Vol 01 - Fragments

Vol 01 - Fragments
Israel's Vocation.
Bible Treasury, 2nd Edition, Volume 1, June 1856.
[01 1856 018] As we, Christians, are in relationship with Christ's Father, and our Father, with His God and our God, as the Church is united to Christ the Head glorified on high by the Holy Ghost, who baptises us into one body here below, so Israel were called to be Jehovah's witnesses. They broke down under law; they will be restored in mercy, and made to stand in the latter day under Messiah and the new covenant, but it will be for the display of the glory of Jehovah, the unchanging God of Israel. Jerusalem shall then be the city of the Great King. The place and duties of them, of us, or any others, always depend on the relationship.
David And Solomon. 1 Chronicles 21:1-30, 2 Chronicles 5:1-14; 2 Chronicles 6:1-42.
Bible Treasury, 2nd Edition, Volume 1, July 1856.
[01 1856 034] David is convicted, brought to hope, established in the sense of deliverance. Affections suited to these conditions mark his spirit. But when established, he is as personally devoted as when hoping (1 Chronicles 21:4, and 1 Chronicles 22:1-19, 1 Chronicles 29:1-30), and this is beautiful. Also, when established, he holds to the place consecrated by redemption. (1 Chronicles 21:28-30). These two points appear still in souls brought where David was.
Solomon was introduced to further truths, as God's delight in grace, and in the bold faith which enjoys it; for the glory fills the house, where mercy was rejoicing, and where the people were triumphing in it. Solomon accepts it, and seems as one overwhelmed at this disclosure of divine joy.
Luke 19:1-48 – Luke 21:1-38.
Bible Treasury, 2nd Edition, Volume 1, July 1856.
[01:034] The Lord sets himself to make it appear that Jerusalem was not ready for the kingdom. He tests her state in a way that gives her every advantage, entering in full royal dignity.
Jerusalem meets Him with a cold repulse; and the more He is frustrated, the more her unpreparedness for the kingdom is proved. Instead of displaying His glory there, He weeps, and pronounces her doom. Luke 20:1-47 accumulates the evidence of this moral unpreparedness; and then Luke 21:1-38 exhibits the long season of judgement which must precede the kingdom.
Fragments
Bible Treasury, 2nd Edition, Volume 1, January 1857.
(1st. Edition, January [01 1857 122])
[01 1857 123]
The ground of settled peace, in the midst of a world of sin and sorrow, is to assure my soul that God is true when He says, that He so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
Bible Treasury, 2nd Edition, Volume 1, June 1857.
(1st. Edition, June [01 1857 214])
[01 1857 203]
Christ, not my forgiveness, is the object of faith, though my forgiveness follows as a consequence revealed by God.
The more Christ is objectively our portion and occupation, the more shall we resemble Him subjectively. [J. N. Darby]
J. N. Darby, Bible Treasury, 2nd. Edition, Volume 1, July 1857
(1st. Edition, July [01 1857 226])
[01 1857 226]
Sanctification. — The believer is sanctified through and in Christ; and it is his sanctification in Him which is the source of all practical holiness. He is holy; and therefore is to be "holy in all manner of conversation." This principle has ever been the same. God has separated from existing evil to Himself, and then given a variety of directions to keep the so separated person in practical separation. (See, as to Israel's sanctification, Leviticus 20:24-26.) Sanctification now, is God's separation of individuals from the world unto Himself in Christ, so that the so separated are no more of the world, even as Christ is no more of the world, for they are in Him, as risen.
Bible Treasury, 2nd Edition, Volume 1, November 1857.
(1st. Edition, November 1857 [01:287])
[01:283]
God never disappoints faith — He may prove it.
No rule can be laid down for another's faith: the saints are cast on their responsibility to God.
Bible Treasury, 2nd Edition, Volume 1, November 1857.
(1st. Edition, October [01 1857 278])
[01 1857 289]
People often confound the effect produced on man, the effect which makes him own the truth and the authority of the word, with a judgement passed by man upon this word, as upon a matter submitted to him. Never could the word be thus presented as subject to human judgement: it would be to deny its own nature; it would be to say that it is not God who speaks. Could God say that He is not God? If this cannot be no more could He speak and admit that His word has not its own authority.
Bible Treasury, 2nd Edition, Volume 1, November 1857.
(1st. Edition, November [01 294])
[01 1857 289]
Psalms 42:1-11. — Our only place of blessing is to be spiritually sensible of the evil around us. Still it is most important that we should not in spirit get down from heaven. We should have God between us and our troubles, not our troubles between us and God. We shall then neither be insensible nor breaking down, "While they say, Where is thy God?" — Where is the Holy Ghost in the Church? There is an energy of faith which may be an instrument of display; but there is a dependence of faith which cannot be taken away from us. "Hope thou in God" was abstractedly all that was left. God was between the soul and his afflictions, though he had nothing but God. It is healthful to our souls to be looking out to the glory; no good to know the evil if not in communion with the glory. It would discourage the heart and unsanctify it. Satan is very anxious to tell us of evil, if he can only make it the instrument of his power on the heart. But if we can look out clean beyond it to the glory, we can bear to survey the evil in all its extent.
Bible Treasury, 2nd Edition, Volume 1, November 1857.
(1st. Edition, November [01 1857 294])
[01 1857 289]
When we partake of the divine nature through a grace which has set us in perfect peace as in ourselves, we can love in a divine way and love righteousness in a divine way. Otherwise we cannot. We must have a loveable object to call out a corresponding affection, or it will be an idolatrous passion towards an unworthy object. To love in supreme sovereign goodness is an absolutely divine quality. "God is love. Hence, at once, the apostle says, "He that loveth is born of God and knoweth God;" he derives this from God, and God is supreme object of it. This characterises the divine nature as communicated to us. I can also understand and delight in righteousness in itself, and holiness, being made partaker of His holiness, and renewed in knowledge after the image of Him that created me in righteousness and true holiness. But while conscience has anything to say, I cannot love it simply, though the conscience may see it to be right and good, because I cannot and ought not to love to be condemned, nor ought I to be content to be defiled, supposing goodness to be as great as may be . . . . A believer knows God's love to be supreme and infinite, because it reached him as a sinner — supreme, because there was nothing lovely; infinite, because nothing is so far from supreme love as enmity against it; and that was the condition of his proud heart.
Christ's Lordship. — We are brought into connection with the Lord Jesus not only in His character of grace, but of Lordship. What is the first mark He has stamped on your heart? This — that Jesus must be known and honoured; I belong to him; I must yield myself to Him in everything. Are you doing your own will or His? If you have large thoughts of grace, magnificent thoughts of glory to come, but have not said, "Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?" you are not on right ground. You have to come to this — "my own plans go for nothing, I now belong to another." If you have large thoughts of grace, has it taught you to yield your own will to God's? If you have large thoughts of your privileges, do you see your responsibility? If you are talking of glory, is it connected with obedience? You may have right thoughts, nicely packed together, as for a long voyage, but they are of no good to you, if there is not in you the spirit of obedience.
Bible Treasury, 2nd Edition, Volume 1, November 1857.
(1st. Edition, October [01 1857 271])
[01 1857 290]
Priesthood. — Jesus does two things in heaven. Besides presenting me in himself before God, He intercedes for me by virtue of his own unchangeable righteousness. Nor does this weaken our sense of sin, but the contrary. Feeling for sin is mostly deeper when we can see it as all put away. If this could be imputed to the believer, Christ must die over and over again, for without shedding of blood there is no remission. We are not justified from one sin today, and from another tomorrow. Justification might then take place ever so many times, the reverse of which is ruled in Hebrews 9:1-28; Hebrews 10:1-39, where it is the question. Righteousness is not by priesthood. Christ is between us and God, and we are in Him as our Head. His present priesthood is exercised as regards our walk; but justification has to do with our persons, and not our works. As my Head, I am perfect in Him; as my representative, He stands and pleads for me. And there is the contrast with the sacrifices, under the law, offered for every sin. If the death of Christ has not finished the work once and for ever, He must die very often. If He has died once for all, it is because the worshippers once purged have no more conscience of sins.
Bible Treasury, 2nd Edition, Volume 1, November 1857.
(1st. Edition December [01 1857 310])
[01 1857 290]
A Scriptural Inquiry into the true nature of the Sabbath, the Law, and the Christian ministry. (Belfast: A. Mayne. 1857.)
This is a plain, straightforward, and useful exposition of the truth of God as to these momentous yet much disputed topics. The law is but cursorily treated. It is a large subject, and the author contents himself with stating the principle, and referring to the numerous scriptures which develop it. The distinctive character and divine claims of the Lord's day and of Christian ministry are opened out, so as to silence cavillers and satisfy upright minds.