Selected Writings of Charles Stanley: Volume 2
Charles Stanley
Table of Contents
Introduction
It seems necessary to write a few words of introduction to Selected Writings of Charles Stanley which is a re-publication, in two volumes, of certain of his articles and tracts.
Few other Christian writers have written in a manner as easily understood on the subject of salvation through faith in the finished work of Christ, or have made it as clear that it cannot be obtained by any effort or work of our own. Mr. Stanley has ably expounded the truth that man in the flesh cannot please God, and that every effort of man to justify himself must only end in his condemnation. He has also set forth in order the grand foundation of how God, who is holy, can be just while justifying the ungodly sinner.
Perhaps the great emphasis given these all-important truths in his writings was partly due to the deep exercise of soul which he passed through, while trying to make himself fit for God. This will be best told in his own words: “For weary months I was struggling under law, seeking to meet the requirements of the law, and always failing. God the Giver, and God the Producer of all He requires was, as yet, utterly unknown. I was returning to my home in a village near Laughton, weary and sorrowful even to despair, I was alone with God in the lane: I fell to the ground in the middle of the road and groaned, ‘O Lord, I can do no more, I can go no farther,’ and I felt in my soul that I was lost. It was there the Holy Spirit revealed to me the true and blessed fact that ‘God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life,’ and oh, from that day, what mercy, what depths of mercy!”
The articles contained in these volumes are by no means all that Mr. Charles Stanley wrote. Much other profitable ministry has come from his pen, but that which has been selected for present publication covers a wide range. Certain references to persons and places, having no bearing on the truth presented, have been deleted, as well as anything of a controversial nature, Mr. Stanley was one of the “young men” who drew water from the deep wells that we may come and drink. Ruth, the Moabitess, was told by Boaz, the mighty man of wealth, to come whenever she was thirsty and drink of that which the young men had drawn. May the Lord increase our thirst and may we not seek to satisfy soul thirst with anything from the “broken cisterns” of this world. Then shall we praise Him for the refreshing drafts drawn for us by His servants. To Him be all the praise!
In either volume will be found a wide variety of subjects so that there may be food for all. Any one who is unsaved will find the Gospel simply and interestingly told and illustrated. He who is still burdened and seeking deliverance will discover God’s complete deliverance set forth. It is recommended that young Christians read these books, for they present Christ as the Object for the soul and the Motive for every right work, which is essential for spiritual growth. And the mature Christian will be refreshed as he finds the precious things of God and of Christ called to his remembrance.
1947, Editor.
As It Was in the Days of Lot
“Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded; but the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all. Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of Man is revealed” (Luke 17:28-30).
“How can this be?” some of my readers may ask. “We thought Christianity would spread until all the world would be converted. Does not the Scripture say, ‘The earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea’? (Isaiah 11:9). How, then, can this world become as wicked as Sodom; and that wickedness go on until the very day that Christ is revealed from heaven?” The answer is very simple. The Scripture nowhere teaches that the time of the earth’s blessing will be before Christ comes, but after. There can be no doubt but that it will be exactly as Christ says — as in the days of Lot; yes, until the very day that Christ is revealed from heaven. Yes, my reader may live to see that day. If not a believer, but a rejecter of Christ, you may be taken with as great surprise as when they had just taken their shutters down in Sodom, to commence another day’s business, and another day’s sins.
But let us see how it was in the days of Lot. There are some most solemn lessons connected with this subject. There was Abraham, the man of God, outside Sodom, in unhindered communion with God. There was Lot, in Sodom, and consequently out of communion with God, though saved so as by fire. And there was the doomed city of wickedness.
There was but one Abraham on the face of the earth. And how few, at any time, have really walked with God. Of the first two men born of a woman, one set aside God’s sentence on the earth, and tried to bring the best he could grow, an offering to the Lord, and was rejected. The other, Abel, owned the sentence of death, and approached God through the blood of a victim. Enoch also walked with God, but there was only one Enoch in his day. So of Noah, but there was only one Noah, out of the whole world. And in the new world, so soon filled with idolatry, there was only one Abraham. And again only one Isaac. And only one Jacob. And only one Joseph. And then, not one man of faith is named for some hundreds of years. And then, a little child is found hid by faith in an ark of bulrushes. But on the face of all the earth there was only one Moses. Aaron even worshiped a calf. And then a Joshua — a Samuel — a David. And what is the history of the prophets but that of a very few men at any time, on the face of the whole earth, fully walking with God? How often they had to walk alone, even the nation of Israel utterly departing in heart from God.
And when Jesus came to His own, did they walk in His light? Alas! they rejected and killed Him, and after the resurrection there was but one Paul. And since his day, how few have walked with God, in the power of the heavenly calling! Alas! how earthly, and worldly the great house of Christendom has become. Sad contrast to the heavenly, exalted Church of God.
And will it be so up to the very coming of Christ? There can be no mistake about it. He who cannot lie says it will be as it was in the days of Lot. Oh, far, far worse than it is now!
The Lord then appeared to Abraham as he sat, pilgrim-like, in the tent door, on the plains of Mamre (Genesis 18). There was unhindered communion at once. Not so with Lot; the Lord would not even go into the city where he was, but sent His messengers to pull him out. First the eye lusted after Sodom; then the tent pitched toward Sodom; then Sodom itself. Where are you, fellow-Christian? The eye on the world, the tent toward it, or are you in it? Sad place for a child of God! The devil is the god of it. Destruction is its end. When a man has got his utmost wish of the world, what can it afford? Ask that gray-haired old man — “What does the world afford you, prosperous, rich old man? I hear you have got a good bit of property in Sodom. Does it satisfy?” He shakes his head. “What does it afford?” He says, “An empty, aching heart; that is all.” What are the riches and honors of Sodom, in comparison with one hour’s real communion with God. Oh, for more real separation to Him; to feed on Christ with Him; to talk with God.
Not so Lot. All confusion and vexation. He tries to reform Sodom, and loses all power, even over his own family. Child of God, is it not so? True picture of every worldly Christian! How can we say, “Lead us not into temptation,” and then settle down in Sodom? But God is rich in mercy. “Hast thou here any besides? son-in-law, and thy sons, and daughters” (Genesis 19:12). Oh, precious grace, it is just what God is doing at this very time. The terrible day of the Lord is very near, but God still waits in mercy. It is as though the Lord said, I would not have those so dear to you perish; go and wake them up; tell them of My mercy, and tell them of My coming judgment. O my reader, if saved yourself, have you no sons, sons-in-law, or daughters? Are there none you love for whom you would pray, and to whom you would speak the warning word?
But Lot seemed to his own children as one that mocked. Oh, sad effect of Sodom! My reader, your children watch you; they may see you clinging and grasping at Sodom’s property. You may get your heart’s desire in this world; and when you warn your children, you may seem as one that mocks. Ah, you may see them left to perish. Still poor Lot lingers. His property is there; and “the men laid hold upon his hand ... the Lord being merciful unto him” (Genesis 19:16). Thus were he, his wife, and two daughters brought out. Not a word about sons, and sons-in-law. Even his poor wife looked back and perished.
The sun was risen. The city astir. Lot was out. Oh what a cry of wailing and bitterness, as the first drops of liquid fire fell! It was too late.
And is this the doom that awaits this deceived world? Yes: it shall come as a thief in the night. Roll on, poor world; you have rejected Christ; you have preferred a murderer for your God. The devil that deceives you shall be cast into the lake of fire with you. O my reader, is this your doom, are you still a rejecter of Christ? Do ponder the end. Today there is mercy and pardon through the precious blood of Christ. God only knows tomorrow. O may God speak to you now, by being merciful to you. Remember, it is Christ who says, “In such an hour as ye think not the Son of Man cometh” (Matthew 24:44).
Mephibosheth: or, the Kindness of God
Very early one morning, many years ago, I was reading the ninth chapter of Second Samuel. After reading it once, I thought, “What a strange chapter, about a young man lame on both his feet.” I read it again, and still I could see nothing in it. After going through it a third time, my eye rested on these words, “I will surely show thee kindness for Jonathan thy father’s sake” (2 Samuel 9:7). The thought suddenly flashed upon my mind, “Ah! there is a picture of the kindness of God, through Jesus Christ.” What a picture now lay before me, like some lovely landscape, at the break of morn. As years have rolled on, the beauty of this picture has only, to my mind, increased. Many times have I been led to preach Christ from it, and seldom without souls being converted to God. This encourages me, in faith, to trace over this interesting portion of the Word of God with my readers; trusting that God will use it in blessing to many souls.
In this picture, then, of the kindness of God, there are two characters — Mephibosheth, the child of grace; and Ziba, the self-righteous man. The condition of Mephibosheth, strikingly illustrates the state of a sinner when he is brought to God.
If you turn to the fourth chapter and fourth verse of this same book, you will find he was the son of Jonathan, the son of Saul, both now dead; that he had fallen, and become lame; and that since his fall he had been hid, lame on both his feet, in Lo-debar; which Hebrew word means, a place of no pasture. Being of the house of Saul, the enemy of David, he concluded, no doubt, that David would be his enemy; and therefore hid away from his presence.
How very strikingly this illustrates the condition of fallen man. No sooner had sin blinded the mind of Adam, than we read he “hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God amongst the trees of the garden” (Genesis 3:8). And is not this man’s very condition, to the present hour? Why is that one hurrying off to the theater, or the alehouse? Ah! he knows not God. Being at enmity with God, he concludes that God is his enemy, and he dreads His presence. The thought of going this day into the presence of God would be terrifying. Does the thought give you alarm, my reader? Ah! it is because you know not God. Perhaps you may say, “I have sinned, and that makes me afraid of God.” True, you have sinned; and I have sinned; and all have sinned. But if you knew the price He has given, that He spared not His own dear Son, then you would see that God is the only one to whom you can go, as a sinner — and be assured, “The blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin” (1 John 1:7). But let us now go on with the chapter. David said, “Is there not yet any of the house of Saul, that I may show the kindness of God unto him?” (2 Samuel 9:3).
And is not this the present work of the Spirit of God? Is there not yet any of the fallen sons and daughters of Adam to whom I may show the kindness of God? No matter how deeply fallen, utterly lame, lame on both feet, and truly in the place of no pasture. For, poor, fallen sinner, wherever thou art trying to hide from God, there is nothing, in this world of misery and sin, that can make thee happy. Is there, now? Have you pursued the phantoms of Satan, or put your trust in the world’s fair promises, until your poor heart is broken with bitter disappointment, and all is a dismal void? Then, listen, I will tell you of One that will not serve thee so.
Ziba, the self-righteous man, informed the king, that Jonathan had still a son, who was lame on his feet, in the house of Machir, the son of Ammiel, in Lo-debar. “Then King David sent, and fetched him” (2 Samuel 9:5). Now, this fetching is very beautiful. It tells out a grace so entirely of God. Man shows kindness to those who, as he thinks, deserve it. Or he expects to get something worth the kindness in return — not so with God. Mephibosheth had not done one thing to merit the kindness He had not to do his part first, as some say. No! Grace went to fetch him from Lo-debar, the very place where he was. And did not the Son of God come to poor sinners, just where they were? He came to fetch them, and He found them dead in trespasses and sins. And did he not take that very place, and die, the just for the unjust, to bring us to God? Eternal shame on every proud Pharisee, who, after this, will say, “Man must do his part first.”
Mephibosheth was too lame to do his part first. He had to be fetched. And He who knows both man’s utter lameness, and this fetching-grace, has said, “No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent Me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day” (John 6:44). And again, “All that the Father giveth Me shall come to Me; and him that cometh to Me I will in no wise cast out” (John 6:37). Ah! if it had not been for this fetching-grace, we should have all perished, in our wretched strivings to hide away from God. And “now when Mephibosheth ... was come unto David, he fell on his face” (2 Samuel 9:6). What a picture of dread and fear. As the son of Saul, the hunter of the life of David, what had he to expect? The next moment the voice of stern justice might demand his life. There he lies — a picture of a trembling sinner, brought into the presence of God, with the fearful load of guilt and sin; he knows not God — he knows not what to expect.
Before we hear the words of David, let us turn to the covenant of love, as unfolded in 1 Samuel 20:14-17. Jonathan, the father of that young man, fallen at the feet of David, speaks in the fourteenth verse — “And thou shalt not only while yet I live show me the kindness of the Lord, that I die not: but also thou shalt not cut off thy kindness from my house forever ... .And Jonathan caused David to swear again, because he loved him: for he loved him as he loved his own soul.” Did you ever visit the place of your early life, and look for the first time on the child of a dear departed friend? Then you may have some faint idea of what David felt when he looked at Mephibosheth, the son of Jonathan, laid at his feet. Who can tell the tender sweetness of that voice, that spoke from the bottom of his very heart — “Mephibosheth!” “Behold thy servant” (2 Samuel 9:6), is the trembling reply. How little did he expect the unconditional grace, that was about to be shown him. “Behold thy servant,” is the highest thought of fallen man. He ventures to offer himself as a servant to God, and hopes to be saved at last for his serving. This is the religion of every human heart.
But now hear the words of David. Like the Father, in the parable of the Prodigal, he cuts him short. “Fear not: for I will surely show thee kindness for Jonathan thy father’s sake’ and will restore thee all the land of Saul thy father; and thou shalt eat bread at my table continually” (2 Samuel 9:7). Ah! this is like God, no conditions, no bargaining. It is not, If thou wilt do this, or if thou wilt not do that. Oh, no; it is all pure grace! The kindness of God! “I will surely show thee kindness,” and that entirely for another’s sake. “And thou shalt eat bread at my table continually.” Was it not thus in the parable referred to, where Jesus was unfolding the unknown, boundless grace of the Father’s heart? Was there one reproach? Was there one condition? No, he “fell on his neck, and kissed him” (Luke 15:20). Is not this the kindness of God? Am I misrepresenting, or, with Jesus unfolding the true character of God? Is it thus that He receives the lost sinner? Are these His words to the wretched, trembling, hell-deserving sinner, I ask? Can He, pointing to the cross of Christ, say, Fear not, I will surely show thee kindness, for Jesus’ sake? All this, too, without a single condition. All pure grace, flowing from His own overflowing heart of love.
Oh, my reader, do you thus know God? “God, who is rich in mercy, for His great love wherewith He loved us, even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace are ye saved;) and hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us through Christ Jesus” (Ephesians 2:4-7). Can you say that this is your portion? Man would have sent a book of directions to the lame young man, to tell him how to repent, and how to cure his feet; and how to do I can’t tell what. But there is not a word of it here. No, he comes just as he is, nothing more was required. How could there, when David’s heart was already filled with love to him. Above all things, Satan will strive to hide this kindness of God from the poor sinner. Let God be truly known, and I need no priest on earth, or saint in heaven, to soften His heart towards me. It is already filled with love unspeakable. Are you, dear reader, feeling the burden of sin? And have you been perplexing yourself with men’s long books of directions how you are to repent, how you are to please God and get Him to save you? Perhaps one tells you to be as opposite to Colossians 2:20 as you possibly can, and that by keeping men’s ordinances and sacraments you may hope to be saved. Another, with equally deadly effect, may tell you to be deeply sorry for your sins, (they never say how deeply), and that you must give them all up, and love God with all your heart; and then you may think yourself fit to come to Christ. That is, they would fain persuade you, that you are not so utterly fallen; that you are only lame a little on one foot, and that you only need to make a crutch of Christ, and so by His help you will get on very well; and really what it comes to is, that you may merit heaven at last.
Now if you are thus bewildered and perplexed, let me beg of you to shut up, and turn away from all the schemes of men. Let your mind dwell on God, as revealed in the cross of Christ. Perhaps you may be ready to say with alarm, Then do you mean to deny repentance altogether? Far, very far, from this is my desire. And perhaps few passages of God’s Word bring out more clearly than this both what repentance is, and the true place of repentance, or that show more strikingly what produces it.
No sooner had the stream of unconditional grace been poured into the trembling heart of Mephibosheth, than, “He bowed himself, and said, What is thy servant, that thou shouldest look upon such a dead dog as I am?” (2 Samuel 9:8). It is thus that the goodness of God leadeth to repentance. The sinner is brought into the presence of infinite grace, and infinite holiness too. The true character of God is revealed to him in Christ Jesus. He hears the sweetest words of love divine: “Fear not: for I will surely show thee kindness” (2 Samuel 9:7). And the effect of this is to bow self to the dust, in the sense of this overwhelming grace. This is that change of mind called repentance. But shall I tell you, my reader, that you must thus repent before you come to Christ? No, I should as soon think of asking you to feel warm first, before you come to the fire, if I saw you perishing in the cold and storm.
But, if I mistake not, what many mean by repentance is a lifting up of self, a mending of self; and, by so doing, changing the mind of God, as though He were an angry Being, and needed our good works to turn His heart to us. Did there need to be a change of mind in David? No; his heart was full of love. Then how can there be a need to change the mind of God? What is the cross, but the expression of the love of God to perishing sinners? Now, my reader, if you knew the kindness of God to you — that nothing should ever separate you from His kindness and love in Christ Jesus — would not this instantly produce an entire change of mind in you? And the more you knew the freeness of this precious love, the more would you be humbled to the dust before Him. That which you may vainly try to work up in yourself as a preliminary to salvation, or as a title to it, would be produced the moment you believed the wondrous love of God.
And now note the contrast of these two men — Ziba the servant, and Mephibosheth the son. David calls Ziba, and gives him commands, all of which he agrees to keep. “According to all that my lord the king hath commanded his servant, so shall thy servant do” (2 Samuel 9:11). The very thing Israel foolishly engaged to do at Sinai — and the very thing thousands are engaging to do in our day, who have given up Christianity and gone back to Judaism — yes, and I fear nine out of every ten who read this paper, will belong to the religion of the servant, instead of the son.
What a contrast is seen in the words of David in pure grace to the son. “I have given” (2 Samuel 9:9). “Mephibosheth ... shall eat bread always at my table” ( 2 Samuel 9:10). “As for Mephibosheth ... he shall eat bread at my table, as one of the king’s sons” (2 Samuel 9:11). “So Mephibosheth dwelt in Jerusalem: for he did eat continually at the king’s table; and was lame on both his feet” (2 Samuel 9:13).
Not one word of grace to the servant, and not one command to the son. The one is the service of legal bondage, the other the service of the heart’s deepest affection.
Happy thy portion, child of grace! God hath given you eternal life. No longer a servant, but a royal son, at the table of your Lord. Not a sacrament to help to save you, but always sitting at the Lord’s table, breaking and eating that bread, and drinking of that cup, that reminds you of the broken body and shed blood of Christ, by which you are saved. Yes, God has given you the bread of life, on which you shall always feed. Why do you thus continually feed on Jesus? God has willed it. He has said it, and it shall be done. If you are a believer, your condition and standing cannot possibly be that of a servant. For to “as many as received [Christ], to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name” (John 1:12). “And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ” (Romans 8:17).
How immensely important it is to understand this wondrous relationship. Surely you must see that there is a great difference between the relation of a servant, and that of a son. A servant abideth not ever, but the son abideth ever. Thus grace brought Mephibosheth from his hiding-place of fear and enmity, and at once gave him all the privileges of sonship, and that without a single condition. We have seen its effect upon him, in an entire bowing of self, a thorough change of mind; yea, we shall find that his heart is won to David forever.
Cold unbelief would say, “True, he was a poor, lame thing before he was brought to David, and made a king’s son. But surely he could never enjoy the privilege of sitting at the royal table, and still be a poor lame thing.” For there are not a few who would admit that it is all grace that brings a poor, lame, lost sinner to Christ, who nevertheless imagine that when brought, his continuance and final salvation somehow depend on his own walk and obedience. This is a most bewildering and tormenting mistake. If it were true, alas! who could be saved? Every believer who knows his own heart will say, Not me. If my final salvation depended on me for one hour, I dare not even hope to be saved. Dare you? But now what do we get in this divinely-inspired picture of the kindness of God? “He did eat continually at the king’s table; and was lame on both his feet” (2 Samuel 9:13). Precious grace!
“The grace that sought and found me,
Alone can keep me there.”
The believer is often sorely perplexed, when he finds that as to all strength in himself to stand in the hour of trial, he is as weak now as he was before. And should he for one moment, forgetting his standing in grace as a son, begin trying to walk as a servant, he would get occupied with his poor lame feet. Finding thus that, as a servant under law, he cannot please God, he would be ready to give all up in despair. My reader may have been buffeted sorely in this way. You may have looked at your poor lame walk until you have said in your heart, I surely cannot be a child of God at all! Ah! you never can get peace by looking at your lame feet. Put them under the table, and look at that with which God, in His infinite grace, has spread the table. He sets before us the remembrance of Christ. All that we are in our poor, wretched, lame, dead selves, has been judged and put to death on the cross. And God reckons our old selves dead, and buried out of His sight. He sees us now risen with Christ; yea, even in Him, sat down in the heavenly places.
Oh! yes, it is quite true, the believer is in himself as lame after conversion as he was before. He has indeed a new life — a new nature now, which he had not before; and he has the Holy Spirit dwelling in him. But still his old nature, called the flesh, is what it always was. What is he to do then? Have no confidence in the flesh whatever; but own the grace that made him His, and keeps him His forever. Let us put our feet under the table then, and feast on the riches of divine grace spread before us. When we have come to the end of all dependence on self, the end of all vow-making, of all our resolutions — when we really own the utter ruin of the old man — then follows that calm dependence on Christ in which we begin to realize the power of His resurrection in a holy life. But self-righteous flesh will have a hard struggle before it gives up for dead. (See Romans 7.)
The subject of the next chapter (2 Samuel 10) is kindness shown and rejected; with the judgment consequent thereon. It is the great condemning sin. The kindness of God to a guilty world has been shown. “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only-begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:16). What kindness! But hear these solemn words: “He that believeth not is condemned already” (John 3:18). If my reader should be a rejecter of the kindness of God in the gift of His Son, think, oh! think of your eternal doom.
But I would now briefly pursue the history of these two men — types, as they were, of all at this day who have either found grace and salvation in God, or who are trying to be saved by keeping His commands.
In 2 Samuel 15 we have recorded the rebellion of Absalom. David, the true king, is rejected; and as he leaves Jerusalem, it is remarkable that he crosses the same brook that the rejected Jesus afterward crossed. “And all the country wept with a loud voice, and all the people passed over: the king himself passed over the brook Kidron” (2 Samuel 15:23). When Jesus crossed over on the night of His rejection, the few that passed with Him failed to watch even one hour. And in (2 Samuel 15:30), “David went up by the ascent of Mount Olivet, and wept as he went up.” It was to this mount Jesus led his disciples, when, having been murdered by this world, and God having raised Him from the dead, He ascended into heaven — rejected by the world, but received up into glory.
Now it is when David is thus rejected, having passed this Mount Olivet, that we find the character of Ziba, the servant, brought out. (Read 2 Samuel 16:1-4.) The first thing here is a great display of service to the king — asses loaded with bread, and fruits, and wines. How is this? says the king. Where is Mephibosheth? Ziba tells the king that he is abiding at Jerusalem, trying to get the kingdom. Really this seems as if Ziba, the self-righteous man, had the best religion. Yes, and to sight, it has always seemed so. But God knoweth the secrets of all hearts. To all outward appearance, there seemed to be great zeal and devotedness in Ziba; and he had such a beautiful form of prayer. But all was hypocrisy within. The day of the return of the rejected David at last came (2 Samuel 19:24-30), and Mephibosheth goes forth to meet him. Yes, and the day of the return of the rejected Jesus will quickly come; and every child of grace, whether sleeping in the dust, or alive when He comes, will go forth to meet Him in the air (1 Thessalonians 4:15-18).
And now the true character of both comes out. Mephibosheth “had neither dressed his feet, nor trimmed his beard, nor washed his clothes, from the day the king departed until the day he came again in peace” (2 Samuel 19:24). The kindness of David had won his heart. That heart beat with affection to the rejected king; and his affection was too deep to allow him to take any place on earth but that of a sorrowing mourner, waiting the return of him he loved.
And did not Jesus count on this on the night of His rejection? “A little while, and ye shall not see Me: and again, a little while, and ye shall see Me? Verily, verily, I say unto you, that ye shall weep and lament, but the world shall rejoice: and ye shall be sorrowful, but your sorrow shall be turned into joy” (John 16:19-20). Alas, how little have we answered the heart of our rejected Lord! I cannot make anything of it but forgetfulness of Christ, to take any other place than that Mephibosheth took — the place of a sorrowing mourner, awaiting the return of Him we love.
But what about the fruits, and bread, and wine? “Wherefore wentest not thou with me, Mephibosheth?” (2 Samuel 19:25). And now the truth is made manifest. It was he who had provided the asses’ loads of fruits. But being lame, Ziba had slipped into the saddle; and thus misrepresented Mephibosheth and played the hypocrite. And now note the deep effect of grace. Mephibosheth says, “Do therefore what is good in thine eyes. For all my father’s house were but dead men before my lord the king: yet didst thou set thy servant among them that did eat at thine own table” (2 Samuel 19:27-28). How sweet the confidence grace gives! Has my reader the settled assurance that God has given him, in pure grace, a place at His own table? Then, may you not look forward to the coming of Jesus with unmixed joy? “And the king said unto him, Why speakest thou any more of thy matters? I have said, thou and Ziba divide the land” (2 Samuel 19:29). Beautiful is the reply of Mephibosheth: “Yea, let him take all, forasmuch as my lord the king is come again in peace unto his own house” (2 Samuel 19:30). It was not the land he wanted; no, his utmost wish was realized. It was the person of him who had shown him such kindness.
And is it not so, where grace has really won the heart to Christ? It is not the things of the land. “Yea, doubtless,” says the Apostle, “I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord” (Philippians 3:8). Oh! that we were more like Mephibosheth — more like the saints at Thessalonica — “wait for His Son from heaven” (1 Thessalonians 1:10). Mephibosheth had received the kindness of David with the fullest confidence; in spite of all his lameness, he had never doubted the reality of David’s love, but had patiently waited for David’s return; bearing every reproach, until the time should come. The Thessalonians had also received the glad tidings of the grace of God in power, and in the Holy Spirit, and in much assurance — and hence they bore with patience, and even joy, every insult and affliction from the hands of their enemies. And what was the secret power of this? They waited for Jesus from heaven. The real children of God have always been hated and slandered — yea, often burnt at the stake — by these boasting law-keepers for salvation.
But what a day is coming! Who can tell how soon He may come for whom we wait? His very last words were “Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus” (Revelation 22:20). Did David return, and will not David’s Lord? Yes, our eyes shall soon behold Him. Oh, bright and blessed hope! Not the millennium. Not fulfillments of prophecy. These are blessed in their place — but it is Jesus Himself that the believer, who has been washed in His blood, longs to see.
This beautiful illustration stretches still further on, in 2 Samuel 21 — the day of judgment on the house of Saul. “But the king spared Mephibosheth, the son of Jonathan the son of Saul, because of the Lord’s oath that was between them, between David and Jonathan the son of Saul” (2 Samuel 21:7). This closes the history of this child of grace. And long after Jesus shall have returned, and His kingdom have been set up; when the Church of God shall long have enjoyed the heavenly glory of Christ, and Israel shall have enjoyed the glory of the kingdom on earth; yea, even when the great white throne shall be set, and when the fallen sons of Adam shall stand before that throne; then, not one that was numbered in the family of grace, in the counsels of eternity, no, not even one, shall be lost. But where will the careless sinners, or even the doers for salvation, appear in that day? Find me a man that professes to be a keeper of the law, that is not a breaker of the law. Can you, my reader, or can I, stand before that throne on the ground of our doings? Impossible. Surely, the man that pretends to be better than his neighbor, must be a hypocrite; for God says, there is no difference — all have sinned. No, no! it is not by works that any sinner can be saved. If you can find a man that is not a sinner, well, let him try. But a sinner needs pardon. “And without shedding of blood is no remission” (Hebrews 9:22). Blessed Jesus, thou hast borne the wrath, the curse, the judgment, due to thy people’s sins and now unhindered kindness and eternal peace are the happy portion of every soul that rests in thee. Look at the cross, my reader, and listen. Does not God speak there to thee? “I will surely show thee kindness” (2 Samuel 9:7). But must there be no works in return? Oh! yes, real, deep, heart-service — the fruit of saving faith. How many works that seem to be good works before men, are really nothing in the sight of God! Men load themselves with heavy burdens of self-righteous doings; and yet, what are they all, but the mere rejection of the unmerited kindness of God?
The deeper thy assurance of the unchangeable kindness of God to thee, a worthless sinner, the deeper will be thy hatred of sin, and the fuller thy joy in whole-hearted, devoted service to Christ; and the more earnestly, though patiently, wilt thou wait for His return from heaven.
Joseph, Type of the Risen Christ
Read Genesis 45.
It is most interesting and profitable to trace in the Old Testament histories the shadows of God’s purposed blessings in the risen Christ. The history of Joseph is a picture penciled by the hand of God. When the light of resurrection is thrown upon it, the whole is lit up with indescribable beauty.
When Joseph made himself known to his brethren, he had been, as it were, dead about twenty years. Yes, twenty long years had passed away since his father had said, “I will go down into the grave unto my son mourning” (Genesis 37:35). Thus, with rent clothes and sackcloth upon his loins, had Jacob wept for him. But now Israel said, “It is enough; Joseph my son is yet alive” (Genesis 45:28). As a type of Christ, death and resurrection are the two great points. The preeminence of Christ was shadowed forth in the dreams of Joseph (Genesis 37). The sheaves of the field, the sun and the moon, and the eleven stars made obeisance to Him.
“Jesus! Lord of all creation,
To Him shall all creation bow.”
“God hath highly exalted Him, and given Him a name which is above every name: that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth” (Philippians 2:9-10).
The preeminence of Joseph filled his brethren with envy; the preeminence of Jesus filled the Jews with hatred. The brethren of Joseph said, “Behold, this dreamer cometh. Come, now therefore, and let us slay him, and cast him into some pit” (Genesis 37:19-20). And the Jewish brethren of Jesus said, “This is the heir; Come let us kill Him” (Matthew 21:38). Joseph was cast into the pit. “And they took him, and cast him into a pit: and the pit was empty, there was no water in it” (Genesis 37:24). The wickedness of their hearts was thus manifested; they cast him into a pit, and they sat down to eat bread. The Jews crucified Jesus, and then sat down to keep high Sabbath, Joseph was sold for twenty pieces of silver; Jesus was sold for thirty. Like Isaac, in this shadow, Joseph did not actually die; there was no water in the pit. But with our precious Jesus, He sank in the deep mire. He says, “All thy waves and thy billows are gone over me” (Psalm 42:7). Yes, Isaac, when laid on the altar, was spared; Joseph, when cast into the pit was spared: but when Jesus was nailed to the cross, God “spared not His own Son” (Romans 8:32). Cruel as was the treatment of Joseph’s brethren, yet he was not forsaken; but Jesus cried out, “My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me?” (Matthew 27:46). Oh! why was He thus forsaken on the cross? Oh! why did it please Jehovah to bruise Him? Ah, “Thou shalt make His soul an offering for sin ... . Surely He hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows ... . He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities” (Isaiah 53:10,4-5). The sufferings of Joseph were against his will; but the death of Jesus was his own voluntary offering. “I lay down My life for the sheep” (John 10:15). Yes, “Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God” (1 Peter 3:18). Thus has our God commended His love to us.
Joseph is sold into Egypt, and his brethren have got rid of him. Jesus is killed, and the world has got rid of Him. The lies and deceit of Joseph’s brethren succeed so well and so long, until Joseph is almost forgotten. If ever remembered, he is only remembered as the one that is dead, or the “one [who] is not” (Genesis 42:32).
Oh! dark, cruel world, you have killed the Prince of Life, and boastest of progress; long and well have you succeeded with your lies and delusions. But you are doomed; your day is at hand; your seven years of plenty will soon run out; then shall your seven-fold judgments come. If you remember Jesus, it is only as one that is dead, or one that is not. Oh! despising, rejecting world, you shall soon find Him to be to you the terrible Lord of heaven and earth.
Let us return to the history. Seventeen years of age was Joseph when he fed the flocks with his brethren; and he was thirty years old when he stood before Pharaoh, king of Egypt. Seven years of plenty had also run their course, so that for twenty years the foul sin of his cruel brethren had been concealed. But at last “the famine was sore in all lands” (Genesis 41:57).
How often this is the case. Sin may be forgotten while years of plenty roll away. While the prodigal rolls in luxury, we hear nothing of his sins or his father’s house; but when all is spent, and the famine comes, then he cannot forget his sins, and must return to his father’s house. Truly,
“God moves in a mysterious way
His wonders to perform.”
“I cannot forget the things I did sixty years ago,” said an old man to me, the other day, on his dying bed. Should these lines meet the eye of one who has rolled in plenty! and now every worldly hope is blighted; that idol once so dear to you is gone; wealth and wealth’s friends are gone. In poverty and need you find it a cold, cruel world; little did you expect the treatment you have met. Is it a famine in all lands to you? Oh! the thousands of hearts thus wrung with bitter anguish in this cold, deceitful world.
Let me speak a little further. How about your sin? is that question settled? Have you to add to your heavy sorrows a troubled conscience? Perhaps sometimes, the remembrance of sin is unbearable; at such a time the thought comes, and sticks like a poisoned arrow, “My sins have brought all this on me.” But you try to forget them.
The seven years of plenty were ended; the seven years of famine began. As the prodigal remembered the bread; so Jacob heard there was corn in Egypt; and the ten brethren of Joseph must go down and buy, that they may live, and not die.
Ah, when the Spirit of God begins to deal with a man, how He can bring sin home to the conscience. Joseph was governor over all the land; to Joseph they must come; no other person under heaven can give them bread. They knew not that it was he. In like manner the soul must be brought to Jesus. “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved” (Acts 4:12). Yes, “Joseph’s brethren came, and bowed down themselves before him, with their faces to the earth” (Genesis 42:6). What must he have felt, for he knew them, though they did not know him. No doubt they were much altered in twenty years. Remorse had marked the features of some; felt need had brought them all. It is so with the sinner, when first seeking salvation; he may not come with the full confession of sin, so much as with the desire of being saved.
Joseph “spoke roughly unto them” (Genesis 42:7). The question of sin must be bottomed. The cutting cord of a guilty conscience must be pulled a little tight. “Ye are spies” (Genesis 42:9). And now note their defense — “We are all one man’s sons; we are true men” (Genesis 42:11). They stood in the presence of him they had rejected, and, as it were, killed, and could talk of being true men. What a picture of this world! — men can reject Christ, and then can pretend to keep the law.
They say they are twelve brethren; the youngest is with their father; and then, meaning Joseph himself, they say, “And one is not” (Genesis 42:13). The cord is pulled a little tighter. Except they send and fetch their youngest brother, they shall not go hence; and, instead of getting corn, they are all put into prison. And thus God seems sometimes to treat the awakened soul roughly; instead of giving salvation, the poor, anxious one finds himself in Joseph’s prison. But on the third day — for resurrection is the only door out of Joseph’s prison — “This do, and live” (Genesis 42:18) says Joseph; let a surety be given, and you are set free, till you bring your younger brother. But, oh! what bitter anguish guilt gives. “And they said one to another, We are verily guilty concerning our brother, in that we saw the anguish of his soul, when he besought us, and we would not hear; therefore is this distress come upon us” (Genesis 42:21). Oh! how bitter is the grief of the heart! When guilt weighs upon the conscience, you look back upon past sins with indescribable remorse. But this is not true repentance; that has not come yet.
Rough as Joseph appeared to be to them, there was nothing but love in his heart; “He turned himself about from them, and wept” (Genesis 42:24). They little thought it was Joseph, for he spoke to them by an interpreter. However hard God’s ways may seem to the trembling, guilty soul, He is love. When Jesus beheld the city, He wept. The substitute is bound before their eyes, and they receive their sacks full of corn. All seems over; they have got their corn, and they depart from that mysterious governor. A moment’s relief. This often happens to the soul. You have certainly got a blessing; perhaps your heart feels as full of it as their sacks were full of corn. But you have not fully repented yet; the question of sin is not settled yet; you are not truly and fully converted yet.
Ah, it was a sore stroke, when one opened his sack at the inn, and espied his money. Their distress was greater than ever. “And their heart failed them, and they were afraid, saying one to another, What is this that God hath done unto us?” (Genesis 42:28). Yes, in a moment, even when you thought you had clean done with sin, some circumstance opened the sack mouth; the remembrance of sin comes rushing like a mountain torrent; oh! the heart fairly fails. Thus must heart and flesh fail, when conscience is brought into the light of the presence of God. Satan roars at such a time, “God is against thee, thou vile sinner.” Well is it, at such a dead thrust at the soul, to remember that Satan is a liar. But, alas! at those times, one seems ready to swallow every word he says.
They return to their father. The sorrowing old man is overwhelmed with grief when he hears their account. “All these things are against me” (Genesis 42:36) said he. Little did he think how all these things were for him. The only thing before his mind was the death of his Joseph.
Still the famine was sore in the land: To Egypt’s governor again they must go. Poor, troubled, tossed soul! to Jesus you must go. What trouble of conscience! Benjamin must be given up; Judah becomes surety forever. All this must be the experience of the soul that only knows the death of Jesus. Well, if they must go, the old man says they must take the best of the land — a little balm, a little honey, spices and nuts, myrrh and almonds, and double money. Ah, how like Cain’s religion; he thinks God wants man’s best fruits. They knew not Joseph; man knows not God; He makes fresh resolutions, fresh efforts at self-righteousness; a little balm, a little honey; and it is a little, is it not?
They came with their gifts, but found Joseph’s feast. It seemed so strange. Brought into his house, they are afraid, they think he seeks occasion against them to fall upon them. But instead of deserved wrath, it is “Peace be to you, fear not” (Genesis 43:23) and gave them water to wash their feet. Joseph comes home at noon. Again they bow to him; his heart is moved with yearning love; he says, “Is your father well, the old man of whom ye spake? is he yet alive?” (Genesis 42:27). What he must have felt, and they knew him not. They say he is alive, and they bowed down their heads. But when be saw his long-loved brother Benjamin, he could hold no longer; he said, “God be gracious unto thee, my son” (Genesis 42:29). He made haste, and went out, and wept. What a picture of Divine grace! Oh! my reader, if you knew the yearning heart of God!
Joseph still refrains himself. They all sit down to the feast. Ah! see what man is “They drank, and were merry with him” (Genesis 42:34). Sin is forgotten again, and they are merry. But this is not conversion. Sin may be forgotten for a time; you may feast at the board of the Lord; but forgetting and forgiveness are two very different things.
Their sacks are filled again. There may be repeated blessing, and still ignorance how sin is forever put away. The cup is found in Benjamin’s sack; this fairly breaks them down. “What shall we say unto my lord? What shall we speak? or how shall we clear ourselves? God hath found out the iniquity of thy servants” (Genesis 44:16). Ah! such is now the overwhelming remembrance of sin, that they give up all attempts to clear self, and yield themselves up as guilty. Judah wishes to be surety for his brother. There was, doubtless, a great change in them from that day when Joseph was cast into the pit. There may be any amount of anguish, sorrow, and remorse, as it was with Judas Iscariot, and still no true conversion, and no true change of mind.
What did change their minds? Let us now look at Genesis 45.
We have seen them brought to utterly despair of clearing themselves; they are guilty before God. “Then Joseph could not refrain himself before all them that stood by him; and he cried, Cause every man to go out from me. And there stood no man with him, while Joseph made himself known unto his brethren. And he wept aloud” (Genesis 45:1-2). What would be their thoughts when he said, “I am Joseph” (Genesis 45:3)? Can you imagine their astonishment? What a change of mind; every thought in their hearts would be turned. The very Joseph whom they had cast into the pit, of whom they had long spoken as dead, now alive again, now before them, lord of all Egypt. They could not speak; they were troubled; and well they might be at his presence. Justice could have demanded their lives, but, in grace, “Joseph said ... Come near to me, I pray you” (Genesis 45:4). And Jesus says, “Come unto Me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28). The Joseph who was as dead is alive, and makes himself known. This gives them the true change of mind about Joseph.
Oh! how like the revelation of the dead and risen Christ to Saul of Tarsus; the one was as sudden as the other. Saul was on his murderous mission to Damascus, his heart filled with hatred to the name and followers of Jesus. Suddenly a light above the brightness of the sun shines round about him; a voice speaks, and says, “Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? ... It is hard for thee to kick against the pricks” (Acts 9:4-5). Astounded at these words, Saul replies, “Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus” (Acts 9:5).
“Joseph said unto his brethren, I am Joseph” (Genesis 45:3). Jesus said to Saul, “I am Jesus” (Acts 9:5); and the effect was the same. The moment Saul heard those few words, “I am Jesus,” every thought in his heart was turned. It was the revelation of the living Joseph that changed their minds; it is the revelation of the risen Jesus that alone gives the true change of mind not to be repented of.
“And they came near” (Genesis 45:4). Blessed place for the poor, guilty sinner to be brought to god. Oh! my fellow-sinner, think, oh! think, what grace is this! The God against whom you have sinned is the One to go to, and so near. Ah, He knows all your sins, only don’t seek to justify self; own you are guilty; own it to Him; He knows you cannot clear yourself. He knows you are guilty.
And now hear the words of Joseph; he said, “I am Joseph your brother, whom ye sold into Egypt” (Genesis 45:4). He says, “God sent me before you to preserve you a posterity in the earth, and to save your lives by a great deliverance. So now it was not you that sent me hither, but God” (Genesis 45:7-8). Truly this is most precious as a type of the risen Christ. Peter, speaking of the resurrection of Jesus, says, “Him, being delivered by the determinate council and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain: Whom God hath raised up” (Acts 2:22-36). He then shows that this was God’s promise to David; indeed, his purpose in all Scripture. “Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ” (Acts 4:36). Thus that same Joseph whom they cast into the pit, God made lord of all Egypt. That same Jesus, whom men crucified, God hath made Lord of heaven and earth.
The making known of Joseph changed his brethren’s minds; the making known of the risen Jesus gave repentance and remission of sins to three thousand souls. But if, in this shadow, God purposed by Joseph to save much people alive, what I ask, was God’s wondrous purpose of grace in the death and raising again of Jesus from the dead. The purpose of God in resurrection is so little thought of in this day, I scarce know how to speak sufficiently plain to be understood. Take this illustration: a gardener has his vinery so blighted, the vines are so dead, that he cannot possibly have fruit from the old vines. Knowing this, he purposes, and brings in, an entire new vine, new kind, new stock, that he may have fruit. He does not purpose to improve the old vines, but to set them aside, and have an entire new vinery. The old vinery of Adam’s race is blighted with sin. God sees it so dead in trespasses and sins, that He knows fruit cannot be found in it. Man is ruined, dead, blighted with sin. Now, this is the long forgotten truth. God did not purpose, in sending His beloved Son, to improve the old vinery, but to set it aside in death, even the death of Jesus, proving, that as Jesus died for all, then were all dead. And thus, in raising Jesus from among the dead, God has begun a new vinery, so to speak; an entire new creation, having entirely new life, new nature, everything new, and everything of God. Men could not make a greater mistake than they do in trying to improve the old vinery. In Christ risen from the dead, the beginning of this glorious new creation, all is perfect and everlasting; and if any man is in Him, old things are passed away, all things become new, and all things of God (2 Corinthians 5:14-18).
If Joseph had not been sent into Egypt to preserve life they must have perished in the famine. If the gardener had not got a new vine, the vinery would have perished with the blight. If Christ had not died, and risen again, the whole world would have perished through sin. If Christ had lived forever in the flesh, though in the midst of this world’s blighted vinery, He could not have improved its condition; He must die, and be the first born from the dead, or all must perish. Nothing could atone for sin, but His precious blood. Nothing could give life to the dead but the life of the risen One, who destroyed death by dying.
Now, note, all blessing in this type flows from this risen Joseph. He is lord of all Egypt. His brethren are not only forgiven — and, oh! how forgiven! “He kissed all his brethren, and wept upon them” (Genesis 45:15). What assurance of forgiveness. But this was not all, they were blessed with earthly blessings in the land of Goshen. Grace not only forgave, but abounded over all their sin. My fellow-believer, we have not only forgiveness of sins through the blood of Jesus, but God hath blessed us in this risen Christ with all blessings in heavenly places. Now, for your everlasting comfort and joy, do ponder, this well — that vile as was man in putting Jesus to death, yet was it really God who fore-ordained Him to this very death of the cross, for the express purpose of saving you with a great salvation. View the amazing death of the cross as a transaction, entirely between God and His Son, for your salvation. God sent Him for the very purpose; Jesus died for the very purpose of cleansing you from all sin, and bringing you into an entirely new creation, where sin can never, never be; where the blight of death, or breath of pollution can never come: oh, blessed fact, sin can never mar God’s new creation, in the risen Christ. Oh, wondrous, stupendous grace. God’s eternal purpose, God’s greatest work is thus shadowed forth in the history of Joseph. That very Jesus, who died on the cross, who lay in the cold grave, is now the head of the new creation; exalted above all principalities and powers; “Head over all things to the Church, which is His body, the fullness of Him that filleth all in all” (Ephesians 1:22-23). Oh! the eternal mystery, kept hid from ages. Poor, dead sinners of the Gentiles raised up together, and made sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus. Oh! what a triumph to God. Look at the old creation, and then at the new. Look from Adam, its beginning; to the cross, its end. Ah, and there is another end for such as despise that cross — the Lake of Fire — sad scene of sin and misery, doom and death. Now look at the new, heavenly, holy creation, Christ “the beginning, the firstborn from the dead” (Colossians 1:18). Oh! view it rise and swell; every soul that passes from death unto life filling up the heavenly body.
When Joseph’s brethren were come, it pleased Pharaoh well, and his servants. What must be the joy of God in the new risen creation. There is joy in the presence of God over one sinner that repenteth. But when that bright resurrection morn shall come, that morn without a cloud — so near — when the whole redeemed Church shall rise to meet the Lord; ah! then what a scene of unmingled delight. God will have His infinite joy, His eternal rest. Oh! bright and glorious prospect, view my soul that fair creation. The delight of God shall beam in every eye, shall ravish every heart. Desolate, weary pilgrim, you shall be there. The love that died for you, the love that is gone to prepare your place in those mansions [abodes] of light will, oh, yes, He will bring you there. Press on! press on! what is this world’s vain store to you?
It grieved Joseph, when the misgiving hearts of his brethren said, “Joseph will peradventure hate us” (Genesis 50:15). How often does Satan whisper those dark “peradventures”. He says, “Perhaps after all, God will deal with you as you deserve.” They had not rested fully, and alone, in the love of Joseph. They had a secret leaning on the life of the old man, their father. This is too often the case with the believer, some secret trust in the old man, its religiousness, or its morality. The heart has not been fully brought to trust in the love of God, in Jesus alone. Then our old nature is found to be sin itself. Then follow misgivings, and terrible conflict. We are compelled to own ourselves vile, and utterly dead. When Jacob was dead, Joseph’s brethren drank still more deeply of his kindness and love. And when we are stripped of everything, not a particle left of old self in which we can trust, then it is sweet indeed, to find the unchanged love of our Jesus still the same. Oh! Lamb of God, thou art worthy of our entire, our only trust — thine is love beyond a brother’s.
Once more, reader. Have you thus learned the love of Jesus? Do you know Him? Have the thoughts of your heart been thus changed about Jesus? Have you ever found yourself in His presence, as the brethren of Joseph? Have you heard the words of Jesus, and believed on God who sent Him? then He says “You have everlasting life.” Oh! fear not, you shall not come into condemnation. You are passed from death unto life. No man can be said to have true repentance, or a true change of mind, until thus brought alone to Christ. You need no other but Jesus to speak to; no creature heart so kind as His. Oh! have you owned your sin to Him, to Him alone? Have you thus been brought to Him? Oh! poor doubting one, look again at this lovely picture, this beautiful illustration of the meeting of a poor sinner with Jesus the risen Christ. God give you now to hear His own sweet words of untold love.
Every man had to go out while Joseph made himself known to his brethren. This at once changed their minds. His forgiving love melted their hearts. “They were troubled at his presence” (Genesis 45:3). But he said, “Be not grieved” (Genesis 45:5). He was a lovely type of the risen Jesus. When the risen Jesus made himself known, and stood in the midst of His disciples, He said, “Peace be unto you” (Luke 24:36) but they were terrified and affrighted, and supposed that they had seen a spirit. But now, note His tender words. He said unto them, “Why are ye troubled? And why do thoughts arise in your hearts? Behold My hands and My feet” (Luke 24:38-39). Thus it behooved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead. He says, “Peace be unto you” (Luke 24:36). Do you believe Him? Forgiveness, perfect, everlasting, certain forgiveness is preached to you. What love to the guilty and lost. Joseph had not one angry word. Jesus would not have us feel one troubled thought.
Vile as was man’s act in crucifying Him; vile as have been our sins in rejecting Him; yet, now He makes Himself known in perfect love. Oh! look at His wounded hands and feet. Ah, we! our sins gave agony and death to Him. His death gives peace — everlasting peace to us. The peace of Joseph’s brethren was the peace that Joseph gave them in his own presence. There was nothing but peace in his heart to them. For this Jesus died, that we might have peace through His blood. It is not our happy feelings that give peace, it is the blood of Jesus. He has made peace for us. He, is our peace. He died for our sins. He rose for our justification. Being justified by faith, we have peace with God. Joseph wept upon his brethren. This was enough to melt the hardest heart. They deserved the severest wrath — he showed them the freest love. Poor, weary, doubting one, is not this a true picture of God? Did not the father fall upon the prodigal’s neck? (Luke 15) was there one angry look, or one hard word? Ah, when God is thus revealed to the poor soul, trembling beneath the burden of guilt, then what a change of mind. How melting, the certainty of pardoning love. God would have us perfectly happy in His presence — not a doubt — not a cloud — not a spot remains. If God appointed Joseph’s sorrows to save much people alive, has He not, by the death of Jesus, brought an innumerable company of lost sinners into the life and glory of the risen Christ. This was God’s eternal purpose. This is God’s greatest work. Words fail to express the greatness of that mighty work which He wrought in Christ to us-ward, when He raised Him from the dead. Nothing can be more certain, than that the very place God hath given the risen Christ, is the place He hath given to all believers in Him. Joseph was not ashamed to own his brethren before Pharaoh. Jesus is not ashamed to call us brethren. Have you, my reader, believed this wondrous love — this wondrous power? Then, you are risen with Him. What manner of persons ought we to be? Dead with Christ — risen with Christ — one with Him forever. Well might the Apostle say, “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service” (Romans 12:1). What a change it must have been to Joseph’s brethren; starved with famine, oppressed with guilt, seeking a little food. Read over again Genesis 45, and note the unbounded kindness of Joseph. What full forgiveness! what provision for the way! changes of raiment to every man. What joy in his presence! Yes, the beggars and aliens, are the brothers and joint heirs with Joseph, bone of his bone, and flesh of his flesh.
Glowing as is the picture, it is but a shadow of the heavenly relationship in which the believer now stands. Once an alien, without God, an enemy by wicked works, trying to hide and forget sin; then a convicted, trembling, guilty, wretched, famished sinner, in the presence of the God of righteousness, yet God of grace. A person once said to me, in London, after hearing the subject of Joseph, Oh, that I knew for certain that God loves me as Joseph loved his brethren.” I replied, “If you did, that alone could not give you peace; you must know that God not only loves you in purest grace, that you have not a particle more merit than Joseph’s brethren had; but, also, that God is infinitely righteous, through the death of Jesus, in showing you this unbounded love.”
Yes, believer, this amazing change in your condition and relationship could only be brought about by the tremendous judgment due to your sins being first laid on Jesus, the righteous One. “Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God” (1 Peter 3:18). What a change! brought to God. Once, with all the world, dead in trespasses and sins; now brought with Jesus from among the dead. What a new existence, new creation! One with Christ, “Who is the beginning, the first-born from the dead” (Colossians 1:18). Yes, happy fellow-believers, “We are the children of God ... heirs of God, and joint heirs with Christ” (Romans 8:16-17). Our standing before God, in Christ, the beginning of the new creation, is “glorious,” without spot or wrinkle, or any such thing; holy, and without blame. Yea, so unspeakably real is the oneness of the risen Lord, and the risen Church, that “we are members of His body, of His flesh, and of His bones” (Ephesians 5:30). Oh, amazing grace! “Blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ” (Ephesians 1:3). Yea, God “hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus” (Ephesians 2:6). Oh! my fellow-believers, if this is our standing in the risen Christ, what ought our walk to be? As surely as the rejected Joseph was manifested, in due time, the lord of all Egypt, so surely the rejected Jesus will, very, very soon, be manifested; in brightest glory, Lord of heaven and earth. I have no doubt this type will then be fulfilled as to His brethren, the Jews; they shall look on Him whom they pierced, and shall say, “What are these wounds in Thine hands?” (Zechariah 13:6). And when they hear those tender words, “Those with which I was wounded in the house of My friends” (Zechariah 13:6), then the conversion of Israel will be as sudden as the change in Joseph’s brethren. But, great as will be their earthly blessing and glory, what is it to be compared with the heavenly glory of the Church! “Then shall the world know that the Father hath loved us, even as He hath loved Christ” (John 17:23). Blessed Jesus, by faith, we now see Thee crowned with glory and honor. But, oh! come quickly, and manifest Thy glory; then every knee shall bow, O Lord, to Thee.
What Is Good News to a Man Who Feels Himself Lost?
I was deeply impressed with a letter I received from a person at a distance, in which he stated, “the gospel as [sometimes] preached in our day, is of no use to a man who feels himself to be lost.”
When a man has broken the laws of his country, and is under sentence of death, he paces the floor of his gloomy cell, looks through the iron grate, and thinks of the fearful morrow. That is something like being lost, as to this world. Let us go down the dark passage, and speak to him at the iron grate. Hark! how he groans. What will you say to him? Would a lecture on morality do? Would you tell him to be a good man and keep the laws of his country? Would he not reply, You very much mistake my case; that sort of talk is no help to me at all; my life is forfeited; I am under the sentence of death. Poor lost one! Would it help him if you engaged to keep the laws of his country for him? Not in the least; the law demands his life, and the day is fixed. The only way of keeping the law for him would be to die in his stead; and the only good news that would meet his case would be of a free pardon.
Such is the case of an awakened sinner who feels himself lost. This world to him is a condemned cell. The devil roars in his conscience, Guilty! guilty! He has tried to be innocent; he has pleaded “Not as guilty as my neighbors”; he has tried “to mend”; he has tried to keep the law of God; he has broken it more and more. And now, trembling with guilt and fear, conscience, the devil’s jailer, has turned the heavy bolt of the iron gate of despair. And thus, sooner or later, every sinner who gets saved is brought to utter despair as to all help in self, or self’s doing. Now what is the good news that will meet a man who has thus learned the truth about himself, and feels himself lost? Will it meet his case to tell him to amend his life, to love God, and keep His commandments? Would he not reply, You don’t understand my case at all; if I could do that, I should not be lost; I am lost, I am vile, I am condemned; I have forfeited my life, heaven, everything!
Reader, are you the man? Have I described your condition — are you one who feels yourself lost? Then hearken! I will tell you of One who came to seek, and to save the lost. I come not to your iron grate to tell you what you must do. Nothing that you can do can save you from your dark condemned cell, nor your future fearful doom. If the Spirit of God has thus made you feel that you are lost, I have good news from heaven for you. There sits Jesus at the right hand of the Majesty on high; He is the blessed One, who came in pity to this condemned cell, who took the sinner’s place, died the Just for the unjust. You had forfeited your life. He gave up His own, even to the death of the cross. You had forfeited heaven. He left it and became the Man of sorrows. Oh think of the glory of this mighty Saviour. He knew that nothing short of His very life’s blood could meet your guilty, condemned state. He gave it freely. What plenteous redemption through that precious blood! You had sinned against God, and God is satisfied, justified, glorified by this precious sacrifice. God has raised Him from the dead, and through Him is preached “the forgiveness of sins” (Acts 13:38); free, full, everlasting forgiveness — through Him, not through your doing. And by Him, not by your doing, you, and all that believe are justified from all things, from which you could not be justified by the law of Moses.
Your door is open; come out, and rejoice in the gospel that suits the man who feels himself to be lost.
The Righteousness of God
God has graciously given us a complete, divine revelation of Himself, in His Word! That revelation is complete: there is no further development. But how little have we studied and searched it! How little we understand of its fullness! With many, the distinct object of the Spirit in each book of the Scriptures is very little understood, and hence what confusion! Passages are often quoted which, if examined, would be found to refer to totally different subjects.
Let us take one or two important illustrations: “The righteousness of God” (Romans 3:21). How commonly this is quoted from such scriptures as Romans 3:21-26, as if it meant the righteousness of Christ. Is not this great and serious confusion? Is it not as clearly as words can express, the righteousness of God in justifying the believer, whether before Christ came or after — the righteousness of God without law, or apart from law altogether? Not on the principle of law in any sense, but “being justified freely by His grace [by God’s grace] through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: whom God hath set forth a propitiation through faith in His blood, to declare His [God’s] righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; To declare, I say, at this time, His [God’s] righteousness: that He [God] might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus” (Romans 3:24-26). This great foundation truth, how God is righteous in justifying, is scarcely ever heard, even in evangelical preaching. I have read carefully the preachings at Exeter Hall and elsewhere, in defense of the gospel, as attacked by hosts of infidel ministers; and I thank God for the zeal of so many who spoke. Yet we are compelled to say on this most important truth, “the righteousness of God,” the trumpet gave a most uncertain sound. No anxious inquirer could tell from those preachings what “the righteousness of God” means. It is so confused with the righteousness of Christ. Far be it from me to seek to oppose those learned and gifted men. I would only seek to help. I am sure nothing would help them and the whole church of God more than a clearer understanding of this subject.
What then is the righteousness of God? and what is the righteousness of Christ? Righteousness is perfect consistency of character and actions, according to the relation of one being to others, or with himself. Thus the righteousness of God is the perfect harmony of His attributes in His dealings with all created beings — perfect consistency with Himself, and that in justifying the ungodly sinner. How could His perfect love to me a sinner, and His infinite hatred of my sins, be in absolute harmony? The redemption work and infinite propitiation for my sins, and substitution on the cross, is God’s only possible answer to this awful question. Blessed be God, He is righteous, and my justifier! Let a man place himself in honest truth before God as a guilty sinner, and then he will find in the gospel the only possible revelation of the righteousness of God in justifying him. Now the way God is righteous in justifying the sinner is “through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus” (Romans 3:24). The Scripture does not say through the righteousness of Christ imputed to the sinner to restore him before God, just as if he had kept the law, and never failed to keep it. It is quite a different Gospel to seek to reinstate man as a fallen child of the first Adam; and there is no mistake we are so liable to make as this.
Bearing in mind, then, that the righteousness of God is God’s whole purpose of salvation for guilty man, from first to last, and that purpose has been accomplished by Christ in redemption, let us then inquire, What is the righteousness of Christ? and then what is the redemption that He has wrought? The reader may not be aware that there is not exactly such an expression in scripture as the righteousness of Christ; 2 Peter 1:1 is the nearest to it. But there His Godhead is spoken of. We may say, however, the gospels present the only perfect righteous Man that ever trod this earth: perfect, and in absolute harmony with the mind and will of God, consistent with every relationship in which He stood. But that obedience must go up to the death of the cross. He must die, or remain alone. That one obedience must meet all the sinner’s need, in order that the many may be made righteous (Romans 5:18-19).
He must be a spotless victim, without sin, to do this, as it is written, “For He hath made Him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him” (2 Corinthians 5:21). Thus “Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth” (Romans 10:4). Every type and shadow, every sacrifice, the utmost demand and curse of the law on the guilty (and that is what we surely are) has found its very end in Christ. God is glorified above the heavens, in absolute righteousness in justifying the guilty. Yes, God’s righteousness is exalted above the highest heavens, before the whole universe. Praise ye the Lord!
But is this Christ keeping the law, and that placed to man’s account to restore him, and make good his standing before God as a law keeper? Does righteousness come in this way by law? If so, there is no meaning in redemption. And it is remarkable, that wherever this different gospel is preached, which is not another gospel, redemption is not understood and seldom referred to.
What is redemption? Now, before reading another line, take a sheet of paper, and write down what you understand by redemption, especially if you have held that Christ’s keeping the law is one half of our salvation, and His atoning death the other half.
Let us take God’s own type for illustration: the redemption of Israel from Egypt. It would require quite a different story to illustrate the different gospel. Take just one point in Exodus 5. They are in bitter bondage as slaves; they have no straw, and they cannot make the count of bricks. They are in sore distress. Does Moses, as a figure of Christ, make up the count of bricks for them? Are the bricks that Moses made imputed to them, so as to make up the full legal count? There is no such thought in a single figure of the Old Testament, or a verse in the New. Redemption is not the amelioration or improvement of man as the slave of sin and Satan; but, as in Egypt, it is the bringing man out of the place of slavery altogether into an entirely new place and condition. And this could only be by the blood of the Lamb. Is it not so whether we speak of the present redemption of our souls by His precious blood, or the still future redemption of our bodies at the resurrection? It is the bringing of that which is ransomed from one state to another. Redemption is not the improvement or making good the old man. When Israel had passed through the water, figure of death, they were dead to the law of brick-making in Egypt. They passed out of that state altogether. Is not this the very secret of the believer’s power for a holy, righteous life even here? Being dead to sin (Romans 6:11), is he not to reckon this to be so? Is he not also as dead to law? “Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ; that ye should be married to another, even to Him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God” (Romans 7:4).
This is God’s way. Man’s way is just the opposite. He would say, “If you are born of God now, you must be married to the law to bring forth fruit by keeping it; and where you fail, the law-keeping of Christ will be imputed to you to make up.” Can any soul have peace or deliverance in that way? Read the whole of this chapter before us (Romans 7). Here is the very case: a man born again, but still under law, trying to find some good in the flesh, in the utmost distress as we have all found: he cannot make his count of bricks. It is not a make weight or helper he needs. He finds there is not a bit of good in the flesh. As born of God he delights in the law of God; but, ah, that other law in his members! He needs, and in Christ he finds, full deliverance.
Well, you may say, I have, through the grace of God, believed the free forgiveness of sins, through the atoning death of Christ. Is there not something more? I do not seem satisfied. Well, it is blessed to hear and believe, that “Through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins” (Acts 13:38). And even as to this part of the gospel, it is well to know the sure witness God has given. Not only has Jesus been delivered for our offenses, but God raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead, and for this very purpose, in view of this which we so need: “And was raised again for our justification.” Believing this we are reckoned righteous. “Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God, through our Lord Jesus Christ” (Romans 4:24-25; 5:1). Yes, we are justified from all our sins; accounted righteous through what Christ has done for us on the cross. But then Paul not only preached that free forgiveness through Jesus, but he also said, “And in Him all that believes is justified from all things” (Acts 13:39, literal translation). If we are believers, what have we not in Christ? Do you say, I want to be sure I have righteousness? “In Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption” (1 Corinthians 1:30).
Do you want to be assured that there is no condemnation to you? “There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:1). Do you say, I want this old sinful nature to be improved, and made fit for heaven? Ah, there is no such thought in Scripture. No, on the cross the Holy One of God was sent “in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin the flesh” (Romans 8:3 and 2 Corinthians 5:21). No, the righteousness of God is seen condemning our sinful nature on the cross, as well as in Jesus bearing our sins; and thus, by the cross, He set aside forever the old man with his deeds, and gives the believer a new place in Christ, the second or last man.
Oh think what it is to be in Christ. This was the purpose of God before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love; but all this “in Him.” (Read Ephesians 1:3-7.) And mark what God has given us in Him, according to His eternal purpose. No, it is not the lost man restored and made a good Jew under law. Mark these words: No, we do not know Christ after the flesh. It is not Moses making up the bricks under law, but, “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature [creation]: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. And all things are of God” (2 Corinthians 5:17-18). What can the believer need or even desire more, except grace to walk worthy of this high calling in Christ Jesus. He is thus our righteousness, but not to make good the old man under law. It is what He is now, made unto us, as risen from the dead. As He is so are we, and all of God. Oh what a difference is felt and enjoyed, when we come to the end of all hope of the flesh under law, and find all in Christ in resurrection! Not I, but Christ. Oh God, our Father, bless these few remarks to the deliverance of many souls; and to Thy name be all praise!
The Swallows Are Gone
“Yea, the stork in the heaven knoweth her appointed times; and the turtle and the crane and the swallow observe the time of their coming; but My people know not the judgment of the Lord. How do ye say, We are wise, and the law of the Lord is with us? Lo, certainly in vain made He it; the pen of the scribes is in vain. The wise men are ashamed, they are dismayed and taken: lo, they have rejected the word of the Lord; and what wisdom is in them?” (Jeremiah 8:7-9).
The end of the year is near. The swallows are gone; the cold blasts of winter are come; but not one swallow is left behind. We saw them gathered together, and they were seen to fly higher as the time to depart drew nearer. No one saw them go, but they are gone to sunny lands of the south. The frost and the snow, the sleet and piercing winds of winter never reach them there. Very remarkable is this instinct of the birds. “Yea, the stork in the heaven knoweth her appointed times; and the turtle and the crane and the swallow observe the time of their coming; but My people know not the judgment of the Lord” (Jeremiah 8:7).
Is there not a lesson for us in this instinct of the birds? It was pleasing to watch the swallows as the winter drew near, gathering in companies, seeming to wait for the wanderers. Then they would fly high, as wanting to be gone. We thought, Is not the Holy Spirit now gathering Christians together in little companies to Christ? Now here, now there, a wanderer is coming in. Should we not fly higher? We, like the swallows, are about to leave this scene below. Already signs of this world’s judgment begin to flit across its autumn sky. And now every swallow soared ready to depart, moved by one common instinct. Oh, that every Christian were seen manifestly ready to depart, moved by the Spirit of God.
But will it be with the whole Church of God as with the swallows? Yes, the Holy Spirit is already gathering them in little companies to Christ. He has revealed to them fresh, after many centuries, the heavenly Bridegroom, and the heavenly calling of the Church. He is leading their thoughts and hearts higher and higher yet. And soon, very soon, though the world will not see them go, yet every one shall be gone, not one left behind. “For the Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord” (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17). Are not these the sober words of inspired reality? Yes, brethren we shall all be gone — not one left behind — forever with the Lord. If the swallows are gone to more sunny shores, oh, what will it be to be caught up away from the scenes of this world’s wintry woes and judgments, and in peaceful rest enter the glory of our Lord!
And if God never fails to take by instinct at the appointed time the stork, the crane, and the swallow, can He possibly fail at the appointed time to take the saints to meet their Lord? Is it not sad and humbling that the Lord should have to complain, that though the swallows should know their appointed time, “My people know not the judgment of the Lord”? Is not this as true now of Christendom as it was of Israel then? What profound ignorance there is on this important subject. “My people know not.” Men go on dreaming of continual summer, yes, of increasing sunshine, peace, temperance, prosperity, just at the very time when the saints are about to be gone like the swallows of autumn; and the storms of this world’s wintry blasts are about to take them all by surprise (1 Thessalonians 5:1-9).
It is incredible how utterly unaware the learned of this world are of the wintry judgments about to be poured out on the nations of the earth. “How do ye say, We are wise, and the law of the Lord is with us?” (Jeremiah 8:8).
Never was there a day of more boasting, “We are wise.” It is quite true the Word of God is in men’s hands; but who believes it? The rapture of the Church before the day of the Lord is clearly revealed. God has said it. He has made it perfectly clear — both the departure of His saints to meet the Lord in the air, and the terrible judgments that shall follow. Has He made it clear? Yes; but, “Lo, certainly in vain made He it; the pen of the scribes is in vain” (Jeremiah 8:8). Yes, in vain has God spoken in His Word; men will not believe Him. “Making the word of God of none effect through your tradition” (Mark 7:13).
Let us now pass on to the December of this world, before the new era of the millennial kingdom begins. “The wise men are ashamed, they are dismayed and taken: lo, they have rejected the word of the Lord; and what wisdom is in them?” (Jeremiah 8:9).
Let us anticipate what these learned men, these rejecters of the Word of God will say. “How strange this is; those Christians we despised are all gone, like the swallows of autumn. Not one of them can be found on earth. How we laughed and hated their gathering together! What fools we thought them because they would fly higher; as they said, their Lord was coming to take them. They spoke of their heavenly calling, and would have nothing to do with our earthly societies and politics. We scorned them because they would not join our various schemes for the improvement of man. We hated the thought that we were not to glory save in the cross of Christ. They gathered together — poor little despised companies — and told of the coming Saviour to the wanderers all around. Not one saw them go, but they are gone. Any now the world’s wild, fierce, wintry blasts are blowing. Where is all our boasted wisdom? Peace is taken from the earth. All that we hear on every side is, that men are killing one another. Famine and pestilence, sword, hunger, and death are all around. Woe, woe to us, the winter of the world is come.
“And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains ... hid themselves in dens and in the rocks of the mountains; and said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of Him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb” (Revelation 6:15-16).
We rejected the word of the Lord, but now the Christians are gone, and the great day of His wrath is come; we seek death and do not find it (Revelation 9:6). Where is now our boasted wisdom? We are worshiping devils, and idols of gold, and silver, and brass, and stone, and of wood (Revelation 9:20). And what is the end of all our politics? What strange events since the winter set in, and the Church is gone! It is not forty-two months yet since the new last head of the Roman Empire appeared. But oh, what months! The dragon has given him his power. Ten kingdoms have sprung up and given their power to this Satanic head. When he opens his mouth, it is in blasphemy. And all that dwell on earth worship him. And all that refuse are boycotted and put to death. It is true, all this was distinctly foretold in Scripture, but we were far too wise then to believe what God said to His servants in Revelation 6; 9; 13, and 17. Certainly there never was such a winter as this since the beginning of the world, no, nor ever shall be. Jesus said it would be so, but we did not believe Him (Matthew 24:21).”
Yes, “The wise men are ashamed, they are dismayed and taken: lo, they have rejected the word of the Lord; and what wisdom is in them?”
And now, beloved reader, where are you, and what is the condition of your soul? Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb, and ready to be gone like the swallows in autumn? Are you following the wise men of this world, who will so soon be ashamed and confounded? Is Christ the center of attraction? Are you separated to Him, and waiting for Him from heaven? Great is the last effort to draw Christians from Christ to join the confederacies of men. Oh, let us seek to get higher and higher. The Word of God is utterly disregarded. On no account will men allow it to be Christ alone. They would have Christ and circumcision, Christ and the world’s various confederacies, or even Christ and profanity. All these things hide the coming of the Lord to take His saints. Every doctrine of human improvement denies the utter ruin of man through sin, and the fast approaching winter of divine judgment on the rejecters and despisers of the Word of God. It is solemnly true of the great men and the wise of the world, “They have rejected the word of the Lord.” The mark of a Christian is, Thou “hast kept My word, and hast not denied My name” (Revelation 3:8). Which is true of you, beloved reader? Whatever name you may bear, if you have not kept His Word you are not a Christian, and will surely be left behind when the Christians depart like the swallows that are gone.
Can you for a moment admit that the instinct of a bird is more sure than the words of the Saviour? As this world’s winter approaches, let us then dwell on the words of Jesus. He cannot fail to fulfill His promise. We may not know where the swallows go; but Jesus says to us, “In My Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto Myself; that where I am, there ye may be also” (John 14:2-3). Do we hear you saying, “Yes; Jesus says so, but our learned, wise teachers do not say so”? Remember the word, “They have rejected the word of the Lord; and what wisdom is in them?”
It is a solemn fact that God by His Spirit has sent forth the midnight cry, “Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him” (Matthew 25:6) and they have rejected the word of the Lord. God grant we may cease from man; for what wisdom is in him?
May the saints of God be now gathered together like the swallows in autumn. May we love to dwell on His sweet words of promise. Has He not gone to prepare the place? Oh, those scenes of radiant glory, far away from earth’s cold wintry blasts! And will He not come to take us to Himself? With Himself! How soon, like Moses and Elias, shall we be talking with Him! Glorious reality! Soon we shall be gone; not one will be left behind; and poor deceived, apostate Christendom will be left to “become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird” (Revelation 18:2). Blessed comfort — “The Lord knoweth them that are His” (2 Timothy 2:19), and none shall be left behind.
“Wherefore He saith, Awake thou that sleepiest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light” (Ephesians 5:14).
Nehemiah; or, the Building of the Wall
Ought ye not to walk in the fear of our God? The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.
In that fear, and desiring to know and do the will of God, let us look at the lessons in Nehemiah, written for our instruction. If we study this book in the presence of the Lord, we shall hear Him speaking to us in it, as to present events.
In Nehemiah 1, we see a man before God. He learns the state of the remnant of the Jews, and that the wall of Jerusalem is broken down. He bows in confession and prayer. Deeply earnest is this man of God, as he pleads with Jehovah for the state of the fallen, yet the redeemed-by-power people. Thus he pleads: “O Lord, I beseech Thee, let now Thine ear be attentive to the prayer of Thy servant, and to the prayer of Thy servants, who desire to fear Thy name” (Nehemiah 1:11). Thus we see him before the Lord, feeling acutely the state of Israel and the city of the Great King. He owns fully their deep sin in departing from the Lord: “We have dealt very corruptly against Thee, and have not kept the commandments, nor the statutes, nor the judgments, which Thou commandedst Thy servant Moses” (Nehemiah 1:7). Now, as these things were written as types for us, may I ask, Have we been thus before the Lord, in deep confession as to the present state of the Church of God? Have we thus wept and mourned and prayed for the blood-bought people of the Lord in this day?
Let us seek no mere controversy, but sit down before the Lord, and compare the present captivity of the Church in the world with what it was in the beginning. Has not the wall been broken down? When God by the Holy Spirit first built the Church, there was the wall of separation. All believers were together, and formed one body, as all the houses in the ancient city formed one Jerusalem, with its wall strong and high. Even so we read of the one Church of God, “And of the rest [dared] no man join himself to them” (Acts 5:13). Have you sat down before the Lord? Look, then, back along the dark ages, the centuries of captivity, during which this wall of separation has been broken down.
As God prepared Nehemiah, by this deep exercise of heart in His own presence, for his future work, so has God been pleased in like manner to raise up servants, prepared by Himself, for special work. But there must be this process of heart-preparation. I would not write another word for controversy, but there are many souls bowed down at the thought of what calls itself the Church. May God use these thoughts for their help and for His own glory.
After deep prostration and exercise before God in Nehemiah 1, we find as the result, divine yearnings and activities of love for the welfare of the people of God in Nehemiah 2.
All this brings before us for the first time Sanballat the Horonite, and Tobiah the servant, the Ammonite. Now, as these and their companions are brought before us throughout this book as the enemies and opposers of Nehemiah and his work for God in building the wall, it is important to know who they are, and whom they represent. They were, then, Horonites, Ammonites, and Arabians, but they were dwelling in the land of Israel. In Nehemiah 4:2, Sanballat “spake before his brethren and the army of Samaria”; and Samaria in the beginning formed part of the land of Israel — they were active, boastful, subtle men of authority in the land, but not of it. Do they not, then, represent the active, boastful, subtle men of authority who are in the professing church, but who are really strangers to God, and not of the Church at all, but are the enemies and opposers of those desirous of carrying on the work of God, in caring for the saints, and in building the wall of separation to God?
If we now turn to the history of these men, we shall find seven forms or aspects of enmity to God’s work. “When Sanballat the Horonite, and Tobiah the servant, the Ammonite, heard of it, it grieved them exceedingly that there was come a man to seek the welfare of the children of Israel” (Nehemiah 2:10). And when has God raised up a man in like manner to seek the real welfare of the Church of God, but those have been found — and not a few of them — who have been grieved exceedingly. How great was the grief of the (Romanist) clergy when God raised up a Wycliffe, a Huss, or a Luther! But especially do we find these seven marks of opposition to the work of God during this century (that is, the 1800s). What a grief it has been to many, that God should have raised up men to seek the real welfare of the Church of God, apart from all sectarianism. Some years ago, men were brought, like Nehemiah, on their faces before the Lord. Amazed at the departure of the Church from the commandments of her Lord, they were bowed in confession and prayer. And the Holy Spirit put earnest yearnings in their hearts for the one Church of God.
Philadelphia (Revelation 3) answers to Nehemiah as antitype answers to type. One must be alone a good deal with God to understand this. There were but few men with Nehemiah when he arose in the night, and no man knew what God had put into his heart. Just take a ride with him around Jerusalem. Dragon wall and dung-port wall broken down. Such are the things you will find in and around the Church in ruins. That is the Church as seen in the hands of men.
Very clearly have the Scriptures foretold all this. The present state of Christendom is most accurately described in the Word. (See 2 Timothy 3; 2 Peter 2:1-9; culminating in Revelation 17; 18). Its progress is marked in its seven stages in Revelation 2 and 3. Neither is there one intimation that it would be restored to its primitive glory as the bright witness of a rejected Christ. A feeble remnant is found in Philadelphia, clinging to the Person and word of Christ, and keeping His patience.
As Nehemiah, then, rode around Jerusalem (Nehemiah 2:11-16), so ride around Christendom. Oh, I ask you to reflect, What are God’s thoughts about Romanism and Protestantism? View the whole scene in the presence of God, and in His fear. Did Nehemiah hang down his hands in despair? No! he said, “Ye see the distress that we are in, how Jerusalem lieth waste, and the gates thereof are burned with fire: come, and let us build up the wall of Jerusalem” (Nehemiah 2:17). Thus he encouraged them, and the hand of God was good upon him. They reply, “Let us rise up and build” (Nehemiah 2:18).
This brings us to the second form of opposition. “But when Sanballat the Horonite, and Tobiah the servant, the Ammonite, and Geshem the Arabian, heard it, they laughed us to scorn, and despised us, and said, What is this thing that ye do? Will ye rebel against the king?” (Nehemiah 2:19). The first form of opposition was grief, the second is laughter. Compared with the whole nation, they were indeed a feeble remnant.
They longed to see the sacred city enclosed within the wall of separation. And shall that city of the King be more dear to them than the sacred enclosure of the saints of God around the Person of Christ be to us? As Nehemiah stirred up the remnant to build the wall, so has the Holy Spirit stirred up a few, each in his place, to build this wall, so long cast down. Oh, how the modern Sanballats have laughed and despised! What is this thing that you feeble, silly Christians will do? Yes, there has been a time of grief, and a time of laughter.
In Nehemiah 3, the wall is being built. Each little company is in its place building the wall. Is not this a striking picture of what has taken place in these last days? Wherever the truth of the one body of Christ — the one Church of God — has been accepted in the fear of the Lord, each little company has acted upon it in building the wall of separation; and the divine Architect has made each piece fit, like the well-worked courses of masonry. The work is of God; His good hand is with the feeble remnant.
It may be called “exclusive” — it must be so. You cannot build a wall but it must be an exclusive wall. Why set up its doors and bars, if not to preserve and exclude? We cannot sincerely receive the blessed truth of the one body without excluding all sectarianism. Can we accept the truth of one God, and then tolerate the other gods of the heathen? No more can we accept the truth of the one body of Christ and accept the many bodies of Christians!
This brings us to the third form of opposition (Nehemiah 4:1). “But it came to pass, that when Sanballat heard that we builded the wall, he was wroth, and took great indignation, and mocked the Jews.” Thus we have had grief, then laughter; now that the building of the wall is a fact, there is wrath. Is not this picture also sadly fulfilled before our very eyes? Sanballat’s wrath against the builders of this wall was not more bitter than the bitter hatred against the sacred enclosure of souls being really gathered to Christ, the true center. “What!” say they, “not tolerate our denominations! What! exclude all that does not seek uncompromising conformity to Christ!”
Sanballat “spake before his brethren and the army of Samaria, and said, What do these feeble Jews?” (Nehemiah 4:2). And indeed what were they, compared with the army of Samaria? “What do these feeble Christians?” Ah, indeed, what are they, compared to the armies of Christendom around? Are they going to remove the heaps of rubbish? Are they going to level sectarianism in a day?
This wrath is succeeded by the fourth form of opposition. Sanballat mocked the Jews. “Now Tobiah the Ammonite was by him, and he said, Even that which they build, if a fox go up, he shall even break down their stone wall” (Nehemiah 4:3). Thus the enemy, while hating with bitter hatred the work of God, outwardly appears to make light of and mock at it. Is not this exactly so in our day? Well, there may be grief, laughter, wrath, and mocking; but the work goes on. Souls are being gathered within the sacred enclosure, around the precious Person of the Great Shepherd, Christ Himself. Christ is exalted, and all that does not exalt Him is excluded. Man is nothing.
Now, what will Sanballat and his company do? This brings us to the fifth form of opposition: “But it came to pass, when Sanballat, and Tobiah, and the Arabians, and the Ammonites, and the Ashdodites, heard that the walls of Jerusalem were made up, and that the breaches began to be stopped, then they were very wroth, and conspired all of them together to come and to fight against Jerusalem, and to hinder it” (Nehemiah 4:7-8). We have had grief, laughter, wrath, mocking; now there is to be fighting — determined, uncompromising opposition to the work of God.
Is it not even so? Has not every sect in Christendom agreed in this — to fight against, to oppose, the building any further of the wall of separation to Christ? And as these companies consulted to come upon the Jews unawares, so often, when God has been blessing His Word in a given place, has the enemy come unawares, sowing evil reports, and sought to stop the work. Behind the scene are wicked spirits in the heavenlies. Surely we need the whole armor of God, and “our God shall fight for us” (Nehemiah 4:20). The work at Jerusalem still went on; so it is now; the more opposition, the more it drives to God, and the more the work goes on. The trumpet of truth is heard to give a certain sound, and the saints resort to it.
Nehemiah 5 is very solemn. There was failure among the remnant. As Paul said, “We also are men of like passions with you” (Acts 14:15); and surely we know it. Are we better than others in ourselves? Far be the thought. But oh, the grace that has gathered to that blessed One, to whom no man can come except the Father draw him! As our Lord said, “It is written in the Prophets, And they shall be all taught of God. Every man therefore that hath heard, and hath learned of the Father, cometh unto Me” (John 6:45). The Father is not gathering souls to poor failing man, but to His own Son.
Men have formed themselves into the churches of Rome, England, Scotland, and innumerable bodies; but God by His Spirit has restored the long-lost truth of the one body of Christ — Christ the only true center. It is now an accomplished fact, that the wall of separation from every human society is being built. Souls are gathered on the same basis as at Pentecost, though in themselves but a feeble remnant out of the camp of Christendom. There is the camp of a leavened Christendom, and there is the sacred enclosure outside that camp, gathered to Christ, and bearing His reproach.
This just brings us to the sixth form of opposition — what Sanballat and his companions did when they heard that Nehemiah had built the wall: “That Sanballat and Geshem sent unto me, saying, Come, let us meet together in some one of the villages in the plain of Ono. But they thought to do me mischief” (Nehemiah 6:2). Then Nehemiah “sent messengers unto them, saying, I am doing a great work, so that I cannot come down: why should the work cease, whilstI leave it, and come down to you?” (Nehemiah 6:3). We have had five forms of opposition — grief, laughter, wrath, mocking, and fighting; now we have subtlety without. It is as if they said, Do not be so narrow and exclusive. Do come down from your sacred enclosure to “one of the villages in the plain of Ono.” “Let us meet together.” Do come down, and sanction us in the plain of Ono. Do you ask, What was this plain of Ono? Turn to Nehemiah 11:35: “Lod and Ono, the valley of craftsmen.” Do leave the only center of worship within those walls of Jerusalem, and come down to any one of the villages of “the craftsmen.” Well did they know that if the true worship of God was set up within that divine enclosure, they would feel like the Ephesians in after times, that their craft was in danger. “Sirs,” said the men of Ephesus, “ye know that by this craft we have our wealth” (Acts 19:25).
Thus we have the camp of Samaria, with its villages of craftsmen, on the one side — open, compromising, liberal — willing to meet all, and to take counsel with all together; on the other side, a few feeble Jews, gathered in separation on God’s ground, within the hated exclusive walls. And through the help of God they stand firm, and act as those who know they are just where God would have them be, and doing that which is pleasing in His sight.
It was not one effort, or two, but four times did Sanballat send messengers after this sort, to induce, if possible, the servants of God to give up their exclusiveness, and come down from their excellency to the low level of the plain of Ono, the villages of the craftsmen. Still God preserved him — “I answered them after the same manner” (Nehemiah 6:4). To Nehemiah it was a great work to be uncompromisingly for God.
Sanballat, judging after his own heart, now sends for the fifth time his servant, with an open letter in his hand: “Wherein was written, It is reported among the heathen, and Gashmu [or Geshem] saith it, that thou and the Jews think to rebel: for which cause thou buildest the wall, that thou mayest be their king, according to these words ... Come now therefore, and let us take counsel together” (Nehemiah 6:6-7). Very firm was the reply, so like a man that walks in peace with God: “There are no such things done as thou sayest, but thou feignest them out of thine own heart” (Nehemiah 6:8). If Nehemiah had been acting in the pride of a self-seeking heart, then nothing could be more narrow, close — yea, contemptible; but he was acting in the fear of Jehovah, and nothing could be more beautiful and faithful.
Is not all this a picture of the movements around us in this very day? Nothing could be more strikingly so. There is the sacred enclosure of a few feeble saints, gathered to Christ, and there is the great camp of the Greek, Roman, and Protestant churches. And as there were many Jews still in captivity, so are there many Christians in this great camp. But is it not written, “There were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction. And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of. And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you” (2 Peter 2:1-3). Is not this terrible picture fulfilled before our very eyes? and is not this merchandise wicked in God’s sight, though one of the most respectable professions of this day? So fashionable is it that many of God’s own children are entangled in it, and follow its pernicious ways. If you would read a further description of this modern camp of Samaria, read 2 Timothy 3.
God in His sovereign grace has been working in this camp, and many souls, we trust, have been saved. He can work in Greece, in Babylon, or Rome. Satan has used this circumstance, like Sanballat of old, and repeated have been the temptations to come down to some one of the villages in the plain of Ono. Only give up your narrow, illiberal exclusiveness, and come down to the level of the craftsmen; only acknowledge us, and you may hold what you like. Do only come down from that hateful wall around the true ground of God; or, if you will not come down and acknowledge us, then you are but a sect in Jerusalem, as much as we are. You are exclusives. Come down, now; come let us take counsel together.
Those who are separated to Christ can say, All this is feigned out of your own hearts. You know we are no sect. You know that we do not exclude any one that God has gathered to Christ, and who only seeks His honor and glory. Is it not a solemn thing to oppose the present work of God, as Sanballat did of old?
“But,” says an eminent evangelist, who remains in and approves the camp of Samaria, “will you not go with us to the preachings?”
“I don’t know that I will,” said a young Christian. “What, will you not go where God is working?”
“No, I do not know that I will.”
“How is that?”
“Why, God is sovereign; but I am a subject.”
The same evangelist said to another (the servant of the Lord with whom he had first labored when in England), “I am sorry you are not with us.”
“Indeed, I am more happy to be with the Lord.”
“Why, is He not with us?”
“That may be, in His grace, and I pray He may use you much; but you know you are not with Him outside the camp.”
No, we cannot be with the army of Samaria and at the same time with the few within the sacred enclosure of the rebuilt wall. “Let us go forth therefore unto Him without the camp, bearing His reproach” (Hebrews 13:13). There is the sacred enclosure of the feeble ones in Philadelphia (Revelation 3) — those who have gone forth from Sardis (Protestantism) unto Him, the Holy and the True. And there is the boasting camp of Laodicea, outside of which the precious Lord knocks at the door. Are you, my reader, in the camp of Laodicea, that which is rich, with its thousands? Then you have never yet gone forth unto Him, bearing His reproach. May God by His Holy Spirit make this clear to you. How could the gathered saints to Christ outside the camp come down and sanction the craftsmen in the valley of Ono? No, surely; twenty thousand on the plain of Ono should not attract my soul from Christ.
It is a great work that God is doing by the Holy Spirit — greater far than the work He did by Nehemiah. And the enclosed remnant in Jerusalem were not more distinct from the camp of Samaria than the souls gathered to Christ are distinct from the camp of Christendom. O that they who have been thus gathered were more true to Christ. They have failed, but they cannot give up the only true ground of gathering around Him. They own their failure, but they cannot give up Christ.
This brings us to the seventh form of opposition to the work of God — danger within. This will illustrate the cunning subtlety of Satan. In the last case, it was the temptation from without to go down to the platform of Ono — to compromise all that God has taught us, and sanction the craftsmen and merchandise of Christendom. Now the mischief is within. We shall do well carefully to consider it.
Sanballat does not appear on the surface. “Afterward I came unto the house of Shemaiah the son of Delaiah the son of Mehetabeel, who was shut up; and he said, Let us meet together in the house of God, within the temple, and let us shut the doors of the temple: for they will come to slay thee; yea, in the night will they come to slay thee” (Nehemiah 6:10). Does not this look very plausible? Surely it is right to meet together in the house of God. But to shut the doors of the temple would be with us to put the light under a bushel. The temptation is, to give up the testimony. If we will not join the religious activities of the camp, then let us seek, in shut-up selfishness and fear of man, to enjoy that sacred place of blessing and communion among ourselves, and take care of ourselves.
The opposition may indeed become more grave; but shall we give up the testimony, if it be even to save our lives? or shall we flee? Shall we through fear shut ourselves up? Is this the mind of God? “And, lo, I perceived,” said Nehemiah, “that God had not sent him ... Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him” (Nehemiah 6:13). Let us also, then, having this certainty that the work is of God, not be weary, or shrink from it.
It seems to me the greatest trial and danger was from false brethren. The enemy knew that the wall was built: “They were much cast down in their own eyes: for they perceived that this work was wrought of our God” (Nehemiah 6:16).
But the false brethren, even “nobles of Judah sent many letters unto Tobiah, and the letters of Tobiah came unto them. For there were many in Judah sworn unto him” (Nehmiah 6:17-18). This is indeed sad, and a great trial, when those who outwardly take the place of being gathered to Christ, yet, like these mixed marriages of Judah, we find some dear brethren in the Lord (in Christ) seeking to mingle the principles of the camp with those of God. Nor should this surprise us, remembering the words of the Apostle, “Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things.” (Read Acts 20:29-35.) No doubt these half-and-half brethren are the greatest stumbling-blocks in the way of inquiring souls. Let those gathered to Christ beware of evil associations — the greatest present danger.
Thus we have very briefly examined the seven stages of opposition to God’s own work. The grief of the enemy (Nehemiah 2:10); the laughter of the enemy (Nehemiah 2:19); his wrath (Nehemiah 4:1); mocking (Nehemiah 4:3); fighting (Nehemiah 4:8); subtlety without (Nehemiah 5:1-9); subtlety and danger within (Nehemiah 6:10). And many a reader of this tract will say, “I have seen all seven in the opposition to God’s work in our own day.”
So the wall was finished. No amount of opposition could stay the work of God. It is so again — saints are gathered to Christ, the wall is built; the doors are set up, and God has raised up faithful men to keep the watch. The position has been assailed in sevenfold opposition; but God has preserved the sacred principle of being gathered to Christ. To Him be all the praise! Surely we need to put on the whole armor of God. Our Sanballat is not dead, though his power is destroyed. These seven aspects (that is, complete opposition), will continue until the coming of our Lord.
Some one may now say, “If God has gathered souls to Christ as at the beginning, and if they find that the truth of the Church of God being one excludes every sect of men — yet if this basis was large enough at the first to receive every obedient child of God, surely, then, it must be as broad and be large enough now.” Is it not a wonderful truth that all believers form the one body of Christ — all are one? “There is one body.” And then if Christ has His place in the administration of the Church, its gifts, and its worship in Spirit, as at first, surely this is a large place to dwell in! Is it not large enough for every Christian on earth who desires to walk in the fear of the Lord, according to His Word? When this truth is known, what need for all the sects that men have made? Surely, no need. Then tell me, if the place is so large and so blessed, how is it that there are so few in it? Why, in some towns there are none gathered thus to Christ, and in others, those thus gathered are in no reputation.
This was the case also at Jerusalem. “Now the city was large and great: but the people were few therein, and the houses were not builded” (Nehemiah 7:4). Yes, this is the very question of Nehemiah 7. Compared with the largeness of the city, there were but few in it; but the number was known, and left on record, of those who had come up out of the captivity (Nehemiah 7:6-60).
But there were a great number which went up “from Tel-melah, Tel-haresha, Cherub, Addon, and Immer: but they could not show their father’s house, nor their seed, whether they were of Israel” (Nehemiah 7:61). Many others also are named: “These sought their register among those that were reckoned by genealogy, but it was not found: therefore were they, as polluted, put from the priesthood. And the Tirshatha [or governor] said unto them, that they should not eat of the most holy things, till there stood up a priest with Urim and Thummim” (Nehemiah 7:64-65).
All this is exceedingly instructive. If mingling with the Gentile world had caused the Israelites to lose the certainty of their nationality, is there any wonder that the effect of the Church being mixed with the world should have caused so many to be uncertain whether they are the saved children of God or not? Even with the most evangelical there is much darkness and perplexity as to this. And this is one cause, if not the chief one, why so few take the happy place of the children of God gathered (together) to Christ (Matthew 18:20). Evidently there were many Israelites who could not show their genealogy; and there are many Christians who cannot show it; they are so confused with the false position they are in, that they cannot tell whether their names are written in heaven or not. Indeed, in human churches this is not an essential point. Until lately, many denied the possibility of any knowing with certainty that they are the children of God.
Is it not also true that if we do not know this, we cannot eat of the most holy things? We must know Jesus, the Great High Priest in the presence of God — He who once bore our sins on the cross, but who is now crowned with glory. As our righteousness, raised from the dead, we now see Him, with Urim and Thummim. In His face shine the lights (Urim) and perfections (Thummim) of God. How can you enter the holiest by the blood of Jesus if you are uncertain whether you are saved? Oh, search the register; never rest, my reader, until this first question is solved.
Reader, ask yourself, Is my name written in heaven? How do I know that my very sins are all forever blotted out? Is it true that God in very deed is my Justifier? What, shall nothing separate me from His love in Christ? If I die, am I quite sure it will be to depart and be with Christ? If I live until the Lord comes, am I quite certain that He will take me to be forever with Himself? Reader, you will never answer these solemn questions by looking within — at self, at feelings, or experiences. No, it must be the look of faith at the One who has been lifted up, and is now at the right hand of God.
We now come to another very interesting inquiry. And again, as of them, so it is of us. If they were neither to come down from the enclosure of those exclusive walls and mingle with the craftsmen, nor yet to shut themselves up, what were they to do? If we are not to come down from that blessed place our God has restored to us — the ground of the one body, and the sovereign guidance of the Holy Spirit — if we are not to compromise God’s blessed truth by a truce with what is of man in the movements of the age; and, on the other hand, if we are not to shut ourselves up, then, pray, what are we to do?
Nehemiah 8 is an answer to this inquiry. The people are gathered together as one man. And Ezra the priest brought the law before the congregation. Oh, what reading of the Book before both men and women, and those that could understand! and what attention to the Book! The Book — God’s Book. And Ezra opened the Book. And now what blessing and worship! and what causing the people to understand the Book! “So they read the book in the law of God, distinctly, and gave the sense, and caused them to understand the reading” (Nehemiah 8:8).
This, my brethren, is the work of those separated to Christ, and this is what they have to do. They must be men of “the Book.” They must open the Book; read the Book distinctly; make the people understand the Book. It is God speaking to us. Then there will be lifting up of hands, and bowing of heads, and worshiping the Lord with faces to the ground. Yes, as the Tirshatha, which is the Holy Spirit, gives us understanding of the precious Word, there will be intelligent delight in the Lord; we joy in God.
But is it to be all for ourselves? Oh, no. “Then he said unto them, Go your way, eat the fat, and drink the sweet, and send portions unto them for whom nothing is prepared: for this day is holy unto our Lord: neither be ye sorry; for the joy of the Lord is your strength” (Nehemiah 8:10). And all the people did so, because they had understood the words.
It is a great mistake merely to seek our own personal blessing and edification. It is spiritual selfishness. We must be personal; we must feed on all the sweet perfections of Christ, that which the fat of the burnt-offering pointed to — the inmost thoughts and affections of our own precious Jesus; the loveliness of His walk here below, and His present unchanging love. Does not the sweet perfume of His adorable Person fill the heaven of heavens? Oh, let us drink the sweet; let us be full of Christ! and then our happy work is to send portions to those for whom nothing is prepared. O child of God, this is to be your constant work, even to those who do not understand you — yea, who slander you, who misrepresent you and who speak all manner of evil of you ignorantly. Do not return evil for evil, railing for railing, but contrariwise, seek the spiritual good of all; “send portions” to the whole Church of God. Let what is pleasing to Him be pleasing to us. “For the joy of the Lord is your strength” (Nehemiah 8:10).
Now we will notice one striking effect of reading the Book, and understanding the words that were declared unto them. On the second-day gathering (Nehemiah 8:13-18), they found what was written concerning the feast of tabernacles — “that the children of Israel should dwell in booths in the feast of the seventh month” (Nehemiah 8:14). “And all the congregation of them that were come again out of the captivity made booths, and sat under the booths:for since the days of Jeshua the son of Nun unto that day had not the children of Israel done so. And there was very great gladness” (Nehemiah 8:17). Is not this very remarkable? they were only a handful of people compared with Israel in the days of Solomon, yet this feast had never been so kept. This feast, Israel in booths, was a beautiful symbol of the people waiting for the millennial reign of their long-expected Messiah and Lord. And for a thousand years Israel had never so waited in booths as this feeble remnant now waited with “very great gladness.”
It is no less remarkable that the Church had never kept the feast of tabernacles since the days of Paul, until God has in these days gathered a feeble remnant outside the camp to Christ. This was the attitude of the Church in the early days of Paul: “Turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God; and to wait for His Son from heaven.” (1 Thessalonians 1:9-10; also 2:19; 3:13; 4:15-18. Read prayerfully these scriptures.) Must we not confess that for eighteen centuries we look in vain in what is called church history to find the Church in this tabernacle feast again? No doubt there was a little of it during the sad days of persecution; but no sooner did the world cease to persecute than the Church immediately became worldly — in the world and of the world. And while the Bridegroom tarried for so many centuries, the Church slept.
Now what has taken place during these last years, since God has gathered a feeble remnant to Christ? Have not the Scriptures had a similar place and effect to that described in our chapter? Has not the effect been the same? The blessed long-lost hope of the Church has been restored, and an attitude answering to the feast of tabernacles has been once more taken. The gathered remnant have been led, by the Spirit of God, to wait for the Son from heaven; and there is very great gladness. We are now looking for Him without sin unto salvation. Yes, “we know that, when He shall appear, we shall be like Him; for we shall see Him as He is” (1 John 3:2 ; See also Hebrews 9:28), contrasted with the awful gloom of looking for a day of judgment, and the bar of God, about our sins. There is very great gladness, because we know that He has loved us, and washed us from our sins in His own blood; and it is our happy privilege now to be waiting for Him from heaven. Oh, the untold joy of that triumphant moment! “Even so, come, Lord Jesus.”
And as Israel was to publish and proclaim in all their cities what they had found written, so surely would the Lord have us make known, with holy boldness, what we have found written. Intelligent communion with God and with one another, understanding the words of God which are written, making all this known to the blood-bought Church of God, and waiting for His Son from heaven — what could we have more?
Thus the wall was built. And all this great gladness more than made up for the hatred of men, and charges of exclusivism. I do not pursue this study much beyond the wall, but there is one thing I must notice.
Some of my readers may say, “Surely the result of all this would be self-complacency, conceit, pride. What! you the only handful of people on the face of the earth on true ground — within God’s sacred enclosure — around the only true center? This must produce narrow-minded self-satisfaction.”
You are wrong; it does not. Read Nehemiah 9. What a contrast to all human thought! “The children of Israel were assembled with fasting, and with sackclothes, and earth upon them” (Nehemiah 9:1). It might be thought that separation from others would produce a feeling of self-superiority. But no; it did not. “The seed of Israel separated themselves from all strangers, and stood and confessed their sins, and the iniquities of their fathers” (Nehemiah 9:2). And then there is reading, confession, and worship. Ah, this is of God; it is the divine order. Separation from evil brings us into self-abhorrence before God. And the more we read His Word, the more we have to confess; and, wondrous to tell, the more we confess, the more we worship. And then you find the Levites cry to God. Self-judgment produces dependence on God, and faith in God. “Stand up and bless the Lord your God forever and ever: and blessed be Thy glorious name, which is exalted above all blessing and praise” (Nehemiah 9:5). Thus the Lord Jehovah is before their souls; while owning their utter failure and the failure of their fathers, yet throughout this chapter, God, in all that He had done and was to them, shines out in every verse.
All this is so true in every case where a soul is truly gathered to Christ. “Mine eye seeth Thee. Wherefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes” (Job 42:5-6). I am sure the nearer we are to God, the more the flesh will be crushed, whether as individuals, or as saints gathered to the Lord. It is not what we are — no, we have sinned; but it is what God is, and what He has done for us. Surely deep, real, humility becomes those who can say there is nothing between our souls and the lake of fire but the blood of Christ. To Him be all glory and praise. He is worthy to bring His redeemed, without spot or wrinkle, to His own place prepared for them.
“Let us,” then, “go forth therefore unto Him without the camp, bearing His reproach” (Hebrews 13:13).
All this is surely truth for present guidance and for testing. Where are you, reader? in the religious world, afar off from God’s true ground of gathering? or have you, like the remnant, been brought back to the ground of what the Church was in the beginning? Have you been exercised before the Lord about the present condition of Christendom, as Nehemiah was about the holy city? Have you found any seeking alone the good of the Church of God? Do you know anything of that sevenfold opposition to the present work of God? The grief, the laughter, wrath, mocking, fighting, subtlety without and within, of those who are in the professing church? Have you the certainty that your name is written in heaven? or have you searched, and cannot find your register? Do you know whether you are a child of God, or not? This being settled, have you been led to search the Book — to understand the Book — to eat the fat and drink the sweet? Is it your joy to send portions to them for whom nothing is prepared? Has the searching of the Word led you to wait for Christ from heaven? Are you charged with exclusivism because of that hated wall of separation? And has all this brought you lowly before the Lord in confession, and then worship?
And finally, is God before your soul as He was before the remnant in Nehemiah 9? Has your soul found the Sabbath of rest within the sacred wall, even Christ Himself?
Then beware of the men of Tyre, who will offer their tempting wares before the wall. Keep the gates shut — oh, keep the gates closed. Let nothing come in to break your rest in Christ — your joy in God. We need much the lesson of the last chapter to keep the gates shut; it will be most offensive to men of Tyre, but most pleasing to our God. He alone could have given us such a picture of the day in which we live, and He alone could give us such a light for our feet. May He sanctify us by His Word — His Word is truth!
Will you read, in the fear of the Lord (Romans 12:4-5; 16:17)?
Samuel; or, Recovery in the Last Days
Who was Samuel? Of what tribe of Israel was his father Elkanah? Such were the questions put to the writer, a few days ago. Yes, these questions are important, inasmuch as the history of Samuel is so full of instruction for the very time in which we live.
Samuel was not only of the tribe of Levi, but he was of the very family of Korah, whose children were spared, in sovereign distinguishing grace, from going down alive into the pit; at that very time that Korah, and all the men that appertained to him, and the families of Dathan and Abiram, went down into the pit, and the earth closed upon them. The account of this we read in Numbers 21. From what we find there, we might conclude that the children of Korah perished also in this dreadful judgment on the sin of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram. In another chapter we read, “And the earth opened her mouth and swallowed them up together with Korah, when that company died, what time the fire devoured two hundred and fifty men: and they became a sign. Notwithstanding the children of Korah died not” (Numbers 26:10-11).
Let us dwell a little on the character of Samuel and his family, for present help and guidance.
He was then the child of Hannah (grace and mercy) and Elkanah (God has redeemed). How far, dear earnest inquirer, do you answer to this? Have you been born anew, through grace, the free favor of God, and the depths of His mercy? And can you say that God has redeemed you to Himself, and at such a cost? And can you say, I am of that family saved from going down into the pit? If God had dealt in righteous judgment on us, might we not have been crying for a drop of water to cool our tongues? If we really believe this, it will make us little in our own eyes.
Such was Samuel. His mother prayed for him in bitterness of soul, at the only place on earth where the Lord had set His name (1 Samuel 1; Jeremiah 7:12). And when the Lord had answered her prayer, she brought him to that place which the Lord had chosen, when He had brought His people into the land, and had given them rest. To this very place Samuel was brought.
He was a little weaned child, dedicated through the death of an offering, and was a worshiper. How far is all this true of us? Are we little in our own eyes? Are we weaned from this world? Separated from it by the death of Christ? And are we worshipers in spirit and in truth? This is the only condition of soul in which we can have an ear to hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.
Thus was Samuel dedicated to the Lord, at the place which the Lord had chosen to place His name, and which had been almost forgotten. Hannah not only brought him unto the place, but also unto the Lord. Many in this day may have been brought to the place, but not to the Person of the Lord.
Hence when difficulties arise, they are perplexed, and say, All is lost, all is over. Not so the words of Samuel’s mother, in her marvelous prayer of faith. (Read 1 Samuel 2:1-10.) The Lord Himself is before her soul. “My heart rejoiceth in the Lord” (1 Samuel 2:1). He filled her soul. There was none other, “none holy as the Lord: for there is none beside thee: neither is there any rock like our God” (1 Samuel 2:2). What is the arrogant boast of that day, or of this, to a soul thus before the Lord? Blessed Lord, when Thou shinest forth in Thy glory, all must fade away; all human, or even all created lights, must disappear. The range of divine truth, now reported to us, is truly wonderful, far beyond the day in which these truths were uttered.
If we ask, How does the Lord quicken a soul and give life? Hannah replies, “The Lord killeth, and maketh alive: He bringeth down to the grave, and bringeth up” (1 Samuel 2:6). And who are they the Lord hath chosen to bring to Himself? “He raiseth up the poor out of the dust, and lifteth up the beggar from the dung hill, to set them among princes, and to make them inherit the throne of glory” (1 Samuel 2:8). Think what is involved in these few words, as revealed to us now by the Holy Spirit. How utterly beyond all human thought. Do the learned of this world know that the whole fallen race of man, however religious, is but a vast dung-heap of fallen humanity? What a discovery was this to the learned Pharisee, Saul of Tarsus! Reviewing his blameless life under law, with all his learning and innumerable advantages, he says, “I do count them but dung, that I may win Christ, and be found in Him” (Philippians 3:8-9). Oh, you learned Universities; oh, you bishops, doctors, and divines; have you tried to improve the loathsome dung-heap! Will you never learn the secret of a Hannah, or a Paul? Will you never know the truth?
In perfect keeping with Ephesians 2, Hannah says what God does, not what the beggar of the dung-hill says or does.
Yes, God raiseth them up. He lifteth them up out of one place into another — from the dung-hill to inherit the throne of glory. God has no lift short of this, from the lowest to the highest. Oh, my soul, rejoice in the riches of His grace!
God separated Israel from the nations. God sent His Son to that separated nation, His own nation; but they rejected that beloved Son, and killed Him. God knew the enmity of that act of Jew and Gentile; and God looked down on that seething dung-hill of humanity, and right down from that glorified Man on the throne of glory: He sent the Holy Spirit, and he said, as it were, I will take out of that dung-heap, out of that loathsome place, the poor, vile, ragged, guilty beggars of that dung-heap, a company, to inherit with My Son, His throne of glory. What a place! What a state of immutable purity and glory! Yes, unblameable in holiness, lifted up to be with God Himself.
Well may the Apostle say, “According to the riches of His grace” (Ephesians 1:7). All this can only have its fulfillment in the church, the bride. And, note, the purpose of God will be fulfilled. There is just one anxious question some of my readers might like to ask Hannah. It is this, “May my feet not slip so far, that I may so fail, as, after all, to be lost; and, instead of the throne of glory, like and with my Lord, may I not be lost at last, and sink to the lowest hell?” What says the inspired Hannah? Listen, “He will keep the feet of His saints.” Not “I,” but “He,” “will keep the feet of His saints” (1 Samuel 2:9).
But many say, “We may be lost, and He may fail to keep the feet of His saints.” Ah, they do not know Him, or they would not doubt Him. He has given too much for His sheep, to let one of them be lost. He says, “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me: and I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of My hand. My Father, which gave them Me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of My Father’s hand” (John 10:27-29).
Some may say, Oh, that is a very dangerous doctrine. What! is there danger in the word and unchanging love of Jesus? Suppose a person is a professor, and yet practicing sin, is such an one safe and sure to be saved at last and inherit the throne of glory? Jesus says “And they follow Me” (John 10:27). Is practicing sin following Him, the holy and the true? But what says the mother of Samuel? “The wicked shall be silent in darkness” (1 Samuel 2:9). And how terrible that silent darkness of never ending despair. Is it that some have more strength to endure than others? No, “For by strength shall no man prevail” (1 Samuel 2:9). No, the deeply important question is this, Are you one of His saints, one of His holy ones? If so, He has strength to keep your feet. And His love is as great as His power.
It is remarkable how these chapters (1 Samuel 1; 2; 3) answer to the restored truth of saints gathered to Christ, like the restoration of Shiloh. So these words of Hannah as wonderfully illustrate the order of the truth restored. The beggars of the dung-hill lifted up to the throne of glory, come in 1 Samuel 2:8, before the time of tribulation on the adversaries in 1 Samuel 2:10. And then, in the same verse, the judgment of the ends of the earth, and then the reign of the King.
This, as the reader will see, answers to the order of the New Testament revelations:
The grace of God taking out the vilest sinners, to take them, the church, to the throne of glory.
The absolute security of all who are the Lord’s saints on earth.
The time of tribulations after the church is taken to glory.
The coming of Christ to judge the quick, and set up His kingdom on earth.
How far Hannah may have entered into these things, or understood them, is not for us to say. This is what the Spirit saith by Peter, “Unto whom it was revealed, that not unto themselves, but unto us they did minister the things, which are now reported unto you by them that have preached the gospel unto you with the Holy [Spirit]sent down from heaven; which things the angels desire to look into” (1 Peter 1:12). All this flowing through Hannah (grace and mercy) has much to do with forming the character of the pattern of man, who desires to answer to the heart of Christ now, as set forth in His address to Philadelphia.
We will next turn to the deeply instructive principles set forth in the history of our Samuel; and then to the proofs that he was of the family of Korah, and its cheering lessons.
Can we shut our eyes to the fact that we find Christendom, now at this very time, answering, in the most striking way, to the history and state of Israel in these days of Samuel? And more, just as the only true place chosen of Jehovah for Israel to gather to Him, so remarkably revived, or became again after centuries so prominent in 1 Samuel 1; 2; 3 so now, after centuries, the true and only place which God has chosen for His saints to be gathered to, has been revived, or become the only place of safety and real communion with Himself in this very century. We have not the least doubt these chapters were written for our instruction.
Yes, in the midst of all the unrest and ever increasing wickedness, there is still the calm unspeakable peace of His presence wherever two or three are gathered (together) to His blessed name. But note, this cannot be known, or even understood, where the officialism has its sway. This is most strikingly illustrated in 1 Samuel 2. The weaned child is in perfect peace. “The child did minister unto the Lord” (1 Samuel 2:11). How blessed is such employ. What a holy privilege to know His will, and have nothing in this world to do, yea, nothing in His presence, gathered to Himself, to do, but to do His will, to minister unto Him.
Not so the official family. “Now the sons of Eli were sons of Belial; they knew not the Lord” (1 Samuel 2:12). It is just so now. The greater the official dignity, the less may the Lord be known. We may seek the interest of sect or party; or, as in the case of the sons of Eli, seek how much we can get up by the flesh hook of three teeth, from the pan, the kettle, the caldron, or the pot: to equal the sins of these sons of the priest, self, self, self. Was there any wickedness in Israel at the very place where Jehovah had placed His holy name? And who are bringing in this downgrade, as it is called, this flood of blasphemies? Who are the “False teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction” (2 Peter 2:1). Who are undermining and seeking to destroy the Word of God? Who are seeking to set aside God by the horrible and insane doctrine of evolution? Who are setting aside the divinity, the deity, and the atoning work of the Son of God? Is it not the official family, the sons of Eli? Is it not the family of the humanly ordained ministry? — each man with the “hook of three teeth in his hand”? (1 Samuel 2:13).
Is it not awful to contemplate, that the very men who are seeking to destroy Christianity, are deriving their rich supplies from its profession? All this is most strikingly foreshadowed in the life of Samuel, by the priests, the sons of Eli. We are deeply convinced, also, that those who will retain their official position and self importance will fail to prove, or provide a remedy for, this state which marks the last days of this period of unbounded grace. If we would see the remedy we must turn to God, and see what He did with the weaned child. For then, as now, judgment and destruction was at the door, and the sons of Eli knew it not.
The contrast to all this wickedness was very great in the weaned child. “But Samuel ministered before the Lord, being a child, girded with a linen ephod. Moreover, his mother made him a little coat, and brought it to him from year to year” (1 Samuel 2:18-19). Oh, where is the little weaned child of this day, clothed with divine righteousness, and constantly renewed by grace and mercy with the little coat of practical righteousness? Happy contrast to the boasting official sons of Eli. Such as Samuel are they alone whom God will use.
Yes, the contrast is very sharp. These two families illustrate two principles. We may say the principle of the weak and weaned Philadelphian, in Revelation 3, and the boasting Laodicean. These two principles are so opposite that they will not mingle. The first is well pleasing to the Lord; the other is professing Christendom, become so loathsome to Christ that He will utterly refuse it (Revelation 3).
Thus we get in Samuel the forecast of the days or century in which we live. But some will say, if a man keeps himself free from practicing wickedness, it is no matter what he allows in others, with whom he may be associated. Does not the case of the aged Eli speak out here? He was very old, but his age was no proof that the Lord approved his ways. And note, he knew of the evil of his sons and all they did. It was the practice of sin. Again, the Spirit points to the little weaned child. It is not to any dignitary of Israel. No, “And the child Samuel grew before the Lord” (1 Samuel 2:21). And again, “And the child Samuel grew on, and was in favor both with the Lord, and also with men” (1 Samuel 2:26). This always marks the “little child” growth, in that hidden wisdom before the Lord. And still to grow on in the knowledge of infinite wisdom and love. Many have found unspeakable blessedness in this growth, of which the officials must remain in complete ignorance, and through ignorance will treat it with contempt.
Will God never interfere with this state of things? Yes, He did then. “And there came a man of God unto Eli, and said unto him, Thus saith the Lord” (1 Samuel 2:2). Read what the Lord says to Eli (1 Samuel 2:27-36). What was the chief thing God had against the official Eli? Was it not just this one thing, association with, and allowance of, the evil he condemned?
And has not God raised up very specially, in this century (1800s), a testimony to this very principle? And it is very remarkable that every official in Christendom that has received that testimony has had to give up his position, and become a weaned little child. The substance of this testimony is in 1 Samuel 2:30, “For them that honor me I will honor, and they that despise me shall be lightly esteemed.” Oh, weighty words! Do we understand them? He says, “Where two or three are gathered together in (unto) My name, there am I in the midst of them” (Matthew 18:20). Do we honor Him? Do we honor Him as if we saw Him? or do we despise Him, and send for a man to help us to decide a difficult case? Or do we propose a man to preside over such a meeting, and the Lord present? Did John propose that Peter should preside at the last paschal feast? Is Christ not despised? The reader will here observe that official appointment of a man must dishonor and despise the Lord, in many cases most ignorantly, no doubt.
This is the question of today that must be faced by all the children of God. We would press the question, Do we honor the Lord as if we saw Him in our midst? It is the most grave question for those who profess to be gathered to His name, because He says, “There am I.” Let us not forget such scriptures as 1 Corinthians 12:4-8; 14:29-33.
Of others we would also ask, is it possible to honor the Lord, and set aside these inspired words for our guidance? And we must acknowledge that an ordained minister to preside over an assembly, must, of necessity, set aside these scriptures; and instead of honoring the Lord, sets Him aside. It is necessary to speak plain. The end of the age is upon us, just as the end of that which God had chosen to illustrate these days of the church was close upon them, in our history of Samuel. We shall, therefore, find much to help, both those professedly gathered to Christ, the true Shiloh, and also as to the camp of Christendom. Unsparing judgment was pronounced against the house of Eli, judgment that should sweep them from the earth.
Let us now turn to the child Samuel. Are we of that family, saved from going down into the pit — the very contrast to the house of Eli? “And the child Samuel ministered unto the Lord before Eli. And the word of the Lord was precious [rare] in those days; there was no open vision” (1 Samuel 3:1). Now, if the precious words of Jesus to the assembly at Philadelphia be our copy, then this is our path; and may this be our spirit, as a child dependent on the Holy Spirit ministering unto the Lord; seeking to please Him, to serve acceptably in His sight. Blessed occupation; even before Eli. That is, before the official ministry of this day, that allows the evil which it, in word, condemns. Our path is to go on: all true service is unto the Lord. Yes, whether before those who say they are outside the camp, and allow links with false doctrine, or before those in the camp, with all its last-days evil. The path of the little child is very simple; but its responsibilities are very great in these days, as we shall soon see.
Another blessed mark of the child Samuel in this day also, to such as walk with God, is this “The word of the Lord was precious [rare] in those days” (1 Samuel 3:1). If this is not the case with you and me, we are not walking with God. You may say, I belong to a society that numbers its thousands and thousands. We do not read that there were thousands of Enochs, before the flood, that walked with God. Is the word of the Lord precious to you? The more that blessed word is attacked, is it still the more precious to you?
Night came on, and now darkness, gross darkness is settling on the earth. The darkness of infidelity is preferred to the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ. And those who pretend to be the great lights of the church are themselves darkness itself. What a picture of them was aged Eli. He lay down in his place, and his eyes are dim, they cannot see. The Lord is speaking in His word now, but they cannot hear.
Note what a solemn moment this was. It was “ere the lamp of God went out in the temple of the Lord, where the ark of God was, and Samuel was laid down” (1 Samuel 3:3). Is it not so at this moment? Christendom is refusing the truth in the love of it. And will the Holy Spirit remain and shine forever? No. Oh, what will be the end of the hosts of infidel ministers, denying the Lord that bought them, and Christendom that loves to have it so? Paul says, “And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: that they all might be damned [or judged] who believe not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness” (2 Thessalonians 2:11-12). Read also the testimony of the Holy Spirit in 2 Peter 2:1-3. But who hath an ear to hear what the Spirit saith unto the assembly? Eli had no ear to hear then. The Elis now have no ear to hear. Indeed, the Lord did not speak to Eli. He called the child. He spake to the child. It is remarkable: “Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord, neither was the word of the Lord yet revealed unto him” (1 Samuel 3:7). We might easily understand that the sons of Eli knew not the Lord. But what does this mean, that Samuel the weaned child, did not yet know the Lord?
Is it not that we may know Him as Saviour, long before we know Him as Lord; and as the Lord, speaking to us individually? In our own case it was so; and we believe there are many who have never known Him in that intimacy, so as to have actual communications from Him, and with Him. Where human arrangement has excluded the guidance of the Spirit, this is not to be expected. But even where there is the professed position of being gathered to Christ, this lesson of Samuel the child, and Eli, the aged, demands our prayerful consideration. Did the Lord ever thus speak to you? He did speak to the child. Let us carefully consider the message.
The terrible judgment on the house of Eli is announced to the child. “And the Lord said to Samuel, Behold, I will do a thing in Israel, at which both the ears of everyone that heareth it shall tingle ... For I have told him that I will judge his house forever for the iniquity which he knoweth; because his sons made themselves vile, and he restrained them not” (1 Samuel 3:11-13). And still further, note these most solemn words: “And therefore I have sworn unto the house of Eli, that the iniquity of Eli’s house shall not be purged with sacrifices nor offering forever” (1 Samuel 3:14). Can anything be more striking than the judgment of God on this principle, made so light of by men? The allowance of evil, even though you may be personally free from that evil; yet, if you are associated with those that practice sin, or hold false doctrine, you are clearly held as guilty of the very evil yourself. “Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues.” “If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honor, sanctified (or separated), and meet for the master’s use, and prepared unto every good work” (Read Revelation 18:4; 2 Timothy 2:21; See also 2 Timothy 3:5).
These scriptures cannot be ignored with impunity. The iniquity of Eli’s house should not be purged with sacrifice or offering forever. Yet this is the very principle defended by so many, who even profess to be gathered to Christ. Just as the house of Eli was, at the only place where the Lord had set His name. Nothing so hateful to them as holy separation from every link with false doctrine as to Christ. We cannot but dwell on this as a truth of the utmost importance. The judgment fell upon Shiloh for this very thing.
And the little child must tell Eli every whit. “And Samuel told him every whit, and hid nothing from him” (1 Samuel 3:18). However painful, the full truth must be told out. Note, this was the only fault of Eli. “And he said, it is the Lord: let Him do what seemeth Him good” (1 Samuel 3:18). This is false “piety.” He should have dealt with the evil. Now note, if we are gathered to Christ, and in the little child spirit, there will be growth.
“And Samuel grew.” How oft this is repeated. And more, “And the Lord was with him” (1 Samuel 3:19).
Another mark of the Lord’s approval was this: “And did let none of his words fall to the ground” (1 Samuel 3:19). All knew the Lord was speaking by Samuel. It will be so now, just as they are little, and weakness itself, God will use His servants, and their words shall now be heard, far beyond Dan to Beer-Sheba.
If we compare this with Revelation 3, the address to Philadelphia, nothing could be more striking. There it is the blessed Lord Himself; what He is to those who have a little strength. It is just the same here in our Samuel. It is the Lord, the true Shiloh, at Shiloh, “For the Lord revealed Himself to Samuel in Shiloh by the word of the Lord. And the word of Samuel came to all Israel” (1 Samuel 3:21-4:1). And this is the case now. Yes, and it will be until we see His face, who whispers, “I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown” (Revelation 3:11). Yes, blessed Lord, in the midst of all the tossings of these last of the last days, this is the holy peaceful retreat of safety, and the only one. Thou still revealest Thyself in the midst of the two or three gathered (together) to Thy name. Yes, it is what Thou art to them.
There is one subject we would look at a little before we close. We noticed that Samuel was of the family of Korah, which was spared, in pure sovereign grace, from going down into the pit. A short genealogy of Samuel is given, as the son of “Elkanah, the son of Jeroham, the son of Elihu, the son of Tohu, the son of Zuph” (1 Samuel 1:1). If we compare this with 1 Chronicles 6:22-28, there we have the genealogy traced down from Korah to Elkanah, the son of Jeroham, and to Samuel and his sons Vashni (called also Joel) and Abiah. Grace shines out in the history of Samuel from first to last. In 1 Samuel 8:1-3, we read, “When Samuel was old, that he made his sons judges over Israel. Now the name of his first-born was Joel (or Vashni); and the name of his second, Abiah ... And his sons walked not in his ways, but turned aside after lucre, and took bribes, and perverted judgment.” Such is man.
In Chronicles we look forward beyond this scene, to the kingdom and the glory. “And these are they whom David set over the service of song in the house of the Lord, after that the ark had rest And these are they that waited with their children. Of the sons of the Kohathites: Heman a singer, the son of Joel (or Vashni), the son of Shemuel (Samuel), the son of Elkanah, the son of Jeroham” (1 Chronicles 6:31-34). And the genealogy is now traced downwards to Korah. Yes, the highly privileged Heman, the leader of the songs of the Lord, was grandson to Samuel. And we may read further of Heman and his brethren in 1 Chronicles 25, how David separated them to this happy service of praise, Asaph, Heman, and Jeduthan. Here we read how they prophesied with a harp, to give thanks and to praise the Lord (1 Chronicles 25:2-3). And now are recounted the names of the great-grandsons of Samuel: “And God gave to Heman fourteen sons and three daughters” (1 Chronicles 25:5). “All these were under the hands of their father for song ... of the house of God, according to the King’s order to Asaph, Jeduthan, and Heman” (1 Chronicles 25:6). The number of them is given in — twice 144 or 288 — that were instructed in the songs of the Lord (1 Chronicles 25:7). Now of the sons of Heman, the grandson of Samuel, you will count sixteen, and each of their families counted twelve — or, in all, of this highest honored family of praise, out of 288, there are 192 of the family of Samuel, of the family of Korah, saved from going down into the pit (Numbers 16; 26:9-11).
Such is the history of Samuel, the child, the son of Hannah (“grace and mercy”) and Elkanah (“God hath redeemed”). From first to last, all is free grace, depths of mercy. Blessed figure, too, of that redemption which is wholly of God. This is but a feeble outline, but how full of instruction to us at this very moment.
Who has not felt the peculiar sweetness of the songs, in book of Psalms of the sons of Korah, the family of the little weaned child Samuel, saved from going down to the pit? We might dwell with rapture on Psalm 44; 45; 46; 47, and, indeed, all the songs of the sons of the family of Samuel. And we feel sure if we read them, expressing the joy of those saved from going down to the pit, they will speak to our hearts of the ineffable delight that awaits those now saved from going down alive into the pit. Yes, though the bodies of the rich man, and the very poor beggar, were dead and buried, yet they lived in all the realities of paradise, or unending torment. Yes, he was alive in the pit. Fellow believer, let us never forget we are like the sons of Korah. We have actually been saved from going down to the pit. You and I, but for grace, might have been there.
When the ark had entered its rest, then sang the sons of Samuel, chief singers in the service of holy song. Soon the church will have entered into its rest, and be seated around the throne, in the high kingdom of God. As surely as the days of Saul came to an end, so surely shall the days of the wicked one, the man of sin, come to an end. And as surely as the failing kingdom of David and Solomon was set up, so surely shall the kingdom of the unfailing Holy, Holy, Holy One be set up. “And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth. And he came and took the book out of the right hand of him that sat upon the throne. And when he had taken the book, the four beasts, and four-and-twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps, and golden vials full of odors which are the prayers of saints. And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God” (Revelation 5:6-9).
A greater than David, a greater than Solomon, shall sit on the throne. The only worthy One. The very Lamb of God, blasphemed now here below, and kissed by those who pretend to be His ministers. There was but one Judas in the upper room, but now their name is legion.
“But there the whole triumphant throng
Of blood bought saints on high,
Shall sing the new eternal song,
With Jesus ever nigh.”
Lessons of the Wilderness; Shur, Sin, and Rephidim
We will now, beloved young Christian, in dependence on the teaching of the Holy Spirit, look at the lessons of Shur, Sin, and Rephidim (Exodus 15-17). We shall find each present a distinct, solemn, yet precious, lesson.
And first the Lesson of the Wilderness of Shur. “So Moses brought Israel from the Red Sea, and they went out into the wilderness of Shur; and they went three days in the wilderness, and found no water” (Exodus 15:22). These are few words, but what a depth of meaning there is in them — so soon after the triumphant song of redemption, only three days’ journey from the place of death and deliverance — the Red Sea. And now to find no water. Have ye counted the cost? The cross of Christ, as separating us from the world, is a very solemn matter. “But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world” (Galatians 6:14). What was so debased and contemptible in the eyes of the world as a person crucified. And this was what the world was to the Apostle, and what he was to the world.
The three days’ journey very aptly illustrates the exact place into which the believer is brought. Dead with Christ and risen with Him. Yes, the three days’ journey, from death to resurrection, has separated you, my fellow-traveler, forever from Egypt, that is the world. But you say, It looks very strange that the redeemed, who had just been shouting the song of triumph, should be so soon distressed and find no water? Was not this just the way the young Christians at Thessalonica had been brought to God, “Having received the word in much affliction, with joy of the Holy [Spirit]” (1 Thessalonians 1:6)? Now note, this is the first lesson after redemption; and if my reader has redemption through the blood of Christ, even the forgiveness of sins, do not be surprised if you find, the first journey you take in the wilderness, that there is no water. Nay, I believe this is a sure sign that you are redeemed. Do you find it so, or can you still drink of the world’s pleasures and be satisfied? Ah, if so, do not be deceived: you are still in Egypt, still in the iron grasp of Satan, who leads you captive at his will. Do not be offended if I tell you the truth. Must I not be faithful? Oh how many are thus going down to perdition, with a lie in their right hand! But with you, my dear young Christian, it is not so. The things that once so pleased you yield no satisfaction now. I cannot express it like Scripture. You find no water. Solemn lesson of Shur. The New Testament is very strong on this subject: “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.” (Read 1 John 2:15-17.) And again, “Know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? Whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God” (James 4:4).
And when we think of the amazing price of our redemption, can we wonder that our separation from the world lying in the wicked one should be so entire? But at such a time, when you find no water, nothing to satisfy, then beware of murmuring.
And the next lesson of Shur is equally striking. “And when they came to Marah, they could not drink of the waters of Marah, for they were bitter” (Exodus 15:23). This was trying indeed — more trying than finding no water. How often this is the case with the young believer, aye, and the old one too. We grasp at that which we think will satisfy and only find bitter disappointment. Have you not found it so? Have you tried the pleasures, or the riches, or honors of the world, and only found bitterness? You are invited to a lavish party. Once this would have been very delightful; but now how bitter to the taste of the new nature. How utterly disappointed you return home. Have you set your heart on some earthly object? You are permitted to obtain it; but how empty. Yea, what you expected to yield such satisfaction only yields bitter sorrow and emptiness. Oh, beware of murmuring. Not one thing has happened to you but what is common to the children of God.
This world is a wilderness wide, where there is not a tree in it yielding satisfying fruit. But there is a tree. “The Lord showed him a tree, which when he had cast into the waters, the waters were made sweet” (Exodus 15:25). Yes, “As the apple tree among the trees of the wood, so is my Beloved among the sons. I sat down under his shadow with great delight, and his fruit was sweet to my taste” (Song of Solomon 2:3). Surely that tree is Christ. Ah, nothing can sweeten the bitter cup of this life, but sitting beneath His shadow. O what delight, what sweetness to the taste of the new-born babe! How simple then this second lesson of the wilderness of Shur. Are you, my young fellow-christian, beginning to find the waters of this life bitter? Come then near to Jesus: sit at His feet: His fruit shall be sweet to your taste: His words shall be sweeter than honey or the honeycomb. Are the things of the world sweet or bitter? Is Christ to you like the one precious tree, laden with sweetest fruit, where all beside is barrenness and waste? Then hearken to the precept of the Lord, to His people Israel. And note, this was before the law was given. And certainly it could have nothing to do with their redemption — that was all finished. So with you, my reader; if you are a believer, your redemption is as finished as theirs was. Your works can have nothing to do with that. Neither are you under law; but O how much present blessing depends on your hearkening diligently unto the voice of the Lord. He is a rock that can never be moved and His shadow the place of perfect security. But to sit at His feet, to hear diligently His words! And as He says, If ye love me, keep my commands. Not as a servant under law; but as a son, filled with the Spirit and moved by divine love. Yes, most precious and necessary is this obedience of faith.
Elim, was a sweet, green spot in the wilderness, with its “twelve wells of water, and threescore and ten palm trees: and they encamped there by the waters” (Exodus 15:27). This does so remind one of Jesus, in the midst of His twelve apostles and seventy disciples (Luke 9:1; Luke 10:1). Wherever we see Him, He is the one to whom the thirsty may come and drink. May we ever encamp near the wells of living waters.
But I go on now to the Wilderness of Sin (Ex. 16). Every step in the journey brings out the utter worthlessness of man and the sovereign grace of God. The whole congregation murmur sadly: and they said, “Would to God we had died by the hand of the Lord in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the flesh-pots, and when we did eat bread to the full; for ye have brought us forth into this wilderness, to kill this whole assembly with hunger” (Exodus 16:3). This was very sad — but not more so than the terrible sin of unbelief that now so easily besets the believer. One would think, with such a bright future before us, we should have no lingering looks at the world behind. Well, and what was God’s answer to this murmuring? Amazing grace! “Then said the Lord unto Moses, Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you; and the people shall go out and gather a certain rate every day” (Exodus 16:4). And now it is worthy of special remark, that the Sabbath of Jehovah’s rest was given before the law, in connection with the eating of this bread from heaven. It was first given to Israel as privilege, not by command, or on the principle of law. And here the people rested on the seventh day: and I am not aware of another single instance where the people rested on the Sabbath day. There is something very striking in this. From Adam to Moses, yea, to this very chapter, that is, for more than 2500 years, the Spirit never uses the word Sabbath, either in its root, or in any of its forms. And here, in the wilderness of Sin, it is God’s gift to His redeemed people, in perfect grace. And on the principle of grace, before the law is given, they rest on the seventh day. Immediately they are under law, the Spirit never once repeats the words, “So the people rested on the seventh day” (Exodus 16:30). I would not have you forget that God expressly gave Israel the Sabbath on the ground of redemption — on that very account; as is declared, “And remember that thou wast a servant in the land of Egypt, and that the Lord thy God brought thee out ... .therefore the Lord thy God commanded thee to keep the sabbath day” (Deuteronomy 5:15). Thus they had the Sabbath because they were redeemed; but they only rested on it, or enjoyed it, by gathering the heavenly manna: and this on the principle of pure grace. Bread from heaven! Oh may the Spirit of God open the understanding of my reader to see Christ, the bread of life, in all this. Let it be well understood, that the only ground on which God gives rest to the guilty sinner is through the redemption blood of Christ. Yes; He looks on that precious Lamb “who was delivered for our offenses, and was raised again for our justification. Therefore, being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ” (Romans 4:25; 5:1). “We have redemption through His blood, even the forgiveness of sins” (Colossians 1:14). This gives peace. This peace is God’s gift in pure grace. As the Sabbath was God’s gift in grace to every Israelite, so this peace, this rest of God, is God’s gift to every believer who has redemption through the blood of Christ. But then you say, “If so, why do not I enter into this rest and enjoy peace with God?” To that question this lesson of the wilderness is a solemn reply. Manna was a type of Christ as the bread of life. The redeemed from Egypt fed upon it. But they gathered a certain rate every day. Is this the case with you, my reader? Are you gathering the sweet manna, Christ, every day, in His precious word? If you had no time to eat your daily food, would you wonder if you were soon out of health? If you have no time to gather up the crumbs of life in the precious word, is there any wonder that your spiritual life declines? Oh read the sweet words of Jesus on this subject! He says, “I am the bread of life: he that cometh to Me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on Me shall never thirst” (John 6:35). Do you thus come to Him for your daily portion? Each Hebrew had an omer about five pints of manna; every man according to his eating. The greatest eater had no lack, and he that gathered most had none to spare. Just as with the lamb, every man according to his eating, so with the manna, every man according to his eating. Our deepest need as sinners was met by the blood of the Lamb; and the deepest, daily need of our souls is met, if feeding on Christ. No doubt it is very blessed, on the first day of the week, to meet together to break bread — to remember Jesus — to show forth His broken body — to take that cup which shows forth His shed blood — by that one loaf to express the one body of Christ. Indeed, I would press this. But there is the daily portion — the constant need of the soul for spiritually feeding on Christ. In so short a paper I can only ask you to read John 6:30-71 in connection with this subject.
How very simple then this divine picture. God gave the bread from heaven. The redeemed Israelite gathered it. “A small round thing, as small as the hoar frost on the ground ... and they gathered it every morning” (Exodus 16:14,21). “It was ... white; and the taste of it was like wafers made with honey” (Read Exodus 16:14-31). O that precious, spotless Christ, so small and despised in the eyes of the world! But when the child of God gathers the manna in the morning, how refreshing the dew of the early dawn, as the Spirit reveals Jesus to the soul in the blessed word. And God gave them enough for the Sabbath, and so they rested. God has given you rest, my fellow-believer. Do you not enjoy it? Do you not rest? Then you have not gathered enough manna. Read the word more. Think more on Christ. If the Israelite exclaimed, What is it? well may you say, What is it? — Christ my portion.
Just as God gave them twice as much as they could eat, so they rested on the seventh day. Even so by the gift of His beloved Son He has more than met our utmost need. Thus they rested by gift; not by command. And thus in Christ we rest by grace, and not by works. Some did not believe, and went out to seek manna, but found none. So is it with us when ever we wander from God’s eternal gift.
There was a great difference between having the Sabbath and resting. There is as great a difference between having peace with God and enjoying that peace. Would you enjoy that sweet rest in God? Then gather the manna — feed on Christ. As the dewdrop contained the manna, so will the Spirit, take of the things of Christ and show them unto you. Oh would you rest? Then grieve not that Holy Spirit by whom you are sealed. The taste of the manna was like wafers made with honey. And what so sweet to the taste of a child of God as the fellowship of the Spirit in communion with Christ? Oh do, my young Christian, seek this holy, sweet enjoyment of Christ!
Does the prospect of being forever with the Lord gladden your heart? Then earnestly seek for much communion with Him in spirit while here below.
We will now look at the third stage of Israel’s journey — Rephidim. And again there was no water. Ah! it is hard for the flesh to bear this — to find at every step no water. Yet such is the journey of this wilderness. Think of the path of our precious Lord; and think what awaited his servant Paul in every city (Acts 20). And such is our path, my fellow-traveler, in proportion as we are true to Him.
And again (for the people were not yet under law) the Lord met their grievous murmurings in the fullest grace. The Rock in Horeb was smitten, and out came water that all the people might drink. Moses called the name of that place, Temptation and strife. Oh! my young traveler, when your heart is ready to murmur — when Satan whispers, You had better give up the journey, and return to the world — when every cistern fails — when you are ready to sink in temptation and strife — when your thoughts are all in confusion — ah! when Satan seems let loose against you — yea, when everything seems against you; oh! at such a time remember the Rock that was smitten for you. Yes, at such a time look off to Jesus. Was ever sorrow like His sorrow? and was ever love like His? You will be amazed to find wicked, unbelieving thoughts arise in your mind.
And “then came Amalek, and fought with Israel in Rephidim” (Exodus 17:8). Now, as this is the first and only battle of Israel while they remained under grace, before the law was given, it should be studied with the deepest interest by us, who are not under law, but under grace. I do not think this battle of Rephidim typifies our conflict with wicked spirits so much: that we shall get when we see Israel in the land of Canaan. But I rather look at this Rephidim as showing us a picture of the sudden attack of temptation through the lusts of the flesh. It was just as they said, “Is the Lord among us, or not?” (Exodus 17:7) — at the very moment of their doubting, “then came Amalek, and fought with Israel” (Exodus 17:8). Nothing gives the enemy more power than to doubt whether we are the children of God or not; or to doubt whether He is with us and for us or not.
And now, my young Christian, this battle of Rephidim is a very solemn question. You will find that, though you have redemption through the blood of Christ — a child of God — have fed with delight on Christ the heavenly manna; yet, to your surprise, the lusts of your old nature are as bad as ever. That which is born of the Spirit has not altered the flesh in the least. If Israel had stayed in Egypt, they would never have fought Amalek. And if you had not the new nature, you would never have known this fierce conflict with the old nature. “The flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot (or may not) do the things that ye would” (Galatians 5:17). These are the plain words of God: and every child of God finds it so in his experience. What would he not do, were it not for the Holy Spirit, who dwells in him, preventing him from fulfilling the lusts of the flesh.
I must guard my young traveler against several mistakes when passing through Rephidim. And especially beware of a broad path that turns out of the way, called “sinless perfection.” This path leads to infidelity. Some would tell you that your old nature is changed, and that there is no sin left in your flesh, or carnal mind. This is a very flattering delusion, and for a time may lull you to false security. But when Amalek comes to fight; (though I sometimes think Satan knows better than to fight these deluded ones;) but when Satan presents strong temptation, and you find to your horror and grief that there is still an evil nature in you, so soon excited by his temptations; yea, at such a time you seem overwhelmed with the power of unexpected temptation. And especially if there, has been failure, then beware of the hard thrust of the deadly enemy, in trying to persuade you that you are not a child of God. Let this dark unbelief only take possession of your soul, and then where is your strength to fight?
But the battle of Rephidim. Read carefully these verses — Exodus 17:8-16. Golden lesson for the young soldier of Christ. Some teachers would tell you, In the hour of temptation, your only safety is to try your utmost to keep the law. I once knew a young Christian, when fighting in Rephidim, as a last resource, write down all the denunciations and commands of God respecting the sin that so harassed him. But this helped him not at all. Nothing could be more striking than God’s teaching and man’s on this important point. Says man, You are under the law as the rule of life, and sin will surely have the dominion if you do not strive to keep it. Says God, It was the ministration of death, and is now abolished (2 Corinthians 3:7-14); and “Sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace” (Romans 6:14). Thus you see, my young traveler, if you are led of man, you will be under law and bondage; “But if led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law” (Galatians 5:18). The contrast between God’s teaching and man’s is very striking, is it not? But, then, the question is, when passing through Rephidim, that is, through fierce temptation — tempted to commit fearful sins — If the law does not help me at such a time, but only excites lust still more — as is said in Romans 7:7-18; I say, if the law does not help, what does? And what is the principle of victory over the lusts of the flesh? I look at the battle of Rephidim, I say, as a golden answer to this perplexing difficulty in the hour of need. To human reason, perhaps, nothing could be more foolish. There was no digging of trenches, forming parallels, or display of military skill; but Moses says, “I will stand on the top of the hill with the rod of God in mine hand” (Exodus 17:9). “And it came to pass, when Moses held up his hand, that Israel prevailed: and when he let down his hand, Amalek prevailed” (Exodus 17:11). What a picture of the divine principle of prevailing faith! And especially valuable, as I have said before, when we bear in mind this is the only battle Israel fought, while on the principle of grace, and not as yet under the law. And, now, if my reader has traveled some length of the wilderness journey, let me ask him to turn over the pages of memory, and then tell me, as we say, is not this picture true to the very life? Just as your hands have been lifted up to God — just as faith has trusted Him, you have prevailed; and just as your hands have been let fall down — just as you have trusted in anything else but God, sin has prevailed. Thus the mighty principle of faith is set before us as the only means of victory in temptation. We never make resolutions but we fail and break them; and we never look alone to God but we are delivered. Do, my young Christian, remember the battle of Rephidim in the hour of temptation. Lift up your heart, and let the cry of faith go up to God. Perhaps you say, My heart is so heavy. And so were the hands of Moses. “But Moses’ hands were heavy; and they took a stone, and put it under him, and he sat thereon; and Aaron and Hur stayed up his hands, the one on the one side, and the other on the other side; and his hands were steady until the going down of the sun” (Exodus 17:12). Now there are some very precious and important points of soul-sustaining truth set before the believer, in conflict, in this verse. It is of the greatest moment at such a time that you remember that great stone — nay, the Rock of Ages supports you. Oh to know that however the storm of temptation may assail, your feet are on the Rock that cannot be moved! Beware of those shifting sands, those unbelieving thoughts that you may be on the Rock today and off and lost tomorrow. Nothing can more tend to weaken the child of God, in the hour of sore temptation, than these false doctrines. No, my reader, if you have redemption, it is eternal redemption; if you have life, it is eternal life; If you are on the Rock, none can pluck you off forever. The stone, however, was not put under Moses that he might hang down his hands, but that they might be steadily held up. Neither would I put this blessed truth before you, or rather show you the Rock that sustains you, that you may become careless and cease to steadily trust in God for victory over lust and sin. No! but for the very purpose of encouraging your faith in the darkest hour.
But further, for the support of the heavy hands of Moses, Aaron and Hur stayed up his hands, the one on the one side, and the other on the other side. And does not He whose name is Jesus, by whose death and resurrection we are justified, also make intercession for us. “Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for ... the saints according to the will of God” (Romans 8:26-27). What divine strength this gives in the hour of strong temptation. There is the exalted Son of God, on the one side, that is, in the very presence of God, holding up the hands of faith, making intercession. And there is on the other side, that is, down here, in the believer, the Holy Spirit making intercession. How doubly held up!
But perhaps my reader may be sadly cast down — you may have been surprised by Amalek; perhaps you thought lust and temptation was all gone — you had pictured a path of sunshine: and so it is, if the eye is kept on Jesus. You may, however, have resolved to walk with God, and for a time all was smooth; but the sudden attack of the enemy took you by surprise, your hands were let down, Amalek, that is your sins, prevailed. Has Satan got an advantage over you? Has there been failure? I think I hear you whisper, little did I expect it, but I have sinned since my conversion, and now I am so unhappy. The brightness of noon seems to be turned into midnight darkness. Satan says, “I am not on the Rock now. The great High Priest passed into the heavens will not intercede for me now. The Holy Spirit does not make intercession for me now.” Stop, poor doubting one, do not listen after this rate to the enemy. Was not the Rock of Ages cleft for you? Is it not His very blood that has met all your sins, yea, washed them all away? And does not the Spirit say, by John, when writing on this very subject, “My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: and He is the propitiation for our sins” (1 John 2:1-12). Are you His child? Have you sinned? Then think what is taking place in your Father’s presence. What an Advocate! Look at Him, and listen to His pleadings for you: He pleads His own blood. Do not these words meet your case — “If any man sin?” (1 John 2:1). Surely this is not that you may sin: but that you may not sin. But if you have sinned, the knowledge of your Advocate on high lifts up again the arms of faith, and, though Amalek has prevailed, you now prevail again. But perhaps you say, “If I have sinned, have I not grieved the Holy Spirit; and, consequently, has He not departed from me?” No; this is impossible now. The Holy Spirit dwells in you as the seal to the value of the blood of Jesus (Hebrews 10; Ephesians 1). So that the blood of Jesus must lose its value before the Holy Spirit can cease to dwell now in the child of God. You may, yea, alas! how often we do grieve the Holy Spirit, by whom we are sealed unto the day of redemption. But one great distinguishing feature of the present dispensation, is that the Holy Spirit abides with us to the end. I have found this solemn fact one of the most sustaining truths in God’s word. The Apostle uses it for this purpose when writing to the Corinthians. (See 1 Corinthians 3:16-17.) Do think of this when pressed hard by temptation, “Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?” (1 Corinthians 3:16). And see how solemnly this is pressed in 1 Corinthians 6:15-20. So really is the believer’s body the temple of the Holy Spirit, that if he goes on in sin, and thus defiles the temple, God cannot allow this; and if he refuses to judge and humble himself, and still further refuses to hear the Church, the temple must be destroyed; that is, this body must be dissolved. “For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep” (1 Corinthians 11:30). My reader may not have been aware of all this, but search the Scriptures and see if these things are not so. We have a watchful, powerful foe, surrounded by every manner of ensnaring temptation, and especially so to the young Christian; and still we have to wage war with deadly, hateful lusts. If left to ourselves, utterly without strength, to resist the least of them, how important then to know the Rock on which we stand: and to know that, on one side, we have the risen Lord; and on the other, the blessed Spirit, never ceasing to make intercession for us.
And as there was to be no compromise between Israel and Amalek, so let there be no compromise, my dear young reader, between you and fleshly lusts that war against the soul. From this day forward, even though Amalek may have prevailed; yes, though you may have failed and sinned, yet now may the Spirit of God show you the Advocate with the Father, pleading for you; and now may past failure and sin be confessed to your Father. You will find He is faithful and just to forgive you all sins and cleanse from all unrighteousness. He is faithful and just to the claims of your Advocate, and therefore you are forgiven and cleansed. This is as sure as you have, by His Spirit, made confession to Him. Do not omit this — if sin has prevailed confess it to your Father. And now, henceforth, may He give the reader and the writer the victory of faith. “For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith” (1 John 5:4). Thus the battle of Rephidim sets before us the blessed principle of victory over sin and the world. If my reader fights on the principle of law, you will be overcome; if on the principle of faith, you will overcome. And just as your hands hang down to one, or are lifted up to the other, will you fail or prevail. And you who have trod the greater part of the journey, I appeal to your hearts and consciences — Is it not so, just as we have looked to God we have overcome; and just as we have resolved to do our best we have failed. What years of sorrow a life of simple faith would save the child of God. Would you, my dear young Christian, then, spend your little while in holy, happy, devoted service to God, then have no confidence in the flesh — never trust self. Pray without ceasing — at all times and in all places. Remember, you are the temple of the Holy Spirit: He intercedes for you; the risen High Priest is your Advocate; God is for you. Though He chasten, it is because He loves you. Oh! Do not forget you are never safe from temptation a moment, except that moment is spent in trusting Him. How soon after the manna and rest, came temptation and Amalek. In seasons of richest blessing, when filled with Christ, the heavenly manna, and the heart at rest in God, yet even then how near to danger. How sudden the change to fierce and unexpected temptation. Oh! watch; pray; trust. “Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy, to the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever, Amen” (Jude 24-25).
What God Hath Said on the Second Coming of Christ and the End of the Present Age
There is a vast difference between taking up the Word of God, to hear what He hath said, and taking it up to search out passages that seem to uphold any theory that one may hold. Now, all true Christians must feel that the second coming of our Lord Jesus Christ is one of the most interesting subjects that can occupy our thoughts.
It is proposed then, in this small tract, to look carefully at what God has said.
First, at what God hath spoken by His Son, in the four Gospels; and secondly, at what God hath spoken by His Spirit, in the epistles of the apostles.
Before turning to the words of the Son of God, let us read, as introduction, the words of Gabriel, sent of God: “Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favor with God. And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call His name JESUS. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto Him the throne of his father David: and He shall reign over the house of Jacob forever; and of His kingdom there shall be no end” (Luke 1:30-33). Surely every “shall” in this wondrous passage, must be as really and as literally fulfilled as was the birth of Jesus. God said He should be born: it came to pass. God says He shall reign over the house of Jacob: it will surely come to pass.
Let us now turn and hear what God hath spoken to us by His Son, in the four Gospels. I would notice the seven parables in Matthew 13. The present period was then unknown, and Jesus only spake of it in parables. But we who now have the teaching of the Spirit of God, and know the mysteries of the kingdom of God, can read them more like histories than parables.
The first is the parable of the sower. Instead of God setting up that blessed reign of Christ, foretold in all the prophets, there is this time of sowing or preaching the word. And how searching the words of Jesus; only one part out of four even of those who professed to receive the word, are saved and bring forth fruit. “Some fell upon stony places” (Matthew 13:5), “some fell by the way side” (Matthew 13:4), “and some seeds fell among thorns” (Matthew 13:7). Oh! reader, beware lest thou art one of these classes, and thou perish forever. Oh! beware of the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches.
But some will ask, does the Lord Jesus teach that this state of things will continue; or does He teach that, by and by, all will receive His word and be saved? Let the second parable answer that question. A man sowed good seed in his field, an enemy sowed tares. He explains it himself: “He that soweth the good seed is the Son of Man; the field is the world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom; but the tares are the children of the wicked one; the enemy that sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the world (or age); and the reapers are the angels” (Matthew 13:37-39). So that you see, my reader, plainly, whoever may preach the conversion of the whole world, Jesus taught the very opposite. That only one part out of four of the seed sown brings forth fruit to perfection; and that in the world, the wicked and the righteous would grow together, until the very end of this age. The wicked should then be “cast ... into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth. Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father” (Matthew 13:42-43). The third parable, the mustard-tree, teaches, that when the professing body should have greatly increased, the wicked spirits who tried at first to pick up the seed would lodge in its branches. Judas was one of the first of these birds; but now their name is legion.
The fourth parable, the hid leaven. “The kingdom of heaven is like unto leaven, which a woman took, and hid in three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened” (Matthew 13:33). This, perhaps, gives the saddest picture of all; but not more sad than true. So far from the Church converting the world, the whole of professing Christendom has become leavened with the working in secret of this woman’s leaven of iniquity. Leaven in Scripture always denotes evil; the leaven of the Pharisees — leaven of Herod — leaven of malice and wickedness.
The fifth, sixth, and seventh parables teach the same truth. It is not the whole field, but the treasure in it: not the whole world, but the one pearl — the one Church of God, that is being taken out of the world. All are not converted, but in the great net of the present dispensation of time, there are good and bad. “So shall it be at the end of the [age]” (Matthew 13:49). The wicked shall then be severed from among the just.
Matthew 24. In this chapter we find the plain teaching of Jesus to His little flock of Jewish disciples. It is the same subject as the seven parables, only in plain words, not in parables. In the first few verses Jesus foretells the destruction of the Jewish temple — which, we all know, came literally to pass. He was seated on the Mount of Olives — the very spot where His feet shall stand when He comes to reign. The disciples came and inquired privately, “Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of Thy coming, and of the end of the world (or age)?” (Matthew 24:3). Now read carefully Matthew 24 from the fourth to the last verse, and mark, there is not one thought of the world’s conversion. He foretells there will be false Christs — deceivers — wars, and rumors of wars — famines, pestilences, earthquakes — persecutions, sorrows, death — iniquity abounding, and the love of many waxing cold. And instead of the world receiving the gospel, it is preached for a witness; and then the end comes. Much has been fulfilled; and much in this chapter has yet to be fulfilled. Bear in mind, that all these words of Jesus were spoken to His Jewish disciples, and have special reference to what shall befall that nation. In the fifteenth verse He says to them, “When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:) then let them which be in Judea flee to the mountains” (Matthew 24:15-16). This evidently proves that the temple at Jerusalem has to be rebuilt; for the abomination of desolation is to stand in the holy place. And if you read Daniel 12:11-13, and compare it with Daniel 11:27, you see the fearful act of the head of the Roman power, who causes the sacrifice and oblation to cease in the midst of the week — then mark when the abomination stands in the holy place. Then the words of Jesus will be most valuable to the godly Jews, who believe His testimony in that day. The moment they see this take place, they take it as the signal to escape. They have not even time to go into the house to fetch their clothes. Then takes place the “great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be” (Matthew 24:21). The remnant who have escaped may count the days that are shortened, 1290 to 1260, or half a week of years. The angel, speaking to Daniel of these days, says, “And there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time thy people (that is, the Jews) shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book. And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt” (Daniel 12:1-2). Clearly, then, the setting up of the abomination of desolation, and the time of tribulation, are both future. And in proof of this, our blessed Lord says, what will take place immediately after, the tribulation: “And then shall appear the sign of the Son of Man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of Man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory” (Matthew 24:30). Most certainly, then, all tribes of the earth are not converted; or why do they mourn when Jesus comes? Jesus says, “Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled” (Matthew 24:34). How remarkably this is so before our very eyes! Though scattered among all nations, the generation or race of the Jews still exists, and waits the fulfillment of all these things. The Lord then goes on to state, “As the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of Man be” (Matthew 24:37). Oh, what a solemn thought, that this world is to go on eating and drinking — rejecting Christ, just as the world despised the preaching of Noah, “and knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of Man be” (Matthew 24:39)! The most solemn warnings to watch and be ready are then given: “for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of Man cometh” (Matthew 24:44). Terrible will be the doom of that servant who shall say in his heart, my lord delayeth his coming. Yes, he calls Him, “My Lord” (Matthew 24:48); but his portion will be with the hypocrites, where “there shall be weeping, and gnashing of teeth” (Matthew 24:51). Such are the solemn words of the Son of God. Oh! that my reader may be awakened to the solemn inquiry, Am I ready, and waiting for the Lord?
Matthew 25. The whole of this chapter also is upon the same subject. The illustration of the ten virgins teaches most plainly, that instead of all being converted when He comes, half of those who profess to be His are shut out. All slumbered and slept. Oh, professor! if you should hear those words, “I know you not” (Matthew 25:12); “Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of Man cometh” (Matthew 25:13). Another illustration is then given of this period, during which Jesus is away in heaven: “As a man travelling into a far country” (Matthew 25:14). And again, the whole of his servants do not improve their talents. Then “When the Son of Man shall come in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then shall He sit on the throne of His glory” (Matthew 25:31). Then to the end of the chapter the Lord most plainly describes the judgment of the living nations at His coming. You will notice, if you read carefully, that there is nothing said in this place about the judgment of the dead: that is quite a distinct event, as we shall find as we go on in the word.
Even when standing before the high priest, on the solemn night of His betrayal, Jesus said, “Hereafter shall ye see the Son of Man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven” (Matthew 26:64). Alas; man always refused this testimony. The high priest declared it blasphemy, and pronounced Him worthy of death (Matthew 26:65).
I would now turn to Mark 13. The solemn warnings of Matthew 24 are repeated: “And then shall they see the Son of Man coming in the clouds with great power and glory” (Mark 13:26). Not only the porter of the house is to watch, but to mark the uncertainty of the hour when Jesus shall come, all are to watch. Some will say, “Ah, you do not need to think about the coming of the Lord; it will not take place in your day.” Jesus says, “Watch ye therefore: for ye know not when the master of the house cometh, at even, or at midnight, or at the cockcrowing, or in the morning: lest coming suddenly he find you sleeping. And what I say unto you I say unto all, Watch” (Mark 13:35-37). Oh, how near, then, the Lord’s coming must be. The present night of His absence is thus divided into four parts — “even ... midnight ... cockcrowing ... morning” (Mark 13:35). Where are we? The evening of the dispensation is already past; yes, the midnight of the dark ages is past, or middle ages, as they are called. The awakening of the Reformation is past. Ah, the morning breaks. Watch! watch! the day will surely break. Oh, blessed are they who shall be found ready!
But perhaps my reader will ask, if Jesus does not teach that the world would be converted by the preaching of the gospel? Does He plainly say the contrary? Let us turn now and carefully examine the Gospel of Luke, and there we shall get a decided answer to the above question, Luke 12:35-48. In these verses there are two classes of servants. I would observe, a man may be a servant and not a son, as Balaam, and many others. Those servants are greatly blessed who are found watching when the Son of Man cometh. But the evil servant who said in his heart, my lord delayeth His coming — and especially that servant “which knew his Lord’s will, and prepared not himself, neither did according to His will, shall be beaten with many stripes” (Luke 12:47). Oh! is not this highly favored England? Does any nation know the will of God as she does? Surely, then, as it was with Judea, so will it be with this land. The heaviest judgments of God’s wrath will be poured out on this now highly favored land. Her doom will be infinitely worse than the dark lands of paganism, where the will of the Lord has not been known. Surely, then, this warning is not a light matter; and who knows how near.
But if you now turn to Luke 17:24-37, the Lord says here most decidedly, that he must be rejected. And this rejection goes right on to the coming of the Son of Man. A rejection which He likens to the days of Noah and of Lot, “Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of Man is revealed” (Luke 17:30). Yes, so far from the world being converted, He says, “Nevertheless, when the Son of Man cometh, shall He find faith on the earth?” (Luke 18:8).
Luke 19:11-27. In these verses the parable of the nobleman going into a far country is repeated, with the plain prophecy that the great mass of the citizens hate him, and say right out, that they will not have him to reign over them. And instead of these being converted, at the return of Christ, they are slain before him.
Luke 21. This chapter is in many respects parallel with Matthew 24 and Mark 13. We must bear in mind that the listeners to this discourse expected that the long-expected kingdom of God on earth should immediately appear. Instead of which, the Lord makes known a period of great suffering and persecution. What a contrast to all their thoughts. Instead of reigning over the nations, they should be hated of all men for His name’s sake. Then, in the Luke 21:20, a subject is named that is omitted in both Matthew and Mark: “And when ye shall see Jerusalem compassed with armies, then know that the desolation thereof is nigh.” “Then let them which are in Judea flee to the mountains” (Luke 21:21). Strange as this might appear, so utterly opposed to the hopes of the nation, yet we know it actually came to pass. The Roman armies did compass Jerusalem, and the Jewish disciples did flee to the mountains. A Jew might have said, oh, it is impossible; God has promised that this city shall be the metropolis of the whole earth (Isaiah 2:1-4). Truly every promise of God shall be fulfilled, when the time of the kingdom comes on earth. In like manner some will say, It is impossible that these great destructions should take place, because God hath said, “The earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea” (Isaiah 11:9). This shall certainly be the case in the days of the kingdom. But before those days come, let us closely observe these words of Jesus. The days of vengeance came on Judea; there was great distress in the land, and wrath upon that people. This prophecy, from Luke 21:20-24, may be said to be condensed history — prophecy fulfilled before our very eyes. They (the Jews) fell by the sword; they were led away captive into all nations. Jerusalem is trodden down of the Gentiles. For 1800 years this prophecy has been, and still is fulfilled. Though at the time Jesus uttered these words, His own disciples neither understood or believed what He said, for we find them afterward asking Him, “Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel” (Acts 1:6). But does the Lord say how long Jerusalem is thus to be trodden down? Yes, distinctly: He says, “Until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled” (Luke 21:24). And what then? Will the world be converted then? The Lord says no such thing. But then takes place, as in Matthew and Mark, the great tribulation, “Distress of nations, with perplexity” (Luke 21:25). “Men’s hearts failing them for fear” (Luke 21:26). “And then shall they see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory” (Luke 21:27). Now, my reader, from all these words of Jesus, can we come to any other conclusion than this — that the millennium cannot possibly take place, before the coming of Christ in the clouds of heaven; until then, wars, tumults, on Judah days of vengeance; on all nations distress. Read, then, carefully the solemn warning, Luke 21:34-36, “Take heed to yourselves.” Oh, do not be deceived by the cry of peace and safety. “For as a snare shall it come on all them that dwell on the face of the whole earth” (Luke 21:35). Ah, you see that professor going to the world’s concert, or to the world’s feast, to eat and to drink with the drunkard. There goes another with anxious brow and keen piercing eye, grasping at the world’s deceitful wealth. Ah, these, and thousands more, are saying in their hearts, “My lord delayeth His coming” (Luke 12:45). “Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man” (Luke 21:36). You may have observed, that all the words of Jesus so far, have reference to this earth, or His coming again to this earth. Jerusalem in Judea has been the center of his instruction. This was suited to the nation in the midst of which these prophecies were delivered.
We now turn to an entirely new subject (John 14:1-3). I say new subject, for I am not aware of a single verse, from Genesis to this very passage, where this wondrous fact had ever been fully revealed. We forget this when reading these divine words of comfort. Every hope in the disciples around the blessed Lord, in this night of sorrow, was centered in Jerusalem, as the place of His reign. But now, His last words having been spoken to the nation in John 12, He unbosoms the secrets of His heart, for the comfort of His chosen few, during this time, or period, when He should have left them in the world alone. John 13 unfolds the tender grace of our High Priest on high. In the east it is customary for one servant to hold the basin, and for another to pour the water. But Jesus did not ask Peter to hold the basin, and John to pour the water. No, the precious Jesus did it all: He took the towel, He took the basin, He poured the water, He washed their feet. Oh! that we better knew that tender heart. Cheer up, my drooping brother Christian; it was Jesus’ work alone to atone for sins on Calvary. It is Jesus’ work alone, as thy Great High Priest, to keep thy feet clean. Worthy alone art thou, O Lamb of God. Thou art the author and the finisher of my salvation.
My reader, are you a believer? Then you are justified from all things — through the precious blood of Christ, clean every whit. Then do not forget He lives to keep you clean.
Then, in this chapter John 14 the precious Jesus can hide from His loved ones no longer the amazing secret — “In My Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto Myself; that where I am, there ye may be also” (John 14:2-3). Of course, this was so new, they could not make out either whither He went, or the way. They had heard of the future glory of Jerusalem; but mansions in the Father’s house on high, and a place prepared for them! What, poor sinful fishermen to have a place with God the Father! Oh, amazing grace! Man, through sin, lost the garden of God; but Jesus was about to give His heart’s blood, that He might bring us to God Himself in heavenly glory. And mark the certainty. As surely as He has died and risen again, and gone to the Father’s house to prepare a place for us, even so sure is it, that He will come again and receive us to Himself. Ah! what would the soldier give, in the midst of the battle’s roar, to have the certainty of reaching the home he loves — or the mariner in the midst of the raging storm? What comfort, then, these words of Jesus give! However fierce the conflict — however dark and loud the roaring tempest, the blest home of His presence is sure. Oh, think of this, ye tried and desolate ones — ye fellow-believers, who are widows, or orphans, in a cold world! Oh, cheer up, ye afflicted ones! A little while: your home is certain. Is Christ your portion now? Then your home, sweet home in His presence, is most blessedly certain. “Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid” (John 14:27). Think not when ye see Him, to meet an angry Judge. He comes to receive you to Himself, who hath loved you, and washed you in His own blood. He says, “That where I am, there ye may be also” (John 14:3). Perhaps you say, That may be true to them who deserve it. Did those who sat and heard these new words of wondrous grace deserve it? Ah! full well did He know. Yes, this wondrous disclosure of eternal love, was reserved to the very night on which they all forsook Him and fled. The Lord deepen in our souls the sense of this untold grace!
Perhaps my reader may ask, Does not the Lord mean death, when He thus speaks of His coming again? If we turn now to John 21:18-21, we here find the distinct answer to the question. The Lord plainly did not mean death; for after speaking of the death, whereby Peter should glorify God, He speaks of another disciple and says, “If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee?” (John 21:22). “Then went this saying abroad among the brethren, that that disciple should not die; yet Jesus said not unto him, He shall not die: but, If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee?” (John 21:23). Now does not this passage prove that Jesus did not mean death, when He spake of His coming again? Indeed, I do not know of a single passage in the Scriptures where the coming of Christ means death. It is indeed very blessed that when the believer falls asleep, it is to depart and be with Christ, which is far better. Far better to depart from a body of sin and death; but this is quite a different thing from the coming of the Lord.
I would observe, the Lord did not in this precious promise, in John 14, explain how this receiving them to Himself, would take place. The explanation how, we shall find in the Epistles.
Having found by the words of Jesus that the coming of the Lord does not mean death, it may be asked, Is it as clearly proved, whether the coming of the Lord will be spiritual or personal? Let us for this purpose turn now to Acts 1:9-11. “And when He had spoken these things, while they beheld, He was taken up; and a cloud received Him out of their sight. And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as He went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel; which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen Him go into heaven.” How could words be more plain than these? Did Jesus go into heaven in real person, the very body that hung on the cross; or did He leave that body in the grave and go to heaven in Spirit only? If so, our preaching is vain, and ye have believed in vain (1 Corinthians 15). All depends on this, if He who died on the cross as our substitute, is not raised from the dead, and ascended to heaven, a real man, as our surety-man in resurrection — then if He is not thus risen, there is no gospel for us. How can I possibly know that I am justified from all things, if my surety is not raised from the death due to me, and as my surety, justified? I fear there is a sort of indistinct notion abroad that Jesus is only a spirit. This notion undermines the very foundation of the whole gospel. Hence what pains Jesus took to convince His disciples, that He was not a spirit; for, says He, “A spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see Me have” (Luke 24:39). Now does not the idea of a spiritual coming of Christ spring from that deadly error, that He is now only a spirit? He went to heaven and is there, a real, risen man. And in like manner will He come again, as real a person surely as He was on the cross. Will not the Jews say, What are those wounds on Thy hands? And oh, my fellow-believer, what will it be to look at those hands that were pierced for you? He is risen. He will come again in person.
But it might be asked, Can you point out a passage that distinctly proves whether the Lord will come at the beginning, or after the Millennium, or the times of blessing promised in the Old Testament? Let us turn and see as to this.
Acts 3:19-21. The Jews through blindness had crucified the Lord. Peter tells them to change their minds, and their sins shall be blotted out; and God shall send Jesus again, “whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all His holy prophets since the world began” (Acts 3:21). Now, if the prime minister of England was said to be gone to France, and would remain there until the time of assembling Parliament, would not that simply mean that he would return before or at the commencement of Parliament? Then does not the word “until” in the above passage distinctly prove that Christ will be in heaven until the beginning of the millennium, or times of restitution of all things? Then He will surely come before, or at the commencement of the kingdom of God on earth. Indeed, how can it be the kingdom if the king is not there? Surely Scripture explains itself. This one passage removes every difficulty from the teachings of Christ in the gospel. It might have been asked, How can the wicked and the righteous live together until the harvest or coming of Christ? And how can it be, in that day, as it was in the days of Noah and Lot — the earth full of wickedness — seeing that so many scriptures of the prophets have to be fulfilled, which describe the righteousness and blessing of the earth — when all shall know the Lord, from the least to the greatest? Well, I say, this one word “until” explains it all. That time or the earth’s blessedness cannot take place before, but after, the Lord comes.
Let us now, in the second place, hear the words of the Holy Spirit in the Epistles. The first passage I turn to is Romans 8:19-23. We must mark well the change; it is not now Jesus speaking to Jewish disciples, in the midst of the Jewish nation; but the Spirit of God speaking to us believers, members of the redeemed church of God, so that now every word concerns us. Hence, in this passage, creation is waiting, with earnest expectation, “for the manifestation of the sons (not the nation) of God” (Romans 8:19). “The glorious liberty of the children of God” (Romans 8:21). Creation groans and travails in pain together. “And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the first-fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body” (Romans 8:23). We do not wait for the spiritual reign of Christ, or for Christ in spirit; we have that now. “Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of His” (Romans 8:9). But having this, according to this passage, we wait, not for the death of the body, but for the redemption of the body — being justified — having peace with God (Romans 5:1). Enjoying the certainty of “no condemnation” (Romans 8:1). Yes, being thus everlastingly saved, still, while in this body of sin and death, we hope and long for, and wait for, “the manifestation” (Romans 8:19), “the glorious liberty” (Romans 8:21) that will take place, both for us and creation, at the redemption of the body.
When, then, will this glorious redemption of the body take place?
“But every man in his own order: Christ the first-fruits; afterward they that are Christ’s at His coming. Then cometh the end.” (1 Corinthians 15:23-24). Most clearly, then, the Spirit of God teaches that the resurrection of the sons of God, they who are Christ’s, will take place at His coming. And for this event all believers waited at Corinth, as well as at Rome. “Waiting for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Corinthians 1:7). Mark, it does not say, all shall rise together; but “every man in his own order.” Christ has risen — the first-fruits. Blessed pledge of certainty! Then “afterward.” Who would have thought 1800 years were in that word “afterward”? Now, if there have been 1800 years, at least, between the resurrection of Christ, the Head, and the body — they that are His, may there not, as assuredly there will be, 1000 years between the resurrection of the saved, the first resurrection, and the rest of the dead, who live not again until the 1000 years are fulfilled (Revelation 20)?
It may be asked, But how does the resurrection of the dead in Christ at His coming, affect the question of the redemption of our poor groaning bodies, who are alive in them, seeing we are not yet fallen asleep? How can we and all believers be waiting for the redemption of the body at the coming of Christ? As to that, “Behold I show you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye.” (1 Corinthians 15:51-52). To this agree the words of the Spirit, 1 Thessalonians 4, on which I hope to speak shortly. Now, as we go through the epistles, we shall find, it was for this very event that all believers, in all places, in the days of the apostles waited. Not for the unclothed state of the soul, blessed as that is. The Apostle says, “Not for that we would be unclothed, but clothed upon, that mortality might be swallowed up of life” (2 Corinthians 5:4). The epistle to the Galatians, being the defense of the blessed truth of justification, this subject is not dwelt upon. Also, as the Ephesians presents that aspect of the Church, as already raised and seated in Christ in heavenly places, of course, the subject of the Church’s hope is not introduced. But in the Philippians, where the Church is looked at more in the service of the Gospel, and pressing forward through a weary world, then this blessed hope, and no other, is distinctly presented, “for our conversation (or citizenship) is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ: who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto His glorious body, according to the working whereby He is able even to subdue all things unto Himself” (Philippians 3:20-21). Those who know the Greek tell us, that this passage should be, “We look for the Lord Jesus Christ as Saviour.” Oh! what a contrast this blessed hope of primitive days, to the modern dread of Jesus as a terrible judge. How sweet it is to a mother’s heart, when she returns from a journey, to see her little child’s longed-for face at the window; it claps its little hands, and would fly through the window to meet her. Surely, no mother would have her child dread her return as a terrible tyrant. When Jesus left His chosen ones on Olivet, He lifted up His hands and blessed them, and as He blessed them He was parted from them. In like manner will He return; while to the rejecting world He comes as a terrible judge. Yet, oh, sinner saved by grace, the first sight thou shalt have of Him who loved thee, and washed thee in His own blood, will be with uplifted hands of blessing. Oh! view Him coming as Saviour, to claim thee as His prize, bought with His own blood. In one moment, thy body of humiliation, sorrow, and sin, shall be fashioned like unto His glorious body. What a moment! Thy last tear shall be gone. Thou shalt grieve Him no more. Thou shalt sin no more. Oh, what will it be to see His very face — to hear His voice; that face once wrung with deepest anguish, bearing thy sins on the tree! And, as thou risest in the air, by thy side, the glorious form of one (once thy prodigal wayward child) for whom thou wept and prayed, but saved at last; and loved ones, parting with whom once crushed thy heart with earth’s keenest sorrow. Oh! ye believing widows and orphans, who feel the world’s cold blast, oh, then! oh, then! “shall we ever be with the Lord” (1 Thess. 4:17). Ah! affliction is but for a moment, but joy in His presence shall never end. Surely the certainty of all this is very precious. “When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with Him in glory” (Colossians 3:4). Is it not strange, that the Church of God should have so sadly forgotten her blessed hope? while in the apostles’ days, it was the immediate hope of the youngest converts, as we find in the 1 Thessalonians 1:9-10, “How ye turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God; and to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead.” Thus we see these young converts (for the Church of God at Thessalonica was not more than about a year old) were not waiting either for the conversion of the world, or death and departure to be with the Lord; but for the Son of God from heaven. Indeed, the apostles had no other hope. “For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Are not even ye in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at His coming?” (1 Thessalonians 2:19). Great appearances on earth — swelling the numbers of a society on earth, raising funds, and building elegant (so-called) Christian temples; for these things the Apostle had not a thought, much more a hope. His eye was fixed on the appearing of Christ. For this he labored night and day, that he might win souls to Christ; that they might be the crown of his rejoicing in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ. And yet men say the coming of Christ is not a practical truth. The Lord give us more of this practical waiting for Christ.
If there be one thing more powerful for practical holiness than another set before us in the word, it is the constant expectation of Christ. This was the prayer of the Apostle, for these young converts, night and day. “To the end He may stablish your hearts unblameable in holiness before God, even our Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all His saints” (1 Thessalonians 3:13). This is the desire of every minister of Christ, who longs himself for the coming of the Lord; while others forget the connection there is between conversion and the coming of Christ. He will think of it night and day, and pray night and day, that every convert may be found unblameable in holiness in that moment.
Some have a very great difficulty as to waiting for Christ. They would say, How can I wait for or expect Christ this very day, seeing so many things have yet to be fulfilled? I am told the Roman Empire has to be reconstructed. The Jews have to be restored to Judea. The man of sin has to be manifested, reigning at — and all this before Christ comes to this earth again. Must I not, then, of necessity, say in my heart, “my lord delayeth his coming” (Matthew 24:48); at least, until after all these events? I cannot make it out how I am to be waiting for Christ today, since all these things have to take place.
There is no doubt the Roman Empire has to be reconstructed — (I shall have to speak of these things shortly). The Jews have to be restored: the wicked man of sin has to be revealed. Europe has to sink in grossest darkness — to become worshipers of devils or idolaters again. But let us look at the next chapter, and every difficulty will vanish.
“For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them who are asleep. For the Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first. Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words” (1 Thessalonians 4:15-18). Now, observe, in the gradual unfolding of prophetic truth, up to this passage, the coming of the Lord, in a general sense only, has been presented. But in this place there is a point of detail never noticed before. The special object of the Apostle was evidently to comfort the hearts of these young converts, who were sorrowing because some of their number had fallen asleep. Bear in mind, they had only had three weeks’ preaching (Acts 17:2). Paul’s manner was always to set forth the passing away of all things of the old creation, in the death of Jesus; and Jesus the beginning and head of the new creation, as raised from the dead. Thus these young converts were filled with joy — being raised from the dead, and in God the Father. (See 1 Thessalonians 1.) As we may imagine, these newly converted heathen were sorely perplexed at the death of the body. Well, this passage is evidently written to show them the resurrection of the saints who sleep in Jesus — that they will lose nothing, but be raised first; then we who are alive and remain — changed in a moment, as noticed in 1 Corinthians 15. And then a new fact is revealed — we shall be caught up together, to meet the Lord in the air. Now this may take place before any of the events which have to be fulfilled: yes, we shall find this event is the very first that will take place; and therefore the last elect soul being brought to God, may take place while you read this paper. No person can quote me a single verse, which has to be fulfilled, before the sleeping and living saints, shall be caught up to meet Christ.
Let me give a plain illustration. Suppose Rotherham were in rebellion against Her Majesty, just as the world is in rebellion against Christ. Her Majesty makes known that she is coming in judgment, with her whole army, to destroy Rotherham. But there are a hundred royalists in the town. She sends word to them that they shall meet her at Derby — shall be taken by the Midland Rail, to meet her, and be with her at Derby; and then shall take place the day of vengeance on Rotherham. That, as the hour is uncertain when Her Majesty shall come by express from Euston Square to Derby, the royalists are to be waiting for a telegraphic message, at any moment, to meet her. Now many things might have to take place at Rotherham before Her Majesty actually entered the town — digging of trenches, cannonading the place. In like manner, the Lord Jesus Christ is really coming in judgment to this earth, which once murdered, and still rebels against, him. Every child of God on earth is a royalist, and every royalist of Christ shall be caught up to meet Christ in the air when He comes. Then begins the day of vengeance on this doomed age. Now if this be so, we should expect the Spirit of God, having made known this new fact, of believers being caught up to meet Christ; then to speak of this day of the Lord, which shall follow that event, the taking of the Church to be forever with the Lord. And this is exactly what He does do (1 Thessalonians 5). As the believer’s hope is to be caught up to meet Christ, there is no need of writing on times and seasons. In fact there are no dates of Scripture that refer to this event (the moment of taking the saints) at all. All dates refer to Israel. “For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and ye shall not escape. But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief” (1 Thessalonians 5:2-4). Thus this day of destruction and vengeance is introduced in dark contrast with the bright and blessed hope of the Church. The Church may be taken at any moment. Then sets in the day of vengeance. The acceptable year of the Lord shall close; the day of vengeance begin (Isaiah 61). Seeing this, how earnest the Apostle was in prayer: “And I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Thessalonians 5:23). We find persecution and tribulations soon overtaking these dear young converts, and to add to their deep distress, deceivers come, as though sent by the Apostle, to tell them the day of the Lord was come. Their trouble and sorrow seemed to favor the report. They seemed to have been greatly shaken by this stratagem of Satan. The Second Epistle to the Thessalonians was written to deliver them from this mistake and sorrow. Instead of the coming of the Lord being a day of trouble to them, the Apostle says, “And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with His mighty angels” (2 Thessalonians 1:7). So far from the world persecuting you in the day of vengeance, you shall rest with us, caught up; as he had taught them. Flaming vengeance shall be taken on “them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ” (2 Thessalonians 1:8). Punished with everlasting destruction from His presence, “When He shall come to be glorified in His saints, and to be admired in all them that believe (because our testimony among you was believed) in that day” (2 Thessalonians 1:10). Still further to assure them, he says, “Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto Him, that ye be not soon shaken in mind, or troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter, as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand” (2 Thessalonians 2:1-2). To return to the illustration. Suppose, before the royalists were called out of Rotherham to meet Her Majesty at Derby, a panic were to take place amongst them, by a report that the day of vengeance was come on Rotherham, and the cannonade about to open — an officer of Her Majesty were to write and say, I beseech you, all ye friends of the Queen, by the certainty of her coming first, and your being gathered together to her, do not be afraid. Cannot you depend on Her Majesty’s word? Not a cannon ball shall be shot, before you are happy with her at Derby. Just in this manner did Paul comfort and assure the panic-stricken converts at Thessalonica. Two things were certain before the great and terrible day of the Lord — His coming for them, and their gathering to Him, as taught them in the first epistle.
Oh! could one think it possible, as we walk the streets, and watch the busy crowd, that destinies so vastly opposite await that crowd — the believer to be caught up to meet the Lord, (perhaps this very day,) the unbeliever to be left to the fierceness of that day of vengeance.
In 2 Thessalonians 1:3-12 we have some of the terrible features of the end of this age. “A falling away first” (2 Thessalonians 2:3). However sadly the professing church has departed, yet what will it be when the real Church of God is taken up! The full character of this falling away is described in Revelation 17. One terrible feature, is the revelation of the wicked one, “who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God” (2 Thessalonians 2:4). Some, not observing that this fearful character appears on the closing scene of human wickedness, after the true Church is taken up to be with the Lord, have thought this man of sin is Popery, or the Pope. But do not you see this passage says, the man of sin shall sit in the temple of God. Now God never has, and never will have, a temple built on earth in any place except Mount Zion, or Mount Moriah — the place in which he appeared to Abraham. But that temple is now destroyed. It must, then, be rebuilt, as many scriptures show it will. And the terrible man of sin is evidently one of Daniel’s people, that is, a Jew — who shall come in His own name, whom the Jews shall receive (John 5:43).
As Satan entered into Judas, so will he enter into this son of perdition. I cannot, then, allow St. Peter’s at Rome to be the temple of God; neither can the Pope be this man of sin. Daniel plainly describes him as the wicked Jewish king at the time of the end: “And the king shall do according to his will; and he shall exalt himself, and magnify himself above every god, and shall speak marvelous things against the God of gods, and shall prosper till the indignation be accomplished: for that that is determined shall be done” (Daniel 11:36). We all know the Pope is not the King of the Jews. It is quite clear that all this is Jewish, and cannot take place while the Spirit and the Church are here. As Paul had well taught these converts, he reminds them how he had told them, “And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time” (2 Thessalonians 2:6). “The mystery of iniquity doth already work” (2 Thessalonians 2:7) — the leaven foretold in Matthew 13. “Only He who now letteth (or hindereth) will let, until He is taken out of the way” (2 Thessalonians 2:7). But, oh! what will it be when the Spirit of God is taken, and the Church caught up to meet the Lord? “And then shall that Wicked be revealed” (2 Thessalonians 2:8). And, now, how clearly this proves this wicked one is not Popery, for it is he “whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of His mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of His coming” (2 Thessalonians 2:8). Popery, and the whole of the ecclesiastical apostasy, will be destroyed by the ten kings (Revelation 17:16). But this wicked one “is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders” (2 Thessalonians 2:9). The present work of Satan, in leading men to have to do with devils, and familiar spirits, by table-turning and the like, may be preparing the way. But these terrible events cannot possibly take place during this day of gospel grace. For in those days of darkness, God will send them strong delusion, that they may believe a lie, that they may all be damned. This will be assuredly the case when this day of mercy closes. God will arise and shake terribly the earth. “For this cause God shall send them strong delusion” (2 Thess. 2:11); that is, because they received not the love of the truth that they might be saved. Man is damned because he receives not the truth. These are God’s words as to the end of the present age. Fellow-believers, we are saved “because God hath from the beginning chosen us to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth” (2 Thessalonians 2:13). Oh! it is this that makes the coming of the Lord so precious — God’s eternal love. The Apostle closes the subject in this epistle with these words, “And the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God, and into the patient waiting for Christ” (2 Thessalonians 3:5). Still, whether writing to an assembly, or to an individual saint, with the Apostle it is the great practical truth. In fact, just as opposite to modern thoughts of men as possible. With men, the appearing of Christ is the least practical — their most distant thought. With the Apostle, it is the great practical truth — the ever-present theme of hope. He says to his son Timothy, after telling him of the sad departure and iniquity of the professing church in the last days, his concern for him was, “That thou keep this commandment without spot, unrebukeable, until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Timothy 6:14). And again, though misjudged and forsaken, and fully aware of the terrible character of these last days, yet what was the stay of his heart — “Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not unto me only, but unto all them also that love His appearing” (2 Timothy 4:8). And again, writing to Titus, he says, “For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men” (Titus 2:11). Ah! this is very precious. God does not expect to find anything, except sin and misery, in a poor sinner. But grace bringeth. Christ has died. Salvation is all of grace: that gives all and asks for nothing. Then the effect of this grace is to teach us holiness of life in every way, “Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ” (Titus 2:13). Men now look for death; and so “it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment” (Hebrews 9:27). But how blessed the contrast, “So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for Him shall He appear the second time without sin unto salvation” (Hebrews 9:28). Have you, my reader, this unspeakable consolation, that Christ has once borne your sins on the cross, and consequently, that He having borne the full judgment due to you once, there can be no more condemnation to you? And that He has made full atonement is proved, in that God hath raised Him from the dead. Then you are justified in Him, the risen Christ, from all things; yes, so justified that God says He will remember your sins and iniquities no more. Then how can you be judged for your sins again! Impossible, unless Christ has died in vain. Oh, what blessed, settled peace this gives to the long-perplexed soul!
But you ask, Shall we not all stand before the judgment-seat of Christ? We shall do so. Yes, it is most happy for us who live in a world where the nearer a man lives to God the more is he misjudged and hated. Yes, I say, it is most blessed that we shall soon stand before the Beemah or seat of Him who will reward every man according to his works. Yes, while the whole question of sin, and judgment due to sin, has been eternally settled by the blood of the Lamb; yet He who gave His blood for us, has promised that the gift of a cup of cold water shall not lose its reward. “Unto them that look for Him shall He appear the second time without sin” — no question of sin then, but “unto salvation” (Hebrews 9:28). What encouragement to confidence and patience this gives. For yet a little while and He that shall come will come and will not tarry (Hebrews 10:37). Indeed nothing gives the soul more quiet patience, in the midst of sore trial and temptation, than this blessed hope, “Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord ... Be ye also patient; stablish your heart: for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh” (James 5:7-8). “That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honor and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 1:7). “Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 1:13). “And when the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away” (1 Peter 5:4). Now, is it not strange that, with Scripture so full of this precious subject, men should say it is a dark, mysterious, bewildering subject, and that those do well who never look into it? What God says is this, “We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts” (2 Peter 1:19). Men would say our reasoning on the future is light. God says it is all darkness. Men say prophecy is all darkness. God says it is a light. But, alas! men will even go so far as to say, “Where is the promise of his coming?” (2 Peter 3: 4; Read 2 Peter 3:1-15). In this chapter we have a glorious view of the whole future in a general way, right onward to the creation of new heavens and a new earth — more in reference to the world, than the Church.
One thing is very manifest in all these words of the Spirit of God — the coming of the Lord is not looked at as a mere doctrine. It is either a blessed hope — that is, Jesus Himself is presented as the object of the heart’s utmost desire; or a terrible fact, fast approaching to a doomed world. Of the former, we have a sweet example in the next words before us, “Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that , when He shall appear, we shall be like Him; for we shall see Him as He is. And every man that hath this hope in Him purifieth Himself, even as He is pure” (1 John 3:2-3). Ah! it is not he that believeth this doctrine — our precious Lord claims the heart. Oh! is this the one desire and hope of my reader’s heart, to be like Him, to see Him as He is? Then sure it is sweet “to abide in Him; that, when He shall appear, we may have confidence, and not be ashamed before Him at His coming” (1 John 2:28). Surely nothing can have a more purifying effect upon the believer, than his constant looking, longing, desiring, the coming of his precious Lord. And as to the fact of judgment on an ungodly world, even Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied, saying, “Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousand of His saints, to execute judgment upon all” (Jude 14-15). And how solemn are those words, “Behold, He cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see Him, and they also which pierced Him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of Him. Even so, Amen” (Revelation 1:7). In the seven addresses to the churches, these are searching words in the midst of much outward profession — “Hold fast till I come” (Revelation 2:25). And again, “If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee” (Revelation 3:3). And again: “Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown” (Revelation 3:11). Woe be to the carnal worldly professor, who sets light by these solemn warnings, so suited to the state of the Church, during its sevenfold history, of the things that are now. In Revelation 4, things are revealed that will take place after these — “I will show thee things that must be hereafter, (or after these)” (Revelation 4:1). And then, in blissful vision, in Revelation 4-5, the redeemed are seen gone from the earth, and seated around the glorified Lamb. Revelation 6-19 contain the words of the Spirit of God as to the end of the present age, the Church being at that time taken to be with the Lord. Then sets in the great and terrible day of the Lord God Almighty. Peace is taken from the earth “that they should kill one another” (Revelation 6:4). Who can describe the terrors of that fearful day!
I do not go into the detail of the woes and judgments of this day of vengeance, answering to all the prophets have said, and all the passages we have read, in the words of Jesus, as to this time of great tribulation, such as never was — no, and never will be again. More gifted servants of the Lord have written on these things. I would refer the reader to the Bible Treasury and other tracts by the same publisher.
I may just remark, in perfect keeping with every other part of Scripture, the whole scene becomes Jewish in character during this day of wrath. Satan is cast down to the earth in Revelation 12 and persecutes the Jewish remnant. In Revelation 13 Satan is worshiped, and the head of the Roman Empire, to whom Satan gives his power, is worshiped (Revelation 13:3-8). In Revelation 17 the ecclesiastical apostasy, having lost her temporalities in the empire, now in her last most blasphemous character, sits upon the beast; that is, guides the imperial head in its last acts of wickedness. The Roman Empire which was, and is not, shall again appear in its most terrible character. Ten kings are seen confederate with the imperial head; and as England was one part of the empire, when it was, so assuredly shall it be again. It would seem, however, not by conquest; for the ten kings or kingdoms give their power to the beast. The reconstructed empire for a time carries the whore; but being infidel at heart, throws her off, and the ten kingdoms which will exist in that day “hate the whore, and shall make her desolate and naked, and shall eat her flesh, and burn her with fire” (Rev. 17:16). Revelation 18 is occupied with a description of her burning.
The Church having been with the Lord from Revelation 4 now returns with the Lord in Revelation 19. The full number of the first resurrection being completed in the beginning of Revelation 20, then takes place the millennium, or thousand years’ rest, with Christ. The rest of the dead live not until this thousand years’ rest is completed. During this thousand years, every promise of blessing to this earth will be fulfilled — Satan bound — sin not allowed, but immediately judged. Then comes the end. Satan is loosed a little while; and then the great judgment of the dead takes place (Revelation 20:11-15). And this over, the eternal state of inexpressible blessedness sets in — new heavens and new earth,
“Where God shall shine in light divine,
In glory everlasting.”
I will conclude with the last closing sounds of the words of God on this solemn subject — “Behold, I come quickly: blessed is he that keepeth the sayings of the prophecy of this book” (Revelation 22:7). “And, behold, I come quickly; and My reward is with Me, to give to every man according as his work shall be” (Revelation 22:12). “He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus” (Revelation 22:20).
The Millennial Reign of Christ
In the former tract, we found, from the uniform teaching of Christ in the Gospels, that the conversion of the world, or millennium, could not possibly take place during this present time. The wicked and the righteous live together until the end, or coming of Christ in judgment on the nations.
After looking at what God hath spoken to the Jews by His Son in the Gospels, we then examined carefully what He hath spoken to us, the Church of God, by the Holy Spirit, in the Epistles. One great distinction between the hope of the Jewish disciple, and the Christian, we found to be this: many signs were given to the former, and he was bid to watch for the Lord coming in the clouds to this earth; while no signs, or times, or dates are given to the Christian, but he is bid to wait; not, however, to see the Lord coming in the clouds to this earth, but to be caught up to meet the Lord in the air (1 Thessalonians 4).
We found, also, that while very many prophecies have to be fulfilled before Christ comes to the Jews on earth, not one single prophecy has to be fulfilled before Christ may come to call the saints, or Church of God, to meet Him in the clouds. Indeed, we found if the Scriptures are seen in their distinctness as to what really belongs to the Jews, and what belongs to the Church, then all is perfectly clear. On the other hand, only confound the earthly hopes of the Jews with the heavenly hopes of the Church, and all is confusion together. This confusing of scriptures referring to the Jews with scriptures addressed to the Church, is, no doubt, the cause of all the contradiction and uncertainty said and written on prophecy. Suppose you were at this moment in Canton. A lecture is announced to be delivered by a Chinese Mandarin on English History. You go to hear it, and find the lecturer entirely ignorant of the distinction between the French and the English nations. He quotes a little from one, and then from the other — now laboring to prove that the Tuileries means Westminster, again trying to prove Philip next in succession to Henry VIII. He might state many facts of history which would be clear and instructive if applied to the right nation; but if he did not know this distinction, could there be anything but confusion in his lecture? Now the kings, the places, and the principles of these two nations, are not so distinct as are the hopes, destinies, and principles of the Jews, and the Church of God, in the Holy Scriptures. Just so, then, where this distinction is not known, can there be anything but confusion? Is it not exactly like the Chinaman, when any writer attempts to explain prophecy who does not know which Scripture belongs to the Jew and which to the Church of God — now laboring to prove that Palestine or Jerusalem means the Church, at another time trying to explain the dates of Jewish future history, as though they referred to the present time of the Church? We know the sad result. Many of the godly have been utterly discouraged by this confusion from studying the very Word of God. This is about as wise as if the schoolmasters of England were to discontinue the use and study of Alison’s History of Europe, because some Chinese lecturer did not know the difference between the nations of England and France. I need not say the distinction is clear enough in Alison. But surely the writings of a fallible man are not more distinct and clear than the inspiration of God. No; the words of God to each, and respecting each, the Jew and Church, could not be more distinct and clear.
Perhaps no part of Scripture has this confused teaching so darkened and made of none effect, as the Book of Revelation. It has made that Book, the understanding of which is declared to be specially blessed, of no practical use, except to bewilder by the fancies and imaginations of men.
Now, when the Book of Revelation is seen in its distinctive character, it becomes altogether a new book; its value, as great, its warnings as clear and solemn, as its utter confusion was before. How deeply interesting the sevenfold history of the Church in Revelation 2; 3! How glorious the sight of the crowned church above, in Revelation 4; 5. And how unspeakable the comfort in seeing that this takes place before the pouring out of the judgments on the earth, just as in 1 Thessalonians 4. Then how clear the revelation of what will take place on earth, after the Church is taken up to meet and be with the Lord, crowned and throned in glory. In Revelation 6, how fearful the beginning of “the great day of His wrath!” (Revelation 6:17). And while those who have rejected His truth and loved unrighteousness, shall perish by the delusions of Satan (2 Thessalonians 2), yet how blessed to see abounding mercy sealing the 144,000 of Israel, and extending to the vast multitude of the nations! (Revelation 7). Though not like the Church in Revelation 4, yet wearing palms of victory! And then how terrible the thunderings of divine judgments on earth in Revelation 9; 10; 11. Oh! my fellow-believer, what a dark contrast this world will present to our happy place above. The Church is no longer seen on earth, but the dragon persecutes the remnant of the Jews in Revelation 12. The Roman Empire restored sinks into the most fearful idolatry Revelation 13; 17. Indeed, all this is the sure testimony of God as to what will befall this earth after the Church is taken, as seen in Revelation 4; 5. Revelation 17 presents the fearful end of the world’s religious system in its last blasphemous character.
Again the eye is directed upward in Revelation 19. Oh! what a scene! The Church still in heavenly glory, so bright and fair — the wife of the Lamb, the joy of those, the “blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb” (Revelation 19:9). It is at this point the Lord comes to the earth, the Church having been with him during all the judgments of this day of wrath. Revelation 19:11-21 describes His coming to reign. “And out of His mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it He should smite the nations: and He shall rule them with a rod of iron: and He treadeth the wine-press of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God” (Revelation 19:15). Now, we shall find that this very event, described in almost the words of this verse, is exactly what introduces the millennial reign of Christ in the Old Testament prophets. Let us, then, now turn and see what God hath spoken to Israel and the world by His prophets respecting the reign of Christ on earth. In the Prophet Isaiah (Isaiah 11) the reign of Christ begins with the event described, as we have read, in Revelation 19:15. “But with righteousness shall He judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth: and He shall smite the earth with the rod of His mouth, and with the breath of His lips shall He slay the wicked” (Isaiah 11:4). Now, we must bear in mind we have seen in the Book of Revelation, the Church glorified with Christ above (from Revelation 4 and on), long before this event; and, indeed, at this event, coming with Christ, not on earth to be reigned over, but coming with Christ to reign over the earth, as they had been told they should do in Revelation 5.
But, then, if the Church does not form the kingdom on earth in this chapter (Isaiah 11), who does? Could words be plainer? “And shall assemble the outcasts of Israel, and gather together the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth” (Isaiah 11:12). Observe, there is not one word in this chapter about the Church. How should there, when, as we have seen, long before this chapter is fulfilled, the Church is taken from the earth. The outcasts of Israel, then, and the dispersed of Judah, will be the happy subjects of the kingdom of Christ on earth. And “to it shall the Gentiles seek” (Isaiah 11:10).
Thus if we read this beautiful chapter as a description of Israel, the future kingdom of God, after Christ comes, as their Messiah, in judgment, as described in Revelation 19, all is clear; but what utter confusion if we apply it to the present time, or to the Church of God. Does the wolf dwell with the lamb now? The calf with the lion? Is that passage fulfilled now, “They shall not hurt nor destroy in all My holy mountain: for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea” (Isaiah 11:9). To apply this passage to the present dispensation is to make it contradict the plainest teaching of Christ, where He foretells the abounding of iniquity unto the very end, so that at His coming it should be as it was in the days of Noah and of Lot. How many have often ignorantly perverted this passage, as though God had said, the world should be converted by the preaching of the Gospel, until all should know Him from the least to the greatest. This blessed time will surely come; but when and how? Most clearly when the Lord comes and gathers the kingdom of Israel. Let this be seen in its distinctness, and then every prophecy to that nation respecting the millennial kingdom of Christ becomes perfectly plain. Where, in the epistles to the Church, is Christ spoken of as coming to reign over it? But, when speaking of Israel, nothing could be more certain and definite. “The Lord God shall give unto Him the throne of His father David: and He shall reign over the house of Jacob forever; and of His kingdom there shall be no end” (Luke 1:32-33). Why should we not expect this word of the Lord, by His angel, to be fulfilled? I cannot see any reason why I should doubt this, or any other portion of God’s word. The subjects, then, of His Kingdom will be the house of Jacob, not the Church of God.
It may be fairly asked, “Is there any passage of Scripture that gives us an idea of the character in which Christ will appear when reigning in his kingdom?” Is not the transfiguration a picture, so to speak, of what the kingdom will be? How glorious, Jesus, Messiah, King! “And after six days Jesus taketh Peter, James, and John his brother, and bringeth them into an high mountain apart, and was transfigured before them: and His face did shine as the sun, and His raiment was white as the light” (Matt. 17:1-2). Oh! what a change will take place, to be sure, on this earth, when the six thousand years of sin and misery shall have run their course. What a glorious object to behold — the glorified Son of Man. What will it be for the millennial saints to look at that face, bright as the sun? The few that did see this foreshadowing of His glory, seem to pre-figure the different classes of those who shall compose the kingdom; some who have been beheaded in the time of trouble, as James; and others like John, who shall be hid and pass through the tribulation. “And, behold, there appeared unto them Moses and Elias talking with them” (Matthew 17:3). These also seem to represent the two classes of heavenly saints who shall appear with Him. Elias represents the saints translated without death, while Moses represents those who have fallen asleep, and shall be raised. Satan could dispute about the body of Moses before Christ was raised; but since Christ, the firstfruits, is risen, he cannot dispute about ours. No! in a moment, Christ shall claim the bodies of all that are His, at His coming (1 Corinthians 15:23,51). Thus the holy Mount of Transfiguration gives us a very blessed picture of the future glory and majesty of Christ. The heavenly saints, whether translated or raised from the dead, both changed and fashioned like unto His glorious body, will be seen with Christ, and like Him. Then, on earth, the spared remnant of Israel, having passed through the great tribulation, or having been slain during the tribulation, will fill up the complement of the first resurrection, and will most certainly live and reign with Christ for a thousand years (Revelation 20:4).
I feel it necessary to make these general remarks before turning to the Old Testament prophets, on account of the almost universal confusion that exists as to the reign of Christ. Only this day I met a man I have known as a Christian for many years, and happening to say, “what a mercy it is, in this weary journey of life, to have the hope of such a bright end — the coming of the Lord.” He replied, “Do you expect the Lord to come to this earth to reign?” “Yes, indeed,” said I, “but not to reign over us — the Church of God; but, according to the scriptures, to reign over the kingdom of Israel. Very many things have to be fulfilled before Christ can come to this earth to the Jews; but I do not know of one single text which has to be fulfilled before Christ may take the Church to meet Him in the air.” Really, it was astonishing how strange all this seemed to be to this Christian, although the Scriptures speak so plainly about it.
I do not wonder that those who are ignorant of the distinction between the kingdom, and the Church, should feel a shock at the thought of Christ coming to reign as a king over the Church, or saved persons, during this dispensation. The thought is so entirely below our heavenly inheritance, and glory with our exalted Lord. But if we would not be robbed of our heavenly glory with Him, why should we seek to rob the Jew of his earthly glory with Him? No. While we receive, with all gladness, the teachings of the Holy Spirit to us in the Epistles, and the beginning and end of Revelation, let us also now turn and examine the words of the Holy Spirit to them, the Jews and Israel, in all their prophets. To dwell at length on these would fill many volumes: in a small paper like this we can but glance at a few, but these may afford a key to the prayerful reader to lead him to search the word with new delight.
I would turn first, then, to the precious book of inspired Jewish Psalms. The very opening seems to bring before us the kingly reign of Christ, “Yet have I set my king upon my holy hill of Zion” (Psalm 2:6). We know that Zion is at Jerusalem. Then there will God certainly set up the kingdom, for there will He set up His king, and that king His beloved Son, begotten from the dead. And, mark, He does not then ask for souls by the preaching of the gospel out of all nations; but He asks, and God gives Him, the heathen for inheritance, and the utmost parts of the earth for possession; and this not for conversion, but, “Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; Thou shalt dash them in pieces as a potter’s vessel” (Psalm 2:9). Now, during this present day of grace, God is bearing with man’s utmost wickedness in long-suffering and tender mercy; but then the proud rebel must be dashed to pieces. Now, Satan reigns and iniquity triumphs; then Christ shall reign in righteousness, and sin must be put down. And does not this exactly agree with Revelation 19 and Isaiah 11? Yes, and I ask you to notice the harmony of all prophecy as to this terrible judgment on the wicked living nations when Christ comes to reign. Psalm 8 and 9 show very strikingly the joy of the kingdom in that day when the Lord shall dwell in Zion. The Apostle applies Psalm 8 very distinctly to Christ in Hebrews 2:8-9, and says, “But Now we see not yet all things put under Him. But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honor.” Oh! what a change will take place on this earth when all things are thus brought into subjection to Christ. And that this will be the case, I do not see how we can possibly doubt. God having raised Christ from the dead, and given Him the highest glory, makes it so certain that He will fulfill every promise to Israel in Him.
Now, do not for one moment suppose that the glory of this earthly kingdom will interfere with our association with Him in heavenly glory. Even the earthly saints, in this millennial song of praise, fully acknowledge it: “O Lord our Lord, how excellent is Thy name in all the earth! who hast set Thy glory above the heavens” (Psalm 8:1). Oh, think of this, ye despised ones, who love the name of Jesus, what will it be to look down upon this earth when, in every land, that name shall be as ointment poured forth. “O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God” (Romans 11:33). To think of that nation, which once set Him at naught, and cried out, “crucify Him” (John 19:6), now hymning His praises with unspeakable joy, forever safe in the refuge of His presence. Oh, ye desolate hills of Palestine, who can describe your future scenes of blessedness? Lord, haste the day when Thy now-rejected name shall be excellent in all the earth. Then shall it be said, “The Lord is King forever and ever: the heathen are perished out of his land.” Oh, “that the man of the earth may no more oppress” (Psalm 10:16,18). It is very touching to hear the cry of the remnant in many of the psalms, when passing through the great tribulation, but this is not our subject at present.
It may be asked, “What effect will it have on the nations when the kingdom is set up in Israel?” In Psalm 22 we have a very blessed answer to that inquiry. And it is most important to see that all blessing, whether to an individual, the Church now, the Jews, or the world hereafter, all flows from the death and resurrection of our precious Lord. If His soul had not been made an offering for sin, if God had not forsaken Him — oh, wondrous mystery of redeeming love! — there could never have been either a saved sinner or a blest nation. Dear, dying lamb, we owe it all to thee! In this Psalm 22, when the death and sufferings of our precious Lord has been described, and the seed of Jacob glorify Him, then, “all the ends of the world shall remember and turn unto the Lord: and all the kindreds of the nations shall worship before Thee. For the kingdom is the Lord’s: and He is the governor among the nations” (Psalm 22:27-28). Now, since half of this psalm has been literally fulfilled on the cross, why should we doubt the other will be also fulfilled on the throne? Could anything be more clearly revealed than the future reign of Christ is in this psalm? What a contrast, in every particular, to this present time of His rejection! You might take up every statement. “The meek shall eat and be satisfied” (Psalm 22:26). Now the meek are as sheep in the midst of wolves — cheated, robbed, pining in garrets or cellars; yes, and often exposed to cruel deaths. Now, all the nations groan under the cruel yoke of Satan. Then shall they turn unto the Lord; “and all the kindreds of the nations shall worship before thee” (Psalm 22:27). Notice, this is not a description of the elect Church out of all nations, but of the kingdom. “For the kingdom is the Lord’s: and He is the governor among the nations” (Psalm 22:28). Who is this king of glory? The Lord of hosts, He is the king of glory” (Psalm 24:10). I pass over the many psalms in which the godly Jew is seen waiting patiently for the time when the wicked oppressor shall be destroyed, and the time shall come for the meek to inherit the earth. And while the godly Jew can and does do this, the godly Christian of this present period could not possibly either pray for, or wait for, the destruction of his enemies. This is a period of grace — that of which I now write is a period of judgment. This makes all the difference. Yes, and in many places the Spirit of Christ in the Psalms, after speaking of His shameful death and rejection, prays for this righteous destruction and judgment, as “Pour out thine indignation upon them, and let thy wrathful anger take hold of them” (Psalm 69:24; Read also Psalm 69:25-28). It will surely be a terrible thing to fall into the hands of the living God. But how quickly his thoughts turn to God’s future purpose to Israel. “For God will save Zion, and will build the cities of Judah: that they may dwell there, and have it in possession. The seed also of His servants shall inherit it: and they that love His name shall dwell therein” (Psalm 69:35-36). To apply these words to the Church seems to me to be mere wanton perversion of Scripture. Does the Holy Spirit in the Epistle to the Churches anywhere tell us that we shall have to go to inhabit the cities of Judah? No, no! Heavenly mansions [abodes] are our happy home above, while the restored cities of Judah shall be the happy home of the seed of Jacob.
And if we would desire to know the detail of the blessed reign of Christ on earth, we only need turn to Psalm 72. Do turn and read this inspired description of the reign of Christ. Yes, lest any should read this tract who have not the Scriptures in their hand, I will give the whole of it. “Give the king Thy judgments, O God, and Thy righteousness unto the king’s son. He shall judge Thy people with righteousness, and Thy poor with judgment. The mountains shall bring peace to the people, and the little hills, by righteousness. He shall judge the poor of the people, he shall save the children of the needy, and shall break in pieces the oppressor. They shall fear thee as long as the sun and moon endure, throughout all generations. He shall come down like rain upon the mown grass: as showers that water the earth. In His days shall the righteous flourish; and abundance of peace so long as the moon endureth. He shall have dominion also from sea to sea, and from the river unto the ends of the earth. They that dwell in the wilderness shall bow before Him; and His enemies shall lick the dust. The Kings of Tarshish and of the isles shall bring presents: the Kings of Sheba and Seba shall offer gifts. Yea, all kings shall fall down before Him: all nations shall serve Him. For He shall deliver the needy when He crieth; the poor also, and Him that hath no helper. He shall spare the poor and needy, and shall save the souls of the needy. He shall redeem their soul from deceit and violence: and precious shall their blood be in His sight. And He shall live, and to Him shall be given of the gold of Sheba: prayer also shall be made for Him continually; and daily shall He be praised. There shall be an handful of corn in the earth upon the top of the mountains; the fruit thereof shall shake like Lebanon: and they of the city shall flourish like grass of the earth. His name shall endure forever: His name shall be continued as long as the sun: and men shall be blessed in Him: all nations shall call Him blessed. Blessed be the Lord God, the God of Israel, who only doeth wondrous things. And blessed be His glorious name forever: and let the whole earth be filled with His glory. Amen and amen. The prayers of David, the son of Jesse, are ended” (Psalm 72:1-20). Yes; when the Lord God of Israel does these wondrous things, then shall the whole earth be filled with His glory. Then shall be fulfilled the angels’ blessed song, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men” (Luke 2:14). It is difficult, during this present time of darkness and rejection, to conceive what it will be when the whole earth shall be filled with His glory. Truly the change is not greater, when, after a time of burning drought, the showers water the earth. “Yea, all kings shall fall down before Him: all nations shall serve Him” (Psalm 72:11). What abundance of peace under His happy reign!
Many of these precious psalms express the praise of millennial worship, and, no doubt, will be sung during the reign of Christ; such as 93, 96, and onwards. God will then fulfill every promise to the fathers. Yes, no doubt, when the Lord reigneth, the fathers, raised from the dead, will appear in the kingdom; as it says, “Moses and Aaron among His priests, and Samuel among them that call upon His name” (Psalm 99:6; Read also Psalm 99:2-5). Does not this answer to the vision of the transfiguration –Jesus the exalted One, and the risen saints glorified with Him? And to this agree those words of Jesus, “And I say unto you, that many shall come from the east and west, and shall sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven. But the children of the kingdom [that is, the unbelieving Jews] shall be cast out into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth” (Matthew 8:11-12). To apply this text to the Church would utterly overthrow the present gospel of the grace of God. But speaking, as the Lord does, about the kingdom, this text throws great light upon the reign. For thus we are left without doubt that the fathers of the Jews will be raised and connected with the kingdom of Christ.
What a view, then, all this gives us of the millennial reign! Christ the King in bright glory and majesty — Israel filled with joy and praise — all nations coming up to worship at Zion — abundance of peace — the fathers alive again from the dead in glorified bodies. Can we wonder, then, at these bursts of Jewish praise in the Psalms? Well may the children of Zion be joyful in their King. The song swells louder and louder until the last Psalms are one hallelujah — praise ye the Lord. Such is the joy and praise of the kingdom in millennial days.
But, it may be asked, do the prophets foretell all this as clearly, as these things are spoken of in the Psalms?
Let us now turn and hear the Prophet Isaiah. And, mark, he did not see or prophesy concerning the Church; but these are his words; “The word that Isaiah the son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem. And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the Lord’s house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it. And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob; and He will teach us of His ways, and we will walk in His paths: for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem” (Isaiah 2:1-3). Now, when God says this is all about Zion and Jerusalem, why should men say it is about the Church? No; it plainly teaches what will take place during the days of the kingdom — the very opposite of what is taking place now. For, during the whole of this present time, this same Jerusalem is trampled under foot. And instead of all nations now flowing to Jerusalem, its inhabitants are scattered among all nations. Now the world is preparing for universal war and blood shed: then “He shall judge among the nations, and shall rebuke many people: and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning-hooks [or scythes]: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more” (Isaiah 2:4).
Thus we see there will then be no need for war. Every question among the nations will be referred to the King of kings and Lord of lords. We have already looked at that millennial chapter, the 11th. There the reign is literally described, coming in with the judgments on the wicked one. The blessings of the reign are seen to extend even to creation, which now groans. The earth shall then be filled with the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea. The outcast of Israel, and dispersed of Judah are then gathered from the four winds of heaven: How glorious the millennial rest of the earth! In that day the song of Isaiah 12:6 will be sung — “Cry out and shout, thou inhabitant of Zion: for great is the Holy One of Israel in the midst of thee.” The 60th chapter also describes the glory of Zion when the Redeemer shall come. Yes, the change from night to day is not greater than will be when the glory of the Lord shall thus shine upon his city. “Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee” (Isaiah 60:1). Read the whole of this deeply interesting description of the millennial reign. What beauty! what glory! what praise!
But, it may be asked, if all this applies to the kingdom, is the present period entirely overlooked — I mean the time during which the Church of God is being gathered out of the world? Entirely so. The mystery of the Church was hid (Ephesians 3; Romans 16:25-27; Colossians 1:26). And note how strikingly this is the case in Isaiah 61. There is, first, the personal ministry of our precious Lord on earth, as He Himself proved when He took the book, and read from this very chapter: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; He hath sent me to heal the broken-hearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, to preach the acceptable year of the Lord” (Luke 4:18-19). And as they looked at Him with wonder, as He closed the book in the middle of a sentence, He said, “This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears” (Luke 4:21). But what is the remainder of the sentence? “And the day of vengeance of our God” (Isaiah 61:2). That day of vengeance which does not take place until after, or at the close of, this period of the grace of God. Thus, in the middle of a sentence is the gap in which the whole of this present time is entirely overlooked: And the Spirit of God, without saying one word about the Church or its period, goes on to describe the future time of comfort to Zion; and to the end of Isaiah 62 the millennial kingdom is again minutely described. Oh, what a change awaits the desolate Zion! and it could not more clearly speak of the reign of Christ over Israel. Then shall they “build the old wastes, they shall raise up the former desolations, and they shall repair the waste cities, the desolations of many generations” (Isaiah 61:4). All this is deeply interesting. We know that the cities of Israel have long been a desolation, for at least eighteen centuries; and as surely, when the reign comes, they will all be rebuilt. Of course this can have no connection either with the church, or the times of the Gentiles; as even Jerusalem itself is, and must be, trampled under foot, “until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled” (Luke 21:24). As surely, then, as this time of ashes, and heaviness, and mourning has come, so surely will the time of beauty, and joy, and praise come. Yes, this very Zion “shall also be a crown of glory in the hand of the Lord, and a royal diadem in the hand of thy God” (Isaiah 62:3).
The moment we see that these prophecies speak of the future reign of Christ in His kingdom, and that Zion really means Zion, and Jerusalem means that very city, now so trampled under foot, then all becomes perfectly plain. I cannot say one word to make it more clear. My only object is to point the reader to those precious words of God, which so plainly set forth the future reign of Christ. We might multiply passages which describe the exceeding great joy of the millennial earth. Indeed, God would have us glad in the prospect of such intense happiness, taking the place of the present misery and wretchedness that abounds on every hand, during the present usurped reign of Satan. And yet how guarded the scripture is, to show that all this blessing flows from Jerusalem as the center, being the place of His throne. “But be ye glad and rejoice forever in that which I create: for, behold, I create Jerusalem a rejoicing, and her people a joy. And I will rejoice in Jerusalem, and joy in My people: And the voice of weeping shall be no more heard in her, nor the voice of crying” (Isaiah 65:18-19). And to the end of this chapter we find many additional particulars of the millennial reign. We learn the age of man will be greatly lengthened “as the days of a tree” (Isaiah 65:22). Yet there will be both sin and death. A person dying a hundred years old shall only be considered a child. But the sinner, though a hundred years old, shall be accursed. Now the wicked spreads himself out, “as a green bay tree” (Psalm 37:35): then he shall be smitten with the curse of God. That is, the sinner will be immediately judged during the blessed reign of righteousness.
I have often found persons at a loss to understand who shall people the earth during the millennium, seeing that the Lord comes with such terrible judgment on the wicked. If we examine Isaiah 66, this difficulty will be found to be entirely removed. “For, behold, the Lord will come with fire, and with His chariots like a whirlwind, to render His anger with fury, and His rebuke with flames of fire. For by fire and by His sword will the Lord plead with all flesh: and the slain of the Lord shall be many” (Isaiah 66:15-16). Though this is perfectly true, as fully described in many parts of Scripture, yet “It shall come, that I will gather all nations and tongues; and they shall come, and see My glory” (Isaiah 66:18). And the manner in which this shall be done is also described: “And I will set a sign among them, and I will send those that escape of them into the nations, to Tarshish, Pul, and Lud, that draw the bow, to Tubal, and Javan, to the isles afar off, that have not heard My fame, neither have seen My glory; and they shall declare My glory among the Gentiles” (Isaiah 66:19). So that, while they who have heard and rejected the gospel shall be destroyed; such as have not heard, and in like manner rejected, will then hear and be saved. At the deluge, a very small remnant were saved through the judgment; but that small remnant soon repeopled the earth: so the remnant of Israel, brought through the judgments, will be the means of taking, as we see in this passage, the good news of the kingdom to the heathen, who have not heard, and consequently have not been judged like the nations who knew the will of God and did it not. One of the firstfruits of this testimony will be the bringing of all the children of Israel to their own glorious land: “And they shall bring all your brethren for an offering unto the Lord, out of all nations upon horses and chariots, and in litters, and upon mules, and upon swift beasts, to My holy mountain Jerusalem, saith the Lord as the children of Israel bring an offering in a clean vessel into the house of the Lord” (Isaiah 66:20). To be sure, however could men apply this to the Church? Are sinners brought on mules into the Church? Does it not clearly speak of the children of Israel being brought to their own happy land in the beginning of millennial days?
If we compare all this with Jeremiah, we shall find the same clear testimony: let one passage suffice. “Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that I will raise unto David a righteous branch, and a king shall reign and prosper, and shall execute judgment and justice in the earth. In His days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely: and this is His name whereby He shall be called; the Lord our righteousness” (Jeremiah 23:5-6). If this does not speak of the future reign of Christ as the king of Israel; what does it speak of? Oh! will not that blessed state of things be the very opposite of the present! There can be no question that this passage refers to literal Israel, for the next few verses describe their being gathered from every land, to dwell in their own land.
Also in the prophet Ezekiel the same promises are given to Israel respecting the time of the reign. In Ezekiel 36 immense fertility and blessing is foretold. If the prediction of the desolations have been so wondrously fulfilled why may we not also expect the promises of blessing to be as literally fulfilled, until “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 ... . I the Lord have spoken it, and I will do it” (Ezekiel 36:35-36).
Just think of the glory of Christ filling the heavens above, and the earth beneath like the garden of Eden. Oh! happy, happy scenes of future bliss. Yes, during the reign of the true David, the promises are most cheering. The people will delight to do His will. God says, “And I will place them, and multiply them, and will set My sanctuary in the midst of them for evermore. My tabernacle also shall be with them: yea, I will be their God, and they shall be My people” (Ezekiel 37:26-27). It is perfectly astonishing what light a knowledge of God’s future purpose to Israel throws on the politics of the world. While, as we shall see shortly, the prophet Daniel describes the end of the great drama of the western nations, these next two chapters, Ezekiel 38; 39, show as clearly the certain doom of the vast empire of the north. And how remarkable, that, for 1900 years after this prophecy was delivered, there was no such empire embracing the nations here described. But now, we may say, every year witnesses the steady growth of Russia, covering the exact territory described. There can be no mistake who is the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal — the ancient names of Moscow and Tobolsk. No doubt, this empire will go on increasing until Persia, Ethiopia, and Lybia, with all the northern nations, peopled by Gomer, and the house of Togarma, shall compose its united power. And when the children of Israel have been gathered again as a nation, this vast multitude will come up against the mountains of Israel. Then, Ezekiel 39, as a parallel with Revelation 19, describes the destruction of this immense host. It is thus the Lord appears, for His ancient people: “So the house of Israel shall know that I am the Lord their God from that day and forward” (Ezekiel 39:22). The remaining chapters of Ezekiel are occupied with the details of the future temple and service of the Lord. The description of the magnificent entrance of Christ into the temple is truly grand. “And, behold, the glory of the God of Israel came from the way of the east: and His voice was like a noise of many waters: and the earth shined with His glory. And the glory of the Lord came into the house by the way of ... the east. So the Spirit took me up, and brought me into the inner court; and, behold, the glory of the Lord filled the house” (Ezekiel 43:2,4-5). Thus Ezekiel conducts us to the millennial reign and glory of Christ in His kingdom on earth, in His temple at Jerusalem.
Let us now look at the testimony of God by his prophet Daniel. We are carried back to the scene of Judah’s captivity in Babylon. God’s people are thus under the power of the Gentiles; and this prophecy describes the course of Gentile rule to the end. This rule is divided into four distinct empires. The vision of the great image, in Daniel 2, is explained to mean four kingdoms or empires. We all know how literally this has been fulfilled up to a certain point. The fourth empire, which was the Roman empire, has never yet existed in the form described, by ten toes, explained to mean ten kings or kingdoms. And yet this empire has ceased to exist. At first sight this would seem as if God’s word had failed to be fulfilled. This is impossible. “The beast that thou sawest was, and is not; and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit” (Revelation 17:8). This passage foretells exactly what has taken and will take place. The Roman empire, or last empire, was, but has ceased to exist; but it will again come into existence; in its most blasphemous, horrible character, and in its future state it will be divided into ten kingdoms. There is also another peculiarity in its last development. It is divided, yet mixed — “iron mixed with miry clay” (Daniel 2:41). The iron of fierce royalty mixing with the children of men, the miry principle of what is called popular government. Victor Emanuel (strange name) and the Garibaldians exactly illustrate this; and, strange to say, Garibaldi’s dream of the future embraces ten nationalities under one imperial head! Surely everything seems waiting until the Church is taken out of the way to meet the Lord; and then immediately these terrible scenes of the last days will surely come. (It may help the reader to keep in mind that Scripture does not say that Daniel’s 70th week (see Daniel 9) opens the day after the rapture. There may be a transition period.)
This much, however, is clear, the Roman empire will exist again, composed of ten kingdoms; and as England was part of it once, so it must be again. And it is further certain that, “In the days of these kings (or kingdoms) shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand forever” (Daniel 2:44). Just as in this vision, the stone cut out of the mountains smote the foot of the image; so shall Christ, the now-rejected stone, smite the empire of the west, at His coming to set up His kingdom, exactly as described in the end of Revelation 19. Who shall be able to stand when the day of His wrath is come?
Daniel 7. Daniel’s vision of the four beasts represents the fearful character of this fourth empire: And this awful description is not that of its past history, but of its future ten-horn or ten-kingdom condition. And in this there is the most perfect agreement with Revelation 13 and 17. What immense comfort, then, it gives the believer now to learn from that book, as we have seen, that before these terrible destructions take place, we, the Church, are with the Lamb above. But mark how clear it is, that, while this fearful empire is trampling, and stamping, and destroying, the Son of Man comes with the clouds of heaven. “And there was given Him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages, should serve Him: His dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and His kingdom that which shall not be destroyed” (Daniel 7:14). And again, this terrible character is described, (Daniel 7:23,26), and we always find, when anything is thus repeated, that it is something which men are most unwilling to believe. It is so in this case. Though nothing could be more clearly revealed, yet the wise of this world seem to have no idea of the fearful destruction close at hand. But it must come, and then, “And the kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people of the saints of the Most High, whose kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey Him” (Daniel 7:27). Thus these prophecies in Daniel are an exact parallel to that part of Revelation which describes the earth in reference to Jewish history in the future. The reconstruction of the Roman empire; its fearful character; its judgment at the coming of Christ; and then the millennial reign.
The reader may now read for himself all that the prophets have spoken respecting these things. The prophet Joel describes the gathering of the armies of the nations, the judgment on them, and then His reign in Jerusalem (Joel 3:17-18), “So shall ye know that I am the Lord your God dwelling in Zion, My holy mountain: then shall Jerusalem be holy, and there shall no strangers pass through her anymore. And it shall come to pass in that day, that the mountains shall drop down new wine, and the hills shall flow with milk, and all the rivers of Judah shall flow with waters.” The Spirit also says, in Amos, “In that day will I raise up the tabernacle of David that is fallen, and close up the breaches thereof” (Amos 9:11). And then the exceeding blessedness and fertility of the land is described in millennial days.
Obadiah says, “But upon Mount Zion shall be deliverance, and there shall be holiness” (Obadiah 17).
Micah represents the bright vision of Isaiah, and vividly describes the millennial reign (Micah 4:1-8): “And the Lord shall reign over them in Mount Zion from henceforth, even forever” (Micah 4:7). He does not say this of the Church. He says, “The kingdom shall come to the daughter of Jerusalem” (Micah 4:8).
Zephaniah gives a fearful account of the judgments that precede, and then the brightest possible picture of the millennial reign that shall follow. The day of wrath is described in Zephaniah 3:8-9: “Therefore wait ye upon Me [that is the escaped remnant of Jews], saith the Lord, until the day that I rise up to the prey: for my determination is to gather the nations, that I may assemble the kingdoms, to pour upon them My indignation, even all My fierce anger: for all the earth shall be devoured with the fire of my jealousy. For then will I turn to the people a pure language, that they may call upon the name of the Lord, to serve Him with one consent.” Then follows the Lord’s tender care of the poor persecuted remnant, until this moment of deliverance; then, “Sing, O daughter of Zion; shout, O Israel; be glad and rejoice with all thy heart, O daughter of Jerusalem” (Zephaniah 3:14). And again, what exceeding precious words of comfort, “The Lord thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; He will save, He will rejoice over thee with joy; He will rest in His love, He will joy over thee with singing” (Zephaniah 3: 17; Read Zephaniah 3:8-20). Oh, could words more finely describe the glory and joys of the millennial reign! Does it not make us cry, Lord, haste the day?
What will be the surprise of the Jews, who have so long rejected Him, when they shall look upon Him whom they, as a nation, have pierced (Zechariah 12:10). Oh, what brokenness of heart and moving of love this will give, when they say, “What are these wounds in Thine hands? Then He shall answer, Those with which I was wounded in the house of My friends” (Zechariah 13:6). This will be the grand moment of discovery to Israel, that their glorious Messiah is the very Jesus who died for their sins. Oh, think of the hour of His sufferings, and then of these words of love “Those I received in the house of My friends.” These burning words of love will melt every heart. Oh, my reader, it is through this same precious Jesus that forgiveness of sins is preached to us. The same precious blood cleanseth us from all sin.
Zechariah 14. This chapter demands a most careful study. In it we see the nations gathered against Jerusalem. The Lord comes and stands on the Mount of Olives. Living waters flow out of Jerusalem. “And the Lord shall be king over all the earth in that day shall there be one Lord, and His name one” (Zechariah 14:9). During the blessed reign of Christ, His authority is absolute. All nations must come up to Jerusalem to worship Him. “And it shall come to pass, that every one that is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem shall even go up from year to year to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, and to keep the feast of tabernacles” (Zechariah 14:16). Now this cannot in any way be applied to the present time, or to the Church of God. No; even the false church or Christendom, so called, has been prevented from even imitating this. She has not been able to set up the papacy at Jerusalem. She has imitated the future kingdom in every way she could. In this she could not. It is not improbable that, when the true Church of God is taken to meet Christ, then the confederacy of apostate Judaism, and apostate Christianity, may attempt something like this at Jerusalem. But the prophecy plainly describes the real personal reign of Christ, in His kingdom at Jerusalem. The distinction in the judgments on Egypt and the nations, if they refuse to come to Jerusalem to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, is still further evidence that it refers to the future kingdom. The following verses (Zechariah 14:20-21) foretell the prevalence of universal holiness in Jerusalem and Judah. Every form of misery has flowed from sin, the one common source, for six thousand years. How great, then, will be the abundance of peace and bliss in those days of holiness yet to come.
If we now turn again to Revelation 20, we find that, during this thousand years’ reign of Christ, the great tempter of man is bound and cast into the bottomless pit. The way in which Revelation opens up the closing scenes of the present age is perfectly appalling. Just mark the end of the Roman Empire in the last verses of Revelation 19. “And I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against Him that sat on the horse, and against His army. And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone.” Foolish men may ask, How can this be? And where is the lake of fire? For all we know, it may be under our very feet, the whole center of this globe. Even learned men are convinced by reason that this world is, as to its great bulk, liquid fire. It was but yesterday that we heard of an earthquake slaying 8000 persons. And cannot God, who caused the earth to open and receive Korah and his company alive into the pit, again, in one instant, open the earth to receive these sons of wickedness alive into the lake of fire? If men will reject the mercy of God, they will not escape the reality of His terrible wrath. Year after year God’s longsuffering tarries, not willing that any should perish. But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night. Yes, when least expected. Yes, when men are saying, Peace and safety, then this sudden destruction comes (1 Thessalonians 5:2-3). When God ariseth to shake terribly the earth, then who shall be able to stand? And thus, having closed this age of human pride and wickedness, Satan, being bound for a thousand years, the first resurrection being now complete, they live and reign with Christ a thousand years. “The heavens must receive Him until the times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all His holy prophets since the world began” (Acts 3:21). So that, during this thousand years’ reign of Christ, every promise of blessing to this earth shall be most certainly fulfilled. “Which, in His times He shall show, who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings and Lord of lords” (1 Timothy 6:15). “But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection. Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with Him a thousand years” (Revelation 20:5-6). It may be felt by many who read this tract how little is said about the Church during the reign of Christ. The reason is simply this, because the Church does not form any part of the earthly subjects of the kingdom, but are the heavenly associates of the king. What Eve was to Adam — what a bride is to a husband, this all who are saved during this period, and formed into one body by the Holy Spirit, yes, made the bride of Christ: they shall thus reign with Him. Others also, doubtless, all the redeemed, both before the Church existed and after it is taken; during the judgments; even those who have during that period refused the mark of the beast; all these will plainly live and reign with Christ a thousand years. But even in heavenly glory the bride will have the most distinguished place (Revelation 5:9). Yes; the very angels stand round about them in Revelation 5:11. And in Revelation 19:1-9, the glorified bride forms an object of wonder to the multitude called to the marriage-supper of the Lamb.
It is very humiliating to see that at the close of the thousand years’ reign of Christ, and blessedness on earth, on Satan being let loose for a little season, man is found as ready as ever to be led by him in rebellion against God (Revelation 20:7-10). Surely, this is enough to teach us to have no confidence in self. And now “the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night forever and ever” (Revelation 20:10). Fearful thought! These very persons may be alive at this moment: their names may be well known in Europe. We may have seen those very bodies which shall not die, but be cast alive into the lake of fire, and there remain in torment during the long thousand years of the happy reign of Christ on earth.
But that is not all. The thousand years being ended, the judgment of the dead takes place — not the judgment of the nations on earth, as in Matthew 25. No; read the description of the judgment of the dead. “And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works ... And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire” (Revelation 20:12,15). I ask my reader, can God lie? Has He spoken, and will He not do it? Man may deride these solemn, sure warnings; Satan may try to persuade you not to believe what God hath spoken. But, oh! if you should find these statements of God true to you! No, if not in Christ, you will as surely be cast into the lake of fire, and there tormented forever: yes, as sure as ever you have rejected Christ. Do ponder this certainty; remember, it is God who speaks.
Oh, how truly blessed to be brought to Christ now, as he says, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, he that heareth My word, and believeth on Him that sent Me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation [or, as it should be translated, judgment]; but is passed from death unto life (John 5:24). Now, this positive assurance of Christ’s is most blessed, but very little either understood or enjoyed. The confusion as to the judgment, and reign of Christ, and the parties constituting the Church, and the kingdom, has thrown confusion on the plainest Gospel passages.
After showing in a lecture, the other evening, the impossibility of the justified believer ever standing in judgment as a sinner, a Christian lady came up to me, and tremblingly asked, “But does not the word say, that we shall have to give account, in the day of judgment, for every idle word? Yes; and I doubt not, many a person who reads this, and who has believed on God — who raised Jesus, the substitute, from the dead, and who is justified from all things — still, like this lady, will say: “and does not the word say, that we shall have to give account of every idle word in the day of judgment?” I turned to the passage the following night, and showed this lady that the word said a very different thing. These are the words of Jesus, “But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment” (Matthew 12:36). This is exactly what is said in another place, “And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after death the judgment: so (now mark the contrast) Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for Him shall He appear the second time without sin unto salvation” (Hebrews 9:27-28). As the Lord enabled this lady to see the immense contrast between men who, having rejected mercy, must give account in the day of judgment, and those who have heard now the word of Christ, and believe on God, who sent Him, and therefore have everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment. So may my reader know the reality of that testimony that assures the believer, that Christ having borne his sins, God will remember them no more forever (Hebrews 10).
Indeed, my fellow-believer, how can we stand in the judgment, since we shall have lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years, before the great judgment of God is set, and before whom the rest of the dead must stand, who lived not during the thousand years. No; the question has been once, and forever, divinely settled on the cross. If any one could possibly be judged for our sins again, it would be Christ, our surety. But this is impossible. He dieth no more. He hath been raised again for our justification. It is God who justifieth; who can condemn? No, there is neither judgment nor condemnation to them that are in Christ. All this is fully proved in Romans 5; 6; 7, and 8.
Still, many are troubled at that word: “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad” (2 Corinthians 5:10). And, indeed, it is well, if not walking as the redeemed of the Lord, that we should be troubled; but, surely, to meet the eye of our precious Lord at His coming, yes, made like Him in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, is a very different thing from standing in the day of judgment to be tried for our sins. As to works, no doubt, many will be greatly surprised to find that what they thought good, He will pronounce bad — wood, hay, and stubble, all to be burned up, just like Lot’s property in Sodom, he himself saved so as by fire. Just take one thing, In the path of our blessed Lord, we see Him making Himself of no reputation. How will the believer meet the Lord as to this? Have we trod in His steps? He made Himself poor. I may be a believer, my sins put away forever — but shall my ways as a Christian be found accepted of the Lord? It is not the question of the day of judgment, but when we meet Christ shall we have His approval? Think of this, my fellow-traveler, and it will often check you when tempted, and often cheer you when despised. Constantly ask, ‘Is this what I should like to be doing when the Lord comes?’ It may be highly esteemed among men, yes, applauded; but will it stand before the eye of Christ? Often we find the real children of God, acting the very opposite of the ways of Christ — self-seeking — worldly popularity — bitterness against One another. Surely this will not bear the light of His eye. Perhaps nothing gives more pain than this want of sympathy amongst the same children of God. Even in the Apostle’s time, he could say, “For all seek their own, not the things which are Jesus Christ’s” (Philippians 2:21). Indeed, whatever we build in the old creation — wealth, reputation, or the like — all will be loss when we stand before the “beema” or decision of Christ. And all we build in the new creation will be gain.
Thus we have directed the enquirer to the Word of God. First, as to what He has spoken by His Son to the Jews, in the four gospels; then, to what He has spoken by the Holy Spirit to the Church, in the epistles; and, lastly, to what He spoke by the prophets in olden times respecting the judgment of the nations, during the great day of His wrath; and then the setting up of His kingdom on earth. We have taken the Scriptures just as we have found them, without using them craftily or corrupting them, to fit any human theory.
From the whole then, briefly: it appears plain, that the Lord may come at any moment to take His bride the body — all believers joined by one Spirit during this day of grace — up to meet Him in the air. This may take place at any moment. Then the man of sin is revealed. The Roman empire reconstructed, forming ten kingdoms under one terrible head. The Jews gathered to Palestine in great wickedness, under the man of sin. Idolatry or abomination placed in their temple: Then the time of the great tribulation. The Church with the Lord during this day of wrath. Then Christ comes with flaming fire, taking vengeance on the rebellious nations. Then takes place the blessed thousand years’ reign; after which, takes place the judgment of the dead. The old creation having entirely passed away, a new heaven and a new earth appear. The eternal state then exists. The order of these events is not founded on the interpretation of any one scripture, but shown from the simple teaching and harmony of all scripture.
The reader is entreated to search the scriptures. This tract is but a feeble glance, as it were, at the surface; search them closely, prayerfully, and in simple dependence on the Spirit’s teaching. Do not try to make them square with any human theory. If the Word of God should cross your long-cherished opinion, let go your opinion, bow to God’s word. “Seal not the sayings of the prophecy of this book: for the time is at hand” (Revelation 22:10). Yes, though the Church needs no sign, for we may be caught up before I finish this sentence; yet surely the state of the world seems to say, “The time is at hand!” The time of its judgment, the great day of the wrath of Almighty God — the time when the King must reign in righteousness. But hark! Still the voice of mercy softly sounds — “And the Spirit and the Bride say, come. And let him that heareth say, come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely” (Revelation 22:17).
Oh! awakened sinner, do you hear? Has your ear been opened to hear the words of Christ? Do you thirst? then the water of life is yours, as freely as it was that poor sinner’s at Samaria’s well. Oh! she had no merit; she was a sinner at that very moment. But, through divine grace, she found a welcome in the presence of that blessed One, who came to seek and to save the lost. Today is the good news of God proclaimed, “Be it known unto you ... that through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins: and by Him all that believe are justified from all things” (Acts 13:38-39). But tomorrow the despisers may wonder and perish. Oh! how will those wonder who have long sat under the sound of the gospel, when the Church is taken up, and the preacher’s voice is no more heard. Think, then, what it may cost you to despise one more day.
To God’s own children how applicable the words of Peter, “Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of Him in peace, without spot, and blameless” (2 Peter 3:4). Iniquity abounds: the love of many waxeth cold. Some are mocking and saying, Where is the promise of His coming? Perilous times are come. What selfishness! What worldliness! Yet God is working, and quickly gathering in His own. Some are awaking to the deep solemnity of the moment we have arrived at. Events so vast and so near. The very world arming and preparing for its own desolating destructions.
Are you, my reader, pardoned, justified, and ready to meet the Lord in the air? Can you say, I am waiting for the Lord from heaven (Philippians 3:21)? Is there anything you are allowing of which you would be ashamed if He comes to take you this day? Is the real cry of your heart, “Come, Lord Jesus?” Is your heart set on attaining some object? What will it profit, if Jesus comes to call you up this day?
Blessed Lord, come; this groaning earth cries for Thy peaceful reign. We, too, who are Thine, we groan. Oh! come quickly. We long to see Thy face; to be “forever with the Lord.”
Full Redemption
At the earnest request of many beloved laborers (in the present harvest of souls) to write a series of tracts for young converts, I now have much joy, in dependence on the Holy Spirit, beloved young Christians, in leading your thoughts, in my first paper to you, to that all important subject, full redemption. Before reading, however, will you lift up your hearts in prayer, that our God and Father may bless it for establishing and confirming your faith, and that He by His Holy Spirit may enable me, from time to time, to give you His own precious truth, in all faithfulness and love? And will you also ask that many who read these papers, who are not saved, may by reading be awakened and converted to God?
Well, beloved young Christian, then, you have been brought to God, your sins are forgiven through believing the blessed testimony of God. You have redemption through the blood of Christ. You may not know, however, but you will soon need to know, the greatness, the fullness, the completeness of that redemption.
As a young child learns much by pictures, so the young Christian may learn much of the completeness and blessedness of divine truth by the types or pictures of the Old Testament. If you turn to the Book of Exodus you will find an exact picture of the way in which God has brought you to Himself. Even Moses (drawn out), when he was thus raised from the river of death, was a shadow of Him who was to be raised out of death; the first to rise from among the dead, that He might be the risen Deliverer of His people.
Note the condition of the people (read Exodus 3), crushed with the cruel oppression of Egypt’s slavery: groaning beneath the iron rod of Pharaoh. “And the Lord said, I have surely seen the affliction of my people which are in Egypt, and have heard their cry by reason of their taskmasters; for I know their sorrows; and I am come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up out of that land unto a good land and a large” (Exodus 3:7-8). Is not this man’s condition everywhere, bond-slave of Satan? How fearful the misery which has come upon the whole race of man through sin. Behind the fair surface of human society, what an hideous reality of woe. Man believed the enemy, doubted the goodness of God, and fell, and deep indeed was that fall — from the happiness of the garden to the misery of Satan’s Egypt.
But God heard the cry of misery and affliction. Could there be a more thrilling picture of God for us than this? He came down to deliver, when there was no friend for poor man. When there was none to help, His right hand brought salvation. “In this was manifested the love of God towards us, because that God sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us, and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins” (1 John 4:9). I wish you to think much of this wondrous love. There does not appear to have been one thing to draw the heart of God towards the children of Israel, but their very bondage, and sorrow, and His own covenant love. If you look at the end of Exodus 2, they cry because of their bondage; but they do not look up to God, but God looked upon them. “And God heard their groaning, and God remembered His covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob. And God looked upon the children of Israel, and God had respect unto them” (Exodus 2:24-25). Yes, it was all of God — there was no merit in them. God heard, God looked, God came down to deliver. Blessed God, what love and pity thus to reveal Thyself the Friend of the oppressed!
Has it not been exactly so, my dear young Christian, with your soul? God heard your groans; and what groans, throughout eternity, if God had not come down to save. I often think how Jesus died for our sins, so long before we were born, who live in these last days. Surely our redemption is entirely of God. It was not we who looked to God, but God who looked upon us. Yes, long before time began, God chose us in Christ, in whom we have redemption. Ephesians 1,2 are full of this blessed theme. There the soul is ravished with contemplating how redemption is of, and flows from, God’s eternal love.
But let us trace the picture a little further in Exodus. If you read Exodus 4 you will find, that though God had thus revealed His compassion and love to Moses, and sent him with the commission of deliverance, yet the children of Israel were in total ignorance of this wondrous grace in store for them. It was not until after Moses had met Aaron, that the gospel of God’s deliverance was preached to the people. “And the people believed: and when they heard that the Lord had visited the children of Israel, and that He had looked upon their affliction, then they bowed their heads and worshipped” (Exodus 4:31). How little, when groaning in bondage, did you think of the loving purposes of God. But when the Spirit of God met you, as Aaron met Israel, then faith came by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
In Exodus 5 the condition of the people becomes worse and worse. They desire deliverance. They desire to worship. But their burdens become heavier. They lose their straw, and cannot do their work. The chapter ends with many stripes, but no deliverance. It is sore work often for the awakened soul, passing through this experience. Would make bricks, but has no straw; would do good, but evil is present. Longs to worship; strives hard to keep the tasks of the law: gets only stripes, but no deliverance. How long poor Luther was in this brick-kiln. Have you been there, reader? Then you know, as the officers did see, “They were in evil case, after it was said, Ye shall not minish ought from your bricks of your daily task” (Exodus 5:19). The Apostle well describes the struggles of the brick-kiln in Romans 7. Only bear well in mind, that the full redemption was not known in the brick-kilns of Egypt. Neither can full redemption be possibly known, to the soul passing through the experience, of which the brick- kilns of Egypt were but a picture. By the way, it is just possible my reader may be in this very state. You may have believed, so far as the Gospel has been made known to you; you may earnestly long to worship God; you may long to escape the bondage of sin and Satan; all this may be the yearnings of the new nature, but still you have not learned the full redemption. You do not enjoy deliverance. You say, I have no strength to do what I want to do; just as the people had no straw. They had no straw, and you have no strength; and now Satan presents the tasks of the law, and says, these must be fulfilled. What a picture the officers of Pharaoh were of those who preach works for salvation. “Go therefore now, and work; for there shall no straw be given you, yet shall ye deliver the tale of bricks” (Exodus 5:18). “Go, therefore, work; for except ye keep the law ye shall not be saved.” How like in substance is the language of both.
In Exodus 6, note that while the people were under the cruel burdens of the brick-kiln, the very promises of God failed to give relief. Read the tender words of God in Exodus 6:1-8. What words are these:
“I have also heard the groaning.”
“I have remembered My covenant. I am the Lord.”
“I will bring you out.”
“I will redeem you.”
“I will take you to Me.”
“I will be to you a God.”
“I will bring you in unto the land. “
“I will give it you.”
“I am the Lord.”
I say, is it not most remarkable that, while under the tasks of the brick-kiln, these precious promises entirely failed to give relief. “They hearkened not unto Moses for anguish of spirit, and for cruel bondage” (Exodus 6:9). If my reader is a quickened soul, still under the bondage of the law, this is sure, sooner or later, to be your experience. You will say, Yes, the promises of God are very precious, but I cannot fulfill my task. I have tried to keep the law, but how often, nay, always, I fail. Ah! while ever the soul is standing on its own responsibility under law, all that it finds is failure, sin, anguish of spirit, and cruel bondage. And every child of God knows what a tendency there is thus to cling to self. But most surely this springs from ignorance of full redemption. No, my dear young Christian, we do not stand in our own responsibility under law, like the brickmakers of Egypt; but in the risen Christ, through whose precious blood we have redemption, even the forgiveness of sins.
And now God puts forth His power in the plagues of Egypt, in His governmental judgment of the proud oppressors of His people; but still no deliverance. These are solemn pictures, as taken up again in the Book of Revelation, of the judgments of God in the last days. Ah! in that day the proud oppressors of God’s people shall be broken to pieces. But I return to our subject.
It may seem strange that so great a display of the Lord’s power should have been made in Egypt, and yet not one soul delivered. We see the very same thing in the Gospels. After all the rich display of power and grace in the blessed life of Jesus, yet at the close of His ministry amongst men, had there been nothing more than this, He must have remained alone. Blessed as was that ministry, great as were those miracles, heavenly as was His teaching, holy as was His life, yet had He not died, the Just for the unjust, not one of all the sons of Adam could possibly have been saved. What a place this gives to redemption! It was so in Egypt! We have seen the tender compassion of God; we have heard His sweetest promises; we have witnessed His terrible power against the enemy. We have seen all this from Exodus 3 to 9. But it is not until the blood of the Lamb is sprinkled, that one soul is delivered from bondage. How very exact is the teaching of God in these types.
Exodus 12. Do, my young reader, ponder well this deeply interesting chapter. May the Spirit of God so bless it to your soul, that it may be the beginning of months to you. Sure I am, it would be even so to many old Christians, did they but understand the full redemption it shadows forth.
Blind, indeed, must be those eyes, which cannot see that this chapter, Exodus 12, sets before us the redemption blood of Christ; as saith the Apostle, “For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us” (1 Corinthians 5:7). Just as the lamb without blemish, of the first year, was put up until the fourteenth day of the same month, and then killed by the whole assembly; even so did our Jesus, as the lamb without spot, offer Himself to God. Yes, on the very Passover night, He gave Himself up for us. He said, “I have desired to eat this passover with you before I suffer” (Luke 22:15). Was ever love like this? And the blood was to be sprinkled upon the door-posts of the house. And the Lord said to the children of Israel, “And the blood shall be to you for a token upon the houses where ye are: and when I see the blood, I will pass over you” (Exodus 12:13). And God kept His Word. Not one person perished that night who believed His words about that blood. God said, “when I see the blood, I will pass over you.” And, my young Christian, think what God sees in the blood of Christ! It is not what you see. We have as yet very limited views of the value of the atoning death of Jesus. But what does God see? The place of highest glory into which God has raised the once-bleeding Jesus, is the answer to what God sees in the value of the cross of Christ. Unmingled grace, flowing throughout eternity, to the millions of the redeemed, proclaims what God sees in the blood of Christ!
What a token of love, the blood of the Lamb! while the death of Jesus shows out the righteousness of God in all its brightness; and surely also His wrath against sin, in all its blackness; yet what a token of love to the poor sinner! Dear reader, I often get comfort in thus thinking of God. His righteousness maintained to the utmost, yet His love shown to us in all its fullness. Why were the door-posts of Israel sprinkled with blood? God loved them. Why did He deliver every man, woman, and child who dwelt in those blood-sprinkled houses? He loved them. Now go up to that blood-sprinkled post; what do you read in that blood on the post? God is love. The blood speaks and says, I am the token of God’s love to you; but it also declares, that “without shedding of blood there is no remission” (Hebrews 9:22). Draw near the cross; what do you read there? Blessed lessons, that shall never be fully learned when eternal ages have rolled away. Oh! why this Holy One thus dying? Why those pierced hands and feet? Why no place to lay that precious head? They who loved Him are fled! They who hate Him are gnashing their teeth around Him? But, why this three hours’ darkness? Why is He forsaken of God? Why that bitter cry, “My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me?” (Psalm 22:1; Matthew 27:46; Mark 15:34). In those hours of darkness, forsaken of God, did Jesus pay the full price of redemption; and, bowing His head, cried, “It is finished” (John 19:30). And thus died the Lamb of God! Yes, on that cross I read, “God is love” (1 John 4:16). But I also read, “Without shedding of blood there is no remission” (Hebrews 9:22). If our sins could not be remitted even to Him, when He bore them in His own body on the cross, then surely they cannot be remitted to us on any other ground, but through His precious blood. What a token of love to the sinner, then, is the cross of Christ! Sure token on which my soul rests forever.
And now to return. Was it not very striking, that though not one of the Hebrews were delivered from Egypt before this very night of the Passover, on which the firstborn of Egypt were slain, yet not one was left in bondage after. Solemn truth! death there must be; death passed on Israel’s lamb, their substitute; but death passed on Egypt’s firstborn. Even so death and judgment have passed on my reader’s Substitute, the Lamb of God; or death and eternal wrath must be your portion forever.
Thus the blood was sprinkled on the door-posts, and thus the Lord brought them out of Egypt. Even so Christ has once suffered for sins, the Just for the unjust, to bring us to God.
And now, that the lesson of redemption may be fully learned, let me ask you to read Exodus 14. What a picture of Satan’s last effort! The sea before — the whole army of Pharaoh behind. The people are terribly afraid. “And Moses said unto the people, Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord, which he will show to you today: for the Egyptians whom ye have seen today, ye shall see them again no more forever” (Exodus 14:13). And what a deliverance the Lord wrought that day! The sea was divided, so that the children of Israel passed through on dry land. But that very sea that saved them, drowned every enemy that pursued behind. Not an Hebrew was lost — not an Egyptian was spared. “And the waters returned, and covered the chariots, and the horsemen, and all the host of Pharaoh that came into the sea after them; there remained not so much as one of them” (Exodus 14:28). Thus the Lord saved Israel. And what a salvation! Could it have been more complete! No more brick-making — no more cruel bondage in Egypt — no more beatings and oppressions. What a sight that was, as Israel looked upon the Egyptians, dead on the sea-shore! And if this, the mere figure of our redemption, were so complete, what must the reality be? It is very terrible to the poor, trembling soul, as it first learns the value of redemption like Israel of old, the rolling waves of death before, Satan and the whole array of sins in hot pursuit behind. But what was it to the Captain of our salvation, when, at the close of His life in the flesh, the prince of this world came against Him, and with the dark billows of God’s wrath before Him, and no escape. Ah! there was no passing on dry ground for Him. The full power of Satan let loose against him — the utmost hate and rage of man! What were the armies of the Egyptians, compared to that fearful hour when all our sins were laid on Him? Stroke after stroke of divine wrath against sin fell upon Him. All God’s billows went over His soul. But why this sea of death rolling in upon His soul? Dear young Christian, all this He freely bore that we might pass through death and judgment dryshod. Yes; He came to this Egypt of cruel bondage, “that through death He might ... deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage” (Hebrews 2:14-15). And oh! how complete the deliverance! Blessed Deliverer, He is no longer beneath the dark wave of divine wrath, but raised from the dead. As the Egyptians lay dead on the sea-shore, so even God has said He will remember our sins against us no more forever (Hebrews 10). As the Red Sea destroyed Pharaoh and all his host, so Jesus by His death destroyed him that had the power of death, which is the devil.
It is thus we stand still, and really see in the death of Jesus the salvation of God.
Now what an entire new position this was to Israel, out of Egypt — brought to God, though in the wilderness! How much they had yet to learn! But they could now sing the song of Moses. And what a song of complete deliverance! Read it over, and let me ask now, Is this the language of your heart? Can you thus rejoice in God’s complete deliverance? Do you understand the teaching of this blessed inspired history? Has the death of Jesus, the Lamb of God, thus changed the position of every child of grace! Has the whole power of sin and Satan, when brought against your holy Substitute, been conquered and destroyed? Surely as Israel looked back on the Red Sea, and saw the dead bodies of their enemies, they did not hope they were saved from Egypt’s bondage. And can I look back at the empty grave of Jesus, and hope that I am saved? Surely it is a finished work. No; they sing, The Lord “hath triumphed gloriously ... .The Lord is my strength ... He is become my salvation” (Exodus 15:1-2). Yes; every sentence breathes certainty and joy.
And should not the language of the Christian be equally confident? “Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light: who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of His dear Son: in whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins” (Colossians 1:12-14). In so short a paper I can only just glance, as it were, at the blessed lessons set before us in this divine picture.
The Red Sea had separated Israel thus from Egypt: Israel, as it were, became dead to Egypt, and the Egyptians became dead to them. Have you, my reader, thus become dead to the world by the death of Christ? And has the world thus become dead to you? Not one of the armies of Pharaoh was left to throw a stone at God’s redeemed people. Have you realized the amazing fact, that such is the value of the blood of Christ, that not a sin can be laid to your charge?
It is not death like a narrow stream separating you from heaven; but that narrow, dark, deep stream of death in which Jesus took your place and passed through for you, separating you forever from the world, from sin, and Satan. Yes; death and judgment, sin and Satan, the world and all behind: yes; as Israel sang on Canaan’s side of the Red Sea, so may we sing on heaven’s side of the cross.
Oh! what a happy place this is to be in, is it not? I think I hear my young reader say, “I trust I believe all you have said, but still, I am not so happy as I was some time ago.” Well, what is it, think you, that makes you less happy? At first, when God spoke peace to your soul, you were filled with thoughts of Christ, and these made you happy; but now you are thinking more of yourself. Is not that the case? Have you been put under the tasks of the law again? Nothing can more effectually sap the enjoyment of peace than this. You may not have been put under law for salvation, but as a rule of life. You will soon find brick-making in Egypt, as a rule of life, to be brick-making cruel bondage. I never met a person yet under the law, as a rule of life, that enjoyed peace with God. I feel so much depends on clearing this point up for the youngest convert, that I must seek grace to speak on this, as on every other matter, the whole counsel of God.
Now, just as redemption from Egypt delivered the Hebrews entirely in every sense from the bondage of brick-kilns, so the death of Christ delivered even the believing Jew from the bondage of the law. I say Jew, for though, in the writings of men, it is often assumed that the whole world was, and even is, under the law, yet this is great confusion, and utterly opposed to Scripture and to fact. Surely the law was not given from Adam to Moses; and when given, was it given to any but the children of Israel? Yea; and not given to them for four hundred and thirty years after the promise given to Abraham, confirmed in his seed, which is Christ (Galatians 3). But the Jews were under law, and for this very special purpose, that the offense might abound. Transgression of known commands, as in the case of Adam, was needed to convict man of sin, and prove his need of the redemption provided of God. Transgression did come by the law, but righteousness could not. The passage translated “sin is the transgression of the law” (1 John 3:4), is very much misunderstood; as though there could be no sin without the law. This clearly cannot be the meaning, as is evident, if you compare it with that passage, “For until the law sin was in the world: but sin is not imputed where there is no law” (Romans 5:13). Indeed, those who know well the Greek tell us the passage is not “sin is the transgression of the law,” but “sin is lawlessness.” But to return: the Jews were under the law, that is certain; and was not one great object of Christ’s death to redeem them from the law? as it is written, speaking of Jews, the Apostle says, “Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law” (Galatians 3:13). And again, “When the fullness of the time was come, God sent forth His Son, made of a woman, made under the law, to redeem them that were under the law” (Galatians 4:4-5). Redemption, then, from the law was as real as redemption was from sin and the curse. See how this is insisted upon in Romans 7. There the believer is as dead to law by the body of Christ as, he is dead to sin in Romans 6. But what is it to be dead to the law, or redeemed from the law? Well what was it to be under the law? When that is understood, then it is easy to see what it is to be redeemed from it. The illustration of the brick-kiln helps us to clearly put the matter. The Hebrew slave was responsible to do what he could not do, and hence his bitter bondage. Man, under law, is in just this position. He is responsible to do what he cannot do. Important to remember, Israel put themselves in that position (Exodus 19). But that is just the position of any man, Jew or Christian, if under law, he is responsible to do what he finds he cannot do. The law is most holy, just, and good; but man finds himself lost, carnal, sold under sin. When he would do good, evil is present with him. Now, if he is in this position, he must be wretched. He does the thing he hates; and what he would do he cannot do. But, you say, “this is exactly as it is with me.” To be sure it is, and so it is with every one under law. While as a Jew of old, you were never under the law, a moment’s reflection will convince you of that; yet, like the Gentile Galatians, you may have been entangled with the yoke of bondage. Now, if this be the case, is there any wonder at the miserable lives that so many Christians spend. Cruel bondage all their days; feeling they ought to fulfill the whole law, yet failing at every point, until almost driven to despair.
Now, if the precious death of Christ redeemed them from it, who were in this state under the law; is it possible that His death should place us, who never were under it, in that condition? Most clearly not. But then, my reader may ask, if the law is not the rule of life, is there no principle of holy obedience? Oh, yes, most surely, as we shall see in these papers; only the principle of holy obedience cannot be the same as legal bondage.
The law told man what was right, but gave him no power to do it; yea, only excited him to do what he knew was wrong; and thus it only condemned him. Now from that state, those who were under it were redeemed entirely. As they had once been brought out of Egypt, entirely delivered from its cruel bondage, so were they entirely redeemed from sin, and death, and law. And more; we who were not under law, but utterly lawless, sin and death having passed upon all, whether transgressors under law, or sinners without law; we, too, have been redeemed from the whole old ruined condition of lost and guilty man, and brought to God on a totally new principle from man’s responsibility altogether. No longer the bond-slaves of sin, but sons of God, born of God, having a new nature; yea, having the Spirit of God dwelling in us; as it is written, “And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father” (Galatians 4:6). And yet there is one other character of redemption which marks its fullness above all others, and that is, it is eternal redemption. “By His own blood He entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption” (Hebrews 9:12). The Israelite might possibly have got back to Egypt, but not so the believer, who has eternal redemption through the blood of Christ. Oh! who can fully tell what it is thus to be eternally delivered from sin, and death, and condemnation? My old former self dead! My old former state forever passed away! My young Christian, do ponder these words — eternal redemption. The guilt of all your sins eternally put away. Death, even the death of the cross, has put an end to them all. No question of hope — it is so: we have eternal redemption. Where this is understood, what rest it gives. Even in this particular, the shadow was very striking. Redemption from Egypt being completed, then, but not till then, did God make known His Sabbath or rest to the Hebrews. We heard of the Sabbath in Eden; but from Adam to Moses, we hear of no Sabbath for man. Surely, God says in this, there can be no rest for the sinner but through the blood of the Lamb.
Eternal redemption gives eternal rest. Surely, when we are in the glory, it will not be more complete. Nothing can add or take away from its value. And is this the place of boundless blessing into which God has brought you, my reader? Then will you, can you, glory in aught but the cross of Christ?
May our God lead you, after reading this paper, by His Holy Spirit to search His own precious word. This is the one desire of my heart, knowing that nothing else can meet your need.
Who Is to Blame?
Let us suppose a vessel foundering at sea. We know the vessel to be exceedingly rotten, and so leaky that it is filling fast — that it must shortly go down. On shore the utmost effort is made. The life-boat, with capacity to hold every person on the sinking ship, is launched. The mariners pull alongside the rotten, sinking vessel. The captain of the life-boat begs every person on board immediately to let go the old rotten ship and trust himself in his hands in the life-boat, with the certainty of being brought safe to shore. The people on board resolutely refuse the invitation. One says, “The old vessel is not so bad; she only requires painting.” Another says, “Away with both you and your life-boat! we have a carpenter of our own, whose business it is to mend the old ship. Who do you think is going to leave this fine old ship and trust to that poor-looking boat?” The vessel fills and sinks. Now tell me, if every fool-hardy despiser on board goes down, who is to blame? Plainly themselves. The life-boat was sent to them, and they refused.
Man is that rotten ship — fallen, ruined by sin, filling fuller and fuller of sins until he sinks into perdition. Christ Jesus is the life-boat. God so loved this poor, ruined, sinking world that He sent the life-boat, “That whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:16). Did the world believe God? Oh no, they rejected even such love, so great salvation. They murdered the Son of God. The death of Jesus was the offering of Himself, the atoning sacrifice for sin, God raised Him from the dead; and the risen Christ becomes the life-boat of every soul that trusts in Him.
But, my reader, may I ask you a question? Where are you — in the life-boat or in the old ship? Are you in Christ or trusting to the self-righteousness of old human nature? Are you one of the redeemed? Can you say that you “have redemption through His blood, even the forgiveness of sins?” (Colossians 1:14). Or are you still in and of that world, which is guilty of rejecting and murdering the Son of God?
Perhaps you do not care for these things. Are you filling up the measure of your iniquity? You know when the old ship gets full it sinks, and when your last sin on earth shall be filled up and you sink into endless perdition, you will remember who is to blame.
But are you trusting to outward forms and ceremonies of religion? Now what good will this outside paint do? The ship is sinking, and if you stay on it, you will go down with the very paint brush in your hand. Oh my friend! all the baptisms, and sacraments, and ordinances that man can perform will never keep one ruined sinner from sinking into hell! Woe be to your poor soul if you trust in them.
Do you say there are so many opinions — how am I to tell who is right? Whoever points you to Christ, the life-boat, is right; and whoever keeps you in the old ship, is wrong. Do you not see that?
Are you trying — no matter how — to mend the old ship; that is, your fallen human nature, called in scripture “the flesh”? Then you may be quite certain, sooner or later, if you continue in that condition you will, as the old ship, go down. Think where! Oh, the bottomless pit — and who is to blame?
Oh give up the vain attempt to mend the old ship. Own yourself a lost, undone, ruined sinner — believe the grace of God in sending you Christ the lifeboat — trust Him with all your heart — confess Him with your lips and life. You cannot be in both. If you are in the old ship, no matter how self-righteous, you are sinking fast: there is not a moment to be lost. It is indeed great presumption for anyone in the old ship to say, he knows he is safe. But if you are in Christ, the life-boat, you cannot be too sure. He never did and never will lose one.