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BX 6333 .S6 S4 v. 18 Spurgeon, C. H. 1834-1892 Sermons of the Rev. C.H. Spurgeon of London

It^^fsi-

SERMONS

PUKArilKI) IN ISST

.MCVPS1938 .

^ Logical st^'

C. H. SPURGEON

OF LONDON

Vo//n/u^ A'J'///.

NEW YORK

FUNK & WAGNALLS COMPANY LoNDox am; Tohonto

CONTENTS

Page

I. The Best Bread 7

II. Shaven and Shoiin, but not Beyond

Hope 30

III. The Breaker and the Flock .... 53

IV. Jesus Declining the Legions 75

V. On the Cross after Death 98

VI. The First Appearance of the Eisen

Lord to the Eleven 120

VII. God's Thoughts of peace, and our Ex- pected End. . . . o 143

VIII. The Death op Moses. 166

IX. Loving Persuasion 189

X. The Blood Shed for Many 212

XI. A Bit of History for Old and Young . 235 XII. God's Nearness to Us 257

XIII. Trust 280

XIV. Folly of Unbelief 303

XV. The Suffering Saviour's Sympathy . . 327

XVL The Child of Light Walking in Dars:- 349

ness

XVII. Man, vthose Breath is in his Nostrils, G71

THE BEST BREAD.

January 16, 1887. " I am that bread of life."— John vi. 48.

You will observe that our Lord here speaks concern- ing himself. He speaks not of his words merely, nor of his offices, nor of his work, but of himself. "I am that bread of life." And herein he teaclies us all to fix our eye mainly upon his blessed person, and to think of himself first and foremost. He is the centre and soul of all. There is a tendency about us all to get away from Jesus, and to look rather to the streams than to the Fountain-head. Why are Ave more taken up with bits of glass that sparkle in the lio-ht than wath tlie sun himself? That tree of life, in the midst of the Paradise of God — we forget to eat of that ; and w-e wander to the borders of the garden, to pluck the fruit of the forbidden tree of the know, ledge of good and evil. I wish that our ministry — that mine especially — might be tied and tethered to the cross. I would have no other subject to set before yoTi but Jesus only. Moses and Elias are well enough in their places ; but when they disappear, and Jesus is the better seen, wo are gainers by their loss. If I might dig for copper, silver, and gold, I should think it no deprivation to be obliged to find gold only. It is no loss to lose all but Jesus. You may wander from Dan to Beersheba, and you may not

(7)

8 THE BEST BREAD.

sin, for It is all holy groimcl between the two places; but he is wisest who does not ramble even there, but keeps to Calvary, and is content to speak only of Jesus crucified.

" God forbid," said one who was a great and a wise man — " God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ." Paul would have considered it a terrioie calamity if he had become fascinated, or even influenced, by the speculations of the cultured men of his period: he felt that the atoning sacrifice deserved all his admiration, and he had none to spare for anything else.

You know how he fell among certain wise people who wore fond of philosophical disquisitions; and to tiiem he said, " I determined not to know anything among you save Jesus Christ, and him crucified." lie did not endeavor to please his audience by agreeing with them, but the further they went in one direction, the further he went in the other, the more surely to counteract their error. Because they were so broad he would narrow himself to the one theme of the cross. In these times, when the world has run mad upon its idols of human thought, it may be wise to be more strict than ever, and to stand steadfast in Paul's determination — " I determined not to know anything among you save Jesus Christ, and him crucified."

It was lihnself, my brethren, that our Lord set before his hearers as the bread of life; he did not mention anything of doctrine, or of precept, or of ordinance, but himself He says, " I am that bread of life." Of him, therefore, let us think.

It is of the utmost importance to those of you who have spiritual life that yon should feed upon the Lord Jesus. It is well to know everything that is revealed,

THE BEST BREAD. Q

for every word of God is good, and has its uses, and all Scripture is profitable; but the daily household bread, the substantial meat on which we must be nourished if we would grow strong for God and holi- ness, is Christ himself. " I am that bread of life." We do not get bread anywhere else save in Jesus our Lord. We may find certain minor things apart from him: flavorings, ornaments, and furniture of the table we may get from some other hand; but the bread, the real solid meat, the essence of the festival, is Christ himself. So let us begin -udth him in our disoourse, and continue with him till we close our meditation.

But now, when I have to preach upon a subject like this, I find it necessary to begin a little way from the text. " I am that bread of life." Bread, brethren — broad is for living men and women, but bread is of no use in the tomb. Bread — shall we bring it to a sepulchre ? Shall we roll away the stone? Shall we draw out tJie bodies swathed in linen ? Shall we sot them upright iu ghastly posture, and shall we put bread upon the table before them ? To what purpose would it be ? It would be a ghastly mockery. If you leave the bread there, and visit again that loath- some banqueting chamber in twelve months' time, the bread will remain untouched; for until there is life, there is no use for bread. And so, at the opening of my discourse, some of you might say, " Bread is intended for living persons; it is for men and women who are quickened. How can we feed upon Christ, for we arc dead in trespasses and sins ? " You speak most truly; but yet I have a marvel to relate which meets the case. Hearken ! That would be a strange kind of bread, would it not, which being put into a dead

10 THE BEST BREAD.

mail's niouili, would make him live ? Yet such is tlie bread that came down from heaven, whereof if a man eat he shall live for ever.

The Lord Jesus Christ is living bread. Bread such as we get from the baker is in itself dead; and if you put it to dead lij^s, there are two dead things together, and nothing can come of the contact. But our Lord Jesus Christ is living bread; and when he touches the dead lip of an unregenerate sinner, life comes into it. He brings life even to those who are dead in sin. He says, "Young man, arise," and he sits up upon the bier. He takes a little girl by her hand, and says, "Talitha cumi — Alaid, arise," and she sits up in her bed. He calls to Lazarus, who by this time stinketh, and he says, " Lazarus, come forth," and he comes forth, wearing his grave-clothes. He has shuffled down from the niche in the cave, and he has made his way out of the damps of the cold sepulchre. Oh, what a wonderful Christ this is, who is not only bread for the living, but life for the dead 1 Pray, you who can pray, that he would come here just now, and be life to those who are in the darkness of the Valley of the Shadow of Death, that they may live. When they live, then how gladsome will my text be to them, for life needs bread whereby it may be sustained! The first thing that we want, if we have life, is something for that life to feed upon ; and here comes in the text

" I am that bread of life." Your newly-discovered

necessities Jesus can meet. Your newly-begotten wants Jesus can supply. Your hunger and your thirst can all be met, not by fifty things, but by one thing, by Jesus Christ himself, in whom there dwells in fulness all that the spiritual life can possibly require. L AVith that to start with, I now make the first

THE BEST BREAD. \\

observation upon the text itself, which is this — Jesus Christ exactlf meets all the wants of the kew life. When a man is born again to God, and gets a new life, he has new wants, new desires, new pains, new longings. He enters upon a novel condition, full of new needs and cravings ; the Lord Jesus Christ ex- actly meets the new case. As the key fits the wards of the lock, so does Christ fit the new heart and the right spirit. He knows how to touch the secrets of our soul, and supply our most mysterious necessities.

According to the text, the Lord Jesus Christ is tU ideal bread — the ideal supply of man's soul-hunger. Grateful Israelites truthfully judged that there never was such bread in all the world, as that which fell in the wilderness in the form of manna. It was very wonderful bread, was it not? Men did eat angels' food, and found it good for them. They went out in the morning and they gathered manna, and they found it most marvellous meat to sustain them. It ■was the ideal meat for persons travelling through the great and terrible wilderness. There are differ- ent theories of what we ought to eat. One person tells us that, if anybody suffers from rheumatism, he must eat so many pounds of meat in a day. Other doctors have vehemently said, " You must not touch meat. It will heat you if you do. You must keep to a strictly vegetable diet." I believe that these learned persons know one as much as the other about it ; and probably the whole of them put together know so lit- tle that a very small round nought might encompass all their certain knowledge as to health and disease. But there is one thing we do know, that the bread which the Israelites ate in the wilderness, the manna, was the best sort of food. It was God's own inven-.

12 THE BEST BREAD.

tion ; and lie who created man best knew what nutri- ment his life wouit^l require. It was not aerated breads but it was celestial bread which had never been sour- ed with earthly leaven, but had dropped immediately from the sky : the best food that men could eat if they would be healthy, active, and able to endure a hard and toilsome life.

Well now, what that manna was to their bodies — the ideal food of man, which had nothing in it injuri- ous— that our Lord Jesus is to the soul. In him is life for men, and no disease or death. In the manna there was no adulteration, it was a i^erfedly 'pure food : such food is the Lord Jesus Christ to the spiritual life- He is the bread that came down from heaven, he is the t-rue meat. If our souls live upon Christ, and nothing else but Christ, he will breed no disease with- in the heart ; he will not distort the judgment ; he will not inflame the imagination ; he will not excite the passions. He would be a perfect man who lived on nothing but this perfect bread. Brethren, if you aspire after holiness of the highest type and order, remember that a man is made by that which he feeds upon, and for the best manhood you need the best food. As certain silk-worms have their silk colored by the leaves on which they • feed, so if we were to feed on Christ, and nothing else but Christ, we should become pure, holy, lowly, meek, gentle, humble ; in a word, we should be perfect even as he is. What wonderful meat this must be! 0 my brethren, if you have ever tried the flesh and blood of Jesus as your souls' diet, you will know that I am not speaking vain words! There is no such sustenance for faith, love, patience, joy, as living daily upon Jesus, our Saviour. You who have never tasted of tJiis heavenly

THE BEST BREAD. 13

bread, had better listen to the word, " 0 taste and gee that the Lord is good ! "

The Lord Jesus Christ is not only the ideal bread, but lie is in himself a sufficient bread. That manna which the Israelites ate in the Avilderness was all that they really wanted. They began a-lusting, and they cried alter flesh, and they sighed for the leeks, and the garlic, and the onions, which had charmed their degenerate palates when they dwelt among the Egyptians. "Wretched was their taste. They must have been of a coarse mould to grow weary of the food of angels, and sigh for something more rank, more tasty, more heavy. Something injurious they wanted ; yet had they been wise and right, they would have known that within the manna there was everything that was sufficient and suitable for them ; for the God that made man, made manna, and he knew exactly what man wanted. Out of. the ovens of lieaven he sent man down bread, fresh and hot, each morning, that he might cat to the full, and yet never be surfeited, nor filled with evil humors. They called the manna "light bread"; but what should the food be for those who were always on the march but light, and easy of digestion ? Our Lord Jesus is simple in doctrine ; but what else do we v/ish for, even we who are wayfaring men, and all too apt to err ?

My brethren, if we do but get a hold of Jesus Christ, and feed on him, he is sufficient for us — suffi- cient for gigantic labors, sufficient for anguish, and grief, and sorrow ; sufficient for the weakest of the babes, for he is the unadulterated milk ; sufficient for the full-grown men among us, for he is the strong meat of the kingdom. His flesh is meat indeed. For your spiritual manhood there is bone, gristle,

14 THE BEST BREAD.

muscle, brain, everything that you want, iu Christ, ff you feed on bim, he will build you up, not in one direction only, but in all ways ; for ye are complete in liim — thoroughly furnished unto all necessities. Christ Jesus meets all the wants of all his people with a divine sufficiency.

And then there is in Christ what there is in manna — a sioeeiness all its oivn. I cannot tell you exactly how the manna tasted. Some of them said that it tasted like wafers made with honey. The Jewish notion is that it tasted according to every man's own taste ; so that, if he preferred this flavor or that, the manna had that flavor to him, and thus it was to each one a per- sonal and peculiar delicacy. This I know — that there is a sweetness about my Lord which is precisely that which deligiits me. I cannot communicate it to you, for you must each one taste for himself. I believe that our Lord has a flavor to me different from that which he could have to you, because our circumstan- ces and desires somewhat differ. Though there is in the great clmrch uf God, a sweet community of de- light in the Lord, yet each believer has his own spec- ial deligiit. All Israel could claim all Canaan, and yet every Israelite had a little plot of land that was his own ; and so all believers can claim all Christ, and yet each believer has a special portion which is alto- gether his own. Oh, the sweetness that there is in the bread that came down from heaven ! Do you not know it? T trust you do, and if so, you do not need me to say more. If you love Jesus, you wish for nothing new. JModern gospels are forthcoming on all sides. You have heard about them, I dare say ; but the preachers of them cannot have the delight in preach- ing their new gospels that I have in preaching the

THE BEST BREAD. 15

old one. " Oh," I say to myself, " they may preach better than I can ; they may be a world more clever ; but they have not such a subject to preach of as I have." When I get preaching up Christ, and his precious blood, and eternal love, and covenant securi- ties, there I beat them all. With such a theme I can compete with the most renowned of the world's ora- tors. When I speak on these themes, my lips drop pearls and diamonds. Brethren, when we declare unto you the Lord Jesus we sail upon a sea of sweetness. The novelties of "modern thouglit" are a Dead Sea, but our gospel is an ocean of living water. lie that has Christ to preach has sucli a subject that angels might envy him, and cry one to another, " Let us go down below, and tell mankind of Jesus and his love." Brethren, to me the pulpit is a throne, and when I am in full swing, with the Lord Jesus Christ as my sub- ject, I would not change places with the seraphim. It is a celestial joy to tell our fellow-men of such a Saviour as Jesus ; for all sorts of joys are wrapped up in his thrice-blessed name. When Jesus said, " I am that bread of life," he meant, " I am that choice bread, that satisfying bread, that delicious bread, the like of which was never found elsewhere."

Furthermore, it was bread suitable for the ivilderness. When they were in the wilderness, it was much better for the tribes to eat what they called " light bread " than for them to be filled with the meat that they had in Egypt, or even the old corn which they enjoy- ed when they came into Canaan. Manna was suita- ble food for the climate, and for their condition; and the Lord knew it. So the most suitable meat for us in this vale of tears is Christ Jesus. I believe that there is no meat like it in heaven ; but for this world,

16 THE BEST BREAD.

with its work and its weeping, with its toils and ita troubles, its cares and its changes, its wars and its woes, its fears and its frets, there is nothing so suita- ble as the Lord Jesus.

*' Jesus, thou joy of loving hearts!

Thou Fount of life ! Thou Light of men! From the best bliss that earth imparts We turn uufiU'd to thee again.

We taste thee, O thou living Bread,

And long to feast upon thee still I We drink of thee, the Fountain-head,

And thirst our souls from thee to fill."

Jesus is all the bread tliat you need while you are on your way to heaven and God.

What 1 have to say on this point further is—Try it, dear friends. I would be very practical on this point' and say earnestly, taste and test. If you wish to know this bread that came down fi-om heaven, and how satisfying, how suitable, how sweet it is— try it.

Let me hand you out a portion of it. The Lord Jesus, the Everlasting Son of God, is also man— man, like ourselves. "In all our affliction he was afflict- ed." He his own self bare our infirmities, and he is at this moment "a Brother born for adversity." Is not this a loaf of nourishing bread for a soul to feed on ? I am a man, tired, troubled, burdened, and so is my Redeemer; so is he who sits upon the throne of God. I have to bow in prayer, and agonize in suppli- cation: so did he. I have to endure slander and rebuke: so did he— " He endured such contradiction of sinners against himself" Brothers, sisters, you cannot be in any plight wherein he has never been; you cannot suffer any want so severe, but he also suf- fered the like. Even if you have not a home, or a

THE BEST BREAD. 17

lodR;ing, or a bed for the night-" The Son of man had Bot ^vhere to Lay his head." He i. a partaker with us of the bitter cnp of affliction. l>ow, is not this choice nourishment?

« Why should I complain of want or distress, Temptation or pain ? He told me no less ; The heirs of salvation, I know from his Word I Through much tribulation must follow their Lord.

" How bitter that cup no heart can conceive, Which he drank quite up, that sinners might live ! His way was much rougher, and darker than mine ; Did Christ, my Lord, sutler, and shaU I repine ?"

The sympathy of Jesus, our Brother, is living bread for sorrowing men.

Now for another slice fi'om the same loat. ne died- he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost. It was for sin and sinners that he died. " He his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree." "The chastisement of our peace was upon him." He has put away our sin by making full atonement to divme iustice. Sin has ceased to be so far as those are con- cerned who believe in him, for he was punished m our stead, and so ended our debt. God will not punish those for whom Christ was punished. He cannot exact the same debt twice, first of the Surety, and then of the sinner. That cannot be. Substitu- tionary sacrifice is the finest of the wheat. A real atonement is the most satisfactory food for the souL I know it is so of a truth.

Poor sinner, if you can eat this bread you will not be liungry any more ! Feeding upon the glorious doctrine of the vicarious sacrifice of Christ you will find that his flesh is meat indeed, and his blood is drink indeed.

2

18 THE BEST BREAD.

\ might continue thus to set forth my Lord as bread for you iu his resin'rcction, in his glorious asceifsion, in his session at the right hand of God even the Father, where he maketh intereession for trans- gressors, and in the glory of his Second Advent; but time would fail me. 1 might cut a slice from this loaf, and speak to you upon our commiinion with him, upon our acceptance iu the Beloved, upon the glory which he wears as our Representative, a:nd wears for iicS; but I will not: it is enough for me to introduce the test, and let Jesus say for himself, " I am that bread of life." Certainly there never was such a fruitfid and satisfying subject as this of Jesus, our Lord. Oh, that all ministers were shut up to this ! Why leave this bread of heaven for the unsatisfying husks afforded by other topics ?

Very well : that is the first truth we are to remem- ber, namely, that Jesus Christ fully meets all the wants of the new lifo.

IL But, secondly, in oreeu that Jesus may meet all OUR soul's wants we must receive niM. Bread cannot possibly sustain the body unless it be eaten. You know, dear friends, you might be hungry to-night, and hear about bread, and then be doomed to wait till to-morrow evening without having any of it to eat : that would be a tantalizing business, would it not? 1 might then preach again, and tell you about bread, and you might go without all through Saturday, and come here on Sunday, and hear two more sermons about bread, and yet all the while have none of it to eat. It would be trjing work. None wouUl like it, unless it ^vere those people w^ho are attempting to fast lor forty days, and are likely to die in the pro- cess. What good would it do you to keep on hearing

THE BEST BREAD. 19

of the bread, and never eat of it ? I cannot see any result. Unless it tended to increase your hunger, I do not know \vhat would come of the wisest discourse on bread if you did not eat. SujDpose that you should go to a baker's window, and stand there for an hour, and stare at the bread, I do not think that the sight would fill 3'ou much. Xo, you must cat, or else there might be tons of bread wi'^hin reach, and yet you would die of famine. You might be buried in a grave of bread, and it would be of no use to you. Even manna would not nourish you unless you ate it. You must receive food into yourself, or it is not food to you. The Saviour himself, if you do not receive liim by faith, will be no Saviour to you. Mark that.

Here is a brother who never eats bread, but instead of eating, he studies the theory of nutrition, and he is ready to discuss with any one the whole system of digestion and assimilation. He has a theory that bread should always be baked in a certain way, and he feels bound to discuss, and discuss, and discuss, till all is mouldy. Vlj dear friend, you may discuss if you like, but I want to eat ; and I think that, if you in- tend to live, and not drop down dead in your discuss- ion, you had better eat a bit yourself, and not put dis- cussion into the place of eating. Some of you have been hearing the gospel for years, and you have never fed upon Christ yet ; but you have a great liking for religious controversy. Why, perhaps, this very afternoon you have been discussing this "ism" and that "ism." Wherefore all this chopping of logic ? Why do you not eat, friend ? Why do you not eat? What is the use of talking about bread, when your fainting body pines for a sul)stantial meal ? You are at this time ready to fight anybody about the

20 Tii^ BEST BREAD.

shape that' the portions of bread ought to take when they are cut up for a feast. Xo, no, I am not going to accept your challenge ! I am hungry, and want food, and to me the form of it does not matter much. Bread is nothing to anybody till he eats it ; and even our Lord Jesus is nothing to any man until he believes in him, until he receives him, until he takes him into himself That is the one thing that is want- ed ; and the Lord Jesus Christ silently hints as much when he says, " I am the bread of life." When he calls himself bread, he does in effect say, " Partake of me ; eat me; feed upon me."

Here comes in the inquiry — How do we receive Christ into us as we take bread into our bodies ?

First, by helieving everything that is revealed about him. The Father's witness, and the Holy Ghost's witness, and his own witness concerning himself — v;e have all these in God's most Holy Word. Take the Book, and read it. Augustine, after years of tossing to and fro, found peace with God, by hearing a little child say, " Take, and read." I suppose that the child was sing- ing to itself, and hardly knew what it was saying, as it repeated to itself the two words — "Telle, lege ; tol^, lege ; telle, lege." " Take up, and read." That voice struck the ear of the perplexed thinker as though it were the voice of God, and he took the Scripture, and read the Scripture, and no sooner had he read it than he found Christ. I would entreat each one of you to do this, in order that you may find rest for your soul. Believe what is revealed in Holy Scripture. Ye search the Scriptures, for in them ye tiiiuk ye have eternal life, and they are they which testify of Christ ; but ye will do well if ye go to Christ himself, and find life. To believe in !:i:n.

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think of him. As the look of faith which saves is to Jesus, so is it from Jesus, By looking, v/e learn to look. As we know of him, we believe in him. Be- lieve what is spoken about Christ, and so feed on him.

Then; next, trust 1dm for yourself. That is the point — the hinge of the whole business. He is a Saviour. I believe tliat : but I go further, and resolve — he shall be my Saviour. Maj I say that ? Yes, for I am permitted to do so, inasmuch as he says, "He that Cometh to me, I will in no wise cast out." Scripture says that he is exalted on high to give repentance un- to Israel, and remission of sins. Therefore, I look to him to give me repentance and remi.Bsion of sins. I trust to him in that respect, and he is mine. He has said, " It is finished." The atonement is finished, and I believe that it is finished for me. A prominent point about the offering under the old law was that the person wlio came with the sacrifice laid his hands on it, and said, " This is mine." You must do the same with Jesus. Lay your hands on him, and say, " This is mine. This sacrificial death is for me." " Oh, but," says one, " suppose he is not mine ? What if I were to take him to myself without warrant?"' Suppose such a thing for one moment; yet he would be yours. If I was hungry, and I ate a bit of bread, and after I had eaten it, somebody said, "It is not yours," I should reply, "Perhaps not, but how will you take it from me ? It has nourished me, and refreshed me ; -it is mine, and none can deprive me of it." There is the point, you see : if you take Christ Jesus into yourself, the devil himself may say you had no right to him, but he cannot take away that which you have eaten. Jesus himself will not

22 THE BEST BREAD.

quarrel with you, nor blame you for taking him, for he has said, " Him that cometh to me 1 will in no wise cast out.'' You may summon a poor man before the magistrate, and say, " He is a tliief, for he stole bread from my counter." You may put him in prison for the theft, though 1 hope you would not if hunger drove him to the act ; but you c.annot get your bread away from him if he has eaten it. So, if you come to Christ, and take him into yourself, he is yours, and you shall live by him. Jesus says, "He that eateth me, even he shall live by me." Kor death, nor hell, nor time, nor eternity, can take Jesus away when once you have liim within you. " Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?" Swallow, then, the divine truth. Let it go down quickly, for fear any- body should come before it has fully entered into your soul. Once there, it is yours ! They say that possess- ion is nine points of the law ; and I should think in the case of eating that it istlie whole ten points, or any other number of points, for there is no getting re-pos- session of that which a man has actually eaten. Get Christ, and Christ is yours — yours by a kind of pos- session, which will never be disputed before the courts of heaven.

This, then, is to feed upon Christ — to believe that which is revealed about him, and then to appropriate him to yourself by personal faith.

Furthermore, to feed upon Christ means to medi- tate much upon him — to think much of liim. Broth- ers, there are many sweet doctrines in the Bible which I delight to make my own by reading, marking, learning, and inwardly digesting them; for they are parts of the great circle of truth which is revealed of God. But I find that I am never so comforted.

THE BEST BREAD. 23

strengthened, and sustained, as by deliberately considering Jesus Christ's precious death and atoning sacrifice. His sacrifice is the centre of the circle, the focus of the light. There is a charm, a divine fasci- nation, about his wounds.

0 sacred head, once wonnded ! 0 dear eyes, so red with weeping ! 0 cheeks, Vv'ith spittle all bestain- ed ! I could forever gaze, admire, and adore! There is no beanty in all the world like that which is seen in the countenance " more marred than that of any man." This one vision is enough for all eyes for all time. There is no sustenance to the heart like the sustenance that comes of his flesh and his blood, given np in anguish and in death to work out our redemption. Beloved, this is the bread of heaven. "Take, eat," says he, "this is my body, which is broken for you." "What food is this! What life ought that to be which is nourished by such bread !

But time flies so quickly that I cannot dwell upon these points as they deserve to be dwelt upon. Oh, live near the cross 1 Build your house on Calvary I Frequent Gethsemane ! Listen to the groans of your pleading Lord ! Be much with a dying Christ ! Be much with a risen Christ. Be much with a reigning Christ. Be much in anticipation of a coming Christ. For the more you are with him, the more will your soul be filled with satisfaction, and influenced to sanc- tification. He shall satiate your soid as with mai'row and with fatness, and your mouth shall praise him with joyful lips, for he can sa}', and none other, " I am that bread of life.'' Eeceive him, then, and you shall find it so.

HL Now thirdly — and this shall be but a word or two — notice this solem.n fact: not to feed upon Christ

24 THE BEST BREAD.

IS THE SURE MARK OF DEATH. Terrible fact. The Lord Jesus Christ has said it — "Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you." A great preacher, but he does not feed on Christ ! You have no life in you. A forward profes° sor, but ho does not feed on Christ ! You have no life iu you. A very knowing theologian, and a clever controversialist ; but he does not feed upon the incarnate God ! There is no life in you. A daring speculator iu modern thought, but he does not care, he says, for the blood of Christ; ho even sneers at the mention of it! Yon have no life in you. Hard words ! Hard words ! Hard words, if they 1)0 trne, are better than soft words if they be false. But this is the sure test : '• What think ye of Christ ? " If he is not bread to your souls, you have no life in you. If anybody were to say to me, " I have a man at home who stands in my hall, and has stood there for years, but he has never eaten a mouthful of bread all the time nor cost me a penny for food," I should say to myself, " Oh, yes, that is a bronze man, 1 know, or a plaster cast of a naan. He has no life in him, I am sure ; for if he had life in him, he would have needed bread." If we could live without eating, it would be a cheap method of existence, but I have never found out the secret, and I do not mean to make experiments. If vou are trying it, and have succeeded in it so far that you can live without Christ, the bread of life, I fear your life is not that of God's people, for they all hunger and thirst after Jesus, the bread of heaven. O my dear hearer, once a professor, once a church- member, if you have given up Christ, and you get on well without him, you have no life in you ! The dead can do without bread, but the living cannot.

THE BEST BREAD. 25

Jesus tells ns, "I am that bread of life," and if you are doing without him you are doing without tlie bread of life, and the reason is that you are without life itself. IV. Next, and the fourth head, shall be "vvith equal brevity — xnosB who feed upon Christ are supremely BLESSED. They shall never hunger. They shall hun- ger after more of Jesus, but not after anything else besides Jesus. I was greatly pleased some time ago to hear a gentleman say, Avho had tried to preaeh another doctrine, that a certain neighborhood which he spoke of was so impregnated wuth what was called " the gospel'' that be could not succeed with his specula- tions. He said that if men once drank this gospel doctrine it made them so bigoted in their love for it that the most clever person could not get them out of it. I thought to myself, "This witness is true," An enemy declared it, and it was therefore all the more striking. The subtlest deceivers may try as long as they please, but when w^e have once fed upon Christ they cannot get us off from him. They call us away from him ; they proffer us all manner of novel- ties; but in vain: "Try our thought! Try our science ! Try our purgatory ! Try our larger hope ! ' But we hear the pails rattle, and we hear the swine clamoring, and we are not anxious to taste the mixture, or unite in the festival. We are not so selfish as to steal this new wash from thos3 w^hom it delights. Let those have it who can feed on it ; but as for ourselves, we mean to feed on the bread of heaven. The gospel is to us such satisfying bread that all the rest is draff.

" Should all the forms that men devise Assault my soul with treacherous art ; I'd call them vanity and lies,

And hind the gospel to my heart."

26 THE BEST BREAD.

Every true child of God is so far a bigot that he prefers the bread of his Father's house to the husks of the far country. He cauuot give up the gospel, and he will not, for it satisfies his whole being. What more does he want ? Why should he make a change ?

Moreover, he has in Christ food that can never ex- haust. He may feed, and feed, and yet he shall never find that he lacks for meat. I have many an old book in ray library in which there have been book-worms, and I have sometimes amused myself with tracing a worm. I do not know how he gets to the volume originally, but being there he cats his way into it. He bores a hole in a direct line, and sometimes I find that he dies before he gets half-way through the tome. Now and then a worm has eaten his way right through from one wooden cover to another ; yes, and through the cover also. This was a most successful book-worm. Few of us can cat our way quite so far. I am one of the book-worms that have not got half-way into my Bible yet ; but I am eating my way as fast as I can- This one thing I have proved to myself beyond all question : 1 shall never, never exhaust this precious Book; much less shall I exhaust the wondrous person of my divinely-blessed Lord. He is that bread which came down from heaven. He is utterly inexhausti- ble.

Brethren, feeding upon Jesus we have an immortal blessedness ; we shall never die. If we have fed on Christ, we shall fall asleep, but it will be in Jesus. Some whom we love have lately fallen asleep : they will awake with him in the morning. But we shall never die. We shall only pass into a higher stage of life : for that food on which we feed shall be in us the

TliE BEST BREAD. 27

plcclge of an immortality equal to the immortality of the Christ who has become our bread.

V. I had" much more to say to you, but the time has gone. All that I will say further is this. If any of you desire to have Christ, you may depend upon it that you may have him, because broad is meant to be eat- en : Jjsiia-ia_EEaw*E©-Tg;BCMsETvEr>. What is the use of bread if it iKS never eaten ? If you go to the Orphan- age, you will see a large batch of bread there kept upon the shelves. It must not be eaten the first day, you know, it would go too fast, and would not be very wholesome for the youngsters. It must get rather staler by being kept a little while. Now sup- pose that I were to go down there, and say to the baker, " Lock that door : I want to keep that bread. I am going avv-ay to Mentone, and I shall take the key with me, that I may save that bread." Suppose 1 were to do so, and come back in a couple of months' time. Should I saj' to myself, " I have saved that batch of broad ? " I am afraid that it would turn out to be very bad economy. Let us go and look at the loaves which we have kep.t from use ! Come away at once ! The sight is not pleasant. Decay and corrup- tion have fallen upon Avhat we have hoarded. It would be a poor matter for the bread. Why, it is the very end of bread, the object of bread, the portion of bread, to be eaten. It is honored in being eaten : it would be degraded b}' being left to grow stale and mouldy. Now the Lord Jesus Christ is never so fa- mous a Christ as when sinners come and feed upon him. This precious bread must he eaten, or it has not an- swered its design. What say you to a doctor who has no patients ? What say you to a Saviour who never saves anybody ? The honor of a physician lies

28 THE BEST BREAD.

in the persons that he heals ; and the honor of a Soa viour lies in the persons that he sav^s. Christ has become the bread of heaven on purpose for you vO have him, and for me to have him. He came into the world to save sinners, and if he does not save sin- ners, he has come for nothing. It is his business to save -sinners. Now, if a man sets up in business, and never does any business, his undertaking is a failure. "Poor man ! " you say, "he has made a great mis- take."

I know a brother here who w^anted to take a certain shop in a wide street, but his wiser friend said, " Do not take that shop for a baker's. It is not a good eating locality. You must open a shop in one of the streets where there are plenty of poor people, who Avill buy the bread every morning. Make it good and cheap, and it wdll not stop long on the shelves." I noticed in the newspaper that a certain drink-shop was '* in a good drinking locality." I am sorry that there are such localities. But, assuredly, a good eat- ing locality must be the very place for vending bread. I think that this Tabernaftle stands in a good eating locality. Many are here now who are hungi-y after Christ, and it is a blessed fact that they may have him, and feed upon him without stint. And what is the price ? The price ? The difficulty with all other traders is to get you up to their price ; but my diffi- culty is to get you down to mine — for the bread of heaven is icitliout price. Even if you offer a farthing, I cannot take your bid. You may have all for noth- ing, and have it at once ; but not a penny can be accepted from you. The gospel provides a full Christ for empty sinners, pardon on earth and bliss in heaven, and all for nothing. Take it as a free gift,

THE BEST BREAD. 29

and it is jours. What would you pay ? What could you pay? Did Israel pay for tho manna ? It would have been an insult to God to imagine it. Go your way, and bless the name 9f the Lord, for this is tlie gospel — " Re that believexn and is baptized shall be saved,"

h

a,

SHAVEN AITD SIIOEX, BUT NOT BEYOND HOPE.

January 9, 1887.

" Howbeit the liair of liis liead began to grow again after lie ■was sliaven." — Judges xvi. 22.

Let me introduce the text to you. Samson was set apart from his birth to be the champion of Israel, to break the power of the Philistines who lorded over God's people. Everything in his bringing up had re- ference to his peculiar calling as a hero of Israel, the hammer of Philistia. He was to be a Nazarite Irom his birth. Amongst other things which concerned the Kazarite he never touched wine, nay, nor grapes, nor husks of grapes, nor anything that came of the vine: which goes to show that the greatest physical strength is attainable without the use of wine or strong drink. Whatever else overcame Samson, he was never over- come with drunkenness ; and yet he greatly sinned, which goes to show that total abstinence is not of itself enough to form a character. A Nazarite, in addition to abstinence from wine, also abstained from wearing the common appearance of men. He was not to have his hair at any time shaven, or cut away : so that when Samson was grown up to manhood, he was covered with a shaggy mass of hair. He must have looked like the lion that he was. Those locks of his were the token of his consecration to God, the outM'ard marks of his being set apart to be the servant of the (30)

SHAVEN AND SHORN, BUT NOT BEYOND HOPE. 31

God of Israel. Can you not see him with the terrible glory of his hair npon him?

Poor Samson was as weak morally as he was strong;; physically, and he fell a prey first to one evil woman, and then to another. Perhaps the extraordinary strength of his physical frame placed him under strong- er temptation than is common to man: at any rate, he was peculiarly constituted, and seemed more like a wanton boy than a judge in Israel. Through this pe- culiar sin (if his, the Philistines found opportunity to assail him. They tempted Delilah, whom he loved, to extract from him the secret of his great strength. He was so strong that he rent a lion as though it had been a kid ; so strong that he carried away the gates of the city in which they had shut him up ; so strong that he smote an army of Philistines, " hip and thigh, with a great slaughter." The mercenary woman, upon whom he foolishly doted, by degrees extracted from him the secret of his strength ; and while he lay asleep up- on her lap, the Philistine lords caused a barber to cut away the locks of his head. He awoke from his sleep shaven. Then he went out, and thought to fight the Philisthies as before: but to his surprise he found that his strength was gone. The locks of his dedication had been shorn ; he was no longer the acknowledged servant of the Lord, and he was weak as other men. Then the Phihstine lords took him captive, bored out his eyes— for such is the expression in the margin of our old Bibles— gouged out his eyes, bound him to the mill, and made him work like a slave or an ass. In that pitiable plight our text finds him : but it comes with a key of deliverance to set free the captive.

My text runs thus— it is in the twenty-second verse of tlie sixteenth chapter of Judges—" Howbeit the

32 SUA VEN AND SHORN, BUT NOT BEYOND HOPE.

hair of his head began to grow again after he was shaven."

Poor Samson! I roughly sketched his story as with a crayon just now. I cannot stay to attempt a more accurate portrait. Poor Samson, the champion of Is- rael, now the scoif of his enemies ! Poor Samson, the hero of so many fights, now at last conquered by his own foolishness ! They have taken him, they have bound him, they have gouged out his eyes, and there he stands, sightless, in the midst of his adversaries, who bind him to the mill, and lash him as he grinds for them. To humiliate him they put him to do woman's Avork, made hard so as to be the work of beasts. See what sin will do. See how the man who had fought God's battles suffers great loss, great pain, great disfig- urement, great dishonor, and comes into a cruel and ab- horred bondage through his sin. That shaven man made a slave is the picture of very many who once Avere the avowed servants of God, and were valiant for the truth. They have given up their secrets, they have told the world that which none should know but themselves, they have lost the locks of their dedication, and they are led captive|,by the de\^il-{3t^t his wiU. They cannot see as they used to see, darkness shuts out all joy: they do not work for God as they used to work, for they are slaving for men, for poor, passing, earthborn objects. They have come into an awful bond- age, and they have, at the same time, brought great dishonor and Aveakness upon the church to Avhich they belong. How are the mighty fallen ! Children of God, whatever God may do for you, take heed that you always remember that you can never gain any- thingby sin ! It is loss, and utter loss, in every sense, to yield ourselves servants to sin. Again I cry : How

SUA VEX AND SHORN, BUT NOT BEYOND HOPE. 33

are the miglity iallen ! How is the champion become a slave at a mill ! In the midst of our churches how often arc those who were excellent and nseful brought to nought and made to be a derision ! How often do our boldest warriors bring the cross of Christ into contempt by their sin ! The Lord keep us IVom thus i'alliug ! May we rather die than dishonor our Lord ! 1 begin thus upon the mournful key, because I want to speak of God's great goodness to backsliders, and of how he restores theoi ; but I want to warn tliem, at tlie very outset, that sin does not pay ; that what- ever may come of it through God's mercy, yet it is an evil thing and a bitter thing to wander from tlie Lord. Tiiough Samson's hair grew again, and his strength came back, and he died gloriously fighting against the Philistines, yet he never recovered his eyes, or his liberty, or his livin'g power in Israel! Short and effective was his last stroke against the adversary, but it cost him his life. He could not again rise to be the man he had be:n before ; and though God did give liim a great victory over the Philistine people, yet it was but as the flicker of an expiring candle ; he was never again a lamp of hope to Israel. Llis usefulness was abated, and even brought to an end, through his folly. Whatever the grace of God may do for us, it cannot make sin a right thing, or a safe thing, or a permissible thing. It is evil, only evil, and that con- tinually. 0 children of God, be not enslaved by fleshly lusts ! 0 Xazarites unto God, guard your locks, lest they be cut away liy sin while you are sleeping in the lap, of ])leasure ! O servants of Jeho- vah, serve the Lord with heart and soul by his grace even to the end, and keep yourselves unshorn by tlio world !

34 SHAVEN AND SHORN, BUT NOT BEYOND HOPE.

With that as a preface wo come again to the text : " Tlowbeit the hair of his head began to grow again after he wa;S shaven."

Inrst, let us see icliat tlds groioing cf the hair pictures ; secondly, wliat it specijically symbolizes ; and thirdly, lohat it prCphesics.

I. First, WHAT THIS GROWING OF THE HAIR PICTURES. I

think that this pictures the gradual restoration of certain among us who have backslidden from God, '\\\Q hair was there upon Samson's head, though it had been cut short. Though the hair was shaved off, yet tlie adversary could not take the roots away. It was a living thing, and it would grow again. So is it Avdth those who arc the people of God. The devil can shave them very closely, and clip off their beauty, their strength, and their consecration ; but a living something is still there that will grow again. If there has been a real regenerating work of God the Holy Ghost upon their hearts, it will show itself again. Though the fruit and holy outcome of this living principle may for a while be removed — sadly removed to their bitter loss and damage — yet I say the living roots of grace are still in the soul, and ere long we shall have to say, " llowbeit the hair of his head began to grow again." Wells may for a while be stopped, but the living water will break out, and come to the surface again. The tree may lose every leaf which once adorned it, but its substance is in it ; and when the spring smiles again, it will once more begin to bud. Eternal life may sleep, may faint ; but it cannot utterly die; else how. were it eternal life? The Hair, though closely shaved, will grow again.

1 will show you this hair, in the process of growing. A man was once a member of a Christian church,

■SHAVEN AND SHORN, BUT NOT BEYOND HOPE. 35

godly and gracious. Satan has shaved him of all that was distinctive and religious. He has gone into the world ; he has been put away by his brethren. His conduct was too inconsistent to allow of a continuance of his profession. But there had really been a change of heart, there had been a radical work of grace in liis soul ; and, therefore, after a Vvhile, he begins to be very miserable and uneasy. It is impossible for him to be happy among the Philistines, who have captured him. His gay comrades, who flattered them- selves that they had got him fast this time, cannot make him out. He has fits of melancholy. Occa- sionally, he falls into a deep despondency, and he ut- ters strange words which they do not like to hear, partly denunciations of himself, and partly prophecies of evil to those around him. He is evidently terribly uneasy in the ways of sin. Now he gets alone, and jsighs —

" Where is the blessedness I knew When first I saw the Lord?"

There is something in his heart which troubles him both by night and by day. His soul is saying, "I will go and return to my first husband ; for then was it better with me than now." Howbeit his hair be- gins to grow again. It has been shaved very cleverly, but the roots have not been extracted, and you can see that he will soon be a hairy man again. He can- not rest in his sin ; no true-born child of God ever can. Giant Slay-good may pick up a pilgrim on the road when he is. faint and weary, but he can nev- er pick the bones of a true believer. He will come out of the den of the giant somehow or other. What a pity that he should ever go into it !

3G SHAVEN AND SHORN, BUT NOT BEYOND HOPE.

Well, now notice that the man begins to drop in to hear a sermon. It is a long time since he was famil- iar with the house of prayer ; but he finds himself here to-night after a long absence. He remembers when he used to be always here, and he almost waters the door with his tears as he thinks of the happy days which he used to enjoy in the midst of God's people, when he welcomed the light of the Sabbath moniing, and the way was never too long for him to come up to the place of his love. In those days the word of the Lord was sweet to him. He has not been for some time, but somehow he felt to-day that he must ccjme again. How welcome he is ! How glad I am to see him, tliough he looks so rough and grisly, and half-shaved !

I have heard — I am not sure of it, but T think it is very likely — that he has been reading his Bible again. That poor Book has been left to be covered with dust, but he has had it down, and he has looked at a psalm that once used to charm his heart, and he has wept over the passage which once revealed Christ to iiim. He even groaned to tliink that he should have forgot- ten the voice of the living God which used to speak to him through that holy Book. He read a sermon to-day, too. He has not often done that, lie took a tract from some one in the street, and he L)oked at it with eagerness : this also was a hopeful sign.

A little while ago, when he first forsook his Lord, he could blasph-eme: he could say hard things against Christ and his word ; but he does not do so now. It would be impossible ibr him now to ridicule religion ; he is too tender for that. He has a strong desire to hear again the message of free gi'ace and dying love ; ho longs to listen once more to the ringing of those

SHAVEN As\D SIJORX, BUT NOT BEYOND HOFE. 37

silver bells that once were iiTiisic to bis ears. I tliiuk it must be true that the Lord is bringing him back. Surely my text is being fulfilled — " Howbeit the hair of his head began to grow again." The devil could shave away those flowing locks which once adorned him, but he could not cut out the roots, which are deeper than he can reach. Do you not think that our shorn Samson may yet be himself again ? Surely his hair has begun to grow anew, and to-night I trust that it will grow very quickly while be is in this bouse of prayer hearing the glad tidings of free for- giveness.

I am most of all encouraged Vv'ith the fact that he begins to feel in his soul, an anguish, and a bitterness, and an aching, and a craving, and a longing. I have great hopes of him now tliat his old feelings are re- turning. Methinks I hear him say, " I cannot live like this." Pie sighs : " I have tried the way of trans- gressors, and it is bard. 1 have tested the life of sinful pleasr.re, and there is nothing in it. The cups of the world are all froth. The devil's bread is ad bran. It chokes me ; it poisons me. I cannot endure it any longer. Oh, that I could get back to God ! Oh, that I couLl be truly coirverted, if I never was converted! If I am indeed a child of God, oh, that be would once more manifest his pardoning love to me, and show my sins forgiven, for I cannot rest as I am ! " 0 my dear brotiier, I was so sorry when you went astray : your backsliding has caused me many a pang of heart ; but I begin to rejoice now as I hear yt)U talk in that way, for I think that the text is com- ing true : " Howbeit the hair of bis head began to grow again " !

xVnd now, stop till our uneasy friend gets home to-

38 SHAVEN AND SHORN, BUT NOT BEYOND HOPE.

night. Nay, perhaps it will come to pass before he quits this assembly. He begins to pray, " God be merciful to me a simier ! " He does not say that aloud, for he would be afraid that somebody would hear him. He almost wonders now that he is not put out of the place of worship, considering what kind of sinner ho has been. He has sneaked in to-night, but he is in, and he trembles to find it is so; he scarce- ly dares to lift his eye upward. He hardly dares to hope. His desire is to get back to God, and to be for- given ; and so, with trembling hope and quivering fear, he has begun to pray. You notice that Samson began to pray when his hair began to grow ; and when they took him into that temple, where they wanted him to make sport for them, he breathed an earnest prayer to God that he might be strengthened but that once to do service to his people and his God. How earnestly do I invite you that have gone back from God and his w\ays to pray to-night that the Lord will return to you in mercy, fill you to the full once more with his Holy Spirit, and make the bones which he has broken to rejoice ! If you begin to pray I shall begin to praise: when you plead with tears, I begin to bless the Lord with exaltation. For you it is coming true — " Howbeit the hair of his head began to grow again after he was shaven."

And if that prayer should go farther still, and you should say, " I will break oft" every connection that holds me to the paths of sin," this would be better still. If you were to cry, "I know what drew me aside, I will have no more to do with the evil which drstroyed rae," it would be a hopeful sign indeed. Oh, if to-night there shall be a severance of yourself from the swine, and from all the husks that tliL^y

SHA V£N AND SHORN, BUT NOT BE YOND HOPE. 39

do eat, because you are determined to go to your Father, it shall be well ^Nuth you. From our church- fellowship we sometimes find one drawn aside by one motive, and another by another: alas, the ways downward areas plenteous as the gates of death . How many are tempted with unholy loves! How many are deduced by the fatal cup 1 Ah ! how many ^o aside through false doctrine, heresy, and the delu- sions of the day! How many are foolishly tempted by their own prosperity ! They grow rich, and cannot afford to worship where once they did. On the other hand how many are led aside by their poverty! They' do not think that their clothes are good enough to cmne in-a piece of pride from which I pray that we may be dehvered. Or, because they have come down in the world, and caunot spend as they once did, tliey forsake their brethren and their Lord. For different reasons men go aside from truth and holiness ; but it is a happy circumstauce when they cry, "If I have been led away from Christ by anythhig siulul, I will ^ive it up. I will part with my eye, or my arm, or my foot, so that I may enter into the kmgdom ; tor it were better for me to enter into life blind, or halt or maimed, than that, keeping these dear things, I should be cast into hell fire." When the Lord o P-race leads men to this resolve we see the text ful- filled again—" Howbeit the hair of his head began to

grow again." .,,

When the backslider comes to that pass, you will soon see other signs. The man who went so far astray now seeks the Lord afresh, and begms again to run in his ways. When a Xazarite lost his consecration, all the years of his consecration before did not count : he had to begin again. So some of you must begin

40 -^'//'^ ^^-V AND SHORN, BUT NOT BEYOND HOPE.

again. Beginning again is sweet ! Beginning again is safe ! Even though I trust that 1 have not wander- ed from God, either in act or in heart, yet I often begin again. 1 delight to renew the love of my es- pousals, and rehearse the vows of my youth before the Lord my God. If the devil says to me, " Your relig- ion is a pretence : your experience is a mistake ; " I do not attempt to argue with him upon those lines, but I reply, " I will not cavil about the past, but I will begin again." I am a sinner ; I /know that, and the devil himself has not the impudence to tell me that I am not. Then, Jesus Christ died for sinners, and therefore I return to the sinners' Saviour, and trust him even as if I had never trusted him before. This I find to be the direct road to peace. To breathe again one's native air is a prescription most helpful to those who would regain their health and strength. Can you not return again to the starting-point, you that have wandered? If so, we shall all thank God for you, and look upon you as a Samson whose hair begins to grow again, after he has been shaven.

If the matter goes on rightly, I know what will happen: — the forlorn backslider will begin to en- tertain a feeble hope. "0,'' he says, "I trust that I may be restored ! I shall be a miracle of divine grace if I am ; but I think that I shall be." Further on he even cries, " I hope that I am restored, and once more put among the children." He gets a bit of bread from the children's table, and though he feels that he is not much better than a dog, yet he makes bold to enjoy it. " The dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their masters' table ;" and this poor man is aware of that gracious fact, and dares to take full ad- vantage of it. Sometimes, while he is eating a crumb

SHA I 'EN AND SHORN, B UT NO T BE YOND HOPE. 4 1

of promise, it tastes so sweet that he whispers to him- self, " I do not think that 1 can be a dog after all. 1 think that I must be a child, for I have the taste that a child has. This is children's meat, and I do 80 en- joy it that, mayhap, I am, after all, a child of God."

Ah ! and let me tell you that sometimes, when it is sunshine- wea,cher, this poor seeker feels greatly en- couraged and cheered. Though he will go limping to heaven by reason of his past sin, yet, on bright days, he half forgets his lameness. He has played tlie prodigal, and almost doubted his sonship, but with his face toward the Father's house he now cries, " Behold what manner of love the Father hath be- stowed upon me, that I should be called a child of God ! " In his happiest times he feels ready to burst out with rapture, because he enjoys a sense of divine love. He even makes bold to declare — "Yes, I am forgiven. Jesus smiles, and loves me still.'' When lie is quite alone, and nobody can hear it, he even ventures to speak of himself as, after all, one of those that the Father has loved with an everlasting love, that Christ has redeemed with precious blood, that the Spirit has renewed, and that the Lord will never cast away. What a pleasure to see his ftdth thus coming back to Inm ! "Howbeit the hair of his head began to grow again.'' We shall have him back again, and Ave shall see him and know him again to be the same Samson that once we knew in his first days, before he had played the fool, and brought himself into bondage. Soon we shall say, " Come in, and welcome, dear brother ; for the Lord has recovered you from the disfigurement which your sin brought upon you ! You are again a Nazarite, and your head and beard are covered with the tokens of your dedication.

42 SHAVEN AND SHORN, BUT NOT BEYOND HOPE.

Come and take your place among those who are con- secrated to the Lord." How much I desire that it may be so with all who formerly turned away from the right path, but are now casting a longing glance towards it !

I think that is the picture which our text paints for us.

II. Now I am going to turn a little way round, still keeping the shorn champion well before us. In the second place, we have to see in our text avhat it SPECIFICALLY SYMBOLIZES, that is to Say, this text is a distinct type of some one thing. You see that Sam- son's strength lay in his consecration. Ilis hair Avas the token of his dedication to God. When he lost his locks, he did, as it were, lose his consecration ; and when he lost his consecration, he lost his strength. On the other hand, the only way by which he could regain his strength was to reestablish his consecra- tion ; and of this the growing again of his hair was the type and token.

Well, now, I know some churches which performed a great work a hundred years ago, or fifty years ago, or less. Their forujer days were heroic. Their palmy times were beautified with great prosperity. These churches knew how to suffer and to serve, they were faithful to the truth, and earnest in holy labor, and the Lord made them to be exceedingly useful; but now they have grown respectable, and useless. They do nothing outrageous now. the question is — Are they doing anything ? Their minister is an extreme- ly learned man, and as polished as a looking-glass. Of course he never addresses himself to the vidgar, neither does he oppose the views of his cultured hearers. The church itself is highly respectable;

SHAVEi\ AND SHORN, BU7 NOT BEYOND HOPE. 43

no one ever questions its high respectability, or speaks of it \^itIiout due deference to its prominent position. Yet it lias ceased to be a power for good: it has no mfluetico over the mass of sinners around it. Of course its usefulness is a secondary consideration, for it must not be forgotten that it has a superior minis- try, and a superior reputation: its deacons are superior, and so are most of the members ! Besides, they have a celebrated choir, and a most delightful organ ! A great deal of money has been spent over that organ; and if that will not save souls, and glorify God, what will ? What are we to do with our respectability if we do not proclaim it by buying the most expensive organ in the market? But do not forget tlie choir. I think they wear surplices; but whether they do or not the singing is fine, the build- ing is architectural, the pulpit is unique, and the whole thing is done in a model manner. It is true that nobody is saved; there are no additions to the church; they have not used the baptistery for a lon<7 time, but then they are wonderfully respectable ! What would you have more ?

In the opinion of some persons Samson looked much improved when his matted hair was gone. He was more presentable; more fit for good society. And so m the case of churches, the notion is that they are all the better for getting rid of their peculiar- ities. You who are in the secret know better, and you will follow me while I sorrowfully seek a remedy for the unhappy weakness which has fallen upon many communities which once were strong in the Lord. How is this church, all shaven and shorn, this poor, enslaved, miserable concern, to be brought back to its old state? llow is this Samson, that once

44 SUA VEX AND S/IOAW, KVT NOT BR YOND HOPE.

was strong, to get its strength back again ? AVliy, only by letting its hair grow again. It must be con- secrated to God again. This church must go back to the okl gospel; it must say once more, " God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ."' It must agfiin become insatiable for the conversion of men. Prayer must again become the delight of the whole church, and its trust must be in the Spirit of the Lord. The glory of God must take possession of the church instead of its desire to be fashionable and respectable ; and when its locks grow again, its strength will come back. When it is conse- cra,ted to God, it will resume its former force, bear its testimony as in better days, and once again shake the world with its power.

Now the same truth applies to every preacher. There are some preachers who are splendid men, and yet they are practical failures. You see in them wide knowledge, eloquent language, and yet nothing. They can speak so properly that a senate might sit with ad.niration at their feet; but when they have done, nobody is pricked in the heart, nobody is con- vinced of sin, nobody is led to behold the beauties of Christ. Yet in their youth these men were soul-win- ners, and were looked upon as champions for Clirist. O Samson, how are we to make thee strong again ? That preacher must begin again to serve God with all his heart. Lie must give up the idea of being a great man, or a learned man, or an eloquent man. He must give up the idea of charming the elite, and bringing together the fashionable, and must give himself up to glorify God by the winning of souls. When his hair grows again in that respect, we shall see what Samson can do. lie will yet lay hold on the jiillars of the

SHAl'EA' AND SNGAW, BUT ISIOT BEYOND HOPE. 45

Philistine temple, and bring tliem down about the heads of" the lords. Give me a man perfectly conse- crated, and I do not care much what he is. He may be rou^h, unpolished, and even illiterate; but if he be consecrated, the people will feel his power. He may be educated so that he may understand all knowledge, and he may speak as eloquently as Cicero; but if he is a consecrated man, his power will be none the less, but perhaps all the greater, because of his education. But this one thing is essential — there must be conse- cration to God, and downright earnestness m conse- quence, or else he will be a shaven Samson. ^lay God give full consecration to each one of us who stand before the people to speak in his name, for in that consecration lies the power of the Holy Spirit to bless us ! He cannot and will not bless unconsecrat- ed men. If we do not live to God's glory, God will not use us.

This same is true of every Christian worker. I have seen this demonstrated over and over again in dail}'' life. I have seen a Christian woman most useful in a class, bringing to the Saviour many of the girls whom she has taught ; but on a sudden a change has come, there have been no conversions, and for years the class has dwindled away, and nothing has come of it. If enquiry were to be made, it would be found that the consecration of the teacher had declined. She no longer spoke with tearful eye and earnest heart, seek- ing to lead those girls to Christ ; and because her consecration was gone, her strength was gone. It is just the same, whether you preach in the street, or distribute tracts, or whatever you do: if you are wholly consecrated to God, you will be strong. I do not say that you will by sincere devotion alone gain

40 SHAVEN AND SHORN, BUT NOT BEYOND HOPE.

all the talents, and all the mental forces you might desire; but, believe me, force does not lie in these: these are like sword and spear, but the strength with which they are to be Avielded lies elsewhere. You do not absolutely require great abilities; but you must have perfect consecration. Be thankful if you have javeliu and shield, but go on without them if you have not been armed with them ; for, to a devoted man, even a castaway bone will be a sufficient weapon. Samson did not wait till he found a falchion worthy of his heroic hand ; but he used such instruments as he found on the spot. It is in consecration that your strength will lie. Let but the arrow be winged by a mighty pull of the bow, and it will go straight for- ward in proportion to the force that has impelled it. Let but God fit you to his bow, and send you forward with divine energy : what need you more ? The im- pulse that comes from on high is your strength, and that impulse is found in your consecration to your Lord.

Perhaps T am addressing some Christian person who is not altogether a worker, but partly a sufferer. lie is only a private Christian, bearing up as he may un- der the trials of life. You have grown rather dull of late, dear friend. You do not enjoy things as you once did. You have not the vivacity and the enjoy- ment which you once had in the things of God. See to it. Has there not been a razor at work upon you somewhere ? Oh, yes, I knew a brother who, when he had a little money, rejoiced to have it, . because he gave it to the cause of God abundantly ! I believe that he is worth a hundred times as much as he was then, and he gives a hundredth part of what he used to when he was poorer. Li proportion as his pocket

SHAVEN AND SHORN, BUT NOT BEYOND HOPE. 47

has grown golden liis heart has grown bronzy. He has gone down in himself in proj^ortion as he has gone np in his poverty, and now he does not enjoy things as he used to do. He is a poor creature to what he once was; even in his own esteem he is not the hap- py man he once was ! How much I wish that this good man's hair would grow so that he would again be living for his Lord, whom I trust he still loves 1

I know Christian people who used to spend an hour a day in prayer. The hour has dwindled into five minutes. They used to be constant at w^eek-night services. They very seldom gladden us with their presence now ; and they are not as happy as they once were. I can read this riddle. W a man Avere to reduce his meals to eating once a week, we could not warrant his health. I would not guarantee that, it a man never ate except on Sundays, he wujuld grow strong. So I do not think that people who neglect the means of grace, and give up their consecration, can expect to be lively, happy, or vigorous. When the razor gets to work, and the hair of conscious, resolute devotion to God begins to fall on the iBoor, lock after lock, the strength is departing: and only as that hair begins to grow again, and spiritual consecration re- turns, can these people expect to be useful, influential, and strong in the Lord.

I must say no more on this point ; but it is most important, and I pray the Holy Spirit to stir up your pure minds concerning it.

III. I wall close with this further consideration. We are now to remember what is prophesied wdien Samson's hair began to grow again. I wonder why these Philistines did not take care to keep his hair from growing to any length. If cutting his hair

48 SHAVEN AXD SHORN, BUT NOT BEYOND HOPE.

once bad proved so effectual, 1 wonder that they did not send in the barber every morning, to make sure that not a hair grew upon his scalp or chin. But wicked men are not in all matters wise men : indeed, they so conspicuously fail in one point or another that Scripture calls them fools. The devil himself is a fool, after all. He thinks that he is wonderfully cunning, but there is always a place where he breaks down. These servants of Satan, these boastful Philis- tines, said confidently, "We have done for him now, once for all. We have put out his eyes, and what can a blind man do ? ' They do not go on cutting off his hair because they fancy that, once lost, the good man's strength is lost for ever. Perhaps they said, "iS'ow have we lashed him to the mill; the stronger he gets the more he can grind ; therefore let his hair grow, and so he will be the more useful to us." Great was the foolishness of their wisdom : they were losteiing their own destruction. Satan, also, is very cunning in getting hold of backsliders, but he gener- ally manages to let them slip by his over-confidence in their wilfulness. Many a man have I seen come l)ack to the dear Saviour on account of the oppression which he has endured from his old master, the prince of darkness 1 If he had been treated well, he might never have returned to Christ any more ; but it is not possible for the citizens of the far country to treat prodigals well ; sooner or later they starve them and oppress them, so that they mm away home.

When Samson's hair began to grow, what did it prophesy ? Well, first it prophesied hope for Samson. I will be bound to say that he put his band to bis head, and felt that it was getting bristly, and then he put liis band t(^ iii.^ board, and found it rough. Yes,

SHA VRN AND SHORN, BUT NOT BEYOND IIOFE. 49

yes, yes, it was coming, and be thought within him- self, " It will be all riglit soon. 1 shall not get my eye's back. Tkeij will not grow again. 1 am an awful loser by my sin, but 1 shall get my strength back again, for my hair is growing. I shall be able to strike a blow for my people and for my God jet." So ronnd the mill he went, grinding away, grindmg awav, but every now and then putting his hand to his head, and thinking, " My hair is growing ; oh, it is growing again ! ]\Iy strength is returning to me. ' The mill went round merrily to the tune of hope, ibr ho felt that he would get his old strength back again. When thev loaded it, and tightened it to make the work heavier, yet his hair was growing ; and so he found the burden lighter than it had been before, and his heart began to dance within him, in prospect of being his former self again. Now, if any of you h^ve signs of restoring grace in your hearts, and you are cmnmg back to your God and Saviour, be glad, be thankful. Do not'hesitate to let your renewed devotion to God be seen by those round about you. Come along, brother, come along; your brethren wait to receive you! Come along, my wandering sister, come along; all the people of God will welcome you ! If the grace of God is moving you at all, be hopeful and quicken your steps, and come to Jesus. Come to him just now even as you came at first. Yea, and if you never did come before, come now, and throw yourselves at the cross-foot, and look up to those five precious wounds. Look a!ul live ; for there is life in a look at the Cruci- fied One. There is life at this moment even for the chief of sinners.

What did this prophesy? Joy for Samson, but al- so, lioiiefor Israel Oh, if any of the Israelites did get

50 SHA VEN AND SHORN, BUT NOT BE YOND HOPE,

in to see him in prison, how they must have been cheered by the sii2;ht of his returning hair ! Some an- cient Israelite would say to his brotiier, " I have been to see poor Samson. Yon remember him. We had to put him out of the church, you know. Sad case. I have been to see him ■ "How did he look?" "Well, 'he would say, " there was much to grieve me, but some- what also to comfort me. He does not look as he did on the day when the Phihstines shaved him. He looks quite hairy again." " Oh 1 " the other would say, " then he will get strong again, and when he is strong, he will use his mighty arms against the oppressors of his people. I know he will fight for his country again. When he gets strong again, he will lift that brawny arm of his tliat smote the Philistines, and he will let them know that lie is an Israelite yet. I know he will ; for his heart will return to the love of God and his chosen. Philistia shall not always triumph over us. There is hope for us." So, my dear brothers and sis- ters, when we see in you some little signs of grace, and you are coming back, you do not know how cheer- ily we talk to one another. Why, at the elders' meet- ing, one of them said, "Our poor brother Jones was at the Tabernacle the other night. You remember hinti." "Yes, we do remember him, indeed." ''Well, he was listening to our pastor ; I was so pleased to see' him.*' Another brother also said, " I am glad to tell you that Mrs. So-and-so, the sister that Avent so sadly astray, Avas outside the chapel ; and wlien I pressed her to come in, she wept, and said she wished she had nev- er gone away. There is a good work going on there.''' We rejoice together, and we say, " Thank God, they are coming back again ! " Oh, you do not know the loy that you backsliders will give to the hearts of God's

SHAVEN AND SHORN BUT NOT BEYOND HOPE. 51

people if you do but return ! There is joy not only with the Great Shepherd, but with his friends and his neighbors when the lost sheep is restored to the fold. Do you not know that the Chief Shepherd calls his brethren together, and says, " Rejoice with ine ; for I have found my sheep which was lost ? '

Lastly, what did it prophesy ? Well, it prophesied misclitef for the Philistines. They did not knovf it, but if they could have read the writing in Samson's heart, they would have understood that he meant to shave their nation quite as closely as they had shaven liim. There was a storm brewing for Philistia. He that rent the lion as though it had been a kid was getting back bis strength. He that seized the jaw-bone of an ass, and said, " Heaps upon heaps, with the jaw-bone of an ass have I slain a thousand men, ' will soon be scat- tering death among the oppressors of his people. Woe to you, lords of Philistia ! Woe to you, princes of Gaza !

When a sinner who has gone astray is restored again, it means mischief to the kingdom of Satan. Oh, hov/ he will serve his God! How he will try to bring back his fellow-sinners ! Having had much forgiven, this man will love much, and will serve Jesus much. He will be one of your earnest Christian men, depend upon it. He will be much in prayer; he will be care- ful in his walk; he will be holy in his speech; he will contend earnestly for the doctrines of grace ; he will be a leader amongst the host of God, even as he has been a riisgleader in sin. He will invade the dark places, and lead the chief of sinners captive to the cross. Woe to thee, Philistia, wdien Samson's hair grows again ! Woe to the hosts of evil, when the blackslider is restored.

52 SHAVEN AND SHORN, BUT NOT BEYOND HOPE.

There, I have put it all before you. I have tried to put the matter interestingly; but all the while my heart has been yearning over you that have gone aside. 1 am pining for the restoration of those who have turned like the dog to his vomit, and the sow that Avas washed to her wallowing in the mire. I long for your restoration, or your true conversion. I want to see a different nature in you, that you may neither be dogs nor swine, but may become the real children of our God and Father; and then you will not return to your former ways. If you have defiled yourself, may you at once be washed ! If you have wandered, may you at once be restored to Jesus and his church, to the praise and the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the Beloved 1 Amen,

III.

THE BREAKER AND THE FLOCK.

Ifarch 20, 1887.

" I will STirely assemble, 0 Jacob, all of thee ; I will surely gaxh- er the reinuant of Israel ; I will put them together as the sheep of Bozrah, as the flock m the midst of their fold ; they shall make great noise by reason of the multitude of men. The breaker is come up before them : they have broken up, and have passed through the gate, and are gone out by it : and their king shall pass before them, and the Lord on the head of them." — Micah ii. 12, 13.

You will remember, dear friends, from our reading last Sabbath morning, in the second chapter of the Book of ^licah, that the prophet was delivering reproofs and rebukes against a sinful people, a people who tried to straiten the Spirit and silence the voice of prophecy, and refused to listen to the messengers of God. He threatened them with condign punishment from the j\Iost High. To our surprise, in the very midst of the threatening he delivers a prediction brimming with mercy. Not only is not the Spirit of the Lord strait- ened, but even the people of the Lord are not to be straitened ; for one has come forth who will be to them both liberator and leader. Judgment is God's strange work, and he rejoices even in the midst of threatening to turn aside and utter gracious words to obedient souls. Surely the brightest and most silvery drops of love that have ever di^itilled upon man have fallen in close connection with storms of divine justice. The

(53)

54 THE BREAKER AND THE FLOCK.

acceptable year of the I^ord is hard by the day of vengeance of our God. The blackness of the tempest of his wrath acts as a foil to set forth more briglitly the glory of his grace. In this case the thunder-bolts stay their course in mid-volley : when the prophet is hurling destruction upon sin and sinners he pauses to interpose a passage of promise most rich and gracious — a passage which I wish to open up to you at this time, as the Spirit of God shall enable me.

Certain wilful persons were proudly confident that no enemy could reach them behind the walls of their cities, though the Lord declared that he would make Samaria a heap, and would strip Jerusalem. They coveted fields and took them by violence, and went on with their oppressions as if there had been no Judge of all t!ie earth. The Lord warned them again and again, and assured them that they must not expect to be preserved from chastisement because they were the Lord's people. They boasted that God would protect them, yea, they leaned upon the Lord, and said, " Is not the Lord among us ? none evil can come upon us. ' He told them that Zion should be plowed as a fiehl, and Jerusalem should become heaps. They were by no means to escape the rod ; rather might they look for grace after they had been severely chastened. They would be carried away into captivity, but yet there would come a day in which they should be ga- thered out of the places wherein they had been scat- tered, and brought back to their own land. The pro- phet cried to the daughter of Zion, " Thou shalt go even to Babylon ; there shalt thou be delivered ; there the Lord shall redeem thee from the hand of thine enemies."

Truly, the Lord forgets not to devise means to bring

THE BREAKER AAD 7 HE FLOCK. 55

aa'ain liis banished ones. The words of Micah in the passage before us agree with many others which fell from tlie lips of prophets; for it is the way of the Lord to restore his chosen in the day of their repentance. Did he not say by his servant Amos, " Lo, I will com- mand, and I will sift the hoase of Israel among all nations, like as corn is sifted in a sieve; yet shall not the least grain ftxU npon the eartli." He \vill preserve the chosen race even in their scattering, and then in his own appointed time he will seek them out, accord- ing to his own word, " He that scattered Israel v»dll gather him, and keep hitn, as a shepherd doth his flock." Tiiese gathered ones were to be led back to their land under the guidance of a great Shepherd, whose business it should he to break down all obsta- cles and clear the road for them, so that they might safely reach their resting-place.

1 have no doubt that the first fulfilment of this prophecy was given when Cyrus conquered Babylon and gave permission for Israel to return to their own land. Cyrus may be regarded as "the Breaker;" for the prophet Isaiah wrote concerning him : "Thus saith the Lord to his anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I have holden, to subdue nations before him ; and I will loose the loins of kings, to open before him the tv.'o leaved gates; and tlie gates shall not be shut; I Avill go before thee, and make the crooked places straight; I will break in pieces the gates of brass, and cut in sunder the bars of iron." Then the willina'- hearted of Israel gathered together to rebuild the house of the Lord, and to this centre multitudes has- ten:d, the Lord being with them and sending them prosperity. It was of these favored ones that we find a striking fulfilment of our text as to the noise made

50 THE BREAKER AND THE FLOCK.

by the concourse of men. Ezra tells ns that "the people shouted with a loud shout, and the noise was heard afar off.'' Then was this promise in a measure fulfdled.

But, brethren, the promises of the Lord are perennial springs for ever overflowing with new fulhlmeuts. lu the latter days, the God of Israel, in abundant grace, •will remember his covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and will gather together his ancient nation, who are at this tiuie a people scattered and peeled. These shall be converted to the Christ of God, and then shall be accomplished the word of-the prophet: "I the Lord will be their God, and my servant David a prince among them." The Son of David, whom their fathers slew, not knowing what they did, shall be made known to them as the promised seed, and then they shall look on him whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him. May this day soon come! Then shall the veil be taken av»'ay from their hearts, and the cloud shall no longer hang over Lsrael's head, but the Lord shall restore tiiem, and they shall rejoice in him. The day cometh when the Breaker shall go up before them, and the King at the head of them, and they shall be brought again unto the inher- itance of their fathers.

Even this will not exhaust the prophecy. I regard this passage as setting forth a vision of spiritual things in which Micah dimly saw the gathering to- gether, and the heavenward march of the true Israel, namely, tlie elect of God, whom he hath given to his Son Jesus, and whom the Lord Jesus has undertaken to save. "He is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart." (Rom. ii. 29.) As Paul, by the Spirit of God, interpreteth the whole

THE BREAKER AND THE FLOCK. 57

story of the covenant made with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, it is clear that v.-e, brethren, the children of tlie promise, are tiie true seed, even those who are born by divine power and as believers are the spiritual family of believing Abraham. If we have the faith of Abraham, we are the children of Abraham, and with us is the covenant made; for the seed of Abraham is not reckoned according to descent bv the flesh, else would the covenant blessing have fallen to Ishmael and not to Isaac, to Esau and not to Jacob. The cov- enant is to a spiritual seed, born according to divine promise through divine power. The line in which the Lord has determined that the covenant blessing should run was ordered by divine sovereignty, " that the pur- pose of God according to election might stand." The Lord purposed that they which were born after the spirit should be the true heirs, and not those that are born after the flesh. We, therefore, believe that to us, even to us who rejoice in Christ Jesus and have no confidence in the flesh, appertain the promises and the covenant. It shall come to pass that all the elect of God shall yet be gathered together from the places v/heretothey have wandered in their sin, and for them a clear way shall be opened up to the land of their in- heritance. The Breaker, who is also their King and God, shall lead them through all opposition, and bring them w^ithout fail to their quiet resting-place. Even as at the first all Israel was brought out of Egypt and safely led witli a high hand and an outstretclied arm through sea and desert, so shall the Lord Jesus lead the whole host of his redeemed to the place of his glory. Hath not the Lord God declared it — " The re- deemed of the Lord shall return, and come with sing- ing unto Zion; and everlasting jo^^ shall be upon

58 THE BREj^KLR and THE FLOCK.

their head: thev shall obtain gladness and joj: and sorrow and sighing- shall flee away" ?

An august spectacle is set befoie ns in our text. iVIay our eyes be anointed of the Holy Spirit, that we may behold its glories, so that our hearts shall leap for

joy •

First, in the text I see thejioclz cjatliered: " I will surely assemble, 0 Jacob, all of thee ; 1 will surely gather the remnant of Israel. I wdl put them together as che slieep of Bozrah, as the flock in the midst of their fold: they shall make great noise by reason of the mul- titude of men." Secondly, we behold ilie champion Shepherd clearing the ivay of the fiock : " The breaker is come up before them." He, with the arm of his strength, breaks all opposers, and breaks up for tliera a way from their captivity. Thirdly, behold the flock advancing, with their great Shepherd at their head : " They have broken up, and have passed through the gate, and have gone out by it: and their king shall pass before them, and the Lord on the head of them." Jehovah leads the van, and the hosts of his redeemed march triumphantly after him.

I. To begin then, brethren; here is the flock gath- ered: "I will surely assemble, O Jacob, all of tiiee."

Who knows where God's chosen are ? Babylon was far off from Jerusalem, but our places of wandering are farther off from God than that. "All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way.'' In the cloudy and dark day we have v^^andered to the uttermost ends of the earth. The Lord's chosen ones lie wide of one another, and they are far oif from God himself What a mercy it is that in the text we have a promise that they shall be gath^ ered divinely I" I will surely assemble, 0 Jacob, all of

THE DREAk'ER A.\D THE FLOCK. 59

thee ; / will siirelj gather the remnant of Israel." Who else could gather them but the Lord ? What power less than divine could fetch such wanderers from their haunts and hidings ? One is aloft yonder on the hill side in his pride and self-conceit; another is down low in the despondency of his disappointment. One wanders in the pastures of worldliness, sporting him- self in the plenty thereof, and hard to be brought back for that reason ; another is entangled in the briars of pxoverty, half-starved and ready to die, and hopeless of ever seeing the face of God with joy. They are every-, where, my brethren, — these lost sheep: they seem to have chosen out, as if deliberately, the most danger- ous places; they stumble on the dark mountains, they are caught in the tangled thickets, they have fallen into pits. 0 sin, what hast thou done ? rather, Vv'hat hast thou not done ? for men seem to have gone to the utmost extreme of rebellion against God, and to have done evil with both hands earnestly. Therefore doth God himself come to the rescue. He himself shall assemble Jacob, and gatlier the remnant of Israel. Driving with the terrors of his law, drawing Avith the sweetness of his gospel, he shall surely bring them in. By one instrumentality or by another, and in some cases, apparently, without instrumentality at all, he will bring them from all points of the compass to the place where he will meet with them.

" There is a period kuown to God, "When all his sheep, redeemed hy blood, Shall leave the hateful ways of sin, Turn to the fold, and enter in."

This is the result of the divine working, and of thai alone. Our hope of the salvation of God's elect lies in the fact that it is God himself who undertakes to

GO THE BREAKER AND THE FLOCK.

gather thorn. Remember his word hj the prophet Ezekie], "For thus saith the Lord God; Behokl, I, even I, will both searcii my sheep, and seek them out."

Following the text closely, we notice that this gath- <?ring is to be performed surely. I dwell with great pleasure upon that word " surely," because it is spoken twice, "1 will surely assemble, 0 Jacob, all of thee; I will surely gather the remnant of Israel." There are no " ifs '' where there is a God: there are no "perad- ventures" where divine predestination rules the day. Let Jehovah speak, and it is done; let him command, and it shall stand firm. Inasmuch as he saith " surely" twice, it reminds me of Joseph's word to the Egyptian king: "And for that the dream was doubled unto Pharaoh twice, it is because the thing is established by God." God will not change his purpose, nor turn from his promise, nor forget his covenant: he will surely gather together his chosen people wherever they may be. 0 thou that art buffeted by oppo- sition, and driven to sore distress in thy holy service, be not thou dismayed, for the purpose of the Lord shall stand. Thou mayest fail, but the eternal God will not. Thy work may be washed away like the work of little children in the sand of the sea shore, but that which God doeth endureth for ever. God shaketh the earth out of its place, but who can move Mm? When God says snrehj, who shall cast doubt in the way ? The Lord will without fiiil call out his re- deemed from among men. As a worker and a soul- winner I gi'asp at these words, "I will surely gather the remnant of Israel," and I feel that I shall not labor in vain, nor spend my strength for nought. When the end cometh, and the whole business of sal-

TU2. JIREAKER AND THE FLOCK. 01

vation shall be complete, it shall be seen that the Lord hath achieved his purpose. Jesus saith, " All that the Father giveth mo shall come to me," . and it shall surely be so. Wherefore let us be of good courage, and seek out tlie lost ones in full confidence that they must and shall be found.

This leads ns to notice that they shall be gathered coinpletely. " I will surely assemble, 0 Jacob, all of thee.'" Not some of the chosen, but all of them shall be brought out from the world which lieth in the Mdcked one, Not some of the redeemed, but each one of them, shall be made to walk at liberty under the leadership of their Shepherd-king. The Lord will leave none of his sheep in their wanderings, and surrender none to the lion or the bear. Dear friends, sighing and crying afar off and thinking that God will never gather you, have faith in hiiu. Helpless as thou art, trust him to do his work as a Saviour. It is written, " I will surely gather, 0 Jacob, all of thee," and thou mayest not think that thou hast wan- dered beyond the reach of the infinite arm. Is the Spirit of the Lord straitened ? Thou must not dream that thou hast sinned thyself beyond the power of grace, for his mercy endureth for ever ! Only do tliou look unto Christ, and let thy soul stay itself on him, aud God will not overlook thee in the day when he gathers his own. Though thou be lea.st in Israel, and most unworthy of his regard, yet he has expressly said, "I will seek that which was lost, and brins" again that which Avas driven away, and will bind up -that Vvhich was broken, and will strengthen that which was sick." He will not forget thee, thou weakest of all the flock. Thou art needful to the completeness of the company. If thou be not there, how shall the

G2 '^IIE BREAKER AND THE FLOCK.

Lord keep bis word, " I will surely assemble, 0 Jacob, all of thee " ?

Further, our text declares that the people shall be gathered unitedly. There shall be a wonderful union among them: " I will put them together as the sheep of Bozrah.'' Oh that the Lord would in these days more fully and evidently carry out his promise in the happy unity of his visible church! Sinners hate each other while they wander in their different ways; but Vi^hen the Lord brings them together by his grace, then love is born in their hearts. What enmities are cast out by the pov^er of divine grace ! When lusts are cou- quered, wars and fightings cease. God is not the au- thor of confusion, but of peace. It is grace which causes that Ephraim shall not euYy Judah, nor Judali vex Ephraim. I notice that sinners, when they are under conviction of sin, are not apt to quarrel with one another; and saints, when they behold the Savioui' and rejoice in pardoning love, come together in holy luve. In that visible community which stands for the Church of God — I naean the combined external organ- ization of Christendom — there are many divisions and fierce heart-burnings; but in the real Church of God, that spiritual body which the Holy Spirit inhabits, these evils are buried. The truly spiritual are really one in heart. You may meet with a man from whom you diifer in many respects, but if the life of God is in him and in yourself also, you will feel a kinship -with him of the nearest kind. Often have I read books which have awakened in my soul a sense of true brotherhood with their authors, although I have known them to be of a church opposed to many of ray own views. If they praise my divine Lord, if they speak of the inner life, and touch iipon communion v/itli God, and if they

THE BREAKER AND THE FLOCK. 63

do this with that unction and living power which are the tokens of the Holj Spirit, then my heart cleaves to them, be tJiey who they may. Is it not so with you ? When the Lord brings people to himself, he brings tlicm to one another. Though depraved na- ture divides, and pride and self set men apart, yet the Lord overcomes these dividing elements by his renew- ing grace, and his divine word is accomplished — " I wdll put them together ! " When the Lord puts us together, no man can put us asunder. What is want- ed in the much-divided visible church of God is, that we should all come under the divine hand more fully, that we should all feel the touch of the divine life, and yield ourselves more completely to the teacliing of the divine truth. Schemes of union are of small value ; it is the spirit of union which is wanted. Our Lord Jesus prayed, " that they all may be one ; that the world may believe that thou hast sent me ; " and his prayer cannot fall to the ground. The church is one in Christ, and none can rend the seamless vesture. Yet more openly as the days pass on, the Lord vvdll gather together in one the children of God that were scattered abroad. (John xi. 52.)

This gathering together will be done happily : they are to be gathered " as the flock in the midst of their fold." God's gathering of his chosen is not to a place of barrenness and misery, but to a place of security and quietude, even to his appointed fold. The Lord Jesus Cluist, tliat great Shepherd of the sheep, maketh us to lie down in green pastures; he leadetli us beside the still waters. He folds his flock, and makes it to lie down in peace. He saith, " Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom." He gives us all things

64 TFIE BREAKER AND THE FLOCK.

richly to enjoy. 0 you that are wandering- afar from God, there can be no rest for you until the Lord gathers you to the fold of which Jesus is the centre and the Shepherd. When you come to Jesus you shall find rest unto your souls, but not till then. " The peace of God that passeth all understanding shall keep your hearts and minds by Christ Jesus," but by Christ Jesus only. Christians are not a nas- erable company of restless spirits; they are not a pack of dogs howling at one another, and smarting under the keeper's lash; but they are a flock feeding in happy communion, Avhile Jesus in their midst finds for them a place where they may rest at noon. He so loves his own, and so reveals himself to his own, that they are a happy people, highly favored, and greatly honored. God hath blessed them, and they sliall be blessed, let the world say what it will concerning them.

One more note must be made on this head: they shall be gathered numerously: "They shall make great noise by reason of the multitude of men." The Lord's camp is very great. If you have taken into your head the idea that the Lord has chosen for him- self a very small company, and that in the end there will be only a few saved, dismiss the notion. The redeemed are a number that no man can number. Now, a man can count to a very great extent; and if the chosen are beyond the numbering of men, they are a multitude indeed. The prophet represents them as making a great noise by reason of their mul- titude; he alludes to "the busy hum of men," the buzz of the crowd as when the bees are swarming. As in a city there is an indescribable sound by reason of the multitude who are making traffic in it, so shall

THE BREAKER AND THE FLOCK. 65

there be a noise in the clnireli of a great concourse of men. Conceive of the noise heard at Bozrah, in the fihcep country of Edom, when all the tiocks of the country were gathered together to be numbered for the purpose of tribute. Hearken to the indescribable uoise of the bleating myriads. What a suggestion of the voices of the innumerable hosts of the redeem- ed when they shall finally be brought together, and shall all in fullest joy lift up their voices! If all the gathered-out company were to pray together, what a sound of supplication would go up by reason of the multitude of men ! But when they all sing — what a sound shall that be 1 Do you wonder that John said, " I heard a voice from heaven, as the voice of many waters, and as a voice of a great thunder " ? It makes my eyes water to think of the incomparable armies of the redeemed gathered together in one place. Well might the prophet turn poet when he began to picture that countless flock, and speak of the "great noise by reason of the multitude of men '' ! I believe we sliall not any one of us restrain our voices in that day when we shall meet together with our Lord at our head. I saw one stand up at the opening of this service to look around the Tabernacle, to see the multitude: and well he might, for it is a thing to do one's eyes good to behold this vast assem- bly. But what shall be our joy when we shall stand up in the midst of the great company of the redeem- ed ? We shall look far and wide, and see no end of the great -atliering. When they begin to sing, how will our spirits bear the swell of that majestic psalm- ody? I know I shall find my best voice that day, when in the midst of the congregation of the faithful I shall sing praise unto the Lord my God. The 5

06 THE BREAKER AXD THE FLOCK.

" great noise by reason of the multitude of men '' sets fortii the euthusiastn of the praise, and the immense number of the perfected ones who shall pour out their hearts before the throne. Thus I have set before you in a feeble way the gathering of tlie flock.

II. Follow me while, next, I speak of the champion SHEPHERD clearing the way. "The breaker is come up before them." In the tenth verse the Lord says to his people, "Arise ye, und depart; for this is not your rest: because it is polluted." But we say to ourselves — How are they to depart from the place where they now are, and press forward to the pastures on the hill-tops of heaven ? They are as sheep. How can they find their way? How can they face their foes? How can they break down barriers? A flock is but ill fitted to tramp over pathless deserts, infested by ferocious wolves. How shall the church attain to the abodes of the perfected? Long leagues of distance must be traversed, hills of guilt must be crossed, and nights of blackest darkness must be e^xperienced. Ah, Lord God ! how. canst thou expect that this thy church, which is like a flock of sheep, should find its vv'ay through all difficulties and adversaries unto thy- self ? The answer to our fears is before iis: "The breaker is come up before them." That great Shep- herd of the sheep, whose name is " The Through- breaker ' or the "The Breaker-up," makes a way for his people, yea, creates it by force of arms.

Between us and heaven once lay the tremendous Alps of sin. Not one of all the flock of God could climb those hills ; all must perish who attempt to cross those awful barriers. The way to heaven was effectually blocked by these heaven-defying moun- tains, for no passes existed : even the eagle's eye

THE BREAKER AND THE FLOCK. 67

could not discover a way. One sin might keep a nian out of heaven; but the multitudes of our iniquities, the blackness, the aggravation, the repetition of our offences made the case hopeless to all human power or wisdom, I see those awful hills, and wonder how the flock of God can hope to reach eternal bliss with those in the way. Behold he comes, " The Breaker," before whom the mountains sink. " He his own self bare our sms in his own body on the tree; and by tliat bearing he put them all away.' He took upon himself the whole load of his peoples iniquities; he endured the entire weight of the crushing burden, and by his atoning death he cast their iniquities into the depths of the sea. The pass of the atonement is our clear way to glory. In the sepulchre of Jesus all our sins are buried. To as many as believe in Jesus Christ no sin remaineth.

" This Breaker once made sin to be. Broke from the curse his people free. He broke the jiower of death and hell, Aud cleared the road for Israel."

" In those days, and in that time, saith the Lord, the iniquity of Israel shall be sought for, and there shall be none; and the sins of Judah, and they shall not be found: fori will pardon them whom I reserve." The glorious Breaker, with his pierced hands, and nailed feet, and opened side, hath wrought a miracle of miracles by putting away sin through the sacrifice of himself Jesus saith, "1 am the way"; and the way he is: the way which neither past nor present sin can effectually close. But, my brethren, if our sins were all forgiven us, there are other difficulties in the way; for we are without strength, and the depravity of our nature is not

68 THE BREAKER AND THE FLOCK.

readily to be orercome. Tliiuk of the hardness of our hearts, the waywardness of our wills, the blindness of our judgments, the readiness of our minds to yield to temptation ! How can we force our way through such obstacles ? Why, if the Lord would forgive me all my sin, and give me heaven on condition that I should find my way to it, mine would still be a hope- less case. Even the regenerate find that they have a hard struggle with the flesh; how can we win our way in the teeth of our fallen nature ? Beloved, the Breaker has gone np before ns. The Lord Jesus Christ assumed our nature, and was "tempted in all points like as we are"; he overcame the adversary at every point of the coniiict, that through his victory we might be more than conquerors. He sends forth the Holy Spirit to renew us in the spirit of our minds; he takes the stony heart out of our flesh ; he rules the will, he governs the affections, he enlightens the understanding, he sanctifies the soul ; and thus, though weak in ourselves, we are made strong in him; so strong that we shall not perish in the wilder- ness, but shall pursue our pilgrimage till we cross the Jordan, and stand in our lot at the end of the days. Because the Breaker has gone up before us, we shall break through the ramparts of sinfulness, and cut our way to holiness and perfection.

Yet, even though this be so, that sin is forgiven and our corrupt nature overcome, still there is another dif- ficulty : the prince of darkness has set himself to ob- struct the way : he defies us to advance, he stands across the road, and swears that he will spill our souls. By no means let us be afraid, for the Breaker is gone up l^cfore us, and the enemy knows the force of his strong right hand. \\\ the wilderness and in the gar-

THE BREAKER AND THE FLOCK. (59

cleu our Lord vanquished this great adversary, and therein gave iis full assurance that he will bruise Satan under our feet shortly. We need not fear all the devils in hell ; if by faith we have courage to re- sist them they will flee from us. We shall reach the haven of our rest, the heaven of our bliss. Our glorious Breaker with the mace of the cross has brok- en the head of leviathan, and made an open show of his adversaries. Thus was it spoken of oar Lord at the gates of Eden concerning the old serpent — "Thou shalt bruise his heel": and now by his ascension to heaven he has done the deed, leading captivity captive.

" Gone up to God's co-equal Sou, Witb all his blood-stained garments on, While seraphs sing his deathless fame, And chant the Breaker's glorious name."

This brings us face to face with the last enemy. Death blocks the way to eternal life. Be of good courage, the Breaker has gone up before you in this matter also. Jesus died : the Ever-blessed bowed liis head and yielded up the ghost. Hearken yet again : he has risen from the dead ; he slept a while in the cold prison of the tomb, but he could not be holden with the bands of death, and therefore in due time he arose. He arose in newness of life, that all his own might also rise in him. Come, be not afraid to die, for you wall travel a well-beaten track. Be not afraid to go down into the heart of the earth, for tfiere your Emmanuel has slept. Nor will he suffer you to go by this dark road alone. *' He hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee." He will go down into this Egypt with you, and he will surely bring you up again. The Breaker goeth up before you.

70 THE BREAKER AND THE FLOCK.

But can I liope I shall ever enter the gates of" heaven? Those gates of pearl whose mild, yjure radi- ance chides m}' perturbed and guilty heart — can I hope to pass their portal ? Can I hope to stand where ail is absolutely perfect ? I shrink in the presence of such matchless purity. But, brethren, the Breaker has gone up before us. He hath opened the kingdom of hea.ven to all believers. It v/ill be safe for us to enter where he has gone : yea, we must enter ; for where he is, there also shall his servants be. He will welcome each one of us with, " Come in, thou blessed of the Lord; wherefore standest thou without?" Adown those streets of pure gold like unto transpar- ent glass we shall walk v»'ithout fear, and up to that blazing throne of purest light we shall pass without dismay ; for Jesus has gone up before us. Behold him !

" He is at the Father's side, The Man of Love, the Crucified."

The way into the holiest is now made manifest. The Breaker has rent the veil from tlic top to the bottom, and given us free access to heaven itself

But I must pause. Certainly my matter is not ex- hausted : time alone restrains.

III. Lastly, I have to show you for a minute or two THE FLOCK ADVANCING, their rojal Breaker leading the way. As the Lord Jesus, in his death, resurrection, and ascension, has gone up before us, so by his grace we are led to follow him from grace to glory. "They go from strength to strength." He saith to them, " Follow me ": they know his voice, and as his sheep they follow him.

Along the way which the great Champion clears we find the whole of the flojk proceeding. " The

THE BREAKER AND THE ELCCK. 71

Breaker is come up before them," therefore they keep to his footprints. "They have broken up, and have passed through the gate, and are gone out of it."' Behokl, my brethren, .tlie vision of visions : the whole company of God's elect following their triumphant Leader ! Do you see yonder the pillar of fire and cloud leading the way through the desert ? Do you see the host of Israel in glorious order marching to their predestined inheritance ? Such is the Church of God as it is seen by spiritual eyes. All dowai the centuries, in every land, they are marching along that appointed road which Jesus, the Breaker, has cleared for them. You and I, I hope, are in that goodly company : sometimes our following is lame and halting-, but yet we are not turned out of the way. fo wdiom else coiild we go if we w^ere to lose our chosen Leader? Faint we may be, but pursuing we will be. Oh, that we could keep closer to the Bieak- er ! .Oh, that he would break our hearts with his love ! Oh, that all our evil habits might be broken by his grace. We would follow our King "whitherso- ever he goeth. Yes, we are in that company, I trust; and God grant we may never stray from it ! Ko other road is prepared by a great Breaker as this road is prepared. This is the King's highway, and we wall keep to it all our days.

Observe, that in the text the people of God are de- scribed as. imitating their King; for it is written, "They have broken up." He is the Breaker) and are they breakers too? Yes, they also have broken up. Christ is the great warrior for his people ; but not without conflict will any one of them be crowned. It is so arranged in the wisdom of God, that every- thing is so done for us as not to drive us into inaction,

72 THE BREAKER AND THE FLOCK.

but to draw ns into holy diligence. Clirist's warfare is repeated in his saints in their measure. The crown is of grace ; but we njust run for it. Christ has con- quered sin, and we have to overcome through faith in him. He has subdued the adversary, but we also shall have to wrestle with spiritual wickednesses. " They have broken up." Herein is condescending' love. Christ might have saved us, and there might have been nothing for us to do ; but to display his grace, he intends to conform us to himself, in conflict and in crown, in breaking up, and in going forth, and in entering in He makes us know the fellowship of his sufferings. Come, brethren and sisters, let us ask God to fulfil in us the words of the text, '• They have broken up.'' Let us be resolved to break down all sin. Let us be determined to overcome through the blood of the Lamb. This is the victory which overcometh the world, even our faith. If we have it, let us use it to good purpose tliis day.

Notice that as these people were led on by the Break- er: they persevered in following him. "They have broken up: they have passed through the gate, and are gone out by it.*' They did a little at a time; they advanced step by step; they stopped at nothing, but went onward and upward. So do saints go from grace to grace, from faith to greater faith. Note the senten- ces: "they have broken up, they have passed through the gate, and have gone out by it": this looks as if they did it slowly but surely, gradually but grandly. So, when the grace of God enters into the heart, and we, the sheep of God, are made to follow him, we are at- tentive to detail, and notice each part of our obedience. You cannot in grace, any more than in anything else, do a great deal at once, and do it effectually. I find

THE B RE. IKE A AND THE FLGCK. 73

that advanoe in grace, if it be supposititious, can be rapid ; but if it be real it requires patience. Our Lord give.i us line upon line, precept upon precept; here a little, and there a little. Let us be sure, even if we be slow.

But now I would have jou dwell upon the fact that tliej are marching, under royal leadership: "Their King shall pass before them." Christ is always at the head of his own church. Why V because he loves it so i hat he cannot be away from it. He is at the head of his own flock because he has purchased it with his own blood. He will not send an angel to lead his chosen, but he himself will watch over the objects of his everlasting love. He knows the necessities of his church to be such as he, and only he, can meet: there- fore as the King he always remains at their head. Brethren, let us always reverence, honor, and obey him. Our active, present King must be loyally and earnestly served. As Breaker he did us service; as King we must render him service. Remember how the Psalm- ist put it to the chosen bride : " He is thy Lord, and worship thou him." As a church, we know no other head; as the people of his pasture, Ave know no other leader. Let us follow him boldly and gladly.

Let us give him praise this day; yea, let us worship and adore him, for he is Jehovah. He who is at our head is Lord: in hiai dwelleth all the fuhiessoflhe Godhead bodily. Is it not written, "The Lord shall go before thee"? Let us rejoice because the Lord is our King, and he will save us. Do you ever fear that the cause of truth and righteousness Avill fail ? Shake this dust from off thee. Banish such a thought. If Jehovah leads the van, who shall stand against him ? Tf Jesus Christ, once the man of sorrows, but now the

74 THE BREAKER AND THE FLOCK.

King of kings, is to the fore, lie will reckon with our adversaries, and make short work of their boastings. Wherefore, follow quietly and unquestioningly as sheep follow the shepherd, and your way shall be prosper- ous. The Lord of hosts is with us, the God of Jacob is our refnge: wherefore comfort one another with these words. y I cannot express the joy I feel in the belief that I am one of the company wJiich is following the Break- er's lead ; but ]ny sorrow is that some of you are not of his flock. Oh, that 3'ou may belong to those of whom he says, " Other sheep I have which are not of this fold : them also ! must bring." Oh, tliat he may bring yon in speedily ! Do you feel a desire towards Christ this morning ? Have you any longings to be reconciled to God by him? Then you may freely come, with the confident assurance that him that cometh to him he will in no wise cast out. He invites you to his cross, yea, to himself Obey the gentle impulse Avhich is now stirring your bosom. Jesus has come on purpose to seek and to save the lost: you are lost; therefore pray that he may save you.

Should the enemy of all good tell you that if you should believe, yet you would never hold out to the end, remind him that the Breaker has gone up before his people, and their King at the head of them, and therefore you are not afraid of meeting anything upon the road which can beat you back from hope and heaven. Join the army Avhich marches under our vic- torious Joshua, and through sin, and hell, and death, the Breaker will clear your way. To him be praise for ever and ever ! Amea.

J

lY.

JESUS DECLIlSriNG THE LEGIONS.

March 27, 1887.

. "Tliinkest thou tliafc I cannot now pray to my Father, and lio shall presently give me more than twelve legions of angels ? hut how then shall the scriptures he fulfilled, that thus it must be." —Matthew Ixvi. 53, 54.

It is the garden of Gethsemane. Here stands onr Lord, and yonder is the betrayer. He is foremost of tlie multitude. You know his. face, the face of that son of perdition, even Judas Iscariot. He comes for- ■ward, leaving the men with the staves, and the swords, and the torches, and lanterns, and he pro- ceeds to kiss his ]\Iaster ; it is the token by which the officers are to know their victim. You perceive at once that the disciples are excited: one of them cries, "Lord, shall we smite with the sword ?" Their love to their ^Master has overcome their prudence. There are but eleven of them, a small band to fight against the cohort seut by the authorities to arrest their Mas- ter; but love makes no reckoning of odds. Before an answer can be given, Peter has struck the first blow, and the servant of the high-priest has narrowly es- caped having his head cleft in twain ; as it is, his ear is cut oft".

One is not altogether sxn-prised at Peter's act; for, in addition to his headlong zeal, he had most likely mis- understood the saying of his Lord at supper — " He

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7G yESC^S DECLINIXG THE LEGIONS.

that hath no sword, let him sell his garment, and bn;v' one." Tliere was not time for our Lord to exphiin, and they were so accnstomed to his concrete style of speech, that they should not have misunderstood him ; but they did so. He had simply told them that the days of peace, in which they could go in and out among the people, and be joyfully received by them, had now come to an end; for as he himself, who had once been in favor with all the people, would now be " reckoned among the transgressors," (see Luke xxii. 35 -38) — BO would they be counted among the oflfscouring of all things. Now they could no longer reckon on the hospitality of a friendly people, but must carry their own purse and scrip; and instead of feeling safe, wher- ever they went, they must understand that they were in an enemy's country, and must travel through the world like men eanned for self-defence. They were now to use their own substance, and not to hope for cheer- ful entertainment among a grateful people ; and they would need to be on their guard against those who in killing them would think that they were doing God service. They took this language literally, and there- fore replied, " Lord, behold, here two swords.'' Me- thinks he must ha,ve smiled sadly at their blunder as he answered, "It is enough." He could never have thought of their fighting that he might not be deliver- ed unto the Jews, since for that purpose two swords were simply ridiculous. They had missed his mean- ing, which was simply to warn them of the changed circumstances of his cause: but they caught at the words which he had used, and exhibited their two swords. Possi1)ly, as some have supposed, these were two long sacrificial knives with which they had killed the Paschal lamb; but, indeed, the wearing of weap-

. y£SCS DECLIXIXG THE LEGIONS. 77

ons is much more general in tbe Ejiat than with us. Our Lord's disciples were largely Galileans, and as the Galileans were more of a fighting sort than other Jews, the wearing of swords was probably very general among them. However, two of the apostles had swords; not that they were fighting men, but probably because it was the fashion of their country, and they had thought it needful to wear them when passing through a dangerous district. At any rate, Peter had a sword, and instantly used it. He smites the first man he could reach. I wonder he had not smitten Judas, one might have excused him if he had ; but it is a servant of the high-priest who bears the blow and loses his ear.

Then the Saviour comes forward in all his gentleness, as self-possessed as when he was at supper, as calm as if he had not already passed through an agony. Quietly he says, " Suffer it to be so now"; he touches the ear, and heals it, and in the lull which followed, when even the men that came to seize him Avere spell- bound by this wondrous miracle of mercy, he pro- pounds the great truth, thai: they that take the sword shall perish with the sword, and bids Peter put utd his weapon. Then he utters these memorable words: " Thinkest thou that I cannot now pray to my Father, and he shall presently give me more than twelve le- gions of angels? But how then shall the scriptures be fulfilled, that thus it must be ?" And he also said what John alone appears to have heard — "The cup which my Father hath given me, shall I not drink it ?" (John xviii. 11.)

The wound of Malchus served a gracious purpose; for it enabled our Lord to work a new miracle, the like of which he had never wrought before, namely, the

78 JESUS DECLh\L\G THE LEGIONS.

restoration of a member maimed or cut off by violence. The blunder of the apostles was also overruled to answer a very instructive purpose. You wonder that the Lord should, even in appearance, encourage his disciples to have swords, and then forbid them to use them. Follow me in a thought which is clear to my ow^n mind. For a man to abstain from using force when he has none to use is no great virtue : it re- minds one of the lines of Cowper's ballad : —

" Stoo})iug down, as needs he must Who cannot sit upright."

But for a man to have force ready to his liand, and then to abstain from using it, is a case of self-restraint and possibly of self-sacrifice, of a far nobler kind. Oar Saviour had his sword at his side that night, though he did not use it. "What!" say you, "how can that be true ? " Our Lord says, " Can I not now pray to my Father, and he will give me twelve legions of angels ? '" Our Lord had thus the means of self- defence; something far more powerful than a sword hung at his girdle; but he refused to employ the power within his reach, llis servants could not bear this test; they had no self-restraint, the hand of PeteiT is on his sword at once. The failure of the servants in this matter seems to me to illustrate the grand self" possession of their Master. " Alas," he seems to say, " you cannot be trusted even with swords, much less could you be entrusted with greater forces. If you had the angelic bands at your command, down they would come streaming from the sky to execute works of vengeance, and so mar my great life-work of love." Brethren, we are better without swords and other forms of force than with them ; for we have not yet

7A56'^- DECLlNhXG THE LEGIONS. 79

learned, like our Lord, io control ourselves. Admire the glorious self-restraint of our Lord Jesus Christ, who, aimed not with a sword but with the em battled hosts of "helmed cherubim and sworded seraphim," vet refused even by a prayer to bring them down to his relief. Peter's passionate use of the sword illus- trates the happy self-control of his Lord, and this is the use of the incident.

Let lis now proceed to learn from the words of the Lord Jesus which we have selected as our text.

J. First, brethren, I would have you notice from the text OUR ^T.^^rd's ora^^d resource. Thinkest thou that I cannot now pray to my Father?" Our Lord is surrounded by his adversaries, and there are none abou: him powerful enough to defend him from their malice; what can he do? He says, "I can pray to my Father.'' This is our Lord's continual resource in the time of danger; yea, even in that time of which he said, "This is your hour and the power of dark- ness." He can even now pray to his Father.

First, Jesus had no possessions on earth, but heliada Father. I rejoice in his saying, " Thinkest thou that I cannot now pray to my Father ? " He is a betrayed man; he is given up into the hands of those who thirst for his blood ; but he has a Father almighty and divine. If our Lord had merely meant to say that God could deliver him, he might have said, "Thinkest thou not, that 1 can pray to Jehovah .?" or, "to God": but he uses the sweet expression "my Father," both here and in that text in John, where lie says, " The cup wiiich my Father hath given me, shall I not drink it ? " 0 brethren, remember that we have a Father in heaven. When all is gone and spent, we can say, " Our Father." Pieiatives are dead, but our P'ather lives. Supposed

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friends have left us, even as the swallows quit our wintry weather; but we are not alone, for the Father is with us. Cling to that blessed text, " I will not leave you orphans; I will come unto you." In every mo- ment of distress, anxiety, perplexity, we have a Father in whose wisdom, truth, and power, we can rely. Your dear children do not trouble themselves much, do they ? If they have a want, they go to father ; if they are puzzled, they ask father; if they are ill-treat- ed, they appeal to father. If but a thorn is in their finger, they run to mother for relief. Be it little or great, the child's sorrow is the parent's care. This makes a child's life easy: it would make ours easy if we would but act as children tov/ards God. Let us imitate the Elder Brother, and when we, too, are in our Gethsemanc, let us, as he did, continue to cry, "My Father, My Father." This is a better defence than shield or sword.

Our Lord's resource 2casto approach his Father icithpre- vailincj prayer. " Can I not now pray to my Father ? " Our Lord Jesus could use that marvellous weapon of All-prayer, which is shield, and sword, and spear, and helmet, and breast-plate, all in one. When you can do nothing else you can pray. If you can do many things besides, it will still bo your wisdom to say, "Lotus pray!" But I think I hear you object, that our Lord had been praying, and yet his griefs were not removed, lie had prayed himself into a bloody sweat with prayer, and yet he was left unprotected, to fall into his ene- luies' hands. This is true, and yet it is not all the truth; for he had been strengthened, and power for deliverance was at his disposal. He had only to press his suit to be rescued at once. The Greek word here is not the same word which would set forth ordinary

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prayer : the Revised Version puts it, " Thinkest thou that I cannot heseech my Father?'' We make a great mistake if we throw all prayer into one category, and think that every form of true prayer is alike. AVe may pray and plead, and even do this with extreme earnest- ness, and yet we may not use that mode of beseechiug which would surely bring the blessing. Hitherto our Lord had prayed, and prayed intensely, too; but there was yet a higher form of prayer to w^hich he might have mounted if it had been proper so to do. He could so have besought that the Father must have answered; but he would not. 0 brethren, you have prayed a great deal, perhaps, about your trouble, but there is a reserved force of beseeching in you yet: by the aid of the Spirit of God you may pray after a higher and more prevailing rate. This is a far better w'eapon than a sword. I was speaking to a brother yesterday about a prayer which my Lord had remarka- bly answered in my own case, and I could not help saying to him, "But I cannot always pray in that fashion. Not only can I not so pray, but I would not dare to do so, even if I could." Moved by the Spirit of God, w^e sometimes pray w'itli a power of faith which can never fail at the mercy-seat ; but without such an impulse we must not push our own wills to the iron! There are many occasions upon which, if one had all the faith which could move mountains, he w'ould most wisely show it by saying nothing beyond, " Neverthe- less, not as 1 will, but as thou wilt." Had our Lord chosen to do so, he had still in reserve a prayer-power which would have effectually saved him fronj his ene- mies. He did not think it right so to use it; but he could have done so had he pleased.

Notice, that our Lordj/cu Hat lie could even then pray. 6

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ivia iters had not gone too lar for prayer. When can they do so? The Vv'ord "now" practically occurs twice in onr version, for we get it first as "now " and then as " presently." It occurs only once in the orig- inal ; but as its exact position in the verse cannot easily be decided, our translators, with a singular wis- dom, have placed it in both the former and the latter part of the sentence. Our Saviour certainly meant — "I am come now to extremities; the people are far away whose favor formerly protected me from the Pharisees; and I am about to be seized by armed men; but even now 1 can pray to my Eather." Prayer is an ever open door. There is no predicament in which we cannot pray. If we follow the Lamb whitherso- ever he goeth we can now pray effectually unto our Father, even as he could have done. Do I hear you say, " The fatal hour is near " ? You may now pray. " But the danger is imminent! " You may new pray. If, like Jonah, you are at the bottoin of the mountains, and tlie weeds are wrapped about your head, you may even now pray. Prayer is a weapon that is usable in every position in the hour of conflict. The Greeks had long spears, and these vv^ere of grand service to the pha- lanx so long as the rank was not broken ; but the Ko- mans used a short sword, and that Avas a far more effec- tual weapon at close quarters. Prayer is both the long spear and the short sword. Yes, brother, between the jaws of the lion you may even now pray. We glory in our blessed JMaster, that he knew in fulness of faith that if he would bring forth his full power of prayer he could set all heaven on the wing. As soon as his beseeching prayer had reached the Father's ear, imme- diately, like flames of fire, angels would flash death upon his adversaries.

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Our Lord's resort was not to the carnal weapon, but to the mighty eugiiie of supplication. Behold, my breth- ren, "where our grand resort must always be. Look not to the arm of flesh, but to the Lord our God. Church of God, look not piteously to the State, but fly to the mercy-seat. Church of God, look not to the ministry, but resort to the throne of grace. Church of God, depend not upon learned or moneyed men, but beseech God in suppHcating faith. Prayer is the tower of David, builded ibr an armory. Prayer is our battle-axe and weapons of war. We say to our antagonist: "Thinkest thou that I cannot now pray to my Father." Let this suffice to display our Saviour's grand ' resource in the night of his direst distress.

II. Secondly, let me invite your attention to our LoKu's uNDiMixisHED POWER IN HEAVEN at the time wTien he seemed to have no power on earth. He says, when about to be bound and taken away to Caiaphas, " I can presently call down twelve legions of angels from the skies." He had influence in heaven with the Father, the great Lord of angels. He could have of the Father, all that the Father possessed. Heaven would be emptied if needful to satisfy the wish of the Beloved Son. The man Chiist Jesus who is about to be hung upon the cross has such power with the Father that he has but to ask and to have. The Fa- ther would answer him at once : " He iihaW presently send me twelve legions of angels." There would be no de- lay, no hesitation. The Father was ready to help him, waiting to deliver him. All heaven was concerned about him. All the angelic bands were waiting on the wing, and Jesus had but to express the desire, and instantaneously the garden of Gethsemane would have

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been as populous with sliining ones as the New Jeru- salem itself.

Our Lord speaks of angels that his Father would give him, or send him. AVe may interpret it that the Father would at once put at Lis disposal the glorious inhabitants of heaven. Think of seraphs at tlje dispo- sal of the Man of Sorrows ! He is despised and reject- ed of men, and yet angels that excel in strength are at his beck and call. Swift of wing, and quick of hand, and wase of thought, they are charmed to be the messengers of the Son of Man, the servitors of Jesus. Think of this, beloved, when you l)Ow before the thorn-crowned liead, and when you gaze upon the nailed hands and feet. Remember that angels and principalities and powers, and all the ranks of pure spirits, by whatsoever name they are named, were all at the beck of Jesus when he was newly risen from his agony, and Avas about to be led away bound, to the Iligh-priest. He is om- Lord and God, even at his lowest and weakest.

Jesus speaks of " twelve legions." I suppose he nientions the number twelve as a legion for each one of the eleven disciples and for himself. They were only twelve, and yet the innumerable hosts of heaven would make forced marches for their rescue. A legion in the Roman army v/as six thousand men at the very lowest. Twelve times six thousand angels would come in answer to a wish from Jesus. Nay, he says " more " than twelve legions. There can be no limit to the available resources of the Christ of God. Thousands of thousands would fill the air if Jesus willed it. Tlie band that Judas led would be an in- significant squad to be swallowed up at once if the Saviour would but summon his allies. Behold, dear

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brethren, the glory of our betrayed and arrested Lord. If he Avas such then, what is he now, when all power is given him of his Father! Bear in your minds the clear idea that Jesus in his humiliation was neverthe- less Lord of all things, and especially of the unseen world, and of the armies which people it. The more clearly you perceive this, the more you will admire the all-conquering, all-abjuring love which took him to the death of the cross.

Tarry here just a minute to recollect that the an- gels also are, according to your measure and degree, at your call. You have but to pray to God, and an- gels shall bear you up in their hands, lest you dash your foot against a stone. We do not think enough of these heavenly beings; yet are they all ministering spirits sent Ibrth to minister to those that are heirs of salvation. Like Elijah's servant, if your eyes Avere opened you would see the mountain full of horses of fire and chariots of fire round about the servants of God. Let us learn from our Master to reckon upon forces invisible. Let us not trust in that which is seen of the eye, and heard of the ear ; but let us have respect to spiritual agencies which evade the senses, but are known to faith. Angels play a far greater part in the affairs of providence than we Avot of. God cnw raise up friends on earth, and if he does not do so he can find us abler friends in heaven. There is no need to pluck out the sword with which to cut-off men's ears ; for infinitely better agencies wall Avork for us. Have fliith in God, and all things shall Avork for your good. The angels of God think it an honor and a delight to protect the least of his childi en.

IIL But I cannot linger, although I feel a great temptation to do so. My text is full of teaching, but

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a main point is the third one — ouR_LoiiDLs,..EERFECTjriLL- iNGXEss_jN SUFFERING. I hope I havc ah'ead}' brought that before you. Our Lord would be betrayed into the hands of sinners, but he would go with them will- ingly. He had not shunned the garden though Judas knew the place No j)art of our Lord's sufferings came upon liim by the necessity of his nature. Neith- er as God nor as sinless man was he bound to suffer. There was no necessity that Christ should endure any of the inflictions laid ujjon him, except the necessity of his fulfilling the Scriptures, and performing the work of mercy which he came to do. He must die because he became the great sacrifice for sin ; but apart from that, no necessity of death was on him. They scourged hiui ; but tliey coidd not have lifted the thong if he had not permitted it. He thirsted on the cruel tree ; but all the springs of water in the world he makes and fills, and therefore he needed not to have thirsted if he had not chosen to submit thereto. When he died, he did not die through the failure of his natural strength ; he died because he had surrendered himself to death as our great Propi- tiation. Even in his expiring moment our Lord cried with a loud voice, to show that his life was in him still. He "gave up the'ghost," freely parting with a life which he might have retained. He voluntarily surrendered his spirit to God. It was not snatched from him b}' a force superior to his oww will ; he will- ingly bore our sins, and willingly died as our Substi- tute. Let us love and bless the willing Sufferer,

Indeed, our Lord was not merely submissive to the divine will, but, if I may use words in a paradoxical manner, I would say that he was actively submissive. A single prayer would have broug;ht our Lord deliv-

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erance from his enemies; but he exercised force upon himself, and held in his natural impulse to beseech the Father. He held in abeyance that noblest of spiritual gifts, that choicest of all forms of power — the power of prayer. One would have thought that a good man might always exercise prayer to the full of his bent, and yet Jesus laid his hand upon his prayer-power as if it had been a sword, and he put it back into its sheath. "He saved others, himself he could not save." He prayed for others; but, in this instance, for himself he vvould not pray, as he might have done. He would do nothing, even though it were to pra}'- a prayer which even in the slightest degree would oppose the will of the Father. He was so perfectly submissive, yea, so eager to accomplish our salvation, that he Avould not pray to avoid the cruelty of his enemies and the bitterness of death. He sees it is the Father's will, and therefore he will not have a wish in opposition to it. "The cup w^hich my Father hath given me, shall I not drink it .? " Kemember, that he needed not to commit any wrong- thing to prevent his being taken and slain : a good thing, namely, a prayer, would do it; but he will not pray; he has undertaken the w'ork of redemption, and he must and will g;o through with it. He has such a desire for your salvation and for mine, such a thirst to honor and glorify his Father in the work wdiich he liad engaged to do, that he will ]iot even prevent his snfferings by a prayer.

Wonderful is that question, " How then shall the scriptures be fulfilled?" It is as much as to say, " Who else can drink that cup ? Who else can tread the wine-press of Almighty W'lath ? No, I must do it. I cannot lay this load upon any other shoulders."

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Therefore, for the joy that was set before him lie endured the cross, despising the shame. He was willing, ay, willing from beginning to end, to be our suifering Saviour. He was willing to be born at Bethlehem, to work at Nazareth, to be mocked at Jerusalem, and at last to die at Calvary. At any one point he could have drawn back. No constraint was upon him but that of a love stronger than death. I want you, dear hearers, to draw the inference that Jesus is willing to save. A willing Sufferer must be a willing Saviour. If he willingly died, he nnist with equal willingness be ready to give to us the fruit of his death. If any of you would have Jesus, you may surely have him at once. He freely deliver- ed himself up for us all. If he was so willing to become a sacrifice, how willing must he be that the glorious result of his sacrifice should be shared in by you, and by all who come to God by him ! If there be lui willingness anywhere, you are unwilling. He rejoices to be gracious. I wish the charm of this truth would affect your heart as it does mine. 1 love him greatly, because I see that at any moment he might have drawn back from redeeming me, and yet he v/ould not. A single prayer would have set him free; but he would not pray it, for he loved us so!

" This was compassion like a God, That when the Saviour knew The jirice of pardon was his blood His pity ne'er withdrew."

Do not grieve him l)y thinking that he is unwilling to forgive, that he is unwilling to receive a sinner such as yon. Has lie not said, " Him that cometh to me I will in no v/ise cast out"? You will delight him if you come to him, whoever you may be. If

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yo!i will [tilt draw near to liiin by simple trust, he will see in you the purchase of his agony; and all the merit of his death shall flc*w out freely to you. Come and welcome, sinner, come.

JV. Now I must lead you, with great brevity, to notice our Lord's great R£§£^3U£0R Holy Scripture. He can have twelve legions of angels, but " how then shall the scriptures be fulfilled, that thus it must be?"

Notice, that our Lord believed in the divinity of Scrij^tin^e. He says, " How then shall the scriptures be fulfilled?" But if the Scriptures are only the writings of men, there is no necessity that they should be fulfilled. If they are njerely the fallible utterances of good men, I see no particular necessity that they should be fulfilled. Our Lord Jesus Christ insisted upon it that the Scriptures must be fulfilled, and the reason was, that they are not the word of man, but the Word of God. The Scriptures were evidently tlie Word of God to our Lord Jesus Christ. He never trifles with them, nor differs from them, nor predicts that they will vanish away. It is he that saith, "Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled."

He believed in the divine origin of the Scriptures and also in their infallihiJiti'. " How then shall the Scriptures be fulfilled, that thus it must be?" He does not hint that the Scriptures might be a little mistaken. He does not argue, " I will bring the twelve legions of angels down to deliver myself, and it is no matter to me that then the Scriptures will be made void." Oh, no ! the Scriptures must be true,

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and they must be fulfilled, and therefore he must be betrayed into the hands of men. He settles it as a matter of necessity that Scripture must infallibly be verified, even to its jots and tittles.

See, brethren, tlic ^ricdess ivorth of Scripture in the estimation of our Lord. In effect he says, " I will die rather t!ian any Scripture shall be unfulfilled. I will go to the cross rather than any one word of God should not be carried out.'' The prophet Zechariah has written, "Awake, 0 sword, against my shepherd, and against the man that is my fellow, saith the Lord of hosts: smite the shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered abroad." The fulfilment of that prophecy fell due that night, and the Son of God was prepared to be smitten as the Shepherd of the sheep, rather than the word of the Father should fall to the ground. " Skin for skin, yea, all that a man hath will he give for his life;" but Jesus would give his life for the Scriptures. Brethren, it were worth while for the whole church to die rather than any truth of Scrip- ture should be given up. Let all our thousands be consumed upon the altar as one great holocaust sooner than the Scriptures should be dishonored. The Word of the Lord must live and prevail, whether we die or not. Our Lord teaches us to prize it beyond liberty or life.

The force of our Lord's language goes further yet. Let me repeat the words and then enlarge upon them. " HoAv then shall the scriptures be fulfilled, that thus it mufct be ?" Holy Scripture is the transcript of the secret decree of God. We do not believe in fate, a blind, hard thing; but we believe in predestination, the set- tled purpose of a wise and loving Father. The Book of Fate is cruel reading, but the book of divine Fore-

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ordination is full of charming sentences, and those lines out of it which are written in the Scriptures we joyfully choose to have fulfilled. It is the will of our Father wlio is in heaven which settles the things which must be; and because of this we cheerfully yield our- selves up to predestination. Once being assured that God has appointed it, we have no struggles, nay, we will not even breathe a wish to have the matter other- wise. Let the will of the Father be the supreme law. It ought to be so. AVe find a depth of comfort in say- ing, " It is the Lord, let hira do what seemeth him good." Kow, the prophecies of Scripture were to the Lord Christ the revelation of the predesthiation of God that so it must be, and he cheerfully, joyfully, even without a prayer against it, gives himself up at once to that which must be, because God has appointed it. If any of you do not believe in the predestination of God, you will, probably, in some hour of depression, ascribe your sorrows to a cruel fate. The human mind, some- how or other, is driven at last to this decision, that some things are beyond the control of man and of his will, and that these are fixed by necessity. How much better to see that God has fixed them ! There is the Avheel revolving surely and unalterably ; would it not comfort you to believe that it is full of eyes, and that it is moving according to the settled purpose of the Lord ? That man who says, " It is my Father's will," is the happy man. Predestination is as sure and as certain as fate ; but there is at the back of it a liv- ing and loving personality, ordering all things. To this w^e cheerfully yield ourselves.

Beloved, let us value Scripture as much as Christ did; I was going to say, let us value it even more; for if our Lord valued unfulfilled Scripture — which was but

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a shell till he became its kernel — how much more should we value it, to whom the Scriptures are fulfilled in a large degree, because the Christ has suffered and has done even as it was written of him by the proph- ets of God !

Time flies so quickly that I must pass on. You per- ceive that I have a pregnant text; it is full of living instruction to those who desire to learn. God help us to receive with joy all its holy teaching !

V. But I must come to the last point. We will consider our Lord's lessons to each one of us in thi§J,e:st.

The first Tessbn'is this : Desire no OTher forces for God's Avork than God himself ordains to use. Do not desire that the Government should come to your res- cue to support your church. Do not desire that the charms of eloquence should be given to ministers, that they may therewith command listening ears, and so maintain the faith by the wisdom of words. Do not ask that learning and rank and prestige may come upon the side of Christianity, and so religion may be- come respectable and influential. Means that God has not chosen to use should not be looked upon by us with covetous eyes. Has he not said, "Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, saith the Lord of hosts " ? Jesus has all those squadrons of angels at his disposal; do you not wish that he would use them ? What a glorious vision is before us as we see their serried ranks and mark their glittering splendor ! But Jesus bids them stand still and see the salvation of God wrought out without their interposition. To them he has not put in subjection the new world. They must not med- dle with the redemption of men. Ihe conflict for truth is to be a spiritual battle between man and the serpent : nothing but spiritual force is to be employed, and that

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not by angels, but bj men. Man must overcome sin by spiritual means only. Put up the sword, Peter ! Jesus does not want its keen edge. Keep your swords in your sheaths, ye seraphim ! Jesus does not want even your blades of celestial temper. His weakness has done more than human or angelic strength. Ilis suffering and death have done the deed which all the hierarchy of angels could never have accomplished. The truth is to win the fight. The Spirit is to subdue the powers of evil. Brethren, do not ask anybody else to interfere. Let us have this fight out on the ground which God has chosen. Let us know that God is omnipotent in the realm of mind, and by his truth and Spirit he will overcome. He holds back all forces other than those of argument, and suasion, and enlightenment by his Spirit : do not let us even wish to put our hand to any force other than he ordains to use.

And, next, take care that when other forces are v;it!iin reach, you do not use them for the promotion of the heavenly kingdom. When you are in argument for t!ie truth, do not grow angry ; for this would be to fight the Lord's battles with the devil's weapons. Do not wish to oppress a person whose views are errone- ous or even blasphemous. The use of bribes for the propagation of opinions is mean, and the refusal of charities to those v.dio differ from us in sentiment is detestable. Lot no threat escape your lip, nor bribe pollute your hand. It is not thus that the battles of truth are to be fought. If you ever feel inclined to shut a man's mouth by wishing him banishment, or sickness, or any sort of ill, be grieved with yourself that so unchristly a thought should have entered your head. Desire only good for the most perverse of men. Fighting for Christ would be wounding him sorely.

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The French .king heard of the cruelties perpetrated ■upon our Lord, and he exclaimed, " Oh, if I had been there with a troop of my guards, I should have cut the villains in pieces F' Yes, but Jesus did not want the King of France nor his guards: he came not to destroy men's lives, but to save tlieni. The Lord Jesus de- gires you, ray brethren, to tight for him in your faitli, in^your holy lifcj^ by^_ji>ui-eonl«leij.ce.jn truth, by your reliance upon the Spirit of God; bnt wheneveFyoiir hand begins to itch for the sword-hilt, then you may hear him say, " Put up thy sword into its sheath." He w^ill conquer by love, and by love alone. If at this present moment I could take this church and endow it with all the wealth of the Establishment, and gather into the midst all the wisdom and talent and eloquence which now adorns society, and if I could do this by one single prayer, I should long hesitate to offer the petition. These might prove idols, and provoke the living God to jealousy. Infinitely better for us to be poor and weak and devoid of that which is highly es- teemed among men, and then to be baptized into the Holy Ghost, than to become strong and be left of our God. We shall war this warfare with no unsanctified weapons, with no instrument other than God appoints. Speaking the truth in the power of the Spirit of God, we are not afraid of the result. Surely this is what Christ means : " I could pray to my Father and receive at o]ice a body-guard of angels, but I will do nothing of the kind, for by other means than these must mj kingdom come."

And the next lesson is: Never attempt to escape suffering at the expense of truth: " How then shall the scriptures be fulfilled?" says Christ: "I can escape being taken^ and bound, and made a felon ol ;

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but tlieii how are the Scriptures to be fulfilled?" AVoukl YOU like to bo throughout life screened from all -affliction? I think I hear a great many say, "I should." Would you ? Would you be always free from sickness, poverty, care, bereavement, slander, persecution? How, then, could that word be true, '• I have chosen thee in the furnace of affliction " ! What would that text mean, " What son is he whom the Father chasteneth not"? Jesus said, "Except a man take up his cross and follow me, he cannot be my discijile." Are you to be an exception to the rule ? Oh, do not kick against suffering, for in so doing you may be fighting against God, When Peter drew hi<8 sword he was unconsciously fighting to prevent our redemption. When we struggle against tribulation or persecution we may be warring against untold benefit. Do you desire to ride through the world like princes? Do not desire such a dangerous fate; for how then could the Scriptures be fulfilled, that the disciple is not above his Lord ? Bow your spirit before the majesty of Scripture, and patiently endure all things for the elect's sake.

A.gain, never tremble when force is on the wrong side. You see they are coming, Pharisees and priests and the p99.se comitatus sent by the authorities to arrest the Saviour; but he is not afraid. Why should he be ? He could command twelve legions of angels to beat off" the foe. The man who knows he has a reserve behind him may walk into an ambush without fear. The multitude think that there stands before them a mere man, a feeble man, strangely red as with bloody sweat. Ah ! they know neither him nor his Father. Let him give a whistle, and from behind the olives of the grove, and from the walls of the garden,

OQ JESUS DECLINING THE LEGIONS.

and from every stone of the Mount of Olives would sirring' up warriors mightier than tliose of Caesar, valiant ones, before whom armies would be consumed. One of these mighties of God slev/ of Sennacherib's army one hundred and eighty-five thousand men in a single night; another smote all the first-born of Egypt. Think, then, what more than twelve legions of them could accomplish ! Brethren, all these holy, heavenly beings are on our side. " Oh, but there are so many against us ! " Yes, I know there are ; but more are they that are for us. All the myriads of heaven are our allies. See ye not the legions waiting for the summons ? Who wants to give the word of command until our great Commander-in-chief decides that the hour is come? Let us patiently wait till he shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and the trump of God; then will the reserves pour forth Irora heaven's gate, and all the holy angels shall swell the pomp of the great appearing. Till that moment, wait! In your patience possess ye your souls ! The Lord Jesus waited; his angels waited; his Father waited. They are all still waiting. Heaven's long-suffering still runs like a silver thread through the centuries. Jesus will come with his angels in all the glory of the Father; but dream not that he must come to-morrow or else be charged with being slack concerning his promise. Desire that he may come in your lifetime, and look out for him ; but if he tarrieth be not dis- mayed. If he tarry for another century do not be weary; if another thousand years should intervene between us and the bright millennial day, yet stand ye fast each man in his place, fearing nothing, but setting up your banners in the name of the Lord.

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.•The Lovd of hosts is .^-itl, ns, the God of Jacob is ourivLe." We have no lack of strength it is only that God -wiUs that it be not put forth, and that our ttknessfor the present should be the instrument of X^L majestic conquests. Lord, we are content to m,st in thee and wa« patiently for thee; but leave us not, we beseech thee. Amen.

O^ THE CEOSS AFTER DEATH.

Jjml 3, 1887.

•'The Jews therefore, because it was the preparation, that the botiies should not remaiLi upon the cross on the Sabbath day (lor that Sabbath day was an high day,) besought Pilate that their legs might be broken, and that they might be taken away. Then came the soldiers, and brake the legs of the first, and of the other which was crucified with him. But when they came to Jesus, and saw that he was dead already, they brake not his legs: but one cf the soldiers with a spear pierced his side, and forthwith came there out blood and Avater. And he that saw it bare record, and his record is true: and he knoweth that he saith true, that ye might believe. For these things were done, that the scripture should be fulfilled, A bone of him shall not be broken. And again another scripture saith, They shall look on him whom they pierc- ed."— John six. 31—37.

CRmmALS wlio were crucified by the Romans were allowed to rot upon the crops. That cruel nation can lardly be so severely condemned as our own people, wlio up to a late period allowed the bodies of those con- demned to die to hang in chains upon gibbets in con- spicuous places. The Jiorrible practice is now aban- doned, but it was retained to a time almost, if not quite, within living mem.ory. I wonder whether any aged person here remembers such a horrible spectacle. Among the Romans it was usual, for there are classical allusions to tliis horror, showing that the bodies of persons crucified were usually left to be devoured by ravenous birds. Probably out of deference to the cus« (98)

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toms of the Jews, the authorities in Palestine wonld sooner or later allow of the interment of the crucified; but they would by no means hasten it, since they would not feel such a disgust at the sight as an Israelite would. The Mosaic law, which you will find in the Book of Deuteronomy, runs as follows : — " If tliou hang him on a tree, his body shall not remain all night upon the tree, but thou shalt in any wise bury him that day" (Deuteronomy xxi. 22, 23). This alone would lead the Jews to desire the burial of the execu- ted ; but there was a further reason. Lest the land should be defiled upon the lioly Sabbath of the pass- over, the chief-priests were importunate that the bod- ies of the crucified sliould be buried, and therefore that their deaths should be hastened by the breaking of their legs. Their consciences were not wounded by tlie murder of Jesus, but they were greatly moved by the fear of ceremonial pollution. Religious scruples may live in a dead conscience. AUis ! this is not the only proof of that fact: we could find many in our own day.

The Jews hurried to Pilate, and sought as a boon the merciless act of having the legs of the crucified dashed to pieces Vv^ith an iron bar. That act ^vas some- times-performed upon the condemned as an additional punishment; but in this instance it was meant to be a finishing stroke, hastening death, by the terrible pain which it would cause, and the shock to the system which it would occasion. Ferocious hate of our Lord made his enemies forgetful of everything like human- ity : doubtless the more of pain and shame which they could cause him the better would they be pleased. Not, however, out of cruelty, but out of regard to the ceremonials of their religion, they "besought Pilate

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that their legs might be broken, aiul that they might be taken away." I have already told you that this break- in s; of the bones of the crucified was a Roman cnston) : and of this we have evidence, since there is a Latin word crucifragiiim, to express this barbarons act. Pi- late had no hesitation in granting the desire of the Jews: what would he care about the dead body, since he had already delivered up the living man ?

Soldiers go at once to peribrm the hideous operation, and they comtnence with the two malefactors. It is a striking fact that the penitent thief, although he was to be in Paradise with his Lord that day, was not, therefore, delivered from the excruciating agony oc- casioned by the breaking of his legs. We are saved from eternal misery, not from temporary pain. Our Saviour, by our salvation, gives no pledge to us that we shall be screened from suffering in this life. It is true, as the proverb hath it, " All things come alike to all: there is one event to the righteous, and to the wicked ; to the clean, and to the unclean.' Accidents and diseases afflict the godly as well as the ungodly. Penitent or impenitent, we share the common lot of men, and are born to troubles as the sparks fly up- ward. You must not expect because you are pardon- ed, even if you have the assurance of it from Christ's own lips, that, therefore, you shall escape tribulation; nay, but from his gracious mouth you have the forewarn- ing assurance that trial shall befall you; for Jesus said, "These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribu- lation." Suffering is not averted, but it is turned into a blessing. The penitent thief entered into Paradise that very day, but it was not without suffering; say, rather, that the terrible stroke was the actual mean?

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of the prompt fulfilment of his Lord's promise to him. By that blow he died that day; else might he have lingered long. How much we may any of us receive by the way of sufiering it were hard to guess: mayhap, the promise that we shall be with our Lord in Paradise will be fulfilled in that way.

At this point it seemed more than probable that our blessed Lord must undergo the breaking of his bones; but " he was dead already." It had pleased him, in the infinite willinghood with which he went to his sac- rifice, to yield up his liie, and his spirit liad therefore departed. Yet one might have feared that the coarse soldiers would have performed their orders to the let- ter. See, they do not so ! Had they conceived a dread of one around whom such prodigies had gathered ? Were they, like their centurion, impressed \vdth awe of this remarkable personage ? At any rate, perceiv- ing that he was dead already, they did ]iot use their hammer. Happy are we to see them cease from such loathsome brutality. But we may not be too glad; for another outrage will take its place: to make sure that he was dead, one of the four soldiers with a spear pierced his side, probably thrusting his lance quite through the heart. Here we see how our gracious God ordained in his providence that there should be sure evidence that Jesus was dead, and that therefore the sacrifice was slain. Paul declares this to be the gospel, that the Lord Jesus died according to the Scrip- tures. Strange to say, there have been heretics who have ventured to assert that Jesus did not actually die. They stand refuted by tliis spear-thrust. If our Lord did not die, then no sacrifice has been presented, the resurrection is not a fact, and there is no foundation of hope for men. Our Lord assuredly died, and was

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buried: the Roman soldiers were keen judges in such matters, and tliey saw that "he v/as dead ah'eady," and, moreover, their spears were not used in vain when they meant to make death a certainty.

When the side of Christ was pierced, there flowed thereout blood and water, upon which a great deal has been said by those who think it proper to dilate upon such tender themes. It was supposed by some thai; by death the blood was divided, the clots parting from the water in which they float, and that in a per- fectly natural way. But it is not true that blood woidd flow from a dead body if it were pierced. Only under certain very special conditions would blood gush forth. The flowing of this blood from the side of our Lord cannot be considered as a common occurrence : it was a fact entirely by itself We can- not argue from any known fact in this case, for we are here in a new region. Granted, that blood would not flow from an ordinary dead body; yet remember, that our Lord's body was iniique, since it saw no cor- ruption. Whatever change might come over a body liable to decay, we may not ascribe any such change to his frame; and therefore there is no arguing from facts about common bodies so as to conclude there- from anvthins: concerning: our blessed Lord's bod v. Whether, in his case, blood and water flowed natural- ly from his holy and incorruptible body, or whether it was a miracle, it was evidently a most notable and remarkable thing, and John, as an eye-wdtness, was evidently astonii^hed at it, and so astonished at it that he recorded a solemn afiirmation, in order that we might not doubt his testimony. He was certain of what he saw, and he took care to report it with a special note, in order that we might believe; asif he felt that if

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this fVct was truly believed, there was a certain con- vincing power which would induce many to believe on our Lord Jesus as the appointed Saviour. I could enter into many details, but I prefer to cast a vail over this tender mystery. It is scarcely reverent to be discoursing of anatomy when the body of our ador- able Lord is before us. Let us close our eyes in wor- ship rather than open them with irreverent curiosity.

The great task before me this morning is to draw truth out of tliis well of wonders. I shall ask you to look at the events before us in three lights: first, let lis see liere the fulfilment of Scripture; secondly, tU identification of our Lord as the Messiah ; and tliirdly, the instruction which he intends.

1. I ask you to notice the fulfilment of Soripttjsje.

Two things are predicted : not a bone of him must be broken, and he must be pierced. These were the Scriptures which now remained to be accomplished. Last Lord's-day morning we were all of us delighted as we saw the fulfilment of Scripture in the capture of our Lord, and his refusal to deliver himself from his enemies. The theme of the fulfilment of Scripture is worth pursuing yet further in an age when Holy Scripture is treated with so much slight, and is spoken of as having no inspiration in it, or, at least, no divine authority by which its infallibility is secured. You and I favor no such error; on the contrary, we conceive it to be to the last degree miscliievous. "If the foundations be removed, what can the righteous do?'" We are pleased to notice how the Lord Jesus Christ and those who wrote concerning liim treated the Holy Scriptures with an intensely reverent regard. The prophecies that went before of Christ must be fulfilled, and holy souls found

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great delight in (hvelling upon the fact that they were so

I v/ant you to notice concerning this case, that it icas singularhj complicated. It was negative and posi- tive: the Saviour's bones must not be broken, and he must be pierced. In tlie type of tlie Passover lamb it was expressly enacted that not a bone of it should be broke;i; therefore not a bone of Jesus must be broken. At the same time, according to Zechariah xii. 10, the Lord must be pierced. He must not only be pierced with the nails, and so fulfil the prophecy, " They pierced my hands and my feet"; but he must be con- spicuously pierced, so tliat he can be emphatically regarded as a pierced one. How were these prophe- cies, and a multitude more, to be accomplished ? Onl}" God hiuiself could have brought to pass the fulfilment of prophecies which were of all kinds, and appeared to be confused, and even in contradiction to each other. It would be an impossible task for the human intellect to construct eo many prophecies, and types, and foreshadowings, and then to imagine a person in whom they should all be embodied. But what would be impossilJe to men has been literally carried out in the case of our Lord. There are prophecies about him and about everything connected with him, from liis hair to his garments, from his Lirth to his tomb, and yet they have all been carried out to the letter. That which lies immediately before us was a con:ipli- cated case; for if reverence to the Saviour would spare his bones, would it not also spare his flesh ? If a coarse brutadity pieix'ed his side, M'hy did it not break his legs ? How can men be kept from one act of violence, and that an act authorized by authority, and yet how shall they perpetrate another violence

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which Jiad not been suggested to them ? But, let the case be as complicated as it was possible for it to have been, infinite wisdom knew how to work it out in all points; and it did so. The Christ is the exact substance of the foreshadowings of the Messianic prophecies.

Next, we may say of the fulfihnent of these two prophecies, that it was specially improhable. It did not seem at all likely that when the order was given to break the legs of the crucified, Eoman soldiers would abstain from the deed. How could the body of Christ be preserved after such an order had been issued ? Those four soldiers are evidently determined to cany out the governor's orders; they have commenced their dreadful task, and they have broken the legs of two of the executed three. The crosses were arranged so that Jesus was hanging in the midst; he is the second of the three. We naturally suppose that they would proceed in order from the first cross to the second ; but they seem to pass by the second cross, and proceed from the first to the third. What was the reason of this singular procedure ? The supposition is, and 1 think a very likely one, that the centre cross stood somewhat back, and that thus the two thieves formed a sort of first rank. Jesus would thus be all the more emphatically "in the midst." If he was placed a little back, it would certainly have been easi- er for the penitent thief to have read the inscription over his head, and to have looked to our Lord, and held conversatio]! with him. Had they been placed exactly in a line this might not have been so natural; but the suggested position seems to suit the circum- stances. If it were so, I can understand how the soldiers would be takin": the crosses in order when

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they performed their horrible office upon the two malefactors, and came last to Jesus, who was in the midst. In any case, snch was the order which they followed. The marvel is that they did not in due couise proceed to deal the horrible blow in the case of our Lord. Koman soldiers are apt to fulhl their commissions very literally, and they are not often moved with much desire to avoid barbarities. Can you see them intent upon their errand ? Will they not even now mangle that sacred body ? Commend me for roughness to the ordinary Roman soldier: he was so used to deeds of slaughter, so accustomed to an empire which had been established with blood and iron, that the idea of pity never crossed his soul, excej)t to be scouted as a womanly feeling unworthy of a brave man. Yet behold and wonder ! The order is given to break their legs: two out of the three have suffered, and yet no soldier may crush a bone of that sacred body. They see that he is dead already, and they break wot his legs.

As yet you have only seen one of the projDhecies ful- filled. He must be pierced as well. And what was that which came into that lioman soldier's mind when, in a hasty moment, he resolved to make sure that the apparent death of Jesus was a real one? Why did he open that sacred side with his lance ? He knew nothing of the propheCy; he had no dreams of Eve being taken from the side of the man, and the churcii from the side of Jesus. He had never heard that ancient notion of the side of Jesus being like the door of the ark, through which an entrance to safety is opened. Why, then, does he fulfil the prediction of the prophet? There was no accident or chance here. Where are there such things ? The hand of

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the Lord is here, and we desire to praise and bless that omniscient and omnipotent Providence which thns fidfilled the word of revelation. God hath re- spect unto his own word, and while he takes care no bone of his Son shall be broken, he also secures that no text of Holy Scripture shall be broken. That our Lord's bones should remain unbroken, and jet that he should be pierced, seemed a very unlikely thing; but it was carried out. When next you meet with an unlikely promise, believe it firmly. When next you see things working contrary to the truth of God, believ© God, and believe nothing else. Let God be true and every man a liar. Though men and devils should give God the lie, hold you on to what God has spoken; for heaven and earth shall pass away, bat not one jot or tittle of his word shall fall to the ground.

Kote again, dear friends, concerning this fulfilment of Scripture, that it was altogether hidisiDensaUe. If they had broken Christ's bones, then that word of John the Baptist, '' Behold the Lamb of God," had seemed to have a slur cast upon it. Men would have objected, " But the bones of the Lamb of God were not broken." It was especially commanded twice over, not only in the first ordaining of the Passover in Egypt, but in the allowance of a second to those who were defiled at the time of the first Passover. In Numbers, as Avell as in Exodus, we read that not a bone of the lamb nnist be broken. How, then, if our Loril's bones had been broken, could we have said, " Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us," when there would have been this fatal flaw ? Jesus must remain intact upon the cross, and he must also be pierced; for else that famous passage in Zechariah, which is

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here alluded to, " They shall loot on me whom they have pierced," could not have been true of him. Both prophecies must be carried out, and they were so in a conspicuous manner. But why need I say that this fulfilment was indispensable ? Beloved, the keeping of every word of God is indispensable. Tt is indis- pensable to the truth of God that he should be true always: for if one word of his can fall to the ground, then all may fall, and his veracity is gojie. If it ca:i be demonstrated that one prophecy Avas a mistake, then all the rest may be mistakes. If one part of the Scripture is untrue, all may be untrue, and we have no sure ground to go upon. Faith loves not slippery places; faith seeks the sure word of prophecy, and sets her foot firmly upon certainties. Unless all the Word of God is sure, and pure " as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times," then we have nothing to go upon, and are virtually left without a revelation from God. If I am to take the Bible and say, " Some of this is true, and some of it is question- able," I am no better off than if I had no Bible. A man who is at sea with a chart which is only accurate in certain places, is not much better ofi:' than if lie had no chart at all. I see not how it can ever be safe to be " converted and become as little children," if there is no infallible teacher for us to follow. Beloved, it is indispensable to the honor of God and to our confi- dence in his Word, that every line of Holy Scripture should be true. It was indispensable evidently in the case now before us, and this is only one instance of a rule which is without exception.

But now let me remind you that although the problem was complicated, and its working out was improbable, yet it loasfidfdhd in the most natural man-'

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wen Nothing can be less constrained than the action of the soldiers; they have broken the legs of two, but the other is dead, and they do not break his legs; yet, to make sure that they will be safe in omitting the blov/, they pierce his side. There was no compulsion put upon tiiem; they did this of their own proper thoup-ht. No ano-el came from heaven to stand Avith his broad wings in the front of the cross, so as to pro- tect the Saviour; no awful eegis of mystery was hung over the sacred body of the Lord so that intruders might be driven back with fear. No, the quaternion of soldiers did whatever they wished to do. They acted of their own free will, and yet at the same time they fulfilled the eternal counsel of God. Shall we never be able to drive into men's minds the truth that predestination and free agency are both facts? ]\Ien sin as freely as birds fly in the air, and they are al- together responsible for their sin ; and yet everything is ordained and foreseen of God. The fore-ordination of God in no degree interferes with the responsibility of man. I have often been asked by persons to recon- cile the two truths. My only reply is — ^They need no reconciliation, for they never fell out. Why should I try to reconcile two friends ? Prove to me that the two truths do not agree. In that request I have set you a task as difficult as that which you propose to me. These two facts are parallel lines; 1 cannot make them unite, but you cannot njake them cross each other. Permit me also to add that I have long ago given up the idea of making all my beliefs into a system. I believe, but 1 cannot explain. I fall before the majesty of revelation, and adore the infinite Lord. I do not understand all that God reveals, but I believe it. How can I expect to understand all the mysteries

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of revelation, when even the arithmetic of Scripture surpasses mj comprehension, since I am taught that in the Godhead the Three are One, while in the undi- vided One I see most manifestly Three ? Need I measm-e the sea ? Is it not enough that I am upborne by its waves? I thank God for waters deep enough for ray faith to swim in ; understanding would compel me to keep to the shallows, but faith takes me to the main ocean. I think it more to my soul's benefit to believe than to understand, for faith brings me nearer to God than reason ever did. The faith which is lim- ited by our narrow faculties is a faitii unworthy of a child of God; for as a child of God he should begin to deal with infinite sublimities, like those in which his great Father is at home. These are only to be grasp- ed by faith. To return to my subject: albeit the matter must be as Scripture foreshadowed, yet no constraint nor inducement was put forth; but, as free agents, the soldiers performed the very things which were written in the Prophets concerning Christ.

Dear friends, suffer one more observation upon this fulfilment of Scripture : it was marveJIoushj complete. Observe that in these transactions a seal Avas set upon that joart of Scripture which has been most exposed to sceptical derision: for the seal was set first of all upon thetyjjes. Irreverent readers of Scripture have refused to accept the types: they say, "How do you know that the Passover was a type of Christ?" In other cases, more serious persons object to detailed interpre- tations, and decline to see a meaning in the smaller particulars. Such persons would not attach spiritual importance to the law, "Not a bone of it shall be brok- en;" but would dismiss it as a petty regulation of an obsolete religious rite. But observe, beloved, the Holy

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Spirit does nothing of the kind ; for he fixes npon a minor particular of the type, and declares that this must be fulfilled. I\Ioreover, the providence of God intervenes, so that it shall be carried out. Wherefore, be not scared away from the study of the types by the ridicule of the worldly-wise. There is a general timidity coming over the minds of many about Holy Scripture, a timidity to which, thank God, 1 am an ut- ter stranger. It would be a happy circumstance if the childlike reverence of the early fathers could be re- stored to the church, and the present irreverent criti- cism could be repented of and cast away. We may delight ourselves in the types as in a very Paradise of revelation. Here we see our best Beloved's beauties mirrored in ten thousand delightful ways. Tiiere is a w^orld of holy teaching in the books of the Old Testa- ment, and in their types, and symbols. To give up this patrimony of the saints, and to accept criticism instead of it, would be like selling one's birthright for a mess of pottage. I see in our Lord's unbroken bones a setting of the seal of God upon the types of Scrip- ture.

Let us go further. I see, next, the seal of God set upon unfulfilled prophecy ; for the passage of Zechariah is not yet completely fulfilled. It runs thus: "They shall look upon me whom they have pierced." Jeho- vah is the speaker, and he speaks of '^ the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem." They are to look on Jehovah whom they have pierced, and to mourn for him. Although this prophecy is not yet fulfilled on the largest scale, yet it is so far certified; for Jesus is pierced: the rest of it, therefore, stands good, and Israel shall one day mourn because of her Lsulted King. The prophecy Avas fulfilled in part

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when Peter stood np and preached to the eleven, when a great company of the priests believed, and when mrdtitudes of the seed of Abraham became preachers of Christ crucified. Still it awaits a larger fulfilment, and v/e niay rest quite sure that the day shall come when all Israel shall be saved. As the piercing of their Lord is true, so shall the piercing of their hearts be true, and they shall mourn and inwardly bleed with bitter sorrow for him whom they despised and abhorred. The point to mark here is, that a seal is set in this case to a prophecy which yet awaits its largest fulfiln^ent; wherefore, we may regard this as a pattern, and may lay stress upon prophecy, and rejoice in it, and receive it without doubt, come what may.

I have said this much upon the fulfilment of the Word concerning our Lord; let us learn hence a les- son of reverence and confidence in reference to Holy Scripture.

]L But now, secondly, and briefly, the identifica- TiON iLF OUR LojRi^. AS THE jMessiah was greatly sfrtngTli- ened by that which befell his body after death. It was needful that he should conclusively be proved to be the Christ spoken of in the Old Testament. Cer- tain marks and tokens arc given, and those marks and tokens must be found in him : they were so found.

The first mark was this : GocVs Lamh must have a vieasure of preservation. If Christ be what he j)i'ofess- es to be, he is the Lamb of God. Now, God's lamb could only be dealt with in God's way. Yes, there is the lamb; kill it, sprinkle its blood, roast it with fire, but break not its bones. It is God's lamb, and not yours, therefore hitherto shalt thou come, but no fur- ther. Not a bone of it shall be broken. Roast it, divide it among yourselves, and eat it, but break no bone of it

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The Lord claims it as bis own, and this is his reserve. So, iu effect, the Lord says concerning the Lord Jesus: "There is my Son; bind him, scourge him, spit on him, crucify Lim ; but he is the Lamb of my Passover, and you must not break a bone of iiim." The Lord's right to him is declared by the reservation which is made concerning his bones. Do you not see here liow he is identified as being " the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world " ? It is a mark of identity upon which faith fixes her eyes, and studies that mark until she sees much more in it than we can this morning speak about, for we have other things to dwell upon.

The next mark of identity must be, tliat Jehovah our Lord should he pierced by Israel. So Zachariah said and so must it be fulfilled. Not merely must his hands and feet be nailed, but most conspicuously must himself be pierced. " They shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him." Pierced he must be. His wounds are the marks and tokens of his being the real Christ. When they sliall see the sign of the Son of man in the last days, then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn; and is not that sign his appearing as a Lamb that has been slain ? The vround in his side was a sure mark of his identity to his own disciples; for he said to Thomas, •' Ecach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side: and be not faithless but believing." It shall be the convincing token to all Israel: "They shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one that monrneth for his only son." To us the opened way to his heart is in his flesh, the token that this is the in- carnate God of love, whose heart can be reached by all who seek Ids grace.

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But I have not finished this identification; for observe, that when that side was pierced, " forthwith came tliereout blood and water." You that have youi Bibles will have opened them already at Zechariah xii. Will you kindly read on till you come to the first verse of the thij'teentli chapter, which ouglit not to have been divided from the twelfth chapter ? AVhat do you find there? "In that day there shall be a fountain opened to the house of David and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem for sin and for unclnanness." They pierced him, ai]d in that day they began to mourn for him ; but more, in that day there was a fountain opened. And what was that fountain but this gush of water and of blood trom the riven side of our redeeming Lord? The prophecies follow quickly upon one another; they relate to the same person, and to the same day; and we are pleased to see that the facts also follow quickly upon one another; for when the soldier with the spear pierced the side of Jesus, '•'•jorilacith came there out blood and water." Jehovah v>-as pierced, and men repent- ed, and beheld the cleansing fountain within a brief space. The men who saw the sacred fountain opened rejoiced to see in it the attestation of the finished sac rifice, and tlie token of its cleansing effect.

The identification is more complete if we add one more remark. Take all the types of the Old Testa- ment together, and you will gather this, that ilie 'puri- fication of sin was typically set forth ly blood and icater. Blood was conspicuous always, you have no remission of sin without it : but water was exceedingly promi- nent also. The priests before sacrificing must ^vash, and the victim itself must be washed with water. Impure things must be washed with running water.

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Beliolu bow our Lord Jesus came by water and by blood, not by water only, but by water and blood. John who saw the marvellous stream never forgot the Kight; for though he wrote his Epistles, I suppose, far on in life, the recollection of that wondrous scene was fresh with him. Though I suppose he did not Avrite his Gospel until he was a very old man, yet when he came to this passage it impressed him as ranch as ever, and he uttered affirmations which he was not at all accustomed to use: "He that saw it bare record, and his record is true: and he knoweth that he saith true." In solemn form he thus, after a manner, gave his affidavit before God's people, that he did really behold this extraordinary sight. In Jesus we see one who has come to atone and to sanc- tify. He is that High Priest who cleanses the leprosy of sin by blood and water. This is one part of the sure identification of the great Purifier of God's peo- ple, that he came both by water and by blood, and poured out both from his pierced side. I leave these identifications to you. They are striking to my own mind, but they are only part of the wonderful system of marks and tokens by which it is seen that God attests the man Christ Jesus as being in very deed the true Messiah.

III. I must close by noticing, thirdly, _TBna.j[N^TRiJC-

TION INTENDED FOR X^S.m_alLtJij£Sejthil]gS.

The first instruction intended for us must be only hinted at, like all the rest. S^eejvhalJjIuisJJstoik He is the Pasclial Lamb, not a bone of v^^hich was broken. You believe it. Come, then, and act upon your belief by feeding upon Christ; keep the feast in your own souls this day. That sprinkling blood of his has brought you safety: the Destroying An-^eJ

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cannot touch yon or yonr house. The Lamb himself has become your food; feed on him; remove your spiritual hunger by receiving Jesus into your heart. This is the food whereof if a man eat he shall live for ever. Be filled with all the fulness of God, as you now receive the Lord Jesus as God and man. Ye are complete in him. Ye are "perfect in Jesus Christ." Can you not say of him : " lie is all my salvation, and all ray desire " ? " Christ is all and in all." Do not merely learn this lesson as a doctrine, but enjoy it as a personal privilege. Jesus our Passover is slain, let him be eaten. Let us feast on him, and then be ready to journey through the wilderness, in the strength of this divine meat, until we come to the promised rest.

What nest do we learn from this lesson but this ? See man's jreatment. of. Christ. They have sjtit upon him, t'Eey have cried, "Crucify him, crucify him," they have nailed him to the cross, they have mocked his agonies, and he is dead; but man's malice is not glutted yet. The la'st act of man to Christ must be to pierce him through. That cruel wound was the con- centration of man's ill-treatment of Jesus. His expe- rience at the hands of our race is summoned up in the fact that they pierced him to the heart. That is what men have done to Christ: they have so despised and rejected him that he dies, pierced to the heart. Oh, the depravity of our nature ! Some doubt whether it is iotal depravity. It deserves a worse adjective than that. There is no word in human language which can express the venom of the enmity of man to his God and Saviour: he would wound him mortally if he could. Do not expect that men will love either Christ or you, if you are like him. Do not expect

ON THE CROSS AFTER DEATH. \Yl

that Jesus will find room for himself in the inn, much less that he will be set on the tlirone by guilty, unre- newed men. Oh, no ! Even when he is dead they must insult his corpse with a spear-thrust. One sol- dier did it, but he expressed the sentiment of the age. This is what the world of sinners did for him who came into the world to save it.

Now, learn, in the next place, wliat^ Jesn^^dld for, men. Beloved, that was a sweet expression in our Eymn just now —

" Even after deatli liis heart For ns its tribute poured."

In his life he had bled for us: drop by drop the bloody sweat had fallen to the ground. Then the cruel scourges drew from him purple streams : but as a little store of life-blood was left near his heart, he poured it all out belbre he went his w-ay. It is a materialistic expression, but there is something more in it than mere sentiment — that there remains among the substance of this globe a sacred relic of the Lord Jesus in the form of that bloo'd and water. As no atom of matter ever perishes, that matter remains on earth even now. His body has gone into glory, but the blood and water are left behind. I see much more in this fact than I will now attempt to tell. 0 world, the Christ has marked thee wdth his blood and he means to have thee! Blood and water from the heart of God's own Son have fallen down upon this dark and defiled planet, and thus Jesus has sealed it as his own, and as such it must be transformed into a new heaven and a new earth, wherein dwelleth right- . eousness. Our dear Lord, when he had given us all he had, and even resigned his life on our behalf, then parted with a priceless stream from the fountain

118 ON THE CROSS AFTER DEATH.

of liis heart: " fortliwiili came there out blood and ^vater." Oh, the kindness of the heart of Christ, that did not only for a blow return a kiss, but for a spear-thrust returned streams of life and healing !

But I must hurry on. I can see in this passage also the safety of i]ie taints. It is marvellous how full of eyes the things of Jesus are ; for his unbroken bones look backward to the Paschal lamb, but they also look forward througJ)out all the history of the church to tJiat day when he shall gather all his saints in one body, and none shall be missing. Kot a bone of his mystical body shall be broken. There is a text in the Psalms which saith of the righteous man — . and all righteous men are conformed unto the imago of Christ — " He keepeth all his bones: not one of them is broken." I do rejoice in the safety of Christ's elect; he shall not permit a bone of his redeemed body to be broken.

" For all tlie chosen seed

Shall meet arouud the throne, Shall bless the conduct of his grace, And make his glories known."

A perfect Christ there shall be in the day of his ap- pearing, when all the members of his body shall be joined to their glorious Head, who shall be crowned for ever. Not one living member of Christ shall be absent; "Not a bone of him shall be broken.'' There shall be no lame, maimed Christ, no half-wrought redemption; but the purpose that he came to accom- plish shall be perfectly achieved to the glory of his name.

I have not quite done, for I must add another les- son. We see here the sali-ation cf sinners. Jesus Christ's «'de is pierced to give to sinners the double cure of

ON THE CROSS AFTER DEATH. 119

sill, the taking away of its guilt and power; but, better than this, sinners are to have tlieir hearts broken by a sight of the Crucified. By this means also they are to obtain faith. "They shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him." Beloved, our Lord Jesus came not only to save sin- ners, but to seek them: his death not only saves those who have faith, but it creates faith in those who have it not. The cross produces the fiaith and repentance which it demands. If you cannot come to Christ with faith and repentance, come to Christ /or faith and repentance, for he can give them to you. He is pierced on purpose that you may be pricked to the heart. His blood, which freely flows, is shed for many for the remission of sins. What you have to do is just to look, and, as you look, those blessed feelings which are the marks of conversion and regeneration shall be wrought in you by a sight of him. Oh, bless- ed lesson ! Put it into practice this morning. Oh, that in this great house many may now have done with self and look to the crucified Saviour, and find life eternal in him ! For this is the main end of John's writing this record, and this is the chief design of our preaching upon it: we long that you may believe. Come, ye guilty, come and trust the Son of God who died for you. Come, ye foul and jDolluted, come and wash in this sacred stream poured out for you. There is life in a look at the Crucified One. There is life at this moment for every one of you who Avill look to him. God grant you may look and live, for Jesus Christ's sake I Amen.

YI.

THE FIRST APPEARANCE OF THE RISEN LORD TO THE ELEVEN.

Ajn-il IC, 1887.

" And as they thus spake, Jesus liimself stood in tlie midst oi them, and saith unto them, Peace he unto you. But they were terrirted and affrighted, and supposed that they had seen a spirit. And he said unto them, Why are ye trouhled ? and why do thoughts arise in your hearts ? Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself: handle me, and see ; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have. And when he had thus spoken, ho showed them his hands and his feet. And while they yet believ- ed not for Joy, and wonder, he said unto them, Have ye here any meat ? And they gave him a piece of a broiled fish, and of an honeycomb. And he took it, and did eat before them. And he said unto them. These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the jiroi^hets, and in the psalms, concerning me." — Luke xxiv. Sf — 44.

This, beloved friends, is one of the most memoi'able of our Lord's many visits to iiis disciples after lie had risen from the dead. Each one of these appearances had its own pecnliarity. I cannot at this time give yon even an outline of the special colorings which distinguish each of the many manifestations of our risen Lord. The instance now before ns may be con- sidered to be the fullest and most deliberate of all the manifestations, abounding beyond every other iu "in- fallible proofs." Eeraember, that it occurred on the same day in which our Lord had risen from the dead, and it was the close of a long day of gracious appear- (120)

FIKS T APPEARANCE OF THE RISEN LORD. 121

ings. It was the sumiuiug-up of a series of inter- views, all of wliicii' were proofs of the Lord's resurrec- tion. Tiiere was the empty tomb and the grave- clothes left therein : the place where the Lord lay v\ras accessible to all those who chose to inspect it — for the great stoiae which had been sealed and guard- ed was rolled away. This in itself was most impress- ive evidence. Moreover, the holy women had been there, and had seen a vision of angels, wdio said that Jesus was alive. Magdalene had enjoyed a special interview. Peter and John had been into the empty tomb and had seen for themselves. The report was current that " the Lord was risen indeed, and had appeared unto Simon." It was a special thing that he Bhould appear unto Simon : for the disciples painfully knew^ how Simon had denied his Master, and his appearance unto Simon seemed to have struck them as peculiarly characteristic: it was so like the manner of our Lord.

They met together in their bewilderment: the eleven of them gathered, as I suppose, to a social meal, for Mark tells us that the Lord appeared unto them " as they sat at meat." It must have been very late in the day, but they were loath to part, and so kept together till midnight. While they were sitting at meat tw^o brethren came in who, even after the sun had set, had hastened back from Emmaus. These new-comers related how one who seejned a stranger had joined himself to them as they were walking from Jerusalem, had talked with them in such a wMy that their hearts had been made to burn, and had made himself known unto them in the breaking of bread at the journey's end. They declared that it was the Lord who had thus appeared unto them, and, though

122 FIRST APPEARANCE OF THE RISEN LORD.

they had intended to spend the night at Emmaus, tliey iiad hurried back to toil the marvelluus news to the eleven. Hence the witnesses accumulated with great rapidity ; it became more and more clear that Jesus had really risen from the dead. But as yet the doubters were not convinced, for Mark says: " After that he appeared in another form unto tv\^o of them, as they walked, and w^ent into the country. And they went and told it unto the residue: neither believed they them."

Everything was w^orking up to one point: the most unbelieving of them were being driven into a corner. They must doubt the truthfulness of Magda- lene and the other saintly won:>en; they must ques- tion the veracity of Simon; they must reject the two newly-arrived brethren, and charge them with telling idle tales, or else they must believe that Jesus was still alive, though they had seen him die upon the cross. At that moment the chief confirmation of all presented itself: " for Jesus himself stood in the midst of them." The doors were shut; but, despite every obstacle, their Lord Avas present in the centre of the assembly. In the presence of one whose loving smile warmed their hearts, their unbelief was destined to thaw and disappear. Jesus revealed himself in all the warmth of his vitality and love, and made them understand that it was none other than his very self, and tiiat the Scriptures had told them that it should be so. They were slow of heart to believe all that the prophets had spoken concerning him, but ho brought them to it by his familiar communion with them. Oh that in a like way he would put an end to ail our doubts and fears!

Brethren, though ycu and I were not at that inter-

FIRST APrEARAyCE OF THE RISEN LORD. 123

view% yet ^Ye may derive miich profit from it while we look at it in detail, anxiously desiring that we may in spii-it see, and look upon, and handle the Word bf Life manifested in the flesh. Oh to learn all that Jesus w^ould teach us, as w^e now in spirit take our places at that midnight meeting of the chosen ones !

In this wonderful manifestation of our Lord to his apostles I notice three things worthy of our careful observation this morning. This incident teaches us tlie certainty of the resurrection of cur Lord; secolidly, it shows us a little of the character of our risen blaster ; and, thirdly, it gives us certain hints as to the nature of our own resurrection, when it shall be granted us. Oh that we may be accounted worthy to attain to the resurrection from among the dead !

L First, then, let us see here the certainty of our Lord's resurrection. We have often asserted, and we affirm it yet again, that no fact in history is better at- tested than the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. The common mass of facts accepted by all men as historical are not one-tenth as certainly assured to us as this fact is. It miist not be denied by any who are willing to pay the slightest respect to the testi- mony of their fellow-men, that Jesus, who died upon the cross, and w^as buried in th3 tomb of Joseph of ArimathfBa, did literally rise again from the dead.

Observe, that when this person appeared in the room, the first token that it was Jesus was his speech: they were to have the evidence of hearing : he used the same speech. No sooner did he appear than he spoke. He was never dumb, and it was natural that the great Teacher and Friend should at once salute his follow- ers, from whom he had been so painfully parted. His first accents must have called to their minds those

124 FIRST APPEARANCE OF 7 VIE RISEN LORD.

clieeving notes with v\'liich he had closed his last ad- dress. They must liave recognized that charming Yoice. I suppose its tone and rhythm to have been rich with a music most sweet and heavenly. A per- fect voice would naturally be given to a perfect man. The very sound of it would, through their ears, have charmed conviction into their minds with a glow of joy, had tliey not been frozen up in unbelief. " Never man spake like this man:" they miglit have known him by his speech alone. Tliere were tones of voice as well as fornis of language which were peculiar to Jesus of Nazareth.

What our Lord said was just like him; it was all of a piece with his former discourse. Among the last sounds which lingered in their ears was that word "Peace I leave with you, my peace 1 give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you ;" and now it must surely be the same person who introduces him- self with the cheering salutation, " Peace be unto you." About the Lord there were the air and style of one who had peace himself, and loved to communi- cate it to others. The tone in which he spake peace tended to create it. lie was a peace-maker, and a peace-giver, and by this sign they were driven to dis- cern their Leader.

Do you not think that they were almost persuaded to believe that it was Jesus when he proceeded to chide them in a manner more tender than any other chiding could have been? How gentle the accents when he said, "Why are ye troubled? and why do thoughts arise in your hearts ?" Our Lord's chidings were comforts in disguise. His upbraidings were con- solations in an unusual shape. Did not his upbraid- ing on this occasion bring to their minds his question

FIRST ArPEAKANCE OE THE RISEN LORD. 125

upon the sea of Galilee when he said to them, " Vrhy are ye fearful, 0 ye of little faitli?" Did tlu-y not also rsinomber when he came to them walking on tlie wa^er, and they wei'e afraid that he was a spirit, and orisd out for fear; and he said to them, "It is I; be not afraid " ? Surely they remembered enough of these things to have made sure that it was their Lord, had not their spirits been sunken in sorrow. Our Lord had never been unwisely silent as to their faults. lie had never passed over their errors with that false and indulgent alFection which gratifies its own ease by tolerating sin; but he had pointed out their faults with the fidelity of true love; and now that he thus admonished them, they ought to have perceived that it was none other tlian he. Alas! unbelief is slow to die.

When Jesus came at last to talk to them about Moses, and the prophets, and the psalms, he was np- on a favorite topic. Then the eleven might have nudged each other and whispered, " It is the Lord." Jesus had, in his later hours, been continually point- ing out the Scriptures which w^ere being fulfilled in himself, and at this interview he repeated his former teaching. This is assuredly none other than ho wlio always spoke his Father's mind and will, and con- stantly did honor to the Holy Ghost by whom the sacred books were inspired. Thus in his tones and topics our Lord gave clear indications that it was himself who had suddenly appeared in that little as- sembly.

I want you to notice that this evidence was all the better, because they themselves evidently remained the same men as they had been. "They were terri- fied and afii'ighted, and supposed that they had seen

12G FIRST APPEARANCE OF THE RISEN LORD,

a spirit"; aiid tkiis tliey did exactly what they had doiie long before when he came to them walking on the waters. In the interval between his death and his apppearing, no change has come over them. Nothing has happened to them to elevate them as yet out of their littleness of mind. The Holy Spirit was not yet given, and therefore all that they had heard at the Last Supper, and seen in Gethsemane, and at the cross had not yet exercised its full influ- ence upon them: they were still childish and unbe- lieving. The same men, then, are looking at the same person, and they are in their ordinary condition; tliis argues strongly for the correctness of their iden- tification of their well-beloved Lord. They arc not carried away by enthusiasm, nor wafted aloft by fanaticism : they are not even as yet ujiborne by the Lloly Spirit into an unusual stnte of mind, but they are as slow of heart and as fearful as ever they were. If tlicy are convinced that Jesus has risen from the dead, depend npon it, it must be so. If they go forth to tell the tidings of his resurrection, and to yield up their lives for it, you may be sure that their witness is true, for they are not the sort of men to be deceived. In our day there has been a l)uzz about certain mira- cles of faith, but the statements usually come from persons whose impartiality is questionable — credulous persons who saw what they evidently wished to see. I know several good people who would not wilfully deceive, \A\o nevertheless upon some points are ex- ceedingly unreliable, because their enthusiasm is pre- pared to be imposed upon. Any hawker of wonders would expect them to be buyers, they have a taste for the marvellous. As witnesses, the evidence of such people has no value in it as compared with that of

FIRST APPEARANCE OF THE RISEN LORD. \Z~

these eleven men, who evidently were the reverse of credulous or excitable. In the apostles' case the facts were tested to the utmost, and the truth was not admitted till it was forced upon them. 1 am not ex- cusing- the unbelief of the disciples, but I claim that tbeir vritness has all the more weight in it, because it was the result of such cool investigation. These apostles were in special manner to be witnesses of the resurrection, and it makes assurance doubly sure to us when we see them arrive at their conclusion vath such deliberate steps. These were men like ourselves, only perhaps a little less likely to be deceived : {\\o-^ needed to be convinced by overwhelming witness, and they were so: ever afterwards they declared boldly that their crucified Lord had indeed risen from the dead.

Thus far in the narrative they have received the evidence of their ears, and that is by no means weak evidence; but now tliey are to have the evidence cf sicjld ; for the Saviour says to them, " Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself ;" " and when he had thus spoken, he showed them his hands and his feet." John says also "his side," which he specially noted, because he had seen the piercing of that side, and the outflo-v of blood and water. They were to see and identify that blessed body which had suffered death. The nail prints were visible, both in his hands which were open before them, and also in his feet which their condescending Lord deigned to expose to their delib- erate gaze. There was the mark of the gash in his side; and this tb.c Lord Josus graciously bared to them, as afterw^ards he did more fully to Thomas, when he said, "Reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side." These were the marks of the Lord

128 FIRST APPEARANCE OF THE RISEN LORD.

Jesus, by which his identity could be verified. Be- yond this there was the general contour of his counte- nance, and the fashion of the whole man by which they could discern him. His body, tliough it w^as now in a sense glorified, was so far veiled as to its new condition that it retaijjed its former likeness: they might perceive Ihat their Lord was no longer subject to the pains and infirmities of our ordinary mortality — else his wounds had not been healed so soon; but yet there remained sure marks by which they knew that it was Jesus, and no other. He looked like a lamb tluit had been slain: the signs of the Son of j\lan were in his hands and feet and side. Their sight of the Lord was not a hasty glimpse, but a steady inspection, lor John in his first epistle writes, " Which we have seen and looked upon." This implies a lengthened looking, and such the Lord Jesus in vit-. ed his friends to take. They could not have been mistaken when they were afforded such a view of those' marks by which his identity was established. The same Christ that died had risen from the dead, the same Jesus that had hung upon tlie cross, now stood in the midst of those who knew him best. It was the same body, and they identified it, although a great change had doubtless conje over it since it was taken down from the tree.

Furthermore, that they might be quite sure, iM Lord invited them to receive the evidence of touch or feel- ing. He called them to a form of examination, from Avhich, I doubt not, many of them shrank; he said, " Handle me. Handle me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have.'-' Writers have remarked upon the use of the word "bones," instead of blood, in this case; but I do not think th^*"*;

FIRST ArPEARANCE OF THE RISEX LORD. 12<J

any iuference can be safely drawn therefrom. It would have been barely possible for the disciples to have discovered by handling that the Lord had blood, but they could by handling perceive tliat he had bonnes; hence the expression is natural enough, with- out our imputing to it a meaning which it may never have been intended to convey. The Saviour had a rea- son, no doubt, other than some have imagined, for the use of the terms, "a spirit hath not flesh and hones as ye see me have." The Saviour had not assumed a phantom body: there was bone in it as well as flesh; it was to the full as substantial as ever. He had not put on an appearance, as angels do when they visit the sons of men. No, his body was solid substance, which could be handled. " Handle me, and see that it is I myself." He bade them see that it was flesh and bone, such as no spirit has. There were the sub- stantial elements of a human frame in that body of Christ which stood in the midst of the eleven. Jesus cried, " Handle me, and see."

Thus our Lord was estaljlishing to the apostles, not only his identity, but also his substantial corporeal existence ; he would make them see that he was a man of flesh and bones, and not a ghost, airy and unsubstantial. This should correct a certain form of teaching upon the resurrection which is all too com- mon. I was present some years ago at a funeral of a man of God for whom I had much respect. In the chapel a certain excellent Doctor of Divinity gave us an address before the interment in which he informed us as to the condition of his departed friend. Pie said that he was not in the coffin : indeed, there was nothing of him there. This I was sorry to hear, for if so I was ignorantly mourning over a body which had no 9 -

130 J^IRST AFPEARAACE CF THE RISEN LORD,

relation to my Inend. The preacher Vv'ent on to- de- scribe the way in which the man of God had ascended to heaven at the moment of death, his spirit fashion- ing for itself a body as it passed through the air. I believed in my friend's being in heaven, but not in his being there in a body. I knew that my friend's body was in the coffin, and 1 believed that it would be laid in the tomb, and I expected that it w^oidd rise again from the grave at the coming of the Lord. I did not believe that my friend would weave for him- self a filmy frame, making a second body, nor do I believe it now, tliongh I heard it so affirmed. I believe in the resurrection of the dead. I lock to see the very body which was buried raised again. It is true that as the seed develops into the flower, so the buried body is merely the germ out of which will come the spiritual body; yet still it will not be a second body, but the same body, as to identity. I shall enter into no dispute about the atoms of the body, nor deny that the particles of our flesh, in the process of their decay, may be taken up by plants and absorbed into the bodies of animals, and all that; I do not care one jot about identity of atoms, there may not be a solitary ounce of the same matter, but yet identity can be preserved; and it must be pre- served if I read jny Bible aright. My body to-day is the same as that which J inhabited twenty years ago, and yet all its jmrticles are different : even so the body put into the grave and the body that rises from it are not two bodies, but one body. The saints are not at the coming of their Lord to remain disem- bodied spirits, nor to wear freshly created bodies, but their entire manhood is to be restored, and to enjoy ejidless bliss. Well said the patriarch of old, "in my

FIRST APPEARANCE OF THE RISEN LORD. 1^1

flesh shall I see God." " He which raised np the Lord Jesus shall raise up us also by Jesus." I cannot see how the doctrine of Christ goes beyond the- doctrine of Plato and others if it be not a doctrine which respects ^his body. The immortality of the soul was accepted and known as a truth before the faith of Chi-ist was preached, for it is dimly discoverable by the light of nature ; but the resurrection of the body is a revela- tion peculiar to the Christian dispensation, at which the wise men of the world very naturally mocked, but which it ill becomes Christian men to spirit away. The body which is buried shall rise again. It is true it is sown a natural body and shall be raised a spiritual body, but it will be truly a body, and the same it which was sown shall be raised. It is true it is sown in weakness and raised in power, but the same it is thus raised. It is true that it is sown in weak- ness to be raised in power, and sown a corruptible body, to be raised in incorruption, but in each case it is the same body, though so gloriously changed.

It will be'of a material substance also ; for our Sa- viour's body was material, since he said, " Handle me, and see that it is I myself; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have."

Still farther to confirm the faith of his disciples, and to show them that their Lord had a real body, and not the mere form of one, lie gave tJiem evidence ivhicJi ajJj^ealed to their common sense. He said, " Have ye any meat ? And they gave him a piece of a broiled fish, and of an honeycomb. And he took it and did eat before them." This was an exceedingly convincing proof of his unquestionable resurrection. In very deed and fact, and not in vision and phantoni, the man who had died upon the cross stood among them.

132 FmST'AFFEARAA'CE OF THE RISEN LORD.

Let us just think of this and rejoice. This resurrection of our Lord Jesus is a matter of certainty ; for, if you spirit this way, you have done away with the gospel altogether. If he is not risen from the dead, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain ; ye are yet in your sins. Justification receives its seal in the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead; not in his appearing as a phantom, but in his very self being loosed from death, and raised to a glorious life. This is God's mark of the acceptance of the word of the great Substitute, and of the justification of all for whom his atoning work was performed.

Note well that this is also our grand hope concern- ing those that are asleep. You have buried them for- ever if Christ was not raised from the dead. They have passed out of your sight, and they shall never again have fellowship with you, unless Jesus rose again from the dead ; for the apostle makes the resur- rection of all who are in Christ to hinge upon the resurrection of Christ. I do not feel it necessary, when I talk with the bereaved, to comfort them at all concerning those that are asleep in Christ, as to their souls: we know that they are forever with the Lord, and are supremely blessed, and, therefore, we need no further comfort. The only matter upon which we need consolation is that poor body, which once we loved so w^ell, but which nov/ we must leave in the cold clay. The resurrection comes in as a final undo- ing of all that death has done. "They shall come again from the land of the enemy." Jesus saith, "Thy dead men shall live, together with ray dead body shall they arise.'' If we question the resurrection of Christ, then is the v/hole of our faith questioned, and those who have fallen asleep in Christ have per-

V

FIRST APPEARANCE OF THE RISEN LORD. I33

islied, and we are left just where others were, before Christ brought this divine truth to light. Only as we are sure of the resurrection of Jesus can we crj, " 0 death, where is thy sting ? 0 grave, where is thy victory ? "

s II. Secondly, will you follow me while I very brief- ly set forth our Lord's character when risen from the

DEAD ?

What is he now that he hath -quitted death, and all that belongs to it? What is he now that he shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more ? He is much tJie same as he used to be; indeed he is altogether what he was, for he is " the same yesterday, to-day and for ever."

Notice, first, that in this appearance of Christ we are taught that he is still anxious to create peace in the hearts of his people. No sooner did he make himself visible than he said, "Peace be unto you." Beloved, your risen Lord wants you to be happy. When he Mas here on earth he said, " Let not your hearts be troubled" : he says just the same to you to-day. He takes no delight in the distresses of his people. He would have his joy to be in them, that their joy may be fulL He bids you rejoice in him evermore. He whispers to you this morning, as you sit in the pew, " Peace be unto you." He has not lost his tender care over the least of the flock ; he would have each one led by the still waters, and made to lie doT\Ti in green pastures.

Note again, that he has not lost his habit of chiding un- helief and encouragincj faith / for as soon as he has risen, and speaks with his disciples, he asks them, " Why are ye troubled ? and why do thoughts arise in your hearts?" He loves you to believe in him, and be at

134 FJRST APPEARANCE OF THE PISEJV LORD.

rest. Find if you can, beloved, one occasion in which Jesus inculcated doubt, or bade men dwell in uncer- tainty. ,Th© apostles of unbelief are everywhere to- day, and they imagine that they are doing God service by spreading what they call " honest doubt." This is death to all joy ! Poison to all peace ! The Saviour did not so. He would have them take extraordinary measures to get rid of their doubt. " Handle me," he says. It was going jJ long way to say that, but he would sooner be handled than his people should doubt! Ordinarily it might not be meet for them to touch him. Had he not said to the women, " Touch me not"? But what may not be allowable ordinarily be- comes proper when necessity demands it. The remov- al of their doubt as to our Lord's resurrection needed that they should handle him, and therefore he bids them do so. 0 beloved, you that are troubled and vexed with thoughts, and therefore get no comfort out of your religion because of your mistrust, your Lord would have you come very near to him, and put his gospel to any test which will satisfy you. He cannot bear you to doubt. He appeals tenderly, say- ing, " 0 thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?" He would at this moment still encourage you to taste and see that the Lord is good. He would have you believe in the substantial reality of his relig-- ion, and handle him and see : trust him largely and simply, as a child trusts its mother and knows no fear.

Notice, next, that when the Saviour had risen from the dead, and a measure of his glory was upon him, lie was still most condescendingly familiar luith his people. He showed them his hands and his feet, and he said, "Handle me, and see." When he was on earth, be-

FIUST APPEARANCE OF THE RISEN LORD. 135

fore liis passion, he was most free with his disciples: no affectation of dignity kept him apart from them. He was their Master and Lord, and yet he washed their feet. He was the Son of the Highest, but he was among them as one that serveth. He said, " Suffer little children to come unto me." He is the same to- ^day.

"His sacred name a common word

On earth he loves to hear ; There is no majesty in him

"Which love may not come near."

Though he reigns in the highest heavens, his delights are still with the sons of men. Still he will permit us to sit at his feet, or even to lean our head upon his bosom. Jesus will hear us tell out our griefs ; he will regard our cry w^hen we are not pleading about a sword in our bones, but only concerning a thorn in our flesh. Jesus is still the brother born for adversi- ty ; he still manifests himself to us as he doth not unto the world. Is not this clear, and also very pleas- ant to see, as we study this interview ?

The next thing is that ilie risen Lord luas still icon- derfdly 20cdient, even as he had always been. He bore with their folly and infirmity; for "while they yet be- lieved not for joy, and wondered," he did not chide them. He discerned between one unbelief and an- other, and he judged that the unbelief which grew out of wonder was not so blamable as that former un- belief which denied credible evidence. Instead of re- buke he gives confirmation. He says, " Have ye here any meat?" and he takes a piece of broiled fish, and of a honeycomb, and eats it. Not that he needed food. His body could receive food, but it did not re- quire it. Eating was his own sweet way of showing

130 FIRST APPEARANCE OF THE RISEN LORD.

tliera that if lie could he would solve all their ques- tions. He would do anything in his great patience that they might be cured of their mistrust. Just so to-day, beloved, Jesus doth not chide you, but he in- vites you to believe him : he invites you, therefore, to sup ^vith him, and eat bread at his table. " He will not always chide, neither will he keep his anger for ever ;" but in his great mercy he will use another tone, and encourage you to trust him. Can you hold back ? Oh, do not so.

Observe that our Saviour, though he was risen from the dead, and therefore in a measure in his glory, en- tered into the fullest felloicsJdi') u'iih Ms own. Peter tells us that they did eat and drink with him. I do not notice in this narrative that he drank with them, but he certainly ate of such food as they had, and this was a clear token of his fellowship with them. In all ages eating and drinking with one another has been the most expressive token of communion, and so the Sa- viour seems to say to us to-day, "I have eaten with you, my people, since I have quitted the grave, I have eaten with you through the eleven w^ho represented you. I have eaten, and I will still eat with you, till we sit down together at the marriage supper of the Lamb. If any man open unto me, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he wdth me." Yes, the Lord Jesus is wonderfully near to us still, and he waits to grant us the highest forms of fellowship which can be known on this side of the gate of pearL In this let our spirits quietly rejoice.

Let me call your attention to the fact that when Jesus had risen from the dead he vxis just as tende)' of Scrijriure as he teas before his decease. I have dwelt for two Sunday mornings upon the wonderful Avay m

FIRST APPEARANCE OF THE RISEN LORD. 137

wliicli our Lord always magnified the Scriptures ; and here, as if to crown ail, he told them that " all things must be fulfilled which were written in the law of Mo- ses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms conceriiinc: himself ; and he opened their understanding that thev might understaiid the Scriptures, and said unto them. Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to suf- fer, and to rise from the dead." Find Jesus whera .you may, he is the antagonist of those who would less- en the authority of holy Scripture. " It is written " is his weapon against Satan, his argument against wicked men. The learned at this hour scoff at th^ Book, and accuse of Bibliolatry those of us who rever- ence the divine word ; but in this they derive no aa sistance from the teaching or example of Jesus. Not a word derogatory of Scripture ever fell from the lips of Jesus Christ ; but evermore he manifested the most reverent regard for every jot and tittle of the in- spired volume. Since our Saviour, not only before his death, but after it, took care thus to commend the Scriptures to us, let us avoid with all our hearts all teaching in whicli holy Scripture is put into the back- ground. Still the Bible, and the Bible alone, should be and shall be the religion of Protestants, and we will not budge an inch from that stand-point, God lielping us.

Once again, our Saviour, after he had risen from the dead, sJioived that he icas anxious for the salvation cf men ; for it was at this inter^dew that he breathed upon the apostles, and bade them i-eceive the Holy Ghost, to fit them to go forth and preach the gospel- to every creature. The missionary spirit is the spirit of Christ — not only the spii-it of him that died to save, but the spirit of him who has finished the work, and has goaa

138 FIRST APPEARANCE OF THE RISEN lORD.

into iiis rest. Let us cultivate tliat spirit, if we would be iiKe the Jesus who has risen from the dead.

Hi. I can stay no longer, because I would draw yo\ir attention, in the third place, to the lig-ht which is turown by this incident upon the nature of our Qsm

RESURRECTION.

First, I gather from this text that our nature, our whole humanity, will he perfected at tJie day of the appear- ing of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, when the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we that may then be alive shall be changed. Jesus has redeemed not only our souls, but our bodies. '' Know ye not that your bodies are the temples of the Holy Ghost ? " When the Lord shall deliver his captive people out ol the land of the enemy, he will not leave a bone of one of them in the adversary's power. The dominion of death shall be utterly broken. Our entire nature shall be redeemed unto the living God in the day of the resurrection. After death, until that day, we shall be disembodied spirits ; but in the adoption, to wit, the redemption, of the body, we shall attain our full inheritance. We are looking forward to a complete restoration. At this time the body is dead because of sm, and hence it suffers pain, and tends to decay ; but the spirit is life because of righteousness : in the resurrection, however, the body shall be quickened also, and the resurrection shall be to the body vvdiat regeneration has been to the soul. Thus shall our humanity be completely delivered from the conse- quences of the falL Perfect manhood is that which Jesus restores from sin and the grave ; and this shall be ours in the day of his appearing.

I gather next that in the resurrection our nature will he full of peace. Jesus Christ would not have said, " Peace

riRSl' AFPEARAXCE OF THE RISEX LORD. 1^9

be unto you," if thero had not been a deep peace with- in himself. He was cahii and undisturbed. There was much peace about his whole life ; but after the resurrection his peace becomes very conspicuous. There is no striving vcith scribes and Pharisees, there is no battling with anybody after our Lord is risen. A French author has written of oar Lord's Forty Days on earth after the resurrection under the title of " The J.ife of Jesus Christ in Glory." Thongh rather mis- leading at first, the title is not so inaccurate as it ap- pears ; for his work was done, and his warfare was accomplished, and our Lord's life here was the begin- ing of his glory. Such shall be our life, we shall be flooded with eternal peace, and shall never again be tossed about with trouble, and sorrow, and distress and persecution. An infinite serenity shall keep our body, soul, and spirit, throughout eternity.

When we rise again our nature icillfind its home amid the communion of saints. When the Lord Jesus Christ had risen again his first resort was the room where his disciples were gathered. His first evening was spent among the objects of his love. Even so, wher- ever we are we shall seek and find communion with the saints. I joyfully expect to meet many of you in heaven, and to know you, and commune with you. I should not like to float about in the future state Avithout a personality in the midst of a company of undefined and unknown beings. That would be no heaven to me. No, brethren, we shall soon perceive who our comrades are, and we shall rejoice in them, and in our Lord. There could be no communion among unknown entities. You cannot have fellow- ship with people whom you do not recognize; and therefore it seems to me most clear that we shall in

140 ^II?ST APPEARANCE OF THE RISEN LORD.

the future state have fellowship through recognition, and oiu" heavenly bodies shall help the recognition and share in the fellowship. As the risen Christ wends his way to the upper room of the eleven, so will you by force of holy gravitation find your way to the [)lace where all the servants of God shall gather at the last. Then shall we be truly at home, and go no more out for ever.

Furthermore, I see that in that day our bodies will admirably serve our spirits. For look at our Lord's body. Now that he has risen from the dead he desires to convince his disciples, and his body be- comes at once the means of his argument, the evi- dence of his statement. His flesh and bones were text and sermon for him. " Handle me," says he, "and sec." Ah, brethren ! whatever we may have to do in eternity, we shall not be hindered by our bodies as we now are. Flesh and blood hamper us, bi:t "flesh and bones " shall help us. I want to speak sometimes, and my head aches, or my throat is choked, or my legs refuse to bear me up : but it is not so in the resurrection from the dead. A thousand infirmities in this earthly life compass us about; but our risen body shall be helpful to our regenerated nature. It is only a natural body now, fit for our soul; but hereafter it shall be a spiritual body, adapted to all the desires and wishes of the heaven- born spirit; and no longer shall we have to cry out, " The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak." We shall find in the risen body a power such as the spirit shall wish to employ for the noblest purposes. Will not this be well ?

In that day, beloved, when we shall rise again from the dead, ive shall reraemher the past. Do you not

JFIIiST APPEARANCE OF THE RISEN LORD. 141

notice Low tlie risen Saviour says, '' These are tlie words which I spake unto you, wliile I was yet with you." He had not forgotten his former state. I think Dr. Watts is right when he says that we shall '* with transporting joys recount the labors of our feat." It is rather a small subject, and probably we shall far more delight to dwell on the labors of our Kedeemers hands and feet; but still we shall remem- l^er all the way whereby the Lord our God led us, and we shall talk to one another concerning it. In heaven we shall remember our happy Sabbaths here bslow, when our hearts burned within us while Jesus himself drew near. Since Jesus speaks after he has risen of the things tliat he said winle he was with his disciples, we perceive that th.e river of death is not like the fabled Lethe, which caused all who drank thereof to forget their past. We shall arise with a multitude of hallowed memories enriching our minds. Death will not be oblivion to us, for it was not so to Jesus. Kather shall we meditate on mercies experienced, and by discoursing thereon we shall make known to principalities and powers the manifold wisdom of God.

Observe that our Lord, after he had risen from the dead, toas stiUfuU of tlie spirit of service, and therefore he called others out to go and preach the gospel, and he gave them the Spirit of God to help them. When you and I are risen from the dead, we shall rise full of the spirit of service. What engagements we may have throughout eternity we are not told, because we have enough to do to fulfil our engagements now; but assuredly we shall be honored with errands of mercy and tasks of love fitted for our heavenly being; and I doubt-not it shall be one of our greatest delights

142 I^'IRST APPEARANCE OF THE RISEN LORD.

wliile seeing llie Lord's face to serve him with all our perfected powers. He Vvill use us in tlie grand econ- omy of future manifestations of his divine glory. Possibly vre may be to other dispensations what the angels have been to this. Be that as it may, we shall find a part of our bliss and joy in constantly serving him who has raised us from the dead. ^/' There Ileave the subject, wishing that I could have handled it much better. Think it over when you are quiet at hojue, and add this thought to it, that you have a share in all that is contained in the resurrection. ]May the Holy Ghost give you a personal grip of this vital truth! You yourself shall rise from the dead; therefore, be not afraid to die.

If any of my hearers have no share in our Lord's resurrection, I am truly sorry for them. 0 my friend, what you are losing ! If you have no share in the living Lord, may God have mercy upon you ! If you have no share in Chrisf s rising from the dead, then you will not be raised up in the likeness of his glori- fied body. If you do not attain to that resurrection from among the dead, then you must abide in death, with no prospect but that of a certain fearful looking- for of judgment, and of fiery indignation. Oh, look to Jesus, the Saviour ! Only as you look to him can there be a happy future for you. God help you to do BO at once, for his dear name's sake ! Amen.

vn.

god's thoughts of peace, and our expected

END.

May 29, 1887.

" For I know the tliouglits that I think to-irard you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end." — Jeremiah xxix. 11.

I HAVE already explained to yon, while expounding the twenty-fourth and twenty-ninth chapters of this prophet, that these words were written by Jeremiah in a letter to the captives in Babylon. A considerable part of tiie people of Israel were carried away by Nebu- chadnezzar into a far country. They w'ere exhorted by the prophet to build houses, form families, and to abide peaceably there till the Lord should lead them back at the end of seventy years. But at that time there was a general uneasy feeling among the Jews and other subjected nations, who did not rest cpn'etly under the iron yoke of Babylon They were plotting and planning continual rebellions, and certain false prophets in Babylon worked with them, stirring up - the spirit of revolt among the exiles. Jeremiah, on the other hand, assured them that they had been sent of God into the land of the Chaldeans for good, bade them seek the peace of the city wherein they now dwelt, and promised them that in due time the Lord would again plant them in their own land.

A people in such a position as the Jews in Babylon

(143)

144 GOirS THOUGHTS OF PEACE.

were in danger in two ways : either to be buoyed up with false hopes, and so to fall into foolish expecta- tions ; or, to fall into despair, and have no hope at all, and so become a sullen and degraded race, who would be unfit for restoration, and unable to play the part which God ordained for them in the history of man<. kind. The prophet had the double duty of putting down their false hopes, and sustaining their right ex- pectations, lie, therefore, plainly warned them against expecting more than God had promised, and he arous- ed them to look for the fulfilment of what he had promised. Sead the tenth verse, and note that pleas- ant expression^'" and perform my good word unto you." At the present time the Church has need of both admonitions. 'Expectations which are not war- ranted, are being raised in many quarters, and are leading to serious delusions. We hear men crying, " Lo here ! " and " Lo there ! " This wonder and that marvel are cried up. It would seem that the age of miracles has returned to certain hot heads. Take ye no heed of all this. Go not beyond the record. On the other hand, we need to be urged to believe our Lord implicitly, and to hold on to his word with a strong, hearty, realizing faith ; being assured tiiat while God will not do what we propose to him, yet he will do what ho has promised. False prophets will be left in the lurch, but the word of the Lord will stand.

This morning my desire shall be to comfort any of God's people who are in a state of perplexity, and thus are carried away captive. I would assure them of the Lord's kindliness to them, and urge them to trust and not be afraiVI. God's thoughts towards them are good, though their trials may be gri(jvou8.

GOD'S THOUGHTS OF PEACE. I45

The text puts me upon two tracks. First, let us consider the Lord's thoughts toioards his people. "I know the thoughts that I think towards yon, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expect- ed end." Secondly, let us consider tlie believer's j^^^ojjer cdtitiide toward^ his Lord. What should we think of our gracious God who thus unveils his heart to us ? V I. First, then, dear friends, consider the lord's

THOUGHTS TOWARDS HIS PEOPLE.

It is noteworthy, first of all, that he does thinh of them, and towards them. Observe that this Scripture saith not, "• I know the thoughts that I have thought toward you." That would be a happy remembrance ; for the thoughts of God concerning his people are more an- cient than the everlasting hills. There never was a time when God did not think upon his people for good. He saith, " 1 have loved thee vvith an ever- lasting love, therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee." But the point here brought forward is, that he stiU thinks of tlieyti It would be possible for you to have thought out a plan of kindness toward a friend, and you might have so arranged it that it would henceforth be a natural fountain of good to him witli- out your thinking any more about it; but that is not after the method of God. His eye and his hand are towards his people continually. It is true he did so think of us that he has arranged everything about us, and provided for every need, and against every dan- ger ; hut yet he has not ceased to think of us. His infinite mind, whose thoughts are as high above our thoughts as the heavens are above the earth, con- tinues to exercise itself about us. " I am poor and needy," saith David, " yet the Lord thinketh upcm me." We love to be thought of by cur frien.ls : in- 10

14:6 GOD'S THOUGHTS OF PEACE.

deed, thought enters into the essence of love. De- light yourselves this morning, 0 ye who belieTS your God, in this heavenly fact, that the Lord thinketli up- on you at this moment. "The Lord hath been mind- ful of us/' and he is still mindful of us. _

The Lord not only thinks of you, but toimrds you. His thoughts are all drifting your way. This is the way the south wind of his thoughts of peace is mov- ing : it is towards you. The Lord never forgets his cwn, for he has graven them upon the palms of his hands. Never at any moment does Jehovah, turn his thoughts from his beloved, even though he has the w^hole universe to rule. He saith of his churcfa, " I the Lord do keep it ; I w^U water it every mo- ment: lest any hurt it, I wall keep it night and day."^

This truth, although it is easily spoken, is not readi- ly comprehended in the fulness of its joy ; nor is it always believed as it should be. These people in cap- tivity w^ere likely to fear that their God had forgotten them: hence the Lord repeats his words in this place, and speaks of thoughts and thinking three times. His words are so repeated as to seem almost redun- dant, out of a desire to make his people feel absolutely sure that not only did he act towards them, but that he still thought toAvards them. To the banished this Vv^oidd be a grand consolation. The Lord thought of them when they walked the strange streets of "the golden city," and heard a language which they under- stood not. He thought of them wlien they were buffete(|^ as aliens by those who marched in the proud- est pomp, and danced in cruel derision to the sound of their viols. The Lord thought of his exiles when their sole solace was solitude by the brink of the Baby

GOD'S THOUGHTS OF PEACE. 147

Ionian canals, "where among' the willows they remem- bered Zion.

All that the Lord was doing towards them was done thoughtfully. His thoughts of peace, and not of evil, towards them, had suggested their captivity and the continuance of it for seventy years. If any of you are in trouble and sorrow to-day, do not doubt that this is sent you according to the thoughtful purpose of the Lord. It is in this fixed intent 'and thoughtfulness that the real character of an action lies. A person laay happen to do you a good turn ; but if you are sure that he did it by accident, or with no more thought than that wherewith a passing stranger throws a penny to a beggar, you are not impressed with gratitude. But when the action of your friend is the result of earnest deliberation, and you see that he acts in the tenderest regard to your welfare, you are far more thankful ; traces of anxiety to do you good are very pleasant. Have I not heard persons say, " It was so kind and so thoughtful of him!" Do you not notice that men value kindly thought, and set great store by tender consideration ! Remember, then, that there is never a thoughtless action on the part of God. His mind goes with his hand: his heart is in his acts. He thinks so much of his people, that the very hairs of their heads are all numbered: he thinks not onKy of the great thing, but of the little things which are in- cidental to the great thing ; as the hairs are to the head. Every affliction is timed and measm-ed, and every comfort is sent with a loving thoughtfulness which makes it precious in a sevenfold degree. 0 be- liever, the great thoughtfulness of the divine mind is exercised towards you, the chosen of the Lord. Never has anything happened to you as the result of a re-

148 GOD'S THOUGHl^S OF PEACE.

morseless fate ; but all your circumstances have been ordered in wisdom by a living, thoughtful, loving Lord.

Brethren, if I said no more you might go on your way rejoicing. Remember that the infinite God has thoughts of peace towards you, and your own thoughts will be thoughts of peace all the day.

To go a step further, let us next note that the tliouglds of God arc only perfectly hioion to himself. It would be a mere truism for God to say, " I know the thoughts that I think toward yon." Even a man usually knows his own thoughts; but the meaning is this: when you do not know the thoughts that I have towards you, yet / know them. Brethren, when we cannot * know the thoughts of the Lord because the}^ are too high for our conception, or too deep for our understanding, yet the Lord knows them. Our heavenly Father knows what he is doing; when his ways towards us appear to be iiivolved and complicated, and we cannot disentangle the threads of the skein, yet the Lord sees all things clearly, and knows the thoughts that he thinks towards us. He never misses his way and becomes embarrass- ed. We dare not profess to understand the ways of God to man: they are past finding out. Providence is a great deep. Its breadth exceeds t!ie range of our vision, and its depth bafiies our profoundest thought. " Thy way, 0 Lord, is in the sea, and thy path in the great waters, aiid thy footsteps are not known." When we are overwhelmed with wonder at what we see, we are humbled by the reminder, " Lo, these are parts of his ways; but how little a portion is heard of him !" " Truly the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God." God ah)ne understands himself and his thoughts. We stand by a powerful machine, and we

GOD'S THOUGHTS OF PEACE. 149

see the wheels moving this way and that, but we do not uuderstand its working. What does it matter ? He who made the engine and controls it, perfectly un- derstands it, and this is i^ractically the main concern; for it does not matter whether ice understand the en- gine or not, it will work its purpose if he who has the control of it is at home with all its bands and wheels. Despite our ignorance, nothing can go wrong while the Lord in infinite knowledge ruleth over all. The child playing on the deck does not understand the tremen- dous engine whose beat is the throbbing heart of the stately Atlantic liner, and yet all is safe; for the engi- neer, the captain and the pilot are in their places, and well know what is being done. Let not the child trou ble itself about things too great for it. Leave you the dis- covery of doubtful causes to him whose understanding is infinite; and as for yourself, be you still, and know that Jehovah is God. Unbehef misinterprets the ways of God; hasty judgment jumps at wrong conclusions about them ; but the Lord knows his own thoughts. We are doubtful where we ought to be sure, and we are sure where we have no ground for certainty: thus we are always in the wrong. How should it be other- wise with us, since vain man would be wise, and yet he is born like a wild ass's colt ? We are hard to tame and to teach; but as for the Lord, " his way is perfect."

'' His tliougbts are Mgh, bis love is wise, His wounds a cure intend ; And though he does not always smile, He loves unto the end."

Let US go a step further still : tlie Lord would have us know that his thoughts toioard us are settled and definite. This is part of the intent of the words, " I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord."

150 GOD'S THOUGHTS OF PEACE.

Sometimes a man may hardly know his own thoughts, because he has scarcely made up his mind. There are several subjects now upon the public mind, concerning which it is wise to say little or nothing, because it is not easy to decide about them. Upon a certain matter one asks you this question, and another asks you an- other question ; and it is possible that you have so carefully weighed and measured the arguments both fro and con that you cannot come to a conclusion either way. Your thoughts differ from day to day, and therefore you do not yet know them. You need not be ashamed of this: it shows that you have a just sense of your own imperfect knowledge. A fool soon makes up his mind, because there is so very little of it; but a wise man waits and considers. The case is far otherwise with the only wise God. The Lord is not a man that he should need to hesitate; his infinite mind is made up, and he knows his thoughts. With the Lord there is neither question nor debate; " He is in one mind, and none can turn him." His purpose is settled, and he adheres to it. He is resolved to reward them that diligently seek him, and to honor those that trust in him. He is resolved to remember his covenant for ever, and to keep his promises to those who believe him. His thought is, that the people whom he has formed for himself shall show forth his praise. The Lord knoweth them that are his; he knows whom he gave to his Son, and he knows that these shall be his jewels for ever and ever. Beloved, when you do not know your own mind, God knows Ms mind. Though you believe not, he abideth faithful ; when you are in the gloom, he is light, and in him is no darkness at all. Your way may be closed, but his way is open. God knows all when you know nothing at all. When

GOD'S Til OUGHTS OF PEACE. ;51

Moses came out of Ej^ypt, he had no plan as to the march of" Israeh He knew that he had to lead the children of Israel to the promised land, but that was all. He probably hoped to take them by the shortest cut to Palestine at once. Their journey was far other- wise, but it was all pre-arranged by the divine mind. It was by no error that the tribes were told to turn and encamp before Pi-hahiroth, between Migdol and the ^ea. The Lord knew that Pharaoh would say, " They are entangled in the land, the wilderness hath shut them in." There was no going back, for the Egypt- ians were there, and no going forward, for the Red Sea was there: but the Lord had the way mapped out in his own mind. He was not taken by surprise when the enemy said, "I will pursue, I will overtake, I will divide the spoil;" since for this purpose had he raised him up, that he might show forth his power in him. The passage of the Ked Sea was no hurried expedient: Jehovah knew what he would do. Wiien our blessed Lord was surrounded by the hungry crowd, he asked his disciples, " How many loaves have ye ?" But "Jesus knew what he would do." He had his thoughts, and he knew them. " Known unto God are all his works from the beginning of the world." "Many, 0 Lord my God, are thy wonderful works which thou hast done, and thy thoughts which are to usward." Thou hast said, " My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleas- ure ;" and it is even so. Brother, you do not know what is to be done, but the Lord knows for you. 0 body of Christ, let thy head think for thee 1 0 ser- vant of Christ, let thy Master think for thee. " I know," saith God, " the thoughts that I think toward you.''

Now we have advanced some distance into the

152 GOD'S THOUGHTS OF PEACE.

meaning of our text, and wo are prepared to go a step further, namely, that Gods tlioughts toivards his people are ahvaijs tlioughts of peace. He is at peace with tliem through the atoning blood of Jesus Christ. He regards them in Christ with perfect complacency. The Spirit of God speaks peace to their troubled con- science, and works in them the spirit of adoption and desires after holiness: thus the holy God is able to commune with them, and have thoughts of peace toward them. The Lord delights in them ; he seeks their peace, he creates their peace, he sustains their peace, and thus all his thoughts towards them are peace. Note well the negative, which is expressly inserted. It is very sweet to my own heart. It might have appeared enough to say, " My thoughts are tlioughts of peace." Yes, it would be quite suf- ficient when all things are bright with us; bvit those words, " and not of evil,'' are admirably adapted to keep off the goblins of the night, the vampires, of suspicion which fly in the darkness. When under affliction we are sorely depressed, and when con- science perceives that there are reasons why the Lord should contend with us, then the enemy whispers, '• The Lord has evil thoughts towards you, and will cast you off for ever.'' No, beloved, his thoughts are riOt of evil. Though the Lord hates thy sin, he does not hate thee. Though he is the enemy of thy follies, he is thine own firm fiiend; yea, he is all the truer friend, because he fights against thy faults.

He would have thee pure and lioly, therefore doth he bathe thee in the rivers, and baptize thee in the fires. Not in anger doth he afflict thee, but in his dear covenant love. The hardest blow that he ever laid ■upon his chikl was infiicted by the hand of love.

GOITS THOUGHTS OF PEACE. 153

Thou mayest rise from tliy bed in the morning to he chastised, and ere thou dost fall asleep in the night thou majest smart under the rod, and yet he none the less, but all the more, the favorite of heaven; there- fore, beloved, lay hold upon the negative, "not of evil." God has no evil thought towards his chosen ; he has no desire to grieve us, but to save us.

There shall not a hair of your head perish, but yet that head may ache with weariness. It is for good, and only for good, that God thinks of us, and deals with us. Oh, that we could settle this in our hearts, and have done with dark forebodings ! Though thy way may now lie through dark ravines where the crags rise so steep above thee as to shut out the light of day, yet press thou onward, for the way is safe. Follow the Lord, for where the road is rough, thou wilt be less likely to slip than in more smooth and slippery places. If the way be steep, thou wilt the sooner ascend on high; or if thy way inclines dovvu- ward, thou wilt the sooner feel the needful humilia- tion, and the more readily cease from thyself, and cast thyself upon thy Lord. Though I am not yet so old and gray-lieaded as many here present, yet one thing I know: that God hath done unto me good, and not evil, all the days of my life ; and 1 bear my public witness at this hour, that in very faithfulness lie hath afflicted me, and not one good thing hath failed of all that he hath, promised me.

No, his thoughts are "not of evil." The next time the devil comes to you with a dark insinuation, tell him that the Lord's thoughts are " not of evil." Drive him away with that. When he hisses his foul sug- gestions, say, " Not of evil." God cannot have an evil thought towards his own elect. He that gave his

154 GOD'S THOUGHTS OF PEACE.

own Son to die for us cannot think anything but good towards us.

Once more, and then we shall have fully compassed this text. TliG Lords thoughts are oil working toicards " ail expected end,''^ or, as the Revised Version has it, " to give you hope in your latter end." Some read it, "a future and a hope." The renderings are instruc- tive. God is working with a motive. All things are working together for one object: the good of those v/ho love God. We see only the beginning; God seeth the end from the beginning. We spell the al[)habet out, Alpha, Beta, Gamma, but God reads all, from Alpha to Osnega, at once. He knows every let- ter of the Book of Providence; he sees not only what he is doing, but what will come of what he is doing. As to our present pain and grief, God seeth not these things exclusively, but he seeth the future joy and usefulness which will come of them. He regardeth not only the tearing up of the soil with the plough, but the clothing of that soil with the golden harvest. He sees the after consequences of affliction, and he accounts those painful incidents to be blessed Vv^hich lead up to so much of happiness. Let us comfort our- selves with this. God meant in Babylon to prepare a people that should know him, of whom he could say, " I will be their God, and they shall be my people." At the end of seventy years, he would bring these people back, to Jerusalem like a new race, who, what- ever their faults might be, would never again fall into idolatry. He knew Avhat he was driving at in their captivity; and in our case the Lord is equally clear as to his purpose. We do not ourselves know, for "it doth not yet appear what we shall be." You have never seen the Great Artist's masterpiece: you

GOD'S THOUGHTS OF PEACE. 155

have seen the rough marble, you have marked tlio chippings that fall on the ground; you have felt the Q<\^ii of his chisel, you know the weight of his ham- mer, and you are full of the memory of these things ; but oh, could you see thai glorious image as it will be when he has put the finishing stroke to it, you would then understand the chisel, and the hammer, and the Worker better than you now do ! O brethren, w« should not know ourselves, if we could see our- selves as we are to be when the Lord's purpose is ac- complished upon us 1 We know that we shall be like him when we shall see him as he is ; but what is he like " as he is " ? What is that glory of the Lord which is to be ours ? We can picture him in liis hu- miliation, but what is he like in his glory ? He is the first-born, and we are to be conformed to him. God is working, working, working always to that end, and so all his thoughts tend towards this expected end.

Hero I pause to make a practical application. I may be addressing some person here who is in great dis- tress under conviction of sin. You despair because the Lord is bringing your sin to remembrance, but indeed, there is no cause ; the Lord is sending you into captivity for a purpose. You are being shut up by the law, that you may be set at liberty by Christ ; you are being stripped in order that you may be clothed, and you are being emptied that you may be filled. If you could see the end from the beginning, you would rejoice tha,t you are made to know the bur- den of sin ; for so shall you be driven to the cross to find rest from your load. This sorrow shall be the death of your pride and self-righteousness. By this way the Lord is working out for you " a future and a hope." When clean divorced from self, you shall

15G GOD'S rn OUGHTS OF PEACE.

be wedded to Jesus, and dowried v/itli his salvation.

I am also probably addressing many a child of God wlio is vexed iu daily conflict with his inward corrup- tion. Alas ! we find the old man yet alive within us. The old nature in the Christian is no better than the old man in the sinner ; it is the same carnal mind which is enmity against God, and is not reconciled, neither indeed can be. The new nature has a hard struggle to hold its own against this embodied death. We are, as it were, chained to a rotting carcase, and we cry, "0 wretched man that 1 am ! who shall deliv- er me?" Now, do not despair because of this exper- ience. It is bettor to moin-n over imperfection than to be puffed up with the idle notion that there is no sin in you to be watched and conquered. Certain of the children of Israel remained with Zedekiah at Jeru- salem, and boasted of their position, but they were none the better for their pretensions. You have been car- ried away into captivity, and you are sighing and crying because of indv.^elling sin ; but the Lord's thoughts toward you are thoughts of peace, and not of evil, and he will "give you an expected end." You will come to true holiness by this painful process, and so shall you glorify God.

I may also be addressing some child of God in very deep trouble. Everything goes wrong with you, at home, in business, and perhaps in the churcii too. Very well, you will never have to raise that question, " How is it that I am not chastened ? " That will never trouble you. Chastening for the present is not joyous; nevertheless afterward it yieldcth the peaceable fruit of righteousness in them which are exercised thereby. Wherefore gladly endure it. God's thoughts are to- wards you, for he is refining you ; believe also that

GOD'S THOUGHTS OF PEACE. 157

his tiioughts are peaceable, and that he designs jour highest good.

So far have I tried to justify the ways of God to men. May his own spirit make you feel that the thoughts of the Lord are peace !

II. In the second part of my discourse 1 would ask you to consider the proper attitude of God's people

TOWARDS THEIR LoRD.

You will all agree with me when I say that our atti- tude should he that of submission. If God, in all that he does towards us, is acting with an object, and that ob- ject a loving one, then let him do what seemeth him good. Henceforth let us have no quarrel with the God of Providence; but let us say, " Thy will be done." Who would not yield to that which works his health, his wealth, his boundless happiness? "]\Iy son, de- spise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint w^hen thou art rebuked of him : for whom the Lord loveth, he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth."

Next, let our position be one of great hopefulness, seeing the end of God, in all he does, is to give us " a future and a hope." We are not driven into grow- ing darkness, but led into increasing light. There is always something to be hoped for in the Christian's life. Let us not look toward the future nor regard the present with any kind of dread There is nothing for us to dread.

" If sin be pardon'd I'm secure*, Death has no sting beside ; The hiw gave sin its damning power But Christ, my ransom, died,"

The death of Christ is the death of evil to the child of God. Let us trust, and not be afraid. Let us not be

158 GOD'S THOUGHTS OF PEACE.

content with sullenly making up our minds to stoical endurance. We must not only bear the will of the Lord, but rejoice in it. It is a blessed thing when we come to rejoice in tribulations, and to glory in infirjn- ities. It is line music when we can sing, " Sweet af- fliction."

" llai'd work," says one. Yes, but it is worth the pains ; for it secures perfect peace. If thy will is brought to thy circii instances ; and if, better still, thy will is brought to delight in God's will, then the fangs of the serpent are extracted. The sorrow is sucked out of the sorrow by the lips of acquiescence. When thou canst say, " Not my will, but thine be done," thou shalt have thy will. There is always something " better on before" for those who believe in Jesus. Be you sure of that.

" Ye fearful saints, fresh courage take, The clouds ye so much dread Are big witli mercy, and shall break With blessings on your head."

Welcome clouds, if showers of mercy are to come of them. God ibrbid we should always have sunshine, for that would mean drought. Let the clouds coma if they bring a blessed rain.

Our relation to God should, next, be one of continual expectancy, especially expectancy of the fulfilment of his promises. I call your attention again to the tenth verse : " I will perform my good word toward you." I do so love that expression; we must have it for a text one of these days: "I will perform my good word toward you." His promises are good words: good indeed, and sweetly refreshing. When your hearts are faint, then is the promise emphatically good^ Expect the Lord to be as good as his good word.

GOIXS THOUGHTS OF PEACE. ' 159

Brethren, do not Leap up to yourselves sorrow, as some do in these days, by expecting that Avhich the Lord has not promised. 1 earnestly warn you against those who have been led by a fevered imagination to expect, first, perfection in the flesh, and then perfec- tion of the flesh, and then an actual immortality for the flesh. God will fulfil his promise, but he will not fulfil your misreading of it. I should not wonder if there should arise a race of people who will believe that they can live without eating, because it is said, '' Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God shall man live." If healed without medicine, why not fed without food? What absolute need of any visible means when God can work without them? Those who think it needful to lay aside all outward means in order to a true faith in God, are on the way to any absurdity. Truly, if God had bidden me to live with- out eating, I would fast at his command and expect to live; but as he has not done so, I shall not pre- sume. Faith that is not warranted by the word of God is not faith, but folly; and folly is not the faith of God's elect. The Lord will perform his own word, but he will not perform the delirious declarations of madmen. If it needs a million miracles to fulfil God's promise they shall be forthcoming; but we are not anxious for miracles, because our larger faith believes •that the Lord can overrule the ordinary ways of Prov- idence to perform his good word, and bring us the expected end.

Again, beloved, our position towards God should be one of liappij hope as to Uessed ends being ansicered even noio. In the twenty-fourth chapter we observe one of the ends of the Lord's sending his people into exile.

100 GOD'S THOUGHTS OF PEACE.

I noticed in the fifth verse that the Lord saia, " So will I acknowledge them that are carried away cap- tive of Judah." Their sorrow would bring about ilie Lord's achioicleclgment of tliem. Thus do we, brethren, bear in our body the marks of the Lord Jesus. Afflic- tion is the seal of the Lord's election. I remember a story of Mr. ]\Iack, who was a Baptist minister in Northamptonshire,. In his youth he was a soldier, and calling on Robert Hall, when his regiment march- ed through Leicester, that great man became inter- ested in him, and procured his release from the ranks. When he went to preach in Glasgow, he sought out his aged mother, whom he had not seen for many years.. He knew his mother the moment he saw her; but the old lady did not recognize her son. It so happened that when he was a child, his mother had accidentally wounded his wrist with a knife. To com- fort him she cried, " Never mind, my bonnie bairn, your mither will ken you by that when ye are a man." AVhen Mack's mother would not believe that a grave, fine-looking minister could be her own child, he turned ■up his sleeve and cried, " Mither, mither, dinna ye ken t^iat? " In a moment they were in each other's arms. Ah, brethren, the Lord knows the spot of his children. He acknowledges them by the mark of correction. What God is doing to us in the way of trouble and trial is but his acknowledgment of us as true heirs, and the marks of his rod shall be our proof that we are not bas- tards, but true sons. He knows the wounds he made ~when he was exercising his sacred surgery upon us. By this also shall you yourself be made to know that verily you are a. piece of gold, or else you would not have been put into the furnace. This will be one "ex-o pected end" of the Lord towards us; let us rejoice in it

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God's dealings with us work out cur cjood in every way. The Lord said (Jer. xxiv. 5), "1 have sent them out of tliis pkice into the land of the Chaldeans for their good." We know that "All things work to- gether for good to them that love God.'' Thus from day to day the Lord gives us " an expected end."

In the twelfth verse of the chapter from which we have taken our text, we see that prayer is quickened by ^the Lord's work towards them. "Then shall ye call upon me." Our troubles drive us to our knees. If it had not been for Esau, Jacob had never wrestled at Jabbok. I hope we usually go to our closets of our own accord; but ofttiraes we are whipped there. Many of the most earnest prayers that ever rise to heaven come from us when we are in bondage under grief. Yes, yes, we must thank God that his trying ways with us have produced in us a prayerful spirit,' and a full conviction that we do not pray in vain.

The Lord's end with us is also cur sanctijicaiion. "And I will give them an heart to know me that I am the Lord: and they shall be my people, and I will be their God: for they shall return unto me with their whole heart." See the value of sanctified afflictions! God grant that from day to day we may feel the expected ends of his corrections ! 0 that we may groiv in grace, and may our graces grow ! IMay we increase in faith, and hope, and love, and patience, and courage, and joy ! Surely our knowledge ought to widen out, our consecration should be confirmed, our insight should be clearer, our outlook steadier. We ought by all our experience to become more Christ-like, better reflectors of the heavenly light, fitter temples of the Holy Ghost. Wherefore let us be of good cheer, and rejoice that from day to day we 11

162 GOD'S THOUGHTS OF PEACE.

receive the end of our faith, the salvation of our souls, and thus the Lord's end is being answered.

But to close. We have kept the best v^ine until now. The thoughts of God towards us are that he will give us "an expected end." An end: there is good cheer in that. We do not wish to remain here for ever. We would be diligent in running the race, but we long for the end of it. I should be satisfied to preach here throughout all eternity if 1 might always bring glory to God; but yet I am glad that there is to be an end of preaching, and a season of pure praise. You, ray brethren, love the Lord's work ; but still you look forward to the time when you shall take your wage, and have done. It is a comfort that there is an end.

Blessed be God, it is an expected end. You ungodly people can only look forward to a dreaded end ; an end of your foolish mii'th, an end of your carelessness, an end of your boasting. You fear your end. But God will give his people an expected end. Suppose that end should be the coming of Christ ! Oh, how we long for it ! Oh that the Bridegroom would now ap- pear ! Oh that he would descend from heaven with a shout, and gather his chosen from the four winds of heaven! " Even so, . come quickly!" This is onv cx- Ijected end.

If our Lord does not come, and we must be taken home by death, we feel no alarm in looking forward to that expected end. One by one our dear friends go home from this church. As T have often told you, there is never a week without some of our number be- ing taken up. Although I have visited a large num- ber of dying believers, I have never yet visited a member of this church who has expressed the least

GOnS THOUGHTS OF PEACE. I63

fear in bis dying moments, or the slightest dismay in the hour of departure. It makes me feel happy to see how the brethren and sisters die: they pass away as if they were going to a wedding rather than to a tomb —as if it were the most joyful thing that ever happen- ed to them to have reached their expected end. Doubts are all driven away wlien you see how believers die. Grace is given them, so that they surmount the weakness of the hour. The Lord Jesus in them tri- umphs over pain and death. Our venerable brother and eider, Mr. Court, Avho has just passed away at a great age, looked forward to his departure with peaceful hope. lie used to speak of it as a thing from which he had no shrinking. There was no discontent or murmuring about him ; no feverish eagerness to quit the infirmities of this life; but, on the other hand, a happy foresight of his end, and a joyful expectation of it. Some of the Lord's saints have not yet received dying grace ; but then they are not going to die yet. Brethren, saints are prepared to go before they go. Our Lord does not pluck his fruit unwisely. Foolish people may tear the green apples from the tree with a pull and a wrench, and bruise them as they throw them into the basket ; but our Lord values his fruit, and so he waits until it is quite ripe, and then he gath- ers it tenderly. When he puts forth his hand, the fruit bows down to it, and parts from the bough with- out a strain. When the believer comes to die, it will not be to an end which he feared, but to an end which he expected.

Brethren, when death is past, then comes tliat ex- pected end which shall never end. What will the first five minutes hi heaven be ? There is a larger question : what will thousands of years in heaven be ? What will

164 GOD'S TIIOLGHTS OF PEACE.

myriads of ages be ? My disembodied spirit will at the first be perfectly happy in tiie embraces of myLord ; but in due time the resurrection day will dawn, that this body may rise again in fuii glory. Then there will be a re-marriage of soul and body, and we shall be perfected, even as our risen Lord. Oh, the glory of that expected end !

What will it be when our completed manhood shall be introduced to the society of angels, to the presence of cherubim and seraphim? What will it be to see him whom we have loved so long ? What to hear him say, "Come, ye blessed of my Father"? What joy to sit at his right hand ! Yesterday, my heart was ravished with that text, " They cast their crowns be- fore the throne." If ever I am privileged to have a crown at all, how gladly will I lay it down at the feet of ray Lord ! Is not this your mind ? How sweetly will we sing, Non nohis, Domine! "Not unto us, O Lord, but unto thy name give glory." Brethren, what singing it will be when we shall be loosened from the deadening influence of the flesh ! How will we praise when we have done with these tongues of clay, which hamper us so mnch! I would speak greatly to my Lord's praise, but I fail. Strip me of this house of clay, and I will sing as sweetly as any of the birds of paradise that carol forever in the Tree of Life above. Do you not feel a longing to be up and away? Lidulge these longings, for thus you will be drawn nearer to the understanding of the text, — " to give you an ex- pected end." All that you are suflei-ing, all that you are enjoying^, all that God sends you, has this one de- sign, to make you meet to be partakers of the inheri- tance of the saints in light.

Ending this discourse, I would ask you to plight

GOD'S THOUGHTS OF PEACE. 165

jour troth that jou will meet me where glory clwelleth, iu_Etiiinauuers land. We shall soon be with the an- gels. The Lord is thinking of ns, and lie is expecting lis home. Our Lord Jesus is waiting for his wedding- day, which is his expected end. " My soul, wait thou only upon God, for my expectation is from him."

'£UE DEATH OF MOSES.

June 5, 1887.

" So Moses tlie servant of the Lord died there in the land of Moab, according to the word of the Lord." — Deuteronom"X xxxiv. 5.

What an honorable title ! Moses is distinguished as " the servant of JeJiovah.''' He was this of choice, for he willed to be the servant of God rather than to be great in the land of the Pharaohs. SticIi he was most perseveringly throughout the whole of his life. Such he was most intensely, for he waited upon God for his directions, as a servant waits upon his master; and he endeavored to do all things according to the pattern which was shown him in the holy mount. Though he was king in Jeshurun, he never acted on his own authority, but was the lowly instrument of the divine will. ]\Ioses was faithful to God in all his house, as a servant. You neither see him overstep- ping his office nor neglecting it. His reverence for the Lord's name was deep; his devotion to tlie Lord's cause was complete, and nis confidence in the Lord's word was constant. He was a true servant of God from the time when he was appointed at the burning bush until the hour when he surrendered his keys of office to his successor, and climbed the appointed mount to die. Oh that you and I may so live as to approve ourselves servants of God ! Unto as many as (166)

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have received him onr Lord Jesais has given power to become the sons of God, and this is our great joy; but as sons we aspire to serve our Father, even as his great First-born Son has done, who took upon himself the form of a servant that he might accomplish his Father's good pleasure for his church. Let us witii good will do service unto our Father who is in heaven, seeing it is but our reasonable service that we should lay out ourselves for him who has made us his sons and daughters. Redeemed from the slavery of sin, let us, as the Lord's freemen, cry unto him henceforth, " 0 Lord, truly I am thy servant; I am thy servant, and the son of thine handmaid: thou hast loosed my bonds."

But servant of God as Moses was, lie must die. It is the common lot of njen. Only two have passed out of this world into the abodes of glory without fording the stream of death. IMuses is not one of the two. Even had he crossed the Jordan into Canaan, he would in due course have died in the land. We might have expected that he would live on till the people were settled in Canaan: but it seemed right unto the Lord God that on account of his one slip he should die outside of the Promised Land, like the rest of the people. Caleb and Joshua alone of all that gen- eration who came out of Egypt were permitted to possess the land towards which they had journeyed for forty years. If that one offence lost him the priv- ilege of entering the earthly Canaan, there may have been still more powerful reasons "v\'hy he should not enter the heavenly Canaan without experiencing the change of death. He must not make a third with Enoch and Elias, but he must die and be buried. Such will probably be :?iir lot in due season. Breth-

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ren, it may be that we shall not die, our Lord Jesus may come before we lall asleep; but if he do not come speedily, we shall find that it is appointed unto all men once to die. We sliall pass from this world unto tlie Father by that common road which is beaten hard by the innumerable feet of mortal men. Since we must die, it is well to meditate upon the solemn future. Moses shall be our teacher in the art of dying. We will consider his decease, in the hope that so our fears may be removed, and our desires may be excited. There is a Pisgah where we must yield up the ghost, and be gathered to our lathers : may we climb to it as willingly as did Moses, the ser- vant of God !

The maimer of Hoses' death loas exceedingly nmorJm- hle. T suppose that no subject presents a finer field for oratory than the sublime decease of the prophet; but we have nothing to do with oratory: our object is spiritual and practical profit. Poets might well expend their noblest powers in depicting this strange scene of the man of God alone on the mountain's brow, with a view of Canaan at his feet, and himself in holy rapture passing away into the eternal state. We are not poets, but simple believers, desiring to learn some holy lesson from the death of one who, though the greatest of men, knew no liigher honor than to be the servant of the Lord. Oh that the Spirit of grace and truth, who has come to us by Christ Jesus, may help us to find instruction in the death of him who brought the law from the mouth of God to m en !

L We are told in the text that " IMoses ihe ser- vant of the Lord diod there in the land of !Moab, ac cording to the word of the Lord." This T shall read

THE DEATH OF MOSES. 169

first, as meaning; that Moses died on Pisgah, accord- ing TO TUE WARNING OF THE LORD.

Kis death was Tdn^fforeseen. ]\Ioses knew some time before that he must die without setting foot in Canaan. Eead in the first chapter of Deuteronomy his own account of the sin of the people at Meribah, and the Lord's sentence then and there pronounced: '' Surely there shall not one of these men of this evil generation see that good land, which I sware to give unto your fathers, save Caleb, the son of Jephunneh ; he shall see it, and to him will I give the land that he hath trodden upon, and to his children, because he hath wholly followed the Lord." "Also," adds Mo- ses, "the Lord was angry with me ibr your sakes, saying. Thou also shalt not go in thither."

His deatii outside the Promised Land did not come upon him at all as a surprise. He ha<l to see his sister Miriam, first of the great trio, fall asleep ; and next, he was called to go up to Mount Ilor and dis- robe his brother Aaron of Ins priestly garm^ents which he placed upon Eleazar-, ]iis son. Moses had also to see the whole of the generation that came out of Egypt with him buried in the wilderness. The nine- tieth psalm is liis, and it is a sort of Dead March; fit hymn for a nation whose track was marked by count- less graves. Because of unbelief "their carcases fell in the wilderness." Only Caleb and Josliua remain- ed, the sole survivors of the great host which crossed the Pted Sea. The Great Lavygiver had thus abun- dant pledges of his own departure, and he must have had in his brother's death a rehearsal ol his own. Have not we also had many warnings? Are we ready ?

Concerning his death in the land of Moab, it is nat-

170 THE DEATH OF MOSES.

iiral to remark that it ivas exceedmgbj disappointing. He bad been for forty years engaged in leading the people to tbe land of promise : must be die wben tbat coun- try was witbin a day's marcb? It was bis life's work, for wbicb be bad been prepared by forty years in Egypt, wbere be became learned in all tbe wisdom of tbe Egyptians ; and by anotber forty years in the sol- itary wilderness, wbere be kept sbeep and beld bigh fellowsbip with God. His third forty years bad been spent in freeing Israel fi-om Egypt, training tbem to become a nation, and conducting thejn to tbe land of promise: must be now expire before tbe nation entered in? What years his bad been ! What a life was tbat of Moses ! How glorious was tbe man who bad con- fronted Pbaraob, and broken tbe pride of Egypt ! How tried and troubled a man bad be been wbile call- ed to carry all tbat nation in bis bosom, and care for them as a sbepberd caretb for bis sbeep ! His was a task tbat welUnigb broke bira down ; and had not the man Moses been made very meek by tbe indwell- ing Spirit of tbe Lord, and bad be not also been gra- ciously sustained by fellow^sbip witb God, bis task bad proved too heavy even for bim. Yet, after all tbat toil in fashioning a nation, be must die before tbe long-expected conquest. It was a bitter disappointment when first the sentence pierced bis beart. He bad known one great disappointment before ; for Stepben tells us tbat wben be smote tbe Egyptian, " be sup- posed his brethren would have understood bow tbat God by bis band would deliver tbem: but they under- stood not." Tben, when bis brethren bad refused Iiim, be fled into the land of iMidian, a rejocted leader, a patriot whose heroism bad only brought forth from his countrymen tbe contemptuous question, "Who

THE DEATH OF MOSES. 171

made tliee a prince aud a judge over us ? " But this denial of entrance into Canaan was a greater disappoint- ment still. To have toiled so long, and to reap no harvest ; to see the land, but not to enter it ; to bring the tribes to the Jordan's brink, and then to die in Moab after all: it was a grievous disappointment. Brethren, are we ready to say as to our most cherished hope, "Thy will be done " ! Are we holding our life's dearest pur- pose with a loose hand? It will be our wisdom so to do.

Apparently it teas a severe chastisement. His offence was but one, and yet it excluded him from Canaan. We have not time to describe in detail the sin of Moses. It would appear to have been a sin of unbelief occa- sioned by his feeling so intensely for and witli the people. Moses was thoroughly knit to Israel. When they sinned he interceded as for himself. When Je- hovah made him the offer that he would make of him a great nation, he declined it solely from his love to Israel. He lived for the nation, and for the nation he died. Kemember how once he Avent so far as to say, " If not, blot me, I pray thee, out of thy book which thou hast written.'" In every way he was of the peo- ple, bone of their bone, and flesh of their flesh : Israel was hidden in his heart ; and out of that master pas- sion of sympathy with the people came the weakness which at last made him speak unadvisedly with his lips. They strove with God ; and though Moses nev- er yielded a point to them in that wicked contest, yet that unbelief so far influenced him that he spake in anger, and said, " Hear now, ye rebels; must we fetch you water out of this rock? " Then, "the Lord spake unto JNIoses and Aaron, Because ye believe me not, to sanctify me in the eyes of the children of Israel, tliere-

172 THE DEATH OF MOSES.

fore ye shall not bring this congregation into the land which I have given them " (Numb. xx. 12). Three times in the Book of Deuteronomy Moses tells the people, " The Lord was angry with me for yonr sakes." It was not so much that which JMoses did personally wliich involved him in judgment, but he suffered be- cause of his being mixed up v/ith Israel. As the Lord had spared the people aforetime for Moses' sake, it became necessary that, when he in any measure shared in their great sin of unbelief, he should be chastened for their sake as well as his own. His faith had saved them, and now liis unbelief, being backed by theirs, secures for him the sentence of exclusion from the land.

My brethren, when I thiidc of this severity of disci- pline towards so faithful a servant as Moses, I do ex- ceedingly fear and quake. Truly, " the Lord our God is a jealous God." We are sure that he is never unjust, we are sure that he is never unduly severe: we do not for a moment impug-n the righteousness or even the love of our God in this or any other act ; but he is terrible out of his holy places. How true it is that he will be sanctified in them that come near to him ! Be- hold and wonder ! That highly-favored servant, Moses, though accepted always, in the economy of grace, yet must he come under the rule of the house, and feel the chastising hand if he transgresses. Hence the sentence of exclusion is passed. As he had once join- ed that unbelieving generation by manifesting a measure of hasty unbelief, he must now share their doom, and die on Moab's side of Jordan. " Ilighteous art thou, O Lord, and upiight are thy judgments." Oh ibr grace to behave ourselves aright in thine house! Lord, teach us thy statutes, and keep us in thy way.

THE DEATH OF MOSES. I73

Beloved, il seemed a great calamity that ]\Ioses must die when he did. He was an aged man as to years,' but not as to condition. It was true he was a hundred and twenty years old, but his father and his grand- father and his great grandfather had all lived beyond that age, t\ro {)f them reaching a hundred and thirty- seven, so that he might naturally have expected a long- er lease of life. This truly grand old man had not failed in any respect ; his eye was not dim, neither had his natural force abated, and therefore he might have ex- pected to live on. Besides, it seems a painful thing for a man to die while he was capable of so much work ; when, indeed, he was more mature, more gra- cious, more wise than ever. The mental and spiritual powers of Moses were greater in the latter days of liis life than ever before. Notice Jiis wonderful sons: ! Observe his marvellous address to the people ! He was in the prime ot his mental manhood. He had been tutored by a long experience, chastened by a marvellous discipline, and elevated by a sublime in- tercourse with God ; and yet must he die. How strange that, when a man seems most fit to live, it is then that the mandate comes, " Get thee up into the mountain and die " !

Naturally speaking, it seemed a sad loss for the peo- ple of Israel. Who but Closes could rule tliem ? Even he could scai'cely control them. They were a heavy bnrden even to his meekness: who else could so suc- cessfully act as king in Jeshurun ? Without Moses to awe them, what will not these rebels do ? It was a grave experiment to place a younger and an inferior man in the seat of power, when the nation was enter- ing upon its great campaign. It would need all the faith and discretion of ]\Ioses to conduct the conquest

174 THE DEA Til OF MOSES.

of the couiitr}', and to divide their portions to the tribes. Yet so it must be : precious as his life was, the word went forth, "Get thee up into the top of Fisgah : for thou shalt not go over this Jordan." Even thus to the best and most useful must tlie summons come. Who woukl wish to forbid the Lord to call home his own when he wills ?

The sentence was not to he averted hy j^^'ciyer. jMoses tells us that he besought the Lord at that time, " 0 Lord God, thou hast begun to show thy servant thy greatness, and thy mighty hand: lor what God is there in heaven or in earth, that can do according to thy works, and according to thy might ? I pray thee, let me go over, and see the good land that is beyond Jordan, that goodly mountain, and Lebanon." This Avas altogether a very proper prayer: he did not plead his own services, but he urged the f(U'mer mercies of the Lord. Surely tliis was good pleading, and he might have hoped to prevail for himself, see- ing he had formerly been heard for a whole nation. But no. This boon must bo denied him. The Lord said, "Let it suffice thee; speak no more unto me of this matter." iMoses never again opened his lips upon the suliject. He did not beseech the Lord thrice, as Paul did, in his hour of trouble; but seeing that the sentence was final he bowed his head in holy consent.

Brethren, he had often asked a greater thing than this of the Lord his God. Once he had even dared to say, '' I beseech thee, show me thy glory," and he was heard even in that high request. The Lord placed him in the cleft of the rock, and made all his goodness pass before him. Yet now he begs for a compara- tively small thing, and it is refused. What a mercy that it is in the small things of this life that our re-

THE DEATH OF MOSES. I75

quests may be denied, but in things -which touch the kingdom of the Lord our prayer never returns empty! All heaven is open to our bended knee, though tor wise ends and purposes a Canaan on eartli inay be closed against us. All sufficient grace v^as given though the thorn was not removed : Moses the servant of the Lord died, but triumphed over death.

When I thought of the trial of Moses in being shut out of the laud, I found myr^elf unable to read the chapter which lay open before me, for I was blinded by my tears. How shall any of us stand before a God so holy ? Where Moses errs how shall we be fault- less ? Never servant more favored of his Lord, and yet even he must undergo a disappointment so great as a rebuke for a single fault. The Hower of his life is broken ofi" from the stalk for one act of unbelief. To be exalted so near to God is to be involved in a great responsibility. A fierce light beats about the throne of God. He that is the king's chosen, admit- ted to continual intercourse with him, must stand in awe of him. Well is it written, " Serve the Lord with fear, and rejoice with trembling." An offence which might be passed over as a mere trifle in an ordinary subject, would be very serious in a prince of the blood, who had been favored with royal secrets, and had been permitted to lean his head upon the bosom of the king. If we live near to God we cannot sin without incurring sharp rebukes. Even the common run of the elect must remember that word, " You only have I known of all the families of the earth, there- fore I will punish you for all your iniquities." Much more must the elect out of the elect hear such warn- ing. God did, in effect, say to Moses, "Thou only have I chosen of all mankind to speak with me face to

176 THE DEATH OF MOSES.

face, and, therefore, since thou hast failed in thy faith after such intercourse with me, it behoves me, in very faitlifuhiess and love towards thee, to mark thy failure with an evident token of displeasure.'' The discipline of saints is in this life. I doubt not but many a man's life has come to an end when he wished it to be con- tinued, and he has missed that which he has striven for, because of an offence against the Lord in hiS earlier years. We had need walk carefully before our jealous God, who will not spare sin anywhere, and least of all in his ov^n beloved. His love to them never faileth, but his hatred of their sin burns like coals of juniper. Foolish parents spare the rod, but our wise Father acteth not so. Walk circimi- spectly, 0 ye heirs of life eternal, for " even our God is a consuming fire.'' Tlie Lord give us to feel the sanctifying power of this passage in the story of the great Lawgiver !

IL But now I have to conduct you to a second point of view. Moses, the man of God, died in the land of Moab, " according to the word of the Lord," that is,

ACgORDlXG TO TElIl. DIVINE APPOINTMENT.

All the details of the death of Afoses had been ordered of the Lord. Time, place, and circumstances were ar- ranged by God. So, brethren, it is appointed unto us where we shall die, and when we shall die. We speak of certain persons as having " died by accident," and we sometimes bewail the deaths of Christian men as premature ; but in the deepest sense it is not so. God hath marked out for us the place where and the time when we must resign our breath. Let this suffice us. That which is of divine appointment should be to our contentment. We do not believe in the Kismet of blind fate ; but we believe in the predestination of infi-

THE DEATH OF MOSES. Yil

nite wisdom, and therefore we say, " It is the Lord, let him do what seemeth him good.''

Moses died according to the divine appointment, that is also according to an appointment loliich is very gen- eral amongst GodUs people. He died without seeing the full result of his life-work. If you look down the list of the servants of God you will find that tlie most of them die before the object which they had in view is fully accomplished. It is true that we are inamortal till our work is done; but then we usually think that our work is something other than it is. It never was the work of Moses to lead Israel into the promised land. It was his wish, but not his work. His work he saw; but his wish he saw^ not. Moses did really finish his own proper work; but the desire of his heart was to have seen the people settled in their land; and this was not granted him. Thus David gathered to- gether gold and silver wherewith to build the Tem23le, but he v/as not to build it; Solomon, his son, under- took the work. Even thus great reformers rise and speak the truth, and cause colossal systems of error to tremble; but they do not themselves utterly destroy these evils. Their successors continue the work. Most men have to sow that others may reap. The prayer of Moses is fulfilled to others as w^ell as to himself: "Let thy work appear unto thy servants, and thy glo- ry unto their children." We must not hope to engross all things: let us be content to do our own part in lay- ing the foundation upon which other men may build in due course. It is according to the divine appointment which links us to each other that one plants and an- other waters, one brings out of Egypt, and another leads into Cana,an.

And T may here notice that Moses thus " died accord-

12

178 THE DEATH OF MOSES.

ing to tlie word of the Lord," for a deep dispsnsafiona] reason. It was not for Moses to give the people rest, for the law gives no man rest, antl brings no man to heaven. The law may bring ns to the borders of the promise, but only Joshua or Jesus can bring us into grace and truth. If Moses had given them Canaan, the allegory would have seemed to teach us that rest might 1)6 obtained by the law ; but as Moses must be laid asleep, and buried by divine liands, so must the law cease to rule that the covenant of grace may lead us into the falness of peace.

"Moses may lead to Jordan's flood, But there surrenders liis command;

Our Joshua must the waves divide, And bring us to the promised hind.

Trained by the law, we learn our place, But gain th' inheritance by grace."

Thus there was a mysterious reason why JMoses should die in Moab according to the eternal purpose of God. Not without sucii divine decree shall any other of the servants of tlie Lord depart out of the camp of Israel. We also shall in life and death answer some gracious purpose of the Lord. Are we not glad to have it so ? Yea, Lord, thy will be done.

III. I have conducted you a little out of the dark now, and the sky is clearing around us. In the third place, Moses died according to the loving wisdom of the Lord. It was a meeT'thihg, "a" wise thing, and a kind thing that Moses should not go over Jordan.

First, by so doing he preserved his identity ivith the people forwhcm he had cared. For their sakes he had forsaken a princedom in Egypt, and now for their sakes he loses a home in Palestine. lie had suffered with them, "esteeming the reproach of Christ greater

rilE DEATH OF MOSES. 179

riches than all the treasures of Egypt " ; and he had been with them in all that great and terrible wilder- ness, afflicted in all their affliction, bearing and carry- ing them in God's name all his days ; was it not meet that he should at last die with them? lie had been all along the mirror of self-denial : neither for himself, nor his brother, nor his son had he sought honor : he lived only for others, and never for himself, and his death was agreeable with his whole life ; for he leads others to the border of Canaan, but enters it not him- self. He sleeps with tlie older nation ; he ends his career on the hither side of Jordan, like all the gener- ation which he had numbered when the}^ came out from under the iron hand of the Egyptian tyrant. It seemed fit that one so identified with the people should 'say, " Where thou diest I will die.'' Are not we satis- fied to take our lot with the holy men and women who already sleep in Jesus ?

JNIoreover, Moses might be well content to die there and then, since he was thus released from allfurtlier trial. Surely he had known enough of sorrow in con- nection with that rebellious nation ! Forty years was enough for a pastorate over a people so fickle and per- verse. Surely he must have blessed the hand that re- moved his shoulder from the burden ! His was no life of luxury aud ease, but of stern self-denial, and j)crpet- ual provocation. What trial he endured ! What sell- restraint he exercised ! W^hat a lonely life he led ! Are you surprised to hear me say that? With whom could he associate? Even Aaron, his brothei', was a poor comrade for such a man. Remember how he failed Moses, when that man of God was absent for forty days upon the Mount with God. It was Aaron that made the golden calf, and this clearly proved his

180 THE DEATH OF MOSES.

spiritual inferiority to Moses. The man of God had to "watoh even his brotlier who stood next to him. With whom could he take counsel ? Who would talk \\A\h. him as a friend ? He dwelt apart, and shone as a lone star. It is significant that he died alone, for so had he lived. Aaron had tender attendants to disrobe him : he who put the vestments on most fitly aided to take them off ; but the crown which Moses wore, God him- self had set upon his brow, and no human hand must remove it. Surely this burdened watcher of Israel must have been glad when liis watch was over ! Sure- ly this lonely man, after one hundred and twenty years of service, must have felt it a happy release to be ad- mitted to the glorious society of heaven ! As Noah was a preacher of righteousness for one hundred and twenty years, and then entered into the ark, so Moses, after one hundred and twenty years of service, enters into his rest. Is it not well? Do you grieve that the battle is fought, and the victory is won for ever? We also in our deaths shall find the end of toil and labor, and the rest will be glorious.

Remember, that by his so dying, in the next place he was relieved from afresh strain upon Mm, which woTild have been involved in the conquest of Canaan. lie would have crossed the Jordan, not to enjoy the country, but to fight for it: was he not well out of so severe a struggle ? You think of the clusters of Eshcol, but I am thinking of the sieges and the bat- tles. Was it so very desirable to be there? Would Moses really haye desired that dreadful fray ? Was it not a gracious act on the part of the Commander- in-chief to relieve from his command a veteran who had already served through a forty years' war ? The Lord would not put upon Moses a burden so little

THE DEATH OF MOSES. 181

agreeable to liis age and to his turn of mind as that of executing the condemned Canaanites. Joshua was naturally a man of war; let him use the sword, for Moses was abler at the pen. Recollect that the peo- ple of Israel were no better when they reached Canaan than Avhen they were in the wilderness: tlicy suffered defeat through unbelief, and they missed much of their inheritance through self-indulgence. Moses had seen enough of them on one side Jordan, without being troubled with them on the other. The Lord therefore graciously took his servant off the active list, and pro- moted him to a higher sphere. Let us not be dis- tressed by the fact that he will one day perform the like kindness to us in oiu* turn.

' But, you will say, surely it might have been as well if Moses had lived to have seen Joshua win the coun- try. Would this have been desirable ? Do active men find much delight in sitting still and seeing others take the lead ? Moreover, had Moses lived, he would before long have felt those infirmities from which he had for one hundred and twenty years been screened': is it so very desirable to survive one's powers, and to be a tottering old man amidst constant battles? Peace suits age: age agrees not with war's alarms. Had Moses remained the leader of the people, he might have injured the glory of his former days. Have we not seen aged men survive their wisdom ? Have not their friends wished that they had closed their career long before? Have we not seen pastors, once able and efficient, holding to their puljoits to the injury of the churches they once edified ? Oh that men would have wisdom enough not to undo in their age what they have wrought in their youth ! Moses is re- moved before this evil can happen to him, and it is well.

1-92 THE DEA Til OF MOSES.

" But," YOU say, " perhaps lie inight have been thero to watch with joy the victories of Joshua." Is that always an easy thing to one who has been in the front rank himself? At least, it is not an nnmixed privi- lege: there is a mixture of trial in the blessing. Mo- ses did not '• lag superfluous on the stage." He did not survive his work. Who wishes to do so? He passed av/ay on the crest of the wave before any ebb had set in, or any weakness had been discoverable. He died so as to be missed. Israel wept for him, and no man said that he' had lived too long. That prayer of his, after all, was a mistake. What would have been the particular joy of merely treading the soil of Canaan ? The land looked far more beautiful from Pisgah than itwoidd liave done had he stood by Jer- icho; assuredly at the present day you and I, who have never seen Palestine, have a much more delight- ful idea of it than those who have endured its noon- day heats and midnight frosts. i\loses had more joy in gazing upon it from above than in actually war- ring among its hills.

IV. I must hasten on to say that Avhile the death of jNIoses thus exhibits the loving wisdom of God, the V/ay in which he died abundantly displays^ the grace. ofJGqjx.

After Moses had been well assured that he must die, you never hear a complaint of iV, nor even a prayer against it. Remember, that he himself wrote the story, and it is charming to see how he recorded his own fault, his prayer to be allowed entrance into Caiiaan, and its denial : had he murmured he would have recorded this also. He seems to me always to write about Moses as if he were somebody he had known : he is strictly impartial in his praise or blame

THE DEATH OF MOSES. Ig3

of himself. He calls himself " king in Jeshunin," he says that the man Moses was very meek, and yet he records his outbursts of anger. No man was ever less self-conscious, or lived so little for himself, as Mo- ses did : therefore, when once the Lord told him lie must die, he acquiesced without a word.

Most fitly the old man immediately called forth all his energies to finish his worl^. You will .find in the thirty-first chapter of the Book of Numbers that he took in hand a war: "And the Lord spake unto ]\Ioses say- ing, Avenge the cliildren of Israel of the Midianites: afterward shalt thou be gathered unto thy people" (Num. xxxi. 1, 2). Ho would die warring with Isra- el's adversaries, and obeying Israel's Lord. Certain ordinances to be observed in war he delivered to El- eazar, and he supervised the division of the spoils. Fearing lest the tribes which had settled east of Jor- dan might excuse themselves from future labors, he stirred up Reuben and Gad, and gained from tliem a promise to go,over armed with their brethren till the whole land w^as conquered. Furthermore, he prepared his manuscr:})ts, not for the press, but to be put away in the ark and to be preserved. He would have his tes- timony to future generations complete before his hand was paralyzed by death. He knew that he was to die,l3ut he did not sit down and weep, nor sulk, nor give himself up to bitter forebodings of the hour of departure. He served his God with increased vigor, and w^as more than ever alive as life neared its close. Then he j^reached his best sermon. What a wonder- ful sermon it was ! IIow^ he poured out his heart in pleading with the people ! The sermon over, he be- gan to sing. The swan is fabled to sing but once, and that just before it dies; so did Moses at the last give

184 THE DEATH OF MOSES.

ns that famous ninetieth Psalm, the song commenc- ing, " Give ear, 0 ye heavens, and I will speak; and hear, 0 earth, 1/ie words of my mouth. My doctrine shall drop as the rain, my speech shall distil as the dew, as the small rain upon the tender herb, and as the showers upon the grass. Because I will publish the name of the Lord : ascribe ye greatness unto our God." .Moses had no time for poetry while his whole strength was needed in his government; but now he is about to die, iiis frame of mind is ecstatic; prose will not content him, he must weave his thoughts into verse. In fine, all the laculties of his manhood were drawn out to their utmost in a final ef- fort to glorify the Lord his God. Brethren, is not this a fine fruit of grace ? 0 that we may bear it !

Then he gathered the tribes together and blessed them in prophetic words, pouring out his soul in bene- dictions. Having already cried to God about his suc- cessor, he laid his hands upon Joshua, and charged him, and encouraged him, and bade tl^e people help him in all his service.

He did all that remained to be done, and then went willingly to Jus end.

" Sweet was the journey to the sky, The wondrous prophet tried. ' Climb up the mount,' says God, ' and die ;' The prophot climbed, and died.

Softly his fainting head he lay

Upon his Maker's breast ; His Maker kissed his soul away,

And laid his flesh to rest."

We, my brethren, also expect to die. Let us not fear it, but let us arouse ourselves to labor more abundant- ly; let us preach more boldly, let us sing more sweet-

THE DEATH OF MOSES. 185

ly, let lis pray more ardently. As flowers before they shed their leaves pour out all their perfumes, so let us pour out our souls unto the Lord. Let us live while we live, and dying, let us die unto the Lord. ]\Iay our life-work close as sets the sun, looking greater when he sinks into the west than when he shines at full meridian height !

V. Now let us conclude by noticing, in the last place, that JMoses died "according to the word of the Lord,"

that is, ACCORDING TO THE DiyiI>!E_FAVOR.

His death Leaves nothing to regret ; neither is any desirable thing lacking. Failing to pass over Jordan seems a mere pin's prick, in presence of the honors which surrounded his departing hours. His death w^as the climax of his Hfe. He now saw that he had fulfilled his destiny, and was not as a pillar brolcen short. He was ordered to lead the people through the wilderness, and he had done so. There they stood on the borders of their heritage, a people mould- ed by his hand. By his instrumentality they were, so to speak, a regenerated race, far more fitted than their fathers to become a nation. The deg^rading results of long bondage had been shaken off in the free air of the desert. They were all young men, vigorous, hardy, and ready for the fray. It is grand to pass away while there is nothing of infirmity yet seen, nothing left undone, and nothing allowed to fail throuo-h too long persistence in office. We may say of Closes, that he did

" His body witli liis cliarge lay doTvn, And cease at once to work and live."

Moreover his successor was appointed, and was just below in the plain. It was not his son, but it was his servant who had become his son at leno-th. He did

186 THE DEATH OF MOSES.

not leave his floclc to be scattered, liis building to be thrown down. Happy Moses, to see his Joshua ! Hap- py Elijah, to see his Elisha ! No trembling, for the ark of the Lord mars such a departure. The success- ion of workers lies with the Master, not Avith the work- ers. AVe are to traiir men " who can teach others also " ; but our own especial Avork we must leave with the Lord. Yet as Paul Avas glad of Timothy, so must Moses have rejoiced over Joshua, and felt in his ap- pointment, a release from care.

He died, moreoA'^er, in tlie best company possible. Some men expire most htly in the presence of their children ; their strength has laid in their domestic duties and aiiections, and their cliihlren fitly close their eyes : but for the inan Moses there Avas no true kindred. You hear that he married an Ethioi)iau Avomau ; but you know notliiiig about her. You know that he Jiad sons, but you do not hear a word about them except their names : their father was too engrossed in honoring his God to craA^e office for them. As we have seen, he lived as to men, idone, and as to men he died alone. But God v>'as Avith him, and in the peculiarly near and dear society of God he closed his life on the lone peak. If he suffered any weakness no mortal eye beheld it. So far as his people Avere concerned, " he Avas not, for God took him." Pisgah was to him the A^estibule of lieaA^en. God met him at the gates of Paradise.

As he died, tlie sweetness of his last thought was in- describable. Before his strengthened eye there lay the goodly land and Lebanon. The Lord showed him all the land of Gilead imto Dan. Yonder is Carmel, and beyond it he sees the gleam, of the utmost sea. Through breaks of the mountains h.e sees Bethlehem and Jebus,

THE DEATH OF MOSES. 187

which is Jerusalem. Then, like Abraham, he saw the day of Christ, and by faith behold the track of the in- carnate God. Thy land, 0 Immanuel, appeared before him, and ho saw it in all its spiritual bearings. What a vision ! Yet even tJiis melted into a nobler view. As we liave seen in our childhood by the light of a magic lantern one view dissolve into another, so did the lower scene gradually melt away into another ; and the servant of the Lord found himself removed from the shadov/s Avhich his eye had seen into the real- ities which eyes cannot behokl. He had gone from Canaan below to Canaan above, and from the vision of Jerusalem on earth to the joy of the City of Peace in glory. The Babbis say that our text moans that .Moses died at the mouth of God, and that his soul was taken away by a kiss from the Lord's mouth. I do not know, but I have no doubt that there was in ore sweetness in the truth than even their legend could set forth. As a mother takes her child and kisses it, and then lays it down to sleep in its own bed ; so did the Lord kiss the soul of JMoses away to be with him for ever, and then he hid his body we know not where.

Whoever had such a burial as that of Moses ? An- gels contended over it, but Satan has failed to use it f(n- his purposes. That body was not lost, for in due time it appeared on the Mount of Transfiguration, talking with Jesus concerning the greatest event that ever transpired. Oh that we also may pass away amid the most joyful prospects ; heaven coming down to us as we go up to heaven ! May we also attain unto the resurrection from among the dead, and be with our Lord in his glory !

Soon our turn shall come. Do we dread it? As we are favored to serve our Lord we shall be favored

188 THE DEATH OF MOSES.

to be called home in due season. Let us be ever ready ; yea, joyfully ready. When we are dying we shall see not the land of iS'aphtali and Ephraim, but the covenant ; and the infinite provisions of its prom- ises will be outspread before our soul, as Canaan at the feet of Moses. Wrapt in happy enjoyment of precious promises, we shall with surprise find ourselves usher- ed into the place where the promises are all fulfilled.

" There shall Tve see his face, And never, never sin, But from the rivers of his grace, Drink endless pleasures in."

To the believer it is not death to die. Since Jesus has died and risen again, the sting of death is gone ; wherefore let us prepare ourselves to climb where Mo' ses stood, and view the landscape o'er. Amen.

IX.

LOVING PEESTJASIOIir.

June 26, 1887. ''Persuading them Qoncerning Jesus."— Acts xxviii. 23.

\Vherever Paul is, he has but one errand ; and when- ever Paul preaches, he has but one subject. Once at Athens, when he addressed the Areopagus, he seemed to wander a little from his main point, and no special good followed, but this experience bound him all the faster to the cross; for he afterwards said to the Corin- thians, "I determined not to know anything among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified." The cross of Christ was his one theme. He henceforth hammer- ed on the head of this one nail. Whatever faculty, ability, and power he had, he turned its whole current into this one channel, and cried, "God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by wdiom the world is crucufied unto me, and I unto the workl." Brethren, we have not strength enough for a dozen things, we have not even strength enough for two. What little vigor we have, let us use it all in one direction; let us say, "For me to live is Christ." You could not have dropped into Paul's lodging at any time during the two years that he was at Piome before the emperor liberated him, Avithout hearing him 'preach of the "things which concern the Lord Jesus Christ." Every arrow in his quiver

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190 LOVING PERSUASION.

was aimed at the one target; and he knew how to hit the white of it each time. "This one thing I do," said he. His motto was — All for Jesus, and for Jesus on ly.

The one topic the apostle brought forward in differ- ent ways. When addressing the chief men of the Jews in Rome, observe that he expounded, and testi- fied, and persuaded. These three methods were needful among the people of those days; and they are the wisest that can be adopted to bring men to Christ even now. We must expound, set forth, explain, make clear the gospel. We must tell men what the Word of God means, in the plainest possible language; for they need to know what it is that the revelation from heaven has really declared. The more of tnie exposition the better. We must also fes^//}/. We must bear witness to the effect which the go.spel has had upon our heart and life. The telling out of our per- sonal experience is a means of grace to our heaiers. Paul was wont to describe his own conversion. He told the story of how the Lord appeared unto him in the way to Damascus; and he did this so often, tliat Luke and others, who Avere his companions, must have heard it several times. Indeed, it was a tale so worth the tolling that none could weary of hearing it. Paul knew that personal witness-bearing has a great weight upon the minds of men; and, therefore, he was not afraid of being accused of egotism, for he knew that he did not preach himself, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and the narrative of his conversion was not intended at all to honor himself, but to glorify that blessed Christ, who out of heaven had spoken to liini, and called him to be a chosen vessel to bear his word to the Gentiles. There is much force in such a per-

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gonal testimony. Oh, that you and I, after having explained the gospel, may always be able to tell out something from our own experience which will prove it! Mem love, when they hear of a medicine, to meet with a case of cure; and in the same way, when they hear of religion, they desire to hear from persons like themselves what that religion has done for them. Brethren, we should speak of Jesus in a happy, grate- ful, earnest manner, and commend him as a Saviour to our fellow-sinners. Yet this was not all; our apos- tle was not satisfied simply to expound and testify; his heart was full of love to his countrymen; and, therefore, he persu^ided them. He entreated, he be- sought, he implored his hearers to turn to the Lord Jesus Christ.

As Paul was speaking to Jews, he fetched the arguments of his persuasion from their own holy books. I have no doubt that he had spread cut on the table before him the books of Moses, and the vari- ous rolls of the prophets: to these he continually referred his Jewish friends. We cannot this morning go into that argument, neither is there need; for you are not Israelites, and you are already well acquainted M'ith that mode of argument. Paul must have been a master in that line of things. I think 1 hear him now explaining to them concerning Jesus as he appeared in jMelchisedec; here was a wide subject. Hear him open up to them the justification of Abraham by faith ; and then the allegory of Sarah and Plagar, and the two covenants. I should have liked to liave heard him speak of Isaac and Ishmael, and of Jacob and Esau, and the electing love of God as seen in thof e memora- ble instances. With what rapture would Paul speak of the sacrifices, reminding them that " without

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shedding of blood there is no remission," and pointing- them to the blood of sprinkling, which spoaketh bet- ter things than that of Abel ! How he would then open up to them the meaning of the daily oiferings, the mystery of the day of atonement, the sacred teaching of the entering in of the high priesst withiji the veil ! How earnestly would he remind his breth- ren that the continual repetition of the sacrifices was a sure evidence that they had not made the con- sciences of the offerers clean from a sense of sin, or they would have ceased to be offered ! How heartily would he direct their minds to that one sacrifice which Jesus presented once for all when he bowed Jiis head in death ! I think I can hear him turning to that memorable passage in Isaiah which so much en- gaged the attention of the Ethiopian eunuch, and opening up to his audience the person and suffering of the Lord Jesus, who was led as a lamb to the slaughter for our sakes, and for us was stricken, smit- ten, and afflicted. With such arguments men who believed those books to be inspired ought to have been convinced. It is clear that Jesus of Nazareth is the Messiah predicted in the Old Testament. Had not their hearts been so gross, their eyes so blind, and their ears so dull, they must have believed in Jesus; but as it was, many of the Jewish leaders went away in a pet, quarrelling with those who believed, and angry with Paul. None are such bitter enemies of the cross as those who, by a firm resolve, determine to be blind to its glory and dead to its pov/er.

Thus Paul, you see, in his pleading, adapted him- self to his audience. He had acquired the knack of being all things to all men, that he might save some. In pleading with Israel, for whose salv^ation his heart's

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desire and prayer ever rose to heaven, he followed the Avisest and most hopeful course. He argued from what they did believe : he urged the truth they al- ready knew as a reason why they should admit an- other truth; or, rather, let me say, he showed them that the gospel of Jesus was involved and contained within those truths which were assuredly accepted aiuong them. He spent the whole day at this; but at this time I shall not pursue his line of reasoning, because it is not needed among yon, and you have need of per- suasion of another sort. It would ill become me to beat tlie air, or exhibit before you a mimic combat with an absent adversary. No, my friends, 1 liave be- fore me another sort of people, whose condition needs another treatment. I long for your immediate conver- sion. With earnest prayer have I come hither, seek- ing with tears and entreaties to win men from destruc- tion. Others have joined me in supplication, and therefore I look to the Holy Spirit for his gracious work, that my hearers may be convinced of sin and led to Jesus.

J- Let me first describe those avhom we would per- suade. I will so picture you that some of you will see yourselves as in a looking-glass. I shall not talk to a people far away, but to you who sit before me this day.

I luould persuade tJiose persons who believe the truth no- iiomlhj, and yet do not receive it in their hearts. It seems a strange thing that men should believe, and yet not believe. This peculiar form of unbelief is current among us at this day. It is strange that men believe the Bible, and even profess to believe it all, and yet they act as if it were all a dream. If we preach the deity of Christ, it is an easy task; for they never 13

]94 LOVING persuasion:

thought of questioning it. If we proclaim the need of the Holy Spirit in regeneration, they are agreed; for they never doubted it. Whatever doctrine it is that we can prove by the Word of God, they bow be- fore it. They are not guilty of scepticism. Ahis ! they hardly give the matter thought enough to observe any difficulties. Avoiding the whirlpool of questioning, tliey run upon the rock of indifference. Their belief holds the truth as spices and linen pre- serve a mummy. Tlie gospel is to them a dead mon- arch, honorably interred in the sarcophagus of their reverence. It has no more power over them than if they disbelieved it. As a medicine retained upon the druggist's shelf has no effect upon the body, so is the gospel stowed away in the minds of many so as to have no result in their lives. This must be a sad mis- use of a divine revelation. It cannot have been sent to us to be without effect. 0 my hearers, if you be- lieve that fTesus is the Savioui', why is he not your Saviour? If you beHeve that repentance and faith bring salvation, why have you not repented and be- lieved? If you believe that there is a God that hear- cth praj^er, why do you not pray ? If you know that you njust be born again, how is it you are content without the new birth ? How is it that with regard to the hearing of the word you come and you go, not once nor twice, but year after year, and yet you are unmoved and unchanged ? Age steals over some of you, and finds you not an inch in ad- vance of wliat you were in yor.r youth. If you did not believe the Word of God, I could understand your conduct; hut if you do believe it, why do you not re- ceive it practically into your hearts? If you were awakened by a cry of fire, and you were sure that your

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own house was burning, I should expect to see you hurrying from the fiiune. I could understand you keeping to your bed if you were persuaded that the cry was the mere idle uoisc of boys in the street ; but if you believed it to be a real alarm, I should be perplex- ed if I saw you seeking a little more sleep. If you were told that you had a disease about you which would soon bring you to your grave, and that a certain phy- sician could work.a speedy cure ; if you did not believe the report, I should expect that you would suffer in the patience of despair; but if you did believe in the repute of the physician, and in the cures which he had wrought, I should not be able to understand you if you did not go to him, and seek relief. 0 sirs, how is it that you are willing to continue in sin when Jesus is able to save unto the uttermost? Plow strangely you act! Alas! Human nature has become monstrous: it is false to its own instinct of self-preservation, and acts in a suiciddl manner. Oh that you were wise ! If Jesus tells you the truth, why do you not believe him ? If Jesus be himself the truth, why do you not receive him ? Why do you need persuading to a course so proper, so reasonable ?

Many need jjeysicadin'j, who intend soon to practice what they have believed, but the time has not fully come. You have a resolve in your heart that before long you will turn to Christ; but the unhappy thing is, that you have for many a day retained this resolve, and it has grown mouldy Avithin your bosoms. When we met you as a child you meant to love the Lord. When Ave con- A^ersed with you as young men and women you were very hopeful, and your parents felt that their prayers would soon be heard. You seemed so thoughtful and impressible, and you had such good intentions, that we

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all reckoned upon your speedily being decided. You are much older now, but you are not more advanced: still with you it is all intentions and intentions. 1 "wish there could be a time fixed in your mind when it should be either " yes," or " no." " How long halt ye between two opinions?" How long shallJesus be put off, and the world be served ? Some of you are not a whit more hopeful than you were twenty years ago. Let me recall the expression: you are a deal more hopeless, for you are becoming gospel-hardened. Ap- peals which once pierced your hearts do not even wound you now. As water rolls down a marble slab and leaves nothing behind, so it is now with what you hear. The sword of the Spirit is as sharp as ever, but your heart has hardened like steel in the annealing. Oh, you tliat are for ever resolving and resolving, and yet abide where you are — you are the people whom at this time I would persuade to decision !

Some have gone further still: for they are earnestly seeking salvation, hut they have chosen a ivrong method of ' search, which can only end in disappointment. I would fain persuade them to leave off seeking the living among the dead. Salvation is by immediate trust in Jesus; but you want to feel up to a certain degree of anguish, or you want to change yourselves up to a certain point of excellence: in a word, you v/ant to save yourselves first, and then come to Jesus. You are trying to make the lantern shin^ before a candle is put within it. You want to renew your own nature, and then to come to Christ for a new heart: you are not content to come to Jesus as sinners. All will be done for you if you will but put your trust in the Lord Jesus Christ; bat this you fail to do. If I knev/ how to put the gospel more plainly than I do, God knows

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I would not be slack to do so; but jet, with all the plainness of or.r preaching, our hearers will persist in going about after this and that hope of their own, in- stead of at once accepting salvation by Jesus Christ. Oh, that you were so persuaded of the things concern- ing Jesus, as to lay hold of them at once ! You need to be led to see that salvation is all finished, and that you have but to take it as a free gift, " Christ hath died," and in that expression lies your life. Believing in Jesus, you have eternal life tlie moment you believe. You need to be persuaded to accept this as the present truth, the most precious truth you can ever hear. If you will receive it, happy will it be with you ; but if you continue running hither and thither after salva- tion, and neglecting the Lord Jesus, you shall perish in your sins. Why will you pursue the will-o'-the-wisp, and shut your eyes to the day-star ? Why v/ill you follow the mirage, and leave the lone well in the des- ert whose sweet waters will for ever remove your thirst? Oh, that you were rightly persuaded at this very moment !

One other class I should like to deal with this morn- ing: I would fain persuade fAose ?r7io Ziare ^n'ecZ a fo?2f/ ihne to do their best, and, having never succeeded, an fallinj into a state of despcdr. Theirs is not a painful despair; I wish it were so; but, alas ! they have fallen into a lethargy, a paralysis of the mind vrith regard to heavenly things. " It is no good," they say, "I cannot get peace, I shall never find pardon. A^ child of God I canjiot hope to be; I might as well expect to be a peer of the realm ! " Therefore they sit down in sullen hopelessness. They mutter that if it is to be it will be, and it is of no use caring. They are rendered ii> sensible by the frost-bite of their horrible idea of fate.

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Oh, that they had been warmed by the sunlight of belief in a gracious predestination ! ]\Ien die by insen- sibility as surely as by passion. I fear that some of 3'ou will never awake until in hell you lift up your eyes. I have had you laid on my heart, and the thought of your danger presses me down into the dust at this time. I feel but little joy, even in these jubilee- times, when I think about those of you who are so near to the kingdom, and yet are aliens from it. I must persuade you with all my heart to come to Jesus, for if you perish in the light, you will perish Avith a ven- geance. If you go dov/n to destruction from the bor- ders of salvation, it will be sevcnfohl destruction. If yon die with Jesus weeping over you, as he did over Jerusalem, you Avili die horribly. If you sink down to hell with that word in your cars, " How often would I have gathered you, as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not !" your sinking will be like that of a millstone in the sea. If you per- ish under a gospel ministry, it were better for you that you had never been born.

These are the people I long to perpuade. 0 Divine Spirit, work through me at this time, and let the eter- nal purposes of love be fulfilled ! 0 my brethren in Christ, I entreat you, by the love of Jesus, strive to- gether with me in your prayers for this blessing !

II. Our second point shall be : LET_us_p^syj^,£Ejsgji. But arc we right in trying to persuade men ? Are not human hearts too hard to be broken by so feeble a hammer as oiu* persuasion ? Yes, I most solemnly believe they are : but that is not the question. "AVhat is the use of persuading them, if you know that they Avill not be won by your persuasion in and of itself? ' Well, brethren, I feel safe in doing what Paul die]

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I will not stop to solve difficulties, but Aerely say, Paul per.sua>led, and so will I. "Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men." "Oh,'' says one, " we may persuade awakened sinners, but not dead sinners ! " But I reply that Paul persuaded these chief men of the Jews, some of whom never believed in Jesus, for their hearts were gross, and their eyes were blinded. Paul persuaded them, thougli they were jncljpially blinded. He knew that they were living men, and that they were possessed of reason, even though they had no grace ; and so he appealed to what remained in them, and he persuaded theiu. Again I say, I will do what Paul did. But I know, as Paul also knew, that all the human persuasion in the world will fall short of the mark without divine power. I never dreamed that my persuasion was of the slight- est avail without the Holy Ghost. If the Holy Spirit will cause the persuasion to reach the inw^ard ear, then it will prevail, and not else: if he will drive home the persuasion, so that it touches the heart which is en- cased in the fat of worldly pleasure, indifference, pre- judice, and pride, then men will yield, and men will be persuaded indeed. But the Holy Spirit will do this! He has done it; he is doing it; he will doit; and therefore we persuade. Brothers, why should we not expect the Holy Spirit to display his power ? We have sought it with fervent prayer. The preacher comes on this platlbrm neither without his own pray- ers, nor without your prayers ; and so we are persuaded that we shall have divine help. Therefore, 0 sinners, "as though God did beseech you hy us, we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God'' !

Once more, in the name of God, I return to the work to which God has ordained me. I would persuade you

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concerning Jesus. To loliat shall I persuade you ? My clear hearers, I -vvould persuade some of you to think of Christ, the Lord's anointed; to think of Jesus, the Saviour. I would have you read about him, and study his person, work, and character. Turn to the four evangelists, and see what he was, and what he did. Eead carefully and reverently the inspired lives of Jesus. Faith often comes to men when they are thinking about Christ. The cross not only claims faith, but it creates it. To sit and see the Son of God die on the cross is the way to get faith. Some of you, perhaps, have been sitting still, and trying to believe. That is a very absurd thing to do, for faith is not a first effort of the mind, but it follows upon other states- Know v/hat is to be believed, and v/hy you are to believe it. Know who he is in v»diom you are to put . your trust, and why he deserves to be trusted. Shut yourselves up a bit: read the Bible carefully, and then meditate, and meditate, and meditate. This is the way in which faith grows up in the soul, even as plants spiing from seed sown anxl watered. Faith cometh by hearing o)- reading — the hearing or reading of the Word of God. " Incline your ear," saith the Lord God, "and come unto me: hear, and your soul shall live." May I not persuade you to think seriously and often about the way of salvation by Jesus Christ?

The next thing I would persuade you to is to trust in him. Trust is the essence of saving faith. Faith is not merely believing facts, but trusting to a person. God has set forth Christ to be a propitiation for sin : he becomes to me my propitiation when I trust him. Can you not trust Jesus ? Is he not worth trusting ? Where else can you trust ? The moment you trust in him you are saved. You know that: why not prove it

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true by personal faith ? To trust is the meaning of that text, " Look unto me, and be ye saved, all ye ends of the earth." There is life in a glance of trust. You are living men when you look to Christ, or trust him.

" But," you say, " I do uot feel " Away with your

buts ! What have I said about your feelings ? " Be- lieve on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved." " He that believeth on him hath everlasting life." Salvation lies in the simple act of trusting in you/ Saviour. Oh, tliat I could persuade you to trust !

And when you have trusted him, I want to persuade you concerning Jesus that you should avow that trust. riie Lord puts it tlais : " He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved." Be baptized, therefore, in obedience to his command. Come out boldly, and say, " I am on the Lord's side." Do not attempt to go Siieaking to heaven along some back lane ; come into the king's highway ; take up your cross and fol- low him. He that will not confess him before men, Christ Vi'ill not confess before his Father who is in heaven. What is there to be ashamed of in Jesus ? H' Christ be your Saviour, the very least thing you can do is to say, " I am his disciple," and openly to de- clare yourself on his side. He puts it so — " He that with his heart believeth, and with his mouth maketh confession of him, shall be saved." I would persuade yon to an open confession ; may God the Holy Spirit lead you at once to the doing of it !

And if I were happy enough to persuade you so far, I would persuade you to obey Christ thronghout life. "Whatsoever he saith unto you, do it." Seek to lead a holy, harmless, blameless life. Endeavor to avoid all sin, endeavor to copy the Son of God throughout

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your whole course, raakinf^ him your model and your ]\laster, your leader and your Lord. Some of you who have openly confessed Him, still need to be persuad- ed to a closer obedience. " Without holiness no man shall see the Lord." The way of complete obedience is the way of happiness ; and many professors njiss the joy of their Lord — I am half afraid they will miss his acceptance at the last, because they are not careful to walk in his ways, and to glorify his holy name by a holy life. I would persuade you then to think of Christ, to trust in Christ, to confess Christ, and to obey Christ.

What shall he my arguments? I can summon battab ions of them/rom Jesus Idmsdf. lie is the Son of God : therefore, trust him. He loves with a supreme love ; shall we not love him who first loved us? He died! Oh, by his agony and bloody sweat, by his cross and passion, 1 would persuade you to turn to him ! Every drop of blood of the great Substitute, every sigh and every cry of the Eedeemer, is an argument with men that they should not neglect his salvation, but should come and trust him. He is risen, and lives again: de- spise not the risen Saviour ; come and bow before him who is proved to be the Son of God with power by his resurrection from the dead. He has gone up into his glory. He sitteth at the right hand of God : obey him, then, for all power is given to him in heaven and in earth. He will shortly come, and you and I (in how short a time !) will have to stand before his judg- ment-seat. Believe not those who would bid you trifle with a future state, and think little of the judgment to come. 0 men and women, a short time will swallow us all up in the grave, and we shall pass into anotiier world ; in little more than the twinkling of an eye we

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shall hear the last trumpet heralding the Judge ! Then shall "we hear the summons," Come to judgment ! Come to judgment ! Come away ! " Then 1 shall have to give an account of this morning's sermon. What a weight to have to preach to all of you, and to have your blood laid at my door if I preach not faith- fully to you ! 0 God .Most Mercifid, grant to all of us that knov/ing that Christ will come, and come to judg- ment, we may lay this fact to heart, and be persuaded to put our trust in him, who will otlierwise pronounce upon us the sentence of eternal perdition !

I may summon another battalion of arguments from your oiun state and need. O sirs, you that are un- converted are yet in your sins, encrusted with years of gathered foulness ! Your sins hang about you now like the white scales of leprosy : they are on your brows, and in your hearts. There is but one that can cleanse these defilements: it is Jesus. Why do you not tly to him ? Moreover, remember the sinful- ness-of your nature. You will go on to sin; your heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; you v/ill not cease from sinning. . Jesus alone can give you a new heart and a right spirit. He is the one physician able to cure your fatal disease. Will you not cry to him, "Jesus, Emmanuel, heal me with a touch''? Will you refuse to be made whole? I pray you do not sa

Even now you are conscious of a w^earisome rest- lessness: you are not happy, you have forebodings of an a^vful future. You know you are not at peace. From all the gay and gallant sights you have seen this week you have turned away sick at heart : you need some- thing better, and more substantial. Be assured there is no rest for you but in Christ : he saith unto you,

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" Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give yon rest." Turn not away from the one and only rest of your souls ; but this day accept him ; take his yoke upon ^^ou, and learn of him, and you shall find rest unto your souls. As you love your ■ souls, as you desire happiness here, as you desire blessedness hereafter, I beseecli you to lay hold on eternal life in Jesus.

If [ wanted more arguments there are many quarters from which they would come at my bidding. I would try to find them in your hopes and fears. I do not know to whom 1 may be speaking now ; but, my friend, there is a glorious future before you if Christ becomes yours. Burdened sinner, there is a peace which passeth .all understanding if you will look to Jesus! 0 distracted, tempest-tossed soul, there is a haven of rest for you if you steer to Christ ! 1 would fain persuade you now to come to him whose gift is heaven below and then heaven above. I my- self have tried him. Blessed was the day in which I fell into liis arms. 0 happy hour in wliich I looked to him and was lightened ! Truly, my face is not ashamed, nor is my tongue ashamed of my Lord, nor is my understanding ashamed to believe his gospev, though all men should cast doubt upon it. I have no other hope under heaven, no other joy in heaven, but my Saviour and his infallible word. If you knew the comfort which my soul finds in Jesus you could not desire a better. 0 you young people, I would espec- ially say to you — come early to Jesus, for they that seek him early shall find him with supreme delight! You will come to die soon ; here is the antidote of death. The strongest and youngest will one day have to go up-stairs and gather up his feet in the bed.

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Oh, what a comfort atid joy it gives you in that hour to have the presence of your Lord ! After death comes the for ever and ever. What biiss to be "for ever with the Lord " ! That endless fellowship with Jesus means an immeasurable weight of glory. Surely these arguments ought to prevail with you. They will, if your reason is made reasonable.

Hoio ought I to plead wiili you when I have told you these arguments ? I ought to plead with you in a manner far superior to that which I have yet reached, Alas ! I cannot persuade you as I would. I think the preacher should feel a burning desire for his hearers' conversion, and even an intense anguish of heart for the immediate salvation of those to whom he speaks. To this I have attained: I long for your salvation most vehemently. I would say anything, and say it anyhow, if I could but win yout« immedi- ate faith in the Lord Jesus. The desire is so strong upon me that should I not succeed on this occasion, I v/ill try again; and if, unhappily, I should fail again, ] will continue at the work as long as you live and I am able to reach you. 0 my hearers, I cannot endure that you should die in yoiu- sins ! I will go before God in secret, and lay your case before him, and beg him to interpose. We cannot let you be damned, my hearers. It is too dreadful. We cannot stand by and see you lost. If you are so insane as to refuse the Saviour, those who have sober judgments will still continue to pray for you, and to weep in secret places because of your sins. If we cannot prevail v/ith you for God, we -will endeavor to prevail with God for you. I would have every person in this place act reasonably, righteously, truthfully, honestly to his own soul; and if he does so, he will be persuaded

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this day to believe in Jesus Christ the Son of God, and cast iumself at iiis pierced feet.

III. Now I have to speak a few words upon

another subject, with the same object. It is this — >

LET us LAMENT THE FACT* THAT OUR PERSUASIONS FAIL IN^CERr

TAIN CASES. Paul fouud it SO ; and where this chief of apostles was baffled, can I wonder if I fail ? The sower went forth to sow; he was a model sower; the Master put him in his parable as a pattern: he could not have sown better seed, nor have sown it better, and yet some of his seed fell on stony places, some fell by the wayside, and yet a third fell among thorns. Only one portion of what he sowed appears to have fallen upon good soil. Let me speak to those of you who will, I fear, be our failures. I grieve to think there should be any such. It is a sad business in the present f«r' a man to be living without Christ. We pity abject poverty; but this is worse than the worst poverty. We are sorry for the friendless; but none are so forlorn as those who have not Jesus for a friend. No ignorance is so terribleas ignorance of the Saviour; no blindness so deplorable as blindness towards the Lord Jesus. To live without Christ is not life, but a breathing death. You are in the hey- day of your y^outh, perhaps, and think that you are enjoying pleasure; but indeed it is not worth the name. You are eating husks and missing the ker- nels. Your mirth is as the crackling of thorns under a pot : it flares, and blazes up, but there is no heat in it; it dies down in a moment, and leaves nothing but a few ashes. If I had to die like a dog I should still wish to live the life of a Christian. Faith is good for this life. There is more solid joy in five minutes' fellowship with Christ than iu a thousand years of

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revelling in the palaces of kings. You are a loser in a thousaud ways by remaining an hour without Christ. It is a Avretclied business to be God's enemy, to miss rest of heart, and to be a stranger to the Holy Spirit.

It is a wretched business to be now neglecting the great salvation; but this is not all: your present liardness of heart reveals a good deal as to your past life. If you will not be persuaded of the things con- cerning Jesus, it shows that your heart and conscience have been injured by years of wilful resistance to the power of truth. You have been stopping up your ears, and that is wdiy you are so deaf. You have been sealing up your eyes, or you v/ould not be so utterly blind. You have been hardening your heart against gracious appeals, or else you w^ould not now be made of such hardened steel. Remember those 3'ears of broken Sabbaths, and see what they have done for you; they have blinded and hardened you. Ilemem- ber the neglected house of God, and see how callous you have now become. Think of the times in which you. have heard the gospel, and refused its tender warr^ings, instructions, and invitations, and see what has come of those refusals. You are now well nigh insensible. Oh, that black, black past!

We are also fearful about you, because your past and present foretell a future of continued and increasing blindness, deafness, and insensibility. I fear for some of you that you have been judicially hardened by the withdrawal of the Holy Ghost, that you are also hardened by the tei'rible influence of Satan, and that vou have also allowed the suicidal influence of self- w'ill to sear your conscience, as with a hot iron. You are such a trifler that it is hard to get a serious thought into your mind ; you arc so fickle that none

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of our liopes concerning jou are ever realized ; you are so superficial tliat it is diiiicult to make any deep impression upon you. You crush beneath your feet the eggs of better things : you stifle the good thoughts wJiich sometimes are born within you. Holy teach- ings fall upon your mind as sparks which drop into a pool of water. You have almost come to a condition of mind in which you are like a man covered with armor, from which the sharpest arrows glance off. 0 God, let it not. be quite so, we beseech thee, with any one here !

This is all the sadder because it suggests such tre- mendous sin, and such overwhelming punishment. I cannot tell you what must be the doom of Sodom and Gomorrah, neither can you yourselves conceiAC its full horror. They gave themselves up unto unmention- able lusts, until at last God was so provoked that he would bear it no longer, and he resolved to destroy the f51tl:iy ones, and the place which they liad polluted. He pulled up the sluices of his wrath, and cata- racts of fire poured down from heaven lipon the unclean ones. Heaven sent down fire and brimstone instead of silver showers. Then were the sinners burned up on a sudden, and not a wreck, either ol" the Sodomites or of their city, was left. This was an unparalleled instance of divine justice, for tiieir sin had broken all bounds. What their doom must be in the day of judgment I leave you to imagine; but remember these words and weigh them well — " It shall be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment than for you." Dear l^oy that you wx>re upon your mother's knee, fair girl that you were in the Sunday-school class, speaking so hopefully in your younger days, you will have to giA^e

LOVJNG PERSUASION. 209

an account for tlie deiays Avhich aro ruining jou. Hearer as you were, and as you are this morning, listening respectfully to God's ambassador — if you refuse the monitions, of infinite love, what must be- come of you ? Those were not my lips, rememher, which first spoke those dagger-like words; but they foil from the lips of the Prince of love who died for men. It is Christ himself who said to those who lizard his word and sa\v his mighty works, and yet refused to repent, " Woe unto you, it shall be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrha than for vou."

Yes, I have endeavored to persuade you, and if 1 must labor in vain, I shall turn away Avith great reluctance, mourning that I may not be allowed to be a blessing to you. I quit you wdth lingering foot- step, and bow regretfully beftn-e the Lord, crying, " Who hath believed my report; and to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed ? " Why will you die ? Why will you rush upon such a destruction ? Oh, that you were wdse !

I\^ But now, to change my strain, that we may not finish upon so sad a note, let me persevere in per- suADixG OTHERS. Notice that the apostle w^as not liindered in his work by sorrowing over those who rejected his persuasion, biit he turned to others of whom he had better hope. Having spoken a solemn parting word, he said, "Be it known, therefore, unto you, that the salvation of God is sent unto the Gen- tiles, and that they will hear it." To these Gentiles for two years Paul continued "preaching the kingdom of God, and teaching those things which concern the Lord" Jesus Christ." He kept to his work, but he changed his audience. We also will preach the gos- pel to those who have not enjoyed Christian privi-

210 LOVING rERSUASlON-.

leges. We preach Jesus to you who were not born of godly parents, nor brought up under Christian care. We preach free grace and dying love to you who hitherto have not attended the house of prayer, nor cared to hear the Avord of everlasting life. If the moral refuse mercy, we declare it to the immoral. The Jews had been religious in profession; but as they refused Christ, our a()ostle preached him to the C entile population in Rome, which in Paul's day was worse than London, if worse can be. Rome was an infamous den of every villany beneath the sky; but Paul without hesitation preached Christ to all the Romans thathecould reach; to soldiers, and to slaves, to Csesar's household, and to runaways. He believed in the adaptation of f lie gospel to the most degraded. With no weapon but the cross, he attacked a city sunk in idolatry and vice. So we also, when repulsed by you who think yourselves exceedingly respectable, turn with hope to those who have been drunkards, swearers, thieves, harlots, and the like. To the chief of sinners we present the great salvation. To you is the word of this salvation sent. " Whosoever will, kt him take of the vv^ater of life fi'eely." " Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners." " All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men."

Ye far-off ones, that dwell out of the reach of the common means of grace, the arm of mercy is stretch- ed out to you. You who are not a people shall be made a people, and she that was not beloved shall be called the beloved of the Lord. Paul said of the Gen- tiles, "They will hear it"; and we have the same confidence concerning many great transgressors. I thank (jod that those who never heard the gospel before have heard it in this great house, and have sc

LOVLXG I'ER SUASION. . 2H

heard it that they have at once yielded to its de- mands, and accepted its provisions. i\Jany who have been without hope, and without God, and without fear of eternal things, have heard the doctrine of free, rich, sovereign mercy, and have turned at once from their siiis, and laid hold upon the hope set before them.

Oh that more woukl come! They will come; " They Avill hear it." The divine purpose is that the Lord M-ill pi'ovoke the outwardly religious by saving those who made no pretence of godliness. Because yon were invited to the feast, and would not come, therefore the master of the house, being angry, issues a wider invitation, and gives the grand command, " Go out into the highways and hedges, and as many as ye find compel them to come in." If you will not have salvation, others will. Clirist shall not be disap- pointed; he shall not die in vain; his Spirit shall not strive wnthout success. "A seed shall serve him." Jesus shall have a people saved by his precious blood. 1 hope that many such are brought here this morning on purpose to be blessed. I hope they- will leap for- ward to catch at the gracious message. Oh that some of them would cry out, "I believe, I trust, I rest in Jesus " ! If it be so, go your way, God has saved you. If thou believest that Jesus is the Christ, thou art bor!i of God. Thou hast been worldly, sinful, abundantly wicked; yet, if thou wilt have Christ now, have him, and welcome. If thou art now drawn towards him, come at once, and linger not. " For the Scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed." May his sweet love persuade you in the things concerning Jesus ! Amen.

X.

THE BLOOD SHED FOE MAIJ'Y.

July 3, 1887.

" This is jny blood of the new testament, wliich is slied for macy for tlie remissiou of sins." — Matthew xxvi. 28.

The L(n-d Jesus Christ was then alive, sitting at the table; and yet, pointing to the cup filled with red wine, he said, "This is my blood, Avhicli is shed for man}"." Tliis proves that lie could not have intended that the wine was literally his blood. Surely it is no longer necessary to refute the gross and carnal dogma of transubstantiation, which is obviously absurd. There sat the living Lord at the supper, v>^ith his blood in his veins, and therefore the wine could not literally be his blood. Value the symbol, but to confound it with the thing symbolized would draw into the idolatrous "worship (.f a piece of bread.

Our Lord spoke of his blood as shed, when as yet the noils had not pierced his hands and feet, and the spear had not broached his side. Is not this to be ac- counted for by the fact that our Lord was so taken U]> with the thought of our redemption by his death that he speaks of that as done which he was so resolv- ed to do ? Enjoying loving intercourse with his chos- en disciples, he spake freely ; his heart did not study accuracy so much as feeling ; and so, in speech as in feeling, he antedated his great work of atonement, and spoke of it as done. To set forth the future intent of (212)

THE BLOOD SUED FOR MANY. 213

the blessed ordinance of the Lord's Supper he must of necessity treat his death as an accomplished fact ; and his complete absorption in his work made it easy and natural for him to do so. He ignores moods and tenses ; " his work is before him."

By the nse of such lang;uage, our Lord also shows us the abiding presence of the great sacrifice as a power and an influence. He is the " Lamb slain from the foundation of the World,'' and therefore he speaks of his blood as shed. In a few hours it would be liter- ally jDonred forth ; but long ages before, the Lord God had regarded it as done. In full confidence in the great Surety that he woukl never draw back from the perfect fulfilment of his engagements, the Father saved multitudes in virtue of the future sin-offering. He communed with myriads of saints on the strength of the purification which would in the fulness of time be presented by the great High Priest. Could not the Father trust his Son ? He did so, and by this act set us a great example of faith. God himself is in very deed the Father of the faithful, seeing that he himself reposed the utmost confidence in Jesus, and because of what he would yet do in the pouring out of his soul unto death, lie "opened the kingdom of heaven to all believers." What, my soul ! canst thou not trust the sacrifice now that it has been presented ? If the fore- sight of it was enough for God, is not the consumma- tion of it enough for thee? "Behold the Lamb of God," who even before he died was described as tak- ing away the sin of the world. If this was so before lie went to Calvary, how surely is it so now that he has said in verity and truth, " It is finished'' !

Dear friends, I am going to preach to you again upon the corner-stone of the gospel. How many times

214 THE BLOOD SHED FOR MANY.

will this make, I wonder ? The doctrine of Christ crucified is always witli me. As the Roman sentinel in Pompeii stood at his post even when the city was destrcn^ed, so do I stand to the trntli of the atonement though the chnrch is being buried beneath tlie boiling mud-show^ers of modern heresy. Everything else can wait, but this one truth m.ust be proclaimed with a voice of thunder. Others may preach as they will, but as for this pulpit, it shall always resound with the substitution of Christ. " God forbid that I should glory save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ." Some may continually preach Christ as an example, and others may perpetually discourse upon his com- ing to glory : we also preach both of these, but main- ly we preach Christ crwcj^'ec?, to the Jews, a stumbling- block, and to the Greeks foolishness ; but to them that are saved, Christ the power of God, and the wis- dom of God.

You have before you a cup filled with wine, which Jesus has just blessed, and presented to his disciples. As you look into its rosy depths, hear him speak of tlie cup as his blood ; for thus he would teach us a solemn lesson.

I. Note, first, the bieortance of the precious blooi) g^.ciiRiST. The vital importance of the great truth of the death of Christ as a vicarious sacrifice, is set be- fore us in this cup, which is the memorial of his blood shed for many.

Blood represents sufiering ; but it goes further and suggests suffering unto death. " The blood is the life thereof," and when blood is too copiously shed death is suggested. Remember that in the sacred supper you have the bread as a separate emblem of the body, and then the wine as a separate symbol of the blood ;

THE BLOOD SHED EOR MANY. 215

thus you have a clear picture of death, since the blood is separated from the flesh. "As often as ye eat this bread and drink this cup, ye do show the Lord's death." Both acts are essential.

Upon the death of Christ you are invited to fix your attention, and upon that only. In the suffering of our Lord unto death we see the boundless stretch of his love. " Greater love hath no man than tliis, that he lay down his life for his friends."' Jesus could not be more loving to us than to yield himself unto death, even the death of the cross. O my Lord, in thy bloody sweat, and in the piercing of thy hands, and feet, and side, I see the highest prt)of of thy love ! Here I see that Jesus " loved me, and gave himself for me." Be- loved, I beg yon to consider often and Jovingly the sufferings of your Picdeemer, unto the pouring out of his heart's blood. Go with him to Gethsemane, and thence to the liouse of Cuiaphas and Annas, and then to Pilate's hall, and Herod's place of mockery! Be- hold your Lord beneath the cruel scourges, and in the hands of the executioners upon the hill of sliame. Forget not one of the sorrows which were mingled in the bitter cup of his crucifixion— its pain, its mockery, its shame. It was a death reserved for slaves and felons. To make its deep abysses absolutely bottom- less, he was forsaken even of his God. Let the dark- ness of " Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani," bear down upon your spirit, till, as you sink in awe, you also rise m love. He loved you better than he loved himself ! The cup means love, even to the shedding of his blood for you.

It means somethiiig more. We have called our Lord, in our hymn, '• Giver of life for life." and that is what this cup means. He gave up his life that we

21G THE BLCOD SHED FOR A/AAV.

might live. He siooJ in our place and stead in the day of Jehovah's wrath, receiving into his bosom the fierv sword which was unsheathed for our destruction. The pouring out of his blood has made our peace with God. Jehovah made the soul of his onlj-begotten an offering for sin, that the guilty might be cleared, " He hath made Iiim to be sin for us, who knew no sin ; that we might be made the righteousness of God m him." That is what the wine in the cup means: it means the death of Jesus in our stead. It means the blood poured out from the lieart of the incarnate God, that we might have fellowship with God, the sin which divided us being expiated by his death.

Our blessed Saviour woukl have us hold his death in great reverence-, it is to be our chief memory. Both the emblems of the Lord's Supper set forth the Sa- viour's death. This peculiarly Christian ordinance teaches nothing if it does not teach this. Christ's death for men is the great doctrine of the church. We profess ourselves partakers of the merit of his death when we come to this table; our Lord's death is then remembered, shown, declared, testified, and trusted in. Evidently the Lord Jesus means us to treat the fact of his death as a truth to be made pre-eminently promi- nent: he would not have instituted an ordinance spe- cially to remind us of the shedding of his blood, if he had not regarded it as the forefront of his whole earthly career.

The other ordinance of our holy faith also sets forth our Lord's death. Are we not •' Buried vnth him l)y baptism into death?" Ls not baptism an emblem of his being immersed beneath the waves of sorrow and death ? Baptism shows us that participation in Christ's suffering by which we begin to live; the Lord's Sup-

THE BLOOD SJ-JEJJ FOR MANY. 217

per sllo^^s us that participatiou in Christ's suffering l>j which that liie Is sustained. Both institutions point to his death.

Besides, beloved, we know from Holy Scripture thr.t this doctrine of the death of Christ is the very core of Christianity. Leave out the cross, and you have kill- ed the religion of Jesus. Atonement by the blood of Jesus is not an arm of Christian truth ; it is the heart of it. Even as the Lord said of the animal, " The blood is the life thereof," so is it true of the gospel, the sacri- ficial death of Jesus is the vital point of our profess- ion. I know nothing of Christianity without th« blood of Christ. No teaching is healthy which throws the cross into the background. The other da}', wdien I was inquiring about the welfare of a certain congie- gation, my informant told me that there had been few additions to the church, although the minister was a man of ability and industry. Furthermore, he let me see the reason of the failure, for he ailded, " I have at- tended there for several years, and during all that time I do not remember hearing a sermon upon tlie sacri- fice of Christ. The atonement is not denied, but it is left out." If this be so, what is to become of our churches? If the light of the atonement is put under a bushel, the darkness will be dense. In omitting the cross you have cut the tendon Achilles of the church: it cannot move, nor even stand, when this is gone. Holy work falls to the ground: it faints and dies when the blood of Jesus is taken away. The cross must be put in the front more than ever by the faithful, be- cause so many are unfaithful. Let us endeavor to make amends for the dishonor done to our divine blaster by those who deny or dishonor his vicarious sacrifice.: let us abide steadfast in this laith while oth-

218 THE BLOOD SHED FOR MANY.

crs waver, and preach Christ crucified if all else for- bear. Grace, mercy, and peace be to all who exalt Christ cr^^cified !

This remembrance of the death of Christ must be a constant remembrance. The Lord's Supper was meant to be a frequent feast of fellowship. It is a grievous mistake of the church when the communion is held but once in the year, or once in a quarter of a year; and I cannot remember any Scripture which justifies once in the month. I should not feel satisfied without breaking bread on every Lord's-day. It has come to me even oftener than once a week; for it has been my delight to break bread with many a little corapan}^ of Christ- ian friends. Whenever this Supper is celebrated, we declare that " Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures.' We cannot think of that death too often. Never was man blamed in heaven for preaching Christ too much; nay, not even on earth to the sons of God Av^as the cross ever too much spoken of. Outsiders may say, "This man harps only upon one string.' Do you v/cnder ? The carnal mind is enmity against God, and it specially shows its hatred by railing at the cross. Saintly ones find here, in the perpetual monotony of the cross, a greater variety than all other doctrines put together. Preach you Christ, and Christ, and Christ, and nothing else but Christ, and opened ears shall find in your ministry a wondrous harmony of linked sweetnesses, a charming perfectness of all man- ner of delicious voices. All good things lie within the compass of the cross; its outstretched arms over- shadow the whole world of thought ; from the east even unto the west it sheds a hallowed influence; mean- while, its foot is planted deep in the eternal myste- ries, and its top pierces all earth-born clouds, and rises

THE BLOOD SHED FOR MANY. 219

to the throne of the :\Iost High. Christ is lifted up upon the cross, that he may draw all men unto him ; and if we- desire to draw them, this must be our magnet. Beloved, the precious blood of Christ should be had by us in vivid rememhrance. There is something to me most homely about that cup filled with the fruit of the vine. The bread of the Supper is the bread of our Common meal, and the wine is the usual attendant of feasts. That same pure blood of the grape which is set on our sacramental table I drink with my friend. Look at those rvby, ruddy drops, suggesting your Lord's own blood. 1 had not dared to invent the sym- bol, nor might any man of mortal mould have ventur^ ed on such a thing, lest he should seem to bring that august death down to our lowly level; but in infinite condescension Jesus himself chooses the symbol, and while by its materialism he sets forth the reality of the sacrifice, by its commonness he shows how freely we partake thereof. lie would not have us know him after the flesh, and forget the spiritual nature of his griefs; but yet he would have us know that he was in a real body when he bled, and that he died a real death, and be(;ame most truly fit for burial; and tiierefore he sym- bolizes his blood, not by some airy fancy, or mystic sign, but by common wine in the cup. Thus would he reach us by our eye and by our taste, using two gates of our nature which lead up to the castle of the heart, but are not often the King's roadway thereto. 0 blessed Master, dost thou arrange to teach us so forcibly ? Then let us be impressed with the reality of the lesson, and never treat thy passion as a thing of sentiment, nor make it a myth, nor view it as a dream of poesy. Thou shalt be in death most real to QS, even as is that cup whereof we drink.

220 '^'^^ BLOOD SHED FOR MANY.

The dear memorials of our Lord's blood-shedding are intended for a personal rememhrancc. There is no Lord's Supper except as the wine touches the lip, and is received into the communicant's own self. All must partake. lie says, "drink ye all of it." You cannot take the Lord's Supper by deputy or representative; you must each of you approach the table, and person- ally eat and drink. Beloved, we must come into per- sonal contact with the death of Christ. This is essen- tial. We must each one say, " He loved me, and g-avc himself for me." In his blood you must be personally washed; by his blood you must be personally recon- ciled to God; through his blood you must personally have access to God; and by his blood you must person- ally overcome the enemy of your souls. As the Israel- ite's own door must be smeared with the blood of the Paschal lamb, so must you individually partake of the true Sacrifice, and know each one for himself the power of his redemption.

As it is personal, it is a charming fact that it is a happij remembrance. Our remembrance of Christ is chastened with repentance, but it is also perfumed with faith. The Lord's Supper is no funeral meal, but a festival ; most fitly do we begin it with the giving of thanks, and close it with a liymn. It is by many called the " Eucharist," or the giving of thanks: it is not a fast, but a feast. ]\ly happiest moments are spent with the King at his table, wiien his banner over me is love. The death of Christ is a well-spring of solemn joy. Before our great Sacrifice died, the best token of his death was the blood of bulls and of goats. See how the victims writhe in death ! The sacrificial knife does terrible work at the foot of the altar; it is hard to stand bv, and see the creatures bleed. After our

THE BLOOD SUED FOR MANY. 221

Lord's death was over, the blood of animals was not the type, but the blood of the grape. That which was terrible in x)rospect is joyous in remembrance. Ihat which was blood in the shedding is wine in the re- ceiving. It came from him wit h a wound, but it comes to ns with a blessing. His blood is oiu- song in the house of our pilgrimage, and it shall add the best mu- Pic to our heavenly harmonies as we sing before the throne: " Unto him that hath loved us, and washec/ us from our sins in his own blood ; to him be glory ibr ever and ever." If our Lord Jesus has made the mem- ory of his love to be more sweet than wine, let us never turn from it as though it had become a distasteful theme. Let us find our choicest pleasures at the

cross.

Once more, our Saviour meant us to maintam the doctrine of his death, and the shedding of his blood for the remission of sins, even to the end of time, for he made it to be of perpetual remembrance. We drink this cup " until he comes." If the Lord Jesus had fore- seen Avith approbation the changes in religious thought which would be brought about by growing "culture," he would surely have arranged a change of symbols to suit the change of doctrines. Would he not have warned us that, towards the end of the nineteenth century, men would become so '-enlightened" that the foith of Christendom must of necessity take a new departure, and therefore he had appointed a change of sacramental memorials? But he has not warned us of the coming of those eminently great and wise men wlio have changed all things, and abolished the old-fashioned truths for which martyrs died. Brethren, I do not believe in the wisdom of these men, and their changes I abhor; but had there been any ground for

222 7'-^^ BLOOD SHED FOR MANY.

snch chang'es, the Lord's Supper would not have been made of perpetual obligation. The perpetuity of ordi- nances indicates a pej'petuity of doctrine. But hear the moderns talk — "The Apostles, the Fathers, the Puritans, they were excellent men, no doubt, but then, you see, they lived before the uprise of those wonder- ful scientific men who have enlig-htened us so much." Let me repeat what I have said. If we had come to a new point as to believing, should we not have come to a new point as to the ordinances in which those beliefs are embodied ? I think so. The evident intent of Christ in giving us settled ordinances, and espe- cially in settling this one Avhich so clearly commemo- rates his bloodshedding, was that wo might know that the truth of his sacrifice is forever fixed and settled, and nnist unchangeably remain the essence of his gos- pel. Neither nineteen centuries, nor nineteen thous- and ceuturies, can make the slightest difference in this truth, nor in the relative proportion of this truth to other truths, so long as this dispensption lasts. Until he comes a second time without a sin-offering unto salvation, the grand work of his first coming must be kept first and foremost bi all our teaching, trusting, and testifying. As in the southern hemi- sphere the cross is the mariner's guide, so, under all skies, is the death of our Redeemer the polestar of our hope upon the sea of life. In life and in death we will glory in the cross of Christ, and never be ashamed of it, be we where we niay.

II. Sec(mdly, note well tiie connection op the blood 0^ Christ with the covenant. Read the text again : "This is my blood of the new testament." The trans- lation would be better, " This is my blood of the cov. en ant."

THE BLGOD SHED FOR MANY. £23

What is this covenant ? The covenant is that which I read to you just now in Jeremiah xxxi. 33: "This "shall be the covenant that I will make Avith the house of Israel; After those days, saitii the Lord, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people." See also Jeremiah xxxii. 40: "And I will make an everlasting covenant with tliem, that I will not turn away from them, to do them good; but [ wid put my fear in their hearts, that they shall not depart from me." Turn also to Ezekiel xi. 19: "I will put a new spirit within you; and I will take the stony heart out of their flesh, and will give them an heart of flesh." Look i\\ tlie same prophecy at xxxvi. 26: "A new heart also will J give you, and a new spirit will I put "udthin you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh." What a Magna Charta is this ! The old cov- enant saith, " Keep the law and live." The new cov- enant is, "Thou shalt live, and I will lead thee to keep my law, for I will write it on thine heart." Happy men who know their standing under this covenant!

What has the blood of Jesus Christ to do with this covenant ? It has everything to do with it, for the covenant could never have been made apart from the blood of Jesus. Atonement was taken for granted in the establishment of the covenant. No one else could have stood as our representative, to fulfil our side of the covenant, exi^ept the Lord Jesus Christ; and even he could only have performed that covenant by shedding his blood. In that cup you see the emblem of the blood which made the covenant possible.

Moreover, the blox)d of Jesus makes the covenant sure. His death has fulfilled man's side of the cove-

224 THE BLOOD SHED FOR MANY.

nant, and God's part standeth sure. The stipulation of the covenant is fuluUed in Christ, and now the tenor of it is pure promise. Note how the " shails " and "wills'' follow each other in quick succession. An arran^£jement of absolute grace on God's part towards the undeserving sons of men is now in full action through the sacrifice of Christ.

This covenant of grace, when rightly understood, exerts a blessed influence over the minds of men con- scious of sin. The chaplain of a jail, a dear friend of mine, once tokl rae a surprising case of conversion in which a knowledge of the covenant of grace was the chief instrument of the Holy Spirit. My friend had under his charge a man most cunning and brutal. He was singularly repulsive, even in comparison with other convicts. He had been renowned for his daring, and for the utter absence of all feeling when committing acts of violence, I think he had been called " the king of the garotters," The chaplain had spoken to him several times, but had not succeed- ed even in getting an answer. The man was sullenly set against all instruction. At last he expressed a desire for a certain book, but as it was not in the library the chaplain pointed to the Bible, which was placed in his cell, and said, " Did you ever read that Book? " He gave no answer, but looked at the good man as if he would kill him. The question was kind- ly repeated, with the assurance that he would find it well worth reading. " Sir," said the convict, "you would not ask me such a question if you knew who I was. What have I to do with a Book of that sort ? " He was told that his character was well known to the chaplain, and that for this very reason he recommend- ed the Bible as a Book which would suit his case.

THE BLOOD SH:iD FOR MANY. 225

" It woiikl do nie no good," he cried, " I am past all feeling." Doubling up bis fist lio struck the iron door of the cell, and said, " J\Iy heart is as hard as that iron; there is nothing iil any book that will ever touch me." " Well," said the chaplain, "von want a new heart. Did you ever read the covenant of grace?" To which the man answered sullenly by inquiring what he meant l)y such talk. His friend replied, " Listen to these words — 'A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you.' " The words struck the man with amazement, as Vv'ell they might; he asked to have the passage found for him in the Bible. He read the words again and again; and when the chaplain came back to him next day, the wild beast was tamed. " Oh, sir," he said, " I never dreamed of such a promise ! I never believed it possible that God would speak in such a way as that to men. If he gives me a new heart it will be a miracle of mercy; and yet I think," he said, "he is going to work that miracle upon me, for the very ho])0 of a new nature is beginning to touch me as I never was touched before." That man became gentle in manner, obedient to authority, and child- like in spirit. Though my friend has nothing left of the sanguine hopes he once entertained of converted criminals, ho yet believes that in this case no observer could have questioned the thorough nature of the work, and yet the only means was the doctrine of the cove- nant. ]\Iy rebellious heart is not affected by the fact that God commands me to do this or that; but when he declares free and full forgiveness, and goes on to prom- ise love and favor, and renewal of nature, I feel broken down. How can I rebel against one who does such wonders in me, and designs such great things for me ? 15

220 THE BLOOD SUED EOR MANY.

'•' Dissolved by his goodness, I fall to tlie groiiiid, Aud weep to the praise of the mercy I've found."

How dear and precious this make3 tlie blood of Christ, since it is the blood of the everlasting cove- nant! Coming nnder this blessed covenant, we henceforth adore the fulness of that grace which, at the cost of the most precious of all lives, has made this arrangement for unworthy men.

You will perhaps say to mo, " Why did our transla- tors use the word ' testament' in our Authorized Ver- sion ?" They y^ere hardly so wise as usual in this instance, for " covenant *' is the better word of the two to set forth the original; but yet the idea of a testament is there also. The original may signify either or both. The word " settlement," which has dropped out of use nowadays, was often employed by our Calvinistic forefathers wiien they spoke of the everlasting arrangement of grace. The word settle- ment might take in both covenant and testament — there is a covenant of grace, but the covenant stipula- tion being fulfilled by our Lord Jesus, tha arrange- ment becomes virtually a testament, through which, by the will of God, countless blessings are secured to the heirs of salvation. Tlie blood of Jesus is the seal of the covenant, and transforms" its blessings into bequests of love, entailed upon believers. The settle- ment or arrangement, by which God can be just and yet the Justifier of the ungodl}', and can deal with believers, not on terms of law, but on terms of pure grace, is established by the sacrifice of our Lord. 0 my brethren, as God's covenanted ones, drink ye of the cup with joy, and renew your pledge with the Lord your God !

IIL A third point comes up in the text very mani-

THE BLOOD SHED FOR MANY. 227

festly : the blood has an intimate connection with re- mission. The text says, "This is my blood of the new- covenant, which is shed for maay for the remission of sins." Jesus suffering, bleeding, dying, has procured for sinners the Ibrgiveness of their sins.

Of ichat sins? Of dl sins of every sort and kind, however heinous, aggravated, and multiplied. The blood of the covenant takes every sin away, be it what it may ; there was never a sin believingly confessed and taken to Christ that ever baffled his power to cleanse it. This fountain has never been tried in vain. ]\Iurderers, thieves, liars, adulterers, and what not, have come to Jesus by penitence and faith, and through the merit of his sacrifice, their sins have been put away.

Of lohat nature is the remission ? It is pardon, freely given, acting immediately, and abiding forever, ' so that there is no fear of the guilt ever being again laid to the charge of the forgiven one. Through the precious blood our sins are blotted out, cast into the depths of the sea, and renioved as far from us as the east is from the west. Our sins cease to be; they are made an end of; they cannot be found against us any more for ever. Yes, hear it, hear it, 0 wide earth ! Let the glad news startle thy darkest dens of infamy, there is absolute remission of sins! The precious blood of Christ cleans- eth from all sin : yes, turns the scarlet into a whiteness which exceeds that of the newly-fallen snow — a white- ness which never can be tarnished. Washed by Jesus, the blackest of sinners shall appear before the judg- ment-seat of the all-seeing Judge without a spot.

Hoio is it that the hlood of Jesus effects this ? The se- cret lies in the vicarious or substitutionary character of our Lord's suffering and death. Because he stood

228 THE BLOOD SHED FOR MANY.

in our place the justice of God is vindicated, and the threatening of the law is fulfilled. It is now just for God to pardon sin. Christ bearing the penalty of hu- man sin instead of men has made the moral govern- ment of God perfect in justice, has laid a basis for peace of conscience, and has rendered sin immeasure- ablj hateful, though its punishinejit does not fall upon the believer. This is the great secret, this is the heavenly news, the gospel of salvation, that through the blood of Jesus, sin is justly put away. Oh, how my very soul loves this truth ! Therefore do I speak it in unmistakable terms.

And for luliat end is tliis remission of sins secured ? My brethren, if there were no other end for the remis- sion of sins but its own self, it would be a noble pur- pose, and it would be worth preaching every day of our lives ; but it does not end here. We mistake if we thitik that the pardon of sins is God's ultimatum. No, no ; it is but a beginning, a means to a further purpose. He forgives our sins with a design of curing our sinfulness. We are pardoned that we may become holy. God forgives the sin that he may purify the sinner. If he had not aimed at thy holiness, there had not been so imperative a necessity for an atonement ; but to impress thee with the guilt of sin, to make thee feel the evil which sin hath wrought, to let thee know thine obligation to divine love, the Lord has not forgiven thee withoiit a sacrifice. Ah, what a sacrifice ! He aims at the death of thy sinfulness, that thou mayest henceforth love him, and serve him, and crucify the lusts which crucified thy Lord. The Lord aims at working in thee the likeness of his dear Son. Jesus hatli saved thee by his self-sacrificing obedience to justice, that thou mayest yield thy whole

THE BLOOD SHED FOR MANY. 220

soul to God, and be willing to die for the upholding of the kingdom of love and truth. The death of Christ for thee pledges thee to be dead to sin, that by his resurrection from the dead thou mayest rise into newness of life, and so become like thy Lord. Pardon by blood aims at this. Dost thou catch the thonght ? If thou believest in the Lord Jesus Christ, God's in- tent is to make thee like the Firstborn among many brethren, and to work in thee everything that is come- ly and of good report. Even this is not all t he hath a further design to bring thee into everlasting fellow- ship with himself He is sanctifying thee, that thou mayest behold his face, and that tliou mayest be fit to be a comrade of his only-begotten Son throughout eternity. Thou art to be the choice and dear compan- ion of the Lord of love. He has a throne for thee, a man- sion and a crown for thee, and an immortality of such inconceivable glory and blessedness that, if thou didst but form even a distant conception of it, no golden ap- ple of earth would turn thee aside from pursuing the prize of thy high calling. Oh, to be forever with the Lord ! Forever to behold his face ! I fail to reach the height of this great argument ! See, my brethren, to what the blood of your Lord destines you. 0 my soul, bless God for that one cup, which reminds thee of the great sacrifice, and prophesies to thee thy glory at the right hand of God forever !

IV. I cannot forget to notice, in closing, the con- ^^5^II!!^J^L.™^,„^L^o" ^^iTH MEN. We are told in the teiuTTat this blood is shed ^\for many for the remission of sins." In that large word " many " let us exceed- ingly rejoice. Christ's blood was not shed for the handful of apostles alone. There were but eleven of them who really partook of the blood symbolized by

230 ^'^-/'^' ^LOOD SHED FOR MANY.

the cup. The Saviour does not sar, " This is my blood which is shed for you, the favored eleven:" but " phed for many." Jesus di«l not die for tlie clergy alone. 1 recollect in jMartin Luther's life that he sav^, in one of the Komish churches, a picture of the Pope, and the cardinals, and bishops, and priests, and monks, and friars, all on board a ship. They were all sate, every one of them. As for the laity, poor wretches, they were struggling in the sea, and many of them drowning. Only those were saved to whom the good men in the ship were so kind as to hand out a rope or a plank. That is not our Lord's teaclung: his blood is shed "for many," and not for the few. He is not the Christ of a caste, or a class, but the Christ of all conditions of men. His blood is shed for many sin- ners, that their sins may be remitted.

Those in the upper room were all Jews, but the Lord Jesus Christ said to them, " This blood is shed for many" to let them see that he did not die alone for the seed of Abraham, but for all races of men that dwell upon the face of the earth. " Shed for many." His eye, I doubt not, glanced at these far-off islands, and at the vast lands beyond the western sea. He thought of Africa, and India, and the land of Sinim. A multitude that no man can number gladdened the far-seeing and fore-seeing eye of the Redeemer. Ho spoke with joyful emphasis when he said. " shed for many for the renjission of sins." Believe in the im- measurable results ot redemption. Whenever w^e are making arrangements for the preaching of this precious bloo<l, let us make them on a large scale. The mansion of love should be built for a large family Let us not sing —

l^HE BLOOD SUED FOR MANY. 231

•' We are a gardeu walled around, Pray keep the walls most tight and sound."

Let US expect to see large luiuibers brought within the sacred enclosure. We must ^et break forth on the right hand and on the left. The masses must be compelled to come in. This blood is shed for many. A group of half-a-dozen converts makes us very glad, and so it should; but oh, to have half-a-dozen thous- and at once I Why not ? This blood is shed " for many." Let us cast the great net into the sea. You young men, preach the gospel in the streets of this crowded city, for it is meant for many ! You who go from door to door, do not think you can be too hope- ful, since your Saviour's blood is shed for many, and Christ's " many '" is a very great many. It is shed for all who ever shall believe in him — shed for thee, sinner, if thou wilt now trust him. Only confess thy sin, and trust Christ, and be assured that Jesus 'died in thy place and stead. It is shed for many, so that no man or woman born shall ever trust Christ in vain, or find the atonement insufficient for him. Oh, for a large-hearted faith, so that by holy effort we may lengthen our cords, and strengthen our stakes, expecting to see the household of our Lord become exceedingly numerous! He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied; by his righteousness shall he justify many, for he shall bear their iniqui- ties. Dwell on that word " many," and let it nerve you for far-reaching labors.

V. Now note the coknectiox of the blood wiih our- ^ SELVES. Dear hearer, are you among the many ? Why are you not ? ]\lay his grace bring you to trust in him, and you may not doubt that you are among the many. " Ah," say you, " that is what I am listen-

232 '^HE BLOOD SHED FOR MAN}.

ing for ! How can I partake in the efi'ect of this sac- riiice ? " Seest thou that wine-cup which I set before thee just now? How art thou to enjoy that wine which fills the cup ? Its ruddy drops, how are they to be thine ? The matter is very simple. 1 think I see thee take the chalice in thine hand, and raise it to thy mouth. Thou drinkest, and the deed is done. This is no mystery. Bread aud wine are ours by eat- ing and drinking; Christ is ours by our receiving Jiim. The merit of his precious blood becomes ours by that simple child-like faith which accepts Jesns to be our all. We say, "Here it is; I believe in it; I take it; I accept it as ray "own." It is yours. No man can take from you that which you have eaten and drunk. Christ is yours for ever if you receive him into your heart.

If you have any question as to whether you have drutik, I will tell yon how to solve it — drink again ! If you have been eating, and you have really forgotten whether you have eaten or not — such things do occur to busy men, who eat but, little; if, I say, you would be sure that you have eaten, eat again ! If thou wilt be assured that thou hast believed in Jesus, believe again ! Whenever thou hast any doubt about whether Christ is thine, take him over again. I like to begin again. Often I find the best way of going forward is to go back to my first faith in Jesus and as a sinner renew my confidence in my Saviour. " Oh," says the devil, " thou art a preacher of the gospel, but thou dost not know it thyself." At one time I used to argue with the accuser; but he is not worth it, and it is by no means profitable to one's own heart. We cannot convert or convince the devil; it is better to refer him to our Lord. When he tells me I am not a

THE BLOOD SHED FOR MANY. 233

saint, T answer, ''Well, what am I, then?" "A sin- ner," siy.s he. " Well, so are you ! " " Ah ! " saith he, *' you will be lost." " No," say I, " that is why I shall not be lost, since Jesus Christ came into the world to sav^e sinners, and I therefore trust in him to save me.'' This is what Martin Luther calls cutting the devil's head off with his own sword, and it is the best course you can follow.

You say, " If I take Christ to myself as a man takes a cup and drinks the contents, am I saved ? " Yes, thou art. •* How am I to know it?' Know it be- cause God says so. " lie that believeth in him hath everlasting life." If I did not feel a pulse of that life (as I did not at first), I nevertheless would believe that I had it, simply on the strength of the divine assurance. Since ray conversion, I have felt the pulsings of a life more strong and forcible than the life of the most vigorous youth that ever ran without weariness; but there are times when it is not so. Just now I feel the heavenly life joyously leaping within me; but when I do not feel it, I fall back on this : God has said, " He that believeth in him hath everlasting life. ' God's words against all my feelings ! I may get into a fainting fit, and my circumstances may operate upon my heart, as this hot weather oper- ates upon ray body, and make me feel dull and sleepy; but this cannot make the Vv'ord of God of none effect. 1 go back to the Book, and believe the bare Word of the Lord, " lie that believeth in him haili everlasting life." That is enough for me. I believe, and there- fore I live. Our inward experience is fine corrobo- rative evidence, but God's testimony is the best founda- tion our confidence can have.

I recollect a story told of William Dawson, whora

234 THE BLOOD SHED EOR MANY.

our Weslejan friends used to call Billy Dawson, one of the best preachers that ever entered a pulpit. He once gave out as his text, "Through this raan is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins." When he had given 0)it his text he dropped down to the bottom of the pulpit, so that nothing could be seen of him, only there was a voice heard saying, "Not the man in the pulpit, he is out of sight, but the Man in the Book. The Man described in the Book is the ^lan through whom is preaclied untt) you the for- giveness of sins." 1 put myself and you, and every- body else out of sight, and I preach to you the remis- sion of sins tlirough Jesus only. I wcmld sing with the children, " Nothing but the blood of Jesus." Shut your eyes to all things but the cross. Jesus died, and rose again, and went to heaven, and all your hope must go with him! Come, my hearer, take Jesus by a distinct act of faith this morning ! May God the Holy Ghost constryin thee to do so, and then thou mayest go on thy way rejoicing ! So be it iu the name of Jesus.

XI.

A BIT OF HISTORY FOE OLD AND YOUNG.

"And lie blessed Joseiih, and said, God, before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac did walk, the God which fed me all my life long nnto this day, the Angel which redeemed me from all evil, bless the lads.'' — Genesis xlviii. 15, 16.

Joseph was one by himself. In Jacob's family he was like a swan in a duck's-nest; he seemed to be of a dif- ferent race from the rest, even from his childhood. He was the son of old age, the son of the elders, that is, a child who was old when lie was young, in thought- fulness and devotion. Ho reached an early ripeness, ' which did not end in early decay. In consequence of this Joseph was one by himself in the peculiarity of his trials. Through his brothers' hatred of him he was made to suffer greatly, and at last was sold into slavery, and underwent trials in Egypt of the severest kind. "The archers have sorely grieved liira, and shot at him, and hated him." But, brethren, see the recom- pense; for he had blessings which were altogether his own. " His bow abode in strength, and the arms of his hands were made strong by the hands of the mighty God of Jacob." He was as distinguished by the favor of God as l)y the disfavor of his brethren. When Jacob was old and about to die, Joseph gave him a bless- ing all to himself, in addition to that which he received with his brothers. In the forty-ninth chapter we read, "Gather yourselves together, and hear, ye sons of

(235)

236 A BIT OF HISTORY FOR OLD AND YOUNG.

Jacob: and hearken unto Israel your father"; and they did so, and received as a family sucii blessings as their father s projjhetic eye foresaw; but before this, "by faith Jacob blessedthe two sons of Joseph" at a private interview specially granted to them. Had not his tribulations abounded, his consolations would not so have abounded. Do you seem yourself, my friend, to be marked out for peculiar sorrows? Do the arrows of afiliction make your life their target, and are you chastened above all other men ? Do not be regretful, for the arrows are winged by a covenant love, which designs by their wounds to prepare you for a special work which will lead up to a special benediction from your Father who is in heaven. The day will come when you will be grateful for every smart you now en- dure; yes, grateful for that bitter pang of unkindness from your brethren, though now it tortures your heart. The abundance of the revelation of God ia usually joined with a thorn in the flesh either before or after it. Notwithstanding your grief, there shall yet be born to you as to Joseph, a Manasseh, for God shall make you to forget all your toil, and an Ephraim, for God shall make you fruitful in the land of your affliction. You shall be blessed above all others. "Even by the God of thy father, who shall help thee; and by the Almighty, who shall bless thee with blessings of heaven al:)0ve, blessings of the deep that lieth under, blessings of the breasts, and of the womb: the blessings of thy father have prevailed above the blessings of my pro- genitors unto the utmost bound of the everlasting hills : thev shall be cm the head of Joseph, and on the crown of the head of him that was separate from his brethren." Surely it is good for a man that he bear the yoke in his youth: his shoulders shall be the better able to

A BIT OF HISTORY FOR OLD AXD YOUNG. 237

bear the government when God shall lay itnpon them. Instructed by affliction, the man shall become a father to bis people, and a comforter to the afflicted.

Our text tells us that Jacob blessed Joseph, and we perceive that Ae blessed him through blessing his children; which leads us to the next remark, that no choicer favor could fttb upon ourselves than to see our child- ren favored of the Lord. Joseph is doubly blessed by seeing- Ephraira and Manasseh blessed. Dear young people, to whom 1 now speak, your fathers can say, "We have no greater joy than this, that our children walk in the truth." Ifanyof you who are unconverted knew the deep searching of heart of your parents about you, 1 think you w^ould not long be careless and indif- ferent about divine things; and if you could conceive the flashes of heavenly joy that would light up ycur parents' hearts if they saw you saved in the Lord, it would bean inducement to you to consider your ways, and turn unto the Lord with full purpose of heart. God himself, next to giving to his chosen the cove- nant of grace, can do them no greater earthly kindness than to call their children by his grace into the same covenant. Will you not think of this ?

Those of us icho are parents are bound to do cur lest that our children mcuj he jjartcd'ers icith us of tie divine inheritance. As Joseph took Ephraim and Manat-seh to see their aged grandfather, let us bring our children where blessings may be expected. Let us be careful of the company into which w^e take our ecns and daughters. Let us never conduct them wdiere Ihey may get harm rather than benefit. Carefully, lovingl}^, wisely, using no imdue severity, let us guide them into likely places for the divine benediction, and encourage them to seek the blessing for themselves by the fact,

238 A CIT OF HISTORY FOR OLD AND YOUNG.

that their parents are seeking it for them. The father who will not seize every opportunity of getting a bless- ing for his Ephraim and iManasseh is not likely to see the lads seeking the blessing for themselves. Espe- cially should this care be taken, by parents who are growing rich, whose offspring will be tempted by this very fact to seek grander society than the poor people of God can afford them. I doubt not that these two sons of Egypt's prime minister were exposed to exceed- ingly great temptations: As the sons of a very wealthy and distinguished parent, their tastes might lie in an Egyptian direction. I believe that they vrere never- theless greatly swayed to the right side, and led to worship the God of Abraham, and of Isaac, and of Jacob, by the zeal of the father, Joseph, and by the recollection of the benediction of their dying grandsire. There is no trace of their having inclined to the relig- ion of the king and the nobles of Egypt, but they adhered to the I'aith of their father. Oh that all the descendants of Puritan lathers might be steadfast to the pure truth of God in these evil days !

Furthermore, observe that, ij loe loant to bless young people, one of the likeliest means of doing so will he our 2xr- soncd testimony to the goodness of Gcd. Young men and women usually feel great interest in their fathers' life-story — if it be a worthy one — and what they hear from them of their personal experience of the good- ness of God will abide with them. We all read bio- graphies, and we value the results of experience which we find there, but the biographies of our own relatives are peculiarly treasured ; and when these biographies are not read but spoken, what wonderful force they have! I recollect in my younger days hearing a minis- ter, blind with age, speak at the communion table, and

A BIT OF HISTORY FOR OLD AXD YuUNG. 239

bear witness to us young people, who had just joined the church, that it was well for us that we had come to put our trust in a faithful God ; and as the good man, with great feebleness and jet w^ith great earn- estness, said to us, that he had never regretted that he had given his heart to Christ as a boy, I felt my heart leap within me with delight that I had such a God to be my God. His testimony was such as a younger man could not have borne : he might have spoken more fluently, but the w^eight of those eighty years at the back of it made the old man eloquent to my young heart. We who are growing gray in our Master's service ought not to be backward to speak well of his name. Why, my brethren, you will not be able to do so much good in heaven as you can on earth, for they all know about it up there, but men here need our witness to the God whom we have tried and proved. Let us make occasions in which we may speak well of the Lord, even the God who has fed us all our life long, and redeemed us from all evil. This is one of the best ways in which to bless the lads. The bene- diction of Jacob was intertwisted with his biography ; the blessing which he had himself enjoyed, he wished for them, and as he invoked it he helped to secure it by his personal testimony.

One thing further : I want you to note, that Jacob, in desiring to hless his grandsons, introduced them to God. He speaks of " God before whom my fathers did walk : God who blessed me all my life long." This is the great distinction between man and man : there are two races, he that feareth God, and he that feareth liira not. The religion of this present age, such as it is, has a wrong direction in its course. It seeks after what is called " the enthusiasm of humanity," but

240 A BIT OF HISTORY FOR OLD AND YOUNG.

what we want far more is enthusiasm for God. We shall never go right iniless God is first, midst, and last. I despair for benevolence when it is not based upon devotion. We shall not long have love to man if we dd not first and chiefly cultivate love to God. What our boys need in starting in life is a God: if we have nothing else to give them, they have enough if they have God. What our girls want in quitting the nur- ture of home, is God's love in their hearts, and whether they have fortunes or not, is a small mat- ter. In fellowship with God lies the essence of true human life: life in God, life by the knowledge of the Most High, life through the Redeeming Angel^this is life indeed.

Jacob died as one who had been delivered from all evil, aye, even the evil of old age. His eyes were dim ; but that did not matter, for his faith was clear. I love to think that we are going where our vision of God will not be through the eye, but through the spiritual perceptions. These were brighter in Jacob in his old age than ever before ; his faith and love, which are the earthly forms of those perceptions, were apprehending God in a more forcible manner than ever, and therefore it signified little that the eyes which he would need no longer were failing him. We Cannot say that he was in decay, after all; for he was losing what he only needed in this world of shadows, and was gaming fitness for the higher state. His gracious faculties grew as his bodily faculties declined; and, therefore, he felt that his life was ending in a fulness of blessing such as he wished for the children of his dearest son. How ardently do I wish the like blessing for all the young people before me ! The Lord God Almighty bless you ! When your earthborn fa-

A BIT OF HISTORY FOR OLD Ai\D YOUIvG. 241

culties fail you, may heavenly graces more than sup- ply their place!

All this is introduction ; so now we must come at once and plunge into the discourse, and I will be brief upon each point of it. Jacob's testimony wherewith he blessed the sons of Joseph, has in it four points.

I. First, HE SPEAKS OF ANCESTRAL MERCIES; he begins with that " God, before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac did walk." As with a pencil he sketches the lives of Abraham and Isaac. He does not fill in with coloring, but the outline is perfect : you see the two men in their whole career in those few words — "God, before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac did walk."

Tliey lueremen loJio recog^iized God and icorsJiipped him, beyond all others of their age. God was to them a real existence; they spake with God, and God spake with them ; they were friends of God, and enjoyed familiar acquaintance with him. No agnosticism blinded their understandings, and deadened their hearts. They were worshippers of the one living and true God Happy children who have such fathers! happy children who are like such fathers !

They not only recognized God, but they owned 1dm in daily life. I take the expression, " God, before whom ray fathers Abraham and Isaac did walk" to mean that he was their God in common life. They not only knelt before God when they prayed, but they walked before him in everything. When they went forth from their tents, and when they returned from their flocks, they walked before God. They were never away from his service, or without his presence. He was their dwelling-place. Whether they sojourned under an oak or dwelt by a well, whether they enter- ifi

242 A BIT OF HISTORY FOR OLD AND YOUNG.

tained strangers or walked in the field to meditate they lived and moved in God. This is the kind of Jife for you and me : whether we live in a great houee or in a poor cottage, if we walk before God we ^hall lead a happy and a noble life, whether that lite be public or obscure. Oh that our young people would firmly believe tliis !

They walked before God ; that is, t],ey clcyed lAs commands. His call they heard, his bidding they fol- lowed. Abraham quitted country and kindred to go to an unknown land which God would show him; yea, more, he took his son, whom he greatly loved, and stood pi'epared to sacrifice him at God's com- mand. Isaac also yielded himself up to be slain, if so Jehovah willed. To them the will of the Lord was paramount: he was law and life to them, for they loved and feared him. They were prompt to hear the behests of God, and rose up early to fulfil them. They acted as in the immediate presence of the All- seeing.

To the full they trusted him. In this sense they always saw him. We sometimes talk about tracing hin\. We cannot trace him, except as we trust him; and because they trusted, they traced him. Notwith- standing all the danger and difficulty of their pilgrim state, they dwelt in perfect security in an enemy's land, for the Lord had said, " Touch not my anoint- ed, and do my prophets no harm." They were serene and tranquil because they walked before God, know- ing him to be their friend, and that he was their shield and their exceeding great reward. For tem- poral things they had no anxiety for they lived upon the All-sufficient God. Therefore these two men, Abraham and Isaac, though much tried, led peaceful

A BIT OF IIISrORY FOR OLD AND YOUNG. 243

lives: they conversed with heaven while they so- journed on earth.

Theij enjoyed the favor of God^ for this also is intend- ed by walking before him. His face was towards them: they sunned themselves in his smile. God's love was their true treasure. We read that God had blessed Abraham in all things, and of Isaac we hear even the PhiHsthies say, "We saw certainly that the Lord was with thee." God was their wealth, their strength, their exceeding joy. I say again, happy sons who have such ancestors! happier still if they ibllow in their track !

So Jacob spoke of Abraham and Isaac, and so can some of us speak cf those who went before us. Those of us who can look back upon godly ai^cestors now in heaven must feel that many ties bind us to follow the same course of life. Had they transgressed against the Lord our duty would have called us to quit the ways of the family, even as Abraham left his kindred who dwelt on the other side of the flood; but as their way was right, we are doubly called to follow it, because it is the good old way, and the way our godly fathers trod. There is a charm about that luhich icas prized hy our fathers. Heirlooms are treasured, and the best heirloom in a family is the knowledge of God. When I spoke, the other day, with a Christian brother, he seemed right happy to tell me that he sprang of a family which came from Holland during tlie persecution of the Duke of Alva, and I felt a brotherhood with him in claiming a like descent. I dare say our fathers were jioor weavers, but I had far rather be descended from one who suf- fered for the faith than bear the blood of all the em- perors Avithin my veins. There should be a sacred-

244 A BIT OF HISTORY FOR OLD AND YOUNG.

ness to you young people in the faith for which your ancestors suiferefl. Choose not the society of Egypt, and its wealth and honoi's, but keep to the stock of Israel, and claim the inheritance ot" Jacob as Ephraim and Manasseh did. Let it not be said that as your family increased in riches it departed from the living God. Shall the goodness of God be perverted into a reason for apostasy?

The way of holiness in which your fathers went is a jilting way for you, and it is seemly that you main- tain the godly traditions of your house. In the old times they expected sons to follow the secular calling of their fathers ; and although that may be regarded as an old-world mistake, yet it is well when sons and daughters receive the same spiritual call as their parents. Grace is not tied to families, but yet the Lord delights to bless to a thousand generations. Very far are we from believing that the new birth is of blood, or of the will of the flesh, or of the will of man. The will of God reigns here supreme, and abso- lute: but yet there is a sweet fitness in the passing on of holy loyalty from grandsire to father, and from father to son. I like to feel that 1 serve God " from my fathers." I feel that it is right and comely that I should be found preaching out of my whole soul the same doctrine which my grandfather and my father preached, and equally fit that my sons should be found, as they are, preaching none other gospel than that which we have received — "Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to-day, and forever" 1 say again, if our fathers were WTong wo ought boldly to dissent from them, and obey God rather than man ; but where they are right we are bound to follow them. I stood last Wednesday in a sort of dream as I gazed upon

A BIT OF HISTORY FOR OLD AXD YOUNG. 245

my much-beloved grandfather's place of sepulchre. I was encouraged bj seehig the record of his fifty-four ■^ears of service in the midst of one church and peo- ple, and I rejoiced that, coukl he rise from the dead, he would find his grandson preaching that selfsame old- fashioned and much-despised Calvinistic doctrine of the grace of God which was his joy in life and his comfort in death.

A godly ancestry casts responsibilitii upon young people. These Ephraims and Manassehs perceive that their fathers hnew the Lord, and the question arises. Why should they not know him ? O my beloved young friends, the God of your fathers will be found of you and be 3'our God. The prayers of your fathers have gone before you; let them be followed by your own. Be hopeful of being heard at that mercy-seat wdiere they found grace to help in every time of need. They died in the hope that you would fill their places; shall not their hopes become facts? Do 1 speak to some who have godly parents in heaven, and yet they are themselves pursu- ing the ways of sin or of worldliness? Registered upon that file are your mother's prayers. I trust they will yet be heard. Even now they stand like a hedge about you, making it hard work for you to go to hell. Will you force your way to perdition over a father's grave ? Will you, by a desperate eflbrt, push aside your pleading mother's form, and pursue your dread- ful road to ruin ? If so, you will involve yourselves in tremendous guilt. I beseech you hear the tender voice of love which now invites you to be blest.

A godly ancestry should invest a man's case with great hopefulness. i\lay he not argue, "If God blessed my ancestors, why should he not bless me ? If they

246 A BIT OF HISTORY FOR OLD AND YOUNG.

sought mercy, and found it, why should not I ? My father and my mother were not perfect, any more than J am ; but tliey had faith in God, and lie accept- ed them and helped them. If I have faith in God he will accept me, and be faithful to me. They were saved as sinners trusting in the blood of Jesus, and why should not 1 ? " I beseech you put this argument to the test, and you will find it hold good.

11. Thus we have seen Jacob seeking to bless his seed by bearing testim(my to the blessings which God had bestowed upon his house. Now he conjes to deal with personal mercies. The old man's voice fal- tered as he said, " The God which fed me all ray life long." The translation would be better if it ran, " The God which shepherded me all my life long."

He spoke of the Lord as Ms Sheplterd. Jacob had been a shepherd, and therefore he knew what shepherding included : the figure is full of meaning. There had been a good deal of Jacoi) about Jacob, and he had tried to shepherd himself Poor sheep that he was, while under his own guidance he had been caught in many thorns, and had wandered in many wildernesses. Because he would be so much a shepherd to himself, he had been hard put to it. But over all, despite his wilfulness, the shepherding of the covenant God had been exercised towards him, and he acknowledged it.

0 dear saints of God, you to whom years are being multiplied, give praise to your God for having been your shepherd. You delight in the twenty- third Psalm, sing it sometimes with variations by using the past tense : " The Lord has been my shepherd ; and

1 have known no want. He hath made me to lie down in green pastures ; he hath led me beside the still wa- ters. Yea, though I have walked through the valley

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of the shadow of death in times of great darkness, yet I have feared no evil : for he lias been with me, his rod and his stafi' have comforted me." Bear your wit- ness to the shepherding of God, for thi^ may lead others to become the sheep of his pasture.

This shepherding had teen perfect . Our version right- 1}^ says that the Lord had/ec? Jacob all his life long. Take that sense of it, and you wlio have a daily strug- gle for subsistence will see much beauty in it. Jacob had a large family, and yet they were fed. Some of you say, '• It is all very well of you to talk of provi- dence who have few to provide for." I answer, it is better still to talk of providence where a large house- hold requires large provision. Remember Jacob had thirteen children, yet his God provided them bread to eat and raiment to put on. None of that large com- pany were left to starve. You think perhaps that Ja- cob was a man of large estate. He was not so when he began life. He was oidy a working-man, a shep- herd. When he left his father's house he had no attend- ants with camels and tents. I suppose he carried his little bit of provision in a handkerchief, and when he laid down that night to sleep, with a stone for his pil- low, the hedges for curtains, the heavens for his cano- py, and the earth for his bed, he had no fear of being robbed. God was with him -; apart from this, he had nothing to begin life with but his own hands. What- ever he received from his father Isaac afterwards, he had at first to fight his own way ; but he knew no lack either at the beginning or at the end, for he could speak of the great Elohim as " the God which fed me all my life long." Hundreds of us can say the same. I reinember one who came to be wealthy who used to sho-y me with great pleasure the axle-tree of the truck

2iS A BIT OF IIIS7VKY FOR OLD AND YOUNG.

in which he used to wheel his goods througli the streets when he began in business : I Hked to see him mindful of his origina]. Mind you do not go and say, "See how I have got on by my own talents and indus- try ! " Talk not so proudly, bnt say, " God hath fed me." Mercies are all the sweeter when seen to come from the hand of God.

But besides being fed Jacob had been led, even as sheep are guided by the shepherd who goes before them. His journeys, for that period, had been unusu- ally long, perilous, and frequent. He had fled from home to Padan-aram ; after long years he had come back again to Canaan, and had met ins brother Esau ; and after that, in his old age, ho had journeyed into Egypt. To go to California or New Zealand in these times is nothing at all compared to those journeys ii. Jacob's day. But he says, " God has shepherded me all my life long ; " and he means that the great changes of his life had been wisely ordered. At home and in exile, in Canaan and in Goshen, God had been a shepherd to him. He sees the good hand cf God upon him in all his wanderings, until he now finds himself sitting up on his bed and blessing Joseph through his sons. I am glad that he went into detail with these young men, for they needed to be confirm- ed in their fidelity to God. They were in a perilous condition, for they had the entree of the rank and fash- ion of Egypt, and were tem.pted to forsake the poor family of the Hebrews. Some of you young fellows begin where your fathers left off: and, having the means of self-indulgence, you are apt to follow the fashions and frivolities of the period. Oh that the Holy Spirit may make you feel that you want God with you with wealth as much as your fathers needed

A BIT OF HISTORY FOR OLD AXD YOUNG. 249

God without wealth I You may come to beggary yet, with all your inheritance, if you cast ofi'the fear of the Lord and fall into sin. You Avho began life with noth- ing but your own brains and hands, trusting in your fa- ther's God, shall yet have to sing as your fathers sang, "the God which fed me all my life long." Young men and young women beginning life, I charge you seek first tiie kingdom of God and his righteousness. It is not life to live without God : you miss the kernel, the cream, the crown of life if you miss the presoice of God. Life is but a bubble blown up of toil and trouble without God. Life ends in blighted hapc if you have not hope in God. But with God you are as a sheep with a shepherd — cared for, guided, guarded, fed, and led, and your end shall be peace without end.

Ill Thirdly, bear with me while I follow Jacob in his word upon redeeming mercies, " The Angel which redeemed me from all evil." There was to Joseph a mysterious Personage who was God, and yet the An- gel or messenger of God. He puts this Angel in appo- sition with the Elohim : for this Angel was God. Yet was he his Eedeemer. He saw him doing the office of the next-of-kin : though God he w^as his god ; and as his kinsman, effected redemption for him, Jacob's faith enabled him, like Job, to know that his Redeemer liv- eth. He saw that this covenant messenger had re- deemed him from all evil, and he magnified the name of the Lord wdio revealed himself in this Angel. When he was in his sorest straits, this Redeeming An- gel always interposed. Ho fell into an evil state through the influence of his mother, and he did Esau serious wrong. He fled for his life, and at that time there was a great gulf between him and God. Then that Angel came in, and bridged the gulf with a lad-

250 ^ ^IT OF HISTORY FOR OLD AND YOUNG.

der by which he might rise to God. The kinsman, God, came in, and showed liim liow the abyss might be crossed, so that lie might return to his God, When lie was away in Padan-aram he began to sink very low, while chaffering with churlish Laban. Then again the Angel came and said, "Get thee out from this land, and return unto the land of thy kindred," The Eedeeming Angel held back wrathful Laban, and when Esau came to meet him in hot anger the Angel specially appeared to Jacob. The Angel wrestled, as a Man, with Jacob to get Jacob out of Jacob, and raise him into Israel. How marvellous was the redemption which was wrought for him that night at Jabbok ! Jacob came forth from the conflict halting, but he walked before the Lord far better than before. That same mysterious person had bidden him go down in- to Egypt with the promise that he would go down with him. It was the Angel of God's presence %vlio held his shield over Jacob, and preserved him from all evil.

Brothers and sisters, let us also tell of the redeeming mercies of the Lord Jesus towards us. lie redeemed us on the bloody tree ; but he has also redeemed us from our death in sin. Do you remend)er the place and time when Jesus first met with you ? Perhaps not. But blessed be the Redeeming Angel that quick- ened me into spiritual life! I recall the place and time with pleasure. He redeemed us also from de- spair : when, under a sense of sin, we could not dare to hope, he came to us and showed us our healing in his wounds, and our life in his death. Afterwards, when our corruptions began to arise, and we had a hard battle to believe that such sinners were indeed saved, the Redeeming Ange] confirmed our faith, and

A BIT OF HISTORY FOR OLD AND YOUNG. 251

gave us inward strength. Do we not well remember when he said unto us, " I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with loving-kindness have I drawn thee " ? I want you to look back and remember the times when you were sick, and this Redeeming Angel so sweetly visited you that you were half afraid to get well, for fear you should lose his presence: your bed had become a throne to you.

You remember, too, when that pinch came in busi- ness, so that you could not see how to provide things honest in the sight of ail men ; then Jesus revealed his love and bade you think of the lilies and the ravens, which neither spin nor sow, and yet are clothed ma- jestically and fare sumptuously. Many a time has the Lord delivered you because he delighted in you. When you w^ere likely to fall into sin, when you did get very wrong in spinft^ he beheld you in pity, and restored your soul. Though you were so lukewarm that he was ready to spue you out of his mouth, yet he knocked at your door, and when you admitted him he came in and supped with you, and your soul was soon on fire with love to him. He restored your soul, and the love of your espousals came back to you. Bless- ed Redeemer, how graciously dost thou deliver ! Ch, that we oftener thought of the interpositions of the loving Christ ! He did not only redeem us when he died, but he redeems us still by his living power. This is the sum of our life : the angel of the covenant has delivered us day by day, is delivering us, and will deliver us to the end. Do you wonder that we com- mend him to our offspring, and desire to commit them to his loving care ? Young friends who know not the Saviour, I would fain lead you to this Guardian Angel,

252 A BIT OF HISTORY FOR OLD AND YOUNG.

this Gocl-iike Man, who will save you from all evil from this clay forth and lor evermore.

IV. Now comes the last point — I do not know if any one has gone to sleep in this close atmosphere, bnt it so, let him kindly wake up, for I have somewhat to say which will interest him. Jacob has spoken of an- cestral mercies, personal mercies and redeeming mer- cies, and now he deals with future mercies, as he cries, " Bless the lads." He began with blessing Joseph, and he finishes with blessing his lads. O dear friends, if God has blessed you, I know you will want him to bless others. There is the stream of mercy, deep, broad, and clear : you have drunk of it, and are re- freshed, but it is as full as ever. It will flow on, will it not ? You do not suppose that you and I have dam- med up the stream so as to keep it to ourselves. No, it is too strong, too full a stream for that. It will flow on from age to age. God will bless others as he has blessed us. Unbelief whispers that the true church will die out. Do not believe it. Christ will live, and iiis church wnll live with him till the heavens be no more. Hath he not said, "Because I live, ye shall live also?" " Oh," you say, "but we shall not see such holy men in the next generation as in past ages." Why not ? I hope the next age wall see far better men than any of those who are with us at this time. Fray that it may be so. Instead of the fathers, may there be the children, and may these be princes before the Lord !

The stream of divine grace will flow on. Oh, that it may take our sons and daughters in its course! " Bless the lads.'^ Sunday-school teachers, is not that a good prayer for you? Pray the Lord to bless the lads and the lassies, because he has blessed you. There is

A BIT OF HISTORY FOR OLD AND YOUNG. 253

the stream, it must flow somewhere ; pray, " Lord, make it flow to my i'amily, and to my class." For thy mercy's sake, gracious Lord, " bless the lads."

We need not say in what precise form or way the blessing shall come : let ns leave it in all its breadth of inconceivable benediction. ]\Iay the Lord bless our vouth as only he can do it ; and if he causes them to fear and trust him, he will be blessing all ot us, and blessing ages to come. Upon these Ephraims and iManassehs will depend the work of the Lord in the years to come. Therefore, with emphasis we pray, " Bless the lads." As tor us, we are content to work on, saying, " Let thy work appear unto thy servants;" but our anxious desire is that our children may reap the result of our labors, and therefore we add, " and thy glory unto their children."

In closing, I wish to bear a personal testimony oy narrating an incident in my own life. I have been preaching in Essex this week, and I took the oppor- tunity to visit the place where my grandfather preach- ed so long, and where I spent my earliest days. Last Wednesday was to me a day in which I walked like a man in a dream. Everybody seemed bound to recall some event or other of my childhood. What a story of divine love and mercy did it bring before my mind ! Among other things, I sat down in a place that must ever be sacred to me. There stood in my grandfather's manse garden two arbors made of yew trees, cut into sugar-loaf fashion. Though the old manse has given way to a new one, and the old chapel has gone also, yet the yew trees flourish as aforetime. I sat down in the right hand arbor and bethought me of what had happened there many years ago. When I was a young child staying with my grandfather, there came to

254 A BIT OF HISTORY FOR OLD AND YOUNG.

preach in the village Mr. Kuill, who had been a mis- sionary at St. Petersburg, and a mighty preacher of" the gospel. He came to preach for the London Mis- sionary Society, and arrived on the Saturday at the manse. He was a great soui-wdnner, and he soon spied out the boy. He said to me, " Where do you sleep ? for I want to call you up in the morning." I showed him my little room. At six o'clock he called me np, and we went into that arbor. There, in the sweetest way, he told me of the love of Jesus, and of the blessedness of trusting in him and loving him in our cljildhood. With many a story he preached Christ to me, and told me liow good God had been to him, and then he praj'- ed that I might know the Lord and serve him. He knelt down in that arbor and prayed for me with his arms about my neck. He did not seem content unless I kept with him in the interval between the services, and he heard my childish talk with patient love. On Monday morning he did as on the Sabbath, and again on Tuesday. Three times he taught me and prayed with me, and before he had to leave, my grandfather had come back from the place where he had gone to preach, and all the family were gathered to morning prayer. Then, in the presence of them all, Mr. Knili took me on his knee, and said, "This child will one day preach the gospel, and ho will preach it to great multitudes. I am persuaded that he will preach in the chapel of Rowland Hill, where (I think he said) I am now the minister^" He spoke very solemnly, and call- ed upon all present to witness what he said. Then he gave me sixpence as a reward if I would learn the hymn,

** God moves in a mysterious way His wonders to perform."

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i was made to pronnae that when I preached ia Row- Jand Hill's Chapel tliat hymn should be sung-. Think of that as a promise from a child! Would it ever be other than an idle dream? \"ears flew by. After I had begun for some little time to preach in London, Dr. Alexander Fletcher liad to give the annual sermon to children in Surrey Chapel, but as he was taken ill, I was asked in a hurry to preach to the children. "Yes," I said, " I will, if the children will sing, ' God moves in a mysterious way.' I haA^e made a promise long ago that so that should be sung." And so it was ; I preached in Rowland Hill's Chapel, and the hymn was sung. My emotions on that occasion I cannot de- scribe. Still that was not the chapel which Mr. Knill intended. All unsought by me, the minister at Wot- ton-under-Edge, which was Mr. Hill's summer resi- dence, invited me to preach there. I went on the con- dition that the congregation should sing, " God moves in a mysterious way" — which was also done. After that I went to preach for ]\Ir. Richard Knill himself, who was then at Chester. What a meeting we had ! Mark this ! he was preaching in a theatre ! His preach- ing in a theatre took away from me all fear about preaching in secular buildings, and'set me free for the campaigns in Exeter Hall and the Surrey Music Hall. How much this had to do with other theatre services you know.

"God moves in a mysterious way His wouders to perform."

After more than forty years of the Lord's loving-kind- ness, I sat again in that arbor! No doubt it is a mere trifle for outsiders to hear, but to me it was an overwhelming moment. The present minister of Stam- bourn meeting-house, and the members of his family,

256 ^ BIT OF HISTORY FOR OLD AiVD YOUNG.

including his son and liis grandchildren, were in the garden, and I could not help calling them together around that arbor, while I praised the Lord for his goodness. One irresistible impulse was upon me : it was to pray God to bless those lads that stood around me. Do you not see how the memory begat the prayer ? 1 wanted them to remember when they grew up ray testimony of God's goodness to me ; and for that same reason I tell it to you young people who are around me this morning. God has blessed me all my life long, and redeemed me from all evil, and I pray that he ma}' be your God. You that have godly pa- rents, I would specially address. I beseech you to fol- lov/ in their footsteps, that you may one day speak of the Lord as they were able to do in their day. Re- member that special promise, " I love them that love me ; and those that seek me early shall find me." May the Holy Spirit lead you to seek him this day ; and you shall live to praise his name as Jacob did.

xn.

god's neaeness to us.

July 17, 1887.

** Though he he not far from every one of us." — Acta xvii. 27.

When man disobeyed his God he died spirituallr, and that death consisted in the separation of his soul from God. From that moment man began to think that God was far away, and this has since been his religion in all ages. Either he has said, "There is no God" ; or he has believed the visible creation to be God, which is much the same as having no God ; or else he has thought God to be some fai^-away, mysterious Be- ing, who takes no note of man. Even after obtaining a better conception of God, he has thought him hard to find and hard to be entreated of. Because his owa heart is far from God, he imagines that God's heart is far from him. But it is not so. The living God is not far from any one of us ; for " In him we live, and move, and have our being."

The nearness of God to man is a teaching of reveia- ticm. Look back to the record of the Garden of Eden, and see an early evidence there of God's nearness to man. Adam, having transgressed, hid himself among the trees of the garden ; but in his hiding-place God sought him, and the voice of the Lord God was heard, walking among the trees of the garden, and saying, "Adam, where art thou?" Man will not seek God,

17 (9STi

258 COD'S NEARNESS TO US.

but God seeks man. Though man's voice is not, "Where is my God?'' yet God's voice is, "Adam, where art thou ? " All through history God has been familiar with man. He has spoken to him in divers ways, but principally through chosen men. One after another he has raised up prophets, and by their warn- ing voices ho has pleaded with men, and invited them to seek his face. His own voice might have caused dismay and distance, and so he has nsed human voices, that he might come nearer to the b.eart. All the his- tory of the chosen nation, as we read it in the Old Tes- tament, reveals the nearness of Jeliovah ; whatever we road upon the page, we know that within, above, or behind it, the Lord is near, even when he appears to have hidden himself Jn these latter days, the Lord has come nearer to us still, for ho has spoken to us by his Son. Tiie Son of God became the Friend of sinners: could he come nearer than that? The Word was marie flesh, and dwelt among men, and men be- held his glory. Bone of our bone, and flesh of onr flesh is the Christ, and yet he is very God of very God. In him God is next-of-kin to man, and manhood is brought near to the eternal throne. Christ Jesiis is God and man in one person, and thus the closest union is formed between God and man. Verily, verily, the Lord God is not far from each one of us in his own dear Son.

To-day, though Jesus has gone up on high, the Spirit of God abides in the midst of the church, and thus again the Lord is near. The Comforter is at work still ; the Convincer still presses upon man's con- science sin, righteousness, and judgment to come. Still does the Holy Ghost work with the Word of God, directing his ministers so to speak that their hearers

GOD'S XEARNESS TO US. 259

shall perceive a personality and pointeJness in the word delivered. Oh, yon that hear the gospel, be ye sure of this, that the kingdom of God has come nigh unto you in a very special sense ! I may say of you with an emphasis, " He is not far from any of you, and you are not far from the kingdom."

That God is near by his omnipresence and by his gracious dealings with men, is the clear teaching of the inspired volume. To the enlightened mind, God is evidently seen to be near in the works of nature. Whose voice was it that we heard last night thunder- ing overhead ? Wiio fashioned the drops of rain that refreshed the fields ? Who breathed the gentle bi-eeze which cooled and cheered the drooping flowers ? Wiio has sent us this day so clear, so calm, so bright, " the bridal of the earth and sky " ? WTio is creating for us our harvests, and preparing food for man and beast ? It is God that doetli this, doing it in ways beyond our comprehension, yet doing it before our eyes. There is no other force in the universe save that which is derived from God. There i:-5 no other life except the life which has leaped from the eternal self-existence. God is in all. Above us in the stars he shines ; but he works also in the grass beneath our feet. Each dew-drop glea,ms his glory, and every grain of dust bears his impress. He is within us, keeping our hearts in motion ; and around us, giving to the air we breathe its power to sustain life.

So also is the Lord very near in providence. Albeit that this godless age seeks to banish God, yet is he present in the transactions of every day. All things come of him, both the little and the great. He ordains, and rules, or over-rules. Pestilence and famine, earth- quake and hurricane, are his heavier treads ; and days

260 GOD'S NEARNF.SS TO US.

and uiglits, harvests and springtides, are liis gentler footsteps. The events of history, wliether on a large or suiali scale, betray an evident design and arrange- ment. AD things work together, with singular accu- racy and punctuality, to accomplish a lofty purpose. It is the fashion nowadays to say that these are coin' ddences. It is a pretty word for boys to play with. Some of us observe God's providences, and we are nev- er without a providence to observe. We see the hand of God in daily life, and we are glad to do so, though we are laughed at as poor fools. Those who can see may well be content to bear the jests of the blind. In my own personal experience I have met with numbers of singular and special tokens of God's working in providence, some of which I would scarce dare to tell, because they miglit seem incredible. I remember preaching at Halifax, in a htige timber building which was erected for the purpose. Daring the previous day the snow fell heavily, and it lay deep upon the ground. Nevertheless, the people came in their thousands, and thronged the enormous edifice ; and gratefully do I remember how they went away to their homes in safety. They had no sooner cleared the building to the last man, than it fell in one gigantic ruin. Why had it not fallen when the crowds were there ? In my joy that no one was harmed I thought that God vv'as there, and I praised his holy name. Was that a piece of superstition ?

Take another instance. I was one day in great per- plexity upon a certain matter of great importance to the cause of God. I laid it before God in prayer, but still I did not see my way : I could get no direction or guidance. Having to preach in North London, a friend kindly drove me to the spot, and afterwards I

GOD'S NEARNESS TO US, 261

asked him to take me to the house of one of our peo- ple whom 1 wished to see. I scarcely noticed my way, till at last I found myself in a street unknown to mc. I then said, ''You are surely going wrong." " Xo," he said, " I am right enough." He was making for the private house of the person I had named, but I knew that he would at that time he at his office in the city, and I had intended to go there after him. We were on the wu'ong track, and so the horse's head was turned down a side-street unknown to me, and as we passed along it, T saw the only man in all the world vcho could assist me out of my difficulty. How he came to be there I could not tell ; how I came to be there I have already told you. Strangely had the Lord guided me, and the information guided the affair to a happy issue. God was near me. Mere coincidences, they tell me 1 Mere coincidences ! Let me tell a true story. The other day I met with a series of similar "mere coincidences." I set out by railway to a cer- tain town, and the train went on till we came to a junction, and I was bidden to change. By a strange coincidence another train had drawn up, and was go- ing in the direction I desired. I had only time to cross a platform and take my place, and off it went. A few^ miles further again I heard a voice, saying, " Change here ! " I changed a second time, and by another coincidence a train Avasjust starting for my destination. When I reached the end of my railway journey another coincidence was in store for me, for a well-known friend was waiting with his carriao^e, and he took me to his house, where by another coincidence, a dinner was ready. At the dinner there happened to be a dish upon the table intended for a person w^ho did not eat flesh meat. Was not this a special coinci-

262 GOD'S NEARNESS TO US.

dence for me ? I went to the chapel to preach, and I found it crowded with people anxious to hear : anoth- er coincidence, of course ! Somebody cries, " You talk nonsense ; it was all arranged." I confess I thought so. I am glad that you own the arranging hand ; but, pardon me, 1 saw an arranging hand in the other cases also, and I think it was as clear in the other cases as in this. To the storj^ of my journey you hnd a clue in a previous arrangement, and in the history of nations, and in the story of each human life, I also find a clue in the presence of a Divine mind which arranges all things. When human arrangement ex- plains a series of events you admit it without cpiestion ; why not admit Divine arrangement, since it equally well explains the great occurrences of history ? Do you demur ? I fear it is that you resolve not to believe in tlie one case, while in the other, having no theoiy to maintain, you follow your natural common-sense.

God is so near us that he hears the prayers of his people, and orders events in correspondence to those prayers. Do you doubt this? Do you tell me tliat the many answers to prayer which we jojd'uily narrate are mere coincidences ? I have hardly patience to an- swer you. Yet let me tell you of some strange inci- dents which happened to me yesterday. In the morn- ing, when I came into my study, I needed to break my fast. I had scarcely wished it, before my break- fast was on the table. During the day 1 wished for a glass of water. In a few moments it stood by my side. I required some one to take a telegram to the post-ofBce for me. Heigh ! Presto ! A suitable mes- senger appeared. Was this magic ? The evening can^e on and I desired to have the lamps lighted and the curtains drawn. In a few seconds my desire was

GOD'S NEAKSESS TO US. 263

accomplished. Were these matters " mere coinci- deuces " 'i " No," cries oue, " you rang the hell." >>ow 1 come to thiuk of it, some one did pull at a handle ; but 1 saw no bell. Yet you assure me that the ringing of a bell accounts for it all, I will not argue tlie point with you. Only when 1 yield to you, 1 want you also to yield to me when I tell you that we pray to the Lord our God, and that we receive an- swers to our prayers. Our daily experience is that prayer is answered by the Lord our God, for he is near to fulfil his promises, and to grant the petitions of them that put their trust in him. You believe in the power of the bell, and we believe in the power of prayer. Our speaking to the living God is as much a fact and a reality to us as the ringing of a bell to you; why, then, do you heap scorn upon us ? Why do you snuflT us out with your big talk about ccincukrMS ? Scoff away ! We shall not pray any the less so long as in our experience we find the Lord so swift to hear, so bountiful to bless. The fool hath said in his heart, " There is no God " ; but even he is not so mnch a fool as he who, believing that there is a God, will not allow that he is near enough to hear and answer prayer. Oh, that my hearers wdio doubt the nearness of God would cry to him, and see if he would not be found of them !

Beloved, the fact is, that God is everywhere. He is so present in all places that he is specially near to each person. His circumference is nowhere, but his centre is evervwhere. God is as much with you as if there were no other person in the world. His being near to vou does not make him far off from another. This truth is high, and we cannot attain to it, but it is none the less sure. God is near each one of us, observing

264 GOD'S NEARNESS TO US.

US witli exactness, perceiving the secret intents of our hearts. He is near us, feeHng for us, and thinidng of us. lie is near us in active energy, ready to inter- pose and help us. He is near us in all places, and at all times. By night and by day he surrounds us. At this moment, "surely God is in this place." Know it, and be filled v/ith awe. I pray that, ere the service is over, you may know it by feeling the powder of his grace. In answer to prayer may the Lord's presence and power be with the v/ords which I shall try to speak to you, though I speak in great feebleness.

First, I am going to address myself for a little to those ivho only feel after him, but as yet have not per- ceived him ; and then I shall speak to those ivho have found him, and who know by a sweet experience how near he is to his chosen.

I. To THOSE OF YOU WHO ARE FEELING AFTER GoD I

speak in deepest earnestness. Like blind men who grope for the wall, you stretch out your liands to feel after him. Rejoice, for ho is not far from you !

What then? How impious is sin when seen in this light! You have transgressed the commands of the great King in the King's presence. When you blas- phemed him, you thought little of him ; but you spoke into his ear. When you ridiculed his ways and his people, you did it to his face. You insulted your Creator while his eyes were fixed on you. Did you dream that you were in the outskirts of liis dominion, far off from his throne ? and did you, thei-efore, take liberty to offend ? 0 sir, you were mistaken ; you rebelled in his courts ! He heard your evil words ; he noted down your unrighteous acts. Think of this, you that have never sought mercy at his hands; from your childhood \intil now you have lived under his

COD'S XEARNESS TO US. 205

close inspection. You liave, perhaps, seen those liives which ptTiuit you, through a glas.s, to see all that the bees are doing. You have watched them busy in their cells. All the world is but a hive of this sort to tiie mind of God. You could not read the designs and intents of the bees, but the Lord has read your thoughts and imaginations. Would some of you have sinned as you have done if you had realized the Divine presence ? Would you have dared to go to such lengths as yoii have gone, if you had seen him as he has seen you ? " Hush," they say, when they are speaking evil of any person, "here he comes." Why did you not "hush," since God was there? Servants who have wasted their master's time will hurry up when they see that he is near: how is it that you have not only loitered, but done mischief while your iNIaster has been looking over yoiu' shoulder ? How impious is that sin which is done despite the presence and observation of God !

Next, note liow profane is indifference ! To be indifferent to God when God is near in the glory of his majesty and the riches of his L)ve, is a sign of great hardness of heart. God is near, supplying you with breath, keeping you in life, and yet you care not! Holy men luve trembled with awe in his pres- ence, and you have trifled ! How is this ? If he had gone on a journey, and you had forgotten him, there might be some little excuse; but with the Lord close to you, how could you ignore him ? Can I call this less than sheer profanity ? If an angel in the presence of the Most Highest refused to adore ; if a spirit before his burning throne maintained a sullen silence, we should count it unmistakable sedition : what is it in your case ? What shall I say to those who here, in

266 GOD'S NEARNESS TO US.

the presence of God, have lived ten, twenty, thirty, forty, or fifty years, and yet have never given their Lord a serious thought ? Do you so hghtly esteem your Maker ? Is he not worth a thought ? Will you neither bow your knee in homage, nor lift up your A'oice in thankfulness ? 0 men and women, why do you act so UDJustly, so ungratefully ? What has God done that you should slight him ? How can you ex- cuse yourselves, that you live and n:iove in hiui, and yet have no more care for l]im than if there were no such being?

Furthermore, if God be so near, this shows tlie evi- dent im'possilility of deceiving Mm, God is not mocked, Thinkest thou that if thou wilt go to God's house that will avail thee, though thou goest not to God ? Dost thou imagine that to repeat certain gracious words will suffice, though thy heart be wandering on the mountains of vanity ? Hast thou thought that to make a religious profession will be enough? and that God will be so duped, as to think tliee his servant and his child, if thou takest upon thee the names which belong to such relationships ? Dost thou think that he can be deceived when he is near thee, around thee, and within thee ? Thy heart is as open to him as tliy book is open before thee, and he reads thee as thou read- est the plainest print. How, then, canst thou deceive him ? Beware, I beseech you, of having any dealings with God but those wdiich are in downright honesty. We must be true to the core before the All-seeing One. A lie to our fellow-men is meanness, but a lie to God is madness. What meanest thou, thou pretender to godliness, if thy heart be not right wath God ? Dorst thou think to play tricks with the only wise God ? Canst thou cheat the eyes before which all things ar?

COD'S NEARNESS TO US. 267

naked and open? He besets thee behind and before, and lays his hand upon thee : he possesses thy reins and searches thy heart : be plain and sincere with hira, lest he smite thee as he smote Ananias and Sap- phira. Oh, that the words ol' Hagar in the wilderness would rise from every heart — " Thon God seest nie'M That God is as near to us as we are to ourselves should make us greatly ashamed, if in any way what- ever, we seemed to be what, in the depths of our being, we are not.

But, hark ! this shows us hoio vain is all hope of es- cape from God ! Wliat if a man says there is no God ! God is all the same. What if a man forgets God, and therefore ceases to tremble ! There is as much cause for trembling as ever, and somewhat more. Wiiat if a man is able throughout life to shut his eye to his lost estate, and at last dies without bands in his death — what of that ? He cannot escape the judgment, he cannot flee from the far-reaching arms of justice. The Lord's impartial sentence will find him out, though he plunge into depths of darkness, or make his bed in hell. It was said once of the whole world that it was nothing better than a prison for the man that had offended Caesar ; and I may say of the great universe, however wide it be, that it is but a narrow cell for the man who has offended God. Where canst' thou fij', mj hearer ? Where canst thou hide ? Xei- ther mountains nor abysses,can conceal thee from those eyes of fire ! If thou hadst but half a grain of wit thou wouldst fall at the feet of thy pursuer, and in- voke his mercy ! Confess thy wickedness, and beg for pardon. Quit thy sin, and be reconciled to thy Judge through the death of his Son : then those eyes

268 GGD'S NEARN11.SS TO US

shall be suns of light to thee, whereas now they are as flauies of fire.

TiiiH is the solemn i?ide of the matter, and I confess it is dark as the pillar of cloud when it turnexi its blackness on the Eg-yptians. Oh, this God ! this God who is not far from us ! What shall we do ? We have provoked hira! He is angry with the wicked every day. His great longsuffering holds back the strokes of his justice ; but they must come one day, for he will by no means spare tlie guilty. Oh, my ungodly hearer, thou hast sinned, and thou art sin- ning in the presence of thy God ; 1 beseech thee, think of this! Thou hast been indifferent, and thou art still indifferent, in the presence of One, who with a thought can wither thee, and with a word can send thee where hope can never come. Be warned, I pray thee. May God bless this solemn warning to thy soul's arousing !

There is a bright side to this great truth of the Di- vine nearness. If God is not far from each one of us, then hoio hopeful is our seeking ef Mm ! If 1 seek God, and he is not far from me, I shall surely find him. I have not to climb to heaven nor to dive into the abyss, for he is near ! Oh, for i'aith to perceive him ! Where I sit, or stand, I may come to him. If I seek him he is seeking me iox certain, or else I shoald never have sought him. When the sinner seeks God and God seeks the sinner, they will soon meet. Is it not writ- ten, 'If thou seek him, he will l)e found of thee"? '•Seek ye the Lord while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near." Omnipresence yields good cheer to those who are panting for their God.

Hoio pereeptihle must repentance he ! If God be near you, he sees that tear which just now scalded your

GOD'S NEARNESS TO US. 269

cheek. He marks that sigh ; he sees that heaving of the breast ; that trouble of the soul he knows ; that restlessness he sees. When I stand by a person who labors under emotion, I am not long before I symiia- thize wdth him ; I cannot help it ; God is much more tender-hearted than we are, and, like as a father pitieth his children, so he pitieth them that fear him. If thine heart is breaking, thy God perceives it. If thou art bev/ailing thy sin, he hears it, and cries, " How can T give thee up?" ' The sight of thy tears hath melted hiui, the hearing of thy sighs hath moved his compassion. Doubt not this ; thou canst not have him near and yet have him callou.«, for his name is Love. He heard thee, and he pitied thee, when yes- terday in thy chamber thou wast in an agony of shame and fear. He sees thee at this moment in thy loneliness and dire distress. A fugitive and a vaga- bond thou mayest be, but yet the Lord is near.

Since the Lord is near to us, hoio quick luiJl le be to perceive our faith! If you, this morning, glance an eye to the cross, the Lord wdll see your eye looking that way. He sees the feeble as well as the strong ; if thou hast but a grain of mustard seed of faith he ■will at once discern it. When the messenger of the church cannot perceive it, and before the minister can detect it, God hath seen faith. Believest thou that Jesus is the Christ? Dost thou trust thyself vith him ? God hath accepted thy faith and he hath said, " There is therefore now no condemnation." If he were far ofl'thy faith might be unnoticed, but being close at hand he sees the first glimmer of light within thy mind. Though thy trust be of the feeblest kind he accepts it and protects it.

If God be so near thee, poor soul, Jiow readily lie can

270 GOD'S NEARNESS TO US.

reveal himself to thee! I know ho^v sadly you are urged to despair, and yet ere that clock hath finished the half lionr yonr despair may vanish. There is nothing between thee and thy Saviour but thine un- belief. Let unbelief go, and thou slifdt see Jesus, to thy heart's joy. A prisoner was taken out to die, and as he rode along In tlie death cart his heart was heavy at the thought of death, and none could cheer him of all the throng. The gallows-tree Avas in sight, and this blotted out the sun for him. But lo, his prince came riding up in hot haste, bearing a free pardon. Then the man opened his eyes, and, as though he had risen from the dead, he returned to happy conscious- ness. The sight of his prince had chased all gloom av\-ay. He declared that he had never seen a fairer countenance in all his days : and when he read his pardon he vowed that no poetry should ever be dear- er to his heart than those few lines of sovereign grace. Friends, I remember Avell when I was in that death-cart, and Jesus came to me with pardon. Death and hell were before me ; but I rejoiced exceedingly when I taw the nailprints in his hands and feet, and the wound in his side. When lie said, "Thy sins, which are many, are all forgiven thee," I thought I never saw such loveliness before, and never heard such music in all my days. Nay, it was not mere thought, I am sure my judgment was right. Eternity itself sliall never disclose anything to me more sweet. My pardoning Lord hath no peer nor rival. Oh, what a Christ is he who appeared to me, a guilty, condemned sinner, on the way to hell ' Blessed be his name, he bore on the tree my curse, and shame, and death, and 1 am free. This is the manifestation which I desire for each of you ; and,

GOD'S NEARNESS TO US. . '21 \

since Jesus is near, how readily can he grant you the

Doon

If the Lord be near, there is no reason why he should not grant pardon now to all of you who see it Ere the words I speak have reached your ear, God, in the person of his Son, may manifest himseli to you and make your heart to leap for joy. Do it, 0 Lord Jesus I Grant a vision of thyself, good Lord : grant it now, and thou shalt have the praise. God often re- veals himself by men to men : why should he not speak to you through this sermon of mine ? God often reveals himself to men by the Scriptures. A precious text laid home to an aching heart will soon give it peace. Wherefcn-e, be of good cheer, my hear- er ; God is near you, and therefore hope is near you. Believe in Jesus and he will give you rest. He wait- eth to be gracious ; he looks out for objects of mercy. Be of good cheer, for Jesus of Nazareth passeth by. Even at this hour he is near.

II. The time is too short, therefore I must turn at once to God's people, and speak to those of you who HAVE FOUND THE LoRD. Brothers, you need not that I seek out choice words when I speak to you. You are soldiers, and you only want short sentences, such as captains give 'to the "'ranks. I say to you, redeemed by precious blood, and made sensitive to the all-sur- rounding God, note how strictly Gud observes us ! Let us walk in his sight, let us live in his presence.^ I charge you, remember that the Lord your God is a jealous God.' Under such weighty obligations to him, and bound to him by such marvellous ties of love, live _hve obediently, live intensely, Hve with concentra- tion of heart, and mind, and strength ; live wholly unto him. Being ever in his sight, set him always

272 GOD'S iVEARN^SS TO US.

before you. Be your life such as life sliould bo in the fierce light that beats about the tiiroue of Deitj. Oh, our poor lives! Our empty lives! God fill them and elevate them ! May he help us to rise out of our dead selves by a sense of his living presence. If God's nearness does not make us cry to him to njake men of us, what v.ili ? 0 thou who art so divinely near, draw our lives into thy Mia !

If God be not far from us, let us see lioio readily he hears our 'prayers ! I am sometimes startled at the power of a feeble prayer to win a speedy answer. " Startled," you will say ; why am 1 startled ? for it is written, " Before they call, I will answer : and while they are yet speaking, I will hear." Yes, it is so written, but we do not alwa^ys apprehend the fact. When the promise comes speedily to pass, have you never felt your iicsh cieep with a solemn awe in the presence of God, who has so remarkably drawn near at the voice of prayer ? You turn aside from your business but a minute and pray, and you come back calm and composed. Tiiis is the finger of God. You do not leave the counter, but simply dart a glance heavenward, and the thing you sought for is bestow- ed u|)on you. Is it not often so, my beloved ? Y^ou know it is. Is it not easily accounted for by the fact that God is at your riglit hand, ready to be gracious ? There is no need in every case to break the continuity of business, and to get away from the concerns of this life, for the Lord is in the shop, and in the barn, as well as in the closet. You are in the midst of a throng of wicked men, but God is there too, if his providence has called you into such company. The pressure of incessant occupation racks your mind, but

GOD'S NEARNESS TO US. 273

it woTiIfl be less if you felt tliat God is there to help and guide.

How simple is comimmion nitli the Lord iclien ice Jcnow ihat he is near us! When you seek quietude for medi- tation, do you think it wonderful that you enter speedily into communion with God ? Is he not wait- ing for you? If yon go into the field witli Isaac, God is there. Kesort, therefore, to communion with God without doubt of obtaining it. Speak, for he hears : listen, for he speaks. Pray without ceasing, because God is near without ceasing. Pour out your heart be- fore him, for he is ever near to mark your heart's out- pourings. It makes life a blessed thing when we remember that we spend it ^\dth God. We dwell in him. It is not as if we were visitors, and. had to make calls on God now and then ; but he is our dwell- ing-place. We have not to seek him as though he had hidden himself away, for he is the sun whose presence fills our life with strength and comfort. He is in us, and therefore with us. Wherefore let us pray, and praise, and hold sweet communion with him.

Further, dear brethren, if God be so near us, how scurely are loe defended ! A Christian lady not long ago dreamed a dream whic^h was not a dream, but fict. She saw herself as surrounded with God ; encir- cled above, beneath, and all around, as with a blaze of light. Brilliance inconceivable made a pavilion for her ; and while she stood la the midst of the glory she saw all her cares and her troul^les, and her temptations, and her sins, wandering about tlie outside'ofthe wall of light, unal)le to reach her. Unless that light itself should open r.:.d make a way for them she was serene- ly secure, although she could see the perils which else would destroy her. Is not the Lord a wall of fire 18

274 GOD'S NEARNESS TO US.

roiTTid about us, and the glory in the midst ? Is it not written, "He that dweileth in tlie secret place of the Most Highest shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty" ? Evil shall not come near to him who is near to God. Go where we may, a more than royal guard surrounds us ; for the Lord of Hosts is with us. Blind eyes, blind eyes, ye see not the Infinite Protector! If our eyes were anointed, we should eee the mountain full of horses of lire and chariots of fire round about us ; nay, better than horses, though they be of fire, we should see the omnipotent God to be our shield and buckler. I want you, dear people of God, to feel that you are never in real danger, because never far from God. Hov/ can he be in peril whom the Lord keepeth l)oth night and day ?

To the living God we look for life when threatened by the powers of death. You have a little fish in your hand : it will soon die if it renjains there. It is newly taken from the stream ; make haste to restore it to its element, and it will speedily recover. In the river it will find all it needs ; even so, in God we have all we want. In God we dwell in all-sufficiency and in perfect peace. As the dove in the dover>ote, and the coney on the rock, and the chick beneath the hen ; so do we dwell in God. Who is ho that can harm us, since God is near ?

If the Lord be thus near us, liow speedily lie can reneio our graces ! Alas ! our soxds too often need restoring ; but, blessed be his name, he is at hand to renew our life. I confess with shame that I have felt dull and dead and heavy, and I thought it was the weather, or my bodily weakness, or some other matter: but what- ever was the cause, I have found only one cure. As in a moment, quicker than the twinkling of an eye, I

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have been lifted into life, and love, and light, and en- ergy : I have awakened in the night with all the bells of nij soul ringing ont peals of praise. I have said to myself, *' What a strange creatiu-e I am ! Now I can rejoice in my God ; now 1 can pray with holy preva- lence ; now 1 can leap as a hart." Then 1 have wash- ed to rush into the pulpit and preach straight away. 1 was all death before, and the Lord made me all life. Is not this to bo expected, since God is near to hear our bemoanings ? He speaks, and it is done. '' Fiis word runneth very swiftly." By the exercise of faith the Lord enables us to overcome the body. Plato used to say that by thought the soul could get out of the body. I am iiot philosopher enough to know whether this is true or not ; indeed, I never tried to quit my body, for I am afraid I might not find my way back again : but this I know, that by the spii'itual life the spirit can rise above the bod}'. Some grievous ache, some bitter pain has made you feel as if you did not care to live, and yet a flash of sacred joy has gone through you, and you have laughed at the pain, and have even been quickened by it. Pain is a rough bare-backed steed which throws every common rider ; but when he comes who is taught by the Spirit, he leaps upon it, rides it, and outstrips the wind. How many a grand thought has been the child of pain. Nov/, if God be with us we see how such a thing can be. Never despair while the living God is near. Believe in the living One, and, touching the hem of his garment, the virtue of his life shall stream into your dying heart : " He that believeth in me, though he w^ere dead, yet shall ho live."

I hear people sometimes talk about " the liigher life." Happy is that man who obtained the highest

276 GOD'S NEARNESS TO US.

life when lie first believed in Jesus Christ. The di- vine life is neither lower nor higher, bat there are increasing degrees of its strength. These are all reachable, for God is near to iielp us. If God be near us, brothers, infinite resources are near us. We need not be unl)elieving ; w^e need not be sorrowful ; Ave need not be afraid. We need not be the captives of sin ; we are able to overcome it by the Divine help. We can master ourselves, for God is near us to give us the victory.

I do not think that any one of you should go away to-day, saying, " I feel so dull, so stupid, so unspirit- ual." God is not far from any one of us, and his pres- ence should remov^e these complaints. What doth Jesus say? "I am the resurrection, and the life." You looked for a miracle. Behold your Lord ! He is the miracle. Receive him, and you have the resur- rection and the life. What though you be in the grave, sheeted and bound: if Jesus is "at the mouth of the sepulchre, at his bidding you shall quit the abode of death. Have hope, 0 Lazarus ! for though you be dead and stinking, yet the Christ who calls you gives you life. Never, child of God, never think that _you cannot be filled with life and power. That cry of "O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me?" is heard by your present God, and he gives you the victory through Jesus Christ.

Let me say once more, if God be so near us, there is no reason tvhy we should not speedily enjoy a manifestation of his glory. Moses keeps the flock of Jethro. Poor comrades, those woolly sheep! He has led them to the back-side of the desert. Poor region, it scarcely yields a blade of grass for sheep, and nothing for man. What can one expect in a howling wilderness? Stop:

GOD'S NEARNESS TO US. 277

yonder is a bush ! But what of that ? No grapes or figs cau be gathered there. A bird may rest in a hu^Ii, but not a man. Turn thou aside, 0 Moses, for God can make that bash to be the throne of Deity ! The commonplace can be made celestial, the despicable, divine. Though to-day, dear heart, in all thy trouble and deadness of heart thou wilt go to a home which is no home, yet since God is there he can appear to thee in anything and everything. He can make the bush of thy trouble to become the embodiment of his glory. He can manifest himself to thee as he does not to the world. Time was, they say, when God could be found under a tree, and by the brook, and near the town wall, and even in a furnace, and a lion's den; but men do not see him now even in temples. Whose fault is this? It is the fault of our dull eye, and duller hearts. God is as near as ever. I see him in this house of prayer. I pray that you may see him, and then the spot whereon you now are will become holy ground to you throughout the rest of your life. In your quiet room this afternoon, there is no reason why a door should not be opened in heaven, "Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God," He shows his glory to the meek and lowly. The recognized presence of God will make a garret as glorious as the ]\Iount of Transfiguration. When Jesus is to us Emanuel, God with us, we see him in his glory, for this is to see him as he is.

This truth of the presence of God makes me feel happy with regard to this my much beloved church. I often fear lest we should not have conversions, I have feared lest coldness of heart should take hold of myself and you; and then this has been mv comfort— the Lord is not far from any of us, and therefore he

278 GGD'S NEARNESS TO US.

can use us, and work conversions in our midst. Breth- ren, he can incline the outsiders to come and hear the word, and when they hear it he can bless thenj, for he is not far from them. I read in tiie Life of John Wes- ley a story of Methodists meeting in a barn, and how certain of the villagers, who were afraid to break through the door, resolved to place one inside who would open the door to them during the service, that they might disturb the congregation. This person went in before service began, and concealed himself in a sack in a corner of the barn. When the Metho- dists began to sing, he liked tlie tune so well that he would not get out of the sack till he had heard it through. Then followed a prayer, and during that prayer, God worked on the man in the sack, so that he began to cry for mercy. The good people looked around, and were astonished to find a sinner in a sack seeking his Saviour. The door was not opened to the mob after all; for he who intended to do so was con- verted. It does not matter v.-hy the people come to hear the gospel; God can bless them in any case. If Christ is preached, men will be saved, even if they come to disturb. "Sir," said one to me, "1 had been to bargain about a pair of ducks on Sunday morning, and I passed by the door, and T thought I would just look in. There and then the Lord met with me, and those ducks were forgotten, for I found a Saviour." Tie is not far froiii Jiny; and in answer to believing prayer he can deal with men and tarn their hearts to himself Wherefore, work on ! Go round with your tracts this afternoon. God is not far away from those houses. Stand in the street corner and preach: God is not far away from those who pass by. Go to your Sunday-school class, for God is not far from any one

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of the children. Work witli cheerful hope, for the Lord is near you.

This presence of God which cheers in life, also sus- tains in death. Pie is not far from any one of us when all the world flies far away. Tins morning the end came suddenly to our friend Mr. Murphy. He hoped to preach this morning-, but he is doing better work. His congregation is gathered expecting their pastor; may they find the Master with them, though the ser- vant is gone ! If God be always near, what matters whether we die or live ? We would like to have our friends gathered about our bed to bid them flxrewell ; but, perhaps, it will not be so. It is of small m.oment after all. since our God will be near. Our best Friend will be there; our Father will be there; for our God will be there. Go your way and make no bargain as to whether you live or die; only plead that promise, " Certainly I will be with thee." God is with us now, and soon we shall be with him. Until the day break and the shadows flee away, abide with us, 6 Lord, Amen, and amen.

XIII.

TRUST.

August 21, 1887.

"That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ. In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation."— Epiiesiaxs i. 12, 13.

It appears from the preceding verse that the predes- tinating purpose of God deals not only with salvation as a whole, but with the details of it: it includes faith as well as salvation, which comes of faith. " Being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will, that we should be to the praise of hie glory, who first trusted in Christ." The trust is appointed as well as the justification : the means as well as the end. Wo are not ordained to be saved apart from faith, but those who are predestinated to eternal life are ordained to receive it through faith in Christ -Jesus. What God hath joined together let no man put asunder.

Beloved friends, I would have you notice in this verse the remarkable object which is set before us as the grand design of predestinating grace. Observe the singular expression of the aposrle — " That we should be to the praise of his glory.'' Observe that he does not say, that we should sing to the praise of our glorious God, though we will do that; nor that we should stiffer to his praise, though we would not re- fuse to do that; nor that we should ivork to his praise, (280)

TRUST. 28i

tliougli by grace we will do that; but "that we should h? to the praise of his glory." The very being of a be- liever is to the praise and glory of God. It is written, " Whether ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God;" but this is still more compre- hensive, you are to he to his glory, your v^vy existence ^9, io ■praise him. Your being, which is now turned into well-being, is to glorify the God of grace. When in the quiet of the garden I have looked upon the lilies standing erect in their marvellous beauty, and I have realized our Master's words, that Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these, tiien I have said to myself, " What do these to the glory of God ?" Quickly my heart has answered, " They exist to show forth the glory of their Creator:" by merely standing where they are, they yield praise to the Lord: their very being is worship. Even those flowers which are born to blush unseen of men do not bloom in vain, they do not waste their sweetness, though they pour it on the desert air, for God is in the lone places, and beholds with joy his own handiwork. God is glori- fied by the being of that which he makes, and espec- ially by the being of that which he has a second time created by the power of his grace, according to his purpose tlirough faith. Is it not enough result of be- ing if we are to his praise ?

Beloved, see the importance of that trust which is BO constant an item in the purpose of God when he causes us to be to the praise of his glory. Unless we have trusted in Christ we are not living to the praise of God ; but when we hav^e come by faith into the place wherein we ought to stand, then is our very being unto the praise of his glory. In Christ our very existence glorifies God, and it is faith which con-

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sciously places ns in Christ. Concerning that trust, or if you will — for the original bears that transjatiou — tliat hope, which is so essential to the fuifiiment of the purpose of God-^— concerning that trust I am about to speak this morning. May the praise of his glory be promoted by wliat 1 am enabled to say !

I. Our first point will be that trust in Christ ls

THE CONSTANT MARK OF THE SAVED. " That We sllOuld be

to the praise of his glory who first trusted in Christ, in whom ye also trusted." 1 care not whether you read it "trusted" or " hoped," the idea will still be the same. Trust in Christ, or hope in Christ, is the distinguishing token of God's people.

It icas the mark of the ai:oitles. It was necessary to an apostle that he should have seen the Lord, for he was to bear personal v»'itness to that which he had seen with his eyes, and looked upon and handled; but this alone was not sufficient, for many saw the Lord and remain- ed in unbelief, enemies of the cross of Christ. These could not have been apostles, since they did not trust in Jesus. The apostles were those who, with an inner as well as an outer eye, had seen the Lord, and had trusted themselves wholly to him as their Leader, Master, Teacher, and Saviour. There were no apostles Avorthy to be called apostles who did not trust in Christ. Truly Judas bore the name, but his Lord s-aid of him, " One of you is a devil." He who is sent of Christ as his witness first trusts in Christ.

This was also the mark of the first converts, the chosen from among the Jews. These had the honor to be the elder born — these who first trusted in Christ. Some of them had the adA-antage of having trusted in hini before his actual advent, for they were looking lor the hope of Israel, and earnestly expecting the coming

TRUST. ggo

of the Messiah, Before our Lord appeared at the waters of Jordan, and was pointed out by John the Baptist as " the Lamb of God, which takoth away the siu of the world," there were hearts that believed i^j him, and eyes that looked for him. Still, whethei- tli?y were Jewisli believers, looking for his advent, or not

this Avas the mark of their being truly saved tliat

they trusted in Jesus, when he was revealed as the Anointed of the Lord. The best instructed Jew could not find eternal salvation apart froin his puttino- i^jg trust in Jesus Christ the Son of God.

Now, dear friends, This ivas the mark of those who tcerc first saved hy tJte great Redeemei', and I want vou to notice how the Holy Spirit sets them in a class" b-y themselves, lie makes a distinction between those who first trusted, and those who trusted afterwards, because it is a noteworthy honor to have been amona the first that trust Christ. It is a privilege to be led by Jesus, to trust him first in order of time bv begin- ning in your ecfrliest youth. Happy are those who enter the Lord's vineyard amid the dews of the mornino- for these redeem years of time from the bitter servi- tude of sin, and turn them to blessed account, in the delightful service of the Lord Jesus. Such are usu- ally distinguished in the church: early piety makes eminent piety, early consecration often leads to abound- ing usefulness. The Lord evidently delights to l)e found in a Ingh degree of those wlio seek him earlv. They come to him first, and he remembers the kind- ness of their youth, and the prompatude with which they obeyed his call. It is also a great privilege to be called first out of a family or a neighborhood. Per- adventure some of you live where there are none who believe in Christ; may the Lord grant you this high fa-

28i 2^ RUST.

vor to be the leader of your household and jour district as a believer ! Aiaj the shower of grace fall first on you, and then bless all those who are round about you ! Possibly in your family you do not know of one who has passed from death to life — may you be the first- fruits out of spiritual death ! I have often observed that where God begins with a family he goes on with a family. He makes one or two to be the firstfruits, and then he considers the lump as also holy, and goes on to bless the rest of the household. Even in nations I scarcely remember a nation or people that has ever received Christ which has been quite left without his blessing throughout after centuries: the fire which the first live coals had kindled has never absolutely been quenched. Therefore, 1 admire the gray fathers of the past, the pioneers of the army of the Lord. Paul mentions with respect those who were in Christ be-" fore him, and so should we honor those who led the way for us Hay first trusting in Christ. I greatly es- teem in my own mind those first believers who were not borne in by the throng of others, but w^ent forward alone. I compare them to the first navigators upon an untried sea; the men who first sailed out of sight of shore, greatly venturing. To be first in per- ceiving that Jesus of Nazareth was the Anointed of the Lord was no mean thing, for none of the princes of this world had any idea of that great fact. These w^ere in truth the " men of light and leading," the foremost minds of their age, peasants and fishermen though they were. These were the first swallows heralding a glorious summer-tide. These were the first song-birds waking the morning to behold the newly risen sun. It is a patent of nobility to be num- bered with these. I would put a holy ambition into

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the hearts of those who arc young, and others who belong to ungodly families, suggesting to them that they should be among their households tliose " who first trust in Christ." In the history of your tribe you will have an honored place as the first who brought salvation to your house. But, whether you are first or last, if you are saved at all it will be through trust in Christ. Come young, come old, you will still be saved alone by trust in Christ. Come as the leader of your family, or come as the last left out in the cold, you will still have to come by a simple trust and reliance upon the Lord Jesus Christ. This is the one sole way of salvation.

Now, as this was the mark of the elder born, the text goes on to tell us that it tvas the mark of the young- er horn: in "whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation." The Ephesians did not see the Christ, they never listened to the melodious tones of his voice, nor looked hito his beloved countenance; but they were converted by hearing the report of him. They were brought into salvation afterwards; but still it came to the same thing: they received like jjrecious faith with those who in former days had obtained eternal life. Those to whom I now speak trusted in Christ after they had heard the word of truth. Note the expression. It is the word o^t]te truth — the most important and vital of aU truths. Nothing but truth can truly renew the heart. Falsehood works to evil: only truth works towards righteousness. We heard the word of the God of truth, and it came to us as the word of God: it came with the force of truth, carrying conviction with it, and it came as the w^ord of God, exercising a divine power over our nature, and hence it w^as that we came

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to trust in Christ. My unconverted hearer, if jon desire to have faith in Christ, listen to the truth, and to the truth only. Shut your ears to error, and hold yourselves only ready to hear the glorious gospel of the blessed God. " Faith cometh by hearing," but that hearing must be the hearing of the word of God. It is by the hearing of the Avord of truth that men come to trust in Christ, but trust in Christ they must, or they will perish. He is the sole Rock on which we must rest: the one Foundation laid for us to build upon. The apostle also says to these Ephesians, " Ye heard the gospel of your salvation." O delightful word ! The gospel, the glad tidings! The glad tidings of salvation ! Yea, more, the glad tidings of ycur sal- vation ! The gospel brings to us a personal deliver- ance. We heard Christ preached, and w^e saw that he had salvation for us. Another man's Sa\iour brings lis little joy, but salvation for ourselves is good news indeed. Joyful was the day when my heart said, "Blessed be God, I need salvation, audit is joyful tidings to me that there is an atoning sacrifice by which my sin is put away! I can be reconciled to God throngh the death of his Son, and in Christ Jesus I can be accepted and beloved of the L-ord." By such reflections we w^ere led to a simple and hearty trust in the Lord Jesus Christ. That trust is the broad arrow of the King, set upon all his royal poFsessiong. Where that trust is found, that soul is God's posses- sion; where it is wanting, that soul still lies in the arms of the wicked one. This trust, of which some make so little, is, nevertheless, the distinguishing and the discriminating mark by which we must discern between him that feareth God and him that feareth him not.

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Note, before I leave this portion of the subject, that trmt ill Christ is of the same nature in all believers. It is not the same in degree, nor in constancy, nor in ejier- g}'; but yet it is the same faith. "Ye received like precious faith," said Peter. Paul's faith and your faith are the same faitli if your faith be true faith. The taith of Abraham and the faith of a little child who has newly believed in Jesus are the same faith, A diamond is a diamond, whatever its size may be, and so little faith and great faith are of the same es- sence. Whether it be a grain of mustard-seed or a mountain-moving faith, it is still faith of the opera- tion of God, f.dth in the same object, and faith work- ing to the same end. Hence John, speaking to his converts, prays, " That you may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ." If thou art a believer, thou hast a right to the same fellowship with God as the apostle had, thou hast the same perfect cleansing by the precious blood, thou hast the same adoption, the same regeneration, thou standest in the same place of love and acceptance, thou shalt be blessed with the same blessings on earth, and thou shalt enter into the same joy at the right hand of God. See, then, dear friends, that trust in Christ is the invariable and the infallible mark of the saved ones.

II. Secondly, this trust is no empty xotiox. The trust in Christ which saves the soul is no iJla senti- ment, but a strong, vital, active principle, having a liv- ing and conquering power within it. It is of the opera- tion of the Spirit of God, and hence it is a living and incorruptible seed, which liveth and abideth for ever.

Tru3 trust in Ckrid is an entire reliance upon Jam. This day, if you trust Christ, you rest the whole weight

288 TRUST.

and stress of your soul's affairs upon him. Looking at your sin and your sinfulness, looking at the past, tlie present, and the future, looking at death and at judg- ment, you deliberately believe that Christ is equal to every emergency, and you just cast yourself entirely and without reserve upon him to save you, and to keep you saved for ever. No other trust is worth a pin except this. It must be an absolute severance from all reliance upon your past merit, or upon your present resolutions, or upon your future expectations of what you shall be or shall do. You must iuive done with all other trust if Christ is your confidence. Your motto must b^ "Jesus only." In this life-boat you must swim to glory, but all other you must cast away. Another reliance would be as a weight about your loins to sink you in the sea of /lespair. 0 my hearer, hast thou such a simple, unadulterated trust as this ?

A saving trust leads us to accept Christ in all Ids offices. He is to us not only Priest to put away our sin, but Prophet to remove our ignorance, and King to subdue our rebellions. If as Priest he purges the conscience, as Prophet ho must direct the intellect, and as King he must rule the life. We nnist yield our will to Christ's will, that henceforth every thought may be brought into captivity to his holy sway. There is no whole- hearted trust in Christ unless Christ is taken as a Avhole. You cannot have half a Christ and be saved, for half Christ is no Christ. You must take him as he is re- vealed in Scripture, Jesus Christ the Son of God, the Saviour of men, veiy God of very God, the faithful and true Witness, your Guide, your Lord, your Husband, your everything. Do you trust him so? If not, you have not trusted him at all. This is the trust which

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brings salvation with it — an entire reliance upon an entire Saviour so far as jou know him.

This trust includes obedience to him : we have not trusted him at all unless we- are prepared to accepting commands as the rule of our lives. The siiip is on lire; the bales of cotton are pouring forth a black, hor- rible smoke; passengers and crew arc in extreme dan- ger, but a capable captain is in command, and he says to those around him, •' Jf you will behave yourselves, I think I shall be able to effect the escape of you all." iSow, if they trust in the captain they will do precisely as he orders. No sailor or engineer will refuse to work the pumps, or to prepare the boats, neither will any passenger disobey rule. In proportion to their confidence in their leader will be the alacrity with whicli they obey him at once. They believe his orders to be wise, and so they keep to them. Neither their fear, nor their rashness, will lead them to rush to and fro contrary to his bidding if they have a firm trust in him. When the boats are lowered, and are brought one by one to the ship's side, those who are to fill them wait till their turns come, in firm reliance upon the captain's impartiality and prudence. They will get into tlie boats or they will wait on board, for they consider that his orders are dictated by a better judg- njent than their own. So far as each man and each woman firmly believes in the superior officer, discipline will be maintained. Do you not see this ?

Obedience is the necessary outcome of true and real faith, and there is no trust where there is no obedi- ence. Some of you fancy that you are to trust Christ, and then do what you like. You believe a lie, for such is not the teaching of God's word. The faith which saves is a faith which obeys. Learn this from 19

290 TRUST.

the sermon of last Sabbath morning. Jesus becomes the Physician of the blind man, and puts clay upon liis eyes; and then he bids hiui go and wash in the pool of Siloam, and he shall see. If he had refused to go and wash, he would not have received sigiit. Do not tell me you have trusted for sight; you cannot have done so, unless you go and wash in the appoint- ed pool. We must follow Christ's directions, if we would receive Christ's promises. Trust in Christ im- plies a yielding up of all that we have and all that we are into Christ's hands. We must be to him as the wax to the seal, or the clay to the potter. There must bo an unreserved submission to his supremacy. 0 thou seeking sinner, wilt thou submit to this? Art thou full of self-will and pride? Then these m.ust be taken from thee. If thou dost heartily accept the Lord Jesus as thy Lord and King, thou hast the faith which saves; but if not, what faith hast thou that is worth the having ?

Tru3t in Christ leads to an open folloiving of liim. Trust is not lame, but it v^alks in the footsteps of him it relies upon. It the Lord's way be the way of the cross, thou v/ilt nevertheless follow it, because thou wilt know it to be the right way, since he leads there- in. He that is ashamed to confess Christ has good reason to fear that he Is not trusting him. How can I be trusting him of whom I am ashamed? If I am not on his side in the great battle of life, how can I s;iy that he is my confidence ? He declares that he that is not with him is against him. How can I trust him. and yet be against him ? If I refuse to have my name recorded on the muster-roll of his army below, how dare I hof)e that it is written in the Lamb's book of life above ? If I refuse to accept Jesus as my cap=

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tain, liow can I claim him as my Saviour ? A hearty trust in Christ involves an honest confession of him. "He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved." "He that with his heart believeth. and with his mouth maketh confession of him, shall be saved." Thus the matter is put in Scripture. Wilt thou come out, then ? Wilt thou come out on his side ? If thou wilt, then thou hast saving trust. If thou wilt truly, nnd fully, and wholly decide for Christ, and live for Christ, then thou hast the trust which is the mark of his elect.

This trust will lead a man to labor or to suffer for Christ as need occurs. The true truster considers it to be real gain to lose for Jesus. He reckons that toil unreward- ed of men is the best rewarded form of labor when it is accepted of the Lord. It is enough wage to be per- mitted to serve the Lord Christ. This is faith : this which counts all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus, this which hath respect imto a future recompense when the Lord shall come in his kingdom, but looks not for honor among men or any other form of reward here below. True trust cleaves to Chi'ist when the many turn aside, for it knows that he has the living word, and none upon earth beside. My hearer, if thou hast a real trust in Christ, thou wilt follow his teachings though all the world should run madly after new opinions; thou wilt stand by his truth though thou be called a fool for thy steadfastness; and thou wilt not be ashamed though no one should keep thee in countenance. If thou be trusting in Christ, thou wilt spend thy life for him, and reckon it to be the best way of using thine exist- ence. God grant us to have more and more of this trust !

That trust which lives on men's lips and never

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affects their hearts is a deadly delusion. He that saith " I believe," and then never lives according to that belief, is a deceiver, and will find himself deceiv- ed if he looks for salvation in such a faith. Tiiat pre- sumptuous trust which indulges in sin and boasts of forgiveness in Christ, is in itself an aggravation of a sinful life and will involve its possessor in increased condemnation. Hang up on the gibbet of infamy that evil confidence which is in league with iin holiness. The conceit of safety while we love sin is a mockery of God's salvation, the base counterfeit of the coin of lieaven. God alone gives the faith which works by love and pui-ifies the soul, all other faith is spurious and ruinous.

Truz trust rejoices in the hops which Christ inspires. It looks for his coming and his glory, his reign and his heaven. It is full of hope; that living, lively, life- giving hope which sustains the heart. This trust hath a window of hope through which light coines into the heart in the darkest hours. It lives and triumphs in the future, through trusting the promise of Christ Jesus.

If we have such trust as this we shall constantly meet with something whereon to exercise it. God never leaves true trust without work to do. It is not a presentation sword to be worn only on high days and holidays, neither is it like the old armor in the Towei of London, hung up to be looked at; no, true trust is for every-day wear and use, and between here and heaven it will be tested in every conceivable way. That sword will si'.ap if it be not a true Jerusalem blade, and that armor will be pierced if it be not of proof, able to endure the battle-axe of fierce tempta- tion. In a thousand fields our trust will be tried ere

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we shall be able to sheathe the sword and enjoy the triumph. It is in this way that trust tn Christ is made by our God to work to the praise of tlie g'lory of his grace. Trust in Christ brings to God greater glory than anything else we can produce. " What sliall we dp," said one^ " that we may work tlie work of God ?" meaning thereby a god-like work, a work so great as to bear a heavenly name. Jesus answered, " This is the work of God, that ye believe on Jesus Christ whom he hath sent.'' Dear friend over yonder, you cannot build a row of almshouses to the glory of God; but you can trust Christ with all your lieart to the glory of God. You cannot stand u]) and deliver an eloquent oration to God's praise, but you can by divine grace pursue a life of faith, and thus praise him. You cannot be a hero in fight, and turn to flight the armies of the alien, but by trust in Jesus, exercised in prevailing prayer, you can win great victo- ries to the praise of his glory. Walk humbly with your God, in patience possess your souls, and with an un- staggering faith embrace the promises, and you shall be found in that cloud of witnesses who are ennobled of God Most High. The Lord grant us, then, to have this trust, which is more than mere notion or senti- ment— a divine principle created by the Holy b'pirit.

III. Thirdly, this trust in Christ is his due. There came to me the other day a young man who wished to speak with me about his soul troubles, and he began thus, " Dear sir, I cannot trust Christ," To which I answered, " Have you found out something fresh in his character ? Has he ceased to be trust- worthy? Pray let me know all about it, for it is a serious matter to me; I have trusted him Avith every- thing I have for time and for eternity, and if he is not

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fit to be trusted I am in a terrible case." He looked at me, and lie ^aid, " I will not say that again, sir; 1 see I have made a mistake. Truly the Lord Jesus is in everyway trustworthy." " Well, the^i," I said, "Why cannot you trust him ?" I left him with that un- answerable question. A man is certairdy able to trust one whom he regards as trustworthy. My young friend saw that at once, and asked me further: " But may I trust Christ to save me ? Am I permit- ted to trust ray soul with him ? " I said to him, " Is not this the command of the gospel: Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou slialt be saved? And are you not warned that if you do not believe in him you will be damned ? How can we doubt that we are permitted to do that which is commanded us of the Lord ? I am to preach the gospel to every creature, and this is the gospel: — "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved!" He said, "So, then, if I trust Christ, he will save me?" and Ire- plied, "Certainly he will; he is the Saviour of all them that put their trust in him. He says, ' Him that Cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.' It is w'ritten, ' He that believeth on him hath everlasting life;' he that trusts in Jesus is saved." He thanked me, and saying that he had found out the secret, he went on his u'ay rejoicing. I told him the gospel; he received it; and he entered into rest. I hope 1 may be equally successful with my hearers at this time. J\lay the Holy Spirit work with me in this case also ! I have been talking about faith, and I trust 1 have not darkened counsel by words without knowledge. It is simplicity itself, but we are exceedingly apt to becloud it. To trust Christ is to find salvation. He that sincerely relies upon Jesus is saved. Now,

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concerning this trust, I say that this is onr Lord's due.

Observe, first, that we are bound to trust him from Ids very name. His name is " Chrifst," that is, the "Auohited."' God has sent him, God has commis- sioned liim, God has equijDped him, he is the anointed of God: dare I distrust him? An ambassador from heaven, with the divine warrant at his back, known to speak in the name of the Lord God, how dare I say I have no confidence in him ? By the glorious name of Christ I claim for him that you who seek salvation should trust him implicitly, and trust him at once.

Remember, next, Ms gloricus person. He who is set forth as the object of saving trust is none other than the Son of God. In his Godhead and in his humanity, yea, in his undivided person, he claims your trust. Canst thou not trust him that made heaven and earth, without whom was not anything made that was made ? Can his power fail thee ? Can his wisdom mislead thee ? Can his mind change toward thee ? Can he be unfaithful ? The Son of the Highest, canst thou not trust him ? Away with the impertinence of mis- trust! Canst thou doubt the Holy and the True? Darest thou doubt the Lamb of God ? Be not so fool- hardy as thus to defy the incarnate Son of God, and treat him as though he could deceive thee.

Next, trust him, because of his matcUe^ character. Hast thou ever heard of such another as the Christ of God ? Among the sons, no one is like to him.

" All hail, Emmanuel, all flivine, In thee thy Father's glories shine Thou brightest, sweetest, fairest one That eyes have seen or angels known."

He is all goodness, the fulness of love, and the pat= tern of tenderness. He is always true, and always

2DG TRUST.

faithful. By that blessed character which he bears, which I am sure you would not for a moment question — a character which even infidels have been forced to admire — I pray you trust him ! Let it not be a ques- tion with you : " HoMf can I trust him ? " Say rather : " How can I distrust him ? " "What reason can you have for doubt ? What excuse for mistrust ?

Eemember next, Ms ivorh, and especialh/ Ms deatJi. Plere is immovable ground for my claim that you should trust him. Jesus loved men so as to die for them, how can we doubt his love? I do not know how it is with you, but I lose the power to doubt when I realize Christ crucified. That crown of thorns hedges my mind around, and shuts out mistrust. His five wounds kill my suspicions and my fears. A crucified Saviour is the life of faith, and the death of unbelief Canst tliou stand and view the flowing of the Saviour's precious blood upon the tree of doom, and not trust Him ? What more can he do to prove his sincerity than to die for us ? His life is the mirror of love, but in his death the sun shineth on it with ablaze of glory, so that we cannot steadily look into its brightness. Be- Jiohl how he loved us ! Oh, believe thou in the cruci- fied Christ, for this is no more than his right and due !

Besides, he lives, and he has gone up into the glory with the same purpose of grace upon his Mart. When men change their places, they often change their minds ; but he that loved us when he was despised and re- jected, loves us now that he is highly exalted. He is not like the chief butler, who forgot in the palace the promise which he made in the prison. The love of Calvary is with the Lamb in the midst of the throne. On earth he bleeds, in heaven he pleads. Ye sinners, come and trust the ever-living Christ, for he makes

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intercession for transgressors ! I stand here this morning, and I say to all of you in this house that 1 claim your confidence in the Lord Jesus. I do not hund)ly ask for it as a beggar asks an ahns: I demand for the Christ of God that you put your tiust in him. God has sent him forth to be a propitiation for sin, that through faith in his blood every one that believeth in him shoukl be saved. I demand your trust in the name of God. Christ deserves it at your hands, and you cannot refuse it viithout doing him a gross injus- tice. I beseech you do not make God a liar ; yet, ac- cording to the apostle John, " He that believeth not hath made him a liar, because he believeth not in the Son of God." If Christ were here this morning, stand- ing on this platform, and you saw his pierced hands, and the wound in his side, you would be ready to fall down and worship him : you can Avorship him better still by trusting him in his absence. " Blessed are they which have not seen, and yet have believed.' Trust is among the sublimest forms of adoration. A childlike, tearful, broken-hearted, sincere trust in Christ is a hallelujah unto his name. If thou wouldst crown him, thou needst not go far for a coronet : thy trust is the best diadem thou canst bring him. Trust thou him, then, at this moment, and thus bow at his feet with cherubim and seraphim. But again I say, do not insult him by saying that thou canst not trust him. T should think it hard if any one of my acquain- tance said to me, " Sir, I cannot trust you." It would be a cruel cut. I should inquire of him, " What have I done to merit this ? When have I been untrue ? '' It would be too unkind a stab if it came from one whom I had aimed to benefit. Do not crucify the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame

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O my hearers, I have chosen an old theme this morning, and 1 have been stadiouslj simple in my style, for my heart lougs to bring you to trust in Jesus ! I have no desire to be thought a fine preacher. I want to save your souls. This trust is the vital point ; do not slight it. Oh that you would believe on the Lord Jesus Christ ! If you believe in your heart that God hath raised him from the dead, you shall be saved. This is the way of salvation, and it is very plain, God help you to run in it ! Lay aside pride and self-confidence, and trust wholly in Jesus : and this -will be better than all tears, and despairs, and resolves, and efforts. Fall back into the arms of redeeming love. Lean your whole weight on Jesus. Take your soul to Christ as you take your money to your banker, and leave it in his hands. lie will keep it until that day when, at his appearing, you shall ap- pear with him in glory.

IV. I close by noticing, in the fourth place, what I have already insisted upon, that this trust is in every

CASE THE INSTRUMENT OF SALVATION.

Trust is selected by God as the instrument of salva- tion, and it is not selected arbitrarily, but with great wisdom and prudence. When a man trusts Christ, hy his trust lie is hrouglit into mental and spiritual contact with Christ ; and there is a more hopeful influence about that contact than in anything which a man will resolve to do or even perform in his own strength. It is a grand thing for a man to be elevated above self- confidence, and brought to rely upon such an one as the Son of God. Thus he is made to feel that he must look to some one greater and better than himself ; and /he is brought to own that he is a feeble and de- pendent creature. I think I see in this consideration

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an adaptation in faith to be the means chosen of God in the matter of salvation,

Moreover, faith is no doubt selected by God to be the means of salvation, because it never rohs God of Ms glory. If you audi are to be saved, we shall be saved by God and by his grace alone. Now if the ap- pointed way of salvation leaves something for ns to do in order that we may be saved by God, we shall in all probability attribute our salvation to that something, and forget the Lord. If we are bidden to trust, there will be no temptation in that direction ; for we can- not rely upon our trust, since its very essence lies in depending upon Christ alone. Trust ascribes salva- tion to him who saves. Faith never seeks honor for herself : she is a self-denying grace. Christ saith, " Tiiy faith hath saved thee ; go in peace ; " and by this saying he crowns faith, and he does so because faith crowns him.

Trust, again, is selected as the instrument of salva- tion because it has ivondsrful power over the heart of God. Marvellous is the influence of trust, I have aforetime illustrated this to you by the power which faith has over us, mortal men, I will venture to tell you an old story, which you have heard from me be- fore. I cannot recollect anything better, and you must bear with a repetition, I- once lived where my neighbor's garden was only divided from me by a very imperfect hedge. He kept a dog, and his dog was a shockingly bad gardener, and did not improve my beds. So one evening, while I walked alone, I saw this dog doing mischief, and being a long way off, I threw a stick at him, with some earnest advice as to his going home. This dog, instead of going home, picked up my stick and came to me with it in his

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mouth, wagging bis tail. He dropped the stick at my feet, and looked np to me most kindly. Wluit could I do but pat him and call bim a good dog, aiul regret that I bad ever spoken rougbly to hiin ? Wby, it brings tears into my eyes as I talk about it ! Thi.' dog mastered me by his trust in me. Tbe illustration is to the point. If thou wilt trust God as that dog trusted me, thou wilt overcome. God will be held by ':hy trust in such a way that he could not smite thee, but must accept thee for Jesus' sake. If thou dost trust him, thou bast the key of bis heart, tbe key of bis bouse, the key of bis heaven. If thou canst trust thy God in Jesus Christ, tbou bast become a son of God. I see a philosophy in the choice of faith: do not you ?

But then faith operates also to salvation by ilie effect it has on the, clian^ader. When I doubt God, then I fol- low my own judgment and do what I please; but when I trust bim wholly, and know bim to be my Father and ray Friend, then I yield my will to him naturally, not as a matter of constraint, but with great joy. And is it not a wonderful thing, that this simjjle trust turns the whole current of our life, and changes the entire color and complexion of our thought? Wisely is it ordained to be the instrument of sal- vation, since it touches the main-spring of our being, and makes that which was erratic and rebellious become orderly and obedient ?

Moreover, brethren, trust saves us, because it grasps the promises of God and pleads them. It says to God, "Thou hast promised this; therefore I-pray thee do as thou bast said." The God of truth cannot lie; and, therefore, he must keep bis woi:d. Trust pleads the sacrifice of Jesus, and says — "Lord, tbe blood of thy

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Son was shed for the remission of sins, therefore, T pray thee let my sins be remitted Thon hast said that thou hast laid on him the iniquity of us all. I pray thee let me be unburdened of my load, because thou hast laid it on him." Trust must save, for it has all the promises of the coven; .nt at its back, and the Christ of the covenant at its side, exhibiting his own precious blood. How can trust but save the soul Avhen God declares it shall do so ?

In our most honest hours ice are driven to faith for our comfort. If in our prosperity our eyes wander to other confidences, in our distress they come back to Christ and his cross. AYhen the head is aching, and the heart is throbbing, and the death-sweat lies on the brow, none of us dare look to works, or feelings, or sacraments, but we cr}^ —

" Hold tliou thy cross before my failing eyes."

The wounds of Jesus are the ultimate hope of the forlorn. Wiien the soul is about to quit the body, the most eminent preacher, the most earnest worker, the most devout thinker asks that he may see Jesus, and be washed in his blood and covered with his righteousness. I dare not trust all the heaped-up merits of all the saints, but I dare trust the Lord Jesus Christ. Shmer as I am, I am assured of salvation through the sinner's Saviour. If I had as many souls in this one body as there are souls in this house of prayer, I dare trust them all with Christ. If all the sins ever committed by all the men that ever lived Bince time began were all heaped upon my one guilty head T dare trust Jesus Christ to cleanse me from them all. 0 come, dear heaiis, and trust my Lord ! lie can- not fail youo According to your faith be it unto you.

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You shall be able to live graciously, and to die calmly, if your trust settles itself upon Jesus, the Christ, the anointed of the Lord. Ere yet the harvest is past and the summer is ended, trust Christ, and live. O Holy Spirit, by thy secret workings upon the heart, lead all these thousands to trust in the Lord Jesus J Blessed are all they that put their trust in him.

xiy.

FOLLY OF UlN'EELIEF.

August 2S, 1887.

" Then lie said iinto thcin, O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken."— Luke xxiv. 25.

The two disciples who walked to Emmaiis and con- versed together, and were sad, were true believers. We may not judge men by their occasional feelings. The possession of gladness is no clear evidence of grace ; and the existence of depression is no sure sign of insincerity. The brightest eyes that look' for heaven have sometimes been holden so that they could not see their heart's true joy. Be not cast' down, my brethren and sisters, if occasionally the tears of sadness bathe your cheeks. Jesus may be drawing near to you, and yet you may be troubled by mysteries of grief.

The Lord Jesus Christ came to the two disciples, and took a walk of some seven miles with them to remove their sadness; for it is not the will of our Lord that his people should be cast down. The Saviour does himself that which he commanded the ancient prophet to do. "Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God. Speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem." Thus he spake and thus he acts. He was pleased when he went away to send us another Comforter, because he wishes us to abound in com- fort; but that promise proves that he was, and is, him-

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self a Comforter. Do not dream, when in sadness, that your Lord has deserted you; rather reckon that for tliis very reason he will come to you. As her babe's cry quickens the mother's footsteps to come to it more speedily, so shall your griefs hasten the visits of your Lord. Lie hears your groanings; he sees your tears — are they not in his bottle? He will come to you as the God of all consolation.

Observe that, when the Saviour did come to these mourning ones, he acted very wisely towards them. He did not at once begin by saying, " I know why you are sad." No; he waited for them to speak, and in his patience drew forth from them the items and particulars of their trouble. You that deal with mourners, learn hence the w^ay of wisdom. Do not talk too much yourselves. Let the swelling heart relieve itself. Jeremiah derives a measure of help from his own lamentations: even Job feels a little the • better from pouring ont his complaint. Those griefs which are silent run very deep, and drown the soul in misery. It is good to let sorrow have a tongue where sympathy hath an ear. Allow those who are seeking the Lord to tell you their difficulties: do not discourse much with them till they have done so. You will be the better able to deal wath them, and they will be the better prepared to receive your words of cheer. Often, b}-- facing the disease of sorrow the cure is half effected ; for many doubts and fears van- ish when described. Mystery gives a tooth to misery, and when that mystery is extracted by a.clcar descrip- tion, the sharpness of the woe is over. Learn, then, ye who would be comforters, to let mourners hold forth their wound before you pour in the oil and wine.

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Learn also a sacred lesson, O je mourners ! It is well for you, wlieu you are pouring out your griefs, that you do so before the Lord. These two troubled wayfarers, though they k)iew it not, were telling their sorrow to him who best of all could help them to bear it. You may tell your friends, if you will, and it will be some relief to you; but if you seek the throne of grace, and make the Eedeemer your chief confidant, your relief will be sure. Get you alone; shut to the door ; bow there apart from the disciples, and say, "Jesus, Master, I would tell thee that which saddens me ! Thou great High Priest, who wast com- passed with infirmities, thou wilt understand me bet- ter than my nearest friend, and I would place myself beneath thy care ! " How great the privilege that we have access with boldness to the ear and heart of Jesus our Lord !

Again, learn another point of wisdom. When our Lord had heard their statement of distress he might immediately have comforted them: a word w^ould have done it. Did he not say, " Mary,"' and did she not at once turn and say, " Rabboni " wdth ecstatic delight? He went m.ore wisely to work than to ad- minister hurried consolation : he rather rebuked than encouraged them. He began by saying, " 0 foolish men, and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken ! " Observe that I quote the Kevised Version, for the Authorized is too harsh. Our Lord did not call them ybofe, but foolish persons. The diiFeren(;e is rather in the manner than in the sense. He cliided them ; gently, but still wisely. He let them know that tlieir unbelief was blame- w^orthy, and ho called them foolish for indulging it. 0 beloved brother, if thy ^Master chide thee^ do not

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doubt Ms love ! If, when tliou goest to liini in grief, lie answers thee roughly, it is his love scarcely dis- guised, which thus seeks thy truest wellare. If thou believe in thy Lord, thou wilt reply, " Master, say oii." If he call thee foolish, thou wilt wonder that he does liot say something worse of thee; and in any case thou wilt trust him after the manner of Job when he said, " Though he slay me, yet will 1 trust in him.''

Especially observe that our Saviour's rebuke was aimed at their unbelief. Unbelief, which w^e so often excuse, and for which we almost claim pity, is not treated by our Lord as a trifle. It is for this that he calls them foolish ; it is about this that he chides the slowness of their hearts. Do not let us readily excuse oiQ'selves for mistrust of God. If we ever doubt our gracious Lord, let us feel ourselves to be verily guilty. Regard unbelief as a fault rather than a weakness. Brace yourselves to seek a braver and more constant faith than you have reached as yet. IVhy should we go on blundering, and misjudging, and therefore fretting, when a little consideration will set us right, and at the same time cause us to honor our Lord, and to be ourselves filled with joy and peace through believing?

I am going to handle -this rel^ike as God the Holy Spirit shall help me; first addressing it to tlie true be- liever, and secondly, to the seeJcer. I shall have to bring forth some bitter things which will act as a tonic, but by giving tone to your system, they will, in the end, remove your fears better than sweeter matters would have done. Hear then our Lord say, " 0 foolish men, and slow of heart to Ijclieve in all that the jorophets have spoken ! "

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In speaking to believers, I would have them observe that our Lord rebuked their unbelief under two heads: first, as hdnrj foUy^ and secondly, as arising from sloiv- ness of keqrt.

First, then, unbelief is folly. Not to believe all that the prophets have spoken, and not to draw com- fort out of it, is great folly. Folly ! Note the word. " O fools ! 0 foolish men ! " It is folly such as makes the tender Jesus cry out.

It is folly because it arises from want of thought and con- sideration. Not to think is folly. To give way to sad- ness, when a little thought would prevent it, is fool- ishness. Is it not ? If these two disciples had sat down and said, "Now the prophets have said concern- ing the iMessiah that he shall be led as a lamb to the slaughter, and thus was it with our Master," they would have been conjQrmed in their confidence that Jesus was the Messiah. If they had said, " The proph- et David wrote, 'They pierced my hands and my feet,' they would have recognized in this their crucified Lord. And if then they had turned to the other pass- ages of the prophets in which they speak of ]\Iessiah's future glory, they would have been refreshed with hope. In the Scriptures they would have found types, and figures, and plain words, in which the death and the rising again, and the shame and the glory of Christ are linked together, and his cross is made the road to his throne. Had they compared the testimony of the holy women with the prophesies of the Old Testament, they would have obtained ground of hope. The women reported that the body was no longer in the tomb, and that they had scon a vision of angels, who 8?id that he was alive ; two apostles went to the sep- ulchre, and gave in a like report; and this tallied

308 FOLLY OF UNBELIEF.

witli the Lord's own v/ords, in whicli he made Jonah his type, becaase he came xip from the deep on the third day. But they forgot the Scriptures ; they did not think of that great source of hope. Their eyes were dimmed Vv^th tears, so that they did not see what Avas phiin before them. How many a precious text have you and I read again and again without perceiv- ing its joyful meaning, because our (ninds have been clouded with despondency ! We take the telescope, and try to look into heavenly things, and we breathe upon the glass with the hot breath of our anxiety, till we cannot see anything; and then we conclude that there is nothing to be seen. Do you not think, belov- ed, you that are distressed and sorrowing to-day, that if you thought more of the promises revealed in God's Word, you would soon see things differently, and would rise out of your downcapt condition ? Yon put your Bibles away, and read nothing but the roll of your troubles. There are no handkerchiefs for the tears of saints like those which are fulded up within the golden box of God's Word. He who inspired this volume is the " The Comforter " ; will you not apply to him in your dark hours ? 0 you, whose melancholy arises from forgetfulness of the words of your heaven- ly Father, of the tender Savioui', and of the divine Spirit, I beseech you be more considerate ' Think of God's providence, his unchanging love, his power, his faithfuhiess, his mercy. Think of the promises, and as you handle them by thought, they will exhale a sweet perfume which will delight you. Holy thought will charm you out of your griefs. But what folly is it that, for Avant of thought, we should bow our heads like the bulrush^ when, like the sunflower,

i

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we might look at the light till we became little suns ourselves !

Unbelief is folly because it is inconsistent ivith our oicn professions. The two disciples professed that they be- lieved in the prophets; and I have no doubt that they did do so. They were devout Jews who accepted the Holy Books as divinely inspired, and therefore infalli- ble ; and yet now they were acting as if they did not believe in the prophets at all. Are we not often found guilty of like inconsistency ? O brethren, it is one thing to say, " I believe the Bible," but it is quite an- Dther thing to act upon that belief! We have more of seeming faith than of real faith. That Book is true, and every promise in it is true, and I know and be- lieve that it is so ; and yet, when I come to the test, how much of faith evaporates, and hotv sadly my fluttering heart proves that my belief was more in fancy than in fact ! There is more infidelity in the best believer than he dreams of. We think we believe in the gross; and yet, when it comes to the detail, and we have to deal with this promise and with that as a matter of fact in every-day life, we have to light a can- dle, and sweep the house, to find our faith. What folly this is ! If the Word of the Lord be true, it is true, and we ought to act upon it; if it be not true, why do we profess to believe it ? That which is unquestionably true, will bear all the strain and pressure which life and its trials may pat upon it, and it is for us to act upon this belief. Brethren, it ill becomes us to play at believing; let us have our wits about us, and make serious business of that which is not sent to delude us, but soundly to instruct us. The Word of the Lord is in harmony with his providence; and as we believe him as to the one, we must trust him as to the other.

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Wc may sateiy rest the weight of our body and soul, our present and future, upon the sure promise of a faithful God; and we are bound by our profession to do so. It is folly to call ourselves believers in the Bible, and then to doubt and distrust.

Folly, again, is clearly seen in unbelieving sadness, because tlie evidence ivldch should cheer us is so clear. In the case of the brethren going to Emmaus they had solid ground for hope. They spake, to my mind, a little cavalierly of the holy women as " certain women." Yet there were no better disciples in the world than those women. They were surely the best of the chosen company — Alary and the Magdalene. Even the testi- monies of Peter and John, the very chief of the apos- tles, are not sufficiently valued, for they speak of " cer- tain of them which were with us.'' I say not they speak disrespectfully; but there is a slurring of their witness by casting a doubt upon it. Concerning these godly women they leave an impression on my mind as if they had said, " ^Yomen will talk, and these women said that they had seen a vision of angels, which said that ho was alive." It is rehearsed as hearsay of a hear- say; they said that they had seen those who had said. If they had been pushed to the point, the two disciples would not have allowed that the Magdalene and the other women, or Peter, or John, were unAvorthy of credence; and yet they were by their sadness, acting as if the witnesses were mistaken. If those who were at the empty sepulchre were to be believed, why did they doubt? The evidence which they themselves detail, though we have it only in brief in -this place, was conclusive evidence that Christ had left the tomb; and yet they doubted it. Now, dear friends, you and I h.ave had superabundant evidence of the faithfulness

FolLV Cf iWBELJEF. 3U

of God, aiul if we are nnbelieving, we are unreason- able and foolisli. At least, I stand here to confess, that whenever I doubt my God it is on my part a superflu- ity of naughtiness. I have never had any reason to disti'ust him. These many years that I have trusted in hira he has never failed me once. Experienced Christians, liow can you waver in your confidence ? If we disbelieve, is it not folly ? If the Saviour does "not call us fools, we are forced to call ourselves so.

We could not suppose that the promise, covenant, and oath of God could fail. The supposition cannot be tolerated for an instant. Thousands of souls are resting everything upon the faithfulness of God, and desire no other security ; but if God be unfaithful, ■what will become of them ? If the foundations be re- moved, what can the righteous do ? Then they that have fallen asleep in Christ have perished ; or, even if they be in heaven, what security have they there, if God can change ? I feel quite safe on board tho ship of the covenant, for all the saints are floating in this one vessel. If God fails, then we all fail together, and there is an end of faith, and hope, and all things. Wherefore, let us not be so foolish as to sin against the light of clear truth. Let us believe what we have known, and tasted, and handled. Let past experience anchor us firmly as to future circumstances.

Unbelief is folly, because it very often arises out of our being in such a hurry. They said, " Beside all this, this is the third day." I know that they had expected great things on that third day, and were justified in expect- ing them ; but still, the day was not yet over, and they were in as great a fever as if it vras past a month ago. Although the Saviour had said that he would rise on the third day, he had not said that he would appear

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to them ail oti the third day. He told them to go into Galilee and there they should see him ; but that meet- ing had not yet come. " He that believeth shall not make haste ; " but they that do not belieTe are ahvays restless. Well is it writen, " Ye have need of patience." God's promises will be kept to the moment, but (hey will not all be fulfilled to-day. Divine promises are some of them bills which are payable so many days after sight; and because they are not paid at sight we doubt whether they are good bills. Is this rea- sonable ? Are we not foolish to doubt the sure hand- writing of a God that cannot lie? Because the Lord iias not carried out your interpretation of his promise in the way of your own dictation, therefore you ques- tion his truthfulness ! If the vision tarry, wilt thou not wait for it? It will come in its own appointed time; wouldst thou have it hurried on for thee? What next? Shall the sun and moon be quickened in their pace to suit thy rashness? Must God himself alter his purposes at thy bidding? Truly, things have come to a pretty pass ! Art thou man or God ? If thou be a man, wait God's time, and in thy patience possess thy soul. If thou do not, but, like a fretful child, must have everything now, or else cry and fight, thou deservest the rod, and well may the Lord say to thee, " 0 foolish one !"

Yet, again, I think we may well be accused of folly whenever we doul)t, because v:e malie ourselves siffcr needlesshf. There are enough bitter wells in this wil- derness without our digging more. There are enough real causes of sorrow without our inventing imaginary ones. I believe that the sharpest griefs in the world are those that men make for themselves. No asp ever stung Cleopatra so terribly as that which she

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held to her breast herself. Ceitain of our friends spend all their days in stitching away to make them- selves garments of sacladoth. 1 have seen the cobbler with his lapstone cobbling np a trouble, and he has done his work so well that the shoe has pinched his foot for many a day. It seems a pity, does it not ? Yet, brethren and sisters, we have those about us who are great adepts at self- worrying. When you were boys, I do not suppose you ever went into the woods to find a stick for your father to beat you with ; but you have done so again and again since you have been men; and the more is the pity that you should be so foolish. If these two travellers had considered and believed, they would have known that Christ was risen from tlie dead; and as they walked along to Emmaus, if indeed they had ever taken that walk at all, their faces would have brightened at the prospect of soon seeing him they loved so well.

I want you to notice yet farther that it was folly, but it teas nothing more. I feel so thankful to our Lord for using that word. Though we ought to con- demn our own unbelief with all our hearts, yet^ our Saviour is fall of tenderness, and so freely forgives, that he looks upon our fliult as folly, and not as wilful wickedness. He does not take our doubt as an affront, bat he calls it folly. lie knows that it is true of his children, as it is of "^ours, that folly is bound up in the heart of a child. He puts that down to childish folly which he might have called by a harsher name. I am sure that any dear, obedient child will feel thankful if his father 'calls his fault by the lighter name of folly, because it will prove that he loves him, and will endeavor to teach him better. It was not wicked rebellion, tkeie was no enmity in it. They loved

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their Lord, thongh they feared he ha*! dol risen from the dead. I do not want you to draw iviidue comfort from this gentle v.^ord, but yet I would have you lose none of the cheer it is meant to convey. You that are vexed at your own doubts are not to come to the conclusion that the Lord utterly rejects you. He discriminates between the folly of a child and the wickedness of a rebel: he knows what is in your heart, and knows that you are his. You are like a ship that is well anchored, and though the tide is rushing in, and makes your vessel roll from side to side, so that you yourself stagger, yet the vessel is not loosed from its moorings, neitLor are you in any danger, \oy\x faith is fixed en Christ, and this anchor holds you ; though you are tossed about a little, you will suffer no shipwreck because of sin, but much sea-sickness because of folly. So much con- cerning unbelieving sadness as folly.

In the second place, our Lord rebuked them for

KLOWNESS OP HEART TO BELIEVE.

This is an evil greatly to be fought against, but it is by no means a rare sin among the people of God. Let me try and bring home the charge made by our Lord against the two disciples, since I fear it applies to us as much as to them. Our hearts are full often sluggish in believing; at least, mine is so, and I suppose we are much alike.

First, we are slow in heart to believe our God, for we are much more ready to believe others than to bdieve Mm. I am often amazed with the credulity of good people whom I had credited with more sense. Cre- dulity towards man and incredulity towards God are singular things to find in the same person. We can- not help seeing m. the daily papers how easily people

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are duped. Got up a prospectus, and a list of uames as directors, including a titled pauper, and you can bring in money by wagon-loads. The confidence trick can still be successfully performed. One impos- tor lived for months by calling at the door of guileless old people in almshouses, and telling them that a consin in America had died, and left them a fortune, bnt it was essential that fees should be paid at the government offices, and then the legacy would at once be handed over. Times and times the money has been scraped together, the rogue has gone his way, and no more has been heard of the consin in America. There are so many simpletons about that rogues reap har- vests all the months of the year. And yet the God of truth is doubted ! Yet the incorruptible Word is mis- trusted ! This makes our slowness of heart in believ- ing God all the more sad a sign of our inward deprav- ity of nature. We ccin believe, for we believe in mar.. In the course of our lives we are fools enough to be- lieve in men to our cost; in fact, it is not easy to rise out of this snare: and yet we are slow at heart to be- lieve our God. Oh, my brethren, can we excuse our- selves? The Lord forgive and cleanse us ! Let us henceforth accept every syllable of God's Word as infallible, while we turn our unbelief towards man and his philosophies and infidelities !

Is it not clear that we are slow of heart to believe, since loejulge this of others when they are mistrust/id? When we see our brethren in trial desponding and distrusting, we are very apt to think them needlessly dull, and sinfully slov/ to grasp the promise: and yet, if we come into the like case, we are by no means bet- ter than they. That which we censure -we commit. The beam is in our own eye as well as the mote in our

HiQ FOLLY OF UNBELIEF.

brother's eye. You have come homo from visiting a friend wlio was distressed at heart, and you have said, " I cannot make her out, I iiave put the promises be- fore her, but slie is so foolisli that she refuses to be comforted." Yes, and from this learn what you may be ! Within a month's time, you may be sinking in the same mire. An evil heart of unbelief is to be found in many a breast Avhere its existence is least sus- pected. But if we see the folly of others, will we not confess our own? Dare we commit what w-e con- demn ? Did you ever say of Job, " It was a pity tliat after all his patience, he spoke so bitterly, and cursed the day of his birth"? I wonder how many of us would have been any better than Job ? 1 dare not hope that I should hav^e been worthy to unloose the latchetsof his shoes. If I had been bereaved as he was, and tortured with like burning boils, and, worst of all, irritated by critics with their cruel candor and malig- nant sympathy, I could not have behaved so grandly as he did. Let us not severely judge others. They ought to believe, of course; they ought to be more cheerful; they ought not to let their burdens crush them so completely: but when we also are tempted shall we be so very much superior ? I fear not. Let us see ourselves in the weakness of our brethren, and confess that; the Saviour's words are true: we are "slow of heart to believe."

There is another point in wdiich we are very slow of heart to believe, namely, that tre do lelieve, and yet do not believe. We must be very slow of heart when we say "Yes, I believe that promise," and yet we do not expect it to be fulfilled. We are quick of mind to believe mentally, but we are slow of heart to be- lieve practically. The very heart of our believing is

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slow. Our clear friend, Mr. George M iiller, whom may God long preserve, says that one of his objects iii jouraeving about, at his advanced age, from church to church, is to try and lead God's people to real faith in the promises of God. He says, " As for fifty-seven years I have seen how very little real trust in the liv- ing God there is (generally speaking), even amongst true Christians, 1 have sought, in these my missionary tours particularly, to strengthen their faith ; because, in the coui'seof my pastoral labors, the blessed results of real confidence in God on the one hand have come to my knowledge, and the misery of distrusting him on the other." Mr. Muller's object is a very desirable one : but what fools we must be that this should be neces- ary! There are plenty of people w^ho believe God after a superfine kind of fashion up" there on the Q(\^^ of the moon, or "at the back of the north whid"; but they do not believe the Lord in their shops, and on their beds, and in their kitchens: they cannot believe as to bread, and cheese, and house-rent, and raiment. They talk about believing in the Lord for eternity, but for this day and next week they are full of fear. True faith is every-day faith. The faith of the patri- archs was a faith which dwelt in tents, and fed sheep. We want a faith which v/ill endure the wear and tear of life— a practical, realizing faith, which trusts in God from hour to hour. Oh, to i^e delivered from shams, and wand bags, and to believe God as a woman believes her husband, or a child believes its father! I hear of writers of "the reahstic school": we want believers of the realistic order. We need faith in which there are backbone and grit. We are sham be- lie vers, and so we lead sham lives. The promises of God speak to us as Jesus spake to his disciples when

818 FOLLY OF UNBELIEF.

he rose from the dead: each one cries "Handle me, and see." God's words are not chaff, but wheat; not wind, but bread. We are slow of heart because, while we think we are believing all that God saith to us, it often turns out that our believing is all a puff.

These two disciples must have been slow of heart to believe, again, because tlmj lad enjoyed £0 mucli excel- lent teachimj, and they ought to have been solid be- lievers. They had been for years with Jesus Christ himself as a tutor, aud .yet they had not learned the elements of simple faith. "Oh," say you, "they were very slow!" Are not you the same? How many years have you been with Jesus ? Perhaps for even thirty years. He has himself taught you, has he not? Let me remind some of you of the remarkable events of your lives. What wonderful providences you have seen ! What singular deliverances you have experi- enced ! What divine upholdings you have enjoyed ! What heavenly consolations you have received ! If you doubt the Saviour, jon may well be called " slow of heart to believe." After what you have experi- enced, my brother, the shadow of a doubt should never fall upon you ! Have you not said many times, in the flush of your gratitude for some signal favor, "There, I can never doubt my Lord again"? You were foolish when you made that boastful observa- tion ; but you are more foolish still for running back from it. You laave passed through the Eed Sea, and with your, timbrel in your hand you have sung unto tlie Lord; and yet, perhaps, after a short march, you have tasted the bitter waters of j\Iarah, and opened your mouth in murmuring. God only is wise, and we are fools. He alone hath understanding, and we are " slow of heart."

FOLLY OF UNBELIEF. 3I9

Once more, these two disciples were very slow of heart to believe, because there is so mitcli in the Word ivhich oujht to have convinced them. See how the Sa- \'iour puts it — " Slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken." What a mighty "all" that is! Brethren, are you half aware of the treasure hid- den in the field of Scripture.? Are you as familiar with your Bibles as you should be ? If so, you will join with me in speaking of Scripture as having almost a redundance of confirmatory testimony. There is rock enough here for us to build upon. We have here, not only precept upon precept, but promise upon promise, and all these confirmed by pledge, and oath, and covenant of the Lord God Almighty. The teach- ing of Scripture is so full, so varied, so convincing, that we are, indeed, slow of heart if our faith is not firm and immovable. Brethren, a want of familiarity with the Word of God is very often the seed-plot of our doubts ! Half our fears arise from neglect of the Bible. Our spirits sink for want of the heavenly food stored up in the inspired Volume. God forbid that you should fly to light literature to give your mind a fillip! Go to the solid literature of the prom- ises, and be established with food more suitable for an immortal soul. Like Luther, sav, " Come, let us sin<r a psalm, and drive away the devil." There is no en- chantment for the casting out of evil spirits like a re- sort to the divine Word. When you see more of what God has revealed, you will rise out of your doubts and fears, and your slowness of heart to believe will de- part from you.

Before I leave this point, I beg you to notice that the Saviour does not say that they were "hard of heart," but slow of heart. I like to notice that. When

320 FOLLY OF UNBELIEF.

he is most severe, he is still tenderly discriminating. " Slow of heart" we are, biit there is no enmity in onr heart towards him. It is slowness, and that is bad enough, but our Lord graciously helps our pace. Our face is in the right direction, and our feet are going the right v/ay ; but Ave are slow in heart, and lame in faith. As David spared oMephibosheth, and admitted him to his table, though -'lame in both his feet, so the Lord loves us, and communes with us, slow of heart though we are. It is bad to have a slow heart, very bad ; but it would be much worse to have an unre- newed heart. With all our doubts and fears, we have no longer a heart of stone, but we have a heart of flesh, which mourns because of its sinful unbelief. The Lord knows the difference between the sin of hating the truth and the folly of doubting it. Strive against this slowness of heart, but still let not Satan come as an accuser, and condemn you as though you were not a child of God at all.

So there I leave it. There is the Master's gentle rebuke, not meant to discourage you, but to encour- age you. He calls you foolish in order that you may be so no longer. Believe, and this shall be your wis- dom.

Will the Lord's people kindly pray for me while I now speak to the unconverted ? Ask that I may have God-speed while I try and speak to those who are seeking the Lord, and have not yet believed in him. 1 want to say to them just this: " 0 foolish men, and slow of heart to believe ! " Some of you are really seeking the Lord, but you say that you cannot believe, though you long to believe. You are not like the spider, whose motto is, " I get everything out of my-

FGLLY OF UNBELIEF. 321

self." You do not hope to spin salvation out of youi own bowels, but you own that salvation must be, through faith in Christ. So far so good: but how ia it that you do not at once believe ? You say you can- not. How is it that you cannot believe in Jesus ? Ho commands you to believe in him, and promises thai voii shall be saved. Trust him, and you shall live as surely as his Yford is true.

Listen 1 This unbelief proves you to be foolish, and

slow of heart, for tliere are other parts of Us Word.

which yoii easily lelieve. If there is a threatening or a

condemnation, you believe it. If there is a text that

speaks of judgment to. come, you believe it. Yon

have a quick eye for anything which reads hard ancj

looks dismal. Have I not seen you reading tho

Word, and stopping at a passage, and saying, "Alas',

this makes my case hopeless. I have sinned the siij

that is unto death " ? You believe in more than God

has saiil, for you read your own thoughts into God'rf

Word, and make it say more than it means. You aie

ready enough to take in the hard things, but the gra.

cious promises of the loving Christ you will no';

beheve. How can you justify this? How foolish

you are ! The promises are in the same Book as the

threatenings, and if you believe the one, believe thy

other. Certainly, the cheering words come from the

same inspiration as the depressing ones: if you beheve

that which looks dark, believe that which looks

bright.

Next, you are very foolish, because ijour objections against heUeving are altogether poor and puerile. I should think I have heard hundreds of them in my time, but out of all the objections raised by troubled souls against believing in Jesus, there is not one worthy of 21

322 FOLLY OF UNBELIEF.

serious discussion. One man cannot believe in Jesus because he does not feel humble enough; as if that affected Christ's power to save. If he felt more hum- bled, then he could believe in Jesus. Woidd not that be just believing in himself, and trusting in his own humility instead of trusting in Christ ? One man cannot believe in Christ because he is not like a cer- tain great saint. Does he expect that he is to be like a great saint when he first comes to Christ ? Has not Christ come to save sinners ? Another says he cannot believe because he has not felt the terrors of the law and the dread of hell. Does he think that his terrors are to save him ? Would his dreads and horrors help Christ to save him ? Would he not be trusting his terrors, and not Christ ? The Lord Jesus says, " Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth." The gospel is to be preached to every creature, and every creature that believes it shall be saved: but these people back out of it, and begin hammering out reasons for their own destruction. A sadly suicidal business is tliis ! Let the devil invent reasons for my not being saved: it is not a business which can bring me any form of good. Nothing can stand against the promise of God: he commands me to believe on his Son Jesus, and I do believe, and I am saved, and shall be saved, despite all the objec- tions which may be raised by carnal reason.

Though you find it so hard to believe Christ, you have found it very easy to helieve in yourself. Not long ago you were everybody, and now you cannot believe that Christ is everybody. You thought you were very good ; you were wonderfully easy in your own mind when you ought to have been afraid. Wiiat ! Was it easy to believe your poor self, and can you not

FOLLY OF UNBELIEF. 323

believe the faithful word of a good and gracious Saviour wlio says that if you trust him you shall be saved?

Moreover, you are ijivy apt now to believe Satan if he comes and says that the Bible is not true, or that Jesus will not accept you, or that you have sinned beyond hope, or that the grace of God cannot save you. Of course, you beKeve the father of lies, and you go mourning and moping, when you might at once go singing and dancing if you would believe jowv Sa- viour. Jesus bids you trust and live, and Satan says it is of no use your trusting; you believe Satan, and treat your Lord as if he had intended to deceive you. " 0 fools, and slow of heart ! "

Then you know how ready you are, you seel-ers, to stop short of Christ. If you hear a sermon and get a little melted, and go home and pray a bit, you get quite easy and say, " Now I am on the road." Why, your meltings and your prayings are not the road to heaven : Jesus says, "1 am the way." You are not on the way till you get to him. You have been in gracious company, and singing holy hymns; you feel quite good; and are highly pleased with yourselves. What right have you to be restful even for a moment ? How dare you linger till you have reached the city of refuge, which is Jesus Christ? Till you believe in Christ, you have no right to a single moment's peace, or hope, or joy; and yet you do get a sort of peace and a kind of hope, which are only sparks of your own kindling which will die out in blackness. Because you are content to trust in something short of Christ, I say to you — Why not rest in Jesns ? 0 fools, and slow of heart ! Refuges of lies you fly to, but the true refuge of the finished work of Jesus Christ you do not accept ! Why is this ?

324 FOLLY OF UNBELIEF.

And then some of you are foolish and slow of heart because ijou mahe such foolish demands iipon God. You would believe if you could hear a voice, if you could dreani a dream, if some strange thing were to happen in your family. What ! Is God to be tied to your fancies, that you will not believe him unless he does this and that extravagant thing?' If he chooses to bring some to himself by extraordinary means, must he do the Same with you, or else you prefer to be cast into hell ? Surely you are mad. Who are 3'ou that you are to dictate to the Lord, and say he shall do this, or that, or else you will refuse to believe him ? And so you will trample on the blood of Jesus, and turn your back upon the kingdom of heaven, unless an angel is sent to you, or you hear a voice from heaven I O fools, and slow of heart to make these irrational de- mands upon the ever-blessed God !

You are foolish and slow of heart because, to a great extent, tjou ignore the icord of God and its siitalility to your case. If a soul in distress will take down the Bi- ble, and turn it over, he need not look long before he will light upon a passage which describes himself as the object of mercy. "The v.diole need not a physi- cian, but those that are sick; I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance." Does not that fit you ? " Seek ye the Lord while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is'near : let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts : and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him ; and to our God, for he will abun. dantly pardon." Does not that fit you ? " Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and T v\ ill give you rest." Does not that apjoly to you? Why,

FOLLY OF UNBELIEF. ^Ty

if jou will but look through the Word, you shall find passages so pertinent to your condition that, as a key fits a lock, they will seem made for you ! Those two disciples did not, for a while, see how the prophets met the case of a crucified and risen Christ ; but as they did see it, their hearts burned within them. As you also see how God has provided for your condition in his Word, in his covenant, in his Son, your sadness will flee away.

I close with this one word of warning to those of you who are distressed in heart, and are falling into the habit of looking for reasons why you should not believe in Christ; I do pray you to leave off this silly practice. Before this evil becomes chronic with you, quit it as a deadly thing. People can reason them- selves down, but they cannot reason themKselves up again. If thou seest a door open, in God's name hast- en in, for one of these days thou mayest be so blind as never to see an open door again.. Seize this opportu- nity, and while Christ stands and says, " Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden," cgme along with you. If you sit down to argue against Christ, he may allow your conclusions to stand to your own de- struction. Those who are so foolish as to find twenty unhallowed reasons to-day will be foolish enough to find two hundred such reasons next year. A man may act the cripple till he grows hopelessly lame. Mind what you are at. You may lock a door, and open it again for many a year; but one of these days you may so hamper the lock that it will not open again. Oh, that you may at once believe in Jesus Christ unto eternal life !

I have come to this pass myself — if I perish I will

326 FOLLY OF UNBELLEF.

perish believing in Jesus. If I must be lost, I will be lost clinging to bis cross. Can any man be lost there ? No, "fools and slow of heart" though we may be, we know that none shall perish who come to Christ, for that would greatly dishonor the Saviour's name. God bless you ! Amen.

XV.

THE SUFFERING SAVIOUK's SYMPATHY.

" For in that lie Mmself liatli suffered being tempted, lie is able to succor them that are tempted."— Hebrews ii. 18.

We are told bj the apostle in the fifth chapter that one special requisite in a high priest was that he conld have compassion upon men. •' For every high priest taken from among men is ordained for men in things pertaining to God, that he may offer I'oth gifts and sacrifices for sins: who can have compassion on the ignorant, and on them that are out of the way; for that he himself also is compassed with infirmity." Yon see God did not choose angels to be made high priests; becatise, however benevolent they migl\t be in their wishes, they could not be sympathetic. They could not understand the peculiar wants and trials of the men with whom they had to deal. Ministers who of God are made to be a flame of fire could scarce com- mune familiarly with those who confess themselves to be as dust and ashes. But the high priest was one of themselves. However dignified his office, he was still a man. He was one of whom we read that he could lose his wife, that he could lose his sons. He had to eat and to drink, to be sick and to suffer, just as the rest of the people did. And all tins was neces- sary that he might be able to enter into their feelings and represent those feelings before God, and that he might, svhen speaking to them for God. not speak as

(327)

328 THE SUFFERING SAVIOUR'S SYMPATHY.

a superior, looking down upon them, but as one who sat by their side, " a brother born for adversity," bone of their bone, and flesh of their flesh.

Now this is peculiarly so in the case of our Lord Jesus Christ, He is sympathetic above all. There is none so tender as he. He has learnt it l)y his suffer- ings; but he proves it by his continual condescension towards his suffering people. My brethren, we that teach the gospel, you that teach it in the Sabbath- school — you will always find yonr greatest power to lie in love. There is nK)re eloquence in love than in all the words that the most clever rhetorician can ever put together. We win upon men not so much by poetry and by artistic wording of sentences, as by the pouring out of a heart's love that niakes them feel that we would save them, that we would bless them, that we would, because we belong to them, regard them as brethren, and play a brother's part, and lay ourselves out to benefit them. Now, as it should be in the under-shepherds, so is it in that Great Shepherd of the sheep. He abounds in tenderness, and though he lias every other quality to make up a perfect high priest, though he is complete, and in nothing lacking, yet if I must mention one thing in which he far out- shines us all, but in which w^e should all try to imi- tate him, it would be in his tender sympathy to those who are ignorant and out of the way, and to all those who are suffering and sorely distressed.

It is in the spirit of brotherly sympathy that I would endeavor to preach on this occasion as the Good Spirit shall help me. May I ask my brethren whose hearts are full of joy at this hour to be pray- ing for others who have not that joy, and to be help- ing me in my endeavor now to speak words of conso-

THE SUFFERING SAVIOUR'S SYMPATHY. 329

latlon to them ? May the Holy Spirit, in answer to your prayers, make every sentence to be as wine and oil to the wounds of those who are left half dead in the King's liighway ! We have not to look far for " them tliat arj tempted," for they are all around us, and deserve the thoughtful regard of each one of us. Do not overlook them, my more happy brother, '• con- sidering thyself, lest thou also be tempted."

In my text I think I see two things very clear- ly. Jesus suffering : " He himself hath suffered being tempted." Jesus succoring. " He is able to succor them that are tempted." And then I think I see a third thing most certainly there, namely, Jesus soujht after : because in the word which is translated " succor " there is a latent meaning of crying. He is able to hear the cry of them that are tempted. It is a word that signifes a mother's quickness to answer her child's cry. and Jesus is able to answer to our cry, therefore,w^e ought to lift up that cry when our soul is in distress. It shall be the best thing seen in this Tabernacle to-night if the third thing be seen, namely, Jesus sought after by every weary, heavy- laden spirit. Why should it not be ? Come, Holy Spirit, and create in each mourner the spirit of prayer and the grace of supplication !

I. First, then, and to begin, here is Jesus suffer- ing.

I call your attention, first, to thefeeJing that is here expressed: "in that he himself hath suffered being tempted." ]\Iany persons are tempted, but do not suffer in being tempted. When ungodly men are tempted, the bait is to their taste, and they swallow it greedily. Tem.ptation is a pleasure to them; indeed, they sometimes tempt the devil to tem-pt them. They

330 THE SUFFERING SAVIOUR'S SYMPATHY.

are drawn aside of their own lusts and enticed; so tli;it temptation, instead of being- suifering to them, becomes a horiible source of pleasure. But good men suffer when they are tempted, and the better they are the more they suffer. I know some children of God to whom temptation is their constant misery day and night. If it took the form of external affliction, they would bravely bear it ; but it takes the shape of evil suggestions and profane insinuations, which leap into their minds without their will, and though they hate them with tlieir whole heart. These suggestions continue to annoy some dear saints whom I know, not only daily, but nightly, and that month after month. These thoughts beset them as a man may be surrounded by swarms of midges or flies, from which he cannot get aw^ay. Such brethren are tempted, and they suffer being tempted. Our Lord Jesus Christ enters into this trying experience very fully; because his suffering through being tempted must have been much greater than any suffering that the purest-heart- ed believer can knov/, seeing that he is more pure than any one of us.

It was a trying thing to the Blessed Christ even to dwell here among men. llo behaved himself with most condescending familiarity, bvit he must have been greatly sickened and saddened by what he saw in this world of sinners. They were no fit company for him, for their views of things and his were as dif- ferent as possible, and they had no points of agreement in character with him. They were as much company for him as a patient may be to a surgeon; nay, not so much as an imbecile may be to his teacher, or as a madman to his keeper: they could not come much closer until Iiis grace changed and renewed them. Our

THE SUFFERING SAVIOUR'S SYMPATHY. 33I

Lord and Master bad such a delicate sensitiveness of soul with regard to holiness, that the sight of sin must have torn liitu as a naked man would be torn by thorns, and thistles, and briers. There was no callousness about his nature. He had not made himself familiar with sin by the practice of it, as many have done; neither had he so associated with those who indulge in evil as to become himself lenient towards it. We inherit the customs of our ancestors, and do not raise questions about that which has been commonly clone: we begin at an evil point, and start from a wrong point in morals; but it was not so with our Lord; he had no original, or inherited, or birth sin; neither did he learn evil in his bringing up. We also conmiit sin through a comparative ignorance of its evil, but he knew the horror of it: he felt within his soul the shame, the wrong, the inherent baseness of sin against a holy law and a loving God. His infinite knowledge helped him to understand and measure the heinousness and hell-desert of it; and hence, to be in contact with it must have been a perpetual sorrow to him. He suf- fered in being placed where he could be tempted.

When sin actually assailed him, and he was bidden to prove hisSonship by working a miracle to feed himself, thus anticipating his Father's providence by a hasty act of self-seeking, how he mast have loathed the sug- gestion ! When Satan bade him presumptuously cast himself down from the temple's pinnacle, how he must have smarted at the horril)le proposal! When the tempter hissed into his ear that abominable ofter, "All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me," it must have grieved the holy heart of Jesus most intensely. He could not yield to temp- tation, but he did suffer from it. He did not suffer

332 THE SUFFERING SAVIOUR'S SYMPATHY.

from it morally, be was too ]3iire for that; but he did safier from it mentally, because of his purity. His mind was grieved, and vexed, and troubled by the temptation he had to bear. We specially see this when we find him in the garden. There he showed his grief when he sweat as it were great drops of blood falhng to the ground. In many other ways he endur- ed such contradiction of sinners against himself, such multiplied temptations, that it is said, and truly said, by the fioly (jliost in this verse, that he " suffered" be- ing tempted.

Now, then, you poor creatures who can scarcely lift your heads because of shame as you tremble at the memory of j'-our own thoughts, come hither, and meet with One who suffered being tempted ! He know^s how you are haunted by hell-dogs, go where you may: he knows that you cannot escape the presence, of the tempter, and from his own experience he enters into your feelings to the full. He gives you a flood of sym- pathy in these deep distresses of your spirit, as you fight against Apollyon and agonize against temptation, for hs suffered being tempted.

" Exposed to wounds most deep and sore, Tlie great Redeemer stood, While Satan's fiery darts lie bore. And did resist to blood."

Let US meditate for a wiiilo upon the fact that our Lord was tempted, and tempted up to a suffering point. I must not orait to mention the particular use here made by the Spirit of that word himself. It is not only in that he suffered being tempted, but you see that he himself hath suffered being tempted. That word is sometimes used to make passages emphatic. '• Y/ho

THE SUFFERING SAVIOUR'S SYMPATHY. 333

his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree.'' We read again and again of Jesus Christ Idmself, as if to show that the matters referred to were really, truly, personally, actually his. He Idmself hath suf- fered. All that there was in him, that made up him- self, ouftered being tempted. Survey this fact care- fully. Our Lord was tempted by his circumstances, just as you are; yea, more tlian many of you are; for lie felt the woes of poverty, and poverty at iimes car- ried to the extreme. " Foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests, but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head." You are sometimes tempted with the thought that you will be out of house and home before long. Where will you find a nightly shelter? Jesus can sympathize with you. He also was weary with incessant labors. " Being wearied, he sat thus on the well." Weariness has its temptations. He that is weary is hardly in the condition to judge rightly of things. When we are weary, we are apt to be impatient, complaining, hasty. If you are weary and can scarcely keep your eyelids from dropping down, remember before you quite yield to fatigue that your Lord was weary too. Once "they took him even as he was into the ship " ; and I think it must mean that he was too weary to go i"^ito the ship him- self, so that they took him in his absolute exhaustion, and gently laid him down, in the hinder part of the ship, placing his head upon a pillow. Do not blame yourself for feeling tired in the house of prayer, if after long watching or hard working you feel more fit for a sleep than for a sermon. I shall not blame you, certainly, for I remember how little my Lord blamed the disciples when they fell asleep dui'ing his agony. He said, " The spirit indeed is willing, but

334 THE SUFFERING SAVIOUR'S SYMPATHY.-

the flesh is weak " ; and he never would have thought of so tender an excuse for their untender slumbers if his own flesh had not also been weak when he, too, was weary. So you see that the Lord knows from his own circumstances what are the temptations of pov- erty and of weariness. He himself was an hungered. He himself said, " I thirst." Everything round about him contributed to fulfil the tale of his trials. He himself was, above all, " a Man of sorrows, and ac- quainted with grief."

And then he himself suffered from temptations arising from men. He endured sadly much from good men. It would seem that even his beloved mother tried him. His mother was with his brethren when we read that they were without, desiring to speak with him. Was it not at that time that they desired to take him, for they said, "He is beside himself"? The men of his own kindred thought that surely he was a man dis- traught, who ought to be put under restraint. " Nei- ther did his brethren believe in him."

His disciples, though he loved them so intensely, yet each one tried him. Even John, the dearest of them all, must needs ask for places at the right and the left hand of his throne for himself and his brother James. Even Peter " took him and rebuked him." All the disciples were much of Peter's mind when he described himself as about to be crucified and slain. Their spirit was often so worldly, so selfish, so foolish, as greatly to grieve their Lord and Leader. While he was the Servant of all, they were seeking who should have the pre-eminence. While he was seeking the lost, they were for calling fire from heaven upon rebels. They spake unadvisedly with their lips, and committed their Master by their words. And you

THE SUFFERIXG SAVIOUR'S SYMFAFJIY. 335

know how, worst of all, he had to complain in utmost bitterness of spirit, " He that eateth bread with me hath lifted up his heel against me." So that from the circle of his own favored ones he gathered more thorns than roses.. He received wounds in the house of his friends, even as you may have done. Herein you see his power to exhibit sympathy with us. He suffered just as we do. He "suffered being tempted" even by the failure of those whom he loved.

'' If wonudetl love my l)osom swell, Deceived by those I prized so well, He shall his jiitying aid bestow, Who felt on earth severer woe ; At once betrayed, denied, or fled By those who shared his daily bread."

As for his enemies, need I speak about them ? Did they not all tempt him ? Herodians and Sadducees — the openly sceptical; Pharisees and Scribes— the pro- fessedly religious, were equally his fierce foes. Those to whom he was a benefactor took up stones again to stone him; and Jerusalem, over which he had wept, cried, " Crucify him, crucify him," and would not rest till he was slain. Ah, Lord ! we have none of us such foes as thou hadst. However cruel our adversaries, they are not so numerous or so fiei'cc as thine. Be- sides, they have some cause to hate us: but of thine enemies it is true that they hated thee without a cause. They could bring no true charge against him, and therefore they forged the cruellest of falsehoods, until their reproaclies broke his heart. So you see how ho was tempted, and how he suffered.

Moreover, it is a very wonderful fact — one could scarcely have imagined it — but the record is most clear — he w^as tempted of the devil : he was tempted

336 THE SUFFERING SAVIOUR'S SYMPATHY.

of the devil. He in whom all evil is personified dared to stand foot to foot in sing'le duel with liim in whom all goodness is concentrated. The fiend infernal dared to face tlie God incarnate. God in onr mortal flesh encounted the devil in the wilderness of temptation. How could the fiend have ventured to assail our Lord ? Truly Lucifer was lifted up to the extreme of pride when he dared thus to confront his Lord. But Christ was tempted of the devil early in his pub- lic career, and again near its close he exclaimed, "This is your hour, and the power of darkness." He seemed to hear the dragon's wings as they beat the midnight air; and he cried, "The prince of this world Cometh." Calmly he added, "And hath nothing in me"; yet his heart grew chill in the hideous pres- ence of the great adversary. It was nothing less than an agony in Gethsenuine — a painful wrestling between Jesus and the powers of darkness. You that are tempted of the devil ; you that are troubled by mys- terious whisperings in your ear; you that, when you sing or pray, have a blasphemy suggested to you; you that even in your dreams start with horror at the thoughts tl at cross your minds, be comforted, for your Lord knows all about temptation.

Some of you do not understand this, and I hope you never may; but I am speaking wdth a purpose to otliers, to whom this is a life's gloom. To you, I say, you can enter into fellowship with your Lord in his being tempted of the devil: that wdiich is incompre- hensible to others is plain enough to you. Be of good cheer, for in this respect your Lord himself has suffer- ed being tempted.

' ' If aiigbt should tempt my soul to stray From heavenly wisdom's narrow way,

THE SUFFERING SAVIOUR'S SYMPATHY. 337

To fly the good T -would pursue,

Or do the siu I would not do,

Still he, wLo felt tem2)tatior!'s power,

Shall guard me iu that daugerous hour."

Once again: our Lord knew those temptations which arise out of being deserted by God, There come times to certain of us when our soul is cast down within us, when faith becomes feeble, and joy lan- guishes, because the light of the divine countenance is withdrawn. We cannot find our God. We enter into the language of Job, '-Oh that I knew where I might find him ! that I might come even to his seat." We cry with David, '' iAIy soul thirsteth for God, for the living God : when shall I come and appear before God ? ^ly tears have been my meat day and night, while they continnally say unto me. Where is thy God?" Nothing chills the marrow like an eclipse of the great Sun, whose presence makes our day. If the Lord withdraws from us, then the strong helpers faint.

" He frowns, and darkness veils the moon:

The fainting sun grows dim at noon ;

The pillars of heaven's starry roof

Tremble and start at his reproof."

In this great temptation our Lord has suffered hia full share. He cried, " Eloi, Eloi lama sabachthani." There was condensed into that dyhig cry an infinity of anguish such as we cannot conceive of Some of us know what the surface of this Black Sea is like, but we have nc ^er descended into its utmost depths as he did; and, if we Imve done so, this is our comfort — that He has been there. He has been to the very bot- tom of it. He has suffered being tempted even by that heaviest of all the trials wliich ever fall upon the sons of God. There is the fact. 22

338 I^HE Sl'FI-ERmj SAVIOUR'S SYMPATHY.

I desire to go a step farther, to comfort you upon the fruit of all this; for though our Lord thus suffered being tempted, he suffered not in vain; for he was made perfect througli iiis sufi'etings, and fitted for his solemn office of High Priest to his people. From that fact I v:ant you to gatlier fruit, because our heavenly Father means to bless you also. We can- not comfort others if we have never been comforted ourselves. ■ 1 have heard — and I am sure that it is so — that there is no comforter for a widow like one who has lost her husband. Those who have had no child- ren, and have never lost a child, may talk very kindly, but they cannot enter into a mother's broken heart as she bows over yonder little coffin. If you have never known what temptations n^^ean, you make poor work when attempting to succor the tempted. Our Lord obtained a blessing from suffering temptation; and you may do the same. Brother, the Lord means to make of you a man that shall be used like Barnabas to be a " son of consolation." He means to make a mother in Israel of you, my dear sister, that when you meet with others who are sorely cast down, you may know how to drop in a sweet word by which they shall be comforted. I think you will one day say, "It was worth while to go through that sorrow to be en- abled to administer relief to that wounded heart." Will you not comfort others when you are delivered ? I am sure you will. You will be ready and expert in the sacred surgery of consolation. Wherefore be con- tent to suffer being tempted, and look for the comfort- able fruit which all this shall produce in you.

So yon have seen the feeling, and the fact, and the fruit. Now, what are tlie inferences to be drawn fmm this part of the subject ? I must be short with them.

THE SUFFERING SAVIOUR'S SYMPATHY. 339

I want you that are tempted to draw the following inferences from the suffering and temptation of the Lord Jesus : —

First, that temptat{o7i to sin is no sin. It is no sin to be tempted; for in him was no sin, and yet he was tempted. " He suffered being tempted," but there was no sin in that, because there was no sin in him- self. You may be horribly tempted, and yet no blame "wdiatever may attach to you, for it is no fault of yours that you are tempted. Yoii need not repent of that which has no sin in it. If-you yield to the temptation, therein is sin ; but the mere fact that you are tempted, however horrible the temptation, is no sin of yours.

And, in the next place, femp'aiion does not show any displeasure on God's part. He permitted his Only- begotten Son to be temj)ted : he was always the Son of his love, and yet he was tried. " This is my belov- ed Son," said he at his baptism; and yet the next hour that Son was led of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil. It does not even show dis- pleasure on God's part that he permits you to be tempted; on the contrary, it may be consistent with the clearest manifestations of divine favor.

And again, temptation really implies no doubt of your heinrj a son of God : for the Son of God was tempted, even the unquestioned Son of the Highest. The prime model and paragon of sonship, Christ himself, was tempted. Then why not you ? Temptation is a mark of sonship rather than unj reflection thereupon.

Note, next, that temptation need not lead to any evil consequences in any case. It did not in your Lord's case lead up to sin. The Lord Jesus was as innocent in temptation and after temptation as before it, and so may we be through his grace. It is written by the

340 THE SUFFERING SAVIOUR'S SYMPATHY.

beloved John concerning the man that is born of God, that, " He keepeth himself, and that wicked one toncheth him not."

Moreover, do not make it any cause of complaint that you are tempted. If your Lord v^as tempted, shall the disciple be above his Master, or the servant above his Lord ? If the Perfect One must endure temptation, why not you? Accept it, therefore, at the Lord's hands, and do not think it to be a disgrace or a dis- honor. It did not disgrace or dishonor your Lord, and temptation will not disgrace or dishonor you. The Lord, who sends it, sends also with it a w^ay of escape, and it will be to your honor and profit to escape by that way.

Far from your hearts he the idea that any temp)tation should lead you to despair. Jesus did not despair. Jesus triumphed, and so shall you; and therefore h& cries, " In the world ye shall have tribulation ; biit be of good cheer; I have overcome the world." You arc a member of his body; and when the Head wins the. victory, the wiiole body shares the triumph. " Because I live," said he, "ye shall live also "; and so you shall: even in the poisonous atmosphere of temptation yoi, shall be in health. They of old overcame through the blood of the Lamb, and you shall do the like. Where- fore comfort one another with these words, " He himr self hath suffered being tempted": for you who have his life in you shall first suffer with him, and then reign with him.

That is the first part of our discourse; and it is rich with comfort, if the Spirit of God shall but apply it to the tempted heart. I feel such a poor bungler : 1 have ointment here, and soft linen wheresvith to l)ind on the healing ointment; but perhaps I have put it on

THE SUFFERING SAVIOUR'S SYMPATHY. 34 1

too tio'htly, or toolooselv, and if so, I mav fail. O di- vine Comforter, undertake the work ! It needs tlie pierced hand fitlj' to apply the sacred liniment.

II. But now I come, secondly and briefly, to notice Jesds succoring. Jesus sutFering, is preparatory to Jesus succoring. Observe, then, " He is able to suc- cor them that are tempted." In this we note Ids pi^?/, that he should give himself up to this business of succoring them that are tempted." Have you a tempted friend living in your house ? If so, you have a daily cross to carry; for when we try to comfort mourners we often become cast down ourselves; and the temptation is for us to get rid of them, or keep out of their way. Has it never occurred to any friend here to say, " That good brother, who sits in the pew near me, is rather a burden to me. I have spoken to him several times, but he is so unhappy that he drags me down. I go out of another door now to get out of his way " ? So might your Lord have done to the unhappy, and to you, if he had not been your Lord; but he is such a pitiful One that he seeks out those that are cast down; he healeth the broken in heart, and bindeth up their wounds. He lays himself out to succor them that are tempted, and therefore he does not hide himself from them, nor pass them by on the other side. What an example is this for us ! He devotes himself to this divine business of comforting all such as mourn. He is Lord of all, yet makes him- self the servant of the weakest. Whatever he mav do with the strongest, he succors "them that aro tempted." He does not throw up the business in dis- gust: he does not grow cross or angry with them be- cause they are so foolish as to give way to idle fears. He does not tell them that it is all their nerves, and

342 THE SUFFERING SAVIOUR'S SYMPATHY.

that the J are stupid and silly, and ought to shake themselves out of such nonsense. I have oiten heard people talk in that fashion, and 1 have half wished that they had felt a little twinge of depression them- selves, just to put them into a more tender humor. The Lord Jesus never overdrives a lame sheep, but he sets the bone, and carries the sheep on his shoulders, so tenderly compassionate is he. Here is his pity.

The text, however, treats of liis fitness also. He is just the very person to succor them that are tempted. I have been showing you this already. He has the rights acquired by his suffering, to enter in among sufferers, and deal with them. He is free of the company of mourners.

" When onr heads are bowed with woe, "When our bitter tears o'erflow ; Wiien we mourn tlie lost, the dear, Then the Sou of Man is near.

"Thou our throbbing flesh hnst worn, Tliou our uiortal griefs hast borne ; Tliou hast shed the human tear, Sou of Man, to mourners dear."

He has the right to succor them that are tempted, for they are his own, since he has bought them with his blood. The feeble, the weak, the trembling, the desponding ai'e his care, committed to him by God. He said, ''Fear not, little flock"; which phows that his flock is little and timid. He says, " Fear not, little flock,'' because they have great tendency to fear, and liocause he does not like to see them thus troubled. ?Ie has bought them, and so he has the right to succor them, and preserve them to the end.

He has also the disposition to succor them. He ob- tained that tender temper through suffering, by being

THE SUFFERING SAVIOUR'S SYMPATHY. 343

himself tempted. The man that has seen affliction, when he is blessed of God, has the disposition to cheer those that are afflicted. 1 have heard speak of a lady who was oat in the snow one night, and was so very cold that she cried out, " Oh, those poor people that have such a little money, how little firing they have, and how pinched they must be ! I will send a hundredweight of coals to twenty families, at the least." Bat I have heard say that, when she reached her own parlor, there was a fine fire burning, and she sat there with her feet on the fender, and enjoyed an excellen tea, and she said to herself, " Well, it is not very cokl, after all. I do not think that I shall send those coals; at any rate, not for the jjresent." The sufi'erer thinks of the sufterer, even as the poor help the poor. The divine wonder is that this Lord of ours, " though he was rich, yet for our sakes he became poor," and now tnkes a delight in succoring the poor. Having been tempted, he helps the tempted: his own trials make him desire to bless those who are tried.

And then he has the special ahility. " He is able to succor thejn that are tempted." I know certain good brethren whom I am very pleased to see, and I am very ha})py in their company, when I am perfectly well; but I do not enjoy their presence when I am ill. Thank you: no, 1 would rather not have their visits multiplied when I am unwell. They walk heavily across the room; they have a way of leaving doors open, or banging them; and when they talk they talk RO loudly and roughly that the poor head aches, and the sick man is worried. The things they say, though they are meant to be kind are the sort of remarks that pour vinegar into your wounds. They do not under- stand the condition of a sufferer, and so they say all

344 THE SUFFERING SAVIOUR'S SYMPATHY.

their words the wrong way upwards. If Christians are to l)e comforters, thej must leaiii the art of com- forting, by being themselves tried. They cannot learn it else. Our Blessed Master, having lived a life of suffering, understands the condition of a sufferer so Avell that he knows how to make a bed for him. " What a strange thing to say !'' cries one of my au- dience. Not at all, David says, "thou ^vilt make all his bed in his sickness." He would not have said that, if the Lord did not know how to make a bed. There is a dainty wa}^ of beating up a pillow, and a peculiar art in shaking up a bed when the sick man is lifted out of it; ay, and there is a way of putting on every piece of covering, so as to make it a comfort. By this figure we are taught that the Lord Jesus Christ knows how to deal with us in the weakness and pain of our affliction. He has become so good a Nui'se, so divine a Physician, so tender a Sympathizer, because he has passed through our sorrows, "hi all our affliction he was afflicted." " Himself took our infirmities, and bare our sicknesses."

"He kuows Avliat sore temi»tation.s mean, For he Las felt the same."

He has a fitness for dealing with tempted ones.

Let me spend a minute or two in telling you liis mefhods of succoring them that are tempted. He does it in many ways, and perhaps there may be many here who know more about those ways than I da

Usually he succors the tempted by giving them a sense of his sympathy. They say, " Yes, my Lord is here. He feels for me." That is in itself a succor of no mean order.

Sometimes he succors them by suggesting to them

THE SUFFERL\G SAVIOUR'S SYMPATHY. 345

precious tratlis wliicli are the sweet antidote for the poison ot" sorrow. There is in the Bible a remed}^ ex- actly fitted for YOiu' grief if yon could only find it. Sometimes you lose the key of a drawer, and you must have it opened, and therefore you send for the white- smith, and he comes in with a great bunch of keys. Somewhere among them he has a key that will open your drawer. The Bible contains keys that will open the iron gates of your trouble, and give you freedom from your sorrow. The point is to find out the right promise ; and the Spirit of God often helps us in that matter by bringing the words of the Lord Jesus to our remembrance. We liad never known the richness of the Word of God if it had not been that in our varied distresses the Lord has shown us how he fore- saw all, and provided for all in the covenant of prom- ise.

Sometimes the Lord succors his people by inwardly strengthening them. " Oh," one has said, " I am under a heavy trouble, but I do not know how it is, I can bear it much better than I thought I should." Yes, through gi'ace, a secret divine energy is poured into the soul. We are treated, as Mr. Bunyan puts it, by secret supplies of grace imparted in a hidden manner. We are like yonder fire. One is throwing water on it, and yet it burns on. Behind the wall another is secretly pouring oil on the fire, so that it still keeps burning.

1 have known the Lord bless his people by making them very weak. The next best thing to being strong in the Lord is to be extremely weak in yourself Tiiey go together, but sometimes they are divided in expe- rience. It is grand to feel, "I Avill not struggle any more. I will give all up, and lie passive in the Lord's

34G THE SUFFERING SAVIOUR'S SYMPATHY.

haud." 01], it is the sweetest feeling, I think, outside heaven ! You may think it strange for me to sa}^ so, but 1 believe that, as in the centre of a cyclone the-re is a little spot where there is perfect calm, and as it is said that in the centre of the greatest fire that ever burned there is a spot where no fire is raging, so there is in a deep sense of yielding up to God, in the very centre of your pain, and your grief, and your misery, and your depression, a place of perfect repose when you have once yielded yourself fully up unto God. I know this to be true, even though I may not he understood.

In these ways he that was tempted himself succors those who are tempted.

III. I will close by thinking of Jesus soucnT after. Let us seek him. Come, ye weary, heavy-laden, come to him who is able to succor yon. Do not stay away until you are a little comforted, but come in your de- spair. Do not wait until you h*3,ve a little more faith, but come just as you are, and say to him, " Dear Lord, thou hast felt all this, and I lie down at thy dear feet ! Do help me, I beseech thee ! " Let these few thoughts help to bring you now in prayer, and trust, and hope, to the feet of this Great High Priest.

First, icliere else can you go? Who can help a soul like you? Conie to him, then. ]\len are nothing: miserable comforters are they all. The cisterns are all broken: Come to tlje fountain. Come to my Lord. Every other door is shut, but yet you may not de- spair, for he says, " Behold I set before you an open door."

Where better can you go ? Do you want to find a friend able to help you ? Do you really want a com- rade that can be a brother to vou ? To whom should

THE SUFFERIXG SAVIOUR'S SYMFATHY. 347

you go bnt unto your own Lord, the sympathizing Son of Man ? To Avhoni better can you go ? Do you say that you are downcast ? Do you tell rae you are afraid you are no child of God ? Never mind about that. Come as a sinner if you cannot come as a saint. Do you mourn that you have no good thoughts ? Come and confess your bad ones. Do you lament that you are not broken-hearted for sin, as you ought to be ? Come, then, to be broken-hearted. Do you mourn that you are unspeakably bad ? Then, come at your worst. It is never a good thing if you want a surgeon, to say, "^ly bone is broken, but I shall not have it set until it begins to mend." Poor foolish thing ! go while it is broken. 0 perishing sinner cry to the Saviour. Ask him now to save you. Are you of all men the worst ? Then go to him who is the best. Remember he never did cast any one out. Never yet ! Never one ! I have declared this everywhere, and 1 have said, " If Jesus Christ casts any one of you out when you come to him, pray let me know; for I do not want to go up and dow^n the country telling lies." Again I give the challenge. If my Lord does cast out one poor soul that comes to him, let me know it, and I will give up preaching. 1 should not have the face to come forward and preach Christ after that; for he himself has said it, " Him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out ; " and he would be a false Christ if he acted contrary to his word. He cannot cast rjou out; why should he? "Oli, but then I am so bad." So much the less likely is he to refuse you, for there is the more room for his grace.

"lam lost,'^ said Vix. Whitefield's brother to the Countess of Huntingdon. " I am delighted to hear it," said the Countess. " Oh," cried he, " what a dread-

348 THE SUFFERING SAVIOUR'S SYMPATHY.

fill thing to say ! " " Nay,'" said she, " ' for the Son of man is couie to seek and to save that which was lost;' therefore I know lie is come to save your 0 sinner, it would be unreasonable to despair. The more broken thou art, the more ruined thou art, the more vile thou art in thine own esteem, so much the more room is there for the display of infinite mercy and power.

Come, then, just as you are, saint or sinner, who- ever you may be. Have done with yourself, your good self, and your bad self too, and say, " If I perish I will trust in Jesus.*' Trust in Jesus, and you can- not perish. If you perish believing in Jesus, I must perisii with yon. I am in the same boat with you. You may be a very sea-sick passenger, and I may be an able-bodied seaman; but if you are drowned, I shall be, for I cannot swim any more than you can. I depentl upon the sea-worthiness of this vessel of free grace in which we are embarked, and we tnust either reach the Fair Havens together, or sink together. You and I, poor broken-down one, oh, will we not sing when we get safe to land? Will we not sing? If we once get to heaven, will we not sing aloud, and clash the high-sounding cymbals with all our niight ? I will contend with you as to which shall praise God most. You say that you will. I say that I shall. Will we not vie with each other, and with all the blood-redeemed ones, to sing Hallelujah to God and the Lamb ? If ever such sinners as you and I get inside the gates of heaven, we will give forth such outcries of holy joy and gladness as never came from angels' throats, but can only come from the lips of sinners bought with blood.

The Lord, who succoreth the tempted, himself blesa and comfort vou ! Amen.

XVI.

THE CHILD Oi'" LIGHT WALKING IN DAEKNESS.

Sein. 25, 1887.

" Wb.0 is among you that fearetli the Lord, that obcyeth the voice of his servant, that walketh in darkness, and hath no light ? let him trust in the name of the Lord, and stay ux^on his God." — Isaiah 1. 10.

See how the Lord inquires for his people. In every congregation lie asks this question : "Who is among you that feareth the Lord?" These are the wheat upon the threshing-floor. As to the thoughtless, " What is the chaff to the wheat ? saith the Lord." The Lord's heai-t is towards the hearts that fear him, and ho makes enquiry concerning them, because he loves them, and cares for them, and helps them in their day of trouble.

Observe how clearly the Lord describes his own people. The description is brief, but remarkably full: " Who is among you that feareth the Lord, that obey- eth the voice of his servant ? " Holy reverence with- in the heart, and careful obedience manifested in the life, these are the two infallible marks of the true man of God, He fears his God, and therefore he obeys that heavenly messenger whom God has sent. No servant of God has such authority over us that we are bound to obey him in all things, except One, that Servus servorum, that Servant of servants, who was also JRex regum, the King of kings. It is the mark of the child

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350 THE CHILD OF LIGHT WALKLNG IN DARKx\ESS.

of God tliat he hath a holy awe of the Father, and that he pays gracious obedience to the Son of God. The Lord knovveth them that are his, and from that perfect knowledge he draws this short but sufficient outline of the character of his own. May holy fear and constant obedience be in us and abound !

Note that the Lord not only makes an enquiry for these people, but he takes note of their condition. He is not indifferent to their state. When they walk in darkness he is with them, and when they have no light he still beholds them. The Lord is very sensi- tive to the sorrows of his chosen, and very quick to help them. AVhen he finds them walking in darkness he graciously counsels and advises them, that so he may most effectually help them. Thus saith the gra- cious Lord to the benighted one : " Let him trust in the name of the Lord, and stay upon his God." That same God who saith of his vineyard, "I the Lord do keep it; I will water it eveiy moment: lest any hurt it, I vvill keep it night and day," also spies out his children in the dark; and, looking upon them with an eye of tender love, he directs their course. This is the word of wisdom by which he directs each one of them through the darkness: "Let him trust in the name of the Lord, and stay upon his God."

To come at once to the text without further preface, I shall notice, first, what is tins condition in which some of God's people are found ? They walk in darkness, and have no light. Secondly, tohat is there to trust to ivhen a man is in such a condition ? All is dark, and there is no light, and he is then bidden to trust. What is there to trust to ? Thirdly, lohy should lue thus trust ? What is the warrant for trusting at such a time ? And fourthly, ivhat will come of such a trust ? If

THE CHILE OF LIGHT WALKING IN DARKNESS.. 35 ^

a man really exhibits confidence in God when he has no light, what will be the end of his confidence ?

I. First, then, what is this condition into which a CHILD OF God may come ? The person described is one that fears the Lord, and obeys the voice of his ser- vant, yet " walketh in darkness and hath no lif>ht."

To many who know nothing of Christian experience tlds condition might seem to he a surpising one. Shall the child of light w^alk in darkness ? The normal condi^ tion of a child of God is to walk in the light, as God is in the light, and to have fellowship with him: how comes he, then, to have no light ? lie that believes in the Lord Jesus Christ has passed from darkness to light, and he shall never come into condemnation ; how^, then, does he come into darkness? In the darkness of sin and Ignorance we no longer walk; but with the dark- ness of trouble and perplexity we are sometimes sur- rounded. The Lord is our light and our salvation, and therefore we do not walk in that darkness wherein the prince of darkness rules supreme; but yet at times we are in the gloom of sadness, and we see no light of consolation. It is not always so. Many Christian people go on year after year in uninterrupted sun- shine; and I do not see why we should not all Jock upon continued joy in the Lord as possible to ourselves. Why should not our peace flow on like an ever- widen- ing river ? Those of you who are always bright need not be afraid of your gladness. U Lord ! we are now and then in the dark, but we do not wish others to be so. Spiritual darkness of any sort is to be avoid- ed, and not desired ; and yet, surprising as it may seem to be, it is a fact that some of the best of Gotl's peo- ple frequently walk in darkness; ay, some of them are wrapt in a sevenfold gloom at times, and to them nei-

352 THE CHILD OF LIGHT WALKING IN DARKNESS.

ther Sim, nor moon, nor stars appear. As the pastor of a large church, I have to observe a great variety of ex- periences, and I note that some whom I greatly love and esteem, who are, in my judgment, among the very choicest of God's people, nevertheless, travel most of the way to heaven by night. They do not rejoice in the light of God's countenance, thougli they trust in the shadow of his wings. They are on the way to eter- nal light, and yet they walk in darkness. Heirs of a measureless estate of bliss, they are now without the small change and spending money of comfort which would make their present existence delightful. It is idle to attempt to judge a man's real character before God by his present state of feeling. You may be fidl of mirth, and yet it may be the crackling of thorns un- der a pot, which is noisy for the time, but is soon over. On the other hand, you may be bowed down with sor- row, and yet it may only be that " light affliction which is but for a moment," which worketh out for you "a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory." We should have thought, judging after the manner of men, that the good were always happy, as one of our children's songs so positively declares. When first brought home to the great Father, we thought that henceforth it would be all music and dancing and fatted calf, world without end. But it is not so: we have heard the elder brother's ungenerous voice since then, and we have found out many things which we wish we could forget. We dreamed that the year would be summer throughout all its months: the time of the singing of birds was come, and we reckon- ed that it was to continue through the yeai*. Alas! the birds have ceased tlieir songs, and the swallows are pluming their wings to depart, and in a few days

THE CHILD OF LIGHT WALKING IN DARKNESS. 353

we fehall be walking among the falling leaves, and preparing our winter garments wherewith to meet the biting frosts. We have not fonnd perfect bliss beneatii the moon. If instead of judging by the sight of our eyes we had turned to the records of the family of God, we should long ago have been disabused of our ideal heaven below. It is written, "Whom the Lord loveth he cliasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth." Between the head of the way and the Celestial City, the road is rough and the nights are long. They that go on pilgrimage tell us of the Delect- able Mountains, and they dilate upon the glittering hill-tops of glory which they have seen from afar when gazing from Mount Clear; but they also warn us of the Hill Difficulty, and especially of the A\alley of the ShadoAv of Death, through which all those must force their way who are resolved to go on pilgrimage to the City of God. Be not, therefore, surprised as though some strange thing had happened unto you, if you find yourself in darkness; for this text warns you of what you may expect. We may fear God and carefullji obey his servant, and yet we may be out after dark and find the streets of daily life as foggy and obscure for us as for others.

This condition is a severe test 0/ grace. Now we shall see how far the man's courage is of the right sort. Darkness is an evil that our soul does not love, and by it all our faculties are tried. If you are in your own house in the dark it does not matter, though children do not like to be put to bed in the dark even in their own little room : but if you are on a journey and you come to a wild moor, or a vast wood, or to t(>rrible mountains, it appals you to find that tlie sun is setting, and that you will be abroad in the dark. 23

354 ^//^ CHILD OF LIGHT WALKING IN DARKNESS.

Darkness has a terrible power of causing fear: its mys- tery is an influence creating dread. It is not what we see that we di-ead, so much as that which we do not see, and therefore exaggerate. When darkness lowers down upon the believer's ndnd it is a great trial to his heart. He cries, "Where am I? and how came I here? If I be a child of God, why am I thus? Did I really repent and obtain light so as to escape the darkness of sin ? If so, why am I conscious of this thick gloom? Did I really joy in Christ and think I had received the atonement ? Why then has the sun of my joy gone down so hopelessly ? Wliere are now the iovingkindnesses of the Lord?" The good man be- gins to question himself as to every point of his pro- fession; for in the dark he cannot even judge his own self Wliatis worse, he sometimes questions the truth which he has aforetime received, and doubts the very ground on which his foot is resting. Satan will come in with vile insinuations questioning everything, even as he questioned God's Word when he ruined our race in the garden. It is possible at such times even to question the existence of the God we love, though we still cling to him with desperate resolve. We un- dergo a life and death struggle while we hold on to the divine verities. We are at times sorely put to it, and scarce know what to do. Like the mariners with whom Paul sailed, we cast four anchors out of the stern, and look for the day. Oh, that we could be certain that we are the Lord's! Oh, that we could apprehend the sure promises of the Lord, aud our por- tion in them ! For a while the darkness is all around us, and we perceive no candle of the Lord, or spark of experimental light with which to break the gloom. This darkness is very trying to faith, trying to love,

. THE CHILD OF LIGHT WALKING IX DARKNESS. 355

trying to hope, trying to patience, trying to every grace of the spiritual man. Blessed is the man who can endure this test- While it is tlius trying, it is also veri/ sorroivful. It is a pleasant thing lor tlie eyes to behold the sun, and a painful thing to be without it. ^ye are in heaviness at such times. The darkness wliicli is spoken of in the text includes providential trial of many sorts. At the present moment many of God's people are in the dark in reference to their temporal circumstances. Business used to prosper, and things went well with them, but everything runs the other way at this season. They were not ambitious to accumulate great riches, they were perfectly satisfied if they had bread to eat, and raiment to put on: but now even this seems to be denied them. They are out of situation, or business is gradually dying out, and their means of support 'will soon disappear. This is a new trial for those who have hitherto had abundance, and naturally it makes them Vv'alk in darkness. Oli, you that have a superfluity of this world's goods, you little know the darkness 'u-hich comes over the hearts of God's servants when they are not able to provide things honest in the sight of all men, and are afraid that the Lord's name will be evil spoken of because they cannot meet their engagements. AVheu parents look at their dear children, and wonder where the next meal of bread will come from, times are dark indeed. Still, mark you, this is not tliC dark- ness— the darkness which might be felt. Many of God's people, by reason of a strong faith, are happier in their adversity than they were in their prosperity. I have known them to ride on the crest of the wave which threatened to wreck them. They have rejoiced

35G THE CHILD OF LIGHT WALKING IN DARKNESS.

iQ tribulations also, finding that in them the Lord blesses them with special favor.

The real darkness has come when our evidences of j^race are no longer visible, and conscience pronounces an adverse verdict. As the Psalmist says, " AVe see not our signs." The marks of grace are hidden. ISelf-exaniination fails to reveal to the conscience the infallible marks of the Holy Spirit's work within the soul, and then tlie child of God feels that he' is in an evil case. While I know I am the son of God I am undismayed; but when my sonship is in doubt I am distressed indeed. If a clear sense of God's love is al- so withdrawn from the soul, darkness follows. He that used to rejoice in that love which passeth knowledge n*ow feels his heart to be as hard as a stone, witliout tender emotion, and almost without living desire. To be dull, and dead, and stupid, and unfeeling, is sad hideed to one who aforetime could dance for joy. To have the life and energy of grace decline is a grievous matter; better to see the Hock cut off from the fold than grace from the heart. At such times the Holy Ghost seems to suspend his comforting and quickening operations; and in that case the outward means are of small avail. We read the Bible, and we are not cheered by the promises; we attend public services, and the silver bells of the sanctuary seem to have lost their music. The rain does not fill the pools; and when the cisterns are empty, what is the good of them ? The Holy Spirit is leaving us for a while, that we may know what poor things we are apart from him, and how useless are ordinances, witliout his divine pres- ence in them. At such times Satan is sure, coward as he is, to avail himself of his opportunity. When lie finds us in the dark lane, he falls upon us like a cut-

THE CHILD OF LIGHT IVALKIXG IX DARKNESS. 357

throat. When the Lord is manifestly with t,s, he skulks off; but when he sees that darkness is round about us, Jie seeks to drive us from our fhith " This IS .your hour," said Christ, "and the power of dark- iiess ; and we have Jiad to sav the same. Satan makes earnest use of his hour, and it is no fault of his that we do not die in the dark, and utterly perish from the Avaj. Let It be clearly known that some of us who can thLs day speak with fully assured confidence, have m clays gone by, been sorely shaken, and have cried unto the Lord out of the low dungeon. Every particle of the faith which I have this day in the Lord mv God has passed through fire, and through water. This ffam- mg torch of confidence which burns before you this da v ^vas lighted for me when I was in darkness. Thcug-h we joy before the Lord as with the joy of harvest, yet wo look back upon the time when we went forfh weep- ing, bearing precious seed. All are not equally made' to sorrow; but many of us are familiar with the wine of as onishment. Surely, at some time or other, all the children of God walk in darkness.

Perhaps the worst feature of this darkness is, that ^t issoheivadering. You have to walk, and vet your way IS hidden from your eyes. This is hai-d work. God will help his children, will he not ? Av, f hat he will, but we cannot see how ! We look upward and see no twinkling star; downward, and do not 'even nnd a glow-worm. Surely, we shall see a candle in some window ! But no ! we are lost in a dark wood Have we not somewhere about us a match that we could strike? We fumble for it; we find it, it is damp, we have no light. The question that now chills the heart IS— How can God deliver me? We do not see how he can make a way of escape. What simple-

358 ^^^' CHILD OF LIGHT WALKING IN DARKNESS.

tons we are to fancy that if ive do not see a way of deliverance God does not see one either! If you liave ever steamed up the llhine, you have looked before you, and it has looked as if you could go no further; the river seemed to be a lake; great mountains and vast rocks blocked up all further advance. Suddenly there has been a turn in the stream, and at once a broad highway has been before you, inviting you to enter the heart of the country. Perhaps in Providence you are in one of those parts of the river of life where no progress appears possible. You are quite blocked up, and this causes you darkness of mind. Cease from this unbelieving bewilderment. Pest in the Lord and wait patiently for him, and he shall give thee thy heart's desire.

Worse still is tlnit bewilderment wliich comes upon us in the darkness as to what we ourselves ought to do. ]\Ien of God know, as a broad principle, that they are to do right; but the question is, what is right? Which of many courses should I take? We beg the Lord to make our path straight, but we cannot discover the road. We look for a sign-post which we had seen long ago, and it is gone: we hasten to a friend, but he is as much perplexed as we are. This suspense is the hardest part of the ordeal. Not to see our way, nay, not to see foothold for the next step, is a specially trj-ing position. Ifwe know what to do, or what to prepare for, we would gird our loins for the occasion; but knowing nothing, we are shut up, and cannot come forth.

Yet you notice in the text that tliis does not absolve U3 from daily duty. The text saith, "If he ivalk in darkness, and see no light." The walk has to be con- tinued, though the light has departed. When it is

7HE CHILD OF LIGHT WALKING IX DARKNESS. 359

quite dark, it is safe to sit clown till the day dav.us. If I cannot sleep, at any rate I can quietly rest till the sun is np. He that believeth shall not make haste, and in the dark it is best to tarry till the day da^vn and the shadows flee away. That was a grand word which the Lord gave to Moses, ''Stand still, and t-ee the salvation of the Lord." But what if you cannot stand still? What if you may not remain where you are ? Something has to be done, and done at once; and thus you are compelled to walk on, though you can- not see an inch before you. What but a divine faith can do this? Here lies the stress of the difficulty: inaction might be simple, but activity in the dark, this must be the Lord's doing, and we must cry to him to work this work in us.

But enough of this. I have given you a picture wdiich some of you will recognize as a portrait of your- selves. Personally I have often passed through this dark valley: there is a bog on the right hand, and a deep gulf on the left; and all along the murky w^ay the howling of the dogs of hell, and the liissing of evil spirits, are Jiever out of one's ears; and, A\orst of all, whisperings of the fiend make you think his vile sug- gestions to be your own thoughts. The sword in the hand becomes useless, for in the dark you do not know Wiiere to strike, and no weapon remains except that of All-prayer. To walk on all through the night, and not to see a step before you, is anxious work, and yet thousands of God's pilgrims who are now yonder among the shining ones, praising and blessing his holy name, have traversed this dreadful road. Lord, help us when we also penetrate its blackness !

IL But now, secondly, I am going to turn to a practical part of this matter — what is there to trust

3G0 THE CHILD OF LIGHT WALKING IN DARKNESS. ro WHEN YOU ARE IN SUCH A CONDITION AS THAT ? What IS

there to trust to ? Well, says the text, " Let him trust ill the name of the Lord." or, as it should bo read, " in the name of Jehovah.''

What is there to trust in tlienam^ of Jehovah? It is " I Am," and signifies his self-existetice. This is a fine foundation for trust. Your friend is dead, but Jehovah is still living as the " I Am." Those who could have succored you have forsaken yon, but he says, " 1 am with thee." Trust tliou in him, for he is, and ever will be. He says to thee, " Be still, and know that I am God."

The name of the Lord contains within it immutabil- ity. The Lord calls himself, " I am that I am " — the unchanging God ! Eemember how he said, " I am the Lord, I change not ; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed." When you cannot see an inch be- fore you, trust in liim that is, that was, and is to come. He is our dwelling-place in all generations. He is the " same yesterday, to day, and forever," and hence our confidence in him should not abate. Here is a rock under your feet. If you trust in an unchanging God, whose love, and faithfulness, and power cannot be di- minished, however dark your way may be, then you have a glorious object for your fliith to rest upon.

But we understand by the name the revealed character of God. When thou canst not see thy way, then open this Book and try to find out what sort of God it is in whom thou dost trust. See what he did in the ages past ; see what he has promised to do in all time pres- ent. Behold his infinite love in the gift of his dear Son. Think of all the immeasurable blessings which ho hath prepared for them that love him, which he hath laid up for the golden age. As thou remeinber-

THE CHILD OF LIGHT V/ALKING IN DARKNESS. 361

est Vnat tho Lord is, and how he deals with his peo- ple, thou wilt find light springing up in the midst of the thick darkness. What a joy it must liave been to ]\Ioses when God proclaimed before him the name of the Lord ! Moses had asked to see God's glory, and' we read, "The Lord passed by before him : and pro- claimed, The Lord, The Lord God, merciful and gra- cious, long-suffering, and abundant in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin." As you study the glori- ous character of the Lord God, whose mercy endureth for ever, I think you will find your spirit rising above the floods of your trouble, and floating joyously upon the waters even as the ark of Noah in the day of the deluge. The name of the Lord is a strong tower. 'They that knov/ thy name will put their trust in thee."

By " the name of the Lord " is also meant Ids dear /S'o«, for it is in Jesus Christ that Jehovah has pro- claimed his name. Jesus says, " He that hath seen me hath seen the Father." When it is dark around thee and within thee, then get to thy Saviour, and think of liim, and all his sorrow and his victory. Picture him before thine eye bleeding his life away upon the cross for thee, oftering himself up a glorious Sacrifice to put away thy sin ; and as thou hearest his cries, and perceivest the flowing of his l.lood, thou wilt gain comfort and joy such as will turn thy dark- ness into day.

It is also good, dear friends, when you are thinking of the name of the Lord, to remember that to you it signifies ichat you have seen of Gcd in your own experi- ence. This is his memorial or name to you. A grand tiling it is, when at present you have no consolation,

302 THE CHILD OF LIGHT WALKIXG IN DARKNESS.

to recollect the consolation you enjoyed in years gone by. Oh the days when he did help us ! when his arm was made bare on our behalf! I recollect that morn- ing, you recollect it too, when the Lord brought you up out of the horrible pit. You said, "Blessed be his glorious name ! What a deliverance I have had ! I shall never doubt him again!" O poor stupid, you are doubting him now ! But why ? Do you not think that if you would revive those songs of the Red Sea, when you sang, " Sing unto the Lord, for he. hath tri- umphed gloriously," you would be ashamed to doubt the Lord to-day ? Did not Israel pass through the sea on foot, even iix. the darkness of the night, when Pha- raoh could not see his way ? Tlie Lord God himself in the pillar of fire was the light of his people, but apart from that they had no other light; and it is so with you, all other light is gone, but Jehovah is with you, wherefore be not afraid.

" His love iu time past forbids lis to think He'll leave us at last in trouble to sink ; Each sweet Ebeiiezer we have iu review Confirms his good pleasure to help us quite through."

" Let him trust in the name of the Lord." Bui, furthermore, the text says, " Let him stay upon his God." Let him lean upon his God ; make God his stay, his prop, his rest. This is a variation from the former sentence. He was to trust in the name of Je- hovah, but now he is to lean iipon " ids God" You have taken God to be your God, have you not ? If so, he has also taken you to be his own. There is a cov- enant between you : lean on that covenant. Treat it as a valid covenant in full force. Surely thou art not dealing with a liar. That covenant of the Lord which

THE CHILD OF LIGHT WALKIXG /A DARKXESS. 303

was sealed and ratified by an oath — surely thou dost not think little of it? ^Yell, now, lean wholly and fully upon him who is thy covenant God. Brethren, 1 am often brought to this pass, that I say to myself — Lord, if these Scriptures be not indeed a revelation of God, and inspired, then it is all over with me, for I have no other hope. But if this Book be a faithful record of what God has said to me — and I am sure it is — then I cannot too confidently rest in what he has here recorded. 1 will prove the truth of his gospel. I will lean upon his promise with all my might. I have never yet hung a w^eight upon God's promise too heavy for it to bear. I have never trusted God in pra^^er with a confidence beyond what I have known him to justify. Hitherto we have used tests innumer- able and proofs superabundant, and Ave find the old Book to be true. As silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times, so have we found the promises and the covenant of God. Vv^'herefore I say to you, in the language of tbe text, if you walk in darkness, and have no light, trust in the name of the Lord, and stay yourself upon your God.

III. Thirdly, and with great brevity, why snouLD WE TRUST Gou AT SUCH TIMES ? If the Lord has taken away the light, and is trying us so severely, why should we trust him now ? I answer, if you do not trust liim noio, you ivill have cause to suspect luhether you ever did trust 1dm at all. When }-our children were about ■you, and you were healthy, honored, and prospering, you said, " I have faith in God. Was it faith if it de- parts from you now that your children are buried, and your home is desolate, and you yourself are sick, and old, and poor ? Was it faith in God at all ? Was it not a cheerfulness which arose out of your surround-

3Gi THE CHILD OF LIGHT WALKING IN DARKNESS.

ings ? If you cannot bear to be stripped as Job was, have yon like precious faith with that man of God? Fair weather ftiith is a poor imitation of the real grace. I entreat you to play the man, and say, " Though he slay me, yet will I trust in liitn " ; for if you cannot do so, your strength is small, and your faith is ques- tionabU^.

Thou art bound to trust in the Lord now in the time of darkness, because liis promises ivere made for dark tbn's. When a shipvv'right builds a vessel, doe^ he build it to keep it upon the stocks ? Nay, he l)uilds it for the sea and the storm. When he was making it he thought of tempests and hurricanes : if he did not, he was a poor shipbuilder. When God made thee a believer he meant to try thee ; and when he gave thee the promises, and bade thee trust tliom, he gave such promises as are suitable for tim.es of tempest and tossing. Dost thou think God makes sliams like some that have made belts for swimming, which were good to exhibit in a shop, but of no use in the sea ? We have all heard of swords which were useless in war ; and even of shoes which were made to sell, but were never meant to walk in. God's shoes are of iron and brass, and you can walk to heaven in tliem without their ever wearing out : and his life-belts, you may swim a thousand AtUmtics upon them, and there will bo no fear of your sinking. His word of promise is meant to be tried and proved. 0 man, I beseech you do not treat God's promises as if they were curiosities for a museum, l)ut use them as every day sources of comfort. Trust the Lord whenever your time of need comes on.

Besides, notice that here ajjermit is especially issued for you, to allow you to trust in God in darhness. Thus

THE CHILD OF L/GHT IVALA'LVG IX DARKNESS. 365

saith the Lord, " Let him ft\(sf." Satan says he shall not trust, bat the Lord says, " Let him trust ; " and if the Lord gives us permission to trust we will not suffer the world, the flesh, or the devil to keep us back from our privilege. " Let him trust " is our di- vine warrant for reposing on the liOrd ; and we mean to use it. This is the pass-word which lets us through the gates of the promise into the royal chamber of rest. More than this, I understand this verse to be a com- mand to trust in the name of the Lord. It is an order to trust in our God up to the hilt, for it bids us stay our- selves upon our God. We are not fitfully to trust, and then to fear ; but to come to a stay in God, even as ships enter a haven, cast their anchors, and then stay there till the tempest is over-past. Let us say, "This is my last dependence ; this is my stay ; and here will I remain for ever." 0 brot tiers and sisters, we often act very foolishly, for we tr}^ to get a stay within our- selves. Did you ever hear of a cayjtain of a vessel driven about by rough winds who wanted anchorage and tried to find it on board his vessel ? He desires to [)lacehis anchor somewhere on board the ship where it will prove a hold- fast. lie hangs it at the prow, but still the ship drives: he exhibits the anchor upon deck, but that does not hold the vessel; at last he pTits it down into the hold ; but with no better success. Why, man alive, anchors do not hold as long as they are on board a chip. They must be thrown into the deep, and then they will get a grip of the sea-bottom, and hold the vessel against wind and tide. As long as ever you have confidence in yourselves, you are like a man Avho keeps his anchor on board his boat, and you will never come to a resting-place. Over with your faith into the great deeps of eternal love and

3GG ^■^^^' CHILD OF LIGHT WALKING IN DARKNESS.

power, and trust in the infinitely faithful One. Then shall you be glad because your heart is quiet. Stay yourself upon your God, because he comnumds you so to do. Do not dare to hesitate.

Look, sirs ! if you do not stay upon God in the dark, it loould seem as if, after all, you did not trust God, hut were trusting to the light, or were relying on your own eyesight. Too often we think we believe, and all the while we are miles off believing. Unless we trust in God alone, and in God wholly, we do not trust him at all. Faith is the opposite of sight. When a man seeth he hath no need of faith. Blessed is he to whom God himself is all the light he needs.

Do remember one thing more, that you and I, in times of darkness, may well trust in God that he will not fail us, for our blessed Lord and Master icas not spared the blackest midnight that ever fell on human mind. He, too, cried out, " What shall I say ? " Distraction seized upon his mind also, and he was exceeding sorrowful, even unto death. Dost thou expect that thou shalt be treated better than the Head of the house, the " firstborn among many brethren " ? If he trusted in God and was delivered, do thou the same, and thou shalt follow in his footsteps into the bright- ness of the light, even as thou hast followed those foot- steps into the blackness and the darkness.

IV. So I finish with this last point : avhat will gome

OF IT IP WE DO TRUST IN GoD IN THE DARK ? NoW, whether

you are saint or sinner, I want you to lend me your ears for a minute or two while 1 try to show w-hat wall come of trusting in God when you have nothing else to trust to.

In the first place, such a faith will glorify God. It does not glorify God to trust him when you have a

THE CHILD OF LIGHT IVALKIXG IN DARKNESS. 307

tlioiisiind other props and assistances. No, we glorify him wlien we trust his bare arm. It honors God when in darkness, despondency, and despair we can bravely say, " Still I believe him. I take hold upon his strength in the midst of mj feebleness. If I perish, I perish ; but I know he will not let me perish trusting in hiai." The cherubim and seraphim glorify God with their endless songs, but not more than a poor downcast soul can do when in its distress it casts itself on God alone. See what thou canst do ! Will not this argu- ment move thee to trust, to trust even now, when all things seem to go awry? Some of you can sincerely say, " We would gladly do or suffer anything to glori- fy*^ God." Well, do this : believe in the Lord, and in Jesus Christ, whom he hath sent.

In the next place, it is true that very likely through this darkness of yours you tdll he humbled. Walking in darkness and seeing no light, you will form a very low idea of yourself, and this will be a choice blessing. We undervalue hunnlity, but it is one of the most golden of the graces. Perhaps some of us need hum- bling more than any other operation of the Holy Spirit. I believe that those who despond and despair are all the happier when humility hath had her perfect work upon them. We are so great ! So big ! That letter

" 1" there seems to be a kind of sarcasm in the form

of it : it is such a straight, unbending letter, it never bows its knee or its back ! Peradventure our dark- ness is sent to us to make our pride stoop tow%ards the ground, while it gropes its way. Deliverance from pride will be a lasting gain to us. 0 my friend, thou art getting good by the painful process which reveals to thee thy littleness. Do not fret because thou now

308 TIIE CHILD OF LIGHT WALKING IN DARKNESS.

seest thy folly, thy helplessness, thine emptiness : all this will be a mine of wealtli to thee.

Next to that, if thou canst trust God in thy trial, tliou icilt prove and enjoi/ the potvcr of prayer. The man that has never needed to pray cannot tell Avhether tliere is anything in prayer or not. You that have alwa^'S had your bread every morning, scarcely know the value of that request, " Give us this day our daily bread" : but there are poor people here at this liour to whom that petition is peculiarly sweet. lie that has prayed for his breakfast values the providence which sent it. If thou wast never in thy life in any sort of trial, what knowest thou about prayer ? Why, then, dost thou speak lightly of that which thou understand- est not ? He that has carried his need to the Lord — a s:reat and ura-ent need which could not have been supplied by all the world besides — he, I say, who has gone with that need to his heavenly Father, and plead- ed the promise, and obtained a heavenly reply, he is the man who cau witness that verily there is a God that heareth prayer. Those philosophers that sneer at prayer, what do they know about it? They are strangers to prayer, and therefore unable to judge of its power. Suppose a dozen of them should swear that they have prayed, and that God has not heard their prayers, we should believe it ; and we should also come to the conclusion that prayers from men of their order ought not to be heard. Surely he that cometli to God must believe that he is; and these gentlemen will not even accept that point as certain. But when we pray, and the Lord hears us, can any form of ar- gument disprove a fact? A fact will stand against all reasoning: it is an unyielding rock, ngainst which the waves of scepticism hurl themselves in vain.

THE CHILD OF LIGHT WALKIXG IN DARKNESS. 369

Bretliren, it is the prayer in the dark wliicli brings us most light when we perceive that it is surely heard. How coiildst thou pray, 0 man, if thou hadst all thy desire fuliilled without making request unto God ? If thou Jiadst nothing to pray for, how couldst thou prove the efficacy of prayer ? If thou art so wise, and good, and great that thou canst do without God, go and do without hiui if thou darest. But the poor and needy will still be glad to cry unto him. May God empty thee, and drive thee in agony to thy knees, then shalt thou be able to test whether he is a God that heareth prayer or not !

If in your darkness you will go to God and trust him, you lo'ill become an csfaUished Christian. Yours will not be tliat timid bulrush faith which bows before every wind : you will be rooted and grounded in as- surance of fidth. These trials of yours will help to root you fast in the good soil of confidence in ^Jod. In d;>ys to come you will bless God for the clouds aud the darkness, since through them your tried faith grew into strong faith, and your strong faith ripened in- to full assurance. Doubtless faith will make our nights the fruitful mothei's of brighter days.

And let me clos(^ by saying, that by-and-by — and per- haps much sooner than we think — ive shall come out into greater lir/ht than we have as yet hoped for. Perhaps half-a-mile ahead you will find light springing up, even light which has so long ago been sown for the righteous. Your weeping is nearly over : joy cometh in the morning. You shall sit down and say, "I did not think the day would break so soon ; l)ut now the sun is up, I perceive that even in the night I have been preserved from a thousand dangers, and I have 24

370 THE CHILD OF LIGHT WALL<LXG ILi DARLCNESS.

passed safely where none but the Lord himself could have held me up."

Brethren, let us even now sing unto the Lord a new song, for he hath done marvellous things. He has led the blind by a way that tliey knew not. He has given us treasures of darkness. He has turned our mourn- ing into dancing. He has made us glad in his name. Praise to him for ever, }'ea, praise for evermore.

How loudly some of us will sing when once we get to heaven ! When we leap ashore upon the golden strand how we will magnify that omnipotent love which kept us from ten thousand devouring waves ! Surely in the heavenly choirs certain voices reach to higher notes than all others, for they have known the heights and depths of love divine. There will be a fulness, roundness, and sv>?eetness of tone about cer- tain voices which shall make them notable among the celestials, evenasHeraan, and Asaph, and Ethan were notable amongst the sweet singers of Lsrael in tha temple below. Who are these, and whence came they ? Surely the one answer will be, " These are they that came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb."

Wherefore be of good cheer, O ye people of God who walk in darkness; for you shall have a full reward.

And you, poor troubled ones, who have as yet no hope, and are afraid that God has cast you away for ever, come and rest in Jesus Christ this morning. Trust in Jesus, and defy the darkness and the devil who rules over it. So soon as you dare to trust in Christ Jesus our Lord your salvation is secured. Do but trust, and your Saviour is bound to answer to your trust, and make it good by saving you. The Lord bless you, for Jesus' sake ! Amen.

XVII

MAIi, WHOSE BEEATH IS IN HIS IfOSTRrLS.

" Cease ye from man, whose breath is in his nostrils : for where- in is he to be accounted of? " — Isaiah ii. 22.

Man, especially since the fall, is a very unspiritual creature. His animus is animal. He is made up, as the old writers used to say, of soul and soil. Alas, the soil terribly soils his soul! "My sovA cleaveth to the dust,'' might be the confession of every man in one sense or another. We bear the image ot tlie first Adam, who vv^as of the earth earthy: earthy enough are we.

One consequence of the prevailing materialism of our corrupt nature is oar craving for something tangi- ble, audible, visible, as the object ol our confidence. We want something which can be touched, tieard, seen, or felt: we cannot be content with that which appeals only to the soul or the spirit. It seems as if man is so unspiritual that he cannot believe m a spiritual God ; and yet any other than a spiritual God is an ab- surdity. Man cannot see God; therefore he will not trust in him. He cannot hear his voice; therefore he will not attend to the movement of the Holy Spirit upon his soul. Humanity is carnal, sold under sin, infected with idolatry; and this fact remains true in a measure even of the regenerate. Their old nature is not other than it \tas, save that it is held in check by the nevv nature. So long as sin remaineth in us — and

{•371)

372 MAN, WHOSE BREA Til IS IN HIS NOSTRILS.

this will be so long as ^ve are in tliis body — our ten- dency will be to be weary of God, who is a Spirit, and must be worshipped in spirit and in truth. We Reek after something to worship, something to love, something to rely upon, which is so near akin to the coarser part of our nature that we may commune with it through the senses. It is sad that it should be so, but it has ever been so throughout the history of man, and sad traces of it are to be seen even in the history ot God's own church.

]Man is by nature an idolater. Under the most fa- voral)le circumstances he flies to his idols, even as the dog seeks after carrion, or the vulture hastens to its pre}^ The Lord's people, Israel, were delivered out of Egypt with a high hand and with an outstretched arm, and by many signs and tokens God's presence among them was abundantly certified. This was a no- ble beginning. The circumstances which afterwards surrounded them were specially hopeful. They were placed in the wilderness, where, if they lived at all, they must live through the special protection and pro- vision of God; for they reaped no harvests, and they gathered into no barns: the bread tliey ate fell from heaven, the water tliey drank came from a rock which ha;l been smitten by command of God through the rod of Moses. All day long they were sheltered from the burning sun by a canopy of cloud, and at night the canvas city was made bright by that same canopy turned into a flame of fire. They were in the wilder- ness alone, and apart; shut out from the rest of tlie world, surrounded as it were by the Lord himself, who was a wall of fire round about them, and a glory in their midst. Nothing could have been more favorable for faith in God. Yet they must needs have a god that

MAA; whose breath is in his nostrils. 37J5

they can see. " IMake iis gods to go before ns," cried they with such furious clamor that Aaron yielded to their evil desires, and made them the image of an ox. Behold the people of God, whom he had bronght out of Egypt, bowang before the image of an ox that eateth grass — an image which Moses in sarcasm styled a calf. They turned the glory of the invisible God into that of a brute beast, and said— -"These be thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the laud of Egypt." Then they degraded themselyes, and laid their man- hood prostrate on the ground in adoration of the image of a bull. How is hnmanitj' fallen !

For century after century this was always the ten- dency of Israel, the most spiritual race of men upon the face of the earth. This race, educated by miracle and instructed by revelation, continually w^ent aside after the gods of the heathen. Abraham among his own descendants after the flesh had -few who were like him in his high spiritual faith. The world of spiritual realities seems to be too bright, too holy for the best of such gross and carnal beings as we are.

Tlie people of Isaiah's day were like the rest of their race: they showed their unspiritualness and their in- ability to walk in the light of the Lord by making their own ivecdth their cldef confidence. We read at verse 7 — " Their land also is full of silver and gold, neither is there any end of their treasures"; and then it is added, "their land also is full of idols." Alas! this idolatry of wealth is common among God's people even at this day. " Giye us tliis day our daily bread " is a prayer which falls far short of the general desires even of Christian people. Our demands are for luxu- ries, and plenty of them. I\rany would be coming down in the world very terribly if they had to receive

374 MAN, WHOSE BREA TH IS IN HIS NOSTRILS.

after that frora-hanrl-to-month fashion — day by day their daily bread. Yet the Lord Jesus has put these wort-ls into our mouth. The provideuee of God is to some professing Christians a mere dream: they can- not rest till they have something more substantial to rely upon than the care of heaven. You think I am sarcastic ; is it not true ? See how your 2:)rofessed be- lies^ers hunger to make sure of the main chance: as eagerly as the merest worldlings they scrape and they hoartl. I have not a word to say against that Scriptu- ral prudence which bids us, like the ant, lay by in store for wintry times; but I speak of the hunger to be rich, and of the selfish expenditure which forgets entirely that our substance is to be used for the glory of God, and that v/e are only stewards. I ask again, do not mauy slave, and hoard, and grasp as if there were no promise in the Scriptures of temporal provision from God's own right hand, and no exhortation to lay up our treasures in heaven? Are v/e liars? Do we say that all that we are and have is the Lord's, and do we after this live for ourselves, as if there were no redemp- tion and no hereafter ? That there should be need for the preacher to raise such questions is an indication that there is a common tendency to worship wealth, or at least to regard it as a substantial support.

Nations also, like the Israelitish people, are apt to idolize j9o?yer / yes, even power in the form of brute force. We read — "Their land also is full of horses, neither is there any end of their chariots." Cavalry and war-chariots were as much in repute in that age on land as ironclads are at this day upon the sea; and Israel trusted to these. Jehovah was the guardian of his people, the Lord of hosts is his name. He alone was a match for Egypt and Babylon ; but the kings

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of Israel and Judah thought not so. They could not feel secure without great armies; they must needs multipJy their horses and their chariots. They forgot that " a horse is a vain thing for safety " ; they knew not that in the Lord alone is the salvation of iiis peo- ple. The like feeling crops up among God's people at this day. We pine for visible power, it may be physical or mental, as the case requires; but we thirst to have it available, embodied in some human form. We cannot rest upon God alone and feel that when we are weak we are strong. The Lord taketh not pleas- ure in the strength of the horse nor in the legs of a man, but his people often do. Eh:)quence, cleverness, intellect — these are still the idols which the church dotes upon: she has not yet iniderstood the words, " Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, saitli the Lord," Still we make too much of the instrument and too little of the Divine Worker; still is there more expected from nnisic, arcliitectiire, and oratory, than from the simple gospel and the attendant working of the Holy Ghost. How hardly can men be brought to trust in the invisible God ! Alas V it is still true, " Their land also is full of idols: the mean man bov/etli down, and the great man humbleth himself." 0 Clinrch of God, how long will it be ere tliou believest thy God ?

These people, in tlie heat of their idolatry, set up mwnj idols. They made anything into a God. lie that was so im.poverished that he could not make a God of silver would make an idol out of a tree which would not rot; and having carved and gilded it, he prostrated himself before it. To Avhat a height of folly has a man c^ome when he can do this ! Yoi; tell me that this idolatry is confined to heathen countries.

370 ^^^-^^^^ WHOSE BREATH IS /A HIS NOSTRILS.

Alas! it is not so; idolatiy is common even here. " Little diildren, keep yourselves from idols," is a text that needs still to be preached from — ay, to be preached in Christian congregations; for idols "will intrude themselves into the sanctuary of the Lord. The forms and shapes of modern idols are many and crafty. We see no elephant-headed deity such as is the fear of the Hindoos, and no absurd fetish such as the African dreads ; but more dangerous, because more subtle and secret, forms of idolatry are allowed to re- main in our midst. Oh that the Lord would in his people fulfil the word, '" The idols he shall utterly abol- ish " !

May we not easily make idols <:)l onrsdves? Almost before we are aware of it, we may be thus debased. What more degrading than for a man to worship him- self ! We read of some whoss god is their belly : this is the grosser part of self What heathen ever wor- shipped his own belly ? Yet we all too much trust in ourselves at times — what is this but idolatry? Do we not seek ourselves in a measure — is not tliis idola- try? Do we not reverence our own achievements and attainments — in what does this differ from idolatry? Gods many and lords many have men made unto themselves. Like a child that must have a toy, man must have a visible trust and confidence. For this purpose, "he hath sought ont many inventions." He will even worship reptiles of the river, and plants of the garden, rather than be without a visible deity. Alas, poor fooHsh creature !

I need not enlarge upon this. You all know how true it is that, one way or another, man gets away from the spiritual life which would make God every- thing to him, and he wanders into the sensual region,

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Avhere he either finds another god, or else allows some symbol or priest to stand between him and God, So sadly tlirongh sin is onr nature twisted amd biassed, that we seem to be under the witchery of idolatry.

As I liave already said, there is nothijig more ab- surd in the history of human nature than the fact that man is apt to trust in man. To worship soinething superior to myself is bad enough if it be not God; but to begin to put my dependence upon a man like my- self or upon myself, and so to allow man, who at the best is a sorry creatin-e, t() take the place of God. is indeed a wantonness of evil. Do you Avonder that God has pronounced a curse upon this provoking folly, this insult to his divine majesty ? Hear ye the words of this anathema: " Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm." The sin is none the less accursed because of its commonness. That which God blesses is blest indeed, and that which he curses is cursed with an emphasis. Concerning that sin so common and so accursed I have to speak at this time. May the Lord bless the word that we may be kept from the transgression! Here is the text: "Cease ye from man, whose breath is in his nostrils: for where- in is he to be accounted of? "

We will handle the text thus— First, What is man ? Answer: "His breath is in his nostrils." Secondly, What is to he our relation to man ? " Cease ye from man." And, thirdly, WJnj should we cease from him ? It is answered by another question, Wherein is he to be accounted of? This puts the question, What is there in him or about him that renders him a proper object of reverence or confidence ? May the Holy Spirit send us a profitable meditation !

Our first enquiry is, what is man ? This question is

378 MAN, WHOSE BREATH IS LY HIS NOSTRILS.

asked many times in Scripture, and it has been fre- quently answered with a copiousness of instruction. David even asks of heaven, '• Lord, what is man ? " I will not, however, go over all that wide expanse of thought which the Bible puts before us, but simply answer the enquiry from the point of view of our text.

What is man ? M', is assuredly a veryfeeUe creature, H3 rnust be weak, for '■ his breath is in his nostrils." We measure the strength of a chain by its weakest link. If other links are strong, yet if one is ready to snap, we judge that the whole chain is far from strong, and is not to be depended upon. See, then, how weak man is, for he is weakness itself in a vital point. He has bones that may be hard anil durable, and he has many a strong sinew, tough and wiry, as we some- times say; but there is a weak point about him which is found in a matter on which his life depends, namely, liis breath. And what is our breath ? A vapor which we scarcely see ourselves — a thing so unsubstantial th it when we have it we scarce see it, and yet when we lose it life is gone from us. Our earthly existence dapends upon our breath, and that breath is mere wind. How feeble must that creature be whose vital- ity rests on a foundation so airy and unsubstantial as mere breath 1 A vapor is not more fleeting. We talk of strong men. Is any man strong? We speak of the strength of our constitutions: how is that strong which depends upon a puff of air? It is a marvel that so frail a life is not sooner ended. That we live is mira- culous ; that we die is but natural. Eeadily enough may that house fall which is built, not on sand, but on air. Dr. Watts has well said —

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" Our life coutains a thousand springs, And fails if cue be gone ; Strange that a harp of thousand strings Should keep in tune so long ! "

Dust we are, and that dust hastens to dissolve, and so to return to the kindred dust of the earth. Under our feet are our graves, and above us are the stars which will soon look down upon our silent tombs. The trees cast their leaves, but they grow green again: we shed our life's glories once, and they return no more. Thus the trees outlive us, and beneath their shade wo are reminded that man is far more frail than the tree whioh he fells with the axe. Yea, the very grass which he nov/ mows outlives the mower. Man is a mero shadow: we have scarce time to say that be is before he is not. Are we not foolish if we place our reliance upon sucli a feeble creature, so weak that his breath, his unsubstantial breath, is essential to his life? Who art thou, O man, that trusteth in man ? If thou hast half a grain of wisdom left, how canst thou quit the ever-living God and put thy reliance upon a poor creature who is as the grass, that to-day is and to-morrow is cast into the oven? Go, rest on a reed, or ride upon a moth, or build on a bubble; but rely not upon a man.

i^Joreover, man is a fmil creature ; for his strength must be measured by his fleeting breath, and tliat breath is in his nostrils. It seems as though his life in his breath stood at the gates, ready to be gone, since it is in his nostrils. The text says not that his breath is in his lungs, deep, hidden below, but in his nostrils — at the door, in the most exposed part of the face, at two open portals which can never be shut; as if it meant to secure an easy exit at any moment.

330 ^^A^\ WHOSE BREATH IS LV HIS XOSTRILS.

Bretliren, there are ten thousand gates to death. One man is choked by a grape-stone, another dies through sleeping in a newly whitewashed room ; one receiving death as he passes by a reeking sewer, another finds it in the best kept hoase, or by a chill taken in a walk. Those who study neither to eat nor to drink anything unwholesome, nor go into quarters where the arrows of deatli are flying, yet pass away on a sudden, falling fi-om their couch into a coffin, from their seat into the sepulchre. The other day one of our own brethren sat down in his chair to sleep a moment; but it was his last sleep. Another stuui- bled in his own room never again to rise; these were apparently iu health. Life is never sure for an in- stant. How can we place our trust in a creature which is so soon gone. Shall we make the insect of an hour the object of our fond affection and our chief dependence ? How can we be so foolish as to trust our treasure in a purse made of such a spider's web !? The casket should be fit for the treasure ; do you mean to trust your soul's confideace to a man that shall die — that may die in an hour? 1 asked, " What is man ?" But before the question is answered I have to ask, " Where is he ? " He is gone like a watch in the night. How can we make a dyiug man the object of a living trust ? " Cease ye from man, whose breath is iu his nostrils."

Man is a weak and frail creature ; he is also a dying crea'tiri. Need I further eidarge upon this? To our sorrow, manv of us know that it is so. Some of you had flithers of your flesh, but they passed away and you were fatherless before you could earn your bread. Had not God preseiwed the orphan, you had been miserable indeed. Some of you once leaned upou a

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manlv arm and looked up into the smiling face of a husband; but the dear one has been laid in a grave wet with floods of tears: it is well for you that yoTir Maker dies not. There are those here who once enjoy- ed dear friendsinps: these seemed essential to your lives, but ruthless death has torn Jonathan away from David. It has come closer, and stolen the child from its mother, and the wnfe from the husband. Man is ever dying while he lives. Oh, set not all thy love, or much of thy confidence, or any of thy worship upon a creature that will soon be worm's n^eat.

Contemplate the dead ! What think you now of your idol ? You who could sit down by the hour togeth- er and revel in the sight and company of your beloved object, what think you now of that which you doted on? If you could see it uncovered after a few da^-s you would say, " Deliver me from this noisome smell, this horrible corruption, this dreadful mass of decav ! " Wherefore, could you ever be so vain and foolish and bereft of reason as to make a thing that comes to this your trust and confidence ? The prophet says, " Who art thou, that thou shouldst be afraid of a man that shall die, and of the son of man which shall be made as grass; and forgettest the Lord thy maker, that hath stretched forth the heavens, and laid the founda- tions of the earth." In this he rebukes our fears, but equally rebukes our carnal trusts.

But I think that the text also reminds us that man is a very ficlde creature. His breath is in his '-nostrils." That is where he wears his life, and this hints to u.s that he is sadly changeable. As his breath is afiect- ed by his health, so is he changed. To-day he loves, and to-morrow he hates; he promises fair, but he for- gets his words. He swears that he will be faithful

382 MAN, WHOSE BREA TH IS h\ HIS XOSTRILS.

unto death, and anon he betrays the confidence reposed in him. No dependence can be wisely placed in him. 0 man ! 0 woman ! Change is written on thy brow. The lapse of years alters thee, yea, the flight of days and lionrs suffices to transform theel We may better trust the winds and waves than thee! David said in his haste, " All men are liars." That ma}^ not be qaite true, and may bear the mark of hasty judgment; but it is a rough-hewn truth, which is far more accurate than flattering compliments. David might have deliberated, and then have said vjry much the same thing with great certainty. In so:ne senses the broad verdict is correct as it stands; for if we make an arm of flesh our trust, to whomso- ever that arm belongs, we shall find that we have rested on a broken reed. In the time of our calamity, when we most need help, we shall find that mortal assistance is either gone through falsehood, or is in- competent through feebleness. Then shall we know the curse of trusting in man, whose breath is in his nostrils. Who will stand by us when we are slander- ed ? Does not that winter make all the swallows take to their wings? Who can help us when the soul is in despair ? 0 my brothers ! who can help us when our spirit is wounded, when the arrows of grief pierce the heart? Who can help us when we come to die? When the mysteries of eternity darken around us, and we quit the light of day, what friend or fond one can be at our side as wo enter the unknown land ? There are certain points of life in which every man must tread a lonely pathway. We then need God, and if we have made a god of any man, v/hat shall we do? Ah me ! what reason we have to look to him who is ever the same! Kemember how he savs, "I am the

MAN, WHOSE BREATH IS IN HIS NOSTRHS. 383

Lord, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed."

If you read the chapter through, you will also find that man is a tremUing creature, a cowardly creature, a creature indeed who, if he were not cowardly, yet has abundant reason to fear. Read from the nineteenth verse: " They shall go into the holes of the rocks, and into the caves of the earth, for fear of the Lord, and for the glory of his majesty, when he ariseth to shake terribly the earth. In that day a man shall cast his idols of silver and his idols of gold, which they made each one for himself to worship, to the moles and to the bats; to go into the clefts of the rocks, and into the tops' of the ragged rocks, for fear of the Lord, and for the glory of his majesty, when he ariseth to shake terribly the earth." Think of the days of divine wrath, and especially of the last dread day of Judg- ment, and of the dismay which will then seize upon many of the proud and the great. Are you going to make these your confidants ? Are you going to give up Christ for the sake of the smile of these who will wail in terror when he comes ? Is it so, that for the sake of some young man or woman who loves not God, and one day must quail before the coming Judge, you \xi\\ let your Lord and Saviour go ? It is concern- ing such a temptation as this that the text thunders at you: " Cease ye from man, whose breath is in his nos- trils," who will fear and tiy and lose his breath in very dread at the appearing of the Lord. Cease to regard these as the fond objects of your love and trust, lest the cm-se of God should lie upon your soul throughout eternity. 0 my hearers, hearken to this !

So much concerning what man is, according to our

384 ^^-4.\; WHOSE BREA TH IS IN HIS NOSTRILS.

test. Is it not a powerful argument against placing man where God alone should be ?

II. Secondly, what is to be our relation to man, or what does the text mean when it says, " Cease ye from

It implies, does it not, that we very probably have too much to do with this poor creature man already ? We cannot" cease" from that with which we have nothing to do. The text implies that in all probability we have entered into connections with man which will need changing. We may even require to reverse our present conduct, break up unions, cancel alliances, and alter the whole tenor of our conduct.

" Cease ye from man " means, first, cease to idolize him in your love. Do any of you idolize any living person ? Answer honestly. It is very common to idolize children. A mother who had lost her babe fretted and rebelled about it. She happened to be in a meeting of the Society of Friends, and there was nothing spoken that morning except this word by one female Friend, who was moved, I doubt not, by the Spirit of God, to say, " A^erily, I perceive that children are idols." She did not know the condition of that mourner s mind, but it was the right word, and she to whom God applied it knew how true it was. She sub- mitted her rebellious will, and at once was comforted. Cease ye from these little men and women ; for, though you prize them so, they are of the race from which you are to cease. Cease ye from them, for their breath is in their nostrils, and indeed it is but feel)ly there in childhood. A proper and right love of child- ren should be cultivated; but to carry this beyond its due measure is to grieve the Spirit of God. Ifj'ou make idols of children you have done the worst you

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can for tliein, whether they live or die. Cease from such folly.

I will not go into the raany instances in which men have been idolized politically, or idolized by a blind following of their teaching. You can idolize a minis- ter, you can idolize a poet, you can idolize a patron ; but in so doing you break the first and greatest of the commandments, and you anger the Most High. He declares himself to be a jealous God, and he will not yield his throne to another. Upon any who are thus erring, let me press the text home: "Cease ye from man, whose breath is in his nostrils: for wherein is he to be accounted of? "

Next, "Cease ye from man": cease to idolize Mm in your titist There is a measure of confidence that we may place in good and gracious men, for they are worthy of it; but a blind confidence in any noan is altogether evil. I care not who he may be, you cannot read his heart; and some of the greatest de- ceptions that have ever been wrought in this Avorld have been accomplished by persons who seemed to be self-evidently honest and sincere. I remember con- versing with a person, who was concerned in one of the great speculations which brought loss and ruin to many, and as 1 looked into his honest face and heard his open-hearted talk, I said to myself, '• This is not a man wlio is capable of robbery. He is a plain, blunt, farmer- like sort of a man, who might even be the victim of the confidence trick." I afterward learned that this is the usual style of a man who pug's a company, or betrays a trust. Of course if a man looks like a thief, you but- ton up your pockets, and smile if he invites you to take shares; but you are off your guard when the man appears to be the embodiment of simple honesty. 25

380 MAN, WHOSE BREA TH IS IX HIS NOSTRILS.

The woman in the omiiibiis who picks your pocket looks like the last person to be capable of such a thing, and this is why she is able to do it. Transfer this knowledge to other matters, and it may save you sorrow. If you get trusting anybody with a blind confidence beyond what you ought to give, and espec- ially if you trust your soul with any priest or preacher, whoever he may be, you are a fool, and your folly may turn out to be an everlasting mischief, which can nev- er be undone. Hear you this, and learn what God would teach you. " Cease ye from man, whose breath is in his nostrils : for wherein is he to be accounted of?" Do not idolize man by laying yourself at his feet, or following him in the dark; for it will not oidy bo in itself a folly, but it will bring you under the curse of my text.

Cease to idolize any man hy giving Mm undue honor. There is au honor to be paid to all, for the apostle says, "Honor all men." A measure of courtesy and respect is to be paid to every person, and particularly to those whose offices demand it; therefore is it writ- ten, " Honor the king." Some also, by their character, deserve much respect from their fellow-men, and I trust we shall never refuse " honor to whom honor is due"; but there is a limit to this, or we shall become sycophants and slaves, and, what is worse, idolaters. It grieves one to see how certain persons dare not even think, much less speak, till they have asked how other people think. In some congregations there are weak people who do not know whether they have liked the sermon till they have asked a certain venerable critic to whom they act as echoes. The bulk of people are like a flock of sheep : there is a gap, and if one sheep goes through, all will follow. If the ringleader should

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happen to be an infidel or a new-theology man, so much the worse ; if he should happen to be orthodox, it is much better in some ways; but then it is a pity that people should follow the truth in so thoughtless a manner. Public opinion is a poor substitute for con- science, and is no substitute at all for righteousness and truth. Because the general opinion bids you bow down before this man or that, will you do so ? Will you forget God, and conscience, and right, and truth, and ask another man to tell you when you may breathe ? God's people should scorn such grovelling. If the Son shall make you free, you will be free indeed. Jesus loves that the soldiers in his host should own his supremacy; but once owning him as Lord, he would have them- feel that no man or set of men shall draw them away from his word, either in doctrine or in precept. Worship is for God only: render it to him, and " Cease from man, whose breath is in his nostrils."

Equally does the text bid us cease from tliefear of man. Oh, how many are kept from doing right through some man or some woman, wealthy relative, or influ- ential friend! Are there not men in workshops who join with others in their ribaldry because they are afraid to speak out lest they should be laughed at and marked as hypocrites ? Are there not persons in well- to-do circles who must attend a certain place of wor- ship because all the respectable people go there ? No matter which way conscience would take them, they are bound to follow the fashion: the fear of men is upon them. They do not want to be despised and re- marked upon. But, my dear friends, if any of you are doing wrong under fear of men, do not excuse your- selves, but at once obey the word which says, "Cease

388 ^^^-i-^", WHOSE BREATH IS m HIS NOSTRILS.

ye from man, whose breath is in his nostrils." Who are you that you sliould set man before God ? Is not this a grievous presumption ? The fear of God ought so to be before your eyes that the fear of man will not weigh ^Yith you in the least. " I fear man," said one, '' but I fear God inlinitely more ": this was near the mark. Our Lord said, " Fear not liim that can kill the bo^'y, but afterwards hath no more that he can do; but fear him wlio can can cast both body and soul into hell; yea, I say unto you, Fear him." Dismiss the craven fear which would make you false to jonr con- victions in any degree, and thus " cease from man."

Once more, cease/rom being worried about men. We ought to do all we can for our fellow-men to set them right and keep them riglit, both by teaching and by example; but certain folks think that everything must go according to their wishes, and if we cannot see eye to eye with them, they worry themselves and us. This is not right, and that is not right, and indeed nothing is right but what is hammered on their anvil. Let us please our neighbor for his good, for edification, but let us not become men-pleasers, nor grieve inor- dinately because unreasonable persons are not satisfied with us. To our own Master we stand or fall, and in- terfering brethren must be so good as to remember that we are not their servants, but we serve the Lord Christ.

Moreover, brethren, let us not be unduly cast down if we cannot set everybody right. Truly, the body politic, common society, and especially the church, may cause us great anxiety; but still the Lord reign- eth, and we are not to let ourselves die of grief. After all, our Lord does not expect us to rectify everything, for he only requires of us what he enables ne to do.

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We are not magistrates, nor dictators, and when we have done our best and kept our own garments clean, and given earnest warning, and cried unto God by reason of the evil of the times, then this Avord comes in, " Cease ye from man, whose breath is in his nos- trils: for wherein is he to be accounted of?"

" Bui tliey say." What do they say ? Let them say. It will not hurt you if you can only gird up the loins of your mind, and cease from man. "Oh, but they have accused me of this and that." Is it true ? " No, sir, it is not true, and that is why it grieves me." That is why it should not grieve you. If it were true it ought to trouble you ; but if it is not true let it alone. If an enemy has said anything against your character it will not always be worth while to answer him. Silence has both dignity and argument in it. Nine times out often if a boy makes a blot in his copy-book and borrows a knife to take it out, he makes the mess ten times worse; and as in your case there is no blot after all, you need not make one by attempting to re- move what is not there. All the dirt that falls upon a good man will brush off when it is dry: but let him wait till it is dry, and not dirty his hands with wet mud. " Cease ye from man, whose breath is in his nostrils."

Brethren in Christ, let us think more of God and less of man. Come, let the Lord our God fill the whole horizon of our thoughts. Let our love go forth to him; let us delight ourselves in him. Let us trust in him that liveth for ever, in him whose promise never faileth, in hiju who will be with us in life, and in death, and through eternity. Oh that we lived more in the society of Jesus, more in the sight of God ! Let man go behind our back, and Satan too.

S90 MAN, WHOSE BREATH IS IN HIS NOSTRILS.

We cannot spend our lives in seeking the smiles of men, for pleasing God is the one object we pursue. Oar hand.^, ami our heads, and our hearts, and all that we have and are, find full occupation for the Lord, and therefore we must "Cease from man."

Cease ye from man because you have come to know the best of men, vv^lio is more than man, even the Lord Jesus Christ, and he has so fully become the beloved of your souls, that none can compare with him. Rest in Christ as to your sins, and cease from priests. Rest, also, in the great Father as to your providential cares; why rest in men when he careth for you ? Rest in the H0I3' Spirit as to your spiritual needs; why need to depend on man ? Yea, throw yourself wholly and en- tirely upon the God all-sufficient, El Shaddai, as Scripture calls him. Some read it, " the many- breasted God," who is able to supply from himself all the needs of his creatures. He will do for us exceedingly abun- dantly above all that we ask or even think. " 0 rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for him," and cease ye from man. That was a wise and tender word of our Saviour to the woman who had washed his feet. He said to her, " Thy sins be forgiven thee; " and then, as they began to cavil at her, and talk about the expense and the waste of the ointment, he added to her, " Thy faith hath saved thee ; go in peace " : as much as to say, " They are going to have a discussion about you, but do you go out of earshot of it. They are going to criticise what you have done, do not tarry to hear them, but go home. 1 have accepted you, let that be enough for you; never mind them. Do not want to know their opinions." Oftentimes to a child of God it is the best advise that can be given — "Go in peace," Certain doubters are about to argue; let them argue

MAN, WHOSE BREATH IS lA HIS NOSTRILS. 391

to themselves, but do you go in peace. Why do you want to kuow the last new doubt ? Would you like to taste the last new poison ? " Prove all things," but when it has been proved to be evil have done with it. Do not want to hear that which can only tend to stagger your faith and defile your conscience. You have heard enough of that stuff already; go in peace. When men begin to cavil at Christ and the doctrines of grace, cease from them. Steal away to Jesus in private prayer. Five minutes' communion with your Lord will be worth five years of this idle talk. Go m peace, and " Cease from man, whose breath is in his nostrils." Do you hear that one professor declares that there is no God, and another that there is no providence, and another that there is no atoning sacri- fice, and another that there is no hereafter ? Now that we know that a mad dog is about, let us keep out of his way. It does not matter who he is ; we have nothing-^ to do with him. When a thief meets me, I need not stay even to say, " Good night " to him. Cease ye from such a man, for the very breath, of bis nostrils breathes death to that which is good.

III. We finish with that last question : Why are WE TO CEASE FROM MAN? The auswcr is, lecause he is nothing to he accounted cf. Begin, dear brethren, by ceas- ing from yourselves. Every man must cease from him- self first, and then he must cease from all men, as his hope and his trust, because neither ourselves nor others are worthy of such confidence. " Wherein is he to be accounted of?" If his breath is in his nostrils, see how short his life is, wherein is he to be accounted of? If his breath is in'his nostrils, see how weak he is, wherein is he to be accounted of? If his breath is in

392 MA A; WHOSE BREA Til IS IN HIS NOSTRILS.

his nostrils, see how fickle he is, wherein is he to be accounted of?

What figure shall I put down for man ? Some men would wish to have themselves written down at a very- high figure, but a cipher is quite sufficient. Write man is nothing, and you are somewhat abov^e the mark. Wherein is he to be accounted of? Compared with God man is less than nothing and vanity. ' Reck- on him so, and act upon the reckoning. If there were no men on the face of the earth, how would you live? If God alone filled all your thought and all your heart, how would you live ? Live just S(X Then if there be a thousand million men upon the face of the globe — and there are more — they will not sway you. If the city teems with them, and if the forum is disturbed with their noise, and if they ride up to the capitol in tri- umph, what is that ? We have ceased from them, and we shall never have cause to regret it, for they will be no loss to us. If we try to reckon up what the loss might be if we lost their aid, it comes to nothing; for wherein are they to be accounted of. Cease from them and go straight on in the path of faith and duty, resting in God and believing in him. Care nothing for the vanity of vanities, but trust in the Verity of verities, even God himself.

This is a special subject, and some one will say, "Can such a text as this be useful for the ungodly ? " Yes, it hits the nail on the head. Som.e of you have been trying to save yourselves. " Cease ye from man." You have been looking to your feelings: you have been looking to your works ; you have been looking to this and that of your own; cease ye altogether from that evil man — yourself. Wherein are you to be ac- counted of? Some of you have kept back from Christ

MAX, WHOSE BREATH IS lA^ HIS NOSTRILS. 393

because you have made much of this poor nobody that is crushed before the moth, this worm of the earth, this mere vapor. Now, rise above your dead selves and think more of God. Believe that he is, end that heis therewarder ofthem that diligently seek him, and may his Holy Spirit help you now to come and commit your souls into the hands of the risen Redeemer, even unto him who is able to save you and keep you to the end God so help you for Jesus Christ's sake ! Ameiio

['mS',?." /"/"Mlogrcal Sen

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