according to the commission of sins 
 as responsible persons. John said to the disciples, 
 " Behold the Lamb of God who taketh awav the sin 
 (not sins) of the world," St. John i, 29. This "sin" 
 as to the world is what came in when Adam transgress 
 ed, and is met in the person of Christ, when He as 
 (iod's Lamb, as a Sacrifice was put to death on the 
 cross, the efficiency of which, avails for true believers, 
 when they individually by faith, accept Him as the 
 One provided to meet their individual need. This 
 becomes simple and plain to all who do accei)t Him 
 as such by faith, but to those who stop to cavil and 
 reason out the matter with God, it becomes a perfect 
 puzzle, and foolishness to the worldly wisdom of the 
 Gentile, as well as a stumbling-block to the unbelief 
 of the Jew. The reason of this is, " the natural man 
 receiveth not the things of the spirit of Ciod, for they 
 are foolishness unto him, neither can he know them 
 because they are spiritually discerned," i Cor. ii, 14. 
 A work miist be wrought in the believer in answer to 
 faith, before the Holy Spirit can maKe the things of 
 God plain to the understanding. "As it is written, 
 eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither hath it en- 
 tered into the heart of man (and here we have the 
 natural man's position defined,) what God hath pre- 
 pared for them that love Him. But (lod hath reveal- 
 ed them unto us (as believers) by His Sjnrit, for the 
 Si)irit searcheth all things, yea the deep things of God," 
 vs. 9, 10. The Apostle brings the cross of Christ 
 in as the answer to all the wisdom of the natural man, 
 and shows that the height of human wisdom is but 
 foolishness with God, and all the lofty flights of man's 
 self exaltation in presenting his thoughts in contrast 
 to God's thoughts, merely have the effect to put man 
 down where he truly belongs before God, that is, " that 
 every mouth may be stopped " in God's presence, both 
 Jew and Gentile. . . 
 
h:i 
 
 28 
 
 The Jews as a nation, enter the land under the 
 leadership of Joshua who stands as a type of Christ in 
 delivering from the power of sin. Moses as head of 
 the law could not take the nation into the land and 
 present a ])erfect type of deliverance, for the law does 
 not deliver, it only condemns. " The law made noth- 
 ing perfect, but bringing in a better hope did." So 
 Joshua takes the leadership, as one wlio ha4 been faith- 
 ful in every place of trust which had been committed 
 to him, and carries the nation through the Jordan, as 
 a type of Christ the true Deliverer, who alone can 
 take man from his lost estate and bring him into a 
 place of safety free from the punishment due to sin 
 and all its dire consequences. Under the law, we get 
 the solemn and irreversible decree, that God will by 
 no means clear the guilty. What a stunning blow is 
 this, to all efforts of the flesh and nature to please 
 God by " doing the best they can," as they say. Fur- 
 ther, " if you offend in one jjoint you are guilty of all " 
 Here again is a bar that renders the cause of the mere 
 moralist and legalist, hoi)eless in the extreme. (lod 
 leaves no breach in His wall of defence, for the l)usy 
 flesh in man to enter and glory in His presence. As 
 much as man has failed in every place of trust, God 
 is true and faithful, and in the person of Christ, will 
 complete all man has failed to carry out, in the " dis- 
 pensation of the fulness of times," or the millennium. 
 Christ will restore, as the true Adam, all t^^at pristine 
 freshness which existed in Eden before the fall. The 
 ferocity of the wild beasts will give place to domestic 
 obedience, for " the wolf and the lamb shall lie down 
 together," the " weaned child shall place his hand 
 upon the cockatrice's den and the lion shall be made 
 to eat grass as the ox." These millennial features, 
 speak of Adam's time being filled up by Christ the 
 true Restorer. Then as Noah failed with the sword of 
 governmental retribution in his hand, Christ the true 
 Noah will rule in equity, and fill up what was lost by 
 
 Noc 
 
 as II 
 
 rest^ 
 
 theil 
 
 give! 
 
 peri 
 
 beei 
 
 peci 
 
 toryl 
 
 knol 
 
 no 
 
 hav( 
 
 nati 
 
 com 
 
 stra 
 
 you 
 
 are 
 
 four 
 
29 
 
 under the 
 
 f Christ in 
 
 3 head of 
 
 land and 
 
 law does 
 ade noth- 
 did." So 
 )een faith- 
 ommittcd 
 ordan, as 
 done can 
 m into a 
 Lie to sin 
 w, we get 
 1 will by 
 g blow is 
 to please 
 ly. Flir- 
 ty of all" 
 the mere 
 le. (jod 
 the busy 
 ice. As 
 jst, God 
 rist, will 
 be " dis- 
 ennium. 
 
 pristine 
 11. The 
 iomestic 
 ie down 
 is hand 
 •e made 
 features, 
 rist the 
 iword of 
 the true 
 
 lost by 
 
 Noah's failure as a responsible servant of God. And 
 as Israel as a nation failed under the law, Christ will 
 restore them as a nation, and "write His law in 
 their hearts," will " take away their heart of stone and 
 give them a heart of flesh," thus completing, as God's 
 perfect man, all the times or dispensations which have 
 been left a failure in the hands of man. What es- 
 pecially important lesson do we glean, by Israel's his- 
 tory under the law ? Simply that by the law is the 
 knowledge of sin, therefore " by the deeds of the law 
 no flesh shall be justified," Rom. iii, 20. Reader, 
 have you learned the lesson ? The law, which as a 
 natural man you endeavor to keep, but in vain, only 
 comes up against your crooked failing nature, as a 
 straight rule beside a crooked wall, to manifest to you, 
 your need of Christ as a sacrifice and Saviour. If you 
 are trying to build a Tower of Babel upon the flimsy 
 foundation of human effort, forebear ! you will fiiil ! 
 
 *' Cast your deadly doings down, down at Jesus' feet, 
 Rest in Him, in Him alone, gloriously complete." 
 
 Remember, tihat the same God who, if you put your- 
 self under law, will not clear the guilty, condescends 
 in Christ, to " justify the ungodly." Are you willing 
 to take your place as one of the ungodly ? 
 
 The Lord Je.sus refused to hear the cry of the 
 woman of Canaan when she called Him " Son of 
 David," which was His Jewish title, but as soon as 
 she took her place as a Gentile *' dog," and addressed 
 Him as " Lord," then He heard and answered her, 
 Mat. XV, 22-28. If you are trying to mend up an old 
 condemned Adam nature, to make it acceptable to 
 God, by any theories of man, be they never so clever 
 and apparently reasonable to human understanding, 
 you will only end in disappointment and despair. You 
 cannot put the new wine into the old bottles, or the 
 new cloth upon the old garment with any hope of suc- 
 cess. God has His way of bringing rebellious man 
 into a reconciled position to Himself, and will only 
 
i 
 
 30 
 
 receive man through the acceptance of His Christ 
 He says to the sinner : ''Ian well pleased with My 
 Son, sinner arc you ? If so we are agreed and recon 
 ciled ! " Salvation, at the outset is as simple as that, 
 reader will you have it if you have not already accept- 
 ed it. By accepting the finished work of Christ, on 
 the cxo?>^ for you^ you have peace luith God. When 
 you apprehend your standing as perfect in Him, I tin. 
 you have the peace of God. AVhile you are walking! an( 
 along in obedience and communion with Him, " thel 
 God of peace delights to dwell with and bless you."| nft 
 Amen. I n^' 
 
 ere 
 
 SC( 
 
 am 
 we 
 arc 
 tin 
 an; 
 
 CHAPTER I v. 
 
 God's dealings with the Jews in the land, and their unfaith- 
 fulness. The *' Times of the Gentiles/' The advent of our | 
 Lord Jesus Christ and His' rejection. Character of His op- 
 posers. 
 
 The children of Israel passed through the Jordan 
 preceeded by the Ark of the covenant, and as at thei 
 Red Sea the waters of the Jordan were stayed until 
 they passed through dry shod, Joshua iii, 16, 17. We 
 know that this fact recorded in scripture, like the ac- 
 count of the miracles the Lord performed in the 
 sight of His earthly people, the Jews, is a prominent 
 stumbling block to infidelity, but there is the fact as 
 proof of God's care for His people, and all the cavill- 
 ing of sceptics cannot overthrow^ it. 
 
 The twelve stones taken up out of the Jordan rnd 
 planted at Gilgal, were memorials to succeeding gen- 
 erations of the passage of that river. They present a 
 strong proof of the authenticity of God's record and 
 when viewed as land-marks of His dealings, aid much 
 to substantiate the claims of the Word of (iod upon 
 the credulity and reverence of man. 
 ^ After the Jews, under Joshua, had driven out the 
 greater number of the natives of the land, and were 
 fairly settled in possession, but a short tmie passed 
 
His Christ, 
 d with My 
 
 and recon- 
 )le as that, 
 ady accept- 
 
 Christ, on 
 0(1. When 
 :t in Him, 
 ire walking 
 Him, " the 
 bless you.' 
 
 heir unfaith- 
 dvent of our 
 of His op- 
 
 :he Jordan 
 as at the 
 :ayed until 
 6, 17. We 
 ke the ac- 
 ed in the 
 prominent 
 he fact as 
 the cavill- 
 
 Drdan rnd 
 
 tdmg gen- 
 present a 
 
 ;cord and 
 aid much 
 
 ^jod upon 
 
 n out the 
 and were 
 ne passed 
 
 ere they became disobedient and idolatrous, and con- 
 se(iuently they were overcome by the adjoining nations 
 and brought into bondage. No less than seven times 
 were they allowed to fall into the hands of the nations 
 around as a punishment for their sins, and seven 
 times Ciod raised up means for their deliverance, in 
 answer to their cry of repentance. How wondrous is 
 the grace that flows out to meet the sigh of contrition, 
 and the yearnings of the sorrowing, repentant heart. 
 When we review the dealings of God with Israel, 
 after they were in the i)romised land as a nation, well 
 may we sing, 
 
 '* How good is the God we adore, 
 Our faithful unchangeahle Friend, 
 Whose love is as great as 1 lis power, 
 And knows neither measure nor end." 
 
 Stiff-necked and rebellious as the Jews were, with so 
 many evidence;^ of God's love and power displayed 
 among them, with what wondrous matchless grace He 
 l)ore patiently with all their ill manners and crooked 
 ways, meeting their need in so many forms of guardian 
 care, and displaying such marvellous power and wis- 
 dom in their deliverance. I'he Lord left several 
 nations in the land to prove the Jews, (Judges iii, 1-5.) 
 and in answer to their disobedience and idolatry, al- 
 lowed them to be thrown into bondage under the king 
 of Mesoi)otamia, under Eglon king of Moab and the 
 Philistines. In each deliverance through which 
 Israel as a nation passed, individuals, as insU'umejits^ 
 were especially raised up and endued with jjower 
 from God to accomplish the work. Othniel, Ehud, 
 Shamgar, Barak, Gideon, Jephtha, Samson and 
 Samuel, were each gifted with some peculiar power 
 of strength, strategy or wisdom from God, that the 
 deliverance of the nation might not rest in or be at 
 tributed to man, but owned of, and received from the 
 One who had done so much for them and whom they 
 had so often dishonored, whos ecounsels they had des- 
 
 r' 
 
ii 
 
 hati 
 
 IS 
 
 Th( 
 
 mail 
 
 for 
 
 dei-)| 
 
 aroi 
 
 an (11 
 
 But! 
 
 uelJ 
 
 32 
 
 pised, and whose commandments they had broken. J"^ 
 All this brings out the faithfulness of (Jod in contrast 
 with the //A/faithfulness of man, and teaches the sol- 
 emn lesson to our hearts, if we will but receive it, of 
 the need of looking to Him for everything of any value, 
 and of rejecting the lordly pretensions of man in his 
 natural excellence, to satisfy the inner yearnings of 
 the soul. Man out of Christ and a])art from the 
 power of the Holy Ghost, can only work upon the 
 material creation, and bring forth, in intellectual pride, 
 the uneasy aspirations of a fallen corrupt nature ; he _ 
 cannot enter by faith, within the vail, and draw from 1-^^ 
 Christ, that supply which enables hi.n to bring forth 
 fruit to the glory of God, and the real edification of 
 his fellow christian. He cannot " work out " (or sliow 
 forth) that salvation which he might receive, as *' God 
 works within to will and do of His own good pleasure," 
 for he has nothing good of his own to work upon, for 
 " what have we that we have not received." If we as 
 instruments, are to work out, what God works within, 
 He will not use us as such unless He has first prepar- 
 ed and fitted us for use. During Samuel's time, the 
 nation of Israel asked for a king to judge them and 
 to go out and fight their battles for them. They 
 wished to be like the nations around, or in other 
 words, conformed to the world. They were not satis- 
 fied with God's way of governing them through His 
 own provided instrumentality, but they must trust in 
 the strength and wisdom of man. This is quite in 
 keeping with a departure from the path of faith, and 
 simple dependence upon One that is mighty. We 
 have seen how miserably they failed to keep the law 
 they boasted they could keep, and now after a period 
 of nearly four hundred years in the land, they step 
 forth in their demands upon Samuel to give them a 
 king, (i Sam. viii, 6.) But Samuel being displeased 
 prayed to the Lord, who said : " Hearken unto the 
 voice of the people in all that they say unto thee j for 
 
 i'*?!* 
 
33 
 
 id broken, 
 in contrast 
 es the sol- 
 :eive it, of 
 'any value, 
 nan in his 
 earnings of 
 
 from the 
 
 upon the 
 tual pride, 
 lature ; he 
 ilraw from 
 3ring forth 
 fication of 
 " (or show 
 % as " God 
 pleasure," 
 upon, for 
 If we as 
 ks within, 
 *st prepar- 
 time, the 
 
 hem and 
 n. They 
 
 in other 
 
 not satis- 
 ough His 
 t trust in 
 
 quite in 
 
 faith, and 
 
 hty. We 
 
 the law 
 
 a period 
 they step 
 i them a 
 ispleased 
 unto the 
 thee ; for 
 
 hey have not rejected thee, but f/iey have rejected me^ 
 hat I should not reign over them," (v. 7.) Now this 
 is very solemn, when we examine its real import. 
 They had rejected God and were putting their trust in 
 man. Their elders did not meet together and pray 
 for guidance and direction from the Lord, in simple 
 dependence upon Him in their need, but they looked 
 around upon the nations who were governed by men 
 and desired human government and guidance instead. 
 But mark the sequel ! And God said further to Sam- 
 uel, " now therefore hearken unto their voice, howbeit 
 yet protest solemnly unto them^ and show them ihz man- 
 ner of the king that shall reign over them," (verse 9.) 
 Samuel in faithfulness tells them, that the king they 
 desire, shall take their sons for his coachmen and 
 horsemen, and appoint over them captains of thous- 
 ands and fifties to do his work ; would take their 
 daughters to be his bakers and cooks, and seize upon 
 the best of their fields, vineyards and oliveyards, and 
 give them to his servants ; in brief, he would oppress 
 them and live upon their substance, until "ye shall 
 cry out in that day because of your king which ye 
 shall have chosen you, and the Lord will ncc hear you 
 in that day," (vs. 11-18.) Here was the solemn result 
 of their rejection of God and trusting in man. Extor- 
 tion, bondage, and anguish of heart, were the faithful- 
 ly predicted consequences of their apostacy from their 
 place as cared for by the Lord. This is just what al- 
 ways results from departure and disobedience. How 
 faithfully solemn the lesson comes home to our souls 
 as we meditate upon it ! If we have taken up the 
 path of faith with the blessed Lord, and then turned 
 our eye from Him to walk again by sight, after what 
 we see in a scene hastening on to judgment, what a 
 sad picture of inconsistency and bondage we present. 
 Alas for God's children who become infidel in practice 
 through a failure to find a satisfactory portion in 
 Christ, because they preferred their lusts, their pleas- 
 
% 
 
 
 '. I :l 
 
 34 
 
 ures, and the smiles of a vain inconstant world that 
 rejected Him. Israel in tlieir choice of Saul, the son 
 Cis, acted in the judgment of nature, for he was 
 head nnd shoulders above his fellows, a fine specimen 
 of physical perfection to suit the natural eye. This is 
 (juite in keei)ing with a judgment according to the 
 flesh. Nature in man regards the outward ai)j)earance, 
 but Ciod looks at the heart. " 'I'he lust of the eye" 
 is one of three things that came in as a result of yield- 
 ing to te^nptation. 'I'he forbidden fruit in lulen was 
 " fair to look upon.'' That is what the world loves to 
 do, to make an appearance. It "judges from ap])ear- 
 ance," (juite the opposite from what (iod commands 
 us to do, to "judge not from apj^earance, l)ut judgu 
 righteous judgment." We can only judge righteously, 
 but from (iod's stai^.d-])oint. Any estimate of nature 
 in us, is sure to be opposed to (iod's claims upon us as 
 to His glory, and t(j >our own soul's welfore and growth 
 uj) into Christ, our Living Head in all tlv.ngs. 
 
 The nation of Israel found wSaul all that Samuel pre- 
 dicted. He led them on from one calamity to another 
 until (k)d brought David into the scene as a deliverer 
 to the nation. David's first act was the slaying of 
 Goliath, a noted Philistine giant. 
 
 Some of Davids brothers, sons of Jesse, were m 
 Saul's army, and the Philistines were menacing them. 
 David, then but a )outh, was sent by his father to see 
 how his brothers forecl. The huge giant Goliath came 
 forth from the Philistine ranks every day, daring any 
 one fortli from the army of Israel to decide the battle 
 by a personal encounter. As soon as David heard of 
 it, his soul was stirred with indignation within him, 
 *' Who is this uncircumcised Philistine that dare defy 
 the armies of the living God," was David's earnest in- 
 quiry, (i Samuel xvii, 26) as he saw the men of Israel 
 recoiling in fear, from the threatenings of the giant. 
 This was a question to brings out the confidence of 
 faith in the boy I )avid. Eliab his eldest brother re- 
 
 1 
 
 s 
 
 rov 
 
 Wl 
 
 Wl 
 
 ure 
 
 )av 
 
 Iho 
 
 le 
 
 Le 
 
 aul 
 
 )av 
 
 on 
 
 ttac 
 
 on 
 
 hall 
 
 :s Oj 
 
 .ffa 
 
 rmi 
 
 ^-as 
 
 )aul 
 
 'th: 
 
 he I 
 
 laUv 
 
 .or( 
 Jav 
 )ro\ 
 
 ir I 
 
world that 
 111, the son 
 or he was 
 ; s[)C{"inicn 
 e. This is 
 iiig to the 
 l)I)caranco, 
 f the eye " 
 lit of yield- 
 Julen was 
 id loves to 
 jm a{)|)ear- 
 commands 
 hut judgu 
 ighteoiisly, 
 of nature 
 ui)on us as 
 md growth 
 
 ^uiuiel pre- 
 
 to another 
 
 a deliverer 
 
 slaying of 
 
 , were in 
 ing them. 
 ;her to see 
 iath came 
 aring any 
 the battle 
 -1 heard of 
 ithin him, 
 dare defy 
 earnest in- 
 1 of Israel 
 the giant, 
 idence of 
 rother re- 
 
 35 
 
 roved him, but mark llavid's answer to the question, 
 Why camest thou down hither, t\:c." David replies, 
 What have I now done ? /s there not a cause i " 
 urely there was a cause which was soon manifested. 
 )avid's fearless inquiries soon reached the ears of Saul, 
 ho sent for him at once. David boldly tells Saul 
 Jie king, (ah ! true faith is always bold and fearless,) 
 Let no man's heart fail because of him (the giant) 
 ly servant will go and fight with this Philistine," (v. 32) 
 aul doubts David's power, because of his youth, but 
 )avid rehearses to him the account of his slaying the 
 on and the bear on the mountain when they came to 
 ttack his flock of shee]). " Thy servant slew both the 
 on and the bear, and this uncircumcised Philistine 
 hall be as one of them, seeing he hath defied tJic arm- 
 's of tJie living God, (v. 36.) 1'his was the language 
 f faith, for it brought Ood into the question, 'liie 
 rmies of the living Clod had been defied, and this 
 ras enough for faith to count upon to gain the victory, 
 iaul's confidence was established as David assures him 
 ' that the Lord who delivered him out of the paw of 
 he lion and the bear, would also deliver him from the 
 land of this Philistine." And Saul said "go and the 
 .ord be with thee,'' (v. 37.) Saul put an armor upon 
 -)avid, but he could not go in the armor for he had not 
 )roved it. Faith could not count on nature's provision 
 or nature cannot bear the test brought to bear upon 
 t, " And David put them off him. And he took his 
 taff in his hand and chose him five smooth stones out 
 f the brook, and put them in a shepherds bag which 
 e had even in a scrip, and his sling was in his hand, 
 nd he drew near to the Philistine," (v. 40.) How 
 eautiful is faith acting through its chosen vessel, 
 here was nothing in the sim})le shepherd boy with 
 is staff and sling, for nature to count on for victory. 
 'he Philistine was coming forward clothed in a coat 
 f mail, heavily armed and j^receeded by his armor 
 earer, to crush the youth with a single blow" of his 
 
 I 
 
36 
 
 heavy spear. And the Philistine disdaining David, 
 said with a curse, "am I a dog that thou comest to 
 me with staves ? Come to me and I will give thv flesh 
 to the fowls of the air and to the beasts of the fields." 
 Then said David to the Philistine, "thou comest to me 
 with a sword, with a spear, and with a shield, but I 
 come to thee in the name of the I.ord of hosts, the (iod 
 of the armies of Israel whom thou hast defied. This 
 day 7inil the Lord deliver thee into mine hand, and I 
 will smite thee and take thine head from thee : and I 
 will give the carcasses of the hosts of the Philistines 
 this day unto the fowls of the air and to the wild 
 beasts of the earth, that all the earth may kncnv that 
 there is a God in Israel," (vs. 43-46.) Here was the 
 boast of nature in contrast with the assurance of faith. 
 Man was counting in his own strength to accomj^lish 
 with weapo''.s of his own devising, the overthrow of 
 God's anointed instrument, whom God had chosen to 
 vindicate His power on earth, and show that there 
 was a God in Israel. What a picture for own hearts to 
 meditate U])on ! How encouraging to faith to mark 
 the result ! God directs the stone from the sling of 
 the boy to the forehead of ^he giant, and the monster 
 falls forward on his face to the earth. David com- 
 pletes the concjuest by cutting off the head of the 
 giant with his own sword ! So God sometimes van- 
 quishes His enemies with their own weapons. Read- 
 er are you a sceptic, an infidel, fighting against God 
 and His Word ? If so remember that the scurrilous, 
 sarcastic production of your headstrong will which you 
 may put forth, will tend much to your overthrow, as 
 it makes more apparent the corruption that is working 
 in your own unregenerate heart. All who fight 
 against God, however well they may be armed and 
 equipped with the logic and reason of man, whatever 
 giants they may be in intellect, education and talent, 
 will find like Goliath of Gath, that simple and unpre- 
 tending means, if directed by God, can overturn and 
 
37 
 
 demolish their greatest j)reteiisi()ns. 'J'he faith of 
 some unpretending David, (\an meet boldly, and with 
 success, the most formidable array of human effort, 
 and count on (iod to sweep it away, and teach every 
 uncircumcised Philistine, (or infulel,) who dares to defy 
 the armies of the living (iod, that there is a (lod in Israel 
 who will. defend His own cause and put every device of 
 Satan and his instruments in wickedness to fault and 
 annul its power. Israel's history presents many instances 
 similar in character to this, of the transcendent power 
 of fiiith over man and nature, and from which we 
 might draw many valuable comparisons, did space 
 permit. lUit we will but pause to s])eak of their latter 
 history, while in favor in the^land as a proof of (iod's 
 sure visitation of judgment upon those who disregard 
 His warnings and scorn His power. David succeed- 
 ed Saul in i)ower as king, and is spoken of as the 
 man "after (Iod's own heart," or God's choice, in con- 
 trast with Saul the people's choice. David was a type 
 of Christ the trae David, who will overthrow the will- 
 ful king (of whom Saul was a type) in the last days, 
 and bring in the millennial reign in true Solomon glory. 
 The prophetic experiences of Christ, recorded in the 
 Psalms of David, show David's heart to have been fitt- 
 ed by the Holy (ihost, for the work of preparing the 
 nation of Israel for the reception of Christ when He 
 came, had they been subject to the scripture which 
 they had recorded of Him. David's trials and ex- 
 jjeriences which he passed through before coming into 
 reigning power, were also preparative to the utterances 
 which we find in the Psalms. How patient and faith- 
 ful God has been with man in every dispensation in 
 which He has placed him. Nothing has been omitted 
 on God's part, in His desire to bring man up to some- 
 thing near the standard of appreciation, which He 
 desires him to have of the value of His own Son to 
 meet his need. But failure has characterized man 
 through it all, and this humiliating fact is what God 
 
m 
 
 I ^s 
 
 .38 
 
 would have us own and acknowledge, and take our 
 place before Him with mouths sto])i)ed and faces in 
 the dust, instead of inifftng u]) human nature with 
 false notions of excellence which do not belong to it 
 at all. Departure from God characterized Israel 
 througli the history of the kings, as in that of the 
 judges, until the nation wns separated by rebellion of 
 the ten tribes, leaving Judali and Benjamin only, true 
 to the throne of David, (11 Chron. chap. 10.) For 
 their idolatry, the rebellious ten tribes were carried 
 away captive by the iVssyrians, and later on, the two 
 tribes, Judah and Benjamin, were taken captive by the 
 king of Babylon for their pride. Previous to this, the 
 Shechina or Glory, which had been the cloudy pillar 
 by day, and the pillar of fire by night through the 
 wilderness, and dwelt in the tabernacle and the teiiiple 
 after they were established in the land, was seen by 
 Ezekiel in a vision, to rise up and go away into 
 heaven. After this the nation was called Lo Ammi, 
 (meaning not my 1 ,'ople) because ot their idolatry, 
 pride and unfaithfulness. This proves the solemn 
 fact that God will deal with sin among his own people. 
 As Israel as a nation ])roved unfaithful, God transferr- 
 ed the power of earlhly government to the Gentiles. 
 The book of Daniel, presents the history of the pre- 
 parations of Nebuchadnezzar the Babylonish king, to 
 take his place as the first monarch under this impor- 
 tant charge. The captive Jews were then in Babylon, 
 and Daniel is one of their number vviio had been 
 chosen by the order of the king, to be set apart from 
 among the Jewish children, to be taught the learnihg 
 and tongue of the Chaldeans, (Dan. 1-4.) " And 
 Daniel had understandings in visions and dreams," 
 (v. 17.) The king dreamed dreams which troubled 
 him exceedingly, and one which went from him so that 
 he could not remember it. He called his magicians 
 and astrolc'^^x.-^, to tell and interpret the dream, but 
 they declap d their inability to do so except the king 
 
 
39 
 
 tell the dream. The King sent forth a decree that 
 all the wise men of Babylon should be slain, because 
 they failed to tell and interpret the dream. This de- 
 cree included Daniel and his com])anions, and he 
 craved ])ermission and time to tell and interpret it. 
 He asked his com})anions to " desire mercies of the 
 God of heaven concerning this secret, that they should 
 not perish with the rest of the wise men of Babylon," 
 {vs. 4-18.) The secret was revealed to Daniel in 
 a night vision, and he praised the God of heaven for 
 His wondrous power which He exhibits among the 
 children of men. Daniel told the king's dream in 
 effect as follows : — The king saw a great image with 
 head of gold, with breast and arms of silver, with 
 belly and thighs of brass, with legs of iron, and feet 
 of iron and clay. '' And thou sawest till, that a stone 
 was cut out without hands, which smote the image 
 upon his feet that were made of iron and clay, and 
 brake them to pieces. Then wlis the gold, the silver, 
 the brass, the iron and the clay, broken to pieces to- 
 gether, and became like the chaff of the summer 
 thrashing floors, and the wind carried them away, 
 that no place was found for them : and the stone l)e- 
 cam.e a great mountain, and filled the whole earth," 
 (Dan. ii, 31-^6.) This was the dream and Daniel in- 
 terpreted it as follows : — '' Thou O king art a king of 
 kings ; for the God of lieaven hath given thee a king- 
 dom, power and strength and glory. And wherso- 
 ever the children of men dwell, the beasts of the field 
 and the fowls of the heaven hath he given into thine 
 hand and hath made thee ruler over them all. Thou 
 art this head of gold." (vs. 38, 39.) Baljylon, with 
 Nebuchadnezzar as its first king, represented the head 
 of gold of the great image, which as a whole, symbo- 
 lizes (ientile dominion down to the coming of Christ, 
 (here shewn as the stone cut out witl.out hands,) who 
 will brake the image by His own ])Ower, and reign 
 through the millennium. The Medo-Persian empire 
 
40 
 
 which overthrew and succeeded the Babylonian*, re- 
 presented the breast and arms of silver. The Grecian 
 empire which succeeded the Medo-Persian, showed 
 the ])elly and thighs of brass, while the Roman power 
 which in turn overthrew the Grecian, clearly represented 
 the legs of iron, while the feet of iron and clay are 
 plainly seen in the mixed governments of the present 
 day. The iron part of the feet, symbolizes the 
 kingly, or executive portion of the various govern- 
 ments now, while the clay of the feet, show the re- 
 presentative portions. A steady declension has been 
 going on, until now we have the proud, but erroneous 
 assumption of man to sustain the right of choice by 
 the j)co])le crying, " Vox populi, vox Dei," claiming the 
 voice of the people to be the voice of God. So in 
 these days, we have all manner of corruption brought 
 into the representative portion of the government, 
 proving it to be the clay of Gentile dominion, the 
 least reliable in strength of any part of the image. It 
 is in this last weak phase of (ientile dominion, that the 
 wilful king is developed, and asserts his power to reign. 
 How clearly this speaks of the coming of the Lord to 
 take up the church " which is His body." How com- 
 forting to every intelligent lover of the blessed Lord, 
 to realise that soon the journey in this world will end 
 in the full fruition of the blessed hope now set before 
 us of being with Himself To be with Him ends all 
 the toil and suffering of the pilgrimage in a scene that 
 could not brook His presence and testimony, and it 
 is to this, that the believer is pressing forward, as the 
 " mark for the prize of his high calling of God in 
 Christ Jesus." What a glorious end of a weary pil- 
 grimage here ! What rich incentives to faithfulness, 
 and yet how many of God's dear children plod on 
 amid the poisoning influences of the scene through 
 which they might shine as lights for their Lord, yet 
 with their light hid, either under the bed of spiritual 
 sloth, or the bushel of worldly gain. May the Lord's 
 
lan', re- 
 Grecian 
 showed 
 n power 
 resented 
 clay are 
 present 
 izes the 
 govern- 
 
 the re- 
 las been 
 rroneous 
 loice by 
 nmg the 
 . So in 
 brought 
 ernment, 
 lion, the 
 lage. It 
 , that the 
 to reign. 
 
 Lord to 
 [ow corn- 
 id Lord, 
 will end 
 ,et before 
 
 ends all 
 ;cene that 
 y, and it 
 d, as the 
 f God in 
 k-eary pil- 
 thfulness^ 
 
 plod on 
 
 through 
 ^ord, yet 
 
 spiritual 
 le Lord's 
 
 41 
 
 • 
 
 own, awake and rouse up from among the dead in 
 trespasses and sin around them, and shine for. Him 
 as lights in the world. In Israel's pride and idolatry, 
 their infidelity to God is clearly manifested. So long 
 as they were faithful, God cared for them and prosper- 
 ed them as His own, but alas I how prominently it is 
 proved in their own history that *' the way of the trans- 
 gressor is hard." After seventy years of captivity in 
 Babylon, the two tribes Judah and Benjamin, were 
 brought back to Jerusalem under Ezra and Nehemiah, 
 to rebuild the temple ajnd city, as a preparation for the 
 advent of Christ, according to the promise that the 
 Jews were the nation through which the Messiah, or 
 Saviour, should come to the world. In answer to this 
 promise, every Jewish woman sought to become the 
 mother of a son, hoping her offspring might prove to 
 be the promised One, hence in Daniel's description 
 of the disregard of the wilful king in the last days 
 Christ is called " the desire of women." (Dan. ix. 37.) 
 In due time Christ was born in a stable, " for there 
 was no room for them in the inn," in Bethlehem, 
 whether Joseph and Mary had gone to answer to the 
 decree of Caesar Augustus that all the world should 
 be taxed. And why, may we ask, was there no room 
 for them in the inn ? A solemn lesson both for the 
 understanding and the heart, is taught by that inn at 
 Bethlehem. In it we see the world represented in 
 miniature. That which composes the world, and 
 which was the result of the first act of sin in Eden, 
 viz : the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eye and the 
 pride of life, made up the atmosphere and life of that 
 inn, in which there was no room for the Lord Jesus. 
 We might have found the proud Jewish Pha- 
 risee, the profound Greek philosopher, and the 
 accomplished Roman counsellor, great and wise ones 
 of the world gathered there, producing most unap- 
 propriate social elements amid which the Lord of 
 glory to be born ! '* Low lies His head with the beast 
 
42 
 
 of the stall." Amid the (^uiet ruminating animals of 
 the stahje, creatures of His own mighty power, as a 
 creator, a far more fitting reception for the Incarnate 
 (iod, could be enjoyed by the simple adoring shep- 
 herds, who had been directed to the spot by His star 
 in the east, and who had come to worship Him, (Mat. 
 ii, 9-1 1.) What a theme for meditation is here, for 
 the humble obedient heart ! Look around you reader, 
 and see how much this inn of Bethlehem, is repro- 
 duced in the world which would not have the Lord 
 Jesus, and is responsible for His murder on the cross. 
 It was these same proud religious Jewish Pharisees, 
 wise ones of earth, and the power-loving Romans, that 
 hung Him on the accursed tree. The infidelity and 
 antagonism of man to God, is the same now, as when 
 it clamored for the death of our blessed Lord. Ah ! 
 how solemn for us to think upon ! This same sin- 
 seared, corrupt, judgment-bound world, has not lost 
 its hatred for God's Son, as of yore, but that hatred 
 increases, as we near the margin when He will come 
 forth and test everything in the light of His own bless- 
 ed presence. Lut reader, as this inn has spoken thus 
 to our understanding, has it no language for our hearts 
 may we ask ? Aye, indeed it has ! How much of its 
 three-fold corrupting power influences our habits, our 
 desires, our associations, our whole life, day by day > 
 How much of our precious time is daily consumed in 
 satisfying " the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eye and 
 pride of life." How little is really spent in self deny- 
 ing devotion to Christ, the One who had no place in 
 the inn. Are we holding sweet communion with him, 
 bidding him enter as he stands at the door of our 
 hearts and knocks ? How solemn this question comes 
 home to you and me reader ! How it does search us,. 
 to the innermost depths of our being, laying oper: our 
 laggard hearts to the gaze o.'' self-denying discernment 
 that we may really unr^erstandour true position before 
 God. Let us bear the searching, unpalatable though 
 
43 
 
 it be, for we will surely profit by it before God. The 
 character of the opposers to the blessed Lord while 
 He was on earth, was purely satanic. It was a question 
 of dominion with the Roniccn power then ruling, and 
 of pride and legal self-righteousness on the part of the 
 Jewish Pharisees. In the book of Revelation, (chap, 
 xii, 4.) we read that "the dragon stood before the 
 woman which was ready to be delivered, for to devour 
 her child as soon as it was born." The woman here 
 symbolizes the nation of Israel, while the Roman 
 power, represented by Herod, shows Satan's dominion. 
 The man-child, who is "to rule all nations with a rod 
 of iron," shows Christ, who after He rose from the 
 dead, " was caught up unto God and to His throne," 
 (v. 5.) Herod tried to get possession of the child 
 Jesus in His infancy but God defeated him, (Mat. ii, 
 8.) He slew the innocent children of two years old 
 and under, (v. 16) to destroy the Lord, but God had 
 put it into the hearts of His parents to flee into Egypt 
 and remain there with the child until Herod's death, 
 (vs. 13, 14.) Thus was Satan's plan foiled, and Jesus 
 grew to manhood. The proud Pharisaical Jews, over- 
 looked the prophecies concerning His humble paren- 
 tage, and were looking for a mighty conqeror who, 
 as they expected, would shake off the galling Roman 
 yoke, and restore to Israel the governing power, and 
 place that nation at the head of the nations, as He will 
 in the last days. They denounced Jesus as an im- 
 poster, and with a few individual exceptions, look 
 upon Him as such now. " He came unto His own 
 (nation the Jews) but His own received Him not." 
 A few, a remnant of Israel did receive Him, and " to 
 them gave He power to become the sons of God." 
 (St. John i. II, 12.) The seventieth week of Daniel's 
 prophecy, (see Dan. ix. 24-26) we believe, was oc- 
 cupied by John and Christ's ministries, each 3^^ 
 years, but the offer of the kingdom being rejected, 
 the 70th week of grace is cancelled, and it becomes a 
 
11 
 
 111 
 m 
 
 w. 
 
 44 
 
 week of judgment in the last days when God will deal 
 with the Jews for rejecting their Messiah. God always 
 deals in mercy and grace first, but if He is treated 
 with contempt, He deals afterward in judgment. Is- 
 rael slew the prophets and would not have their true 
 Messiah, and God must deal with them according to 
 their deservings. So no7a, the gospel of His grace is 
 going out to poor sinners, and if they accept the prof- 
 fered sacrifice of Christ, and own Him as Lord, they 
 will escape the judgment that will sin-ely be the portion 
 of those who will not have Him as Saviour. The 
 character of His opposers while on earth, was thorughly 
 infidel to God who sent Him. It could not be other- 
 wise, and the fact that He gave Himself up to be 
 treated as they chose, showed that meekness and ob- 
 edience prophesied of Him in the Psalms of David. 
 Had the Jews been fully obedient to the prophesies 
 which they possessed of Him, they could not have re- 
 jected Him. But their infidelity, which, as a nation, 
 continues to this day, clamored for His death, and 
 urged Pilate, the Roman Governor, to delivered Him 
 to be crucified, instead of Barabus a robber ! " Not 
 this tnan^ but Barabus," is their cry when a prisoner 
 is to be released unto them at the feast. Thus Sat- 
 anic agency, aimed to protect its own cause and in- 
 terests, by putting to death the One, who by His pure 
 life and example, was a constant rebuke to the sin 
 and unbelief around Him. And so will it be toward 
 those who faithfully stand up now for a rejected Christ. 
 The character of the world and its lovers, are the 
 same as of yore. Sin and unbelief is the same now as 
 ever. Men talk of progress in civilization, (Src. &c., 
 and progress there is in satanic craft and cunning 
 surely, but none toward God and in the things of God 
 by the world. On the contrary there is plenty of oc- 
 cupation of mind, with materialistic themes and notions 
 to keep out Christ, and a sense of their great need 
 of Him as the sacrifice for sin. 
 
45 
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 
 The promise of the Holy Ghost and Hisdescent at Pentecost — 
 His mission and rejection by Israel — Paul's ministry and the 
 church of God — Mesijages to the seven churches in Asia — Re- 
 flections. 
 
 Before the blessed Lord suffered on the cross He 
 promised to send the Holy Ghost, ihe Comforter, to 
 His disciples, after He should go to the Father, St. 
 John xvi, 5-15. He anticipates His departure in the 
 i6th and 17th chapters of St. John's gospel, but He 
 will not leave His own comfortless, or without the 
 promise of One who would not only comfort them but 
 would '' lead them into all truth." Three things this 
 promised Comforter would do, viz : convince the world 
 of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment. " Of sin 
 because they believed not on me • of righteousness 
 because I go to my Father, and ye shall see me no 
 more ; of judgment because the Prince of this world 
 is judged," verses 8-1 1. The condemnation of unbe- 
 lievers is, because they believe not on the Son of God, 
 St. John iii, 18, 19. Christ was preached after the 
 Holy Ghost descended at Pentecost, and His rejection 
 is the sin, or condemnation of those who believe not 
 on Him. Righteousness in the person of Christ is 
 at the right hand of God now, in this day of mercy and 
 grace. Were God dealing in righteousness, as He will 
 through the reign of Christ in the Millennium, sin 
 would be dealt witji as soon as committed. Righteous- 
 ness prevailing is the result of God ruling in judgment. 
 But the Prince or God of this world, " hath blinded 
 the eyes of them that believe not, lest the light of the 
 glorious gospel of Christ should s]iine unto them," 
 and bring them out of their condemned condition of 
 unbehef, for through the various avenues of effort 
 which he devises Satan creates in them a hatred to 
 God, though God is extending His grace and mercy 
 to all. The Prince of this world is judged because 
 Christ is risen triumphant over all the power of Satan, 
 
' 4^ 
 
 having as the stronger entered the house of the strong 
 man and spoiled his goods. By going into death 
 he has disarmed it of its terror for the believer, 
 broken the power of the grave, and taken away the 
 *' fearful looking for of judgment which will devour 
 the adversaries," for all who trust Him for salvation. 
 
 " He, hell in hell laid low ; • 
 
 Made sin, He sin o'erthrevv ; 
 Bowed to the grave, destroyed it so, 
 And death by dying slew.' 
 
 The mission of the Holy Ghost is, to *' take out a people 
 for the name of the Lord," as well as to " reprove the 
 world of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment," thus 
 fulfilling the double purpose of God to carry oiit the 
 election of grace in the church and to testify against 
 sin. His Word preached, " accomplishes that where- 
 unto it is sent," and is atter^ded with the power of the 
 Holy Ghost to be a savior of life unto life to some, and 
 of death unto death to others." On God's pa7't^ His 
 Word is as valuable as a testimony to vindicate His 
 own character as it is a means of saving souls. But 
 the Jewish nation rejected the Holy Ghost as they did 
 the true Messiah. The testimony of the faithful 
 V Stephen against Israel was this : " Ye stiff-necked and 
 uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do alway resist 
 the Holy Ghost, as your fathers did so do ye," Acts 
 vii, 51. This was a solemn charge against the nation 
 which they could not receive without resistance, and 
 they stone the faithful witness who so fearlessly testi- 
 fied of the Holy Ghost, the third person of the Holy 
 Trinity. This is a solemn picture for our hearts to 
 dw^U upon ! It is the Holy Ghost that is especially 
 resisted now, by the unjudged flesh in every unregene- 
 rated heart, and alas ! is often grieved in God's own 
 children. Stephen had a glorious vision of the bless- 
 ed Lord, "standing on the right hand of God," (v. 56) 
 waiting in anxious expectation, as it were, to see how 
 His faithful witness would be received and dealt with 
 
47 
 
 by the nation. There is something peculiarly remark- 
 able in this staiidirii^ position of our Lord. It was 
 evidently that of priestly intercession for His earthly 
 j)oeple, over whom His heart still yearned with parental 
 fondness, but after they had rejected Stephen's testi- 
 mony in the i)ower of the Holy Ghost " He sat down 
 henceforth expecting, till His enemies became His 
 footstool." Stej)hen's testimony, that he saw the re- 
 jected man Jesus at the right hand of (iod, that One 
 whom they crucified as an imposter, that One of whom 
 they had bribed the guard of the sepulchre, to say, "His 
 disciples stole Him awav while we slept," fired the 
 anger of the Pharisaical Jews, " Then they cried out 
 with a loud voice and stopi)ed their ears, and ran upon 
 Him with one accord, and cast Him out of the city 
 and stoned him ; and the witnesses laid down their 
 clothes at a young man's feet whose name was Saul,'* 
 (vs. 57, 58.) How singularly God in His purpose con- 
 nects Saul with the murder of Stephen. As one wit- 
 ness is cut down, another ond more eminently used in 
 the place of service and testimony is raised up to set 
 forth the gospel of God's grace in the power of the 
 Holy (jhost. Although Saul was at that time perse- 
 cuting Christians, "hailing men and women and com- 
 mitting them to prison," God afterward arrested him 
 while on his way to Damascus and struck him down^ 
 to the earth. Saul feels power and owns Lord- 
 ship by the question, " Who art thou, Lord?" The 
 Lord replies, " I am Jesus whom thou persecutest ! " 
 That One whom Saul had been taught by his Jewish- 
 education to treat as an an impostor, he now finds to 
 be the Lord with power. He acknowledges the Lord- 
 ship of Jesus, oy asking, "Lord, what wilt Thou have 
 me to do ? " Acts ix, 3-6. He owns power and Lord- 
 ship in the once rejected One, but now in ready obe- 
 dience, so beautifully exhibited in the once persecutor 
 but now convert Saul, we see a noble example for all 
 who have felt and owned the Lordship of Jesus.. 
 
I' f 
 
 48 
 
 " What wilt Thou have me to do " should be the ques- 
 tion from every one that hath received faith to trust 
 the blood of Christ. We are under the power and 
 lordship of Satan, (for power and lordshij) are identi- 
 cal) until we own Jesus as Lord and confess Him 
 before men. After we cast off the lordship of Satan 
 and own Christ we are no longer our own but are 
 ** bought with a price." How needful to redeem the 
 time, in the use of any little gift for service, which our 
 risen Lord may have conferred upon us, as well as to 
 encourage gift in our fellow Christians. What a sad 
 thing to be hindering the use of gifts in others by 
 fostering prejudices in our minds, thus obscuring our 
 sight and appreciation of Christ in them. We may be 
 standing in the way of God in our fellow Christians, 
 -and thus be practising infidelity or unfaithfulness by 
 our coldness or evil speaking. Nearly all believers in 
 Christ, have been taught more or less in the world's school 
 of estmiate, before accepting Him as their Saviour, and 
 it requires much self-judgment and teaching in God's 
 school to supplant their worldly judgment by His 
 estimate of things. Three cardinal truths Christians 
 need to keep in mind to keep them from slipping into 
 •a worldly estimate and spirit of unfaithfulness, viz : — 
 ist "there is no respect of persons with God;" 2nd 
 *' hath not God chosen the poor of this world, rich in 
 faith, and heirs of the kingdom promised to them that 
 love Him?'^ (James ii, 5.) 3id "that which is highly 
 esteemed among men is an abomination to God." 
 These three things are useful tests to try our state of 
 soul, as to whether we are estimating from God's stand- 
 point or from that of the world. The lap of the world has 
 ever been the snare of the church, and there is a 
 constant tendency to lapse back into the track of world- 
 ly conformity by unwatchful Christians, and ' thus be- 
 come the anti-type of the raven sent out by Noah from 
 the ark. The dove could find no place on the waste 
 of \yaters for the sole of her foot, and so returned 
 
49 
 
 to the ark, but the raven found aiTii)le sustenance upon 
 the floating carcasses of men and beasts, suitable food 
 for its unclean nature, which a world under judgment 
 furnished for its support. The dove typifies the 
 faithful Christian who can only find consolation in 
 Christ the true Ark, but the raven shows the man of 
 the world and the worldly Christian, who are easily 
 satisfied with the world and its carnality. May our 
 poor weak hearts learn the lesson of contrast between 
 the dove and raven. The Lord said to Ananias by the 
 spirit, concerning the new convert Saul, '' Go thy way; 
 for he is a chosen vessel" unto me, to bear my name 
 before the Gentiles, and kings and the children of 
 Israel, for I will shew him what great things he must 
 suffer for my Name's sake," Acts xi. 15, 16. This 
 brief announcement of Saul's (or Paul's) mission is 
 very comprehensive. He was to become the chief 
 evangelist and minister to the Gentiles, to carry on the . 
 work of "taking out a people for the nam.e of the Lord,'* 
 to form the church of God. The church of God be- 
 gan at Pentecost when the Holy Ghost descended in 
 a very peculiar manner and baptized all the believers 
 at Jerusalem into one body, "for by one spirit we are 
 all baptized into one body." The church or assembly 
 of God could not have existed on earth as the body 
 of Christ until He, as Head, went up to heaven, and 
 the Holy Ghost came down, and this for two especial 
 reasons ; first, the members of Christ are gathered 
 to His name, a fact which could not exist until He 
 went away from th«m. Second, they are gathered by 
 the power of the Holy Ghost, which could not take 
 place until Christ w^ent away and the Comforter was. 
 come, St. John xvi, 7. A peculiar condition charac- 
 terizes the child of God now in contrast with the 
 believers in Old Testament days. Now since Pente- 
 cost, the believer is a temple of the Holy Ghost, the 
 third person of the Triune God, dwelling wdthin him, 
 I Cor. vi, 19. Thefi " holy men of God spake as they 
 
r^ 
 
 50 
 
 m 
 
 were moved by the Holy Ghost," 2 Peter i, 21. There 
 is no reeord of tlie Holy Ghost dwelling in the be- 
 liever until the work commenced of manifesting the 
 elect of God to form the church. The -church is re- 
 vealed in scripture under two as])ects ; first, as the 
 body of Christ, Eph. i, 32, 23 ; and secondly, as " the 
 house of (jod, the i)illar and ground of the truth," i 
 Tiiii. ii, 15. All true believers born again of the 
 Word and of the Sjiirit, St. John iii, 5, (water there 
 meaning the word of (iod) are members of the church 
 which is the body of Christ, and will be caught up to 
 meet the Lord in the air when Pie comes to take up 
 the church of God, i Thess. iv, 14-18. No matter 
 what name they may bear on earth, if they are truly 
 the Lord's, (and the Lord knoweth them that are His,) 
 they belong to the church which is the body of Christ. 
 We see now three distinct classes in the world, viz : 
 " the Jew, the Gentile, and the church of God." The 
 first epistle of Timothy presents the church in its 
 original order in apostolic times ; but the second 
 epistle of Paul to Timothy forestalls the de])arture 
 and apostacy of tlie outward organized forms of pro- 
 fession in these last days. 'J'he seven letters to the 
 seven churches in Asia, seen m Rev. ii, iii, are evi- 
 dently tyjjicr ' '>^ the different periods of the church's 
 history tH . which she has passed. Although 
 
 written -ai assemblies at the i)laces named, there 
 
 is in the . addresses a broad spiritual scope opening 
 out to the meditative heart, that reveals the purposes 
 of God in the church in a most instructive and inter- 
 esting sense, and engages one's s])irit with heavenly 
 themes and })rinciples, to bring out the wondrous 
 riches of God in Christ, and present what God has in 
 store for the overcomer when the wearisome journey 
 of this wilderness scene is passed. Christ is seen by 
 St. John sitting among the candlesticks clothed in the 
 habiliments of judgment, with feet of brass, denoting 
 executive power. It is important to note this, as He 
 
51 
 
 The 
 
 :)ting 
 
 i He 
 
 will judge His own in what is contrnry to Himself, 
 unless they judge themselves. *' Holiness becometh 
 thine house" is the word, and the Lord is jealous over 
 His own with godly jealousy, and desirous of their 
 growth in grace, that they may find in Him a satisfy- 
 ing portion for their occupation of heart, that they 
 may be more conformed to His image, for whatever 
 occupies the heart stami)s its image upon it, and gives 
 character to the one occupied. If a man is coveteous, 
 he soon presents a miserly character, if ambitious, he 
 l)resents the character of a selfish tyrannical des])ot, 
 so if he is taken up in heart with the things of God he 
 manifests a Christian character. The first letter i.s 
 written by the Lord, through John, to the church at . 
 
 ■ '.. EPHESUS. 
 
 This marks out the first or palmy days of the church, 
 so to speak. The Lord has nothing against Ephesus 
 but that she has left htx fust love. Her first love was 
 Christ Himself, as an object for occupation, and it 
 very soon became apparent in the church that He had 
 not the place in the affections of the saints that He 
 ought to have. The saints at Ephesus had done much 
 that the Lord commanded, had tried the false apostles 
 and found them liars, had borne much for His sake, 
 and even hated the works of the Nicolaitanes, which 
 thing the Lord hates. Nicolaitanism is man concjuer- 
 ing God's children evidently, and subjecting them to 
 man's rule by making merchandise of them, instead of 
 leaving them free tb serve Christ. This concjuering 
 of the people had not corrupted the first days of the 
 history of the church. But still He says they were 
 fallen^ and calls upon them to repent and do their 
 first works or He would come upon them (quickly and 
 remove the candle stick out of his place. How quick- 
 ly the candle stick w^as removed the subsequent history 
 of the church too plainly shows. " H. .aat hath an 
 ear to hear, let him hear w^hat the spirit saith unto 
 
52 
 
 
 the churches." Mark, it is the spirit speaking, 
 teUing out the mind of Christ toward His own i)ilgrim 
 people. '* To him that overcometh will I give to eat 
 of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise 
 of God." Here is the beginning of a beautiful order 
 of promises to the overcomer. The tree of life is 
 the antidote for all the dire consecjucnces of sin. To 
 guard the way to it, cherubim were placed, and a 
 flaming sword whic^ turned everywhere to keep the 
 way of the tree of hie, (Gen. iii, 24,) lest man after he 
 was turned out of Eden should return in his own 
 strength and eat of the tree of life and live forever. 
 He could only return through the promise of a Saviour, 
 which must be received by faith, (not of works lest 
 any man should boast,) and this Adam did receive, 
 when God declared the seed of the woman should 
 bruise the serpents head. Gen. iii, 15. The overcomer 
 in Christ will partake of the tree of life, because all 
 that was against him, as a child of Adam, has been 
 cancelled through the death and merits of Christ. We 
 next take up the address to the church at 
 
 Smyrna. 
 
 We will discover, as wq proceed in our brief medita- 
 tions over these addresses, despite the warnings and 
 threatenings which the Lord sends to the church,t hat 
 things grew worse and worse as each stage or period 
 of the church's history was entered upon. No positive 
 complaint is lodged against Smyrna, but " tribulation 
 ten days," is promised as a result of what had already 
 begun in the Ephesian period. Every student of 
 church history knows that this ten days tribulation 
 marks out the period of persecutian which came upon 
 the church in the days of the heathen Emperors. This- 
 is one of the marked proofs that these addresses to the 
 churches in Asia prefigure the history of the church 
 down to the end. Other proofs will present them- 
 selves as we proceed. The Lord knows the works. 
 
tribulation and poverty of Smyrna, (but still they are 
 rich) and the blasphemy of them that say they are 
 Jews (or worshippers) and are not, but are of the syna- 
 gogue of Satan. Here is the apostate party insi e the 
 church, referred to. The "mystery of iniquity" was 
 already working, and the faithful in the Smyrnain 
 period, amid their suffering and trials, were encourag- 
 ed to be faithful unto death, and they would receive 
 a " crown of life." What an incentive to faithfulness 
 was here ! Though they were persecuted to death, 
 as to their bodies, yet a,s it was for the Lord's sake, 
 they would have a crown of life. The tribulation and 
 suffering they were enduring was to be the Lord's 
 means of driving them nearer to Himself, that they 
 might find in Him their sole comfort, and that in the 
 face of the hypocrisy and pretension that was growing 
 in their very midst. But the promise to the over- 
 comer is characteristic ! " He that overcometh shall 
 not be hurt of the second death." They were endur- 
 ing the first death, that of their bodies, but they were 
 not to fear the second death. That was to come upon 
 those who were unfaithful, and who escaped the per- 
 secution by fellowship with evil and joining issue with 
 the persecutors. The Lord had said with reference 
 to the sufferings of the Jewish remnant yet to come, 
 "he that saveth his life shall lose it, but he that loseth 
 his life for my name sake, shall find it," (or words to 
 this effect,) and this principle was being forestalled 
 in events in the Smyrnian history of the church. 
 This lesson is not without importance to the child of 
 God now. That which he has been educated in of 
 the world, and what he loves by nature, must be reckon- 
 ed dead, that the new life he has in Christ may grow 
 and unfold its power upon his walk and conversation, 
 that he may bring forth fruit unto God. His early 
 education may have been that which looked forward 
 to greatness as a man of the world, either in political, 
 military, or literary pursuits, where personal notorietjr 
 

 hill 
 
 54 ' :. 
 
 or distinction aft.u* the manner of man, was aimed at. 
 As with Paul, this is all to be counted but " dung " for 
 the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus our 
 Lord." Whenever we would recognize the claims of 
 Christ upon us nature must give place and self be 
 denied. There can be no real permanent growth in 
 Christ unless nature's hopes and aims are set aside. 
 So in the days of the persecution Christians closed 
 their eyes to their own comfort and convenience and 
 suffered because of their faithfulness. But Satan found 
 that this only was spreading the gospel of* Christ, in- 
 stead of destroying the testimony for Christ, and he 
 brings in a different class of tactics- which we will 
 briefly consider in the address to 
 
 Pergamos. 
 
 The first charge brought against Pergamos is, " thou 
 dweliest even where Satan's seat (or throne) is." The 
 pilgrim character was given up, and the church in the 
 Pergamos period had begun to dwell, or rest, in a scene 
 where Satan rules as king or as prince of this world. 
 Here was ground for a solemn charge of unfaithfulness 
 or infidelity. It was the result of Satan playing upon 
 the credulity of unwatchful Christians. Constantine, 
 a Roman Emperor, made a great profession of Christ- 
 ianity, pretending to have seen a cross displayed in the 
 sky, and gave his pretensions such pompous publicity 
 that he succeeded in captivatingand deluding Christians 
 far and near. He became the patron of Christianity 
 after a carnal manner, by putting Christians into places 
 of note and power in the Roman Government, thus 
 bringing in the Balaam doctrine, or union of the church 
 and the world, a thing higlily displeasing to God The 
 church ought to be a correct representation of God on 
 earth, while the world is directly opposed to God. 
 '* Love not the world, neither the things that are in 
 the world. If any man love the world the love of the 
 Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the 
 
will 
 
 55 
 
 lust of tlie flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride 
 of life, is not of the Father but of the world," i John 
 ii, 15, 16. Here is a positive proof of the direct an- 
 tagonism of the world and God, and when the church 
 became united to the wofld apostasy was the sure re- 
 sult. This "dwelling" of the church in Pergamos 
 was attended by the persecution unto death of many 
 like Antipas, who were a testimony against the cold 
 worldly condition into which the church had fallen. 
 The doctrine of Balaam, which means " destroying the 
 people," breaks down the barriers of separation between 
 the church and the world, thus destroying the testi- 
 mony which marks out Christians as a distinct people 
 for God, and merges all into one leavened mass by the 
 spirit of the world, under satanic rule. Balaam covet- 
 ed the presents of Balak, the king of Moab, but as 
 Crod forbade him to curse Israel, Balaam teaches Balak 
 to cast a stumbling block before them, by parading 
 the young Moabitish woman before the camp of Israel 
 and thus drew out their young men in marriage and 
 fornication. This plan succeeded, much to Israel's 
 hurt, but it presents but a faint outline in type of the 
 injury which has resulted from the union of the church 
 and the world since. The doctrine of the NIcolaitanes 
 was held by many in Pergamos, a ripened-up result of 
 what had begun in Ephesus. The Ephesians hated 
 the works of the Nicolaitanes, but in Pergamos the 
 doctrine was held, presenting a confirmed degeneracy 
 into that which God hated. The pilgrim character 
 of the church had been given up for a dwelling place 
 in the world where Satan's throne is. The Nicolaita- 
 nian principle soon opened the way for a more full 
 display of man's corrupt condition by nature in the 
 rise of apostasy. Clerical dogmas, and the ingenious 
 inventions of man's busy nature, under the power and 
 instigation of Satan, soon brought forth a host of fal- 
 lacious doctrines, base counterfeits of the things which 
 become sound doctrine, which Timothy was exhorted 
 
 I 
 
SL: 
 
 56 
 
 to speak, and when a pure gospel was preached as a 
 testimony for Christ, those who preached it were 
 driven to the fastnesses of nature, and forced to many 
 privations and persecutions unto death for their love 
 of the truth as it is in Christ? 
 
 There was a patient, faithful remnant in Pergamos, 
 who held fast the name of Christ, and did not deny 
 their faith amid all the persecution through which they 
 passed where Sata?t dwelleth. Their individual testi- 
 mony was often sealed by their own blood, and the 
 peculiar trials of each w^ere known and owned of the 
 Lord according to their individual faithfulness to Him- 
 self. The promise to the overcomer in Pergamos 
 reveals this peculiar fellowship with the Lord in the 
 trials and sufferings of the faithful of that time. 
 
 " To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the 
 hidden manna, and will give him a white stone, and 
 in the stone a new name written, which no man know- 
 eth, saving he that receiveth it." Rev. ii, 17. Marina 
 was wilderness food to the children of Israel, and only 
 ceased after the trials of the wilderness were over. 
 Christ the true Manna, is what the faithful, tried soul 
 feeds upon during his trials in this scene. The hidden 
 manna, is Christ in the glory, the One whom the Christ- 
 ian can " consider lest he grow weary and faint in his 
 mind." The white stone was a mark of esteem or ap- 
 preciation of the giver, which he held of the one to 
 whom it was presented. The Lord knows and values 
 every exhibition of faithfulness to Himself, by any of 
 His members here in this scene. He treasures up all 
 their difficulties and trials, and when He comes to 
 take them up to the judgment seat He will regard 
 each in the peculiar way suited to his individual case, 
 and reward each one as He esteems him. He knows, 
 as no one else knows but the one He rewards, what 
 that one has passed through for Himself. Every indi- 
 vidual case is different from the rest, and the name 
 which the stone contains as a figure of the Lord's es- 
 
S7 
 
 teem, will be suited to the peculiar trials through which 
 that one had passed, and known only to himself and 
 the Lord. How blessed to each individual believer 
 in ail time, who has overcome in the name of Christ, 
 to hear the Lord greeting him or her, in the Father's 
 house, with that peculiar name which He gives in ac- 
 cordance with His estimation of them. Every temp- 
 tation or trial, He has sustained us through, every time 
 we have looked up to Him to guide and direct our 
 pathway, every conquest we have gained over self and 
 the flesh within, or the world and Satan without, is 
 treasured by Himself, and stands as a component of 
 the esteem He has formed of s and the new ncwte 
 He will give us. Poo^ tried suffering pilgrim down 
 here in this howling wilderness, look up to Christ ! 
 He knows all about you and your difficulties, and can 
 and will help you through them all. Trust Him 
 though you cannot trace the way He may lead your 
 feet. He will give rest to your soul, if you take His 
 yoke upon you and learn of Him, " for His yoke is 
 easy and His burden is light." Let us now take up 
 the message to 
 
 Thyatira. 
 We have seen in Pergamos, the basis of apostasy laid, 
 and the church dwelling in a sin-cursed scene where 
 Satan's throne is. In Thyatira, the apostasy assumed 
 fonn^ activity^ and dominion^ and with its multifarious 
 errors and heresies, came forth to carry out Satan's 
 counterfeit of the true church on earth, and present 
 something to the eye of man in the flesh, that has the 
 appearance of sanctity, but denies the poWer and life 
 of true godliness. The faithful in Thyatira, are com- 
 mended for their works, love, service, faith and patience. 
 This was the individual testimony, while the corporate 
 condition of the church at the time, was corrupted by 
 the teachings of the woman Jezebel. " Notwithstand- 
 ing I have a few things against thee, because thou 
 sufferest that woman Jezebel which calleth herself a 
 
58 
 
 ]| 
 
 prophetess, to teach and to seduce my servants to 
 commit fornication, and to eat things sacrificed unto 
 idols," (v. 2 0.) The woman Jezebel is the opposite to 
 the man Christ Jesus. The teachings of the truth as 
 it is in Christ, leads to the worship of Cod in spirit 
 and in truth. The teachings of Jezebel, or the apos- 
 tasy, leads to the worship of idols and to a walk by 
 sight, just the opposite of the walk by faith of the 
 Christian. Her claim to teach is absolute and tyran- 
 nical. "Hear the church," is her demand without re- 
 serve or without toleration where she can enforce it, 
 and where ever she gains a footing, corruption springs 
 up as a matter of course. A religion of the flesh which 
 the natural unregenerate man can conform readily to, 
 and grow proud and consequential in, is the secret of 
 her success in teaching and leading souls astray. Bap- 
 tismal regeneration and apostolic succession, are the 
 two main heretical motors, by which apostasy is pro- 
 pagated by the woman Jezebel. They are legitimate 
 out-croppings of a spirit of opposition to Christ, and 
 aim to set aside the needed work of Cod through the 
 power of the Holy Chost. Baptismal regeneration in 
 principle, denies that portion of God's Word which 
 declares " with the heart man believeth unto righteous- 
 ness, and with the mouth confession is made unto 
 salvation." 
 
 It also denies that the sinner must be born again of 
 the Word and the Holy Spirit. But it serves as a 
 principle in a false theology whose supporters declare 
 is the only true church on earth, in a tone and spirit 
 which Cod's Word condemns, quite in opposition to 
 the spirit of the meek and lowly Jesus who came as 
 the "man of sorrows and acquainted with griefs." 
 Apostolic succession^ another fruit of the teachings of the 
 woman Jezebel, is a presumptuous claim of man which 
 turns Cod out of the question as to His right to chose 
 and raise up instruments to set forth and minister the 
 grace of Christ. It puts into the hands of m^ ^ what 
 
59 
 
 God has positively reserved for Himself, the right to 
 minister through the power of the Holy Ghost in tlie 
 choice of His own people to constitute His church. 
 Apostasy claims the right to minister through a priest- 
 hood that has its origin in the material (lualificatiOi.s 
 of human education instead of the new birth, and 
 qualifications by the Holy Ghost as members of the 
 mystical body of Christ. This is the Jezebel char- 
 acter w^hich overcame by Satanic craft the saints in 
 Thyatira and which exists now, bolstered up by world- 
 liness and priestcraft, having decej)tion as its hand- 
 maid, to carry out its falsities and absurdities. t ac- 
 comodates a religion to suit the flesh in man, aiid as 
 a necessity, must be opposed to God. Ever jealous 
 and suspicious, because dark in character and origin 
 itself, it is nontolerant and hateful toward those who 
 are earnest and zealous in telling out God's good news 
 to a world lying in sin and wickedness. What it can- 
 not accomplish by persecution and cruelty, it seeks by 
 flattery and cunning craft to pollute and corrupt, thus 
 gaining an end to suit its assumed right to rule and 
 govern in the nations of the earth. " Seuiper eadem " 
 (always the same,) is the motto of apostasy, and its 
 character has been well borne out in all times since it 
 first took form and assumed power, and its principal 
 aim is to acquire the temporal authority of govern- 
 ment in the different nations where it gams a footing, 
 and then to abuse that power in the persecution of 
 Christianity. It uses so much varied policy and lays 
 so many plans to carry out its ends, that it requires 
 constant watchfulness to keep clear of its fascinating, 
 polluting power. Rome's end is to be "cast into a 
 bed, and them that commit adultery with her into 
 gi'eat tribulation, except they repent of their deeds," 
 God has pronounced His sentence upon her, and will 
 surely perform what He declares in His word. Unto 
 the faithful in Thyatira He will meet out a reward 
 suited to the testimony they have borne for Himself, 
 
6o 
 
 and bid them rejoice in the favor into which He will 
 bring them, in proi)ortion to the sufferings they have 
 endured for His name's sake. Mark the promise to 
 the overcomer in I'hyatira I ** He that overcometh 
 and keepeth my works unto the end to him will I give 
 power over the nations, and he shall rule them with 
 a rod of iron, as the vessel of a potter shall they be 
 broken to shivers, even a.: I received of my Father, 
 and I will give him the inorning star !^^ chap, ii, 25-8. 
 What blessed association in His executive judgment 
 is here promised to the overcomer ! Three important 
 things are here promised, viz : ist, i)ower over the 
 nations, just what seducing Rome aims to acquire, but 
 which Christ Himseif will have, and those that are 
 His, with Him, " for the Lord knoweth them that are 
 his." 2nd, he shall rule them with a rod of iron, which 
 implies governing with Christ through the millennium 
 reign. 3rd, " I will give him the morning star," here 
 is Christ Himself promised, as He is the bright and 
 niorning star, Rev. xxii, 16. The order of promise and 
 warning is reversed in this message to Thyatira, evi- 
 dently because the remnant after this is addressed in- 
 stead of the whole corporate thing, as corporate testi- 
 mony had become so corru])ted that the individual is. 
 only regarded as having the hearing ear. What a rich 
 encouragement to faithfulness, even in the face of in- 
 dividual failure is here presented, and to " lay aside 
 every weight, and the sin that doth so easily beset us,, 
 and run with patience the race that is set before us, 
 looking unto Jesus the author and completor of our 
 faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured 
 the cross, despised the shame, and is set down at the 
 right hand of the majesty in the Heavens." Let us 
 now briefly glance at the message to 
 
 Sardis. 
 
 Sardis evidently shows the Reformation (as it is known 
 in history), a coming out of the church of Rome as 
 
s 
 
 6i 
 
 le will 
 
 Y have 
 
 nise to 
 
 :ometh 
 
 1 1 give 
 
 n with 
 
 ley be 
 
 Father, 
 
 i, 25-8. 
 
 Igment 
 
 )ortant 
 
 'er the 
 
 re, but 
 
 lat are 
 
 lat are 
 
 which 
 
 ;nnium 
 
 ," here 
 
 fit and 
 
 se and 
 
 a, evi- 
 
 ed in- 
 
 ! testi- 
 
 ual i.s 
 
 a rich 
 
 of in- 
 
 aside 
 
 et us,, 
 
 re us, 
 
 l>f our 
 
 lured 
 
 It the 
 
 let us 
 
 a testmiony, 
 
 lown 
 le as 
 
 under the power of certain truths, against 
 her errors and false position as assuming the right to 
 teach and mislead the saints of God. It must be 
 clearly understood here that this testimony of Sardis. 
 (or the Reformation) is the light of God's Word making 
 manifest the errors in the church which were the re- 
 sult of the teaching and seductions of the woman 
 Jezebel. When justification by faith was brought out 
 as a cardinal truth of God's Word, the light revealed 
 and condemned the craft and falsities of the apostasy, 
 " for whatsoever doth make manifest is light." The 
 contrast between God's Word and the errors then pre- 
 vailing was so great as to cause the persecution of the 
 faithful ones who set forth the truth by the blind de- 
 votees of apostasy. As the blessed Lord Himself was 
 a standing rebuke to the false teachings of the Phari- 
 sees, Saducees and Herodians, so were the faithful 
 witnesses for Christ through the "dark ages " and in 
 the Reformation, a constant rebuke to error and priest- 
 craft. The " leaven " of the Pharisees was made up 
 of superstition and traditional teachings, the same that 
 the apostasy now sets forth ; that of the Saducees was 
 rationalistic infidelity, seen in the modern infidel 
 schools, while the leaven of Herod was seeking favor 
 with a world which is " not of the Father," i John ii, 
 15-17. This three-fold leaven of iniquity was what the 
 Lord warned His disciples against (Mat. xvi, 12), and 
 which we are to be putting forth efforts to resist 
 if we would stand as a testimony for Himself. But 
 how has the work of testimony stood since the Refor- 
 mation commenced ? The followers of Luther as an 
 organized system have drifted back into the old Jeze- 
 bel school, both as to doctrine and practice. W^efind 
 the English church holding the same exclusive right 
 to teach as the churchy as Rome claims, based too upon 
 the principle of apostolic succession, with baptismal 
 regeneration as a shibboleth to acquire members. In- 
 fallibility is not held outwardly as a doctrine but it is 
 
62 
 
 implied in spirit in the general tenor of the church's 
 teachings as a system of man. God's word is not 
 taken as a ground of discipline to deal with sin and 
 error, for if it were, the very deception of the false 
 teaching set forth would be unmasked to the light and 
 the whole system would fall under the exposure. 
 Every compromise with the world, the flesh and Satan, 
 fears the light of the word, because the word is a 
 simple testimony against the works of darkness. There 
 were a few names in Sardis who will walk with the 
 Lord in white, who had not defiled their garments, 
 names of those who were really the Lord's amid all the 
 profession in which they moved, and who, according 
 to the light they had, were faithful in their day and 
 generation. It is refreshing to the spirit to look back 
 at the lives of many of the Reformers, how they bore 
 with meekness and patience the bitter persecutions that 
 were heaped upon them by the Romish church, as 
 well as by the English church in latter times. Their 
 lives given up for the truth's sake and their character 
 defamed for the name of Christ, cast a halo upon the 
 history of God's work that nerves in its contemplation 
 the feeble heart now to press onward in the face of all 
 difficulties. The '* few names " who were faithful and 
 " had not defiled their garments " with the corruptions 
 which the woman Jezebel taught are precious in the 
 Lord's sight and come down to us in history as the 
 seed of the church. They were instrumental in God's 
 hand of keeping alive the testimony for Himself, and 
 representing the church as " the pillar and ground of 
 the truth," in the face of the huge systems of apostasy 
 which have endeavored to check and put down true 
 spiritual testimony. All in Sardis who defiled their 
 garments by listening to Jezebel's falsities have no 
 promise from the Lord, except to be cast into a 
 bed with her, (as we saw in Thyatira), but the promise 
 to the overcomer in Sardis is, " the same shall be 
 clothed in white raiment, and T will not blot out his 
 
 « 
 
63 
 
 name out of the book of life, but I will confess his 
 name before my J'atherand before His angels," (chap, 
 iii, 5.) What a three-fold preciousness this promise 
 has in the face of all the difficulties through which 
 many of the Reformers passed. How it must have 
 cheered tlieir hearts while suffering*cruel deaths at the 
 hands of wicked men. The white raiment, the unblot- 
 ted name, and the name confessed before the Fither 
 and His angels, formed a triune support under all 
 difficulties. May our hearts enter into it and take 
 courage from their faithful example. Now that the 
 light from the word is coming out with greater bril- 
 liancy under the teachings of the Holy (Ihost, may we 
 value none the less that which the " few names in 
 Sardis " suffered to maintain, and which forms as it 
 were the ground- work of what we now so happily 
 and unhinderedly enjoy. If they were often forced to 
 hide themselves in the fostnesses of nature to read the 
 Word and worship God as assembled saints, may we 
 truly value our privileges as we have them, and praise 
 the Father tor His loving kindness and care manifested 
 toward us daily, as His believing children. Dear 
 Christian reader, suffer the word of exhortation to 
 prize the reading of the blesSed Word, and your privi- 
 lege to use it as a " lamp to your feet and a light to 
 your path." Turn not from it to pursue the light un- 
 stable productions of imaginative minds, that would fill 
 your thoughts w^ith unmeaning vagaries, and lead your 
 feet into the paths of error and infidelity. Self-denial 
 is often necessary to resist the appeal to nature within 
 us, made by some fascinating production of man, but 
 every victory we gain through Christ over nature and 
 its inclinations but fortifies the heart to fight the good 
 fight of faith more successfully. " J^e watchful and 
 strengthen the tmngs that remain " is the exhortation 
 to the remnant in Sardis. Do we not need the same 
 word now ? Verily we do, and may the Lord help us 
 to apply it in these days of departure and apostasy. 
 
m — 
 
 64 
 
 ,!1 
 
 1 1- * 
 
 
 m 
 
 M: 
 
 mi 
 
 Philadelphia. 
 
 We have in the message to Philadelphia a word to 
 those who in these days gather to the name of Christ 
 a/one^ and those who hold fast His name as the true 
 and only source of power and success in working for 
 the Lord. The value of that Name in supplication 
 and service cannot be over estimated or ])rized as it 
 ought. The blessed Lord alludes to its value to the 
 disciples, " Hitherto ye have asked nothing in my 
 name, ask and receive that your/<?v ^^i^y be full.'''' *'If 
 ye shall ask anything in my name I will do it." " Where 
 two or three are gathered in my tiame^ there am I in 
 the midst." " But these are written that ye may believe 
 that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of Cod, and that be- 
 lieving ye might have life in His name," St. John xx, 3 1. 
 An open door is set before the remnant in Philadel- 
 phia which no one can shut, (v. 8.) and why? " Be- 
 cause thou hast a little power, and hath kept my 
 word, and hast not de?ued my name.^'' How the bless- 
 ed Lord values those who own His name. Confes- 
 sion of who the Lord was by Peter, brought out the 
 rock upon which the church was to be built. " With 
 the heart man believeth unto righteousness, and with 
 the mouth confession is made unto salvation." Con- 
 fession of the name of Jesus as Lord finishes the work 
 of salvation in the believing soul, and adds such to the 
 church, and so the work of building goes on, as the 
 lordship of Satan is denied through the power of 
 Jesus' name. 
 
 "All hail the power of Jesus' name, 
 Let angels prostrate fall," 
 
 and let sinners saved by grace, who know and sing in 
 the church, as led by their Head, a higher strain than 
 angels can sing, " rejoice with joy unspeakable and 
 full of glory " at the value of that name for them. 
 Mark the place of dignity the faithful- in Philadelphia 
 are brought into ! " Behold I make them of (or cause 
 them to be known as) the synagogue of Satan, who say 
 
^5 
 
 they are Jews (meaning worshippers) and are not, but 
 do lie ; behold I will cause them to come and worshij) 
 at thy feet, and know that I have loved thee." (v. 9.) 
 On the day of the judgment of the wicked dead, 
 (Rev. XX, 1 1-15)- when the great White Throne is oc- 
 cupied by Christ and His church, when every knee 
 shall liave bowed to the name of Jesus, it is //len that 
 the fliithful Philadel[)hian is fully known as loved by 
 his Lord. Then the love borne to him now is mani- 
 fested and shines in its greatest brilliancy, because 
 contrasted to the judgment which must punish the 
 wicked whose names are not found in the book of life. 
 How precious the love that can save from such a doom. 
 How rich the favor and blessing that can exalt to 
 such dignity, those who, but for it, would meet the 
 never ending punishments of the lake of fire, the death 
 that never dies, the second death. " Blessed and holy 
 is he (the true Christian) that hath part in the first res- 
 urrection ; on such the second death hath no power, 
 but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and 
 they shall reign with Him a thousand years." And I 
 saw thrones and they sat upon them (the church, or 
 believer^ in this dispensation), and judgment was given 
 unto them, (chap, xx, 4, 5.) Paul writing to the saints 
 at Corinth asks, " do ye not know that the saints shall 
 judge the world ? And if the w^orld be judged by you, 
 are ye unworthy to judge the smallest matters ? Know 
 ye not that w^e shall judge angels ? (Here the wicked 
 angels who kept not their first estate, are referred to, 
 I Cor. vi, 2-3.) So we find quite enough scripture 
 proof that Christians instead of meeting judgment in 
 Heaven, are put upon the judgment seat wuth Christ, 
 to come forth and judge the w^orld. True they stand 
 before the judgment seat of Christ as soon as they are 
 caught up to be with the Lord. But what for ? Evi- 
 dently for reward as a return for labor, (i Cor. iii, 8.) 
 Judgment being God's " strange work," in contrast 
 with His love (which is His nature), for God is Zove, 
 
in^ 
 
 66 
 
 ,:.^ 
 
 Ik;'- 
 
 i'^ II 
 
 m 
 
 >} 
 
 who could judgment be for but for the wicked and 
 disobedient ? Surely not for those who belong to the 
 family of God, and who are caught up out of a world 
 in which only they could be tempted to disobey the 
 Father, and require chastening. Hence it is only in 
 the church's course on earth that Christ sits among 
 the candlesticks with feet of brass, which means cor- 
 rection and chastening. Another rich promise comes 
 out to the Christian in Philadelphia. " Because thou 
 hast kept the word of my patience I also will keep 
 thee from the hour of temptation which shall come 
 upon all the world to try them that dwell u]3on the 
 earth," (v. lo.) The "hour of temptation" here re- 
 ferred to comes upon apostate Christendom and Is- 
 rael, after the church is caught up to Heaven, and 
 while the seal and trumpet judgments are being pour- 
 ed out upon the earth, durmg the last week of Jewish 
 time spoken of in Daniel's prophecy. If we turn to 
 2 Thess. ii, 7-12, we find the man of sin spoken of, 
 and what takes place l?e/ore he is revealed. " For the 
 mystery of iniquity doth already work ; only he who 
 now letteth wi/l let (or hinder according to the old 
 English version,) until he be taken out of the way." 
 Who is this " he " here referred to ? Evidently the 
 Holy Ghost, as dwelling in the church collectively, 
 and in the body of the individual believer, which now 
 lets or hinders the full manifestation of the Anti-Christ, 
 or man of sin, as he will be known after the church is 
 caught up to meet the Lord in the air, according to i 
 Thess. iv, 14-18. The taking up of the church and 
 the " taking out of the way " of this '* he " or the Holy 
 Ghost, is one event, and then we have the deception, 
 or hour of temptation referred to in the message to 
 Philadelphia as above quoted. " And then shall that 
 wicked be revealed whom the Lord shall consume 
 with the spirit of His mouth and destroy with the 
 brightness of His coming," (v. 8.) It is clear from this 
 and other scriptures that the coming of the I^ord for 
 
67 . 
 
 His Saints (believers noic), and His appearing with 
 them to judge this wicked man and his confederate 
 the false prophet,. are two separate events, with time 
 intervening. We will dwell a little upon this that there 
 may be no confusion in the mind of the reader. First 
 the Lord comes for His church, (i Thess. iv, 14-18) 
 Secondly, during the seven years which make up the 
 last week of Daniel's prophecy, the church is in heaven 
 through the opening of the seals, the sounding of the 
 trumpets and the pouring out of the vails, from the 5th 
 to the loth chapters of the book of Revelation. 
 Thirdly, the Lord comes with the church as the Rider 
 on the white horse followed by the armies of heaven, 
 as seen in the 19th chapter, vs. 11-17, when the beast 
 and false prophet are taken and cast alive into the 
 lake of fire, (v. 20.) We would here remark that the 
 book of Revelation is divided into three distir t dis- 
 pensations of judgment. The 2nd and 3rd chapters, 
 as before remarked, show the chastening of the church 
 in her pilgrimage. From the 4th chapter to the 20th, 
 the judgment of the wicked quick or living, is present- 
 ed. From the beginning of the 20th chapter to the 
 close of the book, the judgment of the wicked dead 
 is brought out and the bringing in of the eternal state 
 is presented. How wonderful the ways of God are, 
 as working through the power He has conferred upon 
 His beloved Son. The study of prophecy, if pursued 
 with reference to C^.hrist as the One through whom it 
 is all fulfilled, not only begets intelligence in the soul, 
 but enlarges the heart toward God and calls out praise 
 and thanksgiving at the wondrous w^ays He manifests 
 Himself to man. It is only by the power of the Holy 
 Ghost worki^^ within and taking of the things of God 
 and showing them to us, that we can get both a com- 
 forting and intelligent knowledge of His ways in grace 
 as well as in judgment. A mere head knowledge to 
 the undelivered heart serves either to arouse to a sense 
 of condemnation by nature and a need of a Saviour, 
 
68 
 
 3 
 
 ■ l. 
 
 m 
 
 or sets the mind to speculating over that which it" 
 neither enjoys or profits by, out of the presence of 
 Christ. The promise to the overcomer in Philadel- 
 phia is indeed precious. " Him that overcometh will 
 I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall 
 go no more out 3 and I will write upon him the name 
 of the city of my God which is new Jerusalem, which 
 cometh down out of heaven from my God, and I will 
 write upon him my new name, (v. 12.) Three things 
 come prominently out in this promise, and they are 
 each a result of the travail of soul which the blessed 
 Lord Jesus endured on Calvary. First, the overcomer 
 is made "a//7/<2;' in the temple of my God." Mark, 
 the Lord specifies tvhose God He is referring to. There 
 are "gods many" in man's estimate, as whatever 
 claims the homage of the heart is a god to it. A pil- 
 lar signifies support, and the Christian is to stand as 
 a support in the manifestation of the church, even as 
 he now scr ves as a testimony for Christ in a scene that 
 rejected Him. Secondly, '.' I will wTite upon him the 
 name of the ci y of my God." The church as a whole 
 is symbolized by a city. The " new Jerusalem " of 
 Rev. 2 1 St is the church represented in beauty and 
 proportions by a well arranged city. The ruling 
 efficiency of the church with Christ is best set forth 
 by the proportions and arrangements of a city. Last- 
 ly, " I will write upon him my new flamed The new 
 best name of love wall be wTitten upon, in short will 
 characterize the Christian in all his capacity and rela- 
 tionships in heaven. As God is love, and love is of 
 God, so wall the child of God be transformed and made 
 like Christ, and as Christ is of the Fatlier so will all 
 be love who are brought into the transforming power 
 of His presence. How precious is the theme my soul, 
 for thy meditation and profit. " Hold fast that thou 
 hast that no man take thy crown," is the parting word 
 of exhortation to die Philadelphian, (v. 11.) The 
 Lord is coming and " quickly !" is the word. Dear 
 
.69 
 
 Christian, in this day when everything of man around 
 you would lure you out into the enjoyment of the 
 present scene which is hastening on to certain judg- 
 ment, and get you occupied with the vain deceitful 
 offerings of the god of this world, be watchful and have 
 your armor on, as a servant that waits for his lord, and 
 ready at the sound of the trunij)et and voice of the 
 archangel that wakes the sleeping saints and changes 
 the living ones as they rise into the air to meet their Lord. 
 To the one that is getting his richest portion m the 
 things of this world this exhortation will be anything 
 but palatable. But the earnest, toil-worn saint of God 
 will understand its import and rejoice in the thought 
 of meeting his Lord, which event will put an end to 
 all his trials and difficulties in this wilderness world. 
 
 I V AG DICE A. 
 
 'Hiis stage of the church's history is the lull of luke- 
 warm religiousness that immediately preceeds the com- 
 ing of the Lord for the church, and upon which 
 He pronounces the sentence of rejection. The lirst 
 word to Laodicea is, " these things saith the Amen, the 
 faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation 
 of God." Here is'the authority set forth that is about 
 to pronounce a solemn sentence upon the existing 
 state of things. When authority is thus prominently 
 mentioned, something deeply important is sure to fol- 
 low. Mark the sentence here pronounced ! " I know 
 thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot : I would 
 that thou wert either cold or hot. So then, because 
 thou art luke-warm I will spue thee out of my inonthJ'^ 
 What a sweeping word of condemnation is this. There 
 is nothing so hateful to God as inert lukevvarmness. 
 " I would thou wert cold or hot.'' Open opposition is 
 preferable to that insipid assenting to truth, when the 
 heart gives the lie to what the lips utter. Just before 
 the Lord comes for the church, profuse profession is 
 the }>rincipal characteristic of Christendom. Organi- 
 
llu^a 
 
 70 
 
 Ik ,( 
 
 
 ii 
 
 
 zations upon the basis of expediency and man's esti- 
 mate abound on every hand, and with their multifari- 
 ous efforts to aggrandizement grasp at and swallow up 
 the enquiring minds of the youth as they come upon 
 the stage of action, and are transformed, not into the 
 image of Christ by occupation with Himself, but into 
 the character of the organization by which they are over- 
 come and schooled into. And this vast mass of 
 worldly conformed intelligences are energized, not by 
 the Holy Ghost, but by the *' spirit that worketh in the 
 children of disobedience." It has a form of godliness, 
 a seemingness of sanctity, but being without the Holy 
 Ghost, it stands as a positive denial of the power of 
 godliness, from which the faithful child of God is told 
 to " turn away." Boasting in its knowledge and world- 
 ly accumulations, it says, " I am rich and increased 
 with goods and have need of nothing." But God's 
 answer is, " thou art wretched'and miserable, and poor 
 and blind and naked," (v. 17.) And in this poor self- 
 complacent condition, what is God's counsel, " that 
 thou buy of me gold tried in the fire that thou mayest 
 be rich, and white raiment that thou mayest be cloth- 
 ed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not 
 appear, and anoint thine eyes with eye salve that 
 thou mayest see." There is poverty, nakedness and 
 blindness, in luke-warm profession and no reality in 
 God's sight. The gold tried in the fire is that which 
 God gives in Christ, and which comes forth brighter 
 as it passes through the testing fire of persecution and 
 Satanic opposition. God will not allow us to take the 
 path with Himself without testing us in it, and what 
 is of Himself in us will only shine out brighter as the 
 dross of nature in us is purged out by trials and perse- 
 cutions. White raiment is the clothing of the Saints, 
 and is that which is of Christ in us which God looks 
 at instead of our poor naked x\dam nature. And the 
 eye salve anointing is the Holy Ghost which gives the 
 intelligence of the mind of Christ that we may have 
 
71 
 
 that spiritual discernment of the things of God which 
 we need as children of light. And to the remnant in 
 Laodicea He adds, "as many as I Icv^e, I rebuke and 
 chasten, be zealous therefore and repent." And to the 
 individual believer standing amid the vast bulk of 
 worldliness and profession around him, the blessed 
 Lord says, and how precious is the invitation, '* Be- 
 hold I stand at the door and knock, if any man hear 
 my Voice and open the door I will come in to him, and 
 sup with him and he with me," (v. 20.) Here is in- 
 dividual communion proffered by the lord to the 
 waiting faithful saint, though he stand alone amid all 
 the Laodicean lukewarmness which characterizes the 
 last days of the church on earth. And then the 
 promise to the overcomer is full of richness and bless- 
 edness. " To him that overcometh will I grant to sit 
 with me upon my throne, even as I also overcame 
 and am set down with my Father in His throne." 
 This is like Christ, reserving the richest and best 
 promise to the last, in proportion to the difficulty of 
 the path the overcomer has to walk in. And now 
 dear reader, let us be candid and impartial in our 
 glance at the condition of things in which we are now 
 moving. Do we not see much of this Loadicean spirit 
 of lukewarmness everywhere prevalent? Is not policy 
 and profession the order of the day ? If a cautious cun- 
 ning worldly man has any business project to carry out 
 he yokes in with some of the organized religious systems 
 of the day, for the sake of patronage and prosperity. 
 How empty and unmeaning appear the miserable sub- 
 terfuges of the human heart when exposed to the test- 
 ing light of God's presence. Everything seems to be 
 done man\NSixd with a view to pass in the eyes of a 
 world that turned out Christ, man forgetting that God, 
 who tries the reins and hearts of all, knows all about 
 it and will surely reward " every man according to his 
 own labor." What does this lifting the vail of profes- 
 sion do for the faithful heart ? Does he, can he hope by 
 
I 5r '.■■■ ■' 
 
 m 
 
 •1 
 
 72 
 
 rer" lining identified with it, to be able to ''leaven it," 
 as some say, and make it better ? Ah no ! it will leaven 
 him instead and drag him down into worldly confor- 
 mity, and thus corrupt and obliterate whatever testi- 
 mony he may be bearing for Christ. The word is res- 
 pecting the " great house" of Christendom with its 
 vessels of honor and dishonor, (true Christians and 
 prefessors mingled,) " If a man purge himself from 
 these he shall be a vessel of honor fitted for the mas- 
 ters use," (2 Tim. ii, 20, 21.) " If thou shalt go forth 
 and separate the precious from the vile thou shalt be 
 as my mouth." Here is God's ground for true service, 
 separation to Himself. It is in His presence, in quiet 
 communion with Himself, that the real source of 
 strength for service is found. Service to be rea/ 
 must have God's blessing attending it, if not it becomes 
 a mere tinkling sound. There is no substantial re- 
 sults if His blessing is wanting, and how can we ex- 
 pect it while we are yoked in with unbelievers and 
 worldlings in organized systems of man's devising? 
 Much that appears fine and promising in the eyes of 
 man will go for naught in God's estimate. The faith- 
 ful uncompromising soul may be denounced as ex- 
 clusiA^e, narrow minded and the like, because he re- 
 fuses to call good evil, and evil good, but he can well 
 afford to be reviled while he has God for him, and 
 " if God be for us, who can be against us." Let us not 
 forget this invitation for communion and blessing amid 
 the lukewarmness around, which the Lord presents to 
 us so graciously and condescendingly. " Behold / 
 stand at the door and knock." While we are busily 
 engaged with our own things, and are, it m / be, trying 
 to find a portion in this scene to satisfy, He is knock- 
 ing at the door of our hearts, desiring to commune 
 with and bless us. How we ought to value it, yet how 
 careless we are about it. " If any man hear my voice." 
 Why do we not hear His voice more readily and more 
 yieldingly than we do ? The answer is here, " all men 
 
73 
 
 seek their own and not the things that are Jesus 
 Christ's." Our poor selfish hearts are not deUvered 
 as they ought to be, that we may serve Him as we 
 ought. If we were more in meditation and prayer over 
 the Word, and considering the value of the cross t 
 God, and what Christ accompHshed for Him as well 
 as for us, we would not only walk along more in com- 
 pany and communion with Him, but live above the 
 power of circumstances which serves to depress and 
 hinder our growtl up into Christ in all things. " And 
 open the door, I will come in and sup with him and 
 he with me." The blessed Lon has not only wrought 
 out all that is needful for our salvation, but all the 
 necessary comfort for us on the journey in this wild- 
 erness through which we are passing. Rebecca was 
 not only adorned with jewels and bracelets, as eviden- 
 ces of Isaac's inheritance which she had been chosen 
 to share, but she was borne on the camel led by the 
 faithful Eliezar ! How rich and encouraging this is 
 to our hearts ! We are not only adorned with gifts 
 and graces in our souls given us by the Lord through 
 the power of the Holy Ghost, but we are led on by 
 that same Spirit toward Christ our true Isaac, to en- 
 joy the rich blessing of an " inheritance incorruptible, 
 undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven 
 for us." The indwelling of the blessed Spirit, as *' ear- 
 nest of the inheritance," not only comforts and teaches 
 us, but engages our hearts with Christ, and prompts 
 us to open the door of our hearts, that He may come 
 in and sup with us and we with Him. And now as 
 we close up this reference to the messages to the seven 
 churches in Asia as types of the church's histo/y, may 
 you and I, dear Christian reader, not forget our indi- 
 vidual portion of the blessing which the Lord holds 
 out so freely to us. Let us realize that we have a rich 
 income to live up to ! Men often live not only up 
 to their earthly incomes, but beyond them, and yet 
 how few of God's children live near up to the spiritual 
 
 1 , 
 
■MM 
 
 4; 
 
 
 U: 
 
 74 
 
 income God has provided for them in Christ. The 
 world steals away so much of their time and attention 
 that they go on barren hearted and unfaithful in the 
 things of God, when they ought to be rejoicing in the 
 joy, peace and consolation in the Holy Ghost which 
 God has provided for them. Are we looking for rich- 
 es ? let u§ find or richest portion in Christ. Do we 
 desire honor ? The Lord hath said, " he that honor- 
 eth me, him will my Father honor." Does the 
 vain glory of this world attract us, the glory is before 
 us that never grows dim. We are called " not to inter- 
 pret providences, but to trust promises." May we 
 enter into it ! And to you dear unconverted reader, 
 ;we would ask, would you have such a Christ and such 
 a God and Father as the Christian has ? If so accept 
 Him ! God says in substance to you in his word, 
 *^ sinner I am well pleased with my Son, are you well 
 p^'^ased ? if so we are reconciled." There is the gospel 
 lor you in brief Oh how simple and gracious the 
 offering, to the heart that will simply and confidingly 
 accept it ! We leave it with you with the warning, 
 Christ is coming ! Be ye also ready. Amen. 
 
 ^ • * CHAPTER VI. 
 
 Results of infidelity and departure from God in modern times 
 — Historical proofs that man, without (jlod, ends in total ruin — 
 Reflections. 
 
 ; When we look through the pages of what is known 
 as "profane history" an J trace out the causes of what 
 has produced certain effects in the history of nations, 
 * we easily see that two great current;s of character fol- 
 low through and control the events which transpire, 
 viz : good and evil. Whenever God's honor has been 
 regarded, and His Word in any degree been heeded 
 in shaping and controlling the affairs of any nation, 
 He has honored that nation with certain degrees of 
 prosperity and usefulness. This is very apparent 
 
75 ' 
 
 ^nd reasonable too, for human governments are or- 
 dained to preserve order and serve as protection to 
 the work of " taking out a people for the name of the 
 Lord," and this is best done when principles of truth 
 have been maintained, and have entered into the 
 counsels and actions of those who gave direction to 
 the current of passing events. If we review the 
 history of different nations in modern times, we find 
 this thought borne out in a very marked way. Since 
 the reformation set in with a full tide there have been 
 alternately, the rule of apostasy, and that of a free 
 toleration of conscientious worship of God, and it is 
 easy to mark the ebb and flow of prosperity and 
 character of government when the dark rule of Romish 
 non-toleration prevailed, or that of the encouragement 
 of the circulation of God's Word. Take the history 
 of England for instance ! as soon as the nation woke 
 up out of the long lethargic sleep of Papal rule, under 
 the awakening peals of the soul-stirring truths of the 
 Reformation, she became a nation not only of spirit- 
 ual exponents of God's truth to a great degree, but of 
 moral poets, pure literary writers, and of statesmen- ol 
 high and pure motives of human government. Under 
 the reign of Henry VIII the truth attained a footing, 
 so that in that of Queen Elizabeth it broke forth with 
 power, and the history of her reign presents many 
 names of men, and women too, who were eminently 
 used of the Lord in the diffusion of the truth, and the 
 promotion of salutary reforms, as fruits of God being 
 honored in the land. We speak now from the recorqs 
 of tangible results which were fruits of the trui§ 
 breaking in and ramifying through the avenues of 
 classes of society, from the lordly peer of the realm ip 
 the humble peasant, that all might feel its soul-revivirijg 
 and heart-nourishing power. God will honor' tho^c 
 who honor His Son, His Word has spoken it, and thj^ 
 history of nations proves it as well as the livels of 
 individuals. If we consider for a moment the history 
 

 76 
 
 of those countries where priestcraft and superstition 
 have long held sway, what does it present ? A record 
 of darkness, human suffering and God-dishonoring 
 deahng on every hand ! Spain, Portugal, Italy, France^. 
 Austria, Turkey, Russia, the greater part of Asia, 
 Africa, the South-American States and Mexico, as 
 well as a part of the United States and Canada show 
 to the cncjuiring mind how wretched and miserable 
 sin can make a pL'0])lc and keep them in the bondage 
 of nature's darkness, constantly bringing forth corrup- 
 tion and iniqu;i), and i)roving the solemn fact that 
 man is ^' i)rone to do evil as the sparks fly upward." 
 The influences which ])revailed that brought about 
 the French revolution and elevated Napoleon Bona- 
 parte into power were generated by lasciviousness, 
 profligacy and the proi)agation of infidel princi[)les. 
 The reign of the Bourbon dynasty had encouraged 
 all that in which the flesh in man delights, had. 
 opjjosed the pro])agation of Scri})tural and even moral 
 principles, and the writings of opposers of (rod's 
 Word had brought forth a generation of desjicrate, 
 unprincipled men who were ready to spring into the 
 arena of mortal strife and display that ferociousness 
 of character which the o])|)Osition to truth is sure ta 
 create in the human mind. The Jacobin clubs that 
 inaugurated the reign of terror under the bloody 
 triumvirate of Danton Marat and Robespierre, were 
 the legitimate offsjjring of the nature of man, ener- 
 gized by evil teaching, and unrestrained by the whole- 
 some propagation of truth and its power over the 
 heart. " Their feet are swift to shed blood," is their 
 record, and present.> a solemn proof that naturally,, 
 there is "no fear of (iod before their eyes." This 
 innate principle of moral depravity, if unchecked by 
 the power of truth prevailing in some form, is easily 
 brought into action by the misrule of that which is. 
 opposed to the truth. Prove it in the child as it were 
 '^rom his mother's knee, mischief is his native element 
 
77 
 
 if unhindered, and as soon as he roams the street he 
 drinks up profanity and obscenity as readily as a 
 sponge takes up water. Follow him through life and 
 if home influences have been corrui)t, and nature has 
 had its own way, sin and crime have certainly resulted 
 as the fruit of his life. The principle holds good as to 
 nations, and as nations are made up of social elements, 
 and these again are toned and energized by the power 
 of individual minds, how important that the truth 
 h-ave free course, that each individual may become an 
 epistle "known and read of all men" of its beneficial 
 |)ower upon mankind. Principles of morality, apart 
 from revelation, or aside from the soul-awakening 
 truths of God's Word, which pronounce man in nature 
 as " unprofitable," will not preserve from moral ruin, 
 or present a faultless record for the benefit of poster- 
 ity. Sooner or later they will end in the dire results 
 of human ambition, in the poison of intellectual pride, 
 and the sad and sorrowful finale of dishonor to God, 
 as well as the rejection of His Son as the only One in 
 ivJiom^ as a new creation, man can only bring forth 
 fruit acceptable to God, and that will stand that fire 
 which will try every man's work of what sort it is. 
 No matter how^ apparently beautiful any system of 
 morality may be that works up its capital out of the 
 unregenerate heart, " failure " is sure to stand in- 
 scribed upon its tombstone. Look carefully through 
 the moral philosophy of "t ancients, w^hat is there in 
 all its reasoning and tomes of lore that can give rest 
 tc the aching heart, or satisfy the yearnings of an 
 immortal soul ? Verily nothing. Occupation of mind - 
 they do present, but such food as the barren husks of 
 the " far country" offered to the poor prodigal, before 
 he said " I will arise and go to my father." 
 
 Egypt, Greece, Rome, and some modern nations 
 that have risen into human consequence by their 
 excellence in that which nature in man values, where 
 are they and what does their record present to-day?' 
 
7» 
 
 I;V>."i' 
 
 Strife, bloodshed and human degradation are all that 
 we have as tangible results of their existence. How 
 45olemn is the record to the meditative soul ! How 
 convincing to the spirit-enlightened heart that "all 
 flesh is as grass and all the glory of man is as the 
 flower of the grass. The grass vvithereth, and the 
 flower thereof falleth away ; but the word of the Lord 
 endureth forever," i Peter i, 24. What is the solemn 
 lesson our hearts learn under these searching medi- 
 tations ? We learn that human knowledge " puffeth 
 up, but charity (or love) edifieth." The fruit of that 
 " faith which worketh by love" is what stands the test 
 of all that through which it is called to pass and gives 
 the soul confidence in the face of the most subtle 
 •opposition. That which God '* works within to will 
 and do of His own good pleasure " we are encouraged 
 ^o ^*work out," or show forth, as the fruit of the new 
 Jife we have received by believing on the Lord Jesus 
 Christ. In this brief historical review we might en- 
 large more minutely on the lives and conduct 9f 
 individuals, but the history of results in actions and 
 deeds is easily recorded. Any casual observer can 
 note and review effects, but we are privileged to scan 
 principles and investigate causes as the Spirit of God 
 ^ives discernment and knowledge. But He will not, 
 can not, teach by His Spirit, the uplifted heart, puffed 
 up by a sense of human consequence. If we give 
 place to a judgment according to appearance, or have 
 respect to persons according to their social position 
 or human learning, we are not going along the way in 
 company with God in our estimate, for He plainly 
 declares that He has no respect to persons in His 
 ■estimate. 
 
 Reality is what God desires in His children and 
 He will produce it though it be at the expense of 
 •chastening and righteous dealing in judgment. And 
 now may we enquire what is the condition of the 
 world around us at this present moment ? Candid 
 
 ol 
 G 
 
79 
 
 that 
 How 
 How 
 
 "all 
 s the 
 i the 
 Lord 
 )lemn 
 medi- 
 uffeth 
 f that 
 le test 
 
 gives 
 subtle 
 o will 
 iraged 
 2 new 
 Jesus 
 It en- 
 ict 9f 
 and 
 ;r can 
 
 scan 
 
 God 
 |1 not, 
 
 .uffed 
 give 
 
 have 
 Isition 
 
 J2iy in 
 [lainly 
 His 
 
 >e of 
 
 f the 
 
 reader let us pause and consider before we answer 
 this solemn momentous (jiiestion. Is the moral status 
 of the world at large really better in condition before 
 Crod, or nearer " perfection " as some hold, than it was 
 a rmtury ago? Looking on the favorable side of 
 this (juestion for the world, we see human learning 
 making wonderful developments and reaching what 
 seems to be much to be desired results. Facilities for 
 transportation of people and material, and for the 
 transmission of intelligence over the civilized portion 
 of the world, were never so great as at present. People 
 converse with each other from continent to continent, 
 and any important event is known in a few minutes 
 over half the globe. Surprising this is indeed. All 
 branches of industry have attained great degrees of 
 proficiency, and scientific knowledge has reached such 
 an acme of ])erfection that there would seem to be no 
 further bounds to arrive at. Education in all its 
 various developments has become so varied and 
 intricate that a lifetime is spent in endeavors to master 
 its offered treasures, then to sit down in wonder at 
 what is yet to be possessed. All this seems to be very 
 fascinating and much to be desired. But alas ! Is the 
 character changed for the better as we regard it in the 
 light of God's presence? Alas no ! In the face of all 
 this fine progressive picture stands the sweeping, 
 stunning sentence. Passing away ! Man is yet man, 
 and there is *' nothing new under the sun." Nature 
 revolves on her axis as it were, and produces a round 
 of results and brings forth a succession of kindred 
 fruits, but she never gets above the sun. The builders 
 of Babel were no nearer heaven on the top of their 
 huge tower than they were when they laid its foun- 
 dation stones, but they were nearer their confusion 
 and dispersion, and so is the world nearer judgment 
 now than a hundred years agone. Man, with all iiis 
 boasted standard of perfection will only aggravate his 
 punishment in proportion to the blaze of God's truth 
 
 
8o 
 
 It': 
 
 If 
 
 that shines upon him, if he reject its offered rays and 
 its simple announcement of a much-needed Saviour in 
 the person of God's Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. 
 Societies may organize to bolster up man in nature, 
 and propagate infidel principles, but they only mani- 
 fest the confusion of Babel more fully. Everything 
 that has not God's Spirit permeating and conti )lling 
 its action partakes of the character of Bacel, because 
 it is of man in nature and presents the instability and 
 confusion incident to nature. The human mind 
 itself runs riot in excess if it has not leading principles 
 to ' ring it out and give it direction. When thus acted 
 upon it becomes subservient to the kind or character 
 of the influences which act upon it. We may educote 
 the flesh into any degree of accomplishment as men 
 say, it is but the flesh still, and the grcctter degree it 
 attains as to fancied excellence the further it is from 
 God because the greater amount of pride must be 
 overcome to learn its own nothingness, that God may 
 come m and act. Humiliating it is indeed to thus 
 throw out of account all that which has been so carefully 
 acquired and highly estimated. But God declares it 
 all as " filthy rags." If man could do one thing to 
 please God in the work of salvation, the cross of 
 Christ would be of none effect. The very principle 
 of infidelity is to try and do without the Sacrifice of 
 Christ. If man could have become perfect by any 
 Darwinian process of cultivation would God have sent 
 His Son into this scene to confront its spirit of hatred, 
 to be made sin and go through the travail of soul 
 which death, as the wages of sin, brought upon him ? 
 But God is jealous over His own work ! He will not 
 compromise with that which bears the stamp of sin, 
 which he hates. Sin is the fruit of disobedience, and 
 what is more hateful than .. wilful child toward a 
 parent that has lavished upon it all that it required to 
 make it happy. Such is man out of Christ, wilful, 
 hateful, and a child of wrath, and to-day we find two 
 
 '■•■t *. 
 
8i 
 
 lys and 
 ^iour in 
 Christ, 
 nature, 
 y mani- 
 irything 
 ti )lling 
 because 
 lity and 
 I mind 
 inciples 
 IS acted 
 laracter 
 educate 
 as men 
 egree it 
 is from 
 iiust be 
 rod may 
 to thus 
 :arefully 
 
 great opposing forces sustained by man in the world 
 to the truth of (iod. Ecclesiastical error, based upon 
 superstition and deception on the one hand, and rank 
 openly-avowed infidelity based upon human reason 
 and self-will on the other. The former is made up of 
 the fruits of apostasy, fleshy religiousness, traditional 
 sup'^rstitions and ritualism, having a "form of godH- 
 nes?3, but denying the power thereof." The latter is 
 compo::ed of those who deny God's estimate of man 
 as fallen, of clubs and societies gathered together to 
 deify humanity and denying the simple, plain state- 
 ments of the Word of God, thus making God a liar 
 by their writings and ac's. All the hatred and oppo- 
 sition to God, of an organized character, can be 
 resolved into these two great channels. We appeal to 
 the youthful and unsuspecting readers of these pages 
 to beware of the crafty wiles of those who propagate 
 false doctrine and lead away the unwary by their 
 serpentine arguments and clever efforts. They are 
 described in the \Yord of God as " raging waves of the 
 sea, foaming out their own shame ; wandering stars to 
 whom is reserved the blackness of darkness forever," 
 Jude 13. Also they are "wells without water, clouds 
 that are carried away with a tempest, to whom the 
 mists of darkness are reserved forever," II Peter, iii, 
 17. 'Jlius while they endeavor to deny and disprove 
 (od's Word, they stand as a living proof of its de- 
 scription of themselves. We close this brief effort 
 with a word of exhortation to Christians. Let us not 
 forget the high and holy calling in which we are 
 associated with the blessed Lord. As "members of 
 His body, of His flesh and His bones," we are set 
 forth down here to represent Him, to witness of Him 
 in the manifestation of His Spirit, and " stand in the 
 evil day and having done all to stand ! " This means 
 much as we endeavor to practice it, and requires 
 much dependence on Him who alone can sustain and 
 keep ur and "bring us off more than conquerors, 
 
82 
 
 M 
 
 •i 
 
 
 
 
 ji: 
 If 
 
 i 
 
 through Him that loved us," in every conflict. We 
 are not called to join issues with the world, and to 
 enter into arenas of strife for distinction in any way 
 Its politics, military glory, amusements, and various 
 avenues to popularity and fancied greatness belong 
 to the worldling and not lo the Christian. " Let the 
 potsherd strive with the potsherds of the earth." The 
 moment we step aside and enter its lists for place and 
 power we betray the potsherd character. " Contend 
 for the faith " we will as a necessity, if we are actively 
 faithful. It is in this path the Lord would have us 
 when He comes for us. He is coming. To the 
 expectant, spiritual soul, "the time is short." May 
 our lights be burning and our armor bright with service. 
 Dear reader, if you have meditatively gone over these 
 pages, we trust your soul has been profited. At least 
 you have been brought face to face with solemn and 
 eternal truths, having for their mission the enlarge- 
 ment of v our heart in the things of God if you are a 
 Christian, and if you are not a Christian, their mission 
 to you is to arouse you to a sense of your condition 
 and bring you face to face with One to whom you 
 must bow the knee sooner or later, if not willingly 
 now, in a day of grace, forcibly you will bow in a day 
 of judgment. But Oh how different the results to 
 your own soul ! Bow to Jesus noiv^ and " glory, 
 honor, immortality and eternal life " are yours with 
 the Lord forever. Bow in judgment, and the second 
 death in the lake of fire with the devil and his angels 
 will surely be your portion ! God's Word declares it 1 
 We leave the solemn alternative with you, asking, 
 beseeching you to " be ye reconciled to God." Amen. 
 
83 
 
 :. We 
 
 ind to 
 y way 
 ^-arious 
 belong 
 .et the 
 ' The 
 ice and 
 ontend 
 ictively 
 lave us 
 lo the 
 ' May 
 service, 
 er these 
 A.t least 
 nn and 
 enlarge- 
 u are a 
 mission 
 ndition 
 ni you 
 villingly 
 a day 
 suits to 
 " glory, 
 rs with 
 second 
 angels 
 Hares it 1 
 asking, 
 z\men. 
 
 I 
 
 CHAPTER VII. 
 
 PROPHECY, 
 
 Spiritual and Materialistic, contrasted. 
 
 From the newly awakened interest in the subject of 
 prophecy which everywhere pervades all classes of 
 spiritual and moral intelligences, we may safely con- 
 clude that some very important event is soon to take 
 place. The virgins are rousing from their long care- 
 less sleep and are beginning to '' trim their lamps and 
 be ready " for some long expected but carelessly re- 
 garded event which should terminate their drowsy 
 waitings, bring in the full realities of expectation, and 
 present the complete fruition of long delayed hopes. 
 The midnight cry, "behold the bridegroom cometh, 
 go ye out to meet him ! " has gone forth more than 
 half a century since, and there is a general spirit of 
 enquiry concerning the rise of the Morning Star, who 
 is to bring in deliverance to his ow^n ones from their 
 weary earthly pilgrimage, and take them up to be with 
 Himself to share the royal inheritance which He 
 has gone to prepare for them. It is important to re- 
 mark that there are two classes of virgins mentioned 
 in the parable, " five wise and five foolish," Mat. xxv, 
 2. What is the distinguishing feature that marks out 
 this difference of character. They are all virgins and 
 all have lamps, but the five wase have oil in their lamps 
 while the five foolish have no oil. It is the evidence 
 of wisdom to have everything complete, and to have a 
 lamp wdth the oil in it shows a full preparation to shine 
 on some important occasion when required. But to 
 possess a lamp tuit/wiit oil, w^ithout that which emits 
 the light, is both fooUsh and hypocritical. No matter 
 ^ how beautiful the lamp may be or how well trimmed, 
 if it lack the oil it only presents the degree of folly 
 more prominently as its possession is valued. What 
 is this oil that marks out such a difference in the prac- 
 tical application of the parable ? It is the Holy Ghost 
 
7r 
 
 84 
 
 
 which fills and gives light to the one who has the lamp 
 •of profession of discipleship to the Lord Jesus. It is 
 this oil of the Spirit that enables him to shine as a 
 light in the world, and unites him to Christ his risen 
 Head in the glory. It is this indwelling oil of the 
 Spirit that not only comforts the believer, but takes of 
 the things of God and shows them to him. But the 
 one who lacks it may make a loud profession, may 
 talk fluently of the works of God in nature, and present 
 many fine themes for the intellect of man to play upon, 
 yet when he attempts to enter into the marriage feast 
 he will find the door shut. In the study of prophecy 
 it is important that we distinguish between that which 
 is the work of the Holy Spirit, and that which results 
 frc^m scientific investigations of natural phenomena. 
 Spiritual prophecy is that which is revealed to the 
 understanding of the spiritual man who has the Holy 
 Ghost dwelling in him, to give understanding in 
 the things of God As it is written, " eye hath 
 not seen nor ear heard, neither hath it entered mto 
 the heart of man the things which God hath prepared 
 for them that love Him. But God hath revealed them 
 un/(? us by His Spirit : for the Spirit searcheth all things 
 yea the deep things of God ! 1 Cor. ii, 9, 10. Here 
 is the difference declared in God's own Word between 
 the Christian and the mere professor, between the wise 
 and the foolish virgins. Spiritual })rophecy, which re- 
 veals the hidden purposes and plans of God yet to be 
 accomplished, cannot be understood and entered into 
 intelligently by the natural man. And why ? Because 
 it is only the Christian who '• has received, not the 
 spirit of the world, but the Spirit which is of Gqd : 
 that we might know the things that are freely given to 
 us of God. Which things also we speak, not in the 
 words winch .nan's wisdom teacheth^ but which the 
 Holy Ghost teacheth, comparing spiritual things with 
 spiritual." Now mark the difterence between this 
 position and that of the natural man : " But the natu- 
 
85 
 
 lamp 
 It is 
 : as a 
 risen 
 Df the 
 kes of 
 at the 
 , may 
 resent 
 upon, 
 t feast 
 )phecy 
 which 
 results 
 )mena. 
 to the 
 Holy 
 ing in 
 I hath 
 d mto 
 e pared 
 \ them 
 things 
 Here 
 tween 
 c wise 
 ich re- 
 to be 
 d into 
 cause 
 ot the 
 God: 
 Iven to 
 lin the 
 :h the 
 rs with 
 
 :n 
 
 natu- 
 
 ral man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God, 
 for they are foolishness unto him, neither can he know 
 them for they are spiritually discerned. But he that 
 is spiritual judgeth all things, though he himself is 
 judged of no man. For who hath known the mind 
 of the Lord that he may instruct Him. But we have 
 the mind of Christ," vs. 12-16. Here we have the 
 contrast again presented between the spiritual and 
 material, between that which comes from God and 
 that which only the natural man can lay claim to. 
 " There is nothing new under the sun because under 
 the sun is nature's place, and the natural man can only 
 judge from a stand point in the flesh, can only esti- 
 mate from the material of nature, and hence can only 
 draw such conclusions which the uncertainty of natu- 
 ral phenomena present. What God has revealed 
 from Heaven where He dwells, to the believer through 
 His Word as applied to the understanding by the Holy 
 Spirit, can only be received by the ne7v nature in the 
 Christian, which new nature is " Christ formed within, 
 the hope of glory," and is brought into activity by the 
 power and energy of the Holy Ghost. We see then 
 that the old Adam nature whose place is under the 
 sun, or under the elements of nature, has no power to 
 grasp and understand that which is only revealed to 
 believers who " have sprung from death unto life," or 
 who are made anew in Christ. Viewing from this 
 position of contrast we propose to look into prophecy 
 briefly, with a view to present the claims of spiritual 
 prophecy in contrast with those of a material character. 
 To begin with the general character of the Old Testi- 
 ment prophecies, they were the result of the Holy 
 Ghost acting upon the spiritual vision of " holy men 
 of God who spake as they were moved by the Holy 
 Ghost," 2 Peter 1-2 1. All the Old Testament prophe- 
 cies have reference to God's chosen nation, the Jews, 
 and to Christ the Messiah as King. They knew noth- 
 ing of the church of God which is the body of Christ. 
 
86 
 
 r 
 
 
 m 
 
 4 i 
 
 Wh 
 
 The church is " the mystery which in other ages was 
 not made known unto the sons of men as it is now re- 
 vealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the 
 Spirit." Eph. iii, 5. The whole scope of Old Testament 
 prophecy we again repeat, has a direct bearing upon 
 God's dealings with His earthly people and the Gen- 
 tile nations. It is important to see this in the outset, 
 before we take up any special point or train of pro- 
 phetic statement. Hence it has reference to dealings 
 in time or stated periods of duration. The ''''present 
 interval^^^ in which a work is going forward of taking 
 out a " people for the name of the Lord," is not a 
 work of spe^^ified time, and has noching to do with 
 " times and seasons." This fact should be borne in 
 mind very distinctly, as it wuU aid to clear up much in 
 the course of our meditations, which would otherwise 
 appear as confusion. The burthen of the prophecies 
 of Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and Daniel, as well as of 
 the lesser prophets, as they are sometimes called, fore- 
 stall Israel's dispersion and restoration back into their 
 own land, first in a state of apostasy, then to be dealt 
 with in judgment, and afterward as a remnant at the 
 opening of the millennium reign, to be received as the 
 central nation of God's favor and blessing on earth, to 
 serve under God as the means through which the Gen- 
 tile nations, are to receive blessing, Is. Ixi, 3-10. The 
 prophet Daniel has presented prophecy in a definite 
 manner as to times and purposes, hence it is an easy 
 task to harmonise his prophecies with the known his- 
 tory of Israel and the nations, and link them up with 
 those of the book of Revelation written by St. John. 
 For our present purpose, then in the main, we will 
 confine ourselves to Daniel's prophecy, with perhaps 
 a few references to other of the prophets as the Lord 
 may direct. 
 
 Daniel had been carried captive to Babylon at the 
 time Nebuchadnezzar the Babylonish king took Jeru- 
 salem, and was one of the Jewish children chosen to 
 
8? 
 
 ;s was 
 low re- 
 )y the 
 ;ament 
 ; upon 
 i Gen- 
 outset, 
 of pro- 
 ealings 
 present 
 taking 
 not a 
 lo with 
 Drne in 
 iiuch in 
 herwise 
 phecies 
 sll as of 
 id, fore- 
 to their 
 )e dealt 
 at the 
 i as the 
 arth, to 
 le Gen- 
 . The 
 iefinite 
 ,n easy 
 v^n his- 
 p with 
 John, 
 e will 
 erhaps 
 Lord 
 
 at the 
 
 Jeru- 
 
 [sen to 
 
 stand in the king's palace to be taught the learning 
 and tongue of the Chaldeans, (Dan. i, 3-6.) But Dan- 
 iel and his three companions refused the king's meat 
 and chose pulse and water for their diet, and the re- 
 sult was they had fairer and fatter countenances at the 
 end of ten days than those children who were fed on 
 the king's meat and wine. " As for those four child- 
 ren, God gave them knowledge and skill in all learn- 
 ing and wisdom, and Daniel had understanding in all 
 visions and dreams," vs. 8-19. At the proper time for ' 
 returning an answer concerning their abilities, Daniel 
 and his companions were " ten times better " advanced 
 in wisdom than all the astrologers and magicians in 
 the kingdom, v. 20. It may be well to here state in 
 brief, the cause of these Jewish captives being in the 
 hands of tke Babylonish king. It was not a mere 
 freak of fortune or human conquest, for God had a 
 purpost in it which it is well lor us to review by the 
 help of rHp Holy Spirit who alone can make plain the 
 thin' . '. God to the understanding. The ten tribes 
 of Israel had revolted, leaving Judah and Benjamin 
 true to the throne of David, and had been carried into 
 captivity by the Assyrians for their idolatry, Judah 
 and Benjamin in turn had suffered captivity as we have 
 seen by the king of Babylon, for their pride. The 
 temporal power which had been vested in the Jewish 
 nation, was taken from them, they were now" Lo Ammi" 
 (not my people saith the Lord), and their harps were 
 on the willow in a strange land. God was now about 
 to transfer the temporal power into the hands of the 
 Gentiles, and he prepared His prophet Daniel to 
 understand " visions and dreams," that he might re- 
 veal to the Babylonish king the character of this change. 
 How wonderful God controls in the affairs of men, to 
 the furtherance of His purposes and for His own 
 glory. The second chapter of Daniel describes the 
 dream and the interpretation thereof by Daniel, which 
 the king saw in the vision of the night. The king for- 
 
88 
 
 14'- 
 
 m 
 
 I'i'i'' 
 
 Ui: 
 
 got liis dream which troubled him exceedingly, and 
 he required the wise men of his realm, not only to tell 
 the dream but the interpretation thereof. This they 
 were unable to do, which the king persists in requiring of 
 them under pain of death if they failed. The decree 
 included Daniel and his companions, and when it 
 reached their ears, Daniel announced his readiness to 
 tell and interpret the dream, which he did to the satis- 
 faction of the king and in accordance with the purpose 
 of God, Dan. ii, 1 7-46. The image which the king 
 saw in his dream symbolized the " times of the Gen- 
 tiles," or the vjourse of Gentile dominion, from the 
 Babylonian reign down to the overthrow of the false 
 Messiah in the last days. Its head of gold (v. 38) 
 was the Babylonian rule, and the most absolute and 
 perfect form of human government. When the king 
 of Babylon issued a decree it was obeyed and enforced 
 as soon as it was announced. The breast and arms 
 of silver, (v, 30.) the next in order of value, was rep- 
 resented by the Medo-Persian empire. The irrever- 
 sible decrees of the Medes and Persians have long 
 since passed into a proverb, and although they were 
 very absolute in their character, they showed a lower 
 type of government than the Babylonian. The " belly 
 and thighs of brass " (v. 59) was shown in the Grecian 
 empire, w^hich overthrew the Medo-Persian, and suc- 
 ceeded in the government of the w^orld. The *' legs 
 of iron " (v. 40) were seen m the Roman empire which 
 rose with such strength and powder as to subdue all the 
 others and brake them into pieces. The " feet part 
 of iron and part of clay " are clearly seen in the mixed 
 governments of the present day. (v. 43.) The kingly 
 or executive portion of the government serves as a 
 check to the representative portion, and the represen- 
 tative serves as a check upon the other. " They shall 
 not cleave one to another, even as iron is not mixed 
 with clay." It is in this last and weakest form of gov- 
 ernment that the ten toes of the image are developed 
 
89 
 
 ^, and 
 to tell 
 s they 
 ring of 
 decree 
 hen it 
 less to 
 e satis- 
 urpose 
 e king 
 £ Gen- 
 )m the 
 ,e false 
 
 (v. 38) 
 Lte and 
 le king 
 nforced 
 d arms 
 ■as rep- 
 irrever- 
 /e long 
 y were 
 lower 
 " belly 
 xrecian 
 id suc- 
 *' legs 
 which 
 all the 
 |et part 
 mixed 
 kingly 
 js as a 
 Ipresen- 
 jy shall 
 mixed 
 of gov- 
 ^eloped 
 
 as the ten kings or ** horns " which cover the Roman 
 Empire area of Europe, and wliic.h overturn the papal 
 or ecclesiastical i)ower, for '' they shall hate tlie whore 
 and burn her with fire, Rev. xvii, 12-17. We see from 
 scripture that the course of the " times of the Gentiles " 
 which begun with the Babylonian " head of gold," clo.se 
 under the dominion of tliese ten kings who confede- 
 rate together to give their power to the beast, and led 
 on by him will make war with the Lamb, with the true 
 Messiah when He shall come forth to reign, and " the 
 Lamb shall overcome them ; for He is Lord of lords 
 and King of kings ; and they that are with Him are 
 called and chosen and faithful," vs. 13, 14. The 
 course of this world'.s empire a^" // no7C' />, thus ends 
 in making war against Christ and the church of God ! 
 What a '- )lemn fact for the consideration of the child 
 of God, as he is asked to cast his vote to put man into 
 power now ! The very power he is now lending his 
 influence to sustain is that which makes war upon his 
 Lord and himself too, as a member of the church of 
 God. Christian think of this when you are importun- 
 ed to '* vote in the best man," as men say^ and just re- 
 ply, '^ I will wait till my Lord comes to reign, and I 
 will then reign with Him." Christian, ''when Christ 
 our life shall appear then shall ye also appear with Him 
 in glory," (Col. iii, 4), and that appearing will be with 
 executive power, after the marriage of the Lamb has 
 taken place in heaven with the church His heavenly 
 bride, (Rev. xix, i), and after He has taken His own 
 executive throne to reign and comes forth as the Rider 
 on the white horse followed by the armies of Heaven 
 which is the church, (vs. 1 1-14.) We have thus diverg- 
 ed from the course of prophetic events, to touch upon 
 the attitude of the Christian toward the world, and be- 
 fore leaving this point would consider his position to- 
 ward the Camp, as it is called. The camp is the reli- 
 gious element characterised by the world, and is that 
 which clamored for and procured the death of the 
 
90 
 
 
 II' 
 
 m t^ 
 
 p 
 
 In:/ 
 
 m. 
 
 Lord Jesus. It was outside the Jewish camp, outside 
 the system of Judaism in Jerusalem, that the Lord was 
 crucified, and it is outside of this same cam/>^ that is so 
 in spirit^ that we are now called to go as faithful fol- 
 lowers of the Lord, " bearing His reproach." If we 
 faithfully take the place of testimony for Him, we will 
 surely bear His reproach. '* If ye be reproached for 
 the name of Christ, happy are ye for the spirit of glory 
 and of (iod resteth upon you." Hut Christ the Head 
 in the glory is in symi)athy with all His tried ones and 
 will give them that comfort which it is His alone to 
 give, and the joy which only attends faithfulness and 
 devotion to Himself Let us take up again the thread 
 of ])rophecy as we find it carried forward in the book 
 of Daniel. We have briefly shoWn its application to 
 the course of Gentile empire, or to the " Limes of the 
 Gentiles." We will now consider its application to " Is- 
 rael," as a nation. Daniel desires prophetic light as 
 to Israel, and it is in the first year of Darius, son of Ahas 
 uerus, that was made king of the Chaldeans, that Daniel 
 " understood by books the number of the years whereof 
 the word ofthe Lord came to Jeremiah the prophet, that 
 he would accomplish seventy years in the desolations of 
 Jerusalem," v. i. But before Daniel gets further light 
 respecting Israel he humbles himsdf and confesses his 
 own sins and the sins of the people of Israel, vs. 3-20. 
 While he is thus engaged, Gabriel, the angel especially 
 entrusted with messages to Israel, informed him of the 
 prophecy concerning his people. " Seventy weeks are 
 determined upon thy i)eo])le and upon thy holy city 
 to finish the transgressions and to make an end of sin, 
 and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring 
 in everlasting righteousness and to seal u]) the vision 
 and prophecy, and to anoinc the most holy," v. 20. 
 The term " wc . "' in the Hebrew is a measure of 
 seven. The week here means seven years. This is 
 evident from its application with reference to other 
 stated times, as we shall see. The angel continues. 
 
utside 
 d was 
 :/ ts so 
 ul fol- 
 If we 
 re will 
 ed for 
 f glory 
 Head 
 es and 
 3ne to 
 ss and 
 thread 
 : book 
 tion to 
 of the 
 to"Is- 
 ight as 
 f Ahas- 
 iDaniel 
 hereof 
 
 t,that 
 ions of 
 
 r light 
 ses his 
 
 3-20. 
 
 icially 
 of the 
 [ks are 
 (y city 
 )f sin, 
 bring 
 (vision 
 Iv. 20. 
 ire of 
 Ihis is 
 other 
 inues. 
 
 91 
 
 " know therefore and understand that the going forth 
 of the commandment to restore and to rebuild Jeru- 
 salem unto Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks, 
 and three-score and two weeks, (sixty-nine weeks or 
 483 years,) the street shall be built again and the wall, 
 even in troublous times. And after three-score and 
 two weeks, shall Messiah be cut off but not for Him- 
 self." Here we would remark that the ministry of 
 John of three years and a half, and that of Christ of 
 three and a half years, made up the last week of the 
 prophecy, if the nations of Israel had acknowleged 
 their true Messiah. But they reject the offered week 
 of grace by crucifying their true king, and they get a 
 week of judgment under the false Messiah yet to come 
 as the Lord told them before. " I am come in my 
 Father's name, and ye receive me not, if another shall 
 come in his own name, him ye will receive," St. John 
 V, 43. A remnant of Judah and Benjamin, (the two 
 tribes that crucified their Lord), will during the last or 
 judgment week, in spirit, *' look upon Him whom they 
 pierced " and mourn deeply, when they realise that it 
 was their true Messiah whom they had crucified, Zech. 
 xii, 10-14. "And the people of the Prince that shall 
 come, shall destroy the city and the sanctuary." The 
 "people" here spoken of are clearly the Roman 
 army under Titus, that besieged and took tjie city of 
 Jerusalem, and destroyed the temple after the Messiah 
 was cut off. The " prince that shall come " is the 
 head of the Gentile apostasy, representing the Roman 
 power as it will be in the last days, when the two tribes 
 Judah and Benjamin, or those who are now known as 
 Jews, are gathered back to Jerusalem and Palestine, 
 a work now going on. This " prince " is known in the 
 Revelation as ''the beast of seven heads and ten 
 horns, Rev. xiii, 1-8. After Judah and Benjamin are 
 gathered into Palestine in a state of apostasy or un- 
 belief as they now are, and have carried with them 
 much of the wealth of the nations, after they have re- 
 
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 built the city and temple at Jerusalem in great mag- 
 nificence, under the fostering care of this " prince that 
 shall come," then '* shall he confirm the covenant with 
 many for one week," v. 27. The "many" are the 
 greater part of the Jews thus gathered, and it is then 
 they are entering into a league with Satan, who vainly 
 promises them a Messiah, but he proves a false one as 
 we shall see. " And in the midst of the week he shall 
 cause the sacrifice and oblation to cease, &c," (v. 27) 
 that is, after the temple service has been set up ac- 
 cording to the rules and order of Judaism, when three 
 and a half times or years have passed, this " prince " 
 or head of the Gentile power breaks his covenant of 
 protection which he had entered into with the *' many " 
 of the Jews, and stops the temple worship that had 
 been set up. Observe, this " prince " is not the false 
 Messiah that " comes in his own name " but is the 
 head of Gentile apostasy and dominion. The real 
 Anti-Christ or false Messiah will be a Jew, and will 
 stand at the head of the /e7C'ts/i apostasy. To under- 
 stand this more fully, let us refer to Dan. xi, 36-30. 
 " And the *'king" shall do according to his will, and 
 he shall exalt himself and magnify himself above 
 every God, and speak marvellous things against the 
 God of gods, &c. Neither shall he regard the God of 
 his fathers, nor the desire of woman nor regard any 
 god ; for he shall magnify himself above all. But in 
 his estate shall he honor the god of forces, and a god 
 whom his fathers knew not shall he honor with gold 
 and silver, and with precious stones and pleasant 
 things." A moment of quiet meditation over this 
 scripture will serve to prove that this wilful king is a 
 Jew. In the first place the Jews will not receive a 
 king who has not come through the regular line, and 
 that is the tribe of Judah. Christ their true Messiah 
 whom they crucified, is the " Lion of the tribe of Ju- 
 dah," and this false Messiah must imitate Him as far 
 as a human estimate or conception can go. " Neither 
 
93 
 
 mag- 
 :e that 
 it with 
 re the 
 3 then 
 vainly 
 one as 
 le shall 
 v. 27) 
 up ac- 
 n three 
 >rince " 
 lant of 
 many " 
 at had 
 e false 
 
 is the 
 lie real 
 nd will 
 under- 
 
 36-3^- 
 II, and 
 
 above 
 
 nst the 
 
 God of 
 
 ,rd any 
 
 But in 
 
 I a god 
 
 ;h gold 
 
 )leasant 
 
 ^er this 
 
 ng is a 
 
 ceive a 
 
 le, and 
 
 viessiah 
 
 i of Tu- 
 
 1 as far 
 
 Neither 
 
 shall he regard the God of his fathers, nor the desire 
 of women, &c." The God of Abraham, of Isaac and 
 of Jacob, peculiarly characterizes the true God as of 
 the Jews first, and also of the Gentiles after Christ 
 came into the scene to make both one by " breaking 
 down the middle wall of partition between them." 
 The term " fathers " especially refers to the Jewish 
 worthies of the earlier days of the nation's history, and 
 *' the God of his fathers," this wilful apostate Jewish 
 leader will utterly disregard in the last days. '* Nor 
 the desire of w^omen." Who was the desire of women 
 spoken of here ? Evidently the Lord Jesus Christ 
 Himself ! It was the desire of every godly Jewish 
 woman to become the mother of the Messiah, and it 
 was a reproach in Israel for a woman to die childless. 
 So this faithless, wilful king, after man's estimate, does 
 not regard the Father or the Son, but trusting in an 
 arm of flesh, honors the "god of forces," and serves 
 Satan as an especial instrument to withstand the true 
 Messiah, whom the pharisaical spirit of the nation of 
 Israel despised and rejected as well as crucified, Is. 
 iii, 2-6. 
 
 This wilful head of the Jewish apostasy is identical 
 with the two-horned beast of Rev. xiii, 11. Observe 
 the first beast of " seven heads and ten horns," which 
 heads up the Gentile apostasy rises up out of the sea. 
 The sea is an emblem of the Gentile nation, hence 
 this apostate head is clearly known as Gentile from 
 his origin. But the two-horned beast rises up out of 
 the earth an apt symbol of the Jewish nation, who are 
 characterized in scripture as God's earthly people. 
 This Jewish beast is the same spoken of in 2nd Thess. 
 ii, 3-1 1. In the 4th verse he is known as one "who 
 opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is cal- 
 led God, or that is worshipped, &c. For tKe mystery 
 of iniquity doth already work, only he who now letteth 
 will let, (or hinder) until he be taken out of the w^ay," 
 V. 7. This "he" is the Holy Ghost in the church, 
 
itli 
 
 '•1 , 
 
 . !l! 
 
 P 
 la 
 
 
 V 
 
 -4 
 
 
 94 
 
 who hinders the manifestation of the real person of 
 the man of sin, until the church i6 taken up to be with 
 the Lord, the Holy Ghost then is " taken out of the 
 way," and "then shall the wicked (one) be revealed, 
 whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his 
 mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his 
 coming," v. 8. The presence of the Holy Ghost in 
 the church on earth " lets " (an English word for 
 " hinder "), the full cropping forth of sin, as it will be 
 after ihe church is caught up to be ever with the 
 Lord, 2 Thess. iv, 16-18. The church is in Heaven 
 with the Lord before the full manifestation of the Anti- 
 Chiist power. The word to the church in Philadel- 
 phia is a striking proof of this. " Because thou hast 
 kept the word of my patience I also will keep thee 
 from the hour of temptation which shall come upon 
 all the world to try them that dwell upon the earth. 
 Rev. iii, 10. Apostate Christendom and the infidel 
 Jews will be on the earth after the church is gone, 
 after all who are really born again of the word and of 
 the Holy Ghost are away with their Lord, and upon 
 this unbelieving mass " God shall send a strong delu- 
 sion that they should believe a lie, that they all might 
 be damned who believe not the truth, but had pleasure 
 in unrighteousness," 2 Thess. ii, 11, 12. This man of 
 sin " whose coming is after the working of Satan, with 
 all power and signs and lying wonders," will " do great 
 wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from 
 Heaven on the earth in the sight of man, and deceiveth 
 them that dwell on the earth by the means of those 
 miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the 
 beast, &c.," Rev. xiii, 13, 14. By means of electricity, 
 &c., he will appear to make fire come down out of 
 Heaven, for he must make a show ofdoing miracles to 
 sustain his pretensions to Messiahship, and by means 
 of ventriloquism evidently he will " cause the image of 
 the beafit to speak, and cause that as many as would 
 not worship the image of the beast should be killed." 
 
95 
 
 on of 
 e with 
 )f the 
 ealed, 
 of his 
 of his 
 ost in 
 d for 
 vill be 
 ;h the 
 leaven 
 t Anti- 
 liladel- 
 u liast 
 p thee 
 ; upon 
 earth, 
 infidel 
 ; gone, 
 and of 
 I upon 
 delu- 
 might 
 leasure 
 man of 
 n, with 
 o great 
 n firom 
 ceiveth 
 those 
 ; of the 
 :tricity, 
 out of 
 acles to 
 means 
 nage of 
 would 
 killed." 
 
 And he causeth all both small and great, rich and poor> 
 free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand 
 or in their foreheads. The " mark " here will be evi- 
 dently on the hand to take up arms to sustain his 
 power, and upon the forehead to recognize his power. 
 The number of the beast is 666, which is the number 
 of man, 777, being God's perfect number, and this 
 false Christ is known by his number as being no more 
 than man, and by this his falsity and pretensions may 
 be known to the mind that has wisdom to know what 
 God's number is. These two beasts which we have 
 been cor^sidering in Rev. xiii, are the same that we see 
 again in the 1 9th chapter as the beast and false prophet, 
 vs. 19, 20. The *' beast and the kings of the earth and 
 their armies, the ten kings and their followers," is the 
 head of the Gentile apostasy, while the false phrophet 
 is the head of the Jewish apostasy. These two active 
 agents of Satan, or the " dragon " as he is called, are 
 taken and " cast alive into the lake of fire burning with 
 brimstone," v. 20. Thus wicked man gets the lake 
 of fire one thousand years before Satan himself At the 
 same time that they are cast into the lake of fire, Satan 
 is cast into the bottomless pit. chap, xx, 2, 3. This 
 takes place at the opening of the millennium when the 
 Lord^ comes forth with the church (the armies of 
 Heaven), as we have seen (chap, xix, 14-21), to judge 
 the wicked ** quick " or living. The wicked " dead " 
 are brought into resurrection life at the close of the 
 millennium, and judged at the Great White Throne^ 
 Rev. XX, 11-15. The resurrection of all who have 
 died in Christ ^e/o7'e the rapture (or taking up) of the 
 church, have a part in the first resurrection. This is 
 plain from Rev, xx, 4-7, that the first resurrection em- 
 braces all such, while the second resurrection includes 
 all those who die out of Christ and who get the lake 
 of fire after the White Throne judgment, v. 15. The 
 martyred remnant of Israel are brought into resurrec- 
 tion life, and occupy a heavenly position at the close 
 
96 
 
 j> 
 
 of the last week of Daniel's 70th week of judgment. 
 Under the opening of the fifth seal, their souls are 
 seen under the altar crying, " how long O Lord, holy 
 and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood 
 on them that dwell on the earth," Rev. vi, 10. Ven- 
 gence is a Jewish cry, but the chnrch will not cry for 
 vengeance, and lik^ her Head will exclaim, ** Father 
 forgive them for they know not what they do." It is 
 not the spirit of Christ in the church to call for ven- 
 geance in any way, but to suffer in the patience of the 
 Head who endured all the persecutions through which 
 He passed with meekness and long-suffering. When 
 the " sea of glass " is first seen by John, it has no oc- 
 cupants, (Rev. iv, 6) but when it is again seen (chap. 
 XV, 2) it is occupied by those who *' had gotten the 
 victory over the beast and over his image, &c.," clear- 
 ly showing that it is the Jewish and Gentile remnants 
 that suffered at the hands of the beast because they 
 owned the true Messiah. When the sea of glass is 
 first seen it is " clear as crystal," (chap, iv, 6) but after 
 it is occupied it is " mingled with fire," showing the 
 fiery trial its occupants had passed through. This 
 evidently is the baptism of fire of which John the Bap- 
 tist spake, Mat. iii, 11. 
 
 It may be well to review in brief the order of events 
 over which we have been passing. The work now 
 going on (we repeat) is the choosing out of the church 
 under the ministry of the Holy Ghost. This is God's 
 testimony for Himself ! To carry on this work man- 
 w^ard, the gospel of the grace of God is preached alike 
 to all. It is by the foolishness of preaching men are 
 to be saved. The course of the Gentile empire is run- 
 ning as ordered of God, to preserve order and restrain 
 the wicked that God's work may go forward. But 
 Christians must not forget that the character of this 
 Gentile course is worldly and ungodly, and that for 
 them to mix up with its issues and end is to hinder 
 their testimony and to dishonor their calling. The 
 
97 
 
 ;ment. 
 
 Is are 
 
 [, holy 
 
 blood 
 
 Ven- 
 :ry for 
 Father 
 
 It is 
 )r ven- 
 i of the 
 I which 
 When 
 no oc- 
 L (chap, 
 ten the 
 ," clear- 
 imnants 
 ise they 
 glass is 
 )ut after 
 ing the 
 This 
 he Bap- 
 
 f events 
 )rk now 
 I church 
 is God's 
 rk man- 
 led alike 
 nen are 
 e is run- 
 restrain 
 Id. But 
 of this 
 that for 
 ) hinder 
 |g. The 
 
 first event they are to look for is Christ's coming for 
 them to take them out of this scene to be with Him- 
 self. 
 
 "The Lord Himself shall come 
 
 And shout the quickening word ; 
 Thousands shall answer from the tomb, 
 
 Forever with the Lord." 
 
 This event may occur at any time ! " Behold I come 
 quickly ! " Men may say that much is yet to be done 
 before the Lord can come to take up His people. His 
 word is, " i)c ye also ready ! " " Times and seasons " 
 are out of the question ! The effect of this watching 
 and waitin;^ attitude of the Saints of God is to keep 
 them free from earthly entanglements with their hearts 
 engaged with Christ. He is coming ! Is it not 
 enough for us to be ready ? What earthly schemes 
 have we to carry out, or plans to mature before we are 
 ready to go with him. Be ready now ! That is the 
 word. May our hearts be more engaged with Him, 
 and all earthly schemes and plans, with their influences 
 over us will drop off like autumn leaves. After the 
 church is out of the scene, the events that take place 
 are fi;aught with the manifestation of wickedness and 
 the execution of judgment. Satan and man work en- 
 ergetically, and God deals correspondingly. All the 
 hindering power of the Holy Ghost, which now pre- 
 vents the unmasking of wickedness will then be re- 
 moved, and every species of satanic effort be seen and 
 known in its true character. In the opening of the 
 70th week of Daniel the covenant of the Anti-Christ 
 is entered into with the apostate Jews. During the 
 first half of the week the two witnesses prophecy, (Rev. 
 xi, 3) the spared remnant are convinced of the coming 
 of the true Messiah, and are caught away from the 
 power of the Anti-Christ, Rev. xii, 14, and the first 
 four of the seals are opened and produce their results 
 as shown in Rev. vi, 1-9. In the middle of the week 
 Satan is cast out of Heaven, Rev. xii, 10, The Anti- 
 
98 
 
 ■ 
 
 Christ as energized by Satan, breaks his covenant with 
 the " many," (Jews) " causes the sacrifice and oblation 
 to cease," and issues the decree that all shall receive 
 his mark upon the forehead and upon the hand. Then 
 begins the 42 months reign of the beast and false 
 prophet with such rigor and energy of evil, that " ex- 
 cept the days should be shortened no flesh should be 
 saved." This last half of the " tribulation week," as it 
 is called, is the time of" Jacob's trouble," such as never 
 was known, and never will be again for the poor Jews. 
 Now^ uiitil the church is taken up out of the scene, 
 Satan being sure of the homage of the Jews, (for it is 
 question of power and homage with him as opposed 
 to Christ,) allows them to amass wealth and conse- 
 quence among the nations, to return to their land and 
 rebuild the temple and city with great magnificence, 
 and carry forward with an arm of flesh and in an apos- 
 tate condition, such wonderful efforts, that they become 
 the wonder of the world. It is against the church as 
 the ** accuser of the brethren," that his principal efforts 
 are now put forth. This is because the church is now 
 in this scene as an oLject of God's especial care and 
 needs His mercy and protection daily, to carry her 
 through what should seem to her a waste howling 
 wilderness, but which, alas ! is often sought to be a 
 bed of roses to revel upon with the world, and enjoy 
 the riches and favors of a scene which crucified her 
 Lord and Head. But after the Lord "descends from 
 Heaven with a shout " and takes His own up to be 
 with Hinrself, Satan is cast out of Heaven down to 
 earth, and then " woe unto the inhabitants of the earth 
 and the sea, for the devil is come down unto you with 
 great wrath, knowing that he hath but ashort time," Rev. 
 xii. He knows that his power over the church is at 
 an end, and that the faithful renmant in Israel and the 
 Gentiles are next to be the especial object of God's 
 care and attention to bring the t h into blessing. 
 The time Satan has, from the t.me ne as the accuser 
 
99 
 
 nt with 
 blation 
 receive 
 Then 
 id false 
 
 u 
 
 at *' ex- 
 )uld be 
 k," as it 
 IS never 
 )r Jews. 
 ; scene, 
 for it is 
 apposed 
 I conse- 
 and and 
 ificence, 
 an apos- 
 become 
 ^urch as 
 lal efforts 
 h is now 
 are and 
 arry her 
 howling 
 to be a 
 id enjoy 
 fied her 
 ids from 
 ip to be 
 down to 
 the earth 
 you with 
 le," Rev. 
 •ch is at 
 ;1 and the 
 of God's 
 blessing, 
 accuser 
 
 of the brethren " (the faithful in Christ) is cast down, 
 (Rev. xii) until he is taken and bound and cast into the 
 bottomless pit, (Rev. xx) is but a " short time " (evi- 
 dently 42 months), hence he makes the most of it by 
 setting up his most rigorous rule through his willing 
 agents, the beast and false prophet. But the Lord 
 closes his brief season of oppressive triumph by coming 
 forth with executive judgment " followed by the armies 
 of Heaven, "(the church) as we have seen, and overturns 
 all that vast array of power which Satan had masked 
 to defy and withstand the Lord. After the beast and 
 false prophet are overthrown at the close of the 1260 
 days, and their armies slain with sword of Him who 
 sat on the horse, which sword proceedeth out of His 
 mouth, (Rev. xix, 21,) after the ** spared remnant " of 
 Judah and Benjamin have been called into blessing 
 at the end of the 1335 days, (Dan. xii, 20) then takes 
 place, the national gathering spoken of in Mat. xxv, 32 
 when the " nations " receive the reward or sentence, 
 according as they have treated **the least of these 
 mySrethren"(v. 40) which the Lord will then own. And 
 who are " my brethren " whom the the Lord then so 
 affectionately owns and values ? Not the church, 
 which has been taken out of the scene before the trib- 
 ulation week comm<^nced. No, but the poor spared 
 remnant of the Jews, who had been caught away from 
 the power and sway of the beast, out from the land of 
 Palestine to take refuge among the Gentile '*ons 
 around, and it was according to the way they had 
 *' done unto the least of these my brethren," that the 
 blessed Lord rewards those nations. It is i ^^rtant 
 to see that when the question of earthly blessing comes 
 before the Lord, He first deals '^h and restores a 
 faithful remnant in Israel^ and th acts toward the 
 Gentile nations according as they nuve cared for His 
 faithful Jewish remnant. The faithful Jews, under the 
 persecution of the Anti-Christ, are dear to the Lord 
 as the "little flock " to whom the Father in His good 
 
 i 
 
lOO 
 
 pleasure would give the kingdom that they had so 
 ardently prayed for. '' Thy kingdom come " is their 
 prayer, *'Thy will be done on earth as it is in Heaven !" 
 It is for earthly blessing and enjoyment under the 
 Lord's benign rule, that the faithful remnant will be 
 looking for. It is for Z^^^zy/z/v blessing that the church 
 as God's Heavenly people are now praying for, or should 
 be if they see their true place. The Lord addresses 
 the remnant as He appears to them thus, " come ye 
 blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared 
 for you from the foundation of the world," or after the 
 world's history had begun its course. The church as 
 His Heavenly people, was in the purpose of God seen 
 in Christ before the foundation of the world. To note 
 this difference between the Heavenly hope of the church 
 and earthly hope of the Jew, affords a key by which 
 much confusion may be avoided in reading the scrip- 
 tures. Christ, as He is now on the Father's throne, 
 is Head to the church while the church is on earth. 
 After He takes His church out of the scene and as- 
 sumes His own executive throne, He will put the 
 church into governing position with Himself, to come 
 forth and rule the world in the millennium reign. 
 Christ will be king to the Jews, and to the Gentiles 
 who are brought into blessing with the Jewish remnant, 
 but it is not intelligent for the church to call Christ 
 our King now. He is Head of the church as the 
 body, of which we are members, and we are so inti- 
 mately associated with Him that we share His throne 
 and reign with Him, Rev. hi, 21. It is important that 
 our thoughts are directed in right channels as to God's 
 dealings with the earth, for it seems to rightly inter- 
 pret prophecy as to what He has in store for the scene 
 through which the church is now taking her journey 
 as a pilgrim and a stranger. With this order of spirit- 
 ual prophecy in our minds, it is easy to test all material 
 prophecies and speculations by this standard. Man 
 in his efforts to grasp the purposes and plans of the 
 
lOI 
 
 had so 
 is their 
 jav^n!" 
 ier the 
 will be 
 church 
 should 
 Idresses 
 ome ye 
 repared 
 ifter the 
 urch as 
 od seen 
 To note 
 2 church 
 y which 
 le scrip- 
 throne, 
 in earth, 
 and as- 
 put the 
 to come 
 11 reign. 
 Gentiles 
 ■emnant, 
 II Christ 
 as the 
 so inti- 
 s throne 
 tant that 
 to God's 
 ly inter- 
 :he scene 
 journey 
 of spirit- 
 material 
 d. Man 
 IS of the 
 
 Infinite God, would endeavor to set up a standard of 
 his own, and set aside God's order of events as re- 
 vealed in His Word. Whatever stands the test of 
 that Word and agrees with it we can accept with con- 
 fidence. We are to " prove all things, and hold fast 
 that which is good," and to give precedence to God's 
 Word as the means by which to test all that may come 
 before us, in its light and by its power. The move- 
 ments of the material universe cannot change God's 
 order as revealed by the Spirit in His Word, and if 
 we allow the prophecies and speculations of men, as 
 to changes in material things, to shake our minds or 
 disturb our confidence in the word of God, it is evi- 
 dent that we are not well grounded in the Truth, or 
 walking along tbe path of faith in company with the 
 Lord, learning of Him and confiding in Him. All 
 these things come in as a test to show where we are 
 God-ward. We would know but little of what we can 
 bear for Christ if we were never tested. As soon as 
 v,e step forth to work for Christ in earnest we will 
 have opposition to test us in the path. But this most 
 precious for us in God's sight. " The trial of your 
 faith is more precious than gold that perisheth." ** If 
 a branch bear fruit, He purgeth it that it may bring 
 forth more fruit." As sons He chastens us, and if we 
 find the enemy stirring up opposition to us, it is one 
 of the surest evidences that God is about to use us to 
 His own glory. ** If we be without chastisement, of 
 which all are partakers, then are ye bastards and not 
 sons." This is surely a source of. encouragement for 
 us while under trial and difficulty, that we may not be 
 discouraged by the way, or disturbed in our mind 
 when we are tested. And now we have gone through 
 our meditations together in brief dear reader, on a 
 part of God's order in spiritual prophecy as revealed 
 in His Word by the light of the Holy Spirit, and may 
 we ask what claim has the materialistic prophecies of 
 man upon our notice and confidence? We have 
 
I02 
 
 I 
 i 
 
 III 
 
 several prophecies of man based u|)on science and 
 astronomy, whicii are claiming the attention of all ^vho 
 are willing to accept them as correct, and instead ot 
 giving rest of soul and comfort of heart they give 
 anxiety and trouble of mind. This is just the o])posite 
 of what Christ gives to those who trust Him. Follow 
 through the scientific forestallings of the professors 
 who have been writing lately for the public eye, and 
 what is there in all their speculations t( give rest to 
 the heart of the weary one on life's joL .ley? Noth- 
 ing ! Man in his endeavors to measure the Infinite 
 God by scientific effort, always goes beyond himself 
 and conflicts with God, and thus renders his efforts 
 valueless as tested by God's Word. For example, one 
 professor claims that the coming of the present comet 
 will, upon its entering the sun, so excite his heart that 
 all the higher forms of life will be swept off the earth. 
 God's word declares that we are to have a thousand 
 years of millennium reign in righteousness under the 
 sceptre of Christ the true Messiah, before the world is 
 to be burned up. Which are we to believe, this pro- 
 fessor or God's Word. " Let God be true though 
 every man be a liar." How comforting to have a 
 standard from God by which to te^t everything. An- 
 other claims that the conjunction of Saturn and Uran- 
 us with the earth is to so unhinge the order of nature, 
 as it now is, as to produce the most dire results in tlie 
 next few years. According to his (Prof. .Grimmell's) 
 theory, war, pestilence and famine will ravage the 
 earth, mountains are to topple and fall into huge 
 chasms caused by earthquakes, islands and reefs are 
 to rise in the sea and obstruct the mariner's progress, 
 and the general disorder produced will be prolific of 
 the most serious results as to human comfort and 
 human life. If true what then ? What is the word to 
 the Christian ? Is he to be fearful and dismayed in 
 the face of these calamities? By no means! "Be 
 patient therefore brethren unto the coming of the 
 
103 
 
 ice and 
 ' all who 
 itcad of 
 ey give 
 Dpj)osite 
 Follow 
 rofcssors 
 :yc, and 
 rest to 
 ' Noth- 
 Infinite 
 himself 
 is efforts 
 iiple, one 
 lit comet 
 leart that 
 he earth, 
 thousand 
 nder the 
 world is 
 this i)ro- 
 • though 
 o have a 
 ng. An- 
 nd Uran- 
 )t' nature, 
 Its in the 
 immeirs) 
 ivage the 
 nto huge 
 reefs are 
 progress, 
 prolific of 
 nfort and 
 e word to 
 mayed in 
 Be 
 
 is 
 
 u 
 
 ig of the 
 
 Lord," James v, 7. " Stablish your hearts for the 
 coming of the I ord draweth nigh," v. 8. The Lord's 
 coming is the first event 0/ any importatice to the 
 Christian that is to take place while he is in this scene, 
 that is if he is living to the Lord and sowing to the 
 Si)irit. If the child of God is unwatchful and is get- 
 ting his best |)ortion in this world instead of looking 
 forward to a Heavenly inheritance, lie will be troubled 
 at the prosi)ect of having all his earthly hopes wrecked 
 and set at nought. These things come in sometimes 
 as allowed of (Jod for a test to the souls of His own 
 in this scene. Let us not despise these jn'ophecies of 
 man, but rather use them to see how we stand as to 
 our state ot soul in (iod's presence. If we can allow 
 them all to be true, and still look at them unmoved 
 and undistracted because of our faith in the work 
 Ood has accomplished in His own Son both as a 
 Sav. >ur and Intercessor to meet our need, it is well 
 for us. l]ut if we are fearful and troubled at the pros- 
 pect of earthly loss, it is evidence of a weak faith 'and 
 a carnal walk, no matter how high our standard of 
 profession may be. To the carnal mind who has no 
 portion in Christ, the prospect of earthly loss and dis- 
 comfort, will no doubt be unpalatable and full of un- 
 easiness. The man who is getting his best portion in 
 this life, little relishes the thouglit of being deprived 
 of it. To such we would say, seek a portion in Christ 
 which the changing circumstances of time and sense 
 cannot touch and destroy. In Christ you will find a 
 life that is eternal^ and that means above all the things 
 that are passing away. May you exchange your earth- 
 ly uncertainties for Heavenly realities. Amen.* 
 Near Ottawa, April 4, 1881. 
 
 JESUS DIED ON CALVARY. 
 
 I. J<-'sus died ! He died for sinners ! 
 Was made sin, ere He could die; 
 Died His Father's will to obey ; 
 Died for, sinner, you and m*.'. 
 
I04 
 
 2. Oh how solemn is the story 
 
 Of that death, the world to buy; 
 
 How the heart in p;rief should languish, 
 
 As we know it, you and I. 
 
 3. Let all of nature hush within us ; 
 Leave no room for flesh to play. 
 As we think of Calvary's murder 
 On that solemn mournful day. 
 
 4. OnwOay when nature trembled, 
 Eartlvdid quake, with darkned sun. 
 When Jesus cried *' Tis finished " ever. 
 And Heaven answered then, **Tis done !" 
 
 5. But He rose ! How fjlad the story ! 
 Ijurst the bonds of death amain ; 
 Rose to justify His own ones, 
 
 No more to taste of death again. 
 
 6. On His Father's throne in Heaven, 
 He waits until His foes be made 
 
 His footstool, thence He'll come and take us 
 Up, for whom the debt was paid. 
 
 7. May we ne'er forget His death, now 
 As we journey here below ; 
 
 But remember how He suffered 
 On that cross so long ago. 
 
 
 The Treasure in Earthen Vessels. 
 
 "But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the ex- 
 cellency of the power may be of God and not ofus. " H Cor. iv, 7. 
 
 The death of Christ has done more for the believer 
 than to cancel his sins, valuable as that work may be 
 for his soul. In Christ, the Christian has not only 
 died to sin as to its nature, but is put into a place of 
 power to count the old Adam, in the place of death, 
 that he may not bring forth his baneful fruit. We 
 have the treasure of the Holy Ghc^t in earthen vessels 
 that the excellency of the power may be of God and not 
 of us. The new nature, which is " Christ formed 
 within the hope of glory," is the ground upon which 
 
I05 
 
 the ex- 
 or. iv, 7. 
 
 eliever 
 lay be 
 )t only 
 ace of 
 death, 
 I. We 
 vessels 
 nd not 
 formed 
 which 
 
 the Holy Ghost works to bring forth fruit unto God. 
 The old Adam nature is what the flesh in activity 
 acts upon to bring forth sin. 'Y\\q fruits of the Spirit 
 are ** love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, good- 
 ness, faith, meekness, temperance : against such there 
 is no law." The works of the flesh in contrast with 
 the fruits of the Spirit are " adultery, fornication, un- 
 cleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, 
 variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, 
 envyings, murders, drunkenness, revelfings, and such 
 like." Gal. v. 21, 22. The child of God is not only 
 privileged to " reckon " or count the old nature in the 
 place of death, but he is responsible to do so in his 
 earthly pilgrimage, that he may glorify God in his 
 body which belongs to God. While the flesh is acting 
 to produce sin, it is impossible for the Holy Ghost to 
 act with power upon the ^new nature to bring forth 
 fruit unto God. By the death of the old man as put to 
 death on the cross working in Paul, life in Christ was 
 produced in the Corinthians. " So then death work- 
 eth in us, but life in you," II Cor., iv-12. The fruit of 
 Paul's " reckoning " the old man in the place of death, 
 was life in Christ to his beloved Corinthian brethren. 
 This counting the old man dead, was " bearing about 
 in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus," and why? 
 That the life also of Jesus (the new nature) might be 
 manifest in our mortal flesh, v. 10. To enter into 
 this in reality is very helpful to the soul of the Christ- 
 ian. He learns by this exercise, that " in me, that is 
 in my flesh, dwelleth no good thing." This acknow- 
 ledgment is something more than a mere matter of 
 words, it is the utterance of a practical, solemn, divine 
 reality. It is only in this state of soul that the Christ- 
 ian can be to any prominent degree, used of God in 
 service. He goes down to the bottom (so to speak) 
 of all that he is in the old Adam, flnds no good in 
 him, and learns that the poor body in which the new 
 life dwells, and which has become a temple, a dwell- 
 
 
 )\ 
 
 (.. 
 
io6 
 
 pi! ; 
 
 I 
 
 I ■ 
 
 ing place of the Holy Ghost, is but an " earthen 
 vessel." It is this "vile body," this body of humili- 
 ation, that is to be " changed in a moment, in the 
 twinkling of an eye," when Christ comes for the 
 church. How much training and chastening each 
 individual soul needs to practically enter into this 
 " bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord 
 Jesus," the Lord Himself only knows. He may allow 
 us to stumble and fall into sin even, and then chasten 
 us, to learn our own weakness, and the need of walk- 
 ing softly before Him in our path of testimony for 
 Himself. There is a deep significance in the word 
 " earthen " which qualifies the vessel. Clay, or earth 
 is the poorest kind of material for endurance, or for 
 service. It is in such poor weak vessels, that are 
 crumbling away day by day, (though our outward man 
 perish) that the treasure is put, that the excellency of 
 the power may .be of God and not of us. How 
 humbling to all creature-excellence this is. What is 
 the ultimate of the highest hopes of natural goodness? 
 " Filthy rags," God says. Where does human wisdom, 
 with all its boasted power, end ? Look at the Cross 
 of Christ ! There in the sin-judged body of God s 
 Son, is its most exalted height. Ah poor, vain human 
 excellence, God's foolishness is above your wisest and 
 most sublime flights ; and when the Christian has 
 learned this lesson of nothingness which the natural 
 man knows nothing of, then he is in the place where 
 God can teach him, that the "excellency of the power 
 may be of God and not of us." God will have the 
 glory of our efforts for Himself by " working within us 
 to will and do of His own good pleasure." Spiritual 
 pride, Pharisaical egotism, intellectual knowledge 
 which " puffeth up," are great hindrances to learning 
 the lesson of self judgment. How much do Christ- 
 ians spend of their substance to extravagantly feed and 
 clothe their bodies while God's work and God's poor 
 alike languish for their misapplied stewardship. Dear 
 
 God, 
 by. 
 brins 
 God^ 
 soul. 
 "V 
 the t\ 
 are se 
 seen 
 sight 
 How 
 
I07 
 
 brother, or sister in Christ, " fruit may abound to your 
 account " at the judgment seat of Christ as a result 
 of fully entering into the reality of this earthen char- 
 acter of the vessel. It may correct many high esti- 
 mations of self you may have, check much useless 
 expenditure in the way of dress and food, and open 
 your eyes to the blessed value of denying self and 
 working for Christ. " Though our outward man perish 
 yet our inward man is renewed day by day," v. i6. 
 The poor earthen vessel may be crumbling away, yet 
 the soul may be prospering in the things of God, and 
 renewed for increased activity in doing the work God 
 has for it to do. Sometimes a sick bed and a diseased 
 body are necessary to take down our self-exaltation 
 and fit us for profitable use in the Master's work. 
 Earthly ties and heart-idols often are taken away to 
 liberate the worker and leave him free to do his 
 Master's will. The yoke of oxen, the wife, the land 
 and all mu'^*: in spirit be left to give place to the 
 higher work .hich God has for us to do for Himself. 
 May we enter into it ! It may try our hearts to thus 
 be required to give place to God's demands upon us, 
 may test our love and give us pain, but what then ? 
 " For our light affliction which is but for a moment, 
 worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal 
 weight of glory," v. 17. All we give up of nature for 
 God, comes back with a thousand-fold value by and 
 by. What weight of glory can natural excellence 
 bring us ? None indeed ! It is giving up all for 
 God that admits a ray of the glory to shine into the 
 soul. 
 
 "While we look not at the things which are seen, but 
 the things which are not seen, for the things which 
 are seen are temporal, while the things which are not 
 seen are eternal," v. 18. It is faith then and not 
 sight that gives the rich glimpses of eternal things. 
 How prone we are to judge from appearance and not 
 lighteous judgment. Righteous judgment is the fruit 
 
io8 
 
 of soul-exercise in the presence of God. The sight of 
 the eye as to nature is worth httle in His estimate who 
 reads the motives of the heart as well as the actions of 
 the' body. Spiritual discernment comes from the 
 power we have to erter within the veil and take in 
 God's thoughts about everything. How much wrong 
 judgment we may have about our fellow Christian by 
 mountmg the pinnacle of natural estimate, while we 
 should be judging self to get at God's thoughts about 
 him or her. If we misjudge and carry our fellov/ 
 Christians with us in our wrong thoughts, then indeed 
 we take courage in pushing our point and may only 
 be forced to learn our mistake at the end of much 
 mortification and anguish of heart. It is only in 
 going along the path in company with the blessed 
 Lord alone that we get at the real estimate of things. 
 A false appearance may be put upon everything around 
 us, if nature come in in any way to bias our view, and 
 because we have got others to see in our way, we 
 rush on regardless of what God says about what we 
 really are before Him. ** If any man think that he 
 standeth, let him take heed lest he fall." It does not 
 say " if any man standeth J^ &c., no it is if he think he 
 does. '' If any say he has faith," let him put 
 himself under the test of self-examination and see how 
 he will be able to bear it. He may, in fancied self- 
 security and self-deception, be rushing down upon 
 some poor soul with a flood of condemnation that 
 arises from sheer ignorance and want of true Christian 
 love which the Lord in the glory desires to see draw- 
 ing His poor tried ones down here nearer to each 
 other and nearer to Himself. And now one word 
 about love, which is a kindred theme to our present 
 train of meditations, and we close this brief paper. 
 The " love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by 
 the Holy Ghost given unto us," and this as a result 
 of a divine work which has gone on in the soul as a 
 fruit of the Holy Ghost being in the vessel ungrieved. 
 
I09 
 
 i sight of 
 nate who 
 ctions of 
 'om the 
 take in 
 h wrong 
 istian by 
 while we 
 Its about 
 ur fellov," 
 :n indeed 
 nay only 
 of much 
 only in 
 i blessed 
 )f things. 
 isr around 
 view, and 
 way, we 
 what we 
 that he 
 does not 
 think he 
 him put 
 i see how 
 cied self- 
 vn upon 
 tion thai 
 Christian 
 ee draw- 
 to each 
 Dne word 
 r present 
 ef paper, 
 learts by 
 a result 
 soul as a 
 ingrieved. 
 
 Patience has wrought experience, and experience 
 hope, and hope maketh not ashamed, **for the love of 
 God is shed abroad in the heart," &c. The third 
 Person of the Holy Trinity working unhindered in 
 the soul has produced a train of godly results consti- 
 tuting the true ground of all fellowship one with 
 another and with the Head, Love. The love of God, 
 who can fathom it ? And yet it is shed abroad in 
 our hearts, in the ungrieved possession of the treasure 
 which we have in earthen vessels. Reader do you 
 enter into it ? May the Lord give us all to see its 
 divine reality. — Amen. 
 
 THE HOUSE-TOP SAINT. 
 
 The following lines were abbreviated from a little prose tract called 
 the " House-top Saint." They show the strength of faith often seen in the 
 negro character. 
 
 1. I'se livin on de house top, 
 
 Aunt Sybil said one day, 
 So near my blessed Master 
 He easy hears me pray. 
 
 2. De smiles ob His blessed countenance 
 
 Lights up my pathway here, 
 And when I feels de wilderness, 
 Is when I finds Him near. 
 
 3 De joy ob His own dear heart 
 Gibs mine a freshnin beat, 
 For I'se a member ob His body, 
 In Him I'se so complete. 
 
 4. De cellar wid its 'ticements, 
 
 De parlor wid its smiles. 
 No, nor de easy chamber, 
 Can win me wid dere wiles. 
 
 5. For Tse out on de ridge pole, 
 
 Wid my blessed Master dar, 
 A keepin His dear company ; 
 His c'munion dere I fehare. 
 
 6. I often hab temptations 
 
 From Satan on de way, 
 * But my Jesus gibs me promise. 
 
 My strength is as my day. 
 
 I 
 
no 
 
 m' 
 
 7. So I push my enemy 'hind me, 
 
 And look up to de sky, 
 For dere I'se got a 'heritance 
 To enter l)y and by. 
 
 8. An I know my Master's comin 
 
 To take me off de ruff, 
 An when He takes me higher, 
 He'll say *' Sybil 'tis enough." 
 
 9. So I goes along de journey, 
 
 Leanin on His arm, 
 For I know His love will keep me 
 Foreber from all harm. 
 
 10. And now poor sinner would you 
 
 Be on the house-top too ? 
 De sta'rs dat I climbed up on 
 Are ready dar for you. 
 
 11. Ye cellar, parlor, chamber saints. 
 
 Climb from dose lower parts, 
 And on de ridge-polej for de Lord, 
 Shine out wid all your hearts. 
 
 12. And as I've told my story, * 
 
 I'll hurry to my work, 
 Lest after I've been preachin, 
 I might my duty shirk. 
 
 The Opened Heavens. 
 
 There is a train of meditation very coi fortin^ to 
 the Christian, connected with the opened Heavens, 
 when once entered into with the heart unhindered 
 and the spirit unburdened of the power of earthly 
 circumstances. The Heavens are opened four times 
 as mentioned in the Scriptures. First, when Jesus 
 was baptized of John in Jordan, as " the Holy Ghost 
 descended in a bodily shape like a dove upon Him, 
 and a voice came from Heaven which said. Thou art 
 My beloved Son, in Thee I am well pleased." Mat. 
 iii, 17, 17: Mark i, 10, 11; Luke iii, 21, 22. The 
 opening of the Heavens is always connected w^ith a 
 manifestation of testimony or power toward the eartn. 
 Here the Lord is shown as fulfilling all^righteousness 
 
I II 
 
 by being baptized (Mat. iii, 15.) by John, that He 
 might obey and observe God's order as to Israel. 
 He came as King to the Jews, offered Himself as 
 such, but their worldly-minded rulers rejected His 
 humble parentage and set aside His gracious offerings 
 by calling for His death. Secondly, the Heavens 
 opened when Stephen was stoned, so that he testified 
 that he saw the Son of man standing on the right 
 hand of God. Acts vii, 5, 6. Stephen was the Lord's 
 witness for the Holy Ghost after the Spirit descended, 
 consequent ui)on the ascension of the blessed Lord to 
 the xight hand of the Father. The Lord is seen in a 
 standing position, looking down to earth to see how 
 His faithful servant, Stephen, would be received by 
 the nation of Israel. But they rejected the testimony 
 and slew the witness, Stephen, and the Lord sits 
 down at the right hand of God, expecting henceforth 
 until His enemies be made His footstool. Thirdly, 
 the Heavens opened when St. John saw a door opened 
 in Heaven, and heard a voice saying " come up hither 
 and I will shew thee things which must be hereafter, 
 (or after these, which is the history of the church). 
 John saw the order of Heaven in preparation for the 
 manifestation of judgment upon the earth, also the 
 position of the church, seen as the twenty-four elders 
 around about the throne near the blessed Lord Him- 
 self. The seal, vial and trumpet judgments are about 
 to descend upon the earth, upon apostate Israel and 
 the Gentiles that are in league with the Jews and are 
 marshalled in Palestine in a position of conflict and 
 defiance" to the blessed Lord. The fourth opening of 
 the Heavens shows the Lord Himself as the Rider on 
 the white horse, coming forth in executive judgment 
 to destroy and put down the opposition of Satan on 
 earth and set up the millennium reign. Rev. xix, 
 11-16. The promise to the church now is, "when 
 Christ, w^ho is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also 
 appear with Him in glory. Col. iii, 4-1 1. The appear- 
 
112 
 
 ing as the "armies of heaven" with Christ in execu- 
 iv e judgment, shows this promise fulfilled to the 
 church. The apostle writing to the Corinthians says, 
 *' Know ye not that the saints shall judge the world ? 
 and if the world shall be judged by you, are ye unworthy 
 to judge the smallest matters ? Know ye not that we 
 shall judge angels?" I Cor. vi, 2, 3. Here is clear 
 proof that the church of God, in executive judgment 
 with Christ, will judge the world and the apostate 
 angels that left their first estate. Although now in a 
 place of rejection as Christ was when He was upon 
 the earth, the church of God should show forth the 
 pilgrim character, not settlingdown to dze'e// in a scene 
 where Satan " the god of this world " holds dominion 
 and has his throne. Meantime may we be watching 
 and waiting for the Lord to come and take us out of 
 a scene that is ripening up for judgment. What are 
 some of the effects of the appearing of Christ with the 
 church? The groaning creation, now under the 
 curse of sin, will be brought into a condition of de- 
 liverance and blessing. " For the earnest expectation 
 of the creature (or creation) waiteth for the manifesta- 
 tion of the Son of God. Because the creature (cre- 
 ation) itself also shall be delivered from the bondage 
 of corruption into the glorious liberty or liberty of the 
 glory of the children of God." Rom. viii, 19-21. 
 What wondrous results earthward depend upon the 
 opening of the Heavens for the manifestation of Christ 
 with the church. Then all that Christ suffered on 
 the Cross for, all the wondrous fruits of the travail of 
 His soul will appear in all their power and glory, 
 being powerful and glorious because connected so 
 intimately with Himself, who is the source of all 
 power and glory. He is he God-Man whom God 
 hath appointed to judge the world in righteousness, 
 and all His own ones, who now faithfully own 
 Him as the rejected Man, will then appear with all 
 the fruits of their testimony seen by the world even as 
 
113 
 
 are 
 
 the 
 
 the 
 
 de- 
 .tion 
 esta- 
 (cre- 
 iage 
 
 the 
 
 )-2I. 
 
 the 
 rist 
 on 
 I of 
 ory, 
 so 
 all 
 rod 
 less, 
 lown 
 all 
 In as 
 
 Christ now sees and values them The thorns and 
 tJiistles that now cover the earth as a result of the 
 curse on account of sin, will be removed, the ferocity 
 of the wild beasts will give place to domestic docility, 
 and ** the wolf shall dwell with the lamb and the 
 leopard shall lie down with the kid, and the calf and 
 the young lion and the fatUng together ; and a little 
 child shall lead them, and the cow aad the bear shall 
 feed ; their young ones shall lie t. wn together ; and 
 the lion shall eat straw like the ox, and the sucking 
 child shall play on the hole of the asp, and the weaned 
 child shall put his hand on the cockatrice's den. 
 They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy moun- 
 tain, for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of 
 the Lord as the waters cover the sea." Is. xi, 6-10. 
 
 Such are some of the features of that day of peace, 
 when the Branch of Jesse shall bring forth with power 
 His fruits of "peace on earih and good will to man." 
 Then will be fully enjoyed by the nation of 
 Israel and the Gentiles, all those blessed conditions of 
 soul spokon of by our Lord in His sermon on the 
 mount in Matthew, chapters 5, 6 and 7. Then will a 
 remnant of Israel be brought into blessing and form a 
 nucleus around which the Gentiles will gather and re- 
 ceive blessing through he ministrations of the faithful 
 Jews, (Is, Ixi, 3-8.) and when "ten men shall take hold, 
 out of all the languages of the nations, even shall take 
 hold of the skirt of him that is a Jew, saying, we will 
 go with you for we have heard that God is with you." 
 Zech. viii, 23. It is then that God will "take away 
 the heart of stone and give a heart of flesh " to His 
 faithful Jewish remnant, and through their ministry a 
 nation is born in a day. Then shall it come to pass 
 wlien a man shall not say unto His neighbor " know 
 the Lord for all shall know Him, from the least unto 
 the greatest." Jer. xxxi, 34. What a glorious prospect 
 God has in store for His church and His earthly 
 people when the *' dispensation of the fulness of times" 
 
Eli 
 
 114 
 
 is ushered in under the righteous rule of Christ, the 
 true King, the blest and only jjotentate, the King of 
 Kings and Lord of Lords. Jn that millenial dispen- 
 sation Christ will complete or fill up, with His own 
 perfect reign, all the "times" or dispensations which 
 man has failed to perform under the [)Ositions of re- 
 si)onsibility in which he has acted as a responsible 
 agent to God. So perfect will be the reign of right- 
 eousness, that sin will be dealt with as soon as it is 
 committed. Then shall be gathered the sorrowing 
 outcasts of Israel back to their former inheritance 
 with joy and blessing. 
 
 " Therefore shall they come and sing in the height 
 of Zion and shall flow together to the goodness of the 
 Lord, for wheat, and for wine, and for oil, and lor the 
 young of the flock and of the herd ; and their soul 
 shall be as a watered garden, and they shall not sorrow 
 any more at all." Jer. xxxi, 12. 
 
 ** O blessed scene of endless joy, 
 
 When Jesus ;. ill forever reign, 
 When nothing hurtful can annoy, 
 
 And gladness fills the happy plain, 
 Free from all sin and free from fear, 
 
 None shall e'er sigh or shed a tear. 
 
 And now by way of review, ^\^ would remark that 
 each of these openings of the Heavens mark out a 
 distinct dispensation or season of grace and judgment. 
 The first and second openings show grace and the 
 third and fourth show judgment. The first shows the 
 opening of the Lord's personal ministry to the nation 
 of Israel, and His office of Prophet or teacher of the 
 principles of the kingdom which was then " at hand " 
 for the reception of the Jews as a nation. His order 
 was for the the restoration of Israel first, and then 
 disciple the nations afterwards. As a proof of this, 
 when He first sends out the tvvelve disciples it is only 
 to Israel as a nation. "Go not in the way of the 
 Gentiles, and into any of the cities of the Samaritans, 
 
115 
 
 the 
 
 enter ye not. But go rather to the lost sheep of the 
 house of Israel, and as ye go, preach, saying the king- 
 dom of Heaven (or from Heaven) is at hand. Heal the 
 sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils : 
 freely ye have received, freely give." Mat. x, 5-9. 
 He lays down their line of ministry and sets up the 
 course of effort that would have been pursued had the 
 kingdom been received by the Jews, and which will 
 be carried out in the millennium yet to come, when 
 Israel wiil be brought into blessing, and established 
 in the land. Mark reader, it was the gospel of the 
 kingdom they were to preach, the kingdom which was 
 rejected, but which will be set up by and 
 by, when Christ with His church comes to reign. 
 Keep this thought distinct from the gospel of the grace 
 of God, which is now preached, to take out a people 
 for the name of the Lord. The character of their 
 •ministry for the kingdom was that of sight, as having 
 the power of miracles to perform in the sight of men 
 as proof of their power and ministry, as the Lord Him- 
 self did. Now^ it is a ministry ot faith through the 
 work of the Holy Ghost, both as to those who minis- 
 ter, and they who are ministered unto. The word is 
 spoken with power and is applied by 'he Holy Spirit 
 to the understanding of the believer, even to give him 
 faith to believe. This is not a dispensation of testi- 
 mony by miracles to the sight of the believer, but of 
 faith in the testimony of a crucified and risen Christ. 
 In Matthew's gospel, which is prominently the gospel 
 that brings out the kingdom, we have the discipling of 
 the nations enjoined as the last injunction before he 
 leaves them to go to Heaven. This going to the 
 nations (Mat. xxviii, 19, 20.) is also a part of the work 
 that will be perfected in the millennium and which is 
 not carried forward now in the sense that it will be 
 then. Then^ the result of ministry to the Gentile 
 nations wull be, " a nation shall be born in a day," 
 and " all shall know the Lord, from the least to the 
 
 .Mlia 
 
Ir'' 
 
 ii6 
 
 I 
 
 i: 
 
 greatest." Now^ it is "taking out a people for the 
 name of the Lord," a work peculiarly unique and 
 consonant with a time when " wicked men and se- 
 ducers are waxing woise and worse, deceiving and 
 being deceived," and when all kinds and systems of 
 evil are going on with speed to their ultimate end, 
 which is judgment. Instead of a nation being born 
 in a day now, it is only here and there a few individ- 
 uals, comparatively speaking, who are manifested by 
 the preached word as the elect of Ood, seen in Christ 
 before the foundation of the world, and which form 
 the Church of God. A national conversion to (iod 
 we cannot have until Christ comes to set up His 
 millennium reign. 
 
 " He came unto His own (the Jews) and His own 
 received Him not, (as a nation) but as many as re- 
 ceived Him, to them gave He power to become the 
 sons of God, even to them who believe in His name, 
 which were born not of blood, ncr of the will of the 
 flesh, but of God." St. John i, 11-13. The Jews, led 
 on by the Scribes and Pharisees, treated Him as an 
 impostor, rejected His offer of the Kingdom and de- 
 manded His crucifixion at the hands of the Roman 
 power. " But God raised Him from the dead." 
 After His resurrection He ascended up to the Father 
 and the Holy Ghost came down in accordance with 
 the promise He had made to the disciples before He 
 was crucified. St. John xiv, 16, 17. This " Comforter, 
 which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father shall send 
 in my name, shall teach you all things and bring all 
 things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said 
 unto you." v. 26. " Howbeit when the Spirit of truth 
 is come, He will guide you into all truth, for He shall 
 not speak of Himself, but whatsoever He shall hear, 
 that shall He speak, and He will show you things to 
 come. (Mat xvi, 13.) Such is the ofifice-work of the 
 Holy Ghost now in the believer, and if ungrieved and 
 unhindered, delights to engage the heart with Christ 
 
^ad." 
 
 117 
 
 and to unfold the things of God to the i)aticnt, trust- 
 ing child of (iod. x\fter the Holy (Ihost descended 
 at Pentecost, the testimony of the faithful Stephen is 
 put before the Jews. Acts vi, 8 to the end of chaj). vii. 
 He was especially a witness for the Holy (ihost to the 
 Jews and his testimony was powerful and full of re- 
 proof toward them, for the rejection of their true 
 Messiah, ** and they wt e not able to resist the wisdom 
 and spirit by which he spoke." chap, vi, 10. He re- 
 hearsed to them in brief, the nation's history, spoke 
 of their unfaithfulness, accused them of resisting the 
 Holy Ghost as their fathers did, of slaying the prophets 
 who foretold of Christ, and of betraying and murder- 
 ing the just One, and of breaking the law given by the 
 dispc ition of angels, v. 51-54. This faithful testi- 
 mony so enraged them that they gnashed on him. 
 with their teeth, and " He being full of the Holy 
 Ghost, looked up steadfastly into Heaven and saw the 
 glory of God and Jesus standing on the right hand of 
 God, and said, behold 1 see the Heavens opened and 
 the Son of Man standing on the right hand of God." 
 V- 54-56- This testimony was still more than they 
 could bear. The man they had called an impostor, 
 this man Jesus, whom they had demanded should be 
 crucified, was seen and owned by Stephen as at the 
 right hand of God, in the very presence of God. 
 This they could not let pass without manifesting their 
 deepest hatred, and " Then thev cried out with a loud 
 voice, and stopped their ears and ran upon him with 
 one accord and cast him out of the city ..nd stoned 
 him, * * * and they stoned Stephen 
 calling upon God and saying. Lord Jesus receive my 
 spirit. And he kneeled down and cried with a loud 
 voice. Lord lay not this sin to their charge. And 
 when he had said this he fell asleep." vs. 57-60. Here 
 we have the suffering of the martyr sta^^ ""ing out in 
 marked contrast with the ferocity of the persecutors. 
 The testimony Stephen brings out reveals the dark- 
 
 I 
 
 / 
 
ii8 
 
 ness of their hearts, and all the sinful resistance of 
 their corrupt natures is roused into active energy by 
 Satan's power. But the character of the present day 
 of grace and forbearance comes out in Stephen's 
 prayer, " Lord lay not this sin to their charge," in 
 strict accordance with the Lord on the Cross, *' Father 
 forgive them for they know not what they do." And 
 this should be the cry of the church in imitation of 
 her Head while she is left in the scene. May the 
 Lord give us grace to utter it ! 
 
 The ministry of the Holy Ghost in this day of God's 
 grace, if unhindered by the flesh in the believer, en- 
 gages the heart with Christ, which serves to impress 
 His character upon the obedient child of God. We 
 take character from the object of our heart's occupa- 
 tion. As the meditations of our hearts are filled with 
 Him, and what He has done and is doing for us. His 
 character and spirit will guide our thoughts and ways, 
 and give current to the kind of spirit we are of, suited 
 to the place we are in and the time in which we live. 
 Then let us not forget that this is a day of grace and 
 mercy in which the blessed Lord is full of long-suffer- 
 ing and forgiveness, a day in which He is bearing with 
 the wicked, and in which we need much to be con- 
 sidering Him, lest we " grow weary and faint in our 
 minds ; " lest we allow our natural, old Adam inclina- 
 tions to break forth and aishonor the name we have 
 believed in and are gathered to. The Jew may cry 
 for vengeance upon thbse who afflict him in the time 
 of Jacob's trouble, under the reign of the anti-Christ, 
 but it is the cry of forgiveness that should character- 
 ize the Christian now. And here we would remark 
 that priestly intercession is the true place of every be- 
 liever before God, if in full communion with the 
 Father and the Son. Christ is our High Priest now 
 to intercede for His tried ones on earth ; He is our 
 Intercessor to present ou^: petitions to the Father, and 
 and our Advocate if we commit sin, and it is in con- 
 
119 
 
 ince of 
 ;rgy by 
 jnt day 
 ephen's 
 •ge," in 
 ' Father 
 " And 
 ition of 
 ^lay the 
 
 of God's 
 ;ver, en- 
 impress 
 Dd. We 
 occupa- 
 lled with 
 r us, His 
 ,nd ways, 
 of, suited 
 we live, 
 race and 
 |ng-suffer- 
 ring with 
 be con- 
 t in our 
 indina- 
 we have 
 may cry 
 the time 
 Christ, 
 ;haracter- 
 remark 
 ^very be- 
 ith the 
 [iest now 
 [e is our 
 ther, and 
 in con- 
 
 communion 
 
 fession to Him we are to go, t 
 restored and brought back int 
 broken, and this serves to keep the heart fresh and in 
 intimate fellowship with Himself about the things of 
 God in accordance with the teachings of the Holy 
 Spirit. What a wondrous place we are in. Christian 
 reader I A place of peculiar nearness with our bless- 
 ed Lord, where we need no " middle men " as priests 
 after the Jewish pattern, to come between our souls 
 and our Father, or our risen Lord and Head. We 
 are a " royal priesthod?h, an holy nation, (may we be 
 more so) a pecu'.ar people to show forth the praises 
 of Him who has called us out of darknesss into light.' ■ 
 '* Also as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, 
 an holy priesthood to offer up spiritual sacrifices ac- 
 ceptable to God by Jesus Christ." I. Peter, ii, 5-9. 
 By keeping this thought uppermost in our minds as to 
 our position we will be preserved from the cunning 
 priest-craft of men who " lie in wait to deceive." The 
 tendency of man is to try to subject his fellow man to 
 his dominant rule, and in no way is he more success- 
 ful than through the avenues of priestcraft and relig- 
 ious superstition. Hence the importance of Christians 
 understaiiding the true character of their calling, and 
 walking along in it through the power of the Spirit of 
 the Lord, which is liberty. The importance of each 
 individual believer studying the Scriptures for him or 
 herself will here become apparent. **The Bereans 
 were more noble than they of Thessalonica in that they 
 searched the Scriptures daily whether these things 
 were so." 
 
 So it is that God honors the diligent soul with light 
 and knowledge as well as comfort, who delights in the 
 study of His Word. In God's school the believer 
 must learn, if he would be fitted for ihe service of the 
 Master. God's standard and man's standard differ 
 widely for true rnir\isterial usefulness in the work of 
 saving and edifying soufe. Man would mystify tUe 
 
I20 
 
 in 
 
 truth of God by far-fetched efforts in material " know- 
 ledge which puffeth up," and detract from the simpU- 
 cityt hat is in Christ by using human education to inter- 
 pret God's Word. " God is his own interpreter and 
 He will make it plain " to the patient trusting heart 
 that looks meditatively into the Word and waits for 
 the Holy Ghost to take the things of God and show 
 them to him. Instruction in the Scriptures fits 
 Christians to edify one another and help one another 
 on in the Christian race. May we be more desirous 
 of learning God's mind from His own Word, that our. 
 hearts may be free and unfettered from the craft and 
 devices of men who would make merchandise of us. 
 The conversion of Saul, who consented to the death 
 of Stephen, was the commencement of a career of 
 ministerial usefulness truly peculiar and remarkable in 
 the history of the church. No one has ever since 
 filled the same sphere of usefulness or endured for the 
 sake of Christ, a life of equal privation and self-denial. 
 It is remarkable that Paul gets his instructions from 
 the Lord Himself, as a result of being caugh< up in 
 spirit to the third heaven. I Cor. xi, 23. II Cor. xii, 
 
 The Lord is indwelling every one of His own child- 
 ren to instruct them by the Holy Ghost if they will 
 but learn of Him. I. Cor., vi, 19. May we enter into it. 
 
 We may glance again with profit at the third open- 
 ing of the heavens when John hears the voice saying, 
 come up hither, &:c. The Church has been caught up 
 out of this scene and seated in Heaven, the day of 
 grace is past, and now what is seen by John means 
 judgment and righteous rule. 
 
 " And immediately I was in the Spirit, and behold 
 a throne was set in Heaven and One sat on the throne, 
 and He that sat was to look upon like a jasper and 
 sardine stone, &c., and out of the throne proceeded 
 thunderings and lightnings and voices," &c. Rev. iv, 2-5 
 
 A throne is always connected with reigning power. 
 
121 
 
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 :r 
 
 John sees the executive throne of God in preparation 
 for dealing with wicked man upon the earth. Christ 
 is now upon the Father's throne, (Rev. iii, 2j) but 
 after He comes to take His church up to Heaven, 
 (I Thes. iv. 14-16) He will then take His own throne 
 or ruling place and put His church upon it with 
 Himself according to the promise to the overcomer in 
 Laodicea, Rev. iii, 21. He grants to the faithful 
 overcomer just what the Father has granted to Him, 
 a place of ruling power and of unlimited blessing in 
 glory. " Him that overcometh will I grant to sit with 
 me on my throne (or place of authority) even as I also 
 overcame and am set down with my Father on his 
 throne." What a glorious incentive to persevere in 
 the Christian course and work of the Lord. Not that 
 to overcome depends upon works, but upon what 
 Christ has accomplished and what He is for us by the 
 way. We " are kept by the power of God, through, 
 faith unto salvation," unto the salvation of these bodies 
 in which we now " groan, being burdened," and which 
 groaning is consequent of our souls being now saved 
 by believing on the Lord Jesus Christ. What a rich 
 field of meditation and comfort the blessed Word of 
 God presents to the soul that has Christ for its portion 
 and is walking in communion with Him. The " thun- 
 derings, lightnings and voices " w^hich proceed out of 
 the throne plainly bespeak its character as that of 
 judgment. They are emblems of power ready for 
 manifestation and execution. What follows this pre- 
 paration for judgment, as seen by John, is the open- 
 ing of the seals,' sounding the trumpets, pouring out 
 of the vials, &c., a three-fold of seven judgments, in- 
 creasing in power and severity as wicked man with- 
 stands the power of God as manifested toward Him. 
 The trumpets succeed the seals with greater severity, 
 while the vials or bowls of God's wrath present still 
 greater manifestation of His power in the execution of 
 His judgments. These seal, trumpet and vial judg- 
 
122 
 
 ments evidently fall upon the apostate Jews and Gen- 
 tiles who, marshalled by the beast and false prophet, 
 are gathered in the prophetic earth (or Palestine) to 
 withstand the God of Heaven in the last or seventieth 
 " week " of Daniel's prophecy. But man, under the 
 wicked and rebellious energy of Satan, withstands the 
 wrath of God until Christ comes forth as the Rider on 
 the white horse, followed by the armies of Heaven (the 
 church) to make a short work of judgment and destroy 
 His enemies with the brightness of His coming. 
 
 This brings us to the fourth opening of the Heavens 
 which is immediately before the commencement of 
 millennial reign on earth. The church of God having 
 been caught up beforethe, execution of the seal, trumpet, 
 and vial (or bowl) judgments, is seated in Heaven in 
 perfect security, in full fellowship with God during 
 the seventieth or judgment week, and at its close 
 comes forth (as we have shown) to share in the over- 
 throw of the beast and false prophet and their apostate 
 followers. How solemn to consider God as acting 
 in judgment ! It is His "strange work " but Satan and 
 wicked man have forced Him to deal in judgment. 
 May we own His Christ now in a day of grace. 
 
 COMFORT IN THE SCRIPTURES. 
 
 How oft onr-tried hearts, while toiling here, 
 Need cheering by some geniel flow of soul. 
 In vain we look for comfort from what man revere, 
 Then turn to what God gives to make us whole. 
 
 There is an ** aching void " in every Christless heart, 
 Which the world with all its art can never fill ; 
 But God, the needed panacea doth impart. 
 Through His own Word, as His revealed will. 
 
 That Word first tells the soul its need of One, 
 Who gave Himself a sacrifice to die, 
 That sinful man might cease sin's course to run. 
 And reap a blessing, by the blood brought nigh. 
 
123 
 
 That Word begets desires for Heavenly things, 
 And ** sets the affections upon things above ;" 
 *' Things new and old " from out the heart it brings, 
 And shows the wondrous workings of a P'ather's love. 
 
 With such a vast range of nourishing soul supply, 
 Can we grow weary or faint by the way ? 
 Not if we use what God would have us try, 
 The power of His truth from day to day. 
 
 May we not grow weary in well doing now. 
 
 In due season we shall reap a rich reward. 
 
 But to our Father's will, in obedience bow. 
 
 And He will love His children with a kind regard. 
 
 And when He's done with us in man's weary day, 
 And served His righteous will with us down here, 
 He'll, call to Heavenly mansions far away, 
 To be with the blessed Lord to us so dear. 
 
 Skead's Mills, Feb. 15th, 1880. 
 
 ELECTION. 
 
 As there has been from time to time much said 
 on the doctrine of election, it may be well to brief- 
 ly consider the question in the light of God's 
 Word. God's elect or God's chosen are manifest in 
 a double aspect, viz : first as a nation chosen from the 
 foundation of the world, and this choice refers to 
 Israel. Secondly, as the church chosen in Christ be- 
 foi . the foundation of the world. Israel was chosen 
 after the worlds were formed, and the promises to the 
 Jews are of an earthly character connected with tem- 
 poral blessings under a Heavenly sceptre. As a 
 nation, Israel was chosen by promise to Abraham, 
 (Gen. xii, 2) and as a nation they were manifested 
 when delivered out of Egypt, as Moses sang on the 
 v/ilderness side of the Red Sea, (Exodus xv, i 2d,) 
 According to promise they were brought into the land 
 which God told Abraham he would possess, (Gen. xii, 
 1-7), and crossed the Jordan dry shod in the same 
 
124 
 
 manner as they passed through the Red Sea, Joshua iii, 
 14-17. As a nation they were estabHshed in the lane' 
 and ruled by judges and kings, until they were unable 
 longer to stand as a nation with rulers from among 
 their own number, for they had turned their back 
 upon God through pride and idolatry. When their 
 iniquity could no longer be borne, God allowed them 
 to be carried captive among the nations, and when 
 according to His counsels the Messiah should come, 
 two tribes (Judah and Benjamin) were allowed to re- 
 turn from captivity to rebuild the city and temple to 
 prepare for the advent of Christ. He came unto his 
 own (nation) and His own received Him not, but as 
 many as received Him, to them gave He power to be- 
 come the sons of God, even to them which believe on 
 His name, St. John i, 11, 12. A remnant did receive 
 Him, and when He taught them about what is coming 
 upon the nation of Israel in the last days. He speaks 
 of the elect, (Mat. xxiv, 24,) and this is the elect in Is- 
 rael still who will be true to His name during the last 
 or 70th week spoken of in Daniel's prophecy, (see 
 Dan. ix, 24-27,) and who will witness all that craft and 
 deceitfulness practiced by the man of sin spoken of 
 in II Thess. 2, 7-1 1. Please refer to the above quo- 
 tations dear reader and get their connections and you 
 will see that they all refer to God's dealings with Is- 
 rael as His elect nation. But now we come to con- 
 sider, secondly, the elect of God in another aspect ; 
 viz : the church which is His body. After the Lord 
 was rejected, crucified and rose again, He promised 
 the Holy Ghost, (Luke xxiv, 49,) who came down 
 at Pentecost, (Acts ii, 5,) and then begins the election 
 of the church by preaching Christ, and '' as many 
 as were ordained to eternal life believed," the Lord 
 ^'adding to the church daily such as should be saved,'* 
 Acts ii, 47. After Paul is raised up as a special min- 
 ister to the Gentiles, he speaks of the church in his 
 epistles as the mystery " which in other ages was not 
 
125 
 
 made known unto the sons of men as it is now revealed 
 unto his holy apostles and prophets by the spirit. 
 That the Gentiles should be fellow heirs and of the 
 same body and partakers of the promise in Christ by 
 the gospel," Eph. iii, 5,6. '* According as he 
 hath chosen us in him (Christ) before the found- 
 ation of the world, that we should be holy and 
 without blame before Him in love : Having predesti- 
 nated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus 
 Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of 
 His will," chap, i, 4, 5. Now dear Christian reader, 
 here are plain declarations of scripture, descriptive of 
 the church and the individual Christian in this present 
 dispensation or interval through which we are now 
 passing. You may be taught by systematic theology 
 in such a way as to blind your eyes to the real import 
 of these scriptures as blessed revelations of God's will 
 and purposes, but if so it is your own loss, for God 
 does all things well. There is no theme in all the 
 range of God's ways as revealed to man that strength- 
 ens the soul and delivers from earth more than the 
 contemplation of the election of the church in Christ 
 before the worlds were created. It is a privilege in- 
 deed to go by the aid of the Holy Ghost back into the 
 counsels of God, and there scan the wondrous thought 
 of having a people who would constitute the church 
 (or assembly) as the body with Christ as the Head, 
 and to consider their character and place as a Heavenly 
 people, to be manifested when they believe in the 
 Lord Jesus Christ and confess Him with the mouth, 
 typified by Israel as they were manifested as a nation 
 when delive. jd from Egypt. 
 
 We will refer to a few scriptures which together with 
 those we have quoted substantially prove what we 
 have stated. 
 
 " And we know that all things work together for 
 good to them that love God, to them who are the call- 
 ed according to His purpose." 
 
126 
 
 " For whom he did foreknow he also did predesti- 
 nate to be conformed to the image of His Son, that 
 he might be the first-born among many brethren. 
 . " Moreover wholn he did predestinate them he also 
 called, and whom he called them he also justified, and 
 whom he justified them he also glorified," Rom viii, 
 28-31. 
 
 What is the meaning of these scriptures if they do 
 not prove election ? 
 
 Again, " Elect according to the foreknowledge of 
 God the Father through sanctification of the Spirit 
 unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus 
 Christ," I Pet. i, i, 2. 
 
 And, " Paul a servant of God and apostle of Jesus 
 Christ, according to the faith of God's electa and the 
 acknowledging of the truth v/hich is after godliness, in 
 hope of eternal life, which God that cannot lie, /r^w/V- 
 ed before the world began, 6^^.," Titus i, i, 2. 
 
 When Paul came to Corinth he was told by the Lord 
 in a vision " be not afraid, but speak and hold not 
 thy peace for I am with thee and no man shall set on 
 thee to hurt thee, for I have much people in this dty. 
 And he continued there a year and six months teach- 
 ing the word of God among them," Acts xviii, 9-12. 
 Here is a plain declaration that God had much people 
 in Corinth, yet to be manifested as His elect or chosen 
 ones in His purpose before the foundation of the 
 world. Paul's preaching was the means of bringing 
 them out, as they believed the gospel of Christ. 
 
 Again, Paul in a vision saw a man of Macedonia 
 praying and saying, " come over into Macedonia and 
 help us," Acts xvi, 9. This man of Macedonia proved 
 to be the Philippian jailor, the one who cried "what 
 must I do to be saved ? " v. 30. Was not this a fine 
 but clear illustration of the doctrine of election? 
 Some may denounce this as Calvinism, but it is not, 
 it is God's own truth. Thank God that Calvin brought 
 out and taught it, after it had lain hidden for centu- 
 
 
127 
 
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 ge of 
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 Jesus 
 
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 set on 
 
 is city. 
 
 teach- 
 
 9-12. 
 
 people 
 
 :hosen 
 
 of the 
 
 inging 
 
 ries under the debris of Romish superstition and error, 
 and it behooves Christians now to stand and defend 
 the wholesome, soul-nourishing truths of God's Word, 
 lest they be set aside and lost under the fleshly theo- 
 logy of the present day, that would compromise with 
 the natural man by giving him something to do in his 
 own strength, for the sakeof gaining his patronage and 
 support in material things. .Soul-searching truth is 
 not popular, and never will be, and it is only in com- 
 munion with God, with the unhindered aid of the 
 Holy Spirit that the doctrine of election can be fully 
 understood. And now let me say reader, instead of 
 resisting or cavilling at God's Word, and debating 
 with your fellow Christians about election or any 
 other doctrine so plain and apparent as it, ask God to 
 give you the spirit of obedience to His Word, and you 
 will be both comforted and edified. 
 
 GIDEON AND HIS ARMY IN THEIR TYPICAL 
 
 CHARACTER. 
 
 (Judges vi and vii), 
 
 "And there came an angel of the Lord and sat under 
 an oak which was in Ophra, that pertained unto Joash 
 the Abi-ezrite ; and his son Gideon thrashed wheat by 
 the wine press to hide it from the Midianites. And 
 the angel of the Lord appeared unto him and said unto 
 him, the Lord is with thee thou mighty man of valor," 
 chap, vi, II, 12. 
 
 Israel had sinned and the Lord allowed the Midia- 
 nites to over-run the land and drive the Israelites into 
 the mountains. The Midianites came up and consum- 
 ed the fruits of the land as grass hoppers, and Gideon 
 wishing to save something to eat thrashed his wheat 
 near where he could hide it. But God had purposed 
 to deliver Israel, and had chosen Gideon as His in- 
 strument to that end. But poor Gideon pleads his 
 own poverty thus, "O my Lord wherewith shall / 
 
128 
 
 if 
 
 save Israel ? behold my family is poor in Manasseh 
 and lam the least in my father's house." He craves 
 a sign and the angel grants it, the present which Gid- 
 eon brings, of a kid, unleavened cakes and broth, is 
 consumed before his eyes and the angel vanishes. 
 And what does Gideon do next? Important to con- 
 sider O my soul. He built at God's command an altar 
 unto the Lord ! And where does he obtain his material ? 
 The stones, he obtained from the altar of Baal that he 
 had thrown down, and the wood from the grove of 
 Baal by it that he had hewn down. This is to us a fruit- 
 ful theme for meditation. Where offerings had been 
 made to a false god by Gideon's father, Gideon now 
 builds an altar in faithfulness and offers to the true 
 God. " Where sin abounded grace now much more 
 abounds," in a sense at least. As soon as faithfulness 
 comes in God gains ^'a victory through His chosen in- 
 strument. Gideon blows a trumpet to gather his 
 forces, and asks the Lord to confirm his calling by 
 two signs more. The fleece of wool is put upon the 
 ground wet with dew while the ground is left dry at 
 Gideon's request, and again the fleece is left dry 
 while the ground is dampened. Here again is God's 
 faithfulness to His ohosen instrument, and thus teaches 
 Gideon of his mission as well as faithfulness in it. 
 Thirty-two thousand answer the trumpet call, but God 
 tells Gideon that the host is too large for Him to work 
 with, and He puts it to two severe tests which reduces 
 it to three hundred men ! With these Gideon is to put 
 the host of the Midianites to flight, which lay along 
 the valley as the stars of the sky for multitude. What 
 a glorious triuniph is here in prospect ! Yet that is 
 just the way God works. So unlike man who trusts 
 in an arm of flesh, God delights in doing great things 
 with small instruments. What w^as David's sling be- 
 side Saul's armour in the sight of man. Nothing. Yet 
 David's faith saw the victory with the sling and he put 
 off Saul's armour (man's estimation) because he had 
 
129 
 
 lasseh 
 craves 
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 :hat he 
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 dry at 
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 teaches 
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 )ut God 
 to work 
 reduces 
 s to put 
 along 
 What 
 that is 
 trusts 
 things 
 Ling 
 
 be- 
 Yet 
 he put 
 he had 
 
 ig- 
 
 not proved it as he had his little sling ! How beauti- 
 ful ! What a rich theme for the heart to dwell upon 
 to exalt God and set aside man. But Gideon must 
 needs be brought down to the camp of the enemy to 
 be confirmed in his calling. He must be tested, and* 
 God gives him encouragement even from the mouth 
 of the enemy. What a rich type of Christ's acknow- 
 ledged position even from His enemies. As Pilate 
 said '*what I have written I have written," concerning 
 the acknowledgment of His Messiaship and again the 
 centurion, *' truly this man was the Son of God." 
 Gideon hears from the interpretation of the dream of 
 the Midianite that he is the barley cake that is to fall 
 into the camp and scatter the Midianites, Judges vii, 
 14. How wonderful God works to carry out His 
 purposes. Christ the true Barley Cake, here typified 
 by Gideon, will yet fall into the camp of the followers 
 of the beast and false prophet, lepresenting the world 
 and'' apostate Christendom, and overturn and smite 
 them to the dust. Gideon brings down his faith^il 
 three hundred and posts them on three sides of the 
 camp of the Midianites, one hundred on a side, armed 
 with trumpets, lamps and pitchers. Singular weapons 
 indeed with which to rout and put to flight a numerous 
 host. Every man at the command of the leader is to 
 break his pitcher that his light may shine forth, and 
 blow his trumpet and shout, " the sword of the Lord 
 and of Gideon," v. 20. This singular tactics so mov- 
 ed the hearts of the Midianites with fear and confusion 
 that they fled and began to cut each other down in 
 their panic, so that Gideon and his followers gained a 
 complete victory. The followers of Christ the true 
 Gideon are called out to let their light shine forth, and 
 to do this they must crucify the flesh with its affec- 
 tions and lusts that the Spirit may teach and lead 
 them, that Christ may use them 'to fight the good 
 fight of faith, in putting to flight the hosts, of sin and 
 error. The weapons of the Christian's warfare " are 
 
130 
 
 not carnal but mighty in the Lord to the pulling 
 down of strongholds." How beautiful are they typi- 
 fied in the trumpets, pitchers and lamps of Gideon's 
 men ! God can use a few shafts of truth, hurled by 
 one of His weak ones, to the overthrow of a huge 
 camp of Satanic opposition, and how encouraging this 
 thought is to the weakest believer in Christ. The 
 sword of the Spirit which is the word of God is in the 
 hands of the simplest, and its telling thrusts the enemy 
 cannot withstand. "It is written," settles the question 
 at once. God's word which was " forever settled in 
 Heaven " stands fast, while the lies of Satan, in the 
 form of infidel writing, false doctrines under the head 
 of Universalism, Unitarianism, Spiritualism, Progres- 
 ive Societies, and Freethinking Clubs, will all melt 
 away as dew before the sun, and flee from before the 
 true Gideon and His army. 
 Birchtown, Dec. 13th 1879. 
 
 THE BEACON LIGHT. 
 
 A Beacon bright, shines out o'er life's lOugh sea, 
 Its cheering rays the mariner to guide 
 Through surging waves and icebergs, back to Thee 
 O God of love, who doth all things provide. 
 
 It shines for all, no one exempt who will 
 Receive its tendered light through pure grace ; 
 It sheds a warmth the aching void to fill, 
 In every weary heart on life's dull race. 
 
 Poor traveller o*er the desert waste, look up, 
 Thou needst not want a light to guide thy way, 
 Thou needst not hunger while thou mayest sup, 
 With Him who'll turn the darkest night to day. 
 
 Why go with bowed head, and spirit torn 
 With anguish, while a Saviour's placid eye 
 Beams forth a rest to thee by life s toil worn, 
 He'll give a buoyant step and heart without a sigh. 
 
 Then onward press, the goal and prize to gain, 
 T'is but a "little while " to toil here below, 
 
The journey, now so fraught with toil and pain, 
 
 Will end where shines that light in fullest radience now. 
 
 Allow His beams to draw thy heart to Him, 
 Above earth's clogging weights of carping care, 
 And though now through the gloom thou seest dim, 
 Yet thou mayst soon His Heavenly glory share. 
 
 TEACHING THE ANGELS. 
 
 " Neither was the man created or the woman, but 
 the woman for the man. For this cause ought 'he 
 woman to have power on her head because of the 
 angels," i Cor. ii, 9, 10. The marginal reading of the 
 last verse of the above scripture runs thus, " the 
 woman ought to have i covering as a sign that she is 
 under the power of hex- husband." " Power on her 
 head " means powei vested in her husband to rule, as 
 her husband is her /lead, as Christ is the head of the 
 man and God the head of Christ, v. 3. As the 
 angels are learning '*in the church the manifold wis- 
 dom of God, which things they desired to look into," 
 (i Peter, 1-12,) how important that God's order in the 
 church be observed, that the angels may learn a cor- 
 rect lesson from the walk and conversation of Christ- 
 ians. NCany a check would we meet in our conduct 
 if we but for a moment paused to remember that 
 angels were learning lessons from us. To realize that 
 we are put into a position of such wondrous responsi- 
 bility, is indeed overwhelming as well as humbling in 
 view of the barren way we answer to this responsibility. 
 If all dutiful and obedient women to the Lord could 
 enter into the fact that by being "obedient to their 
 own husbands," and by cultivating " a meek and quiet 
 spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price," they 
 thus honored the Lord and preserved His order by 
 teaching the angels His manifold wisdom, would there 
 not be a greater contrast presented to the bold, saucy ' 
 
132 
 
 strong-mindedness which is forward to advocate woman's 
 rights these days ? 
 
 LETTER, 
 
 On the development and growt!i of spiritual perception. 
 
 "That which is b rn of the flesh is flesh, and that 
 which is born of the spirit is spirit," St. John iii, 6. 
 Flesh and spirit are here shown by our blessed Lord 
 as having a special character as the result of birth or 
 origin, and producing fruit in accordance with that 
 origin. " A tree is known by its fruits," and when we 
 see an individual bringing forth the fruits of the flesh 
 as the result of his life, we conclude that he has a 
 fleshly mind, that he has had no spiritual birth and is 
 incapable of bringing forth the fruits of the spirit. 
 But when we see the san^<e person broken down under 
 the power of the preached word, or brought by the 
 power of the Holv Ghost into the knowledge of the 
 truth as it is in Christ, and find him engaged in spirit- 
 ual things, we conclude that he has been born again 
 of the Spirit, and in tne power of a ew life capable 
 of bringing forth the fruits of the Spirit. There can be 
 no real spiritual fruit from the carnal mind, for it is en- 
 mity against God and understands not the things which 
 pertain to the Spirit of God, hence a spiritual birth is 
 necessary to form the basis upon which to build a 
 spiritual character. We cannot put the new wine of 
 the Spirit into the old bottles of the carnal mind, 
 neither can we patch up the old condemned Adam 
 nature with the new cloth of spiritual life. There 
 must be a new life brought in with Christ as its spring 
 and nourishment, or every effort to bring forth fruit 
 unto God will prove a failure. The carnal mind may 
 devise many schemes of human improvement, may try 
 in its own ingenuity to present many evarsions of God's 
 solemn sentence upon the flesh, but all to no avail. 
 Before the flood God said, " the end of all flesh has 
 come before me," and when ne gave the promises to 
 
133 
 
 nans 
 
 1. 
 
 that 
 ii, 6. 
 Lord 
 th or 
 L that 
 en we 
 flesh 
 has a 
 md is 
 spirit, 
 under 
 »y the 
 Df the 
 spirit- 
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 ipable 
 [:anbe 
 is en- 
 which 
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 uild a 
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 mind, 
 Adam 
 There 
 spring 
 fruit 
 d may 
 lay try 
 God's 
 avail, 
 h has 
 ses to 
 
 Abraham, He brought in circumcision as a seal or sign 
 of His condemnation of it. When grace and truth 
 came by Jesus Christ, He gave baptism as a sign of 
 the burial of the flesh out of sight. " Other foundation 
 can no man lay than that is laid which is Jesus Christ." 
 How this does wither to naught the fanciful inventions 
 of carnal ingenuity, as they present their pleas of 
 natural goodness ! God will claim the authorship of 
 all He accepts, and is willing to reward His children 
 for working out with fear and trembling that salvation 
 which He works within to will dnd to do of His good 
 pleasure. Wondrous thought that we are thus used 
 as light bearers in a world of darkness, with Heavenly 
 reward for faithfulness down here. What gives us 
 spiritual discernment in any matter is dwelling much 
 in the Lord's presence and thus thinking His thoughts 
 I and using His judgment about everything with which 
 we come in contact. Living in obedience to His 
 Word is also a prolific source of spiritual descern- 
 ment. " If any man keep my commandments, he shall 
 know the doctrine " is a promise which much encour- 
 ages the obedient soul in service for his Master. 
 When the conscience is clear before God and man, 
 there exists unbroken communion with God and a 
 clear perception as to the real character of all that 
 comes before the believer. The Holy Ghost ungriev- 
 ed in such a heart has full power to take the things of 
 God and show them to the believer, and to comfort 
 him under any trial through which he may be called 
 to pass. How simple and free, yet on w^hat secure 
 ground is that soul which takes sides with God and 
 stands for Him through all circumstances, leaving the 
 consequences with God. He is able to judge correctly 
 in all things for " the spiritual man judgeth all things 
 though he himself is judged of no man." Freedom 
 from the ambitious anxieties of a Christless world, at 
 leasure from self, and with a will fully subjected to 
 God's will, only desiring with a single eye to glorily 
 
134 
 
 Him, the child of God goes on the journey growing 
 "strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus," and 
 " brighter and brighter unto the perfect day." With 
 the Holy Spirit as earnest of the inheritence dwelling in 
 him, he is fitted to labor on in the fullest intelligence of 
 his position and thankful amid all the shifting scenes of 
 the journey down here. Who of us as Christians 
 would not reject the tempting efforts of a perishing 
 world, that we might be at liberty to serve such a 
 gracious loving Master. May we enter into our privi- 
 leges fully and live up to the rich income flowing out 
 to us from our risen Head in the glory. May our 
 hearts be untrammelled from every carnal weight and 
 the liberty in which we are made free be unchecked 
 and unhindered by any legal time, service or sluggish- 
 ness of soul. Amen. 
 
 LIFE'S RAILWAY. 
 
 Hark ! the train is coming, rumbling 
 O'er life's railway to its goal ; 
 
 Freighted with young hearts, that ever 
 Yearn for food to fill the soul. 
 
 Out they look for word and action, 
 
 For example's pattern true ; 
 Shall their waiting spirits, vainly 
 . Call for such, from, reader, you ? 
 
 Clear the track ! let habit's rubbish. 
 Hinder not their passage, tJirough 
 
 This vale of sorrow, where dear reader, 
 Light should shine for them from you. 
 
 Put away your pipe and cigar ; 
 
 Hindrances are they on the track ; 
 They but help to throw the train ofif ; 
 
 Help to keep the young heart back. 
 
 Break the wine-glass and the snufF-box ; 
 
 Speak the word of caution then ; 
 These young souls upon life's journey, 
 
 Sooii. will take their place as men. 
 
135 
 
 Let your life shine forth with virtue, 
 Its golden beams in turn may find, 
 
 Through the young train so close behind you, 
 The coming train that's /rtr behind. 
 
 Speak to them of Jesus often ; 
 
 Let His life shine forth in you ; 
 A rich reward awaits you up yonder, 
 
 If but to Him, you here prove true. 
 
 Parents, guardians friends and teachers. 
 
 You conductors on life's train, 
 Acquit yourselves in duty nobly ; 
 
 Your children, endless life may gain. 
 
 ON THE POWER OF EVIL HABITS. 
 
 Evil habits, like popular pastimes, are instruments 
 of Satan to pollute souls. Unregenerate people are 
 apt to become creatures of bad habit, as not having 
 the Holy Spirit to check their natural propensities, 
 their time must be occupied in some way as the soul 
 is active and will be employed in either the service of 
 the evil one or of the Lord. The natural man in 
 ycuth courts some practise with which to consume 
 the time and occupy the mind, and though good in- 
 fluences, through pious training, may do much to 
 check the tendency to evil habits, yet there is no safety 
 from a downward tendency but through the atoning 
 sacrifice of Christ. We may in an unregenerate state 
 prune off many practices from the tree of our daily 
 life by rules of moral walk, but the root yet remains 
 in our nature, and will shoot up, fresh scions to mar 
 our existence and aid in dragging us down to endless 
 death. Nothing but the grace of God can effectually 
 remove our desires tor sinful practices, when once they 
 get a hold upon us, and where the desire exists the sin 
 will likely be manifest. " Whatsoever is not of faith is 
 sin." The habits of using tobacco and ardent spirits, 
 are .by many oot thought sinful, but we ask if a prac- 
 tice which robs you of your money and gives in return 
 
-U« . - 
 
 136 
 
 disease of body and destruction of soul, is not sinful ? 
 Surely you will admit that they take your money and 
 injure your health, and if they cloud your mind and 
 increase sensuality, do they not jeopardize your soul 
 before you have embraced Christ. Even after you 
 have the new birth, and indulge in sinful habits, you 
 belie your profession and prove that you are yet will- 
 ing in the flesh to serve Satan although your heart 
 would revolt at the thought of doing evil. So power- 
 ful is the force of evil habits, that the heart previously 
 affected, sometimes yearns and longs for their indulg- 
 ance, even after they are thought to be subdued. 
 Any habit that places a chain upon us, and demands 
 our time and attention unnecessarily, and results in 
 injury, is sinful. There is the example that results as 
 a necessary consequence from our sinful indulgence. 
 Suppose you are a school boy, see papa smoke, chew 
 or drink grog, and you imitate him, is not his example 
 sin when it leads you astray, and if you in turn induce 
 others to do the same by your example, are you not 
 committing a sin ? What is your duty with reference 
 to indulging in these practices and habits which leave 
 a stain upon your character both in practice and ex- 
 ample. If you have the filthy habits of chewing 
 tabacco or taking snuff once fastened upon you, you 
 will find it exceedingly hard to get rid of them. 
 That of using ardent spirits or opium is perhaps more 
 acute and immediately destructive, but less binding, 
 because of the apparent harmlessness of the former. 
 And when we reprove some people for these practices 
 they say, " So and so is a good Christian, he smokes, 
 chews, or drinks grog, as the case may be, and I can 
 do the same without fear." So my dear Christian 
 reader, your example, because you are a Christian^ 
 becomes a stumbling block to those that are weak, 
 from the fact that you are not supposed to do any 
 thing wrong, yet will persist in the indulgence of filthy 
 habits. Paul was not only willing \o preach Christ 
 
137 
 
 nful? 
 ^ and 
 1 and 
 r soul 
 r you 
 
 , you 
 
 t will- 
 heart 
 )ower- 
 iously 
 idulg- 
 idued. 
 nands 
 Its in 
 Lilts as 
 gence. 
 , chew 
 :ample 
 nduce 
 DU not 
 srence 
 . leave 
 nd ex- 
 ewing 
 a, you 
 hem. 
 more 
 iding, 
 ^rmer. 
 Lctices 
 nokes, 
 I can 
 ristian 
 istian^ 
 weak, 
 ioany 
 filthy 
 Christ 
 
 and him crucified, but to abstain from anything which 
 would " cause his weak brother to offend." Will you 
 continue to say " it is no body's business how much I 
 smoke, chew or drink," when the example you set is 
 the cause of stumbling to others? The w<^ak-minded 
 youth who is decoyed into the grog shop for the first 
 time, through your example, or puts a pipe in his 
 mouth because you do, will look upon you as the 
 instrument in the hands of Satan for leading him astray, 
 when he is convinced of the evil of his course. Can 
 you allow yourself to become callous-hearted and re- 
 gardless of the welfare of others, because of your 
 determination, at all hazard§, to satisfy your own 
 vitiated appetite ? If you are a Christian it is your 
 duty to "crucify the flesh with its affections and lusts," 
 not only for the benefit of you own soul, but for those 
 of others. " No man liveth for himself alone," and 
 unless you flee away to the rocks and mountains 
 and burrow in the caves of the earth, you will exert 
 an influence, much as you may wish to remain seclud- 
 ed. God has created each soul to shine^ in some 
 sphere be it ever so humble, and if you are saved 
 through the blood of Christ, He expects you to redeem 
 the time in His service in some way. It is hard work 
 to be faithful to God when Satan is allowed to throw 
 his weights of sinful habits upon our spirits. Let us 
 consider this in a consciencious light. Can you my 
 youthful reader allow yourself to become a slave to a 
 habit which, while it becomes more fixed upon you, is 
 sapping your purse and health, stultifying your sensi- 
 bilities, and rendering callous those heartfelt quali- 
 ties which receive the offers of wholesome instruction ? 
 What a sad sight is that young man who is daily seen 
 reeling under the influence of the intoxicating draught, 
 or his fine features puffed and blackend with tobacco. 
 Think of it for a moment ? When to realize that 
 Satan is gradually whirling him around the outer 
 circle of a Maelstrom whose centre is the pit of 
 
138 
 
 destruction, for while he is exhausting his purse and 
 health by evil habits, he is becomtng more regardless 
 of the opinion of others towards him, and willing to 
 be classed with those who -" care not what people say 
 of them." Do you my youthful reader not realize the 
 danger of allowing yourself to fall into evil habits ? 
 We have not mentioned the long catalogue of evils 
 which daily swallow up their thousands of victims in 
 the great cities, but warn you against the most com- 
 mon or, into which you will be most likely to fall Be 
 watchful ! There only is safety in steeling your heart 
 against the least approach of sinful indulgence. Look 
 to God through Christ for power to resist temptation, 
 for if you trust in your own strength you will doubt- 
 less fail. " Be sober ^ be vigilant, for you adversary 
 the devil, goeth about seeking whom he may devour." 
 
 ! I 
 
 THE' SECURITY OF THE BELIEVER. 
 
 (Read St. John, x, 27-29,) 
 
 The Shepherd gave His life for the sheep, 
 
 The Spirit baptises in One ; 
 The Father, His children doth keep, 
 
 As proof of a work once well done. 
 
 The voice of the Shepherd they hear, 
 And follow as kept by His care. ; 
 
 His presence they feel ever near ; 
 Their trials He delighteth to share. 
 
 No power can pluck from his hand. 
 The members so dear to Himself; 
 
 Secure in the Spirit they stand, 
 Though tempted by Satan or elf. 
 
 How cheering to know this great truth, 
 While travelling through this desert waste, 
 . It fills with the freshness of youth, 
 
 The soul that its comfort doth taste. 
 
 May doubts and fears never deter, 
 Our hearts from accepting the Word, 
 
 As plainly we read and revere 
 
 What's spoken by our blessed Lord. 
 
139 
 
 ON THE NECESSITY OF HIGHLY PRIZING 
 
 SPIRITUAL THINGS. 
 
 Dear Reader : — You will perceive by reading Heb., 
 ii, I, that there is a danger of loosing the instruction 
 we may from time to time receive. " Therefore we 
 ought to give the more earnest heed to the things 
 which we have heard, lest at any time w^e should let 
 them slip ; " or let theui run out^ as from leaky vessels. 
 The great tendency of the Christian to cleave to 
 earthly things and to forget the spiritual, calls out the 
 above caution from the Apostle. He has an anxiety 
 for the welfare of all to whom he addresses letters of 
 instruction and warning, and knowing the danger they 
 were in, is extremely desirous that his instructions 
 may not be thrown away upon them. Satan is ever 
 busy to occupy the heart, that it may be kept from 
 Christ, for in proportion as he can draw away th'^ 
 affections of the ueliever and cause them to rest upon 
 things on the earth, so will he be able to keep him 
 from the service of the Lord. The world, the flesh 
 and the devil, are the three potent enemies that the 
 Christian has to contend with and these will fill his 
 mind w^ith so much against his soul's welfare, that it is 
 hard for him to bear in mind the instruction which he 
 has from time to time received. Watchfulness is 
 necessary to keep him in the way he should walk, that 
 his mind be not taken up by the perishing things of 
 time and sense. We may even fill the mind by many 
 things which are highly praised by learned men to 
 the exclusion of the blessed instructions which fortify 
 the heart of the Christian. Often an excellent educa- 
 tion creates pride of heart and pedantry, if offered 
 without urging the necessity of a new birth. " Ye 
 must be born again," is the most valuable injunction 
 which can be urged upon the unregenerate, and if the 
 heart is puffed up with self-love by an expensive edu- 
 cation without conversion, the danger is great that the 
 education may be a means of hindering the salvation 
 
140 
 
 of the soul. A reliance upon education after the new- 
 birth, may have much to do with keeping from the 
 heart those blessed instrctions which have proven so 
 valuable to the Christian w^alk. '' Not many noble, 
 not many learned shall enter the kingdom of 
 Heaven." and this is because the heart is uplifted 
 and too proud to receive the simple truths of the 
 Word. A celebrated author says, " A person may 
 be poor, ignorant, mean, and of small capacity, yet if 
 guided by the counsel of God, this poor, unlettered 
 man shall be esteemed by his Maker as wise and of 
 good understanding ; another man may be great and 
 noble, skilful in all knowledge, able to discourse in 
 many languages, and the world may be astonished at 
 his talents, yet because he knows not true piety, God 
 would pronounce him a fool, a man of no understand- 
 ing." So lightly are all our acquired advantages 
 viewed in the sight of God. As the Christian becomes 
 absorbed with that which leads him away from Christ 
 he will have a tendency to dislike instruction in Christ, 
 or retain that which he has received. It is impossible 
 to serve God and mammon at the same time, and if 
 your thoughts are running to the ends of the earth 
 after the perishing things of time and sense, your soul 
 is surely not in communion with God. You are 
 commanded to set your affections on things above 
 and not on things on the earth, and would this com- 
 mand have been given had it not been necessary ? 
 Our true condition of hec rt cannot be revealed with- 
 out the aid of the Holy Spirit, and when His searching 
 powder comes in upon our w^eak and unstable hearts 
 we realize the necessity of giving up to be led by Him, 
 and to trust in His power to work within us, to will 
 and to do according to the good pleasure of the Father. 
 Look around at the multitude of carnal attractions 
 which present themselves to your notice to draw 
 your affections after them and away from God. Very 
 many Christians crowd in but a part of the first day of 
 
141 
 
 :om- 
 iry ? 
 dth- 
 ling 
 iarts 
 jm, 
 will 
 Iher. 
 ions 
 [raw 
 'ery 
 of 
 
 the week in the service of God, and this in a hurried 
 manner as though their service was more of a duty 
 than a pleasure. Instead of devoting each day to the 
 service of God as they ought, (for the Christian's 
 Sabbath should be every day)^ their thoughts are found 
 running out after their worldly affairs even while pro- 
 fessing to worship God in the sanctuary. Contrast 
 the peculiar walk of Christians in apostolic times, 
 with the worldly aspirations and social distinctions of 
 the present day ! How much sympathy is there in 
 the breast of that purse-proud professor, for the poor 
 brother he just passed on the sidewalk without scarcely 
 recognizing him, instead of stopping to encjuire into 
 his affairs, or how his soul prospers. Does he not 
 show that he has " let slip " all the regard for the poor 
 member of the body of Christ which he ever possessed? 
 Surely he has proven a leaky vessel to lose love^ with 
 all his religious profession, he is as but as '' sounding 
 brass or tinkling cymbal." Paul often enjoins watch- 
 fulness " lest ye fall into temptation," ** lest any root 
 of bitterness springing up trouble you, and many be 
 defiled," and declares that " now we live if ye stand 
 fast in the Lord." All these cautions imply a danger 
 of falling into sin, and the condemnation of God. For 
 all this, it is impossible for the Christian to fall entirely 
 away. When once the Holy Ghost baptizes the believer 
 into the body of Christ, which is the case at every 
 true conversion, that the soul has eternal life abiding 
 in him, and if he has etertial life he has a life that 
 cannot be cut short by any device of the wicked one. 
 Yet if the believer falls into sin, the Holy Ghost will 
 rouse his conscience and punish him with many warn- 
 ings, that he may be constrained to turn again to the 
 Bishop and Shepherd of his soul, and seek favor at 
 the hands o'f Him who alone can successfully plead 
 his cause with the Father. Reader^ heed the warning 
 of the text. Show yourself a vessel that can hold the 
 blessed instruction which you may from time to time 
 
142 
 
 receive. The Lord will reward you in proportion 
 as you live faithful. 
 
 TRIUNE TESTIMONY AGAINST NATURAL 
 
 GOODNESS. 
 
 The following is the closing article of a short corres- 
 pondence, the author of this work held with a member 
 of the " Progressive Society," which meets in Ottawa 
 weekly, to advance views opposed to the truths of the 
 Bible. This article is inserted here to present in brief 
 the triune evidence of God to the nothingness of 
 natural excellence of man in God's estimate : . 
 
 To the Editor of the Free Press ^ 
 
 Sir, — Your patience is again taxed with a few 
 thoughts, not so much by way of a reply to the labor- 
 ed article in yesterday's Free Press, in which my 
 *' theology" as the writer terms it, is sarcastically re- 
 ferred to, but to present a few contrasts b'stween truth 
 and error. More than ever is the need manifested 
 that Christians should earnestly contend for the faith 
 once delivered to the Saints, and strive to put forth 
 the truth simply, both to convince the gainsayers and 
 to stir up each others minds by way of remembrance 
 of the inestimable value of the common salvation which 
 was brought out in the death and resurrection of our 
 Lord Jesus Christ. I will merely pause to notice two 
 or three points in the effusion above referred to, and 
 then present the contrasts. The fine progessive human 
 nature which he lauds so highly, was defined by God 
 the Father, before the flood thus ; "and God said unto 
 Noah, (mark Mr. Ed., God said it,) the end of all flesh 
 is come before me for the earth is filled with violence 
 through them," &c. Gen vi, 13. That- was God's 
 estimate of the Adam nature, and of just what every 
 unconverted man is long ago, and there has been no 
 change in the character of that nature since. There 
 
BB 
 
 143 
 
 ance 
 
 hich 
 
 our 
 
 two 
 
 and 
 
 is nothing new under the sun, and under the sun is 
 nature's place. When God the Son was on the earth 
 He spoke of the same human Adam nature thus, 
 *' that which is born of the flesh is flesh, that which is 
 born of the Spirit is Spirit," St. John iii, 6. Again, 
 God the Holy Ghost writing through Paul to the 
 Romans, says of the natural man, " for we have before 
 proved, both Jews and Gentiles that they are all under 
 sin. As it is written, 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. Their throat is 
 an open sepulchre, with their tongues they have used 
 deceit, the poison of asps is under their lips, (and 
 here you have the fine honeyed talk of the Progression- 
 ist as of other plausable false doctrines), whose mouth 
 is full of cursing and bitterness. Their feet are swift 
 to shed blood, (Jacobins, Communists, Painites, 
 &c.) Destruction and misery are in their ways ; and 
 the way of peace they have not known ; (and to sum 
 up the whole) there is no fear of God before their eyes," 
 Rom. iii, 9-18. What a solemn, undeniable record 
 this is of the natural man ! Presented too, by the 
 Triune God, a record that all the craft of Satan, work- 
 ing out through cunning crafty men cannot overthrow. 
 We might labor through columns of human logic and 
 not clear up the point anything like as fully as this 
 simple scripture does. We appeal to all who in any 
 degree love the truth as it is in Christ, whether this 
 point is not fully met. As to my " theology " (Paul 
 calls it " my gospel ") it was of old a " stumbling- 
 block to the Jews and foolishness to the Greeks," or 
 Gentiles, (i Cor. 1-23,) and our progressive writer 
 must be one or the other, for it is plain from his 
 production that he is not a Christian. As to those 
 who preach this gospel, or good news of deliverance 
 in Christ, the cry is the same as of yore respecting 
 
 
 :: 
 
144 
 
 II. I 
 
 them. " These people that turn the world upside 
 down have come hither also." And why do they turn 
 the world upside down? Because the truth they 
 preach upsets all the fine-spun theories which worldly 
 men like spiders, spin to catch the silly flies of puffed 
 up human nature, who are willing to be duped by 
 their " good words and fair speeches which deceive the 
 hearts of the simple." The reason why Progression- 
 ists, Infidels and false theologians, do not accept the 
 good news of a crucified and risen Christ, and their 
 individual need of Him, is because 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," i Cor. ii, 
 14. What then is he to do ? Let him become a fool 
 that he may be made wise in the things of God by ac- 
 cepting a crucified Christ as his needed sacrifice and 
 substitute. When once he owns his need of Christ as 
 a Saviour, by taking his place as a lost sinner and 
 owning the sacrifice, God's lamb which He has pro- 
 vided in His great love for sinful man, it is then and 
 then only he can begin to learn the mind of God, and 
 appreciate the value of that word in which His mind 
 is revealed. Truth and error are opposite, and are 
 constantly working to produce contrary effects. Truth, 
 as it is in Christ, delivers f bondage, purifies and 
 elevates man into comr- . with God, and restores 
 
 to man in Christ far r .nan Adam lost by disobe- 
 dience in Eden. En or plunges its devotees into 
 spiritual bondage, keeps their minds occupied with 
 vague inventions and materialistic theories, which 
 afford no promise of deliverance from slavish grovell- 
 ing currents of thought, and present nothing for the 
 poor tired sin-laden heart but the barren husks of the 
 " far country." Truth presents a promise of " an in- 
 heritance incorruptable, undefiled, and that fadeth not 
 away, reserved in Heaven " for those who accept 
 the One who came as the embodiment of grace and 
 
M5 
 
 an in- 
 thnot 
 accept 
 e and 
 
 truth, and who alone could atone for sin, for no creat- 
 ed being could endure as the sacrifice, so deep in 
 moral degradation was man sunk in the sight of God 
 under the power of sin. It is the question of sin that 
 puzzles all the clever advocates of error and 
 human exaltation. And why ? Because Satan, " the 
 God of this world hath blinded their eyes " to its true 
 character, and of their own position as sunk in its 
 miry depths. Salvation from sin comes in as an ac- 
 cepted result of what Christ has wrought out for 
 those who are willing to own what He has done and 
 the value of His work for them. It comes " not of 
 works lest any man should boast." God will not be 
 brought in debtor for anything the flesh can do. He 
 will have *' no flesh glory in His presence " notwith- 
 standing all the finely painted progressive Darwin-like 
 theories extant. God is Light as well as Love, and 
 they who have the love of God shed abroad in the 
 heart, " walk in the light as He is in the light," and 
 have no confidence in the flesh, nor in any of its fine 
 progressive pleas. Error is darkness and bondage, 
 because it leads away from God, but " where the Spirit 
 of the Lord is there is liberty " and that too for every 
 one who owns Christ and is willing to " walk after the 
 Spirit and not after the flesh." We have repeated this 
 thought that it may be fully presented as the starting 
 point for all true effort in the sight of God, and we 
 do feel deeply the need of holding fast the faithful 
 word, for it is plain to be seen that the advocates of 
 error would sweep away every land-mark of truth by 
 denying God's word, and reduce every principle of 
 faith to spiritual anarchy and confusion. The letter 
 in yesterday's Free Press plainly shows this, and it is 
 meet that Christians bestir themselves to oppose such 
 cunning devices of error and its advocates. 
 
 Ottawa, June 9th, 1880. 
 
146 
 
 WAITING. 
 
 The hours go fleeting by, 
 
 The time soon hastens on, 
 When weary ones now tarrying here 
 
 Will with their Lord be gone. 
 
 The midnight hour is past, 
 
 The day-dawn soon will break ; 
 
 The watchmen with their Lord will rise 
 Their Heavenward flight will take. 
 
 Here in this scene they toil, 
 
 And groan with burdened heart. 
 
 But suffer on with hope's bright prize 
 In view, till they hence depart. 
 
 How sweet the promise sure. 
 
 No stronger here they need, 
 Than that He's coming down HIMSELF 
 
 To take them up indeed. 
 
 What can so cheer their hearts. 
 
 So comfort by the way ; 
 And keep them waiting for Him here, 
 
 As remembring this alway. 
 
 THE POSITION OF THE BELIEVER IN 
 
 CHRIST. 
 
 Dear R : — To aid you in your Christian 
 
 pilgrimage I propose to offer a few hints on the 
 position of the believer in Christ, that you may under- 
 stand something of what is in store for you as a child 
 of God and joint-heir with Jesus Christ. The signs 
 of your conversion are, you "know that -you have 
 sprung from death unto life because you love the 
 brethren." "The Spirit of God bears witness with your 
 spirit that you are a child of God." You realize the 
 abiding presence of the Comforter in your heart to 
 guide, direct and comfort you in your journey," to 
 present a sense of duty before you, to encourage you 
 when faint by the way, and to enlarge your heart and 
 
147 
 
 understanding in the things of God. The things you 
 once delighted in you now despise, and the things 
 that you formerly made light of and thought of little 
 consequnce, ycu now rejoice over and delight to par- 
 ticipate in. Your whole course of thought is turned 
 from what it was, and vou lead a new life in the Lord 
 instead of delighting in the service of the wicked one. 
 " The eyes of your understanding being enlightened 
 you know what is the hope of the caUing of God the 
 Father, and what is the riches of the glory of His inhe- 
 ritance in the Saints. And what is the exceeding 
 greatness of His power to us-ward who believe, accord- 
 ing to the working of His mighty power, which He 
 wrought in Christ when He raised Him from the dead 
 and set Him at His own hight hand in the Heavenly 
 places, far above all principality and power, and mighty 
 and dominion, and every name that is named, not only 
 in this v/orld but also in the world to come, and hath 
 put all things under His feet and gave Him to be the 
 head over all things to which the church which is His 
 body the fullness of Him that filleth all in all," (Ephe- 
 sians 18-23. These truths and much more you realize 
 as precious to your soul, and delight in the blessed com- 
 forts of scriptural comt"nunication, not only with your 
 fellow Christians, but with God the Father. The be- 
 liever is made the righteousness of God through Christ, 
 and the exalted position which he occupies in Christ 
 carries him into a sacred nearness to the Father through 
 the pleadings of Christ his living Head. This blessed 
 thought, instead of " exalting above measure," tends to 
 humble him into the dust to think that God should con- 
 descend to do so much for him. He realizes that 
 although he was born in sin and shapen in iniquity, yet 
 God has condescended to place him in a position to 
 " judge angels " with his living Head the Lord Jesus, 
 and constitute him a member of that blessed company 
 who will come in bright array to judge the wicked 
 quick, and overthrow the beast and \ht false prophet ^ 
 
 ''Ml 
 
r 
 
 III 
 
 il; : 
 
 111 ! 
 
 .and bind Satan in the bottomless pit for a thousand 
 year? Rev. xix, 14-21, and xx, i, 2, 3. The believer is 
 buffeted and beat about while in the body, realizing 
 that on earth '* he has no continuing city but seeks one 
 to come." He is not in fellowship with the world, 
 for the world is sinful, and his daily walk and conver- 
 sation are a standing rebuke to its wiles and deceit, 
 and although he may engage in the business of life, 
 he does so that he may provide for his own and use 
 the world as not abusing it. His associations are of 
 that character which sustain and propagate good influ- 
 ences, and witness before mankind that the Lord has 
 dealt mercifully with him. He is willing to be "instant 
 in season and out season," doing the will of the Father 
 at every opportunity, which may present itself. He looks 
 into the Word of God with a prayerful der're to learn 
 the will of the Father and trust in the Holy Spirit to 
 make plain its blessed truths, that he may grow up 
 
 . into Christ his living Head in all things, and become 
 a man in Christ capable of feeding upon the strong 
 meat of the Word instead of the ;«/7/&, as when he had 
 first believed. He realize the necessity of looking 
 continually for the coming of the Lord Jesus, that his 
 affections may *' be set upon things above and not on 
 things on the earth." He grasps with avidity every 
 principle or truth that may serve to strengthen his 
 faith and confirm his hope of " being caught up to 
 meet the Lord in the air when He shall descend from 
 Heaven with a shout," to take up His bride, the Church, 
 to be ever with Him. He rejoices in the glorious 
 prospect of coming to " reign with Christ a thousand 
 years," over the Jews through the millennium. He 
 knows that he is ^ead, buried and risen with Christy he 
 is on the resurrection side of the grave, and can say in 
 triumph " O death where is thy sting, grave thy boasted 
 victory ?" Free from the raging sea of carnal strife and 
 worldly contention, he seeks to walk continually in 
 the ways of truth and soberness. Turning to the 
 
149 
 
 sand 
 
 er is 
 
 izing 
 
 ; one 
 
 orld, 
 
 iver- 
 
 jceit, 
 
 flife, 
 use 
 
 ire of 
 
 influ- 
 
 d has 
 
 istant 
 
 •ather 
 
 ; looks 
 
 learn 
 
 )irit to 
 
 ow up 
 
 ecome 
 
 strong 
 
 le had 
 oking 
 at his 
 ot on 
 every 
 n his 
 up to 
 
 d from 
 hurch, 
 orious 
 usand 
 He 
 ist, he 
 say in 
 oasted 
 life and 
 ally in 
 to the 
 
 Word of God he sees the Church in a state of judg- 
 ment, in the first thfee chapters of Revelation. Christ 
 is judging the Church, His bride, that she may not be 
 judged and conciemned with the world. He is reprov- 
 ing what he sees amiss in her practice, and showing 
 vv^hat He approves of, that her members who desire to 
 walk in Him, may come out and purge themselves 
 from the noxious weeds of disobedience and corrup- 
 tion which have found a place in Christendom. 
 In the fourth chapter of Revelation the believer is 
 seen seated with the Church in the 24-elder character 
 around the throne of God. In the fifth chapter the 
 Lion of the tribe of Judah is shown able to take the 
 book from the hand of Him who sitteth on the throne 
 and open the seals thereof, and at this announcement 
 the Church (or 24 elders and angels,) fall down and 
 worship the Lamb and exclaim, '' Thou art worthy to 
 take the book and open the seals thereof, for thou 
 wast slain and hast redeemed us to God by Thy blood,^ 
 out of every kind ed and tongue and people and nation, 
 and hast made us unto our God, kings and priests,, 
 and we shall reign on the earth," v. 9, 10. Here is 
 evidence that the place of the church of God is that of 
 worshippers around the throne of God in the character 
 of the 24 elders, during the opening of the seals of 
 judgment, the sounding of the trumpets, the pouring 
 out of the vials of wrath, and the pronouncing of the 
 woes during the last week of Daniel or the seven years 
 of the judgment of the quick. At the close of the 
 week, the believer, clothed in white, is seen coming 
 forth in that white horse throng who appear as ten 
 thousand saints with our Lord, whom every eye shall 
 see, and who will stand with him on Mount Olivet 
 when the Jews receive Him as their king. Believer, do 
 you realize your position as a member of Christ's 
 body ? If so, happy are ye. Reader, if a sinner, (and 
 you are such if you hdve not the new birth,) would 
 you occupy the blessed place of a believer ? Seek 
 
Christ while he may be found. Open your heart to 
 the reception of Him as your sacrifice and substitute 
 that you may be saved. Amen. 
 
 WOMAN'S RIGHTS. 
 
 Women^s rights ! What are they ? That she has 
 rights and precious ones too, no one will dispute who 
 has a proper estimate of the value of a right thing in 
 the right place. But what are her rights? What 
 saith the scripture, which is the best authority to 
 which we can refer? Give hohor to the woman as 
 the weaker vessel, is the substance of the scriptural 
 exhortation and if she is to have honor as the weaker 
 vessel, how absurd it is for her to deprive herself of 
 that honor by striving to take the place of man who 
 is her lord and protector. The Bible is woman's best 
 friend as it defines her position, and obliges man to 
 love, honor and cherish her as a valued object of his 
 care and protection. '' But I suffer not a woman to 
 teach or usurp authority over the man but to be in 
 silence," i Timothy, ii, 12. Here again the scripture 
 puts woman in her true place, and here she can 
 shine as an ornament and help-mate for man. The 
 true and happy sphere of women is the domestic circle 
 where her power is felt and valued by every true 
 hearted man. Here she can shed a beautiful benign in- 
 fluence truly to be valued and appreciated by every 
 lover of the beautiful and good. How ungraceful and 
 misplaced is a woman, going out into the concerns of 
 men, and with forward air, and contentious mien, setting 
 up her authority to wield influences entirely foreign to 
 her calling. Equally so at home in defiance of her 
 husbands authority, if she gets up a headstrong will to 
 bring him under her subjection. It is practical infi- 
 delity, a standing evidence of evil, controlling the 
 weaker vessel and energizing her to counteract the 
 te? 'lings and ministrations of God's Word. What 
 
rt to 
 
 ;itute 
 
 3 has 
 ; who 
 ng in 
 What 
 ty to 
 an as 
 ptural 
 reaker 
 self of 
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 true 
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 What 
 
 151 
 
 IS more to be admired than a meek-spirited, modest, 
 unassuming woman, engaged in the quiet duties of 
 home, satisfied with the sphere in which she is placed, 
 and striving to make all happy within the reach of her 
 influence. On the contrary, what is more repulsive 
 than a bold-faced feminine advocate of false woman's 
 rights, figuring in public debates and through the 
 press to vaunt into a position in which she could have 
 nothing but unrest and unhappiness. Be satisfied 
 dear women with the place the scripture puts you into, 
 for there you will have not only the approval of every 
 right hearted man, but the blessing of God will rest 
 upon you. 
 
 LETTER TO A FRIEND. 
 
 Dear C 
 
 ^ * * i(jne often needs 
 
 a sympathizing heart to tell out ones trials to, even to 
 a fellow traveller in a scene like this. To Jesus first 
 we can go ; praise His name ! yet it is indeed precious 
 to find a kindred heart in one who is now in the wild- 
 erness where difficulties will be met as they never will 
 be when the Lord has us home with Himself. Home ! 
 We lose our home here as soon as we own Him who 
 had no home in the scene in which we are now jour- 
 neying. How often the Lord allows the circumstances 
 of the way to teach us where our home is ! How 
 often He withdraws our earthly props that we may fall 
 into His dear arms. How jealous He is of our love 
 and dependence. How much He wants them ! And 
 He will have them too though it be through our trials 
 and buffetings. Plow often He brings us up to the 
 point where we have nothing to say but *' t/ie Lord 
 knows ? " Blessed refuge ! We cannot tell why it is, 
 but just there He brings us to the " back side of the 
 desert," away up out of the miserable lame refuge, this 
 Egypt of carnality can afford us, just to reveal Him- 
 self in the burning bush of His own heart's love for 
 
 11 
 
 :'^ll 
 
 :!i; 
 
152 
 
 1 1 
 
 His own tried ones down here. How precious to be 
 taking lessons (it may be for future service), in His 
 school of experience as we go on the way. Just at 
 the time we have looked around and thought we had 
 found fellowship in our fellow pilgrims here in what 
 we are doing for Him, He takes away all our props 
 and says, "lean 'on vie! Find in me what you re- 
 quire ! I am enough for all you lack ! " Then we cease 
 looking around and look up, where all is clear calm 
 sunshine, where all is joy, where all is " enough the 
 mind and heart to fill " and" to the hill from whence 
 our help cometh." And then we learn to bear all 
 things for His name's sake. We may not be under- 
 stood, our heart yearnings may not be responded to 
 by any heart but His own, yet we toil on knowing that 
 He has us on His breast to plead for us in the presence 
 of the Father. All this and more He will teach us, 
 that we may rejoice with Him in the rejection which 
 the spirit of the world has for us if faithful to Himself. 
 Dear brother, may we learn more in His presence. 
 His mind about all things. May we learn too even 
 while we claim to take His own word as a guide to 
 our conduct, the difference between dealing in a cold 
 harsh legal spirit, and in the love which is shed abroad 
 in our hearts by the Holy Ghost given unto us. Le- 
 gality never gathers to Christy it always scatters. How 
 solemn the theme for our heart's meditation ! We w^ho 
 have been set free by Christ Himself, to be entangled 
 by any yoke of bondage. But 
 
 ** Blest be the sorrow, kind the storm, 
 That drives us nearer home ! " ' 
 
 May we be faithful in the path of rejection in which 
 He has set us, and may our discernment of Himself in 
 each other, not be eclipsed by any dealing (however 
 righteous) that might hinder His love from manifest- 
 ing itself through us. Now dear brother, may one 
 crave your prayers and sympathy, as a member of the 
 same body of which Christ is the Head ? He knows 
 
153 
 
 ,ence, 
 even 
 e to 
 cold 
 road 
 Le- 
 How 
 who 
 gled 
 
 rhich 
 lelfin 
 rever 
 lifest- 
 one 
 if the 
 
 lOWS 
 
 and feels all ail our lack and can make us feel each 
 others lack, and He can supply all our need out of 
 His own fulness. Will you ask Him to sustain, poor 
 weak and unfaithful as one is ? that we may " love 
 more the less we be loved." Oh for more of His 
 dear patience to bear with each other, and to carry 
 each other in the spirit of faithful Epaphras to '^ throne 
 of grace. May the Lord bless you. Amen. 
 Mount Sherwood, June 14th, 1881. 
 
 SINCERITY OF PURPORE. 
 
 The greatest earnest of success in life is the sincer- 
 ity of purpose with which we enter upon what we have 
 in hand to do. The motive is the principle that char- 
 acterizes our efforts, and if our motives are good, and 
 entered upon with a sincere desire to accomplish 
 good, the means of accomplishment are very sure to 
 come to hand in some form. The reason is, the One 
 who prompts the motive has it in His power to turn 
 circumstances to our favor, so that if we go on in our 
 own efforts sincerely, there is little doubt of our suc- 
 cess. The tide may for a time be discouragingly 
 against us, but ultimately the victory is ours if we per- 
 severe. It matters little what line of life we may en- 
 gage in, that has for its object the glory of God and 
 the welfare of others, the character of the motive will 
 soon be manifested and we gain a reward accordingly. 
 But if we have impure motives and in a reckless care- 
 less spirit enter upon our labors, no matter what they 
 may promise of accomplishing, they will be very apt 
 to fail, because we cannot count upon a blessing 
 from God who knows the motives of our hearts, if we 
 are insincere and careless minded. If a selfish ambi- 
 tion or a covetous desire prompts our efforts we will 
 be apt to run into a reckless desperate course which 
 will in the end bring failure. Our safe course is to 
 cast our lot in with God and work as He works within 
 
154 
 
 us, and this will give us the tone of mind and character 
 of purpose to be sincere in what we have in hand, and 
 therefore insure his blessing and aid in our efforts, if 
 done according to His word. 
 
 THE DIGNITY OF LABOR. 
 
 It is one of the characteristics of the present time, 
 that labor is ignored and made little of by a large 
 majority of the youth who come upon the stage of 
 action to begin the race of life. Labor is considered 
 as without dignity as not being respectable as beneath 
 the calling of a gentlemen, <S:c., because there is 
 a spirit of aspiration to the learned professions; or 
 to some calling that evades the necessity of manual 
 toil. The consequence is we have a surplus of idle 
 loungers who are too proud and lazy to take in hand 
 some honest labor by which they might earn a liveli- 
 hood and fill a place of usefulness in the world. Pride 
 of heart is one of the principal causes of this hatred to 
 labor, and a desire to keep up an appearance and to 
 take a high position in society under the promptings 
 of ambition, forbids the humility necessary to the pur- 
 suit of honest toil. God's Word commands to labor, 
 but the rebellious heart of man devises schemes to 
 evade it, and poverty, suffering and crime is the con- 
 sequence. If labor was honored as it ought to be 
 there would be more of the youth engage in it, and 
 early habits once formed to labor, the foundation is 
 laid for a life of usefulness and prosperity. It is a sad 
 mistake when farmers son's get tired of their honest call- 
 and give it up for an easy life in the city. Many a 
 youth has left a quiet country home where he had all 
 the comforts of life, with a healthy body and a sound 
 mind to enjoy them, and took up a calling in the city 
 where he got in return a feverish busy brain a sickly 
 body and state of mind unfitted for any real enjoy- 
 ment. Better stay on the farm boys and fill the sphere 
 
 God' 
 
155 
 
 icter 
 and 
 ;s, if 
 
 time, 
 
 large 
 
 ge of 
 
 dered 
 
 neath 
 
 jre is 
 
 is; or 
 
 lanual 
 
 >f idle 
 
 I hand 
 liveli- 
 
 , Pride 
 
 tred to 
 
 .nd to 
 
 ptings 
 pur- 
 labor, 
 
 nes to 
 :t con- 
 to be 
 t, and 
 ;ion is 
 s a sad 
 St call- 
 any a 
 ad all 
 sound 
 e city 
 sickly 
 enjoy- 
 isphere 
 
 e 
 
 of life which will give you peace of mind and a com- 
 petency of comfort, than to run a risk in the uncertain 
 fluctuations which attend city life. " Slow and steady 
 gains give competence with tranquility of mind," and 
 this is far better than to deprive labor of its true dig- 
 nity by aspiring. to a position which you are unfitted 
 to fill 
 
 ' CHRISTIAN CONFLICT. 
 
 *' Put on the whole armour of God." 
 
 The place the Christian takes, upon the acceptance 
 of Christ as his Saviour, as Lord and Head, implies 
 conflict of a necessity. By taking sides with God, he 
 necessarily declares himself against Satan, the world 
 and the flesh, beause these are respectfully opposed to 
 Christ, to the Father, and to the Holy Ghost. Satan 
 is opposed to Christ in everything, and the flesh is 
 opposed to the Spirit. This is plainly shown in the 
 scriptures, and every one who is willing to own the 
 Lord Jesus as a Saviour and Lord, must expect war- 
 fare. He first finds it in himself with a depraved 
 deceitful heart, desparately wicked, a heart capable of 
 conceiving all sorts of evil, of indulging in all manner 
 of excess and sin ; and full of malice and hatred to- 
 ward God. Then the new nature " formed within the 
 hope of glory," finds a cunning deceitful devil to con- 
 tend with, one who tries to thwart all efforts to serve 
 Christ, and to attract the service to himself. Then 
 there is the vain, delusive, flattering world, throwing 
 out its power constantly to hinder and entrap the feet 
 of the Christian. But who is sufficient for these 
 things ? Where is the power to come from to enable 
 him to withstand the conflict and pressure of 
 evil. Christ is sufficient if the Christian is simple 
 and dependent upon Him. Then there is the craft of 
 false theology, infidelity and witchcraft to withstand. 
 God's Word can try the spirits whether they be of God, 
 
 ::i! 
 
iS6 
 
 I 
 
 and the weapons of the Christian warfare are not car- 
 nal, "but rnighty in the Lord to the pulling down of 
 strongholds." The clever advocates of Unitarianism, 
 Universalism, Spiritualism, Mormonism, Annihilation- 
 ism and infidelity in general, are all easily con(]uered 
 by the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God 
 May we trust in God and not in ourselves in fighting 
 the good fight of faith. 
 
 JOY IN TEMPTATION. 
 
 •'My brethren count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations." 
 
 All ]oy must I reckon it, 
 
 If beset with trials round ? 
 My reasoning heart would ask again, 
 ' Where is the ground ? 
 
 Ah hush thy reasoning, count on Him, 
 
 "Who from the desert waste. 
 Can cause refreshing springs to flow. 
 
 Sweet to the taste. 
 
 All's in His hand, my woes and joys. 
 
 Nor wonld I change the way. 
 It seemeth best He'd lead me through 
 
 Life's little day. 
 
 Bow would I to the chastening rod j 
 
 His yoke of service wear ; 
 Rejoicing that in Him I can 
 
 All burdens bear. 
 
 How light the heart and free, 
 
 That looks to Him for aid, 
 No terror here by man devised 
 
 Can make afraid. 
 
 Upward, to the goal I press. 
 
 With step unhindered here. 
 Rising o'er the mists that would cloud 
 
 My view up there. 
 
 Oh what to Faith's ecstatic gaze 
 
 Enables me to scan, 
 As fruit of knowing Him as Lord 
 
 Through life's short span. 
 
157 
 
 My joy while there is often full, 
 
 As His bright form I see, 
 As in communion sweet with Him, 
 
 He cheereth me. 
 
 Yes, rich is the repast by faith, 
 
 Our trysting hours afford. 
 As meditation lends its aid 
 
 O'er the blessed Word. 
 
 My Lord r ay we continue thus 
 To journey through the scene ; 
 
 Till where Thou art thou '11 call me soon 
 P'rom earth to screen. 
 
 ON THE EVILS ARISING FROM POPULAR 
 
 PASTIMES. 
 
 Dear A : As you seem to be exercised in 
 
 soul, about certain pastimes, which have been by 
 some termed innocent^ we will briefly consider the 
 subject in a letter. 
 
 We ought to enquire, as a test before engaging in 
 anything, whether we can do it to the honor and glory 
 of God or not. This searching question will determine 
 whether a practice is sinful or not if ^we allow the 
 Holy Spirit to apply it to our understanding. If we 
 grieve and hinder Him from teaching us God's thoughts 
 about any practice, w^e are sure to be deceived, for 
 our thoughts are not His thoughts, and Satan will be 
 sure to' tell us that the most wicked pastimes are 
 harmless. He that relishes and engages in heartless 
 pastimes, is not in a spirit of seriousness and sobriety. 
 A reckless tone of soul is encouraged which hardens 
 the heart against the offers of the Word, dissipates 
 the calmness of mind which it bestows, and paves the 
 way for Satanic influences. That person or that family 
 circle, which delights in the soulless games of cards, 
 checkers, backgammon and other kindred games, not 
 only disobeys scripture in one point which says, '* re- 
 deem the time for the days are evil," but is soon ready 
 to overstep its guardian bounds at other points. We 
 
are not to expect unconverted people will consider 
 the deep responsibility resting upon them to obey 
 God's Word, but believers, members of Christ's body, 
 are responsible to deny themselves of heartless pas- 
 times which the ungodly call innocent^ that they may 
 show themselves obedient servants of the God they 
 profess to love. When we enter the houses of pro- 
 fessed Christians, and see cards and dime novels lying 
 about on the table and mantlepiece, and discover in 
 conversation with their inmates a decided aversion to 
 spiritual things, we conclude that they have a form of 
 godliness but deny the power thereof. When their 
 time is taken up by attending dances and amusement 
 parties, we look upon their attendance upon the gath- 
 erings of God's people, for the sake of appearance, as 
 a mere exhibition of hypocrisy. My young reader, if you 
 have taken a stand for Christ, maintain it consistently 
 and you will find you have no time to spend in rounds of 
 folly which some term innocent amusements. We are 
 called to " glorify God in our bodies which are His." 
 We should " work out (or show forth) our salvation 
 with fear and trembling." Does God " work within 
 us to will and do of His good pleasure " while we are 
 engrossed in the excitement of any senseless pastime ? 
 Think over this a moment calmly and seriously. 
 Does not Satan claim your service while thus engaged ? 
 Are not dancing, card-playing, theater-going, ball-roll- 
 ing, billards, &c., fine subtle inventions of the devil to 
 lull you into carnal security and occupy your time to 
 the exclusion of Christ, either in meditation or service ? 
 The more " respectably " he can employ you the bet- 
 ter he is satisfied, because he can flatter you through 
 the approval of the world's refinement, and thus puff 
 you up with a fine idea of self, and gain a more 
 complete victory over you. You must account to 
 God for the way you spend your time here, and how 
 can you, who desire to take your place as a Christian, 
 waste it as well as your energies and health in keeping 
 
159 
 
 time to a squeaking fiddle, or in the excitement cre- 
 ated in gaming ? If your neighbor should cast his 
 money in handfulls in the street, you would call him 
 mad, but he is not so much so as you when you spend 
 your time and means in gaming or any soulless pastime. 
 Theatre going leads to the gambling house, thence to 
 the dance house and brothel, thus you have the paved 
 way to hell, finely illuminated with glowing colors 
 and dazzling array. A ruined character and the open 
 door to crime, is often the result of a course of 
 amusement, which when first entered upon, was- 
 thought to be harmless and necessary for the vigorous 
 development of the physical faculties. l( parents 
 would put their children to exercise with the spade 
 and hoe on a plot of ground, or with tools of some 
 useful trade, and so cultivate a taste for some healthy 
 employment instead of encouraging them to attend 
 ball-alleys and billiard-rooms, they would not only see 
 well developed bodies, but a symmetry of soul resulting 
 from a consciousness of well spent time. Youthful 
 reader, consider well before you allow yourself to en- 
 gage in heartless amusements. Do not throw yourself 
 into the tempter's power. Your usefulness as a 
 Christian is at stake the moment you allow your mind 
 to run upon anything of an amusing character. You 
 are always safe while engaged in any sober-minded, 
 useful employment. Your heart will be established in 
 the truth by reading the Word of God, or good books, 
 the products of serious minds. If you are truly a 
 child of God, your body is the temple of the Holy 
 Ghost, and if you go contrary to God's Word you will 
 be reproved by the blessed Spirit within you. If you 
 are not converted you may accept Christ at once and 
 have the Holy Ghost to guide and direct you by ap> 
 plying the word of God with power to your heart. 
 Amen. 
 
i6o 
 
 EARTHLY LORE AND SPIRITUAL 
 ATTAINMENT. 
 
 There is such a difference between the effects of 
 -earthly knowledge upon one's spirit, and those produced 
 by attainment in the things of God, that it is well to 
 note the contrast. " Knowledge puffeth up, but char- 
 ity (or love) edifieth," and this edification comes 
 through humility or willingness to be instructed in 
 godly knowledge. Earthly lore creates pedantry 
 -and man elevation which is abominable in God's sight. 
 It often raises the natural man into a fancied 
 position of superiority, begets spiritual idolatry and 
 stands as a barrier to the acceptance of a needed and 
 crucified Redeemer. It esteems the preaching of the 
 Cross as foolishness, and tries to supplant it by ambitious 
 assumptions of man's power to progress in his own 
 strength, to a high degree of perfection in opposition 
 to God's estimate of man as containing by nature no 
 good thing. When God speaks, it is Divine authority 
 upon which we can rely, and how His estimate of 
 man does wither up into nothing all the presumptuous 
 pretensions to perfection in the natural man. But 
 when the convicted soul feels his need of a Saviour by 
 accepting God's thoughts of his own nothingness, 
 and finds his need met in the person of a crucified 
 Christ, quite a different estimate is made by him of 
 what he is before God. 
 
 When man's wisdom becomes the ground and means 
 of elevation, "the wisdom which is from above" will 
 be poorly estimated. It is well for us if we can take 
 God's side of everything, and when this is done we 
 will value all things rightly and not be deceived by 
 false pretences and appearances. The boldest and 
 most artful opposers of God's Word are those who 
 possess the greatest amount of human wisdom mani- 
 fested by means of earthly knowledge. 
 
acts of 
 )ducecl 
 kvell to 
 t char- 
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 ted in 
 idantry 
 s sight, 
 fancied 
 ry and 
 ed and 
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 abitious 
 lis own 
 position 
 ture no 
 uthority 
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 aptuous 
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 lour by 
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 rucified 
 him of 
 
 means 
 ^e " will 
 Ian take 
 [one we 
 Ived by 
 1st and 
 
 te who 
 mani- 
 
 i6i 
 
 YOKES OF BONDAGE. 
 
 " Stand fast in the liberty wherewith Christ hath 
 made us free, and be not entangled again with the 
 yoke of bondage," Gal. 5, i. As the service of Satan 
 is truly bondage, so that of Christ is perfect liberty. 
 The Christian is one set free to serve in liberty as a 
 bright contrast to the bondage he was under as a child 
 of Adam. The yoke of bondage which Paul by the 
 Spirit was warning the Galatians against was legality, 
 which Judaizing teachers were endeavoring to propa- 
 gate among them. So hateful was this legal bondage 
 tiiat the apostle has to say, " O foohsh Galatians who 
 liath bewitched you, — received ye the Spirit by the 
 works of the law or by the hearing of faith ? " chap. 3, 
 1-2. And as to their time service, " Ye observe days 
 and months and times and years, I am afraid of you 
 lest I have bestowed upon you labor in vain." He 
 even had to "travail in birth again until Christ be 
 formed in them — and to change his voice for he stood 
 in doubt of them," chap, iv, vs. 19, 20. This all because 
 they were faUingback into the bondage from which they 
 had been delivered. A solemn lesson for these last 
 days ! Every turn the Christian takes now, a yoke of 
 bondage in some form temptingly courts his neck. 
 The world with its flattering offers, the flesh with its 
 cunning deceptions, arid Satan with his wiles, are con- 
 stantly at work, against which he can only hope to 
 stand by constant watchfulness and prayer. Even the 
 necessary things for our daily physical comfort, are 
 woven into a net w^ork of intricacies to entrap our feet 
 and burden our spirits, unless kept rigidly in their 
 place and our thoughts upon Christ. How occrn and 
 tyrannical the world becomes when it once gets a hold 
 upon us, and none but Christ can deliver us by cast- 
 ing our burden upon Him. The liberty in which the 
 Christian is called to stand, is that of being led by the 
 eye of God, and not held in as the horse or the mule, 
 by bit and bridle. This is a strong contrast to the liberty 
 
l62 
 
 I! 
 
 of man who seeks to have his own way, to follow his 
 own free will, which is always sure to plunge him into 
 trouble and difficulties. Men talk loudly and struggle 
 hard for freedom and liberty, to have scope for their 
 own wills to work in, but the Lord says to such " come 
 unto me all ye that labor and are heavy laden and I 
 will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn 
 of me for my yoke is easy and my burden is light," 
 Mat. xi, 29, 30. Christ's yoke is easy as it delivers us 
 from the yokes of Satan and keeps us delivered if we 
 wear it faithfully. He is not only a Saviour to free 
 us from judgment and its penalties, but saves us from 
 the galling slavery of sin and its baneful consequences 
 daily. May we not forget this as it is important that 
 a welling forth of thanksgiving go up from our hearts 
 daily for His never ceasing office work in the presence 
 of God for us. It is forgetting Him and what He 
 can daily do for us, that allows the bondage of circum- 
 stances to weigh us down. This may seem extravagant 
 to the carnal minded, but to the spiritually minded 
 Christian, it is practical and comforting and needful 
 too for his growth in grace and the things of God. 
 Ottawa, Sept. i8th, 1879. 
 
 TRUTH. 
 
 There is always safety in taking sides with truth. 
 Although the way be rough, and the enemies we have 
 to contend with are crafty, and merciless, yet in the 
 end we are sure to conquer, if faithful in the contest. 
 We need to count the cost before setting out in com- 
 pany with Truth and her followers. The more faithful 
 we are in the path, the more sure we are to meet op- 
 position and persecution. Clouds may lower over our 
 heads, the tempest may rage fiercely around us, and 
 the darkness be so great that we may not be able to 
 see where we are to take the next step, but if v^' press 
 forward, trusting in Him who came into the world as 
 the embodiment of Grace and Truth, and with His 
 
i63 
 
 V his 
 L into 
 
 their 
 coipe 
 md I 
 
 learn 
 
 light," 
 /ers us 
 if we 
 :o free 
 5 from 
 uences 
 It that 
 hearts 
 resence 
 lat He 
 circum- 
 avagant 
 winded 
 needful 
 od. 
 
 1 truth. 
 
 ve have 
 
 t in the 
 lontest. 
 
 |in corn- 
 faithful 
 eet op- 
 
 »ver our 
 us, and 
 able to 
 .' press 
 /orld as 
 rith His 
 
 word as the " lamp to our feet and a light to our path," 
 we are sure to come out of the struggle victorious. If 
 we are on the side of Truth there will be a certain 
 sound in our speech and actions that will commend 
 itself to those who are able to commend us to the 
 Lord who is the source of all power and true favor. 
 Worldlings and hirelings, who are bought and sold by 
 filthy lucre and worldly favor, will not continue in the 
 way with truth, though happily they may fall into it 
 for the purpose of serving their own ends and enhanc- 
 ing the value of what they possess. But true hearted- 
 ness in the path with Truth, looks only above for en- 
 couragement and reward, and will not allow temporal 
 considerations to sway in the way, but steadiness of 
 purpose and unflinching perseverence wdll show all 
 enemies that there can be no denial to what is right, 
 and no compromise with evil. Let us " stand in the 
 evil day and having done all to stand," amid the 
 shifting corruptions of worldly policy, assured that 
 though we may contend against odds, in the end we 
 will gain the victory, - and the greater the opposition 
 the more glorious the victory. 
 
 "Truth crilshed to earth will rise again, 
 The eternal years of God are hers ; " 
 
 But error falling writhes in pain, , . 
 
 And dies amid her worshippers,." 
 
 MY HOME UP THERE. 
 
 Why should I be clinging to what is down here ? 
 My home is in heaven — my High Priest is there ; 
 He has gone up before me, a place to prepare; 
 That, when He comes for me, His throne I may share. 
 
 This world is a wilderness — its best offers are 
 
 But dross, when compared with the poorest up there ; 
 
 My poor heart is weary of all that I see ; 
 
 I long in the presence of Jesus to be. 
 
 I know He will soon come ; the time hastens on, 
 When weary ones, now hei % with Him will be gone ; 
 The shout they'll soon here the trump will soon sound, 
 The faithful on earth will no more be found. 
 
164 
 
 TO FAITH. 
 
 Bright blessed Faith, through thee we view 
 The prize our souls so much desire ; 
 
 Thy buoyant wing bears us to Him 
 Who fills our hearts^with holy fire ; 
 
 And calls us forth, in prayer and praise, 
 
 The songs of triumph here to raise. 
 
 Through thee the mighty plans of God 
 Before our wondering eyes are seen 
 
 In bright review, to cheer our hearts, 
 To fill the interval between 
 
 His going up and coming down, 
 
 To take His Bride to wear her crown. 
 
 The rapturous songs by thee are heard, 
 As soaring on high her Lord to meet, 
 
 And as she toils on earth below, 
 
 With throbbing heart and hastening feet, ' 
 
 To thee she owes those glances bright 
 
 Of Him in whom she doth delight. 
 
 TRUST IN CHRIST. 
 
 We trust in Christ our Risen Head, 
 In Him who on the Cross has bled 
 
 Our ransom to secure ; 
 Within the veil, by faith, we dwell, 
 And know " 'tis with believers well," 
 
 That our salvation 's sure 
 
 As pilgrims and as strangers here. 
 As embers of Himself, so dear. 
 
 He nourishes with care ; 
 His life sustains each member now, 
 Our power to walk from him doth flow, 
 
 He doth our trials share. 
 
 If persecuted for His sake, 
 
 He soon our cause doth undertake, 
 
 " 'Tis I who suffers thus ;" 
 Our burden falls, our hearts arise, • 
 On faith's light wing we reach the skies ; 
 
 From ill He rescues us.