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1. “A Young Believer,” Surrey. The scene to which you refer (Gen. 14:18) is a type of the future kingdom, when the true Melchisedec will come forth and bless His people.
2. “A Sister in the Lord,” Co. Down. We should strongly recommend you to turn from all human opinions, and give yourself to the study of the word of God, in humble dependence upon His Spirit. Ask Him to teach you. He most surely will. Do not act without direct authority from the word of God, If you have not this, wait. “ If thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light.” The Lord keep you close to Himself!
3. “ J. T.,” Ryde. You will, we trust, easily perceive that your questions, though very interesting and important, are not suitable for our pages. It is extremely difficult to form, not to speak of giving, an opinion in such cases. It would be well if our friends would more cultivate the habit of seeking counsel of God in all their difficulties. He never fails those who simply wait on Him. He may see fit, for their deep blessing and profit, to keep them waiting; but, in the end, light will surely shine; and the season of waiting is full of richest blessing. When any difficulty occurs in an assembly, let the brethren get together before God for united prayer, and continue to look to Him until He manifests His judgment in this matter. This is far better than writing hither and thither for the opinions of men, which are too often given on an ex })arte, or at least, a defective statement of the case.
4. “L. E. H.” Thanks for your lines, and your note of the 3rd of October.
5. “ W. A. N.,” Camberwell. We have repeatedly gone into your question. See a paper entitled “ Responsibility and Power.” Also one entitled “ One-sided Theology.” We must bow to scripture, not reason about theology. “ Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?”
If you allow yourself to reason about the conflicting dogmas of divinity, you may land in infidelity. Salvation is free to all. “ God will have all to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.” He is not “willing, that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.” “ His righteousness is unto all,” but it is only “ upon all them that believed.” “ Whosoever will, let him take of the water of life freely.” Scripture is as plain as possible, if only we come to it like a little child. It is theology that puzzles people.
6. “M. J. A.” You have our fullest sympathy. May God bless your effort.
7. “C. Ε. M.,” Gravesend. Blasphemy against the Holy Ghost was attributing to the devil works done by the Eternal Spirit. The leaders of the Jewish people were guilty of it.
8. “L.,” Somerset. Our Lord’s present priestly ministry is Aaronic. By-and-by it will be according to the functions of Melchisedec. He is a priest forever; but He will not always perform the same functions.
9. “ E. C” London. Matt. 18:10, 11, is, we believe, the solid authority on which to build the precious truth of infant salvation. Scripture says nothing as to the specific point you name.
10. “ G. A. S.,” London. The Lord will guide us to the publication, in a separate form, of the “ Letters.” Let us wait on Him about it.
11. “ Α. Α.,” Harrow. We quite agree with you in thinking that Gen. 3:22 is perfectly plain in its meaning; but some people are never satisfied with the obvious sense of holy scripture.
12. “ P. A. F. G.,” Christchurch. Mark 4:12 is the judicial sentence passed upon the Jewish people because of their persistent rejection of divine testimony.
13. “A recent Reader.” The context, in each instance, will plainly show you what we are to judge and what we are not to judge. We certainly are called upon to judge evil doctrine and bad morals; but we are not called to judge motives.
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14. “Η. Ν. W.,” Islington. The best way, when you have any difficulty as to the statements of a public lecturer, is to apply to himself.
15. “ G. B.,” Jersey. The question of the disciples, in John 9:2, exhibits simple ignorance of the ways of God. They imagined that the poor man’s blindness must be on account of some special sin of his—-foreknown of God—or of his parents. The idea of his being born blind on account of any sin of his own would be an absurdity, unless it be supposed that God would deal with a person on the ground of some sin foreknown of Him; and this is worse than an absurdity. Our Lord corrects the error in the minds of His disciples by showing them that the man’s blindness was not the result of any special sin; it was not a case of governmental dealing, but simply an occasion for the display of the grace of God.
As to the “ many mansions,” of John 14, they set forth the blessed fact that there is room in the Father’s house for the “many families” which shall share in the fruits of His everlasting love. But our Lord assures His disciples that His going to heaven was, at once to prepare and define the place which they were to occupy. There was no place there for them till He went thither; but His place teas to be theirs. Wondrous truth! The notion that the many mansions set forth the various rewards to be given to Christ’s servants is, in our judgment, simply absurd. “ I go to prepare a place for you.” What has this to do with rewards? It is His entrance there, not our working here that prepares our place in the Father’s house. We believe, of course, in rewards; but John 14:2 has nothing to do with them. You ask, “ Why, in Acts 7:55, is Jesus represented standing at the right hand of God’?” and another scripture says, “ He forever sat down on the right hand of God.” (Heb. 10) We have referred to this subject in a former volume; but we may here remark that in Acts 7 Jesus is seen standing, as it were, lingering, over the nation of Israel, and waiting to see if haply they would receive the testimony of the august Witness who had just gone down, namely, the Holy Ghost. But all was vain. They resisted the Holy Ghost; and hence, the epistle to the Hebrews sets forth, doctrinally, the final breach with Israel, and Jesus is presented as having definitively taken His seat. No doubt other grand truths flow out of His session at the right hand of God; but this we judge to be the meaning of the contrasted attitudes of Acts 7 and Heb. 10
16. “ M. S.,” Jersey. We do not know of any work on the subject to which you refer.
17. “ R. M. L.,” Sligo. We trust the pamphlet which we sent you by post has helped you. The two goats in Lev. 16 typify Christ as the propitiation and the substitute. See “Notes on Leviticus.” Christ bore all our sins in His own body on the tree. Scripture never speaks of “ future sins.” All our sins, and the sins of all, for the last eighteen hundred years, were future when Christ bore them. The distinction is baseless. It arises from looking at the subject from a human instead of a divine standpoint You must distinguish between atonement and forgiveness. All our sins were atoned for on the cross. They were not forgiven until we believed. As to the advocacy, it rests on the atonement, and is designed for the restoration of our communion with the Father whenever that communion has been interrupted. “ If any man sin we have”—not the atonement, but—” an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous; and he is the propitiation for our sins; and not for our sins only but for the whole world”—not “ the sins of the whole world.” Scripture never says this.
18. “ Irvine.” Your question is wholly out of our line.
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19. “Μ. Η.,” The subject of your letter—though truly interesting—is not one that we can take up in our pages.
20. “ J. C,” Knaresborough. You ask the meaning of Matt. 16:28, “Verily I say unto you, there be some standing here, which shall not taste of death, till they see the Son of man coming in his kingdom.” The persons to whom our Lord referred in this passage, were Peter, James and John who, in the opening of chapter 17, were taken up to the Mount of transfiguration, and there permitted to see a sample of the kingdom and glory of the Son of man.
21. “A Young Christian,” Jersey. A safe rule, as to all such places, is to ask yourself, “ Should I like my Lord to come and find me in such a place? or can I, before going, kneel down and ask God’s blessing on the visit?” If you cannot, in truth and sincerity, answer in the affirmative, then do not go.
22. “ H. C. A.” Your lines have come duly to hand.
23. “ Κ. T.,” Ashford. We agree, in the main, with your remarks on Numb. 4 and 6. We cannot exactly see your difficulty as to 1 Samuel 7:2. It refers to the time which elapsed between the return of the ark out of the land of the Philistines, and the restoration of the people by the ministry of Samuel, as recorded in the after part of the chapter. We see no difficulty whatever in Genesis 6:6. We find the same expression used in reference to the setting up of Saul as king, 1 Samuel 15:11. The Lord condescends to speak after the manner of man, as one disappointed in the first man. It is no question of changing His mind, but the introduction of the second Man, as to whom there can be no repentance. “ God is not a man that he should lie; nor the Son of man that he should repent.” “ The gifts and calling of God are without repentance.”
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24. “ T. S.” Why should you fear to give your full address? Why transpose your very initials? The fact of your trying to conceal yourself, to say nothing of the character and tone of your communication, would be quite sufficient to make us pass it over in total silence. We may just add here that we consider all fictitious and anonymous communications utterly unworthy of notice. They are cowardly and contemptible. A man should never write anything to which he is ashamed or afraid to affix his name and address.
25. “ A. C. R.,” Teignmouth. You have quite misunderstood our reply to “ L.,” Somerset. Was not Aaron a typo of our Lord Jesus Christ? And is not our Lord’s present ministry after the Aaronic pattern? True, it is after the order of Melchisedec, as every Christian knows; but our Lord is not now “ sitting as a priest upon his throne.” He will, ere long, blessed be God. He will come forth, as the true Melchisedec, when all the conflict is over, to refresh the hearts of His people, and lead them into the everlasting joy of His kingdom.
26. “J.B.,” Weston-super-Mare. The passage you quote, at the opening of your letter contains the divine answer to your question; and, we may add, completely demolishes all your objections. The sentence, “ They that have believing masters,” proves that some had not. And yet you say, “But although the word is clear as to this, I do not see that a servant”—in a worldly family—” can be really separate from the world,” &c, &c. Now we should say if the word is clear, you ought to be able to see; and we doubt not you will be able to see, when you learn to bow your will to the supreme authority of holy scripture. We consider that when scripture speaks on any subject, all discussion is closed for the humble, teachable soul. We certainly cannot understand any true Christian saying, “ The word is clear, but I cannot see.” Would you think of saying to your earthly master, “ Sir, your directions are very clear; but I cannot see them ‘?” If you were to speak so, we judge he would very speedily dismiss you from his service. It seems to us, dear friend, you are under a complete mistake as to the position and duty of a christian servant in a worldly family. You say, “ There may, it is true, be an opportunity of being a light for Christ, by bringing the word to bear upon their consciences.” Now, we should judge that the very best possible way of being a light for Christ in any family, would be to fulfill, with holy fidelity, all the duties of your situation. It is not so much bringing the word to bear on their consciences as letting it act on your own, and proving that it does act by your cheerful temper, your humble deportment, your gracious manner, your earnest diligence at work, your faithfulness, your strict integrity, your unselfish devotedness to all the interests of the family. These lovely fruits of righteousness would bring more glory to your Lord, and tell more powerfully upon the consciences of your master and mistress, than if you were preaching to them from morning till night. Indeed we very much doubt the moral propriety of servants preaching to their masters. It needs special grace and wisdom to speak on divine things under such circumstances. The Lord may give an open door, at times; but great tact is needed, owing to the peculiar position of a servant in relation to the master. The grand point is to let the life speak. “Exhort servants to be obedient to their own masters,”—whether converted or unconverted—” and to please them well in all things; not answering again; not purloining; but showing all good fidelity; that they may adorn the doctrine of God our Savior in all things.” Titus 2:9, 10.
27. “ A. M.,” Newport. Thanks for your kind note and accompanying lines.
28. “ D. W.” Your letter has come to hand.
29. “ M. S. S.,” Monkstown. Thanks for the lines.
30. “ J. H,,” Bury. We have never known a single instance of any one complaining of •the want of love in others who was not failing in love himself. The best way to get water out of a dry pump is to pour a little in.
31. “ A Constant Reader,” London. We desire to render hearty thanks to God for the blessing vouchsafed to your precious soul, through our February paper. It would hardly do to publish that one piece separately, seeing it is one of a series. But it is probable that all will appear in due time, as a separate pamphlet, if God permit. May He abundantly bless you, and grant you all the desire of your soul! Accept our warmest thanks for your truly kind and encouraging letter.
32. “C. H.,” Kenmare. You have our fullest sympathy in all your exercises. We most thoroughly approve of your purpose to do nothing hastily. Wait on the Lord. His promise is sure, “ I will guide thee with mine eye.” “If thine eye be single thy whole body shall be full of light.” Do not take a single step until God gives you light; but the moment you get divine light for one step, then take that step with firm decision, and wait still on God for the next. “ The path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day.” And now, beloved friend, we commend you to God and the word of His grace. May He guide, keep, sustain, and bless you!
33. “ E.,” Ryde. You have our fullest sympathy in your present painful exercises of heart. But, inasmuch as we know nothing of the facts of the case, it would be impossible for us to give any counsel. We can only say to you, dear friend, wait on the Lord—wait patiently—wait in fullest confidence. He will assuredly appear for your relief.. Light will break in upon your path, and you will be filled with wonder, love, and praise.
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34. “ F. C” Saffron Walden. Heb. 6:6 is unquestionably genuine.
35. “ J. E.,” Adelaide. We desire to tender you our warmest thanks for your interesting and encouraging letter. We deem it a most precious privilege to be allowed, in any little way, to minister to the flock of Christ. Pray for us, beloved friend, that we may be kept to the end true to Christ, and seeking the blessing of all who belong to Him. May you enjoy much of His blessed presence, both in private and in public. To Him we would earnestly commend you, and all those with whom you are associated.
36. “ J. C. K,” New York. 1 John 1:9 teaches the blessed truth, that when we confess our sins, God is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Christ has answered for all our sins, and this is the ground of divine faithfulness and justice in forgiving us. Were it not for the death of Christ, God’s faithfulness and justice would be seen in sending us to hell for a single sinful thought; for, most surely, a single sinful thought proves a sinful nature just as clearly as a whole life of sin. One solitary crab upon a tree proves it to be a crab-tree just as distinctly as ten thousand crabs. As to the word “ if,” it in nowise touches the precious grace of the passage; but how could we be in communion with God with un-confessed, unjudged, sin on the conscience? Impossible. If we have failed, in thought, word, or deed, there must be confession, ere our communion can be restored. Thanks be to God, all this is provided for in the advocacy of our blessed Lord Jesus Christ, and that advocacy rests upon the eternal foundation of His atoning death—that priceless, peerless, divine sacrifice. Let us praise Him continually with all our ransomed powers.
37. “ W. R.,” Ayrshire. Rom. 7:7-24 describes the condition of a quickened soul under law. Some would teach us that it presents proper christian experience. This is a mistake. Surely a Christian is not a “wretched man,” crying out for deliverance; but a happy man, rejoicing in being delivered. Again, can a Christian never do good? Must he always do evil? To say so is to falsify the whole christian position. The Christian is one who is washed in the blood of Christ, delivered from the law, from sin, from the world, from Satan—sealed by the Holy Ghost, who is the spring of power to avoid what is wrong, and to do what is right. This, and nothing less, is the Christianity of the New Testament.
But, on the other hand, there are some who maintain that Rom. 7 does not set forth the exercises of a quickened soul at all. This too is a mistake. Who but a quickened soul could say, “ I delight in the law of God after the inner man?” What does the “ inner man” mean but the new nature? We believe this much misunderstood passage sets before us the experience of a quickened soul not delivered, not emancipated, not sealed. It most certainly was not Paul’s experience when writing the epistle. He may have passed through it, as many of God’s people have; but to say that it is the proper experience of a Christian, is simply to deny the whole teaching of the New Testament, and to rob the Christian of all his distinctive privileges and blessings as a member of the body of Christ.
38. “ L.,” Somerset. We have not considered the question; indeed we may say to you that such things are not in our line. They may have their interest and value, but we do not go in for them.
39. “A. C,” London. You are under a complete mistake as to Heb. 10:12. You are doubtless led astray by the punctuation in some of our English bibles. We give you the true rendering of the passage, from the pen of a very able and accurate Greek scholar.
“ But he, having offered one sacrifice for sins, sat down in perpetuity at the right hand of God.” This we can affirm to be the true reading of the passage, as any ordinary scholar can see at a glance. The following explanation gives the warrant for the above rendering. “εις το διηνεκες” differs from “εισ τοναιωνα.” Having perfectly completed the work, He had not to get up again to complete it; He could sit down, and abide so, having done all. It is in contrast with the priests standing. They stood daily; He is set down for a continuance. The connecting εισ το διηνεκες (forever, or in perpetuity) with ‘sacrifice’ spoils the whole force of the passage. You must allow us to say, dear friend, that in writing on such a point, your tone might well have been a little more modest. It is you, and not our correspondent, that “must have missed much of the force of the argument.”
40. “A Constant Reader,” Childokeford. 2 Corinthians v. 10 states the broad fact as to the judgment-seat of Christ. All shall be, must be, manifested there. All shall come out there. The word “ all” takes in believers and unbelievers. Not, blessed be God, that they will be manifested at the same time. The time is different, and—all praise to redeeming and pardoning love!—the ground and result are perfectly opposite. The believer will be manifested to be the righteousness of God. The Judge on the judgment-seat will be his righteousness. The unbeliever will be judged according to his works, as in Revelation 20. What should be the present effect of all this upon us? “ Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men.”
As to 1 Cor. 7:14, there is nothing about conversion, on the one hand, or baptism, on the other. It simply teaches that, under the gospel, the offspring of a mixed marriage need not be put away, as was the case under the law. It is not a question as to the subjective state of the children—as to any work of the Spirit of God in them.
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41. “ J. D.” The first line of your fourth stanza we deem objectionable.
42. “ Ebenezer.” It is impossible to lay down a rule on the subject of books for children. Parents and teachers have to exercise godly care in the matter. It is very difficult to find suitable books for young people You cannot, as you truly remark, get young children to love solid reading; and they must have something to read. The Lord will guide and help you to a right judgment. We think the Lending Library is a most interesting and valuable adjunct to the Sunday school; but of course it requires care in the matter of supplying the books. May the Lord guide, help, and bless you!
43. “ J. F. L.,” Aberdeen. 1 Cor. 15:52 refers to the moment when the Lord comes for His people, which most surely is before the millennium.
44. “J. F.,” Castlefin. Thanks for your letter. You are on right ground, dear friend, in looking only to the living God to meet your every need. He never fails a trusting heart. Accept as a little motto for yourself Phil. 4:19.
45. “ G.,” Bromley. We have more than once explained 1 Pet. 3:19; but it may be you have not met with the exposition. We believe that the passage teaches that the Spirit of Christ in Noah preached to the people before the flood, whose spirits are now in prison because they rejected the preaching. We heartily thank God for any blessing to your precious soul through our pages.
46. “ A. L.,” Ashwell Thorpe. All the leading editors agree in rejecting the last clause of Rom. 8:1. It is, without doubt, an interpolation. One might arrive at this conclusion, apart from mere criticism, from the fact that the same words occur, in their proper connection, at the close of verse 4. To have them in both places would involve redundancy, which is incompatible with the idea of divine inspiration.
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47. “A Christian Inquirer.יי It is entirely a matter of individual faith. Our conviction is that in all such cases, the more excellent way is to wait only upon God. He can touch hearts, and open doors, and provide means; yea, He could, if needful, turn the very dust of the earth into means to meet His people’s need. “ My soul, wait thou only upon God.”
48. “ L. N.,” Wangford. One grand feature of the Lord’s supper is the setting forth the truth of the unity of the body. “ For we, many, are one loaf, one body; for we are all partakers of that one loaf.” (1 Cor. 10) This being so, it would be entirely foreign to the nature of the feast for any one to keep it alone. Indeed, we consider such a thing utterly void of scripture authority or spiritual intelligence.
49. “ L. Μ. T.,” Naples. We do not know of any work on the subject to which you refer. We would most gladly help you, were it in our power, for we deeply sympathize with you in your exercise of heart. But we do not feel called of God to enter upon such a field. Give yourself to prayer. Wait continually on the Lord. He will hear, help, and deliver.
50. “ L. W.,” Heme Hill. We thank you heartily for your kind note and the accompanying lines.
51. “Η. H.,” Halifax. We have no recollection whatever of receiving the letter to which you refer. As to your present question, we look upon the infinite nature of Christ’s sacrifice as one powerful proof of the truth of eternal punishment. If nothing short of an infinite sacrifice could deliver from the punishment of sin, that punishment must be eternal.
52. “B. L.,” Lower Norwood. We beg to tender you our warmest thanks for your truly kind and interesting letter. We heartily bless God for His great goodness in those cases to which you refer. May He abundantly bless you, dear friend, in your own soul, and in your testimony!
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53. “ J. Μ.,” London. It is quite true—blessedly true—that “ The long-suffering of our Lord is salvation, not willing that any one should perish, but that all should come to repentance.” But we see no warrant whatever, in the word of God for the statement to which you refer. It seems to us to lack the sobriety and dignity of truth.
54. “M. R.,” Teignmouth. Matt. 24:40, 41, bears distinctly upon the Jewish people. The “ one taken,” is for judgment; the “ other left,” is for earthly blessing. It will be the very reverse when the Lord comes to take His church; then those taken will be for glory; those left will be for strong delusion and eternal perdition. Solemn fact! Would that we all felt its awful reality more deeply!
55. “A Believer,” Tunbridge Wells. Heb. 10:19-22 is an exhortation to draw nigh, grounded upon the fact of our having boldness to do so by the blood of Jesus. The Epistle to the Hebrews does not present Christians as already in heaven; but as on their way to it. It abounds in warning and exhortation to get on. It keeps us continually on the move. It is characterized by such utterances as, “ Let us fear;,י “ Let us labor;” “Let us come boldly;” “ Let us go on to perfection;” “ Let us draw nigh;” “Let us hold fast;” “ Let us consider one another;” “ Let us run:” “ Let us go forth.י י The Epistle to the Ephesians gives us one grand aspect of Christianity; and the Epistle to the Hebrews gives us the other. In the former, the Christian is presented as seated in heaven, and coming down to walk on earth in all the varied relationships of life. In Hebrews the Christian is presented as starting from earth, responsive to the heavenly call, and pressing forward to the rest that remaineth.
56. “J. W. Α.,” Margate. Thanks for your paper. It is terrible to think of any one calling himself a Christian, giving such an answer to an anxious soul. How unlike Paul and Silas, in Acts 16!
57. “W. J.,” Birtley. The wise men of Babylon were, as you say, “ just morally incapacitated “ to read or understand the writing. This was the real point in the matter. Had the writing been in a tongue foreign to them, there would have been nothing remarkable in their not being able to read it. “ The natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God.... neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.” “ The world by wisdom knew not God.”
58. “A. W.,” Brighton. We are not at all surprised that the “naturalist” to whom you applied for a solution of your difficulty as to Isa. 65:25, was wholly unable to satisfy you. If, instead of referring you to the stomach of the lion, he had brought the power of God before your soul, he would have done much better. The one who made the lion can make him eat straw if He pleases. Nothing can be more miserable than to hear scientific infidels talking about scripture. It always reminds us of a blacksmith approaching, with his tongs and hammer, an exquisite Geneva watch: or of a butcher attempting, with cleaver and saw, the anatomy of the human eye. You must always draw a broad line of distinction between the facts of science, and the conclusions of so-called scientific men. Facts are facts, wherever you meet them, in the heavens above, in the earth beneath, or in the waters under the earth; nor is there one solitary fact throughout nature’s vast domain, which will be found in collision with holy scripture. The reasonings of scientific men are continually running counter to the statements of the word of God; and, hence, we utterly reject the reasonings, while we respect the facts. It seems to us, dear friend, as if the grand object of many of our scientific men were to pick holes in the word of God. Terrible object! May God have mercy upon them, and open their eyes that they may see!
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59. “Ε. G. J. S.,M Wickham Market. We judge you are perfectly right; but of course, it is with your Lord you have to do, and not with the thoughts of men. In all such cases, discussion, explanation, and apology are simply time and labor lost. We have just to go on—on—quietly and decidedly on.
60. “ Μ. V. B.,” St. Bees. Thanks for your most kind note and the precious lines.
61. “W. B.,” Hull. Your package has come to hand. Accept our thanks for your kind note. The Lord will guide as to the various pieces of poetry. It would be a simple impossibility to insert the hundredth part of the poetry sent in to us: go that we earnestly trust that our dear friends will not feel aggrieved should their contributions not appear.
62. “ J. H.,” Penzance. Your note and lines have come to hand.
63. “ G. R.,” Oswestry. Our publisher ought to be able to reply to your query. We are not aware of the separate publication of the paper to which you refer.
64. “ W. W.,” South Shields. Your very kind letter has come to hand. We can only bless God for all you can tell us of help and blessing through our pages. It is so good of Him to let us hear, from time to time, of results, so that we may be encouraged to go on with the work. May He most abundantly bless you, in your own soul, and in your work for Him!
65. “ W. F. Α.,” Youghal. Col. 1:23 presents the wide aspect of the gospel. It is unto every creature under heaven; verse 24 teaches us that Paul had a certain measure of the afflictions of Christ to fill up. It is not, assuredly, that there was any deficiency in Christ’s sufferings, but simply that the blessed apostle had his own measure of afflictions to fulfill for the church.
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66. “ Mary,” Middlesex. Your case is, alas! not an uncommon one. It is a most serious thing to trifle with the truth of God, or to refuse the path which His word plainly sets before us. Blessed be His name, He bears with us in our ignorance, our unbelief, and varied infirmities. But to sin against light is a fearfully solemn thing. “Give glory to the Lord your God, before he cause darkness, and before your feet stumble upon the dark mountains, and while ye look for light, he turn it into the shadow of death, and make it gross darkness.” Jer. 13
Mark the words! “Before he cause darkness.” Does God cause darkness? Yes, verily, and blindness, if people refuse His light. There is no darkness so profound, no blindness so awfully complete, as that which God sends judicially upon those who trifle with His word. Look at 2 Thess. 2, “ For this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie; that they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.” Here we have the future destiny of Christendom. God shall send strong delusion. He will turn their very professed light into gross darkness and the shadow of death. All this is most solemn. It should make us tremble at the very thought of refusing to act up to the light which God graciously affords us.
Look at the blessed contrast to all this, as given in Luke 11: “ No man, when he hath lighted a candle, putteth it in a secret place, neither under a bushel, but on a candlestick, that they which come in may see the light.” What does God give light for? That it may be quashed, quenched, hindered? Assuredly not; but that it may be seen. But how can it be seen if we do not act upon it? If we, for worldly gain, personal advantage, to please ourselves, or to please our friends, refuse to obey the word of God, and thus hide the light under a bushel—what then? It may issue in “ gross darkness”—”the shadow of death”—”strong delusion.” How awful!
But, our Lord continues, “ The light of the body is the eye: therefore when thine eye is single”—that is, when you have but one object before you—” thy whole body also is full of light;”—beautiful state!—” but when thine eye is evil, the body also is full of darkness. Take heed, therefore, that the light which is in thee be not darkness. If thy whole body therefore be full of light, having no part dark, the whole shall be full of light, as when the bright shining of a candle doth give thee light.”
How striking the contrast! Instead of stumbling on the dark mountains, the obedient soul not only has light for his own path, but he is actually a light-bearer for others. The moral progress in the above passage is uncommonly fine. There is first the single eye—the one simple, firm, earnest purpose of the heart to go right on in the path of obedience, cost what it may. Then the body is full of light. And what more can there be? There is something more, for assuredly there is no redundancy in scripture—” If thy whole body therefore be full of light, having no part dark”—no reserve, no chamber of the heart kept locked up, on account of friends, self-interest, worldly ease, or aught else—”the whole shall be full of light”—you become transparent, and your light shines so that others see it. Not that you think so, for a single eye never looks at self. If I make it my object to be a light-bearer, I shall get full of darkness, and be a stumbling-block. When Moses came down from the mount, the skin of his face shone. Did he see it or know it? Not he. Others saw it; and thus it should be with us. “ We all, with open face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, by the Lord the Spirit.” 2 Cor. 3
Finally, then, dear friend, let us entreat you to yield yourself without reserve to the word of your Lord.
Suffer not your “ friends” to stand in your way. Will your friends answer for you before the judgment-seat of Christ? Can they now fill your heart with that sweet peace which can only be found in the path of obedience? They do not deserve the name of friends, if they stand in your way in following Christ. They are just like the swallows that flutter about us in the summer-time, but on the first approach of autumn blasts they wing their way to sunnier climes. Obey, we beseech thee, the word of your Lord. Let no flimsy excuse, no worldly consideration, no thought of personal aggrandizement, weigh with you for a single moment. What will all these things be worth in the light of the judgment-seat of Christ? What will you think of them in eternity?
But you will tell us you are saved; you are a “ christian girl;” you have eternal life; you can never perish. Thank God for all this. But surely you do not mean to say that this is any reason why you should not obey what you know to be the word of God. Is it not rather the very ground of obedience, and the love of Christ, the constraining motive? What are all the friends in the world compared with Christ? Would they shed their blood to do you good? Nay, but they are making you miserably unhappy to please them. You would rather pain the heart of Jesus, by neglecting His commandments, than pain your friends by obeying them.
May the Lord help you, dear friend, to lay aside every weight, and your besetting sin, and run with patience and true purpose of heart the race that is set before you.
67. “F.,” Victoria. We believe that Matt. 5:34-37, and Jas. 5:12 refer to our ordinary, daily life, our private intercourse and habits, and not to our swearing when called upon by a judge or magistrate. We merely give you our judgment which must go for what it is worth.
Correspondence
67. “Η. C. C.,” London. We most cordially agree with all you say in reference to the matter of audible speaking at reading meetings and prayer meetings; indeed at all public meetings. We cannot understand the object of speaking at all if people cannot hear what is said. Assuredly all who take part in the meetings should feel a solemn responsibility as to everyone in the room, to make all hear whatever the Lord gives them to say. We remember hearing, some years ago, of a somewhat striking rebuke administered to a number of brethren at a reading meeting. I suppose they were speaking in a low tone, or, it may be, the friend who rebuked them was a little deaf. However, he simply asked to be allowed to read one verse of scripture; and he opened at the 8th of Nehemiah, and read as follows: “ So they read in the book, in the law of God, distinct!!/, and gave the sense, and caused them to understand the reading” We see the happy result of Ezra’s distinct reading and clear exposition further on in the chapter. “ And all the people went their way to eat, and to drink, and to send portions, and to make great mirth, because they had understood the words that were declared unto them” May all public readers and speakers learn to imitate Ezra and his companions!
68. “ G. W.,” Moulmein, British Burmah. It seems to us that scripture leaves the question open as to the hour or time of day for the Lord’s supper. It tells us that “ on the first day of the week the disciples came together to break bread;” but as to the hour, it is only by inference we can reach any conclusion. In the early part of the Acts we learn that they broke bread “ from house to house” (κατ οίκον). We do not see any importance in the question as to whether it was morning, noon, or eventide.