The Rented House

Supposing a landlord has rented his house to a bad tenant: one who drinks, gambles, swears and is a disgrace to the neighborhood and never pays any rent. At last he forgives all the back rent and puts in a new tenant—a quiet, respectable, industrious man with authority to keep the bad tenant in custody in one of the rooms. He is never to let him about the house, and above all, never to allow him to open the door.
This is a rough picture of the Christian. His body is the house; his old nature is the bad tenant, his new nature is the good tenant, and God is the owner of the property. For our bodies are not our own, but the Lord's. We do not live in our own houses, so to speak, but are merely tenants—a solemn and often-forgotten truth.
Editorial
Watching for Our Lord
Many believers today have some knowledge of the kingdom period of 1000 years when Christ will reign. (The length of His reign is stated in Rev. 20.) "He must reign, till He hath put all enemies under His feet" (1 Cor. 15:25), and all the purposes of God concerning His Son—the Son of man—will be fulfilled.
It seems, however, that today the love of many has grown cold; truth is given up and even forgotten. Some that were watching for the Lord's coming have relapsed into earthly ways, and interests are taken up more with things than with the Lord Jesus Christ and His coming. At Thessalonica they had turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, and to wait for His Son from heaven. If they were looking for Him then, how much more ought we to be earnestly looking for Him now.
It is certain that the kingdom period of 1000 years will come. God has determined that and stated it emphatically, even using the past tense as God alone can do. Psa. 2:6 reads, "Yet have I set My king upon My holy hill of Zion." Christ gets the uttermost parts of the earth for His possession: "Thy people shall be willing in the day of Thy power.” Psa. 110:3. Now it is the day of His patience; then it will be the day of His power.
As we now see and consider the sad and sinful condition of this world which is fast filling with violence and corruption, we understand how necessary it is that Christ come and exercise His dominion and bring in righteousness. Isa. 26:9 says, "When Thy judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness." Should we at this present time expect the world to get better? Most world leaders really would like to control violence, but not all leaders are like that. We can thank God that many in power would like to put an end to violence, and some would like to suppress corruption as well. Will such governors or rulers be able to do this?
It is now the day of grace, and what can we expect from this world under grace? The next verse in Isa. 26 tells us, "Let favor be showed to the wicked, yet will he not learn righteousness.”
Yet, God is, and will be gracious, keeping His people by His grace, so let us trust Him. We learn that we are "kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time." 1 Peter 1:5. Surely that salvation is when we are raptured out of this wicked world before Christ comes in power to cleanse this world by His judgments.
Have we stopped watching for Him? Did not the Lord say, "And what I say unto you I say unto all, Watch." Mark 13:37. If we are found watching faithfully when He comes, there will be a very special reward given to us. It is written in Luke 12:37: "Blessed are those servants, whom the lord when he cometh shall find watching: verily I say unto you, that He shall gird Himself, and make them to sit down to meat, and will come forth and serve them." Ed.
Proverbs
Simon Patrick on the Proverbs
1683
Chapter 1—Part Two
"Wisdom crieth without; she uttereth her voice in the streets." Let me advise you therefore, rather to hearken to the manifold instructions of wisdom ; whose most excellent counsels you cannot but be as well acquainted with all, as you are with that which is proclaimed in the open streets. For you hear them in the plain dictates of your own consciences, in the laws of God, in the mouth of His prophets and ministers, in the admonitions and examples of good men, and in the course of His providence and wise government; which call upon you more earnestly and loudly, than these lewd seducers, to follow and obey them.
"She crieth in the chief place of concourse, in the openings of the gates: in the city she uttereth her words." There is no place where this cry of virtue and piety is not heard; which is not ashamed of itself, nor lurks in darkness, like those impious seducers, but appears openly in the midst of the greatest crowds. No noise can drown its voice, no business, either public or private, can thrust by its reproofs; but still it interposes itself, and everybody, even those wicked men that flee from it, hear it calling to them.
"How long, ye simple ones, will ye love simplicity? and the scorners delight in their scorning, and fools hate knowledge?" The call to them represents their unaccountable folly and stupidity, in such unanswerable questions as these. Is it not apparent by many examples, that such men as you are deceived and abused with vain hopes? Why then do you continue the cheat? Have you not played the fool long enough, but you will still act against your reason and against your interest? Where lies the pleasure of scoffing at religion and virtue, that you will never give it over? Is any man so wise, that he needs no monitor? Or is ignorance so laudable, that a man should hate those who would inform him?
"Turn you at my reproof: behold, I will pour out my spirit unto you, I will make known my words unto you." Do not turn away from such checks as these; but repent in time, and resolve to learn your duty. It is not too late, for if you will listen to the secret rebukes of your own consciences, and to the open reproofs of my prophets, and follow their directions, I will plentifully communicate my mind, and infuse the very sense of it into you. It is not hard to find, nor will I conceal anything of it, but plainly show [show] you all that I require of you.
Take your circumstances from the Lord and
your difficulties to the Lord.

Do not look at the people who persecute you,
but at the reason why you are persecuted.