11-EARTHLY BLESSING PRECEDED BY JUDGMENTS.
IT is admitted on all hands that there is a time, or dispensation, in which the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the glory of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea. This is a great object held out in prophecy. The question between us is, Now is this to be brought about? They say: "By our preaching, or by the preaching of the Gospel." I take the best ground for them. How do they know that? How do they conclude that? Did the Gospel ever do it before? Was it ever promised that it should do it? That man is responsible for its not doing so, I freely admit—but that is not the question. And that he is guilty, too, I admit; I conceive, indeed, that therefore the Gentile Church will be cut off, because it has not done so; and therefore we may say, as a Church, it is damnably guilty because it has not clone so. But, as to actual result, those I speak of pass by the present sin of the Church, and then prophesy (i.e. assert as to the future) that of which they can have no experience as to the past,—that their exertions will do it. They charge us with looking into prophecy: undoubtedly we do, and use it as God intended it, as a charge and warning against our present sin and state; while they prophesy for themselves that which is credit for themselves— though never has the professing Church at large been so far from godliness as now; if not, why all this labor, effort, formation of societies, for home or continental purposes? This is the simple difference: we acknowledge it as a result of God's power; they say, without God's word: (and we must add, against it:) "It will be done by our instrumentality." Believers say, with God's word, It will not be done thus. We quarrel not with their efforts; (but join in them according to our ability of God, as far as our poor hearts permit us;) but we do quarrel with their assumption as the coming result of their own labors, as if they were prophets, of that of which God has prophesied otherwise. They prophesy: we consult the word, and apply it to judge ourselves, and find the Church guilty. Our assertion, accordingly, is this:
1. That there is no prophecy or promise in Scripture, (which, as to means—observe, of future accomplishment—is prophecy,) that the gradual diffusion of the Gospel shall convert the world. If there be, let them produce it; if not, I affirm that they are assuming something future, without any warrant for it, but their own thoughts.
2. That the prophecies always connect the filling of the world with the knowledge of the glory—with judgments. And, We add, to those who are laboring without reference to this glory, yet are looking to the gathering out of God's elect—faithfully perhaps—that there is a vast purpose of God, and one which is the result of all God's purposes, not embraced in their views; and that, as teachers of God's mind and will, their system must be wholly and utterly defective; for the earth is to be full of the knowledge of the glory of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea. They recognize, and justly, that that cannot be, as it never has been, and as we have seen that it was not intended to be, by the Gospel. There must, therefore, if they admit the truth of God's word, be some great plan and act of God's power, on which his mind is especially set, (for His glory in the earth, as in heaven, must be His end, as well as our desire, because we are His saints, and have the mind of Christ,) of which they embrace nothing, teach nothing.
And now, what do we complain of? Is it not prying into futurity? Far otherwise. Is it not taking the testimony of God and applying it to the present lodgment, and therefore offering the sacrifice of folly? I do say it is the privilege of the saints to know what is revealed. It is mere infidelity and unbelief—simple infidelity and unbelief, and rejection of the promise, "He shall show you things to come; " and again: " But God hath revealed then unto us by his Spirit!" that is, the things which He hail prepared for them that love Him. Men may say, It is presumption! But it is no more presumption in me to believe what God has said, and has declared that He has revealed to us for our blessing as to this, than it is to believe what He has stated concerning the accomplished work of Christ: and I suspect the notion of presumption runs pretty much together as to both. Yet this is not my present subject—but this: that the Church is hiding the present judgment of itself from its eyes—that God's judgments are upon the Church in warning, and they will not hear; and therefore they will be cut off, if they repent not—" And the vision of all is become unto you as the words of a book that is sealed, which men deliver to one that is learned, saying, Read this, I pray thee: and he saith, I cannot; for it is sealed: and the book is delivered to him that is not learned, saying, Read this I pray thee: and he saith, I am not learned. Wherefore the Lord said (smith too,) Forasmuch as this people draw near me with their mouth, and with their lips do honour me, but have removed their heart far from me, and their fear toward me is taught by the precept of men: therefore, behold, I will proceed to do a marvelous work among this people, even a marvelous work and a wonder: for the wisdom of their wise men shall perish, and the understanding of their prudent men shall be hid." (Is. 29:11-14.)
If it be so, that these things are hid, then I say it is a solemn judgment from God—his greatest judgment on the Church thus to hide them—a sign of judgment that they may be changed. Yet men seem to rejoice and pride themselves on their wisdom in knowing nothing about them—rejoice in the last heaviest sign, the deep hope-obscuring cloud, before the judgments of God break down upon them who have willfully staid abroad in the field because they believed not, or received not the word, and warning, and threatenings of God the Lord. For there is one that Doeth and judgeth—poor man! If the Lord hath indeed poured out upon you a deep sleep and hath closed your eyes, the prophets, and rulers, and seers hath He covered; then woe for you; and what shall the sheep do? All your services are but folly; for when God, perhaps, is calling for repentance, behold, you are in joy; when judgment is ready to strike, you are rejoicing; when God calls to fasting, and weeping, and mourning, behold, you are killing sheep and slaying oxen. If the testimony of God be not received as applicable in our present state, then all our worship and service must be guided by man's judgment, and our fear by the precept of men, and be foolishness and rebellion in His sight. But ye say, We will not consider ... ..I say not to you, look at the hopes and the future glory, but I say, God has warned of judgment now. I speak of something which applies to you now; yea, why even of yourselves judge ye not that which is right? Does not the Church, do not we, deserve judgment? The Lord hearken to the supplication of His servants, that our eyes may be opened! Infidel liberty is not Christian liberty. God may use it for His own purposes in punishing the wicked, as He saith, "O Assyrian, the rod of mine anger, and the staff in their hand is mille indignation." But if the people rejoice in Resin and rehab, trust in this Tiglath Pileser does but show their infidelity, and will be their distress, and not their strength; for yet it is but a little while (and indeed it is the rod of God against the corruption of the Church) His anger will cease, and his indignation, in their destruction. The prophet may be grieved at the evil of the Church, but the spirit of infidelity is the spirit of pride—a proud man which enlargeth his desire as hell, neither stayeth at home. It will have its day, perhaps, against a corrupt and guilty church: it may seek to sit upon the mount of God, but as soon as the Lord has accomplished His whole work upon Mount Zion and Jerusalem, He will punish the stout heart of the king of Assyria, and the glory of his high looks; and the spirit of the prophet will be of grief, intercession and pity, that the wicked devoureth the man that is more righteous than he. The Lord will hearken, hear and deliver; for though he be proud, his heart that is lifted up is not righteous in and the just shall live by his faith. Of this infidelity may be sure, that it will rack its heart in bitterness for the madness with which it is now proud; for God's eye is upon it, and the proof of it is, that it sees Him not; it is rushing in blindness into the bitterness of God's wrath. There will they be in great fear, for God is in the generation of the righteous.
12.—the Sympathy of Christ.
I would NOW add a little which, I hope, may clear up some minds as to Christ's sympathy with us. First, I assume that my reader holds, as myself, the true and real humanity of the Lord, both in body and soul; that He was a true living man in flesh and blood.
Christ was a man in the truest sense of the word, body and soul. The question is as to His relation to God as man. We are all agreed that He was sinless. He had true humanity, but united to Godhead. He was God manifest in flesh. Scripture speaks simply, saying, He partook of flesh and blood. That is what the Christian has simply, and as taught of God, to believe. Was His humanity then without a divine spring of thought and feeling? Were it said it was not of or from His humanity, I should have nothing to say; but to say there was none in it, unsettles the doctrine of Christ's person. There was the fullness of the Godhead bodily; and the divine nature was a spring of many thoughts and feelings in Him. This is not the whole truth; but to deny it, is not truth. If it be merely meant that humanity has not in itself a divine spring, that is plain enough; it would not be humanity. I am equally aware that it will be said, that it was in His person; but to separate wholly the humanity and divinity in springs of thought and feeling, is dangerously overstepping Scripture. Is it meant that the love and holiness of the divine nature did not produce, was not a spring of thought and feeling in His human soul? This would be to lower Christ below a Christian. If so, it is merely a round-about road to Socinianism.—His humanity, it is said, was not sui generis. This too is confusion. The abstract word humanity means humanity and no more: and, being abstract, must be taken absolutely; according to its own meaning. But, if it is meant that, in fact, the state of Christ's humanity was not sui generis, it is quite wrong, for it was united to Godhead, which no one else's humanity over was; which, as to fact, alters its whole condition. For instance, it was not only sinless, but in that condition incapable of sinning; and to take it out of that condition is to take it out of Christ's person. What conclusion do I draw from all this?—That the wise soul will avoid the wretched attempt to settle in such a manner questions as to Him whom no one knoweth but the Father. The whole process of the reasoning is false.
To turn, then, to Scripture, we are told of the sinless infirmities of human nature, and that Christ partook of them. Now, I have no doubt this has been said most innocently; but, not being Scripture, we must learn in what sense it is used. Now, that Christ was truly man, in thought, feeling, and sympathy, is a truth of cardinal blessing and fundamental importance to our souls. But I have learnt thereby, not that humanity is not real humanity, if there is a divine spring of thought and feeling in it; but that God can be the spring of thought and feeling in it, without its ceasing to be truly and really man. This is the very truth of infinite and unspeakable blessedness that I have learnt. This, in its little feeble measure, and in another and derivative way, is true of us now, by grace. He who searches the hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit. This is true in Jesus in a yet far more important and blessed way. There was once an innocent man left to himself; the spring of thought and feeling being simply man, however called on by every blessing and natural testimony of God without. We know what came of it. Then there was a man whose heart, alas! was the spring " from within," of evil thoughts and the dark train of acts that followed. What I see in Christ is man, where God has become the spring of thought and feeling. And, through this wonderful mystery, in the new creation in us, all things are of God. That, if we speak of His and our humanity, is what distinguishes it. Metaphysically to say, “His and our humanity," is nonsense; because humanity is an abstraction which means nothing but itself, and always itself, and nothing else: just as if I said Godhead; and if I introduce any idea of its actual state, I am destroying the idea and notion the word conveys. But the moment I do associate other ideas, I must introduce the whole effect and power of these ideas to modify the abstract one according to the actual fact. Thus, humanity is always simply humanity. The moment I call it His, it is sui generis, because it is His and in fact humanity sustained by Godhead is not humanity in the same state as humanity un-sustained by Godhead. Sinless humanity, sustained in that state by Godhead, is not the same as sinful humanity left to itself.
But Scripture never uses the term that Christ was subject to infirmities. Nor is being in infirmities necessary to sympathy with those in them; but being out of them, though having a nature capable of apprehending in itself the suffering it brings into. The mother sympathizes with the babe in the pain she does not feel.
Further, Christ is contrasted in His priestly sympathies with men having infirmity. The law makes men priests which have infirmity; but the word of the oath, the Son consecrated for evermore. (Heb. 7:2828For the law maketh men high priests which have infirmity; but the word of the oath, which was since the law, maketh the Son, who is consecrated for evermore. (Hebrews 7:28).) The high priest taken from among men had compassion, for that (while priest, note) he was compassed with infirmity. That was more man's way of sympathy; for he had to offer for his own sins. Instead of this, Christ in the days of His flesh, when He was not a priest, cried to Him who was able to save Him from death, took the place of lowly, subject, sorrowful man, and received the weight of it in His soul, and then, being made perfect, acts as priest. It is not said that He was infirm like us, but in all points tempted like as we are; and that He suffered, being tempted, and therefore is able to succor them that are tempted. Another important passage, connected with this, is in Matthew. Christ took our infirmities and bare our sicknesses. Now, how was this? "And he cast out the spirits with a word, and healed all that were sick: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying, Himself took our infirmities and bare our sicknesses." I do not doubt His whole soul entered into them, in the whole sorrow and burden of them before God, in the full sense of what they were, so viewed, in order to set them aside and bar Satan's power as to them. But was He sick and infirm because Himself took our infirmities? Clearly not. In a word, it is not being Himself in the state with which He sympathizes which gives the sympathy. Christ partook of flesh and blood; that is what Scripture states, and that is the whole matter. He was a true real man in flesh and blood. That He was truly a man and an Israelite in true flesh and blood, born such, no one questions. But His associations in relationship with God were with the saints in Israel. They no doubt had the thoughts and feelings of an Israelitish saint; that is, Israel's responsibility, failure, hopes and promises formed the basis, or structure, or character of their feelings as saints; but Christ's relationship was with them. And this is the distinctive character of the book of Psalms. It takes up Israelitish hopes, and circumstances and conditions, no doubt, but as held by the saints only; and excludes the ungodly as an adverse party. Now, that was Christ's place. It was association with the holy remnant in their Israelitish condition. Their relationship to God was a holy relationship; and though they might go through every test and trial of the new nature and faith on which it was founded, and acknowledge all the failure and the sin under which they were suffering, their relationship was a holy one with God. Into that Christ enters; and, therefore, though He may enter into their sorrows and bear their guilt, He has no need to be in any other relationship to God than a holy one. In that He may feel the effects of another, just as a renewed soul, because it is near God and feels accordingly, feels its former state of sin and guilt; but it is not in it, save where guilt is not yet removed from the conscience, in which position of feeling, clearly, Christ was solely as a substitute. He is not associated with man's or Israel's distance, (save as bearing sin,) but with the children's relationship to God. Because the children partake of flesh and blood, He partook of them. The taking flesh and blood is stated as the consequences of his relationship with the children. Let us quote the passages:
"Both He that sanctifieth and they that are sanctified, are all of one."
"Saying, I will declare thy name unto my brethren."
“I and the children which God has given me." (Compare Isaiah 8.)
“I will put my trust in Him."
That is, the proof of His being in human nature is godly relationship in man.
It was not, then, that by taking flesh and blood He placed himself in the distance of man; but that, because he associated himself with the children, He partook of flesh and blood, and that is all that is said. The Sanctifier and the sanctified being all of one, He was not ashamed to call them brethren. But His relationship was with the sanctified. His spirit entered into every sorrow, His soul passed through every distress, and He suffered under every temptation; but His relationship with God was never man's or Israel's as it then was, unless the cross be spoken of, because, His was sinless, theirs sinful. It was His own. His relative position, that is, His relation to God, was according to what He was, whatever He might take upon Him or enter into in spirit, which included every sorrow and every difficulty felt, according to the full force of truth, and that before God.
This distinctive relationship with the remnant before God, the Psalms specifically show. The Spirit of Christ does not accept the position of Israel as it then stood; but distinguishes (see Ps. 1.) the Godly Man as alone owned or approved of God, and Christ, born in the world, owned as Son, and decreed King in Zion in spite of adversaries. He identifies Himself with the excellent on the earth. (Ps. 16.) God is good to Israel, even to them that are of a clean heart. He is God of Jacob, but a refuge to the remnant alone. With them, Christ in spirit identifies Himself, and abhors the rest, looking for help—judicial help—against an ungodly nation.
The circumstances of His baptism were a remarkable illustration of this. Did the Lord take His place with the Pharisees and scribes who were not baptized? Clearly, not. When does He associate Himself with Israel? In the first movement of the answer of faith to the testimony of God: when the people went to be baptized, Jesus also went. Now, that was the answer of grace to God's testimony in John, in the remnant in whose hearts He was acting—the first and lowest beginning of it—still, it was the movement of the heart under God's grace, in answer to the testimony. It was really the gracious part of Israel; it was really the excellent, the godly remnant, with whom Christ identified himself in their godliness. He was fulfilling righteousness.
13.—Regeneration Essential for the Kingdom of God.
The third chapter of John first brings the subject of the operations of the Spirit before us at large.—" A man must be born again," born of water and of the Spirit. But, while this is generally taken simply, that he must be regenerate to be saved, the passage states much more.—He cannot see nor enter into the kingdom of God, a kingdom composed of earthly things and heavenly things, of which a Jew must be born again to be partaker (however much he fancied himself a child of the kingdom) even in its earthly things, which Nicodemus, as a teacher of Israel, ought to have known, as from Ezek. 36:21-3821But I had pity for mine holy name, which the house of Israel had profaned among the heathen, whither they went. 22Therefore say unto the house of Israel, Thus saith the Lord God; I do not this for your sakes, O house of Israel, but for mine holy name's sake, which ye have profaned among the heathen, whither ye went. 23And I will sanctify my great name, which was profaned among the heathen, which ye have profaned in the midst of them; and the heathen shall know that I am the Lord, saith the Lord God, when I shall be sanctified in you before their eyes. 24For I will take you from among the heathen, and gather you out of all countries, and will bring you into your own land. 25Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean: from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you. 26A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. 27And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them. 28And ye shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers; and ye shall be my people, and I will be your God. 29I will also save you from all your uncleannesses: and I will call for the corn, and will increase it, and lay no famine upon you. 30And I will multiply the fruit of the tree, and the increase of the field, that ye shall receive no more reproach of famine among the heathen. 31Then shall ye remember your own evil ways, and your doings that were not good, and shall lothe yourselves in your own sight for your iniquities and for your abominations. 32Not for your sakes do I this, saith the Lord God, be it known unto you: be ashamed and confounded for your own ways, O house of Israel. 33Thus saith the Lord God; In the day that I shall have cleansed you from all your iniquities I will also cause you to dwell in the cities, and the wastes shall be builded. 34And the desolate land shall be tilled, whereas it lay desolate in the sight of all that passed by. 35And they shall say, This land that was desolate is become like the garden of Eden; and the waste and desolate and ruined cities are become fenced, and are inhabited. 36Then the heathen that are left round about you shall know that I the Lord build the ruined places, and plant that that was desolate: I the Lord have spoken it, and I will do it. 37Thus saith the Lord God; I will yet for this be inquired of by the house of Israel, to do it for them; I will increase them with men like a flock. 38As the holy flock, as the flock of Jerusalem in her solemn feasts; so shall the waste cities be filled with flocks of men: and they shall know that I am the Lord. (Ezekiel 36:21‑38); and to the heavenly things of which the Lord could not direct them then, save as showing the door, even the cross, a door which opened into better and higher things:—wherein (as in the Spirit's work, being prerogative power, "so was every one that was born of the Spirit," and Gentiles therefore might be partakers of it;—for it made, not found, men, what it would 'have them) the Lord declared that God loved not the Jew only, but the world. In this passage itself, then, we have not merely the individual renewed, and fit for heaven, but the estimate of the Jew, a kingdom revealed, embracing earthly and heavenly things, which the regenerate alone saw, and into which they entered—to the heavenly things of which, the cross, as yet as unintelligible as the heavenly things themselves, formed the only door: wherein was exhibited the Son of man lifted up, and the Son of God given in God's love to the world. "In the regeneration," of which the Spirit's quickening operation in the heart was the first fruits, "this Son of man would sit on the throne of His glory."
The principle then, on which men dwell, is true; but the revelation of this chapter is much wider and more definite than they suppose. It is not merely that the man is changed or saved; but he sees and enters a kingdom the world knows nothing of till it comes in power; and moreover, that such an one receives a life as true and real, and much more important and blessed than any natural life in the flesh. It is not merely changing a man by acting on his faculties, but the giving a life which may act indeed now, through these faculties, on objects far beyond them, as the old and depraved life on objects within its or their reach; but in which he is made partaker of the divine nature, in which not merely the faculties of his soul have new objects, but as in this he was partner with the first Adam, the living soul, so in that with the second Adam, the quickening Spirit. And we must add, that the Church, in order to its assimilation with Him in it, is made partaker of this, consequent upon His resurrection, and therefore is made partaker of the life according to the power of it thus exhibited; and has its existence consequent upon, yea, as the witness of, the passing away (blessed be God!) of all the judgment of its sins; for it has its life from, and consequent upon, the resurrection of Christ out of that grave in which He bore its sins. It exists, and has not its existence but, consequent upon the absolute accomplishment and passing away of its judgment.
This, then, is the real character of our regeneration into the kingdom, where the charge of sin is not, nor can be, upon us, being introduced there by the power of that in which all is put away. The life of the Church is identified with the resurrection of Christ, and therefore the unqualified forgiveness of all its flesh could do, for it was borne, and borne away. The justification of the Church is identified with living grace, for it has it, because quickened together with Him, as out of the grave, where He bore all its sins.
Thus are necessarily connected regeneration and justification; and the operation of the Spirit, not a mere acting on the faculties, a work quite separate from Christ and known by its fruits, while the death of Christ is something left to reason about; but it is a quickening together with Christ out of their trespasses and sins, in which I find myself indeed morally dead, but Hint judicially dead for me, and therefore forgiven, and justified necessarily, as so quickened. The resurrection of Christ proves that there will be a judgment, says the apostle. (Acts. 17.) It proves that there will be none for me, says the Spirit by the same blessed apostle, for he was raised for my justification. He was dead under my sins; God has raised Him; and where are they? The Church is quickened out of Jesus' grave, where the sins were left.