01.20. The Divine Monopoly
20 THE DIVINE MONOPOLY. The meaning of the expression above is not intended to cover the individual and body of people who in different ways try to capture and possess the divine being, and by opinion, speech or creed warn all others off from their fancied possession. Of course this caption could be made to represent these personages, and they are recognized with hardly an introduction needed. A religious denomination announcing themselves to be "Christians," "The Church of God" and "The Israel of God," have attempted a divine monopoly in their ecclesiastical name or designation. It may not have been intended by them, and no arrogant, excluding spirit may have filled them when they selected the usurping title; but it is evident to the thoughtful that all such appellations are virtual slaps in the face of every other branch of the Christian church.
If a religious paper should call itself "God’s Witness and Advocate of Bible Holiness," the legitimate inference would be that it was not only God’s special organ, but God’s only organ in the world for teaching and spreading holiness. All other papers by this title would be but imitators, and standing in secondary and remote degrees from the Throne. The name would not only be an impertinence, but a direct insult to all other holiness papers published. It would be an attempted Divine monopoly. This mistaken and reprehensible practice is seen in the use of the words "My Christ" and "Father" by individuals in testimony meetings and in the pulpit.
Good taste alone, aside from considering the common rights of the church and mankind, should deliver a person from this piece of arrogance and impertinence. The Bible teaches us that Christ died for all and lives for all. That God loves the world. That he has no partiality. And the Saviour told us that in addressing the First Person in the Trinity we should say "Our Father."
We once received a letter from a young lady who wrote, "Father has told me I must do so and so," and "Father has directed me to come out of the church," etc., etc. At first I judged she was speaking of her earthly parent, when to our amazement we discovered, as we read farther on, that she was referring to God. The shock of this first experience we have never forgotten. We did not reply to the party, as we felt the case was hopeless. But since then we have heard the expression again and again sounded in the pulpit -- generally by young evangelists -- hardly ever by pastors, or by men of ripened years. The term used is so flippant, breathes such unwarranted familiarity with the Almighty, contains such an evidently boastful spirit, and such a disregard of the equal rights of redeemed humanity, that its every enunciation sends a dagger like pain to the soul, and a great sorrow over the spirit.
We know of but One who, as God’s only begotten Son, has the right to speak to and of the Divine First Person in this way. In private the soul may properly address the Lord after this manner; but in public it is an ecclesiastical impertinence and a religious atrocity. But the Divine monopoly to which we allude in the caption of this chapter refers not to our attempted capture of the Almighty, but to his appropriation and possession of us.
He has a right to do this, and so indicates his will and moves upon us accordingly. He would be everything to us in demanding all from us.
Most people would not have God in the life at all. Many of his followers would possess him in a restricted sense. They would use him very much as they do the carpenter, tradesman, physician, dentist, butcher, baker and all the different vendors and employes of life.
Just as they would call in the lawyer to prepare a legal paper, give advice and bow him out of door and recollection. And even as they would call on a surgeon to bind a broken joint and dismiss him with restoration of strength and health; so they would have the Lord look in on them a couple of hours on Sunday; comfort them in a day of sorrow; but after that take himself out of sight and thought until needed and summoned again.
We verily believe that there are many people who only regard Christ in this light, to be called up and looked to when death enters the house. Then he is expected to console, and do it well. After that he should retire until by another bereavement he is wanted once more. This treatment of the Saviour puts him very much on the line and plane of a bottle of liniment or toothache drops to be used when needed, and set aside on the mantel or in the closet and be forgotten unless the pain returns.
God will never submit to such dishonor and degradation. He will be all or nothing. And he will have us all the time, or not at all.
One of the reasons that the Lord has likened himself to almost everything that has value and beauty in it, and to every one that comes with benefit and blessing to the human race, is to give birth to the thought and establish the fact of the Divine Monopoly Claim.
We find that God is compared to wind, fire, heat, light, water, bread, wine, certain fruits and flowers, to a sun, star, day dawn, a door, wall, tower, city, and life itself. Then he has introduced himself in his relations to and helps to the soul as Friend, Lawyer, Physician, Judge, Exemplar, Adviser, Comforter, Teacher, Rewarder, Guide, Captain, King, Ruler, Tradesman, Potter, Lapidary, Father, Brother, Husband, Bridegroom, and in other terms and by still other figures too numerous to mention. The significance in all this is that God can be and is all things to us. The legitimate and certain conclusion from the above fact is that as such he can monopolize us, and that easily, and do it to our highest good as well as perfect happiness.
If any one will glance at the offices of a number of the living figures used, he will see that each one necessarily takes quite a portion of time out of one’s life: whether it be lawyer, physician, friend, tradesman, guide, teacher, ruler or any one of the personages and positions mentioned. But notice that God announces he is all of them! This means of course, then, that he has us all the time, and altogether, and we are brought face to face with the Divine Monopoly. Can any one see a monopoly that injures here, where the Lord is the best of counsellors, guides, guards and friends? Men have been writing much of late years about the "simple life," but it seems that we have it here in its reality and perfection. And certainly it is the restful and undisturbed life. For if we make God everything to us; if we go to him for all things and at all times, the defections and desertions of men will not affect us, nor afflict us, nor change our course, nor stop our progress in duty and for heaven one single moment of time. God’s Monopoly will have destroyed the power of the corporations and combinations of men.
It is a study to watch the agitations, perturbations and fluctuations of individuals who shape their lives to avoid the stonings of the public and win instead the oxen sacrifices all entwined with garlands and ropes of roses.
If the flowers appear, their heaven has come and they are radiant, hopeful and joyous. If the rocks begin to patter around and wounds are felt, the fret, worry, trouble and despair of the human target is something comical as well as pitiful to see. They trusted God only in the springtime of the year. They were strong in faith and hope only when men were throwing bouquets at them. When the winter of human discontent and disfavor came, they did not know God as a Fire to keep them warm, or as a Sun to bring forth fairer flowers than ever waved in an earthly atmosphere or struck root in the soil of this old world. When men rained stones upon them, they knew not God as the shadow of a great Rock in a weary land, as a shelter in the time of storm, and as a wall of protection, a strong tower of refuge, and an all encompassing shield, so that the pestilence that walketh by night and the arrow that flieth by day, and the strife of tongues and the wrath of man would all alike fail to reach the object of human and Satanic hatred. But the man who lets God have him wholly and all the time, knows the perfect peace and security of which we write. A thousand fall at his side, and ten thousand at his right hand; but the calamities mentioned in the Holy Book do not come nigh unto him. "He shall call upon me and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him and honor him. With long life will I satisfy him and shew him my salvation."
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