NYPL RESEARCH LIBRARIES
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IMF i^Y'frr^K
PUBLfC If^KARY
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I^^^lf^^i The Rt. Rev. Ashton Oxenden f^fft
T.T. .^ Author of "The Pathway of Safety" *^*teC^>^
j0|^M Philadelphia^; .^ W'- r7^-<W
THE NEW YORK
PUBLIC LIBRARY
7838r8A
ASTOR, LENOX AND
TILDEJS FOUNDATIONS
R 1935 L
Copyrighted, 1896, by Henry Altemus.
HENRY ALTEMUS, MANUFACTURER.
PHILADELPHIA.
CONTENTS.
PAGE
I. Living Without God 7
II. The Turning-point in the Christian Life . 23
III. Christ the Life of the Soul . . . .38
IV. Living to God 52
V. The Great Work of Life . . . .66
VI. The Great End of Life 82
VII. The Word of God, the Nutriment of the
Christian Life ...... 97
VIII. Preaching, A Saving Ordinance in the Chris-
tian Life .112
IX. Prayer, The Breath of the Christian Life . 125
X. The Lord's Day, The Holiday of the Chris-
tian Life 141
^^Ir ^ XI. Public Worship, The Outburst of the Chris-
^^ tian Life 157
. -^ XII. The Holy Communion, The Bond of the
Christian Life 167
^- XIII. The Holy Spirit, The Seal of the Christian
O' Life 181
0* (5)
6 CONTENTS.
XIV. The Christian Life, A Daily Progress . .192'
XV. The Christian Life, A Daily Struggle . . 206
XVI. The Christian Life, A Life of Joy . . 220
XVII. The Christian Life in Heaven . . . 232
THE CHRISTIAN LIFE.
CHAPTER I.
LIVING WITHOUT GOD.
How can I live well ? and how can
I die well ? are two of the most im-
portant inquiries we can make. I wish
every one of my readers was really anxious
to have them answered. I wish that every
one now taking the Bible in hand felt a real
earnest desire to know the way of life, and
to walk in it.
Blessed Spirit of God, give us this anxiety.
Awaken in us this longing. Give us now
thirsting souls, which only Thy truth can
satisfy. Bless the writer of this volume.
Enable him to speak for Thee. And send
none away from the perusal of this book
empty and unfed.
" The Christian Life " is a subject of much
importance; and I do trust that it may
interest you and do you much good.
" The Christian Life " — this is my subject ;
(7).
8 THE CHRISTIAN LIFE.
and my first chapter will be on Liviiig with-
out God.
St. Paul speaks in his Epistle to the
Ephesians of those who have not yet entered
on the Christian Life, and have therefore
" no hope, and are without God in the world."
Who are these ? There were many in
his day, and there are many now, living
just as he describes, without hope and
without God.
The Gospel had only reached Ephesus
about ten years before these words were
written. Even these very Christians whom
he addresses were, a short time before, in
all the misery and darkness of heathenism.
There was no one to show them the way of
salvation. No one in that famous city knew
that there was a Saviour, or could give any
tidings of that other world to which they
were all hastening. But now the light from
above had shone upon them : the " Sun of
Righteousness " had risen upon them with
*' healing in his wings."
That was the happiest day that ever
dawned upon Ephesus, when Three Stran-
gers made their appearance in its streets,
proclaiming the glorious news of salvation.
LIVING WITHOUT GOD. g
These were Paul, and his two friends Aquila
and Priscilla — Paul the Preacher, and Aquila
and Priscilla his helpers.
The Apostle's preaching was greatly blest
in that city, and numbers were gathered
into the fold of Christ. This then was the
little Christian Church, or company of Be-
lievers, to whom he afterwards wrote his^
epistle. In the chapter to which I have al-
luded he reminds them what their state had
once been, and what grace had done for
them. " At that time," he says, " ye were
without Christ, being aliens from the com-
monwealth of Israel, and strangers from
the covenants of promise, having no hope,
and without God in the world."
Now, perhaps some will say, " Thank God,
we were never in that state." The words
may suit those blind Ephesians ; but we, at
all events, were never in so godless and
hopeless a condition as this.
But in point of fact we were in a worse
condition. Yes, you and I were once even
worse than they ever were. They were
blind, it is true ; but we had eyes, and yet
would not see. All was light around us ;
but was there not darkness, o;ross darkness.
lo THE CHRISTIAN LIFE.
within ? They were ignorant of the way
of Hfe ; we knew it, but did not walk in it.
They had never heard of a Saviour: we
were baptized in His name. We outwardly
belonged to Him ; but our hearts were
closed against Him.
Was not this the case with all of us once ?
Is it not the case with many of us now ?
And if the state of the ignorant heathen,
and of the unbelieving Jew, is a sad one,
oh, sadder still is the state of the heedless
Christian — ** having no hope, and without
God in the world."
Let us take these two expressions sep-
arately ; for they are both full of meaning.
" Having no hope ? " How is it with the
mere nominal Christian ? Has he any hope ?
Take the first man you meet, and ask him
what his hope is. Perhaps he is one who
entirely neglects God, a thoroughly irre-
ligious man. But he does not acknowledge
that he is altogether without hope. He will
say, " I know I am not serving the Lord.
My conscience often whispers to me that
all is not right. But then I hope to be one
day different. It must be indeed a long
LIVING WITHOUT GOD. ii
lane that has no turning in it. Others have
turned, and I hope I shall before I die."
Yes, he has a hope. This is his hope —
that he will one day come right.
The next person you come across is not
a right down bad man ; but he is a little
thoughtless — rather fond of the world. He
will say, " I have wronged no man. I have
defrauded no man. I am no one's enemy
except perhaps my own. Surely God will
not be so strict as He is represented to be.
If I do not find mercy, there will be thou-
sands in a worse condition than myself"
This is his hope.
You see a third, who is upright, honest,
regular, and in every respect well conducted.
Not a word was ever whispered against him.
He is a kind person, a straightforward man
of business, a good master, or a faithful ser-
vant. He is a church-goer too — punctual
in his place in God's House. His knees
are bent in prayer morning and evening.
His Bible is read, if not every day, most
days at least, when nothing interferes to
prevent it. Has not this man a hope ?
Yes, certainly ; and what is it ? Why, he
hopes that as a matter of course all must
12 THE CHRISTIAN LIFE.
be right with him ; and that the gate of
heaven will be opened to one so worthy.
Each one of these, you see, has a ki7id of
hope. And yet what is it worth ? In
point of fact it is worth nothing. It only
deceives. It only gives a false peace. It
acts as a soothing lotion to the conscience.
It is like untempered mortar, which looks
well enough when daubed upon the wall ;
but when the storm comes the wall will fall
to pieces. In each of these cases which I
have mentioned the hope of the Bible is
wanting. Neither of them has a really
Christian hope.
Remember, there is such a thing as a
false hope — a hope that will utterly fail us.
We read in the Book of Job, that " the hypo-
crite's hope shall perish ;" his " trust shall be
a spider's web." And suppose a man were
to trust to a mere spider's web — suppose a
drowning man were to cling to it — would
he not be sure to perish? Then, just as
surely will those be lost who lean upon such
broken reeds as I have described.
But, thank God, there is a hope, better,
stronger, and more true than these — a hope
which the Apostle speaks of as " sure and
LIVING WITHOUT GOD. 13
steadfast," like the firmly grounded anchor
to which the ship is moored, and then is
able to defy the storm.
The Christian's hope is certain. Those
are blessed words in our Burial Service —
blessed words, when read over the grave
of a true Believer, of one who has really
died in the Lord — " We therefore commit
his body to the ground, earth to earth, ashes
to ashes, dust to dust, in sure and certain
hope of the resurrection to eternal life,
through our Lord Jesus Christ."
Yes, the Christian's hope is certain ; for
it rests, not on what he himself has done,
or upon the promise of a fellow-worm, but
upon what Christ has done for him, and
on the unchangeable word and promise of
his God.
You know, I dare say, that in the very
centre of the city of London stands the
great Cathedral of St. Paul's. The last time
I passed by it, a few weeks ago, I saw num-
bers of people in the street with their eyes
directed towards something high up on the
steeple. I stopped, and looked also ; and
there, far aloft, almost out of sight, could be
seen a man working in a kind of cradle. It
14 THE CHRISTIAN LIFE.
seemed as though he was in the utmost
peril ; but in fact he was secure. It made
one giddy to watch him ; but he was quite
safe. There was a strong rope to which he
was slung, which passed upwards, and en-
tered through a trap-door above him ; and
this rope was fastened to a stout beam with-
in. The wind might whistle around him,
but he had nothing to fear. He could look
upon the dizzy crowd below, but he felt no
alarm ; he was safe.
What a picture of the Christian ! In
the hour of his greatest weakness, he looks
up to heaven and feels that all is secure.
There is his Father, seated on His eternal
throne ! There is his Saviour — no longer a
suffering, dying Saviour, but a living Saviour,
an Almighty Saviour — who has paid the
debt, and now rejoices to bless His saved
ones. TJicre is his anchor, firmly grounded.
There is his hope, firmly fixed, as the Apos-
tle says, " within the veil." And if he clings
to this, nothing can ever harm him. Satan
may tempt and harass him ; but none can
pluck him out of his Father's hands.
Trials may come ; sickness may come ;
death may come : but ** underneath are the
LIVING WITHOUT GOD. 15
everlasting arms," bearing him up. Who
can move him from his strong, firm hold ?
*' Who shall lay anything to the charge of
God's elect? It is God that justifieth. Who
is he that condemneth ? It is Christ that
died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is
even at the right hand of God, who maketh
intercession for us."
Ah, but there are thousands in Christian
England — numbers whom you yourself
know — of whom it may be said, They have
no hope.
But now let us look at the other expres-
sion, " without God in the world." There
are very many, who are living in God's
world, but seem to forget that it is His world,
and that He is the great Lord of it.
God is not in their thoughts, in their
plans, in their homes, or in their hearts.
He is not in their Thoughts. They rise
in the morning ; say a short prayer, it may
be ; and then set about the business of the
day. They eat their food ; but forget the
hand that feeds them. The very animals
about them put them to shame ; for " The
ox knoweth his owner, and the ass his mas-
1 6 THE CHRISTIAN LIFE.
ter's crib ; but my people, says the Lord, do
not consider." They receive mercies ; but
they take them as a matter of course, never
hfting up their hearts to Him who is the
gracious Giver of them. They have con-
tinual wants; but they do not apply to Him
who is ever ready to relieve them. Hour
after hour passes, without one look, one cry,
one desire being raised heavenward.
I ask. Is it not so with some who read
this book ? Have there not been many days
of our lives, w^hen we have lived as if there
was no God above us, and no Saviour near
us ? Yes, and even the more serious of us,
how often do we forget God ! How very
few are those moments during the day,
when He is foremost and uppermost in our
thoughts !
Then, too, God is not in our Plans.
We are always scheming for our happiness ;
some in one way, and some in another. The
merchant embarks in a speculation. He
lays out his money in the hope of getting a
good return for it. The farmer parcels out
his land to the best advantage. He sows
his fields, and expects to fill his barns. The
servant leaves a situation in the hope of
LIVING WITHOUT GOD. 17
bettering herself. We determine to do this
or that to-morrow. We lay our plans for
weeks and months to come.
But has God nothing to do with all these
arrangements ? No, perhaps nothing in our
view of the matter. We have never con-
sulted Him. We have acted altogether
without Him. And yet we cannot move a
single step — we cannot succeed in a single
instance — without His interference.
It is true, we do succeed oftentimes appar-
ently without His help. He gives us suc-
cess without our seeking it. But what is
that success worth ? It is an awful thing to
see a godless man prospering — to see him
grow richer and richer — to see his flocks
and herds increasing — and yet no blessing
with it. Better is it to have all our plans
fail — better to have our schemes fall to the
ground — than to prosper, but " without
God."
Think of this, my friend. Begin life anew.
Rearrange your plans. " Commit thy way
unto the Lord : trust also in Him, and He
shall bring it to pass." It is right, quite
right, to provide for the future. It is right
to be " active in business." But we must also
I8 THE CHRISTIAN LIFE.
be " fervent in spirit, serving the Lord."
Happy the man who takes God into part-
nership with him ; and who desires that
every work may be " begun, continued, and
ended in Him."
Again, there are some of us who must
own that God is not in our Houses. Friends
are welcome. Visitors are admitted. But
He, the truest Friend, the best Visitor, is
shut out. And yet where God is, there is
peace — peace in that home, in that family,
in those hearts.
It is very painful to go into a house, and
feel that there are comforts there : there is
everything there that marks care, and at-
tention, and regularity. Perhaps the mas-
ter and mistress are kind, and civil, and
pleasant in their manner. But there is a
deficiency in that house. One thing is want-
ing, and that the chiefest of all. God is
not there. Many things are thought of,
and many things done ; but the " one
thing needful " is neglected. Alas ! is not
this the case with some houses and cottages
where we often enter ?
Hear what the Lord Himself says, " I will
be the God of all the families of Israel,
LIVING WITHOUT GOD. 19
and they shall be my people." " The curse
of the Lord is in the house of the wicked ;
but He blesseth the habitation of the just."
Now, whether you are rich or poor, see
that God is with you, dwelling with you,
taking up His abode in the midst of you.
And there is one thing that I would earn-
estly press upon you, and that without de-
lay— if you have not established Family
Prayer in your household, do so immedi-
ately, from this very day. A blessing will
come with it. I know it will. For God
has declared, *' Them that honor me I will
honor."
But there is another place from which
God is often, very often, shut out — from
our hearts.
There it is that He loves to dwell. ** Thus
saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth
eternity, whose name is Holy, I dwell in the
high and holy place, with him also that is
of a contrite and humble spirit."
The treasure of the Miser is in his heart.
His money may be placed in the bank.
It may be hoarded up there, or else put
out to interest. But its hateful savor — the
taste of it — the miserable love of it — is within
20 THE CHRISTIAN LIFE.
him : his heart is full of it. And so, if our
treasure is in heaven, if God is our God,
and Christ our Friend, then surely we shall
feel His presence in our hearts, comforting
us, warming us, filling us with joy and peace
and gladness.
Ah, if you are one in whose heart God
has no place, you are not happy. I know
you cannot be. You may have friends and
children to cheer you. You may have bread
enough and to spare. The world may smile
upon you. But you cannot say, " I am
happy." You cannot lift up your heart and
say, " Thank God, there is peace, blessed
peace, in my soul."
And now a word or two more before the
chapter closes.
Ask yourself, Does St. Paul's language
describe me ? Is it possible that / can have
been living hitherto " without God," and
that if I die it will be " without hope ? "
Think what it is to live ivitJiotit God — to
feel that He is at a distance from you — that
He is 3^our God, and yet you have nothing
to do with Him. Oh tremble to live another
hour, another moment, without Him. Do
LIVING WITHOUT GOD. 21
not dare to begin another day without ask-
ing Him to be with you, to guide, and direct,
and keep, and bless you. Do not dare to
lay your head upon your pillow another
night, without asking Him who is the
Keeper of Israel to be your Keeper. Say
to yourself, ** From this day I will begin a
new life. God shall be my God. I will
yield myself up to Him."
And think also what it is to die withotit
hope. In that lonely, solitary hour, when
heart and flesh fail — when the world is melt-
ing away from under us — when friends can-
not help us, and thousands of gold and
silver, if we had them, could give us no
consolation — when life is ebbing fast, and
death draws nearer, and eternity lies out-
spread before us — then to have no hope, no
Father's arm to support us, no Saviour to
cling to as our refuge — who can tell the mis-
ery of this? Oh that it may not be so with
you ! Oh that you may ** turn to the strong-
hold," as a " prisoner of hope ! " Oh that
you may flee to Christ to-day, before the
night comes, when He will be shut out
from us for ever !
May the Lord Himself speak to some
22 THE CHRISTIAN LIFE.
heart which He has never reached before !
May He send His grace into that heart!
May He disturb you, if you are asleep ! May
He prick your conscience, if it is dull ! May
He never leave you till you have heartily
entered upon that new and Christian Life,
of which I shall speak to you in the next
chapter.
CHAPTER II.
THE TURNING-POINT IN THE CHRISTIAN LIFE.
Let me begin by saying a word or two
about the subject which has already been
brought before you in the last chapter —
Living witJwut hope, and ivitlwut God in the
world. A fearful subject ! And if it has
left any impression of your heart, I am
very thankful for it. If I spoke strongly it
was because I felt strongly. And if I
seemed to deal harshly with you, it was
because I wish faithfully to tell you the
truth ; and because, much as I desire your
favor, I desire far more to win your soul.
Thank God, there is a Turning-point in
the career of many of us. Thank God,
there is a time with many of us, when
we turn out of the broad path of the
world, and heartily endeavor to walk in the
narrow way of God. Though we never see
the tawny Ethiopian change his skin, or the
mottled leopard his spots, blessed be God,
(23)
6 CONTENTS.
XIV. The Christian Life, A Daily Progress . .192
XV. The Christian Life, A Daily Struggle . . 206
XVI. The Christian Life, A Life of Joy . . 220
XVII. The Christian Life in Heaven . . . 232
THE CHRISTIAN LIFE.
CHAPTER I.
LIVING WITHOUT GOD.
How can I live well ? and how can
I die well ? are two of the most im-
portant inquiries we can make. I wish
every one of my readers was really anxious
to have them answered. I wish that every
one now taking the Bible in hand felt a real
earnest desire to know the way of life, and
to walk in it.
Blessed Spirit of God, give us this anxiety.
Awaken in us this longing. Give us now
thirsting souls, which only Thy truth can
satisfy. Bless the writer of this volume.
Enable him to speak for Thee. And send
none away from the perusal of this book
empty and unfed.
" The Christian Life " is a subject of much
importance; and I do trust that it may
interest you and do you much good.
" The Christian Life " — this is my subject ;
(7)
8 THE CHRISTIAN LIFE.
and my first chapter will be on Livi?ig with-
out God.
St. Paul speaks in his Epistle to the
Ephesians of those who have not yet entered
on the Christian Life, and have therefore
*' no hope, and are without God in the world."
Who are these ? There were many in
his day, and there are many now, living
just as he describes, without hope and
without God.
The Gospel had only reached Ephesus
about ten years before these words were
written. Even these very Christians whom
he addresses were, a short time before, in
all the misery and darkness of heathenism.
There was no one to show them the way of
salvation. No one in that famous city knew
that there was a Saviour, or could give any
tidings of that other world to which they
were all hastening. But now the light from
above had shone upon them : the " Sun of
Righteousness " had risen upon them with
*' healing in his wnngs."
That was the happiest day that ever
dawned upon Ephesus, when Three Stran-
gers made their appearance in its streets,
proclaiming the glorious news of salvation.
LIVING WITHOUT GOD. 9
These were Paul, and his two friends Aquila
and Priscilla — Paul the Preacher, and Aquila
and Priscilla his helpers.
The Apostle's preaching was greatly blest
in that city, and numbers were gathered
into the fold of Christ. This then was the
little Christian Church, or company of Be- ^
lievers, to whom he afterwards wrote \\\s>\
epistle. In the chapter to which I have al-
luded he reminds them what their state had
once been, and what grace had done for
them. " At that time," he says, " ye were
without Christ, being aliens from the com-
monwealth of Israel, and strangers from
the covenants of promise, having no hope,
and without God in the world."
Now, perhaps some will say, ** Thank God,
we were never in that state." The words
may suit those blind Ephesians ; but we, at
all events, were never in so godless and
hopeless a condition as this.
But in point of fact we were in a worse
condition. Yes, you and I were once even
worse than they ever were. They were
blind, it is true; but we had eyes, and yet
would not see. All was light around us;
but was there not darkness, gross darkness,
lo THE CHRISTIAN LIFE.
within ? They were ignorant of the way
of Hfe ; we knew it, but did not walk in it.
They had never heard of a Saviour : we
were baptized in His name. We outwardly
belonged to Him ; but our hearts were
closed against Him.
Was not this the case with all of us once ?
Is it not the case with many of us now ?
And if the state of the ignorant heathen,
and of the unbelieving Jew, is a sad one,
oh, sadder still is the state of the heedless
Christian — " having no hope, and without
God in the world."
Let us take these two expressions sep-
arately ; for they are both full of meaning.
" Having no hope ? " How is it with the
mere nominal Christian ? Has he any hope ?
Take the first man you meet, and ask him
what his hope is. Perhaps he is one who
entirely neglects God, a thoroughly irre-
hgious man. But he does not acknowledge
that he is altogether without hope. He will
say, " I know I am not serving the Lord.
My conscience often whispers to me that
all is not right. But then I hope to be one
day different. It must be indeed a long
LIVING WITHOUT GOD. ii
lane that has no turning in it. Others have
turned, and I hope I shall before I die."
Yes, he has a hope. This is his hope —
that he will one day come right.
The next person you come across is not
a right down bad man ; but he is a little
thoughtless — rather fond of the world. He
will say, " I have wronged no man. I have
defrauded no man. I am no one's enemy
except perhaps my own. Surely God will
not be so strict as He is represented to be.
If I do not find mercy, there will be thou-
sands in a worse condition than myself."
This is his hope.
You see a third, who is upright, honest,
regular, and in every respect well conducted.
Not a word was ever whispered against him.
He is a kind person, a straightforward man
of business, a good master, or a faithful ser-
vant. He is a church-goer too — punctual
in his place in God's House. His knees
are bent in prayer morning and evening.
His Bible is read, if not every day, most
days at least, when nothing interferes to
prevent it. Has not tJiis man a hope ?
Yes, certainly ; and what is it ? Why, he
hopes that as a matter of course all must
12 THE CHRISTIAN LIFE.
be right with him ; and that the gate of
heaven will be opened to one so worthy.
Each one of these, you see, has a kind of
hope. And yet what is it worth ? In
point of fact it is worth 7iotJiing. It only
deceives. It only gives a false peace. It
acts as a soothing lotion to the conscience.
It is like untempered mortar, which looks
well enough when daubed upon the wall ;
but when the storm comes the wall will fall
to pieces. In each of these cases which I
have mentioned the hope of the Bible is
wanting. Neither of them has a really
Christian hope.
Remember, there is such a thing as a
false hope — a hope that will utterly fail us.
We read in the Book of Job, that " the hypo-
crite's hope shall perish ;" his " trust shall be
a spider's web." And suppose a man were
to trust to a mere spider's web — suppose a
drowning man were to cling to it — would
he not be sure to perish? Then, just as
surely will those be lost who lean upon such
broken reeds as I have described.
But, thank God, there is a hope, better,
stronger, and more true than these — a hope
which the Apostle speaks of as " sure and
LIVING WITHOUT GOD. 13
steadfast," like the firmly grounded anchor
to which the ship is moored, and then is
able to defy the storm.
The Christian's hope is certain. Those
are blessed words in our Burial Service —
blessed words, when read over the grave
of a true Believer, of one who has really
died in the Lord — " We therefore commit
his body to the ground, earth to earth, ashes
to ashes, dust to dust, in sure and certaijt
hope of the resurrection to eternal life,
through our Lord Jesus Christ."
Yes, the Christian's hope is certain ; for
it rests, not on what he himself has done,
or upon the promise of a fellow-worm, but
upon what Christ has done for him, and
on the unchangeable word and promise of
his God.
You know, I dare say, that in the very
centre of the city of London stands the
great Cathedral of St. Paul's. The last time
I passed by it, a few weeks ago, I saw num-
bers of people in the street with their eyes
directed towards something high up on the
steeple. I stopped, and looked also ; and
there, far aloft, almost out of sight, could be
seen a man working in a kind of cradle. It
14 THE CHRISTIAN LIFE.
seemed as though he was in the utmost
peril ; but in fact he was secure. It made
one giddy to watch him ; but he was quite
safe. There was a strong rope to which he
was slung, which passed upwards, and en-
tered through a trap-door above him ; and
this rope was fastened to a stout beam with-
in. The wind might whistle around him,
but he had nothing to fear. He could look
upon the dizzy crowd below, but he felt no
alarm ; he was safe.
What a picture of the Christian ! In
the hour of his greatest weakness, he looks
up to heaven and feels that all is secure.
There is his Father, seated on His eternal
throne ! There is his Saviour — no longer a
suffering, dying Saviour, but a living Saviour,
an Almighty Saviour — who has paid the
debt, and now rejoices to bless His saved
ones. There is his anchor, firmly grounded.
Thei^e is his hope, firmly fixed, as the Apos-
tle says, " within the veil." And if he clings
to this, nothing can ever harm him. Satan
may tempt and harass him ; but none can
pluck him out of his Father's hands.
Trials may come ; sickness may come ;
death may come : but ** underneath are the
LIVING WITHOUT GOD. 15
everlasting arms," bearing him up. Who
can move him from his strong, firm hold ?
** Who shall lay anything to the charge of
God's elect? It is God that justifieth. Who
is he that condemneth ? It is Christ that
died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is
even at the right hand of God, who maketh
intercession for us."
Ah, but there are thousands in Christian
England — numbers whom you yourself
know — of whom it may be said, They have
no hope.
But now let us look at the other expres-
sion, " without God in the world." There
are very many, who are living in God's
world, but seem to forget that it is His world,
and that He is the great Lord of it.
God is not in their thoughts, in their
plans, in their homes, or in their hearts.
He is not in their TJioiigJits. They rise
in the morning ; say a short prayer, it may
be ; and then set about the business of the
day. They eat their food ; but forget the
hand that feeds them. The very animals
about them put them to shame ; for " The
ox knoweth his owner, and the ass his mas-
1 6 THE CHRISTIAN LIFE.
ter's crib; but my people, says the Lord, do
not consider." They receive mercies ; but
they take them as a matter of course, never
hfting up their hearts to Him who is the
gracious Giver of them. They have con-
tinual wants; but they do not apply to Him
who is ever ready to relieve them. Hour
after hour passes, without one look, one cry,
one desire being raised heavenward,
I ask, Is it not so with some who read
this book ? Have there not been many days
of our lives, when we have lived as if there
was no God above us, and no Saviour near
us ? Yes, and even the more serious of us,
how often do we forget God ! How very
few are those moments during the day,
when He is foremost and uppermost in our
thoughts !
Then, too, God is not in our Plans.
We are always scheming for our happiness ;
some in one way, and some in another. The
merchant embarks in a speculation. He
lays out his money in the hope of getting a
good return for it. The farmer parcels out
his land to the best advantage. He sows
his fields, and expects to fill his barns. The
servant leaves a situation in the hope of
LIVING WITHOUT GOD. 17
bettering herself. We determine to do this
or that to-morrow. We lay our plans for
weeks and months to come.
But has God nothing to do with all these
arrangements ? No, perhaps nothing in our
view of the matter. We have never con-
sulted Him. We have acted altogether
without Him. And yet we cannot move a
single step — we cannot succeed in a single
instance — without His interference.
It is true, we do succeed oftentimes appar-
ently without His help. He gives us suc-
cess without our seeking it. But what is
that success worth ? It is an awful thing to
see a godless man prospering — to see him
grow richer and richer — to see his flocks
and herds increasing — and yet no blessing
with it. Better is it to have all our plans
fail — better to have our schemes fall to the
ground — than to prosper, but ** without
God."
Think of this, my friend. Begin life anew.
Rearrange your plans. " Commit thy way
unto the Lord : trust also in Him, and He
shall bring it to pass." It is right, quite
right, to provide for the future. It is right
to be " active in business." But we must also
i8 THE CHRISTIAN LIFE.
be ** fervent in spirit, serving the Lord."
Happy the man who takes God into part-
nership with him ; and who desires that
every work may be " begun, continued, and
ended in Him."
Again, there are some of us who must
own that God is not in our Houses. Friends
are welcome. Visitors are admitted. But
He, the truest Friend, the best Visitor, is
shut out. And yet where God is, there is
peace — peace in that home, in that family,
in those hearts.
It is very painful to go into a house, and
feel that there are comforts there : there is
everything there that marks care, and at-
tention, and regularity. Perhaps the mas-
ter and mistress are kind, and civil, and
pleasant in their manner. But there is a
deficiency in that house. One thing is want-
ing, and that the chiefest of all. God is
not there. Many things are thought of,
and many things done ; but the " one
thing needful " is neglected. Alas ! is not
this the case with some houses and cottages
where we often enter ?
Hear what the Lord Himself says, " I will
be the God of all the families of Israel,
LIVING WITHOUT GOD. 19
and they shall be my people." " The curse
of the Lord is in the house of the wicked ;
but He blesseth the habitation of the just."
Now, whether you are rich or poor, see
that God is with you, dwelling with you,
taking up His abode in the midst of you.
And there is one thing that I would earn-
estly press upon you, and that without de-
lay— if you have not established Family
Prayer in your household, do so immedi-
ately, from this very day. A blessing will
come with it. I know it will. For God
has declared, *' Them that honor me I will
honor."
But there is another place from which
God is often, very often, shut out — from
our hearts.
There it is that He loves to dwell. " Thus
saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth
eternity, whose name is Holy, I dwell in the
high and holy place, with him also that is
of a contrite and humble spirit."
The treasure of the Miser is in his heart.
His money may be placed in the bank.
It may be hoarded up there, or else put
out to interest. But its hateful savor — the
taste of it — the miserable love of it — is within
20 THE CHRISTIAN LIFE.
him : his heart is full of it. And so, if our
treasure is in heaven, if God is our God,
and Christ our Friend, then surely we shall
feel His presence in our hearts, comforting
us, warming us, filling us with joy and peace
and gladness.
Ah, if you are one in whose heart God
has no place, you are not happy. I know
you cannot be. You may have friends and
children to cheer you. You may have bread
enough and to spare. The world may smile
upon you. But you cannot say, " I am
happy." You cannot lift up your heart and
say, " Thank God, there is peace, blessed
peace, in my soul."
And now a word or two more before the
chapter closes.
Ask yourself, Does St. Paul's language
describe i}ie ? Is it possible that / can have
been living hitherto " without God," and
that if I die it will be " without hope ? "
Think what it is to live zuitlioiit God — to
feel that He is at a distance from you — that
He is your God, and yet you have nothing
to do with Him. Oh tremble to live another
hour, another moment, without Him. Do
LIVING WITHOUT GOD. 21
not dare to begin another day without ask-
ing Him to be with you, to guide, and direct,
and keep, and bless you. Do not dare to
lay your head upon your pillow another
night, without asking Him who is the
Keeper of Israel to be your Keeper. Say
to yourself, *' From this day I will begin a
new life. God shall be my God. I will
yield myself up to Him."
And think also what it is to die without
hope. In that lonely, solitary hour, when
heart and flesh fail — when the world is melt-
ing away from under us — when friends can-
not help us, and thousands of gold and
silver, if we had them, could give us no
consolation — when life is ebbing fast, and
death draws nearer, and eternity lies out-
spread before us — then to have no hope, no
Father's arm to support us, no Saviour to
cling to as our refuge — who can tell the mis-
ery of this ? Oh that it may not be so with
you ! Oh that you may ** turn to the strong-
hold," as a " prisoner of hope ! " Oh that
you may flee to Christ to-day, before the
night comes, when He will be shut out
from us for ever !
May the Lord Himself speak to some
22 THE CHRISTIAN LIFE.
heart which He has never reached before !
May He send His grace into that heart!
May He disturb you, if you are asleep ! May
He prick your conscience, if it is dull ! May
He never leave you till you have heartily
entered upon that new and Christian Life,
of which I shall speak to you in the next
chapter.
CHAPTER II.
THE TURNING-POINT IN THE CHRISTIAN LIFE.
Let me begin by saying a word or two
about the subject which has already been
brought before you in the last chapter —
Living zvitJwiit hope, and ivitJiont God in the
world. A fearful subject ! And if it has
left any impression of your heart, I am
very thankful for it. If I spoke strongly it
was because I felt strongly. And if I
seemed to deal harshly with you, it was
because I wish faithfully to tell you the
truth ; and because, much as I desire your
favor, I desire far more to win your soul.
Thank God, there is a Tnrning-point in
the career of many of us. Thank God,
there is a time with many of us, when
we turn out of the broad path of the
world, and heartily endeavor to walk in the
narrow way of God. Though we never see
the tawny Ethiopian change his skin, or the
mottled leopard his spots, blessed be God,
(23)
24 THE CHRISTIAN LIFE.
we do sometimes see a change wrought
in men's hearts — a thorough, real, vital
change.
This is spoken of in Scripture under
different names. It is called a Quickening :
God is said to quicken, or give new life
to our souls. It is called also a Nezv birth:
the sinner becomes so entirely altered, that
he is as one born again. Sometimes too it
is called Conversion: this describes the
turning of the whole man to God — the yield-
ing up the sinful, wayward, worldly heart to
His service.
This is the thing which I am now going to
speak about, and which I have called ** The
Tiirning-poi7it in the Christian Life." God
give His blessing while we dwell upon it !
Now, it may be asked, Were we not all
brought into Christ's service by Baptism ?
Were we not tlicn introduced into God's
family ? Did we not tJien make our entrance
into the Christian Life ?
Baptism is the door into Christ's kingdom
on earth. It is the blessed ordinance, by
which His little ones are stamped and
marked as the sheep of His fold. They
TURNING-POINT IN CHRISTIAN LIFE. 25
are brought into covenant with Him. They
are solemnly placed under the shelter of
His care. They are no longer like neg-
lected shrubs in the desert, but are planted
in the garden of the Lord. They now be-
come ** members of Christ, children of God,
and heirs of heaven."
But what has been the history of most of
us since our Baptism ? How few of us, like
St. John, have been " filled with the Holy
Ghost, even from our mother's womb ! "
How few of us, like him, have led an al-
most unbroken life of holiness ! Have we
not, like silly sheep, wandered and strayed
from the fold ? And although, through
God's infinite mercy. He still regards us as
His children, yet, if we had our deserts, we
should long ago have been disinherited and
cut off for ever.
Here then we see the need of conversion
— that blessed Turning-point when a man
begins to act for Christ, and to live for
Christ, in the world. Baptism is the Door
of Admission into the Christian Life ; but
our hearts need to be converted before
we can be said fairly to live this new
life. By Baptism we are set, as it were,
26 THE CHRISTIAN LIFE. ■
in the path ; but at our conversion we
actually begin to walk in it with our faces
Zion-wards.
Believe me, we all need this — every one
of us. And does not our Lord Himself say
to us, " Except ye be converted, ye shall not
enter into the kingdom of heaven ? "
The Reckless^ Ungodly Sinner needs it.
He must leave the sin in which he is
wallowing, and " cleanse himself from all
filthiness of flesh and spirit."
The Worldly Man needs it. The love
of the world must die in him, and a better
love, even the love of God, must spring up
within him. He must declare plainly that
he seeks a better country.
The mere Nominal Cliristian needs it : for
it is one thing to have " a name that he liv-
eth," and quite another to give his life, his
heart, his whole self, to God's service.
Yes, we all need it ; for until our hearts
are changed, we cannot love God. The
Christian path will be all uphill to us. We
can neither enjoy God's service here, nor be
fitted for the happiness of heaven.
In the Parable of the Prodigal Son a
TURNING-POINT IN CHRIS TIAN IIFE. 27
most touching picture is drawn — a full-
length portrait of thousands now on earth,
and of tens of thousands now in glory. If
I wanted to show a sinner his complete
wretchedness and misery, I should use that
parable. If I wanted to touch his hard
heart, and bring him on his knees before
God, I should use that parable. If Iwanted
to show him that he has still a Father in
heaven, and that that Father loves him with
a tenderness which only a father can feel, I
should use that parable. Again, if I wanted
to prove to him that, bad as he is, and far
as he has wandered, there is a return, a way
back — that pardon is not beyond his reach —
that the gate of mercy is open even for
him — I should read to him those simple
words of Jesus. And truly from no other
lips did sounds of mercy like those ever
come. *' Never man spake like this Man."
Never did such loving, gracious, winning
words drop from any mouth, as the words
of that parable, which the youngest child
may understand, and from which the aged
penitent may take comfort.
But I am not going to dwell now on the
parable; but merely on that one point in it,
28 THE CHRISTIAN LIFE.
where it is said that the son, who had left
his father's house, just as we have left ours —
had sought happiness afar from him, as we
have done, and found it not — at length
" came to himself; " reflected on his misery ;
remembered that the very servants in his
once happy home were highly favored,
compared with himself in his present de-
graded state ; and at once resolved to go
and cast himself at his father's feet. This
was his condition, and these words beauti-
fully describe it, " He came to himself"
The expression is familiar to us all.
When, for instance, any one has been
sleeping, and you suddenly rouse him, he
starts up, stares about him for a moment
or two, and then you say, He is come to
Jiinisclf.
When a person has been long ill, and his
illness takes a favorable turn, and he begins
to recover, you say of him that he is him-
self again.
When a fellow-creature loses his reason —
when his mind fails, and the foolishness of
a little child comes over him — when such
an one is mercifully restored, we speak of
that man as once more coming to himself.
TURNING-POINT IN CHRISTIAN LIFE. 29
And what can better describe that mo-
ment— that happy moment — that eventful
moment in our history — (and oh, that there
may be just such a moment in your history !)
when the soul which has been long asleep
awakes, when the soul which has been long
diseased rises up and recovers itself, when the
soul which has been given up to madness
feels that folly must have an end? What,
I say, can better describe this state, this
Turning-point, than those few simple words,
" He came to himself?"
Now, if you and I Jiave come to ourselves,
how has it been effected ? Or, if we are
ever to come to ourselves, how will it be ef-
fected ?
The heart cannot change itself, any more
than the dry barren soil can, if let alone,
become fertile ; or the wild crab-apple of
its own accord bear delicious fruit.
Neither can man change the heart of his
fellow-man. God may use men as His in-
struments, but they are only instrtunents in
His hands. An able preacher may arrest
attention. He may draw tears from eyes
that never wept before. He may send his
hearers away thoughtful. But conversion
30 THE CHRISTIAN LIFE.
is beyond his power. St. Paul never of
himself converted a single soul. St. Peter
was not the renewer of one heart on the
day of Pentecost.
No, the power is God's. The work is
His. " Of His own will begat He us with
the word of truth." "As many as re-
ceived Him, to them gave He power to
become the sons of God, which were born,
not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor
of the will of man, but of God!'
You come to church. Some word strikes
you. You feel as you never before felt.
You go away to live a new life.
Or you are seized with a fit of illness.
You are laid aside in your sick room.
And in the stillness of that silent chamber
thoughts of the past and the future come
over you. You feel that you have not
lived to Christ ; and you feel unfit, most
unfit, to die. From that hour you become
an altered person.
Or a good book falls in your way.
You take it up carelessly. But that book
perhaps has an arrow in it which pierces
your very soul.
Or you receive a visit from a pious
TURNING-POINT IN CHRIS TIAN LIFE. 3 1
friend. You asked him to your house, be-
cause you thought his company would
give you pleasure. But there is One who
sent him to you for a far different purpose ;
namely, to lead you by his words and his
example into the blessed path of peace.
By one or other of these means you
have become religious. Still, it was neither
the Sermon, nor the Illness, nor the Book,
nor the Friend, that wrought the wondrous
change. There was a Mighty One at work.
It was " the Lord's doing, and it is marvel-
lous in our eyes."
I have said that this change is absolutely
necessary, and that it is the work of God
Himself. Bear these two points in mind,
and reflect upon them, for they are most
important.
But there are three other points connected
with this subject, which, though not so im-
portant, are still deeply interesting.
One is, Whether the change we have
been speaking of is sudden, or gradual.
Some will not believe in sudden conver-
sions, and others again take little note of
any that are not sudden. Let us look
32 THE CHRISTIAN LIFE.
into the Bible, and then judge for our-
selves.
Saul's change was sudden. He was
stopped in a moment, in the very midst of
his fearful opposition to the Saviour, and at
once became a devoted follower of Christ.
The Philippian jailor's conversion again
was sudden. A deep conviction of his guilt
flashed across his mind, and he fell down at
the Apostle's feet an inquiring penitent, and
an earnest believer.
On the other hand, take the case of the
Ethiopian Eunuch. His conversion was
gradual. He goes to Jerusalem, and there
probably he hears for the first time the glad
tidings of salvation. He is led to search
the Scriptures. He becomes an anxious in-
quirer after the truth. Then, as he journeys
homeward, Philip meets him by the way
— not accidentally, but by the Lord's direc-
tion— and under his teaching, his mind is
further enlightened, and he is enabled to see
and lay hold of the great gospel hope ; " and
goes on his way rejoicing."
Or, to mention another case of gradual
conversion, Apollos, of whom we read in the
eighteenth chapter of the Acts of the Apos-
TURNING-POINT IN CHRIS TIAN L IFE. z^
ties, becomes impressed with religion, prob-
ably in his own native city Alexandria. For
a while he gropes his way in the dark. He
is fervent in spirit, and anxious to embrace
the faith of Christ. But as yet there is only
a glimmering of light in him. Something
brings him to Ephesus. And there he meets
with two earnest-minded disciples ; and with
their help he gets to know the way of
the Lord more perfectly, and becomes at
length a burning and shining light in the
Church of Christ.
And so it is now. Those, who are brought
to God by the power of His grace, are
brought in various ways. He is not tied
and bound by any special rules. Some are
called into His service as by a miracle. The
change is sudden and striking. They pass
rapidly from darkness to light, from sin to
holiness. They are snatched by Almighty
power as brands from the burning. The
Holy Spirit at once convinces them of sin,
and leads them to Christ ; and they forth-
with set out on their way to heaven.
Others receive religious impressions ; but
they are slight. The world creeps in per-
haps, and smothers for a while the spark
3
34 THE CHRISTIAN LIFE.
which God with His own hand has kindled.
The fire is Hghted ; but it burns slowly ;
and perhaps it is a long while before it
bursts into a steady flame. There is grace
in that soul ; but it is not very marked.
Still it is real grace, and by degrees it
shows itself more fully. The person be-
comes gradually more and more enlight-
ened, more in earnest, more decided.
So, you see, God is pleased sometimes to
bring souls into His kingdom by a special
act of grace — suddenly and instantaneously.
And at other times He sees fit to carry
on His blessed work in the soul — the very
same work — but by a slower and more grad-
ual process.
Another interesting question is this —
Does a truly changed person always
know %vhe7i^ and how, the change in him
took place ?
Some, doubtless, can confidently point to
the exact circumstances which first led them
to think seriously. God's dealing with
them was so clear ; the occasion was so
marked ; that they have no hesitation in
saying, ^' It was the sermon that I heard — it
was that quiet time in my sick chamber —
TURNING-POINT IN CHRISTIAN LIFE. 35
it was those words spoken by my friend
— or it was when reading that verse of
Scripture — or when kneeling down in secret
prayer — then it was that God in His mercy
first touched my heart, showed me to my-
self as a sinner, and led me to the Saviour. I
can remember it with thankfulness, as the
sailor remembers his deliverance from ship-
wreck." Saul could never in after years
have doubted that that eventful journey to
Damascus was tlie Turni7ig-point in his
career. And Manasseh could without hesi-
tation point to Babylon, and say, " It was
there, in the hour of my affliction, that
God first made Himself known to me. It
was there I learnt the misery of sin, and the
way of deliverance from it."
But there are hundreds and thousands
of others, just as truly and savingly con-
verted to God, who know not how it was,
or when it was, that the seed of grace sprung
up within them. All they can say is,
** One thing I know, that whereas I was
blind now I see."
After all, the chief matter about which
we need to be anxious is not the hour, or
the place, or the manner, in which the
36 THE CHRISTIAN LIFE.
change has been wrought, but the fact it-
self. Has such a change taken place in
me ? Am I very different from what I once
was?
There is one more point, which I dare
not leave unnoticed. There is a change in
the history of some, not for the better, but
for the worse. There is a Turning-point,
when they begin to go back rather than for-
ward— when the heart, which has been once
warm, grows cold — when the taste for God's
word and prayer grows feeble — when temp-
tations are listened to, which once they
would have blushed to mention. They
change, but like " seducers," they " wax
worse and worse." The night grows darker
and darker. The edge of conscience be-
comes duller and duller. Sin is welcomed,
and God forsaken.
Oh, let us beware of this. For the Spirit
of God, once grieved, will not readily re-
turn. It is hard, very hard, to roll back the
falling stone ; or to turn the stream which
has burst through its appointed channel.
Pray earnestly that, if you have never
felt the working of God's grace in your
TURNING-POINT IN CHRIS TIAN L IFE. 37
heart, you may feel it now ; and that, if the
work is already begun, it may be carried on
within you.
If there is only the beginning of good
things in your soul — if there is but a feel-
ing of earnestness, ever so slight — if there
is a waking up to the great realities of eter-
nity— if there is a desire, however faint, to
live for heaven — may He, who " despises
not the day of small things," help you on
your way ! May He, who knows your dif-
ficulties better than I do, bring you through
them all ; and enable you from this time to
stand forward as a heaven-bound traveller,
as one whose heart is bent on reaching a
better home !
CHAPTER III.
CHRIST THE LIFE OF THE SOUL.
I SPOKE in the last chapter of God's con-
verting power — of a soul being quickened
or new-born by His grace. Now, where
does the Hving soul find strength ? From
whence come its supplies ? How does the
new-born man live?
In himself he is powerless. Within all
is emptiness. He has been awakened, it is
true; but he will fall back into sleep again.
He has been raised as it were from the
dead ; but death will soon seize him again,
if he has no life, but that which springs up
from within himself.
Let us see how it was with St. Paul after
his conversion. Hear what he says in his
own case, " I live, yet not I, but Christ liveth
in me!' Hear what St. John says, " He that
hath the Son hath life ; and he that hath
not the Son of God hath not life." And
now let us hear what Christ Himself says,
(38)
CHRIST THE LIFE OF THE SOUL. 39
" I am tlie Life',' " the Resurrection and the
Life; " "the Way, the Truth, and the Life!'
" Because I Hve, ye shall live also."
Christ then is the Life of the renewed soul.
Look at one of those trees which casts
its shade so pleasantly along our path. In
summer how fresh and vigorous are its
branches ! And even in the dreary season
of winter, when every bough seems dead,
if you cut one, you will soon see there
is life in it. Why ? Because there is life
and vigor in the stem.
Or look at one of those strong steady
arms that holds the plough, or fells the oak.
Whence comes the power, the activity, the
strength ? It comes from the body, in
which there is life and health. What would
the branch be if cut off from the tree ?
What could the arm do if severed from the
body ?
And so it is union with Christ, living
upon Christ, that can alone make us grow-
ing, thriving, vigorous Christians.
But do we not declare, in one of our
Creeds, that the Holy Spirit is the great
Life-giver to the soul ? "I believe in the
Holy Ghost, the Lord and Giver of Life ! "
40 THE CHRISTIAN LIFE.
Yes, the gift is made over to us by Him.
He it is who makes the heart to feel its
utter deadness ; and then leads us to the
Saviour for life and help.
To know Christ then, to be looking to
Christ, to be constantly stretching out the
hand and heart to Christ, to be daily feeding
upon Him, to be joined to Him by faith,
this is the secret of all our spiritual life, and
of all our spiritual well-being.
But let us for a few minutes consider
what is the history of a person who has
been brought under the influence of God's
grace. Does he find Christ, and live upon
Christ, at once? Is it a thing that he comes
to immediately^ and without any difficulty ?
Oh, no ! The Holy Spirit usually begins
His work by first showing us that we need
a Saviour. Do not mistake me : I would
not for a moment have you suppose that
God ahvays works precisely in this way.
He has many ways of bringing us to Christ.
But this is perhaps His usual way of deal-
ing with a soul. He first lifts up the veil,
and shows us what we are. He discovers
to us, what we could never have discovered
CHRIST THE LIFE OF THE SOUL. 41
ourselves, the sinfulness of sin. We knew
before that sin was an evil. When we saw
it openly committed we condemned it. And
when we were invited to commit it ourselves,
we at once shrank back. The life we led
was outwardly correct perhaps. We did
about as well as our neighbors, and that
was enough for us. But we knew nothing
of the sin that was all the while lying deep
down in our hearts. Our guilt had not
been brought home to us. We had no feel-
ing of uneasiness.
But at length God in mercy opened our
eyes, and stuck His arrow in our hearts.
And then how differently did we feel ! Then
we saw that the life we had been living was
a useless, profitless one — and more than
this, that it was a sinful one. We saw that
our prayers had been no prayers at all ; that
our reading of Scripture had been a mere
form ; that our church-going had been a
task and a toil ; that God was an unknown
God to us ; that Christ was not really loved
by us — in short, that we had been living for
the world and not for heaven, for time and
not for eternity.
Oh, what a discovery ! What a fearful
42 THE CHRISTIAN LIFE.
discovery, you will say ! Rather, what a
blessed discovery — to know our danger and
find it out in time to get deliverance !
It often happens, that for a season a man
remains in this state. He feels himself to
be a sinner. The thought of his sins is ever
before him. It rests upon him, just as a
black leaden cloud sometimes hangs over
us, and seems to linger in the sky above
our heads. He is unhappy, very unhappy.
He looks perhaps to the world to cheer him;
but the world can do nothing for him. He
feels its emptiness, its poverty. He sighs
for peace. He looks for it in himself, but it
is not there. He seeks in vain for deliver-
ance. Ah, the wilderness seems bleak. The
road seems very rough and difficult. The
burden he is carrying is very heavy. He
truly feels the need of salvation, and is
anxious and eager to do anything to secure
it. He tries perhaps all sorts of expedients,
except the only true one.
Why does he not throw himself upon
Christ ? Why does he not rise and go to
his Father and acknowledge his guilt ? He
dares not go perhaps, because he has so
greatly offended that Father ; and he knows
CHRIST THE LIFE OF THE SOUL. 43
not that He is a Father of mercies, and a
God of love.
Why then does he not go to his Minister,
and open his grief to him ? Why does he
not tell him of his troubles, and seek coun-
sel of him ? How gladly would he comfort
him ! How gladly would he lend an ear to
all his difficulties, and perhaps point out a
way of deliverance from them ! But, it may
be, he thinks that his case is different from
any other case — that no one can feel just as
he feels. And so he shrinks from laying bare
his heart to any fellow-creature, and hides
from every eye the deep, aching wound
within him.
I can fancy a person coming to church
with his heart thus broken. I can fancy
how differently he would feel from many,
when the minister says, " Let us pray^
Prayer would be a reality with him. Ah,
he would kneel down, and open his very
heart to God. Once he was content to sit
at his ease : there was no penitence then,
no self-abhorrence then ; but now he feels
that he can but fall upon his knees: it is the
fitting posture for a heart-stricken sinner.
And where can he find words more suited
44 THE CHRISTIAN LIFE.
to his case, than those touching words with
which we approach God in our Public Wor-
ship ? "Almighty and most merciful Father,
we have erred and strayed from Thy ways
like lost sheep. We have followed too much
the devices and desires of our own hearts.
We have offended against Thy holy laws.
We have left undone those things which we
ought to have done ; and we have done
those things which we ought not to have
done. And there is no health in us." Even
this language is not too strong for him.
He feels that there is literally " no health "
in him. And then those words that follow
— how eagerly does he utter them ! " But
Thou, O Lord, have mercy upon us, miser-
able sinners. Spare Thou them, O God,
which confess their faults. Restore Thou
them that are penitent."
Truly this is a golden prayer for a peni-
tent soul. And that other too, in which we
address God as One " whose nature and
property is ever to have mercy and to for-
give," is equally suitable to his state. And
" though we be tied and bound with the
chain of our sins," yet we entreat Him to
" let the pitifulness " (this is the language of
CHRIST THE LIFE OF THE SOUL. 45
one who feels that he has no plea to urge,
but must tlirow himself on the compassion
of his God) — we entreat Him to " let the
pitifubiess of His great mercy loose us."
I thank God that we have such prayers
as these, and that we belong to a Church,
which like a tender mother puts such
earnest, lowly words into the lips of her
children.
This stage of Christian experience, which
I have described, is painful while it lasts.
But it is good for us to have our proud
hearts bruised and broken by the Holy
Spirit's influence. And He never leaves a
soul long in this state. In time the relief
comes. " Sorrow may endure for a night "
— aye, and the night may be long and
dark — " but joy cometh in the morning."
We learn to our comfort that there is mercy
for the lost, pardon for the guilty, rest for
the weary — that Christ is the sinner's Rem-
edy, and the sinner's Friend — that He is " the
Fountain opened for sin and uncleanness ; "
and that in Him there is " redemption
through His blood, even the forgiveness of
our sins."
But here again another difficulty often
46 THE CHRISTIAN LIFE.
springs up. How can I get to this Saviour ?
Will He hear me ? Will He not reject me ?
Am I not too vile ? Are not my sins too
great, and of too long standing ? Have I
repented enough ? Have I mourned enough?
The Saviour has received others ; but will
He receive me ?
Such seems to be the state of mind de-
scribed in the Third Chapter of the Book of
Canticles. In the first two verses a seeking
soul is described — a seeker who has not yet
found the Saviour — one who is on the
search, but has not yet discovered the pearl
of great price : " By night on my bed I
sought him whom my soul loveth. I sought
him, but I found him not." With the ut-
most anxiety and eagerness is this search
carried on : "I will rise now, and go about
the city; in the streets and in the broad
ways I will seek him whom my soul loveth.
I sought him, but I found him not." Again
and again the mournful complaint is re-
peated, '*I sought him, but found him not."
In the third verse, the watchmen or min-
isters are described as finding the earnest
inquirer, and helping him in his distress :
" The watchmen that go about the city found
CHRIST THE LIFE OF THE SOUL. 47
me ; to whom I said, Saw ye Him whom my
soul loveth ? "
And then in the fourth verse, we see that
promise fulfilled, "Ask, and it shall be given
you ; seek, and ye shall find." For the in-
quirer exclaims in the joy of his heart, " It
was but a little that I passed from them,
but I foiuid Him wJwni uiy soiillovetJi!'
Who can describe the joy of having found
Christ? Blessed is the seeker after Him.
** Let the heart of them rejoice that seek\hQ
Lord." But still more blessed are those who
have found Him — who can say, " My be-
loved is mine, and I am His."
What a thought it is to be pardoned of
all one's sins ! to look upon God now as a
loving Father ! to see in Christ a full, per-
fect, and sufficient sacrifice for every past
transgression.
But is this all? Is pardon all we need ?
Are the words, '* Thy sins be forgiven thee,"
all we want to hear ? This is much, very
much. But the forgiven sinner has now to
travel along a new and heavenly road. He
has been delivered from " the low dungeon."
His fetters have been struck off from him.
He has been " brought out of the horrible
48 THE CHRISTIAN LIFE,
pit." He has been cleansed from " the miry
clay." He has been raised from the very
dead : his grave-clothes have been stript
off. And now he has a new life before him
— very different from his past life — a life of
usefulness, a life of holiness, aye, and a life
of happiness.
He now needs the same Saviour who par-
doned him, to be ever with him, to help
him on his way, to keep his soul alive. As
he has " received Christ Jesus," so he must
now " zvalk in Him." He must run his
Christian race, " looking unto Jesus." He
must " come out of the wilderness, leaning
on his beloved."
We are apt to think that all we need is to
look to Christ as our Sin-bearer; and that,
having once gone to Him in faith, and ob-
tained forgiveness, the work is done.
What! is sin gone then for ever? Does the
Believer need no fresh renewal of the grant
of pardon ? Yes, he needs it daily, hourly.
Then let us be continually looking to the
Saviour. Our place should be constantly
at the foot of the cross, seeking to have our
sins again and again washed away in the Re-
deemer's blood.
CHRIST THE LIFE OF THE SOUL. 49
Does not the Believer also need strength ?
He cannot fight by his own power. He can-
not even walk alone. If he hopes to resist
temptation, and to lead a holy life of service
to his heavenly Master — if he wants boldly
to come out from the world, and to stand
forth as a decided follower of Christ — he'
must look to Jesus for daily grace to
strengthen him.
Never suppose that you can become
strong enough to do without Christ. Never
fancy that you can reach such a point, that
you are anything more than a poor, help-
less being in your Saviour's eyes. As you
humbled yourself beneath His cross at the
first, so continue to feel your place to be in
the dust before Him, your righteousness
to be as filthy rags, your strength as utter
weakness.
Be confident in Him; not in yourself.
Trust in Him ; not in your own attain-
ment. Look upon Him as your all, as
tJie Life of your soul. Go to Him in your
emptiness, and receive daily out of His
fubiess.
Let me ask you, Do you truly love
4
50 THE CHRISTIAN LIFE.
Christ? Is there a moving of your heart
towards Him ? Is He precious to your
soul ?
Many think they love Him. They men-
tion Him with respect. They have a feeling
in their minds that, in some way or other,
they are better off than if there was no
Saviour. But yet they cannot say that they
do indeed love Him. They cannot exclaim
with the Psalmist, " There is none upon
earth that I desire in comparison with Thee."
They hold no intercourse with Him. He is
in truth as a stranger to their souls.
How different is this from the experience
of a real child of God ! He feels towards
his Saviour as he feels towards none else.
His language is, " Who shall separate me
from the love of Christ? " " He loved me,
and gave Himself for me."
Again, have yow found Christ? Happy
those who, under the teaching of the Holy
Spirit, have been enabled to lay hold of
Him, and are rejoicing in His salvation;
who have made their choice, and taken Him
as their portion ! They are ready to say,
" Blessed be that grace, which subdued my
unwilling heart, and drew me to my Saviour ;
CHRIST THE LIFE OF THE SOUL. 51
which conquered my love of the world, and
won me over to Christ."
'* O happy day that fixed my choice
On Thee, my Saviour and my God !
Well may this glowing heart rejoice,
And tell its rapture all abroad."
But, if I mistake not, there are some
who, although they cannot quite say this,
yet are on the fair way to it. And so it
may be with you. You have not found
Christ, but you are earnestly seeking Him.
A desire has sprung up in your heart which
earthly things cannot satisfy — a desire which
comes, not from yourself, but from God — a
desire which savors not of nature, but of
grace.
If this desire has a place within you, I
thank God for it. And I pray that it may
never leave you ; but may grow stronger
and stronger within you, until you also can
say, " I have found Him whom my soul
loveth."
CHAPTER IV.
LIVING TO GOD.
About three miles from this there stands
a building which has lately been erected
with some care, and is just roofed in. That
building is a little Church, where I trust in
a few weeks a congregation of worshippers
will be gathered.
What makes it a Church ? Not the spot
on which it is erected ; for it stands on a
rough, uncultivated heath. Not the mate-
rials of which it is built; for it is built
of stone, and brick, and wood, of which or-
dinary houses are composed. But it will
one day be a Church ; because it will be
solemnly set apart for the worship and service
of God. It has been built with that inten-
tion, and will be used for that purpose.
So it is with the Christian. He is one
set apart for God. " The Lord hath set apart
him that is godly for Himself" The name of
God is written, as it were, " in his forehead."
(52)
LIVING TO GOD. 53
He is " a temple of the Holy Ghost." He
has given himself to the Lord. This was
just what St. Paul felt, when he said, " Ye
are not your own ; for ye are bought with
a price: therefore glorify God in your body,
and in your spirit, which are God's." Once
he thought he was at liberty to go his own
way and to do his own will. But God had
wrought a wondrous change in him. He
had tasted of pardoning mercy. He had
been brought under the influence of grace.
He had learnt the preciousness of Christ,
and had thankfully embraced His salvation.
And now he felt he was Christ's property,
Christ's servant, a vessel naturally worthless,
but mercifully "fitted for the Master's use."
Speaking therefore of himself and his
brethren, he says, " None of us liveth to
himself, and no man dieth to himself For
whether we live, we live unto the Lord ;
and whether we die, we die unto the Lord ;
whether we live therefore or die^ we are the
Lord's."
I spoke to you in the first chapter about
living ivitJiout God. God forbid that any
one of us should be living thus !
I spoke to you in my next chapter about
54 THE CHRISTIAN LIFE.
turning to God. God grant that many of us
have turned to Him — may have taken the
first decisive step towards a better course !
And now let us give our best thoughts to
the subject of the present chapter — Living
to God. I shall take these three points —
How can we live to God ?
Why should we live to God ? and
WJieti should we live to Him ?
I. How can we live to God ?
We must live a differefit life from that of
ordinary men. The little Church I spoke
of stands amidst other houses ; but yet it
must not be considered as a common build-
ing. And so, if we would be God's people,
we must feel differently, and act differently,
from many around us. We none of us wish
to be singular. We would not court obser-
vation. But a really God-fearing person is
forced to take a line somewhat different from
many about him. This is sometimes very
painful ; but it cannot be avoided.
A pious CJiild in a family, for instance,
wishes to serve the Saviour. And yet
perhaps no one in the house feels as he
feels. He meets with no encouragement, it
LIVING TO GOD. 55
may be — no sympathy — none to join him
and help him in his happy, blessed course.
This makes his way a very difficult one.
Still he must be faithful to Christ, cost him
what it may.
A Sei'vafit may stand almost alone among
his fellow-servants. They may be for the
world : Jie is for God. They are thinking
how they may get on in life : he is anxious
to get to heaven. His feelings then and
his actions must needs be very different
from others. He has no wisJi to be singular ;
but he must be, or else deny his Lord.
In a school, or in a house, or in a village,
it is soon known who are the serious ones,
who are the soldiers of Christ, and the
candidates for heaven. Their conduct, their
lives, their words soon tell the tale. Yes,
depend upon it, those who were Christ's
disciples in former times were very unlike
the careless ones around them. They were
each one as a "light" in the world, as "a
city set on a hill that cannot be hid."
And so it must be now. We cannot creep
along the road to heaven unobserved. We
cannot be on the Lord's side, and yet pass
unnoticed in the crowd. We cannot be
56 THE CHRISTIAN LIFE.
Christ's disciples, without being liable to the
charge brought against Peter, " Surely thou
art also one of them : thy speech bewrayeth
thee."
Be prepared then, if you are the friend
and follower of Christ, to take the line
marked out for you in God's word, though
it may be the very opposite to that which
others are following.
Further, there must be a separation from
iJie ivoidd.
God's children are in the world, but are
not of the world.
They are in the world, and therefore He
would have them engage in its employments,
discharge its duties, and take part in its
occupations. In the seventeenth chapter of
St. John, we find our Lord thus interceding
for His people : " I pray not that thou
shouldest take them out of the world, but
that thou shouldest keep them from the
evil."
The religious Laborer may labor still ;
and all the more heartily, because he is in
the way of duty.
The religious Tradesman may still stand
LIVING TO GOD. 57
behind his counter, but there will be no
underhand dealincr no leaded weights or
shortened measures, but all his business
will be done in the fear of God. It must
and will be so, if he is a Christian man.
The religious Farmer too will still culti-
vate his land, still exercise the same watch-
ful care, still exert the same industry and
forethought. But he will do it in a different
spirit. Whilst he sows the seed, or looks
after his flock, he will remember from whence
Cometh the increase. His eye will be often
turned to Him who can alone give the
blessing.
The child of God is not of the world.
He has lost his greediness for its pleasures :
for he has tasted of something better. He
has lost his eager desire for gain ; for he
has won a prize, which exceeds all earthly
treasures. He has lost his love for worldly
company ; for he has now a new and better
Friend than this world ever gave him.
The Cliristian is called to give up the
world : that is, all that is sinful, all that is
frivolous, all that draws away the heart
from God.
You will say perhaps, Give us then some
58 THE CHRISTIAN LIFE.
rule that we may follow, as to what we must
give up, I cannot do it. No one can.
Your own conscience must be your guide.
The feelings of your own heart must sway
you. The only thing like a rule which I can
give you is this — and if you follow it, you
will not be far wrong — " Do nothing on
which you cannot kneel down and ask God's
blessing. Go nowhere, where you would
not wish Christ to find you." I repeat it ; for
I feel that it may be useful to you through
life : " Do nothing, on which you cannot
kneel down and ask God's blessing. Go no-
where, where you would not wish Christ to
find you."
But I must go further, and say, that as re-
gards our worldly occupations which are right
in themselves, we must not follow them, so as
to give our whole hearts and souls to them.
Important as they are, there is something
more important. Whilst many put earth's
engagements above the call of God — whilst
they are saying in their hearts, " Business, be
thou my god ; I devote myself to thee," —
let our language be, '* This one thing I do,
forgetting those things which are behind, and
reaching forth unto those things which are
LIVING TO GOD. 59
before, I press towards the mark. I seek
first the kingdom of God."
It is quite clear from Scripture that we
are required, and solemnly called upon as
Christians, to give up the world. " If any
man love the world, the love of the Father
is not in him." ** The friendship of the world
is enmity with God." " Wherefore come
out from among them, and be ye separate,
saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean
thing ; and I will be a Father unto you."
Again, we must deny ourselves for the
Lord's sake.
The Christian is called upon sometimes
to do what is contrary to his own inclina-
tions. He must learn then to deny himself.
He must no longer do things, merely be-
cause they square with his own will, but
because the Lord would have him do them.
The faithful service of God often brings us
into trouble. We often have to bear much,
for His sake. We often have to act in a
way that flesh and blood would shrink from.
But shall we not do what our Heavenly
Father bids us do ? Shall we not bear what
He sees well to lay upon us ? Yes, and
6o THE CHRISTIAN LIFE.
even rejoice in doing it ; and thankfully and
cheerfully bear it, at His bidding.
When our own evil hearts then are ready
to turn away from the task, or quake with
fear, let us remember Him who said, " If
any man will come after me, let him deny
himself^ take up his cross, and follow me."
There must also be a bold, hearty, de-
cided surrender of ourselves to the Lord.
There can be no living to God, where
there is half-heartedness, wavering, or inde-
cision. We must fearlessly face the world,
and declare ourselves for Christ. There
must be no hanging back, no fear of man's
displeasure, no truckling to this person's
arguments, or that person's fancies. Christ
bids us come boldly forward as His servants,
and we dare not hang back.
Ah, here is the trial. I know how diffi-
cult it is to take so strong and decided a
step. And yet I am sure that thousands
lose their peace of mind — lose God's favor
— aye, and lose heaven too — for want of
taking it.
I wish I could persuade you this day to
leave the ranks of indifference, of indecision
LIVING TO GOD. 6i
— may I not say, the ranks of cowardice ?
for I know that the conscience of more than
one of you is now whispering, " I ought to
yield myself up at once to God." I wish I
could persuade you at this moment boldly
and fearlessly to declare yourself for Christ,
and to cast in your life with His people.
May the Lord Himself " draw you with
the cords of a man, with the bands of love ! "
Lastly, we must live a life of faith.
" We " (St. Paul says), ** we Christians
walk by faith, not by sight." " We look
not at the things which are seen and are
temporal, but at the things which are not
seen and are eternal."
If your treasure is here, labor for it night
and day ; strive for it, as for a prize ; grasp
it with all eagerness. But if you wish for
that better portion, which is promised you,
and is yet to come, pray for it, seek for it,
live for it.
I trust you at times long for that better
portion. There is a Friend for you above,
out of sight, '* whom having not seen " you
may " love." There is an Almighty Arm
ready to shelter you : place yourself under
62 THE CHRISTIAN LIFE.
its care. There is a Home before you — an
eternal home : be ever looking towards it
with the unwavering eye of faith.
This, I believe, is what Scripture means
by " living unto the Lord " — a different life
from that of others ; a separation from the
world ; a denying of ourselves for Christ's
sake ; a bold surrender of ourselves to the
Lord ; a life of faith.
Oh, that God may give us grace to choose
such a life as this ; and having chosen it,
never to waver in our choice !
There are two other inquiries, which I
shall touch upon very briefly.
Why should we thus live to God? We
are not our own, but His. He made us.
He preserves us. We are in His hands.
To Him we owe our strength, our health,
our lives. But still more, we owe to Him
our salvation. He loved us, and sent His
Son to die for us. We have been bought
by His precious blood. " He died for all,
that they which live should not henceforth
live unto themselves, but unto Him." That
Church on the heath, of which I spoke just
LIVING TO GOD. 63
now, is no longer man's property ; it is God's
house. And so the Christian is not his own,
but the Lord's. He has consecrated him-
self to the Lord's service.
If we felt this more — " I am not my own,
but Christ's — not my own, to live for my-
self, but Christ's, to live for Him " — then
how differently should we feel and act !
Our life would be one entire consecration to
our Master's service. Our constant inquiry
would be, " How can I please Him ? How can
I do His will ? How can I glorify Him in
my body, and in my spirit, which are His?"
Remember, He who is your great Creator,
to whom you owe your very life — your Pro-
tector, who has guarded you up to this hour
— your Father, who so tenderly loves you —
He says to you, Give Me — not your money,
not your health, not your strength, not your
words — but give Me something in which I
am more interested still ; my son, give Me
tliy heart. And can you refuse to give it ?
He who is your Saviour too, who has
loved you as no brother ever loved you ;
who has stretched Himself on the cross for
you ; who has drunk the bitter cup of suffer-
ing for your sake ; He says, " I stand at the
64 THE CHRISTIAN LIFE.
door and knock." Oh, will you not let Him
in ? Will you not say, " Other lords beside
Thee have had dominion over me; but I
desire henceforth to give my heart, my life,
myself, to Thee."
And now, a word or two on the question,
WJien shall we live unto God?
To this I answer without hesitation. Now,
to-day, this very hour. The time past of our
lives sufficeth to have lived to ourselves and
to the world. Now begin to live to God.
Why not ?
What! Would you have young men and
women, just entering on the joys of life,
give themselves to God ? Would you have
those who are in health and strength, with
probably a long life before them — would
you have tJiem turn their backs on the world
and enter upon Christ's service ? Yes, cer-
tainly I would.
We cannot too soon begin a life of such
joy and blessedness. Why not? Are the
world's bonds too strong to break ? Is self
too dear to be given up ? Is the heart so
fondly set on things below? Has it clung
to them so lons" that it is unwilline to break
LIVING TO GOD. 65
away from them now, and enjoy those bet-
ter things which God has to give? Oh, take
care lest death comes and finds us hving —
I will not say a sinful life — but a selfish, un-
profitable, worldly life.
I feel that the great end of this book will
not be gained, unless it leads you to
stand out from the world, and to be
really anxious to lead godly and heavenly
lives.
I am thankful if you are quiet and re-
spectable ; if you go to church, and some-
times to the Holy Table. But I want more.
I want to see sin forsaken, Jesus my Saviour
loved and honored. I want to see you
crowding into the narrow way — pressing
onward with a firm and joyous step. I
want to see you asking the way to Zion with
your face thitherward, determined by God's
help to live as an earnest, faithful, and con-
sistent follower of Christ.
God grant that you may one day — ah,
this day — take up the language of the Apos-
tle, and say, " Whether I live I will live unto
the Lord : and whether I die I will die unto
the Lord : whether living therefore or dying,
I will be the Lord's."
CHAPTER V.
THE GREAT WORK OF LIFE.
Our Lord's life on earth was the great pat-
tern hfe. Even in the days of His childhood,
He worked for His heavenly Father. Those
early years were spent with His earthly
Parents principally at Nazareth. Picture to
yourself a Child, much like other children,
year by year growing in wisdom and in
stature ; strictly following the wishes of
Joseph and Mary ; working at their trade,
as " the Carpenter's Son ; " a sinless Child, a
pattern of holiness, and perfectly pure in
heart and life.
At the age of twelve, His Parents took
Him with them, to attend the great P>ast of
the Passover, according to the custom of the
Jews. It was usual on those occasions for
several families to join together for safety,
and to travel in company. Those Passover
days must have been happy and solemn sea-
sons ; for there was much in them to re-
(66)
THE GREAT WORK OF LIFE. 67
mind the people of God of His past good-
ness to them, and of mercies yet to come.
The Feast being ended, the different com-
panies gather together, and leave the city
with their faces turned again towards their
respective homes. The little party from
Nazareth is among the rest. But Jesus is
not with them. So great, however, was the
crowd, that it was not till the close of the
first day's journey, that His Parents dis-
covered that He was missing; for they
supposed all the while that He was in
the company, among their kinsfolk and ac-
quaintance.
As soon as they found it out, they hastened
back to Jerusalem with the greatest anxiety.
And there, in the midst of the Temple, to
their surprise they beheld Him surrounded
by a group of learned men, called Doctors,
or Teachers of the Law. There He was,
with these venerable Elders hanging upon
His lips, and hearing from Him such words
as no child had ever uttered before.
His Mother at once addresses Him in
language of affectionate remonstrance ; "Son,
why has thou thus dealt with us ? Behold,
thy father and I have sought thee sorrow-
68 THE CHRISTIAN LIFE.
ing." As much as to say, ** Thou hast never
before caused us a single pang. The hearts
of other parents have been sometime
grieved ; but our hearts never experienced
a moment's sorrow on Thy account.
What has called Thee away from us
now?"
This question drew forth those remark-
able words, '' How is it that ye sought Me ?
Wist ye not that I must be about my
Father's business ? "
Then in the eye of Jesus, there is a higher
work than that which concerns this world.
There is a Father in heaven, a Master
above, who has a stronger claim upon us
even than our earthly father, or our earthly
master.
How much we may learn from this
heavenly Child ! We know not what were
the words He spoke to those aged Jewish
doctors ; but these few simple words ad-
dressed to His Parents contain a most in-
structive sermon in themselves. May we
listen to it, and may it have a resting-place
in our hearts !
Truly we have each of us some great work
to do for God. What is it ?
THE GREAT WORK OF LIFE. 69
Did you ever watch a swarm of bees on
a warm summer's day ? All the members
of that busy throng are employing them-
selves. Some may be seen flying quickly
through the air in search of flowers from
which to gather their harvest. Others are
seen returning homewards with a goodly
store of gathered honey. They enter the
crowded hive, and deposit their burden ;
but there is no confusion. Others, again,
may be seen building up the little cells,
each one beautifully shaped according to
the truest rule. And a i^v^ are posted near
the entrance, fanning the air with their wings,
for the sake of those within, who would
otherwise be exhausted with their labor.
Here is a picture of God's Church, or
Family on earth. He would have us all to
be workers, busy in His service, laboring
for Him, employed in the great work of
His kingdom.
Why are we sent here ? Is it to be
idlers ? Is it to do our own work, and to
follow our own ways ? Is it to labor only
for the meat that perisheth, to toil here for
a few years for this world's pay, and then
to pass away, and be forgotten.
70 THE CHRISTIAN LIFE.
No, we have a nobler calling, a better
portion than this. We must not leave the
work of this world undone. The laborer,
the tradesman, the farmer, all of us have
our earthly duties to discharge. " If a man
will not work, neither let him eat." It would
indeed be a mistake, if the laborer were to
leave the plough, because God had called
him into His service ; or if the tradesman
were to neglect his customers, on the plea
that his soul must be cared for ; or if the
farmer were to let the weeds grow in his
fields, and his fallows remain unsown, be-
cause he has a God to serve, and a soul to
be saved.
Thank God, He is no such hard Master.
Instead of this, He bids us labor, and makes
our very labor a means by which we may
truly serve Him. We need not go out of
the world to do His work. We shall serve
Him most effectually if we carry our Chris-
tianity into the every-day occupation of life.
How many there are in the world, who are
always wisJiing to be useful — always intend-
ing to do something for God — often dream-
ing what they migJit do, if they were in
such and such circumstances. And yet, if
THE GREAT WORK OF LIFE. 71
they would but begin by doing something
that is close to their hands, it would indeed
be well. There is work enough before us,
without looking elsewhere.
Are we Parents ? We shall be doing
God's work, if we train up our children for
Him. Are we Masters ? We shall be serv-
ing God, if for His sake we are kind and
considerate, and watchful over those who
are placed under our care by Him. Are
we servants ? Is labor our calling ? God
will accept our work, if we do it cheerfully
and faithfully as unto the Lord, and not to
man.
But over and above our earthly work
there is a special work to do for God ; or
rather I would say, Whilst doing the lower
work of earth, there is a higher, a nobler, a
far greater work to be done for the Lord.
He can employ us, if we have only the
heart to be employed.
What shall we say then of those who
spend their life in idleness, seeking their
own pleasure, and wasting their precious
moments on themselves ; or of those who
are busy and active, but it is about their
own gain, or their own advancement in the
72 THE CHRISTIAN LIFE.
world ? They may be harmless and in-
offensive in their lives, and the world may
pronounce them to be useful persons ; but
both the one and the other are in God's sight
mere cumberers of the ground.
Now, what is the work He would have
us to do ?
The work of a Minister is plain enough —
to preach the glad tidings of salvation — to
explain to men God's Word and will — to care
for souls, and to labor if by any means he
may win them to Christ. This is the
solemn work which is laid upon them.
And truly if men should wish to draw them
aside from it, they might well answer in the
words of Nehemiah, '* I am doinsf a crreat
work, so that I cannot come down. Why
should the work cease, while I leave it ? "
But all diYQ not Ministers. And yet God
has just as special a work for you to do in
the world as for them. The Church of Christ
is like that Hive. And if we really belong
to it, there is an important task for each of
us, and we shall certainly be doing it. The
lowest and the least has a place allotted to
him by the Lord; and happy for him if he
is earnestly filling it.
THE GREAT WORK OF LIFE. 73
For example, one may go and stand by
the bedside of some afflicted neighbor, and
speak to him comforting words of tender-
ness and truth. In so doing you will be
showing your love to Him who said, "I was
sick, and ye visited me," This is a Christian
work, and a work which more would gladly
ensfacre in, if their hearts glowed with the
love of souls. " Pure religion and undefiled
is this, to visit the widows and fatherless in
their affliction, and keep himself unspotted
from the world."
Another may feel able to speak boldly
for Christ, wherever he goes. He will not
speak rashly, so as to bring religion into
contempt, or proudly, as if he were better
and wiser than others. But he will speak
humbly, under a deeper sense of his own
unworthiness. And thus he will try, as far
as in him lies, to win men into Christ's
service.
A third may not be able to say much.
He may often long to speak ; but his
courage fails him. He has often prayed
perhaps that he may be able ; but the power
is withheld. Still he may be useful, very
useful, even more useful perhaps than one
74 THE CHRISTIAN LIFE.
who has a readier tongue. He may speak
by his life. He may draw others into the
fold by his holy and consistent conduct.
What shall I say more ? There are a
thousand ways by which we may be doing
God's work, and furthering His cause in
the world. The person who teaches a little
group of Sunday-school children, from love
to the Saviour — the person who counts it
no trouble to go round a parish, to collect
funds for sending the Gospel to the heathen —
even the poor sufferer who is cut off from
intercourse with the world, but who, as he
lies upon his sick bed, prays earnestly and
constantly for his brethren, that the Gospel
may reach their hearts — these, and many
more, are really doing God's work, and are
fulfilling the task to which He has called
them.
Surely God gives to ^//some opportunity
of being useful. He may give to some
but one talent, and to others ten. But He
looks as graciously on him who has the
one, if he employs that one rightly, as He
does on him who has the ten. Yes, there
are none among us, none so poor, none so
young, none so old, none so unlearned.
THE GREAT WORK OF LIFE. 75
none so occupied, but that they may do
something for their heavenly Master, and
for His people.
Is there any Drunkard whom you have
anything to do with ? Try and stop him
in his downward course. Don't say, It is
not my work. It is your work, if God
gives you the opportunity. And though
you may fail, as we often do, still He will
accept your endeavor. Is there any one
of your acquaintance thoughtless and care-
less ? Beware lest you encourage that
person by your silence, when you might
say something to him, which by God's bless-
ing would do him good. Is any one a
neglecter of God's house ? Use every effort
to bring him with you into your Saviour's
presence. He may be blest there, and you
may save his soul.
I feel sure that each one of us has some
influence over his brother. Depend upon it,
we never come into a person's company, but
we either do him good, or we do him harm.
We may not perceive it at the time. The
effect may be very small. So is the effect
of a drop of rain, or a flake of snow, or a
gleam of sunshine on the corn ; but many
76 THE CHRISTIAN LIFE.
such drops, and flakes, and gleams, have a
wondrous influence on the coming harvest.
Just reflect how very different is the in-
fluence which two men may have in their
ordinary course through Hfe.
One perhaps is a hard man of the world.
He attends regularly to his business. He
is up early. He never idles. There is no
loitering by the way. His mind is set on
gain ; and therefore, if anything crosses
his plans, it frets and irritates him. Every
now and then a word will fall from his lips,
which but too plainly shows that God is
not in all his thoughts. If he goes into
company, his remarks are rather against
religion than for it. If anything is going
on in his parish for the good of souls, or
for the glory of God, he either opposes it,
or passes it by in silence.
Think you, that such a man's influence
can do no harm ? It must do harm. We
feel that it has done us harm, when we
have been thrown in with one of this
stamp.
But how different is the course of another
person who carries into daily life the character
and bearincr of a Christian. His mind is
THE GREAT WORK OF LIFE. 77
calm and peaceful ; and scarcely anything
ruffles it. He has a kind word for every
one. He is ready for every good work. If
it be a right thing, he will at once lend a
hand in forwarding it. He is not content
to leave it to others, or to consider how he
may avoid it with decency, but he is thank-
ful to take part in it himself If God has
set him in a place of authority, he is
anxious to promote the welfare, both bod-
ily and spiritual, of those who are under
him. If he is in a lower station, he will
remember that he has an earthly, and a
heavenly, Master; and whilst he does the
work of the one, he will not leave the
work of the other undone. If he happens
to be thrown among strangers, he will feel
that the eye of his God is upon him ; and,
like a true-hearted soldier, he will not be
ashamed to show his colors. Wherever he
is, and whatever he is doing, he will not
forget his " Father's business."
What a vast difference between the two —
the one constantly grieving his heavenly
Father, and doing some little amount of
harm to his fellow-men ; the other scatter-
ing blessings wherever he goes : the one
78 THE CHRISTIAN LIFE.
living most effectually to God ; the other
living without Him in the world.
Which will you be ? May God give you
grace to live, and act, and speak for Him,
so long as life is spared to you !
And now, in bringing this subject to a
close, I will once more call your attention to
the words which I alluded to at the begin-
ning of the chapter. Our Lord calls that
Jiigher work, of which we have been speak-
ing, His Father's business — " Wist ye not
that I must be about my Father's business ? "
Now, it was not the great work of atone-
ment that Jesus spoke of here. Neither
was it the work of His ministry. For He
did not come forth into public till eighteen
years after this. But he speaks of Himself
as a Son and Servant of God. And He felt
that the work of God was His work, and
that the great business before His mind was
His " Father's business."
Let this same feeling be ever in our minds.
And whilst many are putting earth's busi-
ness above the calls of God — whilst they
are saying in their hearts, " Worldly busi-
ness, be thou my God ; I devote myself to
THE GREAT WORK OF LIFE. 79
thee " — let us remember that we have a great
and glorious work to do for our Father in
heaven, and let us be ever ready to do it.
The will will be given us, and the pozver too ,
if we entreat God to bestow it upon us. Yes,
and life will be sweetened by the thought
that we are doing something for Him, who
has done so much for us. It is my heavenly
Father, to whom I am indebted for all I am,
and all I have. I live under His daily care.
My soul is in His hourly keeping. I walk
with Him day by day. I hope to dwell with
Him for ever. Oh, wonder not that I de-
sire to do His will. " Wist ye not that I
must be about my Father's business?"
You and I shall soon be laid down upon
our death-beds. And as we look back on
the long past, we shall probably feel that
there is much (oh, how much!) that we have
done amiss. Many sins we shall then re-
member, which need a Saviour's blood to
purge. But this is not all. Shall we not also
feel that there is much that we have left un-
done— that we might have been more use-
ful in our day — that we have neglected many
golden opportunities ? How very few of us
8o THE CHRISTIAN LIFE.
will be able to say, ** I have finished the work
which Thou gavest me to do ! I have la-
bored for thee ; I have spoken for Thee ;
I have acted for Thee ; I have lived for
Thee ! "
We came into the world to do ; not to
dream. Let us then arouse ourselves. Let
us be workmen for Christ. There is a great
work to be done for Him in the world, and
but very few to do it. Let us be among
those few. And then too we have but a
little while to work in. Our days are get-
ting shorter and shorter. The night will
soon come when no more work can be
done.
Now, our Father is saying to us, *' Son,
work to-day in my vineyard." Soon He will
say, " Son, give an account of thy stew-
ardship, for thou mayest be no longer
steward : thy work-day has closed for
ever ! "
Years ago, when you came into the world,
God sent you on a special errand. And that
errand was to glorify Him. To this end you
were born, and for this cause you came into
the world. Now, how have you fulfilled the
end for which He sent you ? Perhaps not
THE GREAT WORK OF LIFE. 8i
at all. You may have prospered. Your
life may have been one great success. But
one day you will perhaps discover that you
have altogether missed the end for which
God destined you. And oh, what a bitter
pang will it be to find that you have lived al-
together in vain !
But I trust that this may not be the case
with you. May you be one of those whose
earnest desire it is to serve Christ, and
humbly to do the work to which He has
called you.
CHAPTER VI.
THE GREAT END OF LIFE.
What is the great end of life ? What
is the one chief object which the Christian
should have ever before him ?
If one who had never mixed with his fel-
low-men were to come among us, what
would be the impression upon his mind ?
If he went into the streets of London, or
into any of our manufacturing towns, what
would he say of the men and women whom
he met with ? He would see that they are
busy, they are active, they are striving for
something. Their very countenances show
an eagerness about their pursuits. They
are up early ; they are in bed late ; they
work hard. And, upon inquiry, he would
find that all this is for Gain. The end their
minds are fixed on is to get money.
Or if he fell in with some of the rich and
noble of the land, he would see that many of
them are only thinking how they can make a
(82)
THE GREAT END OF ^ LIFE. 83
merriment of life — how they can while away
their days and hours in amusement. Then
he would come to the conclusion that
Pleasure is the great end of life, the great
object to live for.
Or if he went to one of our Universities,
he would find men, old and young, engaged
in study — poring over their books perhaps
for eight or ten hours in the day. From
this he would gather that Learning is the
great end of life.
Or if he mixed among our Soldiers and
Sailors, and listened to their conversation,
he would come away with the idea that
earthly Honor and Glory is the great thing
to live for.
Or suppose he came into one -of our
country villages, he would observe whole
families dependent on their labor, earning
their bread by the sweat of their brow, and
entirely trusting to their weekly wages. And
he would be led to imagine that Getting a
living is the great aim of life.
Too true it is that a large portion of man-
kind have no further end in view, than gain,
or pleasure, or learning, or earthly glory,
or mere subsistence. But we must acknowl-
84 THE CHRISTIAN LIFE.
edge that these are but a poor aim for one
who has an immortal soul, for one who at
the first was created in God's image.
What then ought to be the end and ob-
ject for which we are living ?
Is it Pardon? We are coming nearer to
it now. Well may the awakened penitent
long for pardon. Well may he feel that to
be rid of that heavy burden would be his
greatest happiness. Well may he sigh for
it, as the prisoner sighs for liberty. And,
when he obtains it, well may he rejoice with
a joy he never felt before.
But yet there is a higher end than this
that the pardoned Christian may be looking
for, and longing for. What is it ? Perhaps
it is Henveii. This is a blessed and noble
object to have in view — to live for heaven ;
to have our eye ever turned towards that
blessed abode, which we shall share for ever
with the Lord Himself! Yes, to secure our
own salvation ; to win heaven for ourselves ;
to be safe for eternity ; to have a firm,
bright, joyous hope as regards the future ;
this is unspeakably important to each one
of us.
But if this be our only object, or even our
THE GREAT END OF LIFE. 85
riding object in life, then is there not some-
thing almost selfish in our aim ? Thank God
there is one higher and nobler still. And
that is to glorify God.
Look at our great Pattern. Look at Him
who, when He became man, became a per-
fect man. Now, from the very dawn of our
Lord's earthly existence, to the hour when
His life closed in, all was one continual
glorifying of God. He was always doing
the will of Him that sent Him. He was al-
ways about His Father's business. Again
and again we find such words as these
coming from His lips, *' I seek not mine own
glor}^," " I honor my Father." Watch Him
at the grave of Lazarus. This object was
foremost on His mind. With this view He
raised the dead corpse to life. Hear how
He speaks to Martha, " Said I not unto thee,
that, if thou wouldest believe, thou should-
est see the glory of God ? " When the hour
of His own sufferings drew near, He ex-
claimed, " Now is my soul troubled, and
what shall I say — Father, save me from this
hour? But for this cause came I unto this
hour. Father, glorify thy namey And
again, " I have glorified thee on the earth ;
86 THE CHRISTIAN LIFE.
I have finished the work which thou gavest
me to do."
This is the great errand too, on which
the Angels loved to be employed. How
did the air ring with their joyful song, on
the first Christmas morn, when they pro-
claimed, "Glory to God in the highest, and
on earth peace, good-will towards men!"
And such too has been the great and con-
straining object for which many a Believer
has lived. What is the one motive which
has led hundreds of God's servants to give
their money, their time, their strength,
their hearts to Him ? It is the desire to
bring glory to His name.
This was the secret of St. Paul's earnest-
ness. This made him labor, and strive, and
fight. This made him willing to bear
shame, reproach, and suffering; yea, and
even to count his very life not dear unto
himself. If he could only promote His
Master's glory, he felt himself abundantly
repaid. He was content to be despised, so
that Christ might be honored. He was
willing to be abased, if only His Lord
might be exalted. I hardly know such
noble feelings uttered by any one, as those
THE GREAT END OF LIFE. 87
which St. Paul expressed in writing to the
Philippians — such entire putting down of
self, that the kingdom of Christ, and His
glory might be advanced ; " The things
which have happened unto me," he says,
" have fallen out rather unto the furtherance
of the gospel ; so that my bonds in Christ
are manifest in all the palace, and in all
other places. And many of the brethren
in the Lord, waxing confident in my bonds,
are much more bold to speak the word
without fear. Some indeed preach Christ
even of envy and strife, and some also of
good will. The one preach Christ of con-
tention, not sincerely, supposing to add af-
fliction to my bonds ; but the other of love,
knowing that I am set for the defence of
the gospel. What then ? Notwithstand-
ing, every way, whether in pretence or in
truth, Christ is preached; and I therein do
rejoice, yea, and will rejoice. . . According
to my earnest expectation, and my hope,
that in nothing shall I be ashamed, but that
with all boldness, as always, so now also,
Christ shall be magnified in my body,
whether it be by life or by death. For to
me to live is Christ."
88 THE CHRISTIAN LIFE.
And what are the feelings that he recom-
mends to his Christian brethren ? Just the
same feelings — nothing lower. *' Ye are
bought with a price ; therefore glorify God
in your body, and in your spirit, which are
God's;" and again, "Whatsoever ye do, do
all to the glory of God!'
So then, you see, this should be the
great end and object of the Christian's life
— to glorify God.
Let me now put this matter before you
in such a way that you may act upon it. I
will offer you some directions, and mention
some ways in which you may glorify God.
I. Try and wean yourself from all self-
glorifying. Even where there is grace in
the heart, we have need to be on our guard.
Self is for ever endeavoring to get the up-
per hand. The old Adam — our old nature
— is constantly striving to exalt itself Like
Diotrephes, we " love to have the pre-emi-
nence." We are continually wishing to be
something more than Christ would have us
to be. Oh, let us curb this desire and be
willing to be nothing for Christ's sake.
THE GREAT END OF LIFE. 89
We ministers know perhaps more than
any what this temptation is. To get a
name for earnestness in our sacred calling
— to acquit ourselves creditably before our
people — to win their applause — to acquire
a certain amount of popularity — these de-
sires are for ever creeping in, and filling
the place of purer and higher motives.
Yes, and we may deceive ourselves, and
fancy that we are doing God's work, and
glorifying Him^ when in fact we are only
glorifying ourselves.
It is related of two Ministers, who had
separate charges in London, both seemingly
devoted to their work, and both preach-
ing earnest and stirring sermons, that they
made this agreement — that, whichever of
them should die first, the spirit of the de-
parted one should return, and declare to
his Friend what was the sentence passed
upon him and his work in the Lord's vine-
yard.
After a while one of the two died ; and it
is said that his spirit returned and appeared
to the survivor. And when asked if he
was now in the peaceful enjoyment of Para-
dise, reaping the reward of his abundant
90 THE CHRISTIAN LIFE,
labors, " No," he replied, " I am lost. I am
cast away. I have been weighed in the
balance, and found wanting." "Why?" it
was asked. " Was not your preaching true
and faithful? Were you condemned for
aught you said as God's messenger ?" " Oh
no, it was not my words that were wrongly
spoken ; it was not my preaching that
was wanting in energy or boldness ; it was
not my activity that lacked. But this it
was — that, while I seemed to preach Christy
I was really preaching myself. It was my
own good name, my own praise, my own
glory, that I sought. The preaching of
the cross was in very truth but the cloak
that covered my empty profession of devot-
edness. And now that the cloak is torn
away, I am left naked and stripped of all,
and I must go down a soul-deceiver and a
self-deceiver into Hell."
Though we cannot for a moment believe
this narrative to be true, yet there is a
point in it which may come home with
searching power to all our hearts. Let us
keep .f^^ in the background; and be often
questioning ourselves, " Do I act from a
proper motive ? Am I wishing to gain a
THE GREAT END OF LIFE. 91
name among men, or to advance the glory
of my God ? "
2. Set God's glory distinctly before you
in all you do. I am to glorify God — this is
the great end which I am to live for. Per-
haps we have never thought of this. Per-
haps we have never done a single thing in
our whole lives from this grand and glori-
ous motive. We have acted oftentimes
from a desire to do what is right, from a
sense of duty, or from a feeling of kindness
and love, or from a wish to be useful. But
how seldom have we done a thing from a
simple desire to glorify God ! And yet
this is the highest and most blessed mo-
tive from which a Christian can act. This
is doing as Christ did, and feeling as He
felt.
St. Peter, speaking of our gifts, bids us to
use them, " that God in all things maybe
glorified " — not in one thing, but in ''all
things " — not in great things merely, but in
little things as well. And St. Paul goes
still further, for he says, " Whether ye eat
or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the
glory of God." That is, in all the little
actions of your daily life, let this one motive
92 THE CHRISTIAN LIFE.
be the mainspring of all your doings — to
bring glory to Him.
3. Endeavor to honor God by tJie holi-
ness of your life. Nothing brings such dis-
honor upon the Gospel, and nothing leads
to such contempt for the truth, as the un-
holy lives of His professing people. And,
on the other hand, nothing is so pleasing to
Him, and brings such honor to His name
and cause, as the holy lives of his fol-
lowers.
We Christians are called with a Jioly call-
ing. We are called to be like Jesus, holy,
harmless, undefiled, and separate from sin-
ners. I often picture to myself a little band
of holy men and women in any parish — a
compact band, a loving band, a devoted
band, of really consistent Christians — not
mere professors, but possessors of Christ —
not talkers, but workers — not hearers only,
but doers of the Word — fruit-bearers, light-
reflectors, living epistles of Christ, known
and read of all men. What a blessed in-
fluence would they have on others ; like
leaven, spreading itself over the whole mass ;
like ointment, scattering around the per-
fume of godliness ! This would give life to
THE GREAT END OF LIFE. 93
our Churches. This would put to silence
the gainsayer. This would attract, and win
over, the unbeliever.
St. Paul speaks of our "adorning the
doctrine of God our Saviour in all things."
What a word that is — adorning the doctrine !
Can we add anything to that which is in it-
self so pure, and bright, and lovely, as the
Gospel ? Alas, we oftener throw a veil over
it, and dim its beauties: we cast upon it
many a blot, and so mar its charms. And
yet we may adorn the Gospel, we may add
a lustre to it, by living under its power.
What more lovely picture is there in the
world, than to see a holy and happy
Christian acting out the Gospel in all he
does ?
Oh, let us try to make religion attractive
by the blamelessness of our lives. Let us
show forth the character of Christ in our
daily conduct. Why is it that our Lord
exhorts us to " let our light shine before
men ? " It is that they may be led, by see-
ing our good Works, not to praise us, but
" to glorify our yather which is in heaven."
And, believe me, the poorest and humblest
may do this. We may all let our light
94 THE CHRISTIAN LIFE.
shine for Christ. For do we not see the
glorious sun reflected on the little tiny dew-
drop, as well as on the boundless ocean ?
" Herein," says Christ, " is my Father glori-
fied, that ye bear much fruit."
4. Make it a subject of prayer that you
may glorify God.
We are taught to ask this in the pattern
prayer which Jesus has given us. There,
out of the seven petitions, which we are
taught to offer, we plead in three of them
for our Father's glory: " Hallowed be Thy
name;" "Thy kingdom come;" "Thy will
be done."
So too in our Prayer Book we ask again
and again for this very thing; " Grant that
we may evermore serve Thee in holiness
and pureness of living, to Thy honor and
glory'* Again, in praying for our Rulers,
we ask, " that they may above all things seek
God's ho7ior and glory.'' And for our gov-
ernors, " that God would be pleased to di-
rect and prosper all their consultations to the
advancement of Hisglojy." And then, more
than once in the Service, our lips pour
forth those few but stirring words of praise,
THE GREAT END OF LIFE. 95
''Glory be to the Father, and to the Son,
and to the Holy Ghost."
Seek then to glorify God. It is He who
has placed us where we are, who has ap-
pointed our lot for us. He has put us
where we may best glorify Him, where we
can do a work for Him, which we could
not do elsewhere. We may glorify Him
by patiently bearing whatever He is pleased
to lay upon us, by cheerfully submitting to
His will in all things. We may do so by
our words, by our prayers, by our faith, by
a holy and Christian life.
One cannot but respect a Son who has
his Father's honor at heart. One cannot
but admire a Soldier who would rather die
than disgrace his country. And if we are
worthy of the name of Sons, shall we not
seek oiir Jieavenly Fatlicrs honor? If we
are true Soldiers of Christ, shall we not de-
sire above all things our Saviour s glory ?
Let us determine to make this our con-
stant aim. Let us be ever striving to do
something for our God. The glory of His
name, the honor of His cause, the advance-
ment of His kingdom — oh, here is some-
96 THE CHRISTIAN LIFE.
thing indeed worth striving for ! Let the
world frown upon us ; let our riches take
to themselves wings and fly away ; let pov-
erty be our lot here ; let us be counted as
nothing in the estimate of our fellow-men :
no matter, if we can, each of us in our little
measure, adorn the doctrine of God our
Saviour, and advance His glory in the
world.
CHAPTER VII.
THE WORD OF GOD, THE NUTRIMENT OF
THE CHRISTIAN LIFE.
In the preceding chapters I have dwelt
principally on the nature of the Christian
life. I have shown you what it is to live
without God. I have called your attention
to the great Turning-point in the Christian
Life. I have directed you to Christ, as the
Centre of that Life — Himself the very life
of the soul, I have described to you what
it is to live to God ; and what is the great
work, and also the chief end and object of
the Christian Life.
In the next four chapters I shall show
you how this life is sustained and kept up in
the soul. And I shall speak first of the
Word of God, as tJie Nutriment of this
spiritual life. May God help me to speak
wisely and usefully !
God has called us to live to Him ; and
He has made our happiness to consist in
r (97)
98 THE CHRIS I IAN LIFE.
doing so. Ten thousand arc the ways by
which He brings us from death unto hfe — •
by the voice of conscience ; by the gentle
working of His Spirit; by the preaching of
His Word ; by some starthng visitation ;
by some arrow, shot perliaps at a venture,
but directed to the heart by the Lord Him-
self. Yes, He has not one method merely,
but many^ for raising a soul from the cold
grave of sin and vvorldliness to the resurrec-
tion life of grace.
But God does not leave us there. Laz-
arus, when a new life was granted to him,
needed food to support his bodily frame :
and so we need spiritual support. And
God has specially provided it. Among
those means of grace, which He has merci-
fully appointed, His ^F<5'/'<i stands first and
foremost, as the food and nourishment of
the renewed soul.
Let us consider the subject under these
three heads —
L Tlie Word of God is the appointed
means of our spiritual instruction.
n. That Word must be received into the
soul, as its daily nourishment.
THE WORD OF GOD. 99
III. When so received, it brings joy and
rejoicing to the heart.
I. The Word of God is the appointed
me mis of our instruction.
I. God would have us knoiv Him. Sup-
pose we had been brought up without any
instruction from our Parents, without a
Minister to teach us, or without a Bible to
make the truth of God known to us, what
would be our state ? We should know
nothing of God, nothing of a Saviour, noth-
ing of the world before us. We might have
a feeling of want in our breasts, which noth-
ing here could satisfy; a feeling of empti-
ness, which nothing here could fill. We
might guess that there was a God above ;
and conscience might tell us that we have
wronged Him, and strayed from His ways.
But where could we look for pardon?
Where could we find the desired atonement?
W^e could know nothing of the Cross, noth-
ing of a Saviour who has died, " the just for
the unjust, to bring us to God." Something
within might tell us that there is a world to
come; but how dark and uncertain would
be our views concerning it !
'83878A
lOO THE CHRISTIAN LIFE.
Blessed be God, He has revealed these
things to us. He has made Himself known
to us in His own Word. There we may
read of His love in giving us a Saviour ;
and there we are told of that Saviour dying
for us, and of His having gone before us to
prepare a place for His elect.
The Bible teaches us to know God, and
Jesus whom He hath sent. It is true that
the mere /^^-s-^f-knowledge of this will not
save us ; but if God give us His Holy Spirit
to enlighten our minds, and to touch our
hearts, then, as we read His Word, we shall
get to know Him, to our comfort, peace,
and salvation.
2. God would also have us obey Him. He
is the Lord of the world. And it is just in
proportion as we obey Him that we shall
be happy. Surely, if we are God's people,
our grand inquiry will be how we may do
His will ; how we may serve Him most
effectually ; how we may please Him.
And where can we learn this ? There is
no voice from heaven now, saying to us on
every occasion, " It shall be told thee
what thou must do." God does not send
His angels to us, as He did to Jacob or to
THE WORD OF GOD. loi
Manoah. He does not declare His mind
to us in a vision, as He did to Paul. He
does not send a special messenger to us, as
He did to King Hezekiah, or to Cornelius
the Centurion. All His counsel is written
in that sacred Book which we possess.
And as we read that Book, we may discover
in its pages directions for a holy and a
happy life.
3. God would have us also to love Him.
And how can we love Him, except we know
Him ? And how can we shozv our love,
but by obeying Him ? '* If ye love me,"
says our Lord, " keep my commandments."
We are to love a Father whom we have
never beheld, an unseen Saviour. But
there, in the Bible, we have His glorious
character placed before us. There we may
see what He is, and what He has done for
us. And thus our affections are drawn out,
and our hearts won over to Him.
Let any one read his Bible earnestly and
with prayer, and his heart cannot but burn
within him, as he pictures to himself the
goodness, and mercy, and love of his Al-
mighty Friend. And the more God's truth
lays hold of his heart, the deeper and warmer
I02 THE CHRISTIAN LIFE.
will be his affection to Christ, who has done
so much, and suffered so willingly for his
sake. *' We love Him, because He first
loved us,"
Do you find it hard to love God, to love
the Saviour — hard to lift your leaden heart
from off the soil of this world, and to soar
upwards on the wings of gratitude ? Read
some passage in the Gospels or elsewhere,
at the same time uttering a heartfelt prayer
for a blessing ; and, though you may have
read the passage many times before, God
can and zvill make it the means of giv-
ing fresh tenderness and fervor to your
heart.
n. This Word must be received into your
soul as its daily nourishment.
Our souls must be fed, as well as our
bodies ; and I have shown that God has
provided for this. He has given His Word
to be the spiritual food of the new-born soul,
"that we may grow thereby."
Now bread and meat is of no use to the
body, unless it is inwardly received by us.
There may be an abundance of corn in our
country; there may be ample provisions in
THE WORD OF GOD. 103
our houses ; but if we do not feed upon
them, we shall starve.
So it is with God's Word. We may have
the Bible on our shelves. It may be near
us. We may see it day by day. We may
even read it with our eyes. And yet our
souls may not be notirished. They may
starve in the midst of plenty.
God's Word must sink below the surface,
down into our very hearts. " The entrance
of thy words," says David, ** giveth light ;
it giveth understanding to the simple."
And again, " Thy word have I Jiid in my
heart!'
What did the Prophet Jeremiah do with
God's Word ? First he tells us that he
found it, " Thy words were found." Have
you found God's Word to be the most pre-
cious treasure you can possess ? You have
had it within your reach all your life; but
have you discovered its value ?
A friend of mine was the possessor of a
large tract of land. To the outward eye it
seemed much like other land. But one day
a bed of metal, called manganese, was dis-
covered in one of his fields. From that
moment the value of the field was increased
I04 THE CHRISTIAN LIFE.
twenty-fold in his eyes. The rich mine had
existed there all along ; but he knew it not.
Perhaps it has been so with your Bible.
Once you had it in your possession without
knowing its value. But now you have
found it out, to your exceeding joy.
That was a great discovery which is men-
tioned in 2 Kings, xxii., where we are told
that Hilkiah the Priest found in some old
chest belonging to the Temple a code of
the law of Moses, which had been lost for
years, and well-nigh forgotten. He goes
immediately to Shaphan the scribe, and
says, *' I have found the Book of the law in
the House of the Lord." Shaphan eagerly
read it himself; and then took it to the
King, and read some passages of it aloud
to him. Good King Josiah knew well its
value, and prized it accordingly.
Martin Luther, too, the great German
Reformer, who lived three hundred and
fifty years ago, when we were all under the
dark cloud of Romanism, one day was grop-
ing about in the library of his convent, and
is said to have come accidentally upon a
copy of the Bible. It was to him as bread
to the hungry. He feasted his soul upon
THE WORD OF GOD. 105
it; and God brought it home to his inmost
heart. That again was a great discovery.
And so too in these days, when it pleases
God by His Spirit to awaken any one, then
the Bible becomes, as it were, a new book.
The soul hungers for God's truth, and there
it finds the nourishment it needs, i
But Jeremiah tells us another thing.
"Thy words were found," he says, '*and I
did eat them." He fed upon them to the
satisfying of his soul.
Look upon God's Word in this light — as
your spiritual nourishment. Say to your-
self, " I want enlightening, comforting,
strengthening. I will sit down to the read-
ing of Scripture as I would to my meal. I
will ask God to bless me, and feed me with
this bread of life."
You can use no better petitions than
those of our well-known Collect, " Blessed
Lord, who hast caused all Holy Scriptures
to be written for our learning, grant that we
may in such wise hear them, read, mark,
learn, and inwardly digest them." Our or-
dinary food, when swallowed, must be di-
gested ; and so must the words of Scripture.
We must think over them, meditate upon
io6 THE CHRISTIAN LIFE.
them, and let them sink down into our
hearts.
I believe that our Bible-reading would be
a very different thing, if we came to it in
this spirit. What is it to many of us ? A
mere task, a dry, uninteresting duty which
we feel it right to go through. No wonder
that such persons find no benefit from their
reading. They have no appetite for God's
Word, and therefore they cannot say, " Thy
words were found, and I did eat them."
Remember, then, it must be your con-
stant daily nourishment. When any one
says, " I read my Bible sometimes^' I can
guess pretty well the state of that person's
soul. What ! brethren, is it so with your
ordinary meals ? Do you sit down to them
only sometimes f Do you let your dinner-
hour or your supper-hour pass by, because
you have other things to do ? Do you ever
spend a day without food, and yet not so
much as notice it ? If so, you cannot be
in health. There must be something wrong
with you. And if you have no appetite for
God's Word, if you do not feel that your
soul longs for this spiritual nourishment, all
cannot be right with you. There cannot be
THE WORD OF GOD. 107
health within. If all was well with your
soul, you would sooner suffer " a famine of
br^ad, or a thirst of water," than of reading
or ''hearing the Word of the Lord."
A real love for the Bible, a hungering for
its truths which nothing but a constant
daily reading of it will satisfy — this is a
sure sign of a converted soul.
Read the Bible then every day. Have
your fixed hour for it, as you would for any
one of your meals. Read it with earnest
prayer for the teachings of the Spirit. Ask
God to make it a nourishing word to you.
This is the kind of reading that will do you
good. Thus will your soul thrive.
III. The Word, when so received, brings
joy and rejoicing to the Jieart. I referred j ust
now to Jeremiah. Well, he had "eaten,"
or fed upon, God's words. And what was
the effect they produced upon his soul ?
Did this spiritual meal answer his expec-
tation, or disappoint him ? Hear what he
says, " Thy word was unto me the joy and
rejoicing of my heart." This was his tes-
timony. And such, too, was David's. He
also ate the same spiritual food. And what
io8 THE CHRISTIAN LIFE.
is his account of it ? " How sweet are thy
words unto my taste ! Yea, sweeter than
honey unto my mouth ! " And Job's ex-
perience is the same, " I have esteemed the
words of thy mouth more than my nec-
essary food."
Fancy yourself for a moment in the des-
erts between Jerusalem and Gaza. You
see a man coming along in his chariot, and
reading as he travels. He is very thought-
ful. The Book he is intent upon is deeply
interesting to him. He is an Eunuch of
Ethiopia ; and he is reading a portion of
the Prophet Isaiah. Presently one joins
him, to whom that Book is familiar. He
explains it to him. The Eunuch now sees
that it speaks of Christ. At once a new
light breaks in upon him. A new rill of
joy is opened in his soul. He believes,
and " goes on his way rejoicing^
Or again, fancy yourself in one of our
English prisons some three hundred years
ago. There you would have seen a vener-
able man, a Minister of Christ, bound under
sentence of death ; a prisoner of the Lord ;
a martyr for the cause of Christ. As he
sits in his solitary cell, there is one com-
THE WORD OF GOD. 309
panion that cheers him — a Companion that
is for ever whispering to him, " Let not your
heart be troubled, neither be afraid;" '* Re-
joice, and be exceeding glad : for great is
your reward in heaven." That Companion
is his Bible, his precious Bible. TJiat brings
peace and comfort to his soul.
Once more ; go into some sick room,
under a cottage roof There will you find
lying upon his bed some poor worn-out suf-
ferer. He has lain there perhaps for months.
Sleep seldom closes his eyes. He scarcely
knows what it is to be free from pain. His
pale countenance speaks plainly of a fatal
disease within. And yet he is calm, peace-
ful, and resigned. And more than this —
he is happy. And what makes him so?
See him pull his well-worn Bible from
beneath his pillow. And mark what a
bright ray of hope beams upon his counte-
nance, as he reads his morning Psalm, or
traces the loving words of gospel truth.
There Christ is made known to him, the
great deliverer from sin and sorrow.
Truly this brings "joy and rejoicing to
the heart." Proud Pharisees may pass over
the words of God with indifference, just as
no THE CHRISTIAN LIFE.
** the full soul loatheth an honeycomb ; " but
the humble child of God will ever thank-
fully exclaim, *' Thy testimonies have I
claimed as my heritage for ever." And
why ? " They are the very joy of my
heart."
Let me then once more counsel you to
take up your Bible as the meat and drink
of your soul. If you wish to get your
faith strengthened, your heart warmed, your
spiritual knowledge deepened ; if you wish
to stand firm on the rock, unshaken by the
opinions of men ; if you wish to be a bold,
strong, earnest Christian ; live upon God's
Word ; get acquainted with its blessed
truths ; feed upon those green pastures
which He has provided for His flock. Do
not be content with getting a few Scripture
phrases upon your lips ; but get the spirit
of Scripture into your heart. Get your soul
leavened with its heavenly savor. This
will bring you to know God and make you
*' wise unto salvation."
One word more. Never take up the sa-
cred volume without remembering that He,
whose Book it is, must open its pages to
THE WORD OF GOD. in
your view. You cannot understand it ; you
"cannot feel its power ; unless God lifts up
the veil from your heart. It will be to you
*' as the words of a book that is sealed,"
unless He unlocks it. Never do we want
light and grace so much as when we are
reading God's Word. And never. I believe,
is He so ready to bestow it.
The Lord enable you more and more to
prize your Bible ! May you be ready to
say, " I have found the Word of God to be
precious to my soul. Once I cared more
for the outside, than for its contents. Once
it had a place on my table, but no place in
my heart. Once I looked into it iiow and
tJien as a matter of duty or to while away a
half-hour. Now it is my constant com-
panion, the food of my soul, the comfort,
the delight, the joy and rejoicing of my
heart."
CHAPTER VIII.
PREACHING, A SAVING ORDINANCE IN THE
CHRISTIAN LIFE.
How is it that the Word of God is read
for weeks and months together with so
little profit? How is it that it is often
preached with great ability, and with much
earnestness, and yet it never gets beyond
the outward ear of some who sit and listen
to it ? The truth is, there are many hearts
which the Word of God has never yet effectu-
ally reached. A person may hear sermons
with much attention ; he may thoroughly un-
derstand what he hears, and store it up in his
memory ; but if God's Word goes no farther
than this, it will not be a saving word to
his soul. If the Holy Spirit does not
apply it to his conscience, very little good
will be done.
Now St. James, speaking of the Gospel,
calls it, " the eiigrafted^ox<M' He uses this
(112)
PREACHING, A SAVING ORDINANCE. 113
striking expression to show that it must not
only be preached to us ; it must not only be
sounded in our ears ; it must not only be
hstened to with gladness ; but it must work
its way into our hearts. ''Receive^' he says,
"the engrafted word." ''Receive it," as you
would a friend who is welcome to your house.
You would not bid him stand at the door
without. You would let him in, and give
him a choice place by your hearth. ''Receive
it," as you would some remedy which was
able to save your life. Surely you would
not place the bottle by your bedside, and
merely gaze upon it. You would eagerly
drink its contents, as that which was likely
to cure you.
" The engrafted word ! " What is the proc-
ess with a graft ? It is not enough to take
the slip and fasten it on the tree ; but we
must let let it into the tree, or else it will
take no effect. Just so must the Word of
God enter it; it must get below the surface,
and touch the very heart. Thus David
says, " The entrance of thy words giveth
wisdom:" and again, "Thy word have/
hid in mine heart!' And St. Paul thus ex-
horts us, " Let the word of Christ dwell in
8
114 THE CHRISTIAN LIFE.
you richly" — let it not only float in your
fancy, but enter your heart, and lodge deep
in your soul.
But this expression seems to teach us
something further. It teaches us that God's
Word has a life-giving power : it must live
within us. Should we be content to see
the graft fixed ever so firmly in the tree ?
No, it must live and grow there, and pro-
duce a better and more abundant crop of
fruit. And so too must it be with God's
Word. It must be a living word within us.
It must work a mighty change there. Its
power must be felt within.
Have you thus received the Word ? You
have heard it again and again. It may be,
you have listened to it with deep attention.
You have been struck by it. Perhaps the
Preacher's words have made you thought-
ful for the moment. You have gone home
with deep searchings of heart. You have
had a glimpse, as it were, of the world to
come. You have been forced to look into
your own heart. You have seen it to be
very sinful, and you have felt your pressing
need of a Saviour. But have you received
the Word ? Have you heartily welcomed
PREACHING, A SAVING ORDINANCE. 115
it to your soul ? If it be indeed grafted by
the Master's hand, you will know it by
this token — it will be fruitful ; it will spring
up.
It does indeed make one sad to think, on
how few hearts the Word of God takes
real and saving effect ! How many listen
and listen, and yet come short of being
converted ! Some seed falls by the way-
side ; and it is soon snatched away. Some
falls, as we fancy, into welcome ears ; but it
takes no root. And some too is quickly
choked by the stifling business, and cares,
and worry of the world. Thank God it does
so7nethnes light upon a better soil ; and
there it sinks in, and grows, and brings
forth fruit unto life eternal.
Take heed how you hear. It is not a
light matter to listen to a sermon. That
sermon may be for the saving or the con-
demning of your soul. Every sermon you
hear is for eternity. And just as the stroke
of the blacksmith's hammer either makes
the iron harder, or breaks it in pieces, so it
is with the preached Gospel. Be sure, it
never leaves any one as it finds him. It
either makes his heart tender, or it leaves
Ii6 THE CHRISTIAN LIFE.
him more hardened than before. It Is
either " the savor of Hfe unto hfe," or the
" savor of death," to his soul.
But let us inquire, how we should receive
the Word. There is something that we
must leave behind, and something that we
must bring zvith us, to the hearing of God's
Word.
We must leave behind our Pride. The
man who comes to church with a proud,
self-satisfied spirit is pretty sure to get no
good for his soul. It is " the hungry " whom
God loves to fill with the good things of
His Gospel ; but " the rich " (those who
fancy that they have need of nothing) " He
sends empty away." It has been well said
that "it is only a broken heart, that can
receive a crucified Christ."
The World too must be left behind.
How many think of the world, and the
world only, all the six days of the week.
Ay, and even on the Sabbath morning, the
world still occupies their thoughts and
hearts. When the hour of service comes,*
they hurry off to the House of God ; and
then they find themselves but little disposed
PREACHING, A SAVING ORDINANCE. 117
for Prayer, and ill prepared to listen to the
Word. And what wonder is it that it
should be so ? The world has been allowed
to have full sway over them ; is it to be
expected then that they should be able in a
moment to put it aside at their bidding?
No, it still hovers around them. It clings
to them, and they cannot shake it off. It
creeps in as their companion in the very
House of God. It stands by them, when
they are upon their knees. It fills their
minds, when they would be thinking of
God. It blocks up the door of their hearts,
lest the good seed should enter in. The
minister of Christ speaks words of solemn
moment; but the heart is too full of earthly
cares, and plans, and pleasures, to receive
them. Like the inn at Bethlehem, there is
no room there to welcome Christ. Yes, the
world must be left behind, if we would profit
by God's ordinance.
And there is yet another thing, too, that
must be laid aside ; and that is, Sin. In the
words, which I just now quoted, St. James
speaks of " laying apart all filthiness and
naughtiness;" and tlieii, he says, "Receive
the engrafted word." The heart must be
ii8 THE CHRISTIAN LIFE.
cleared out and emptied, before God's truth
can lodge within us. Ah, here is the secret
reason why so many are moved by sermons,
and are yet iincJiaiiged by them ; so many
are fully convinced, and yet remain uncon-
verted. They feel persuaded that sin is
ruining their souls, and that Christ alone
can make them happy ; that if they could
only give their whole hearts to Him, they
would feel a joy which they have hitherto
missed. And yet they do not close with
Christ. And why ? Because they love their
sins better. You will find perhaps hereafter
that there was some sin — some little sin —
some secret, hidden, heart sin — which you
would not give up ; and that that sin kept
you from Christ, and hindered you from
entering His blessed kingdom.
Oh, if your conscience whispers, "Alas !
so it is with me," I would affectionately
urge you forthwith to part with that sin,
whatever it may be, and however much it
may cost you. Part with it, though it be
dearer to you than a right hand or a right
eye, or you must never hope to see God.
But there is not only something which
PREACHING, A SAVING ORDINANCE. 119
must be laid aside, but also something that
we must bring with tis to the hearing of
God's truth. Here, again, we will take St.
James's words. The apostle says, ** Receive
witJi meekness the engrafted word." A hum-
ble, meek, and teachable spirit is what we
want. And this is the frame of mind that
God will bless. God loves to teach the
humble, child-like heart: "The meek will
he guide in judgment, and the meek will he
teach his way. " Pride nips the tender bud,
and no fruit is brought to perfection. If we
go to the house of God to pass judgment
on the sermon we hear, and to set up our
own wisdom against God's teaching, sure I
am that we shall hear in vain. But every
true servant of God will come with a mind
to obey. He only waits for a discovery of
the truth, and then he will follow it. His
language is like that of* Job, "What I see
not, teach thou me." He is ready to say
with Cornelius, "We are all here present
before God, to hear all things that are com-
manded thee of God."
Whether you open your Bible at home,
and sit down to read it, or whether you
come to the house of God to listen to the
I20 THE CHRISTIAN LIFE.
preaching of it, be humble ; for it is not
man that speaks, but God. Remember your
need of a heavenly Teacher. Put up a
secret prayer to God, that He would clear
away the mist from before you, and shine
upon His own Word. Entreat the Holy
Spirit to apply the truth to your heart, and
to take of the things of Christ, and show
them to you. Thus will those truths, which
hitherto perhaps have been hidden from
your soul, break in with new life, shedding
peace and joy into your heart.
But just consider, brethren, the wonder-
ful power there is in God's Word. It is
" able to save the soul " — not merely to en-
lighten, to comfort, to quicken — but to save.
What ! you may say, can God's Word
save? Is not this too much to declare?
When received into the heart, and engrafted
there by the hand of God, it has saved, and
it does save. We do not mean that it has
power in itself to save a soul, but that
it is an instrument which God uses for
this purpose. It is the hammer by which
He breaks the rock in pieces, and then
puts it together in His own best way.
PREACHING, A SAVING ORDINANCE. 121
Neither do we mean that the Word saves a
man in a moment — at once. Salvation is a
work that must not only be begun, but
carried on, in the heart of a child of God.
He is not saved by a single sermon. His
attention may be powerfully aroused, and
he may be led to seek salvation in earnest.
He may be set forward on the road that
leads to heaven. But he needs continual
grace and teaching, before he safely reaches
his journey's end.
But Jiozu does the Word do this ? How
does it save ? It saves a man by first show-
ing him that he is ruined, that he is under
the wrath of God, and that he cannot save
himself What a blessing when we have
learnt this lesson — when we stand stript of
our own righteousness, pleading guilty be-
fore God ! Happy for us if the Word of
God has taught us this. It is one thing
to acknowledge our guilt; but it is quite
another thing to feel it, — to feel sin as a
burden weighing down our souls, that we
long to get rid of
Well, this is part of the teaching of God's
Word, when applied to the heart by the
Spirit. It convinces of sin. It brings us
122 THE CHRISTIAN LIFE.
to a stand. It leads us to cry out with all
earnestness, " I am a sinful man ; God be
merciful to me." This is one stage of that
blessed process by which the Word saves ;
it shows us our absolute need of a Saviour.
But, thank God, we are not left there.
This is only a part of the work, though a
most important part ; for, until the sick
man is made conscious of his disease, he will
care little for the physician.
But the Gospel not only reveals to us
our disease and our daiiger, but also our
remedy. It says to the convinced and
trembling sinner, " Behold the Lamb of God,
which taketh away the sin of the world ! "
This is the glory of our message. This is
the blessed errand on which we are sent to
you — to tell you of God's love — of Christ's
atonement — that the door of heaven stands
open to you. We pray you, in Christ's
stead, be ye reconciled to God.
Thus does the engrafted Word save.
When it comes with quickening power to
the soul, it awakens men from their slum-
ber; it lays bare their hearts: it shows
them that they are undone ; it points to the
cross ; it tells them of a fountain, in which
PREACHING, A SAVING ORDINANCE. 123
they may wash and be clean : and it tells
them too of that indwelling Spirit, who
can make them meet and fit to dwell with
God above.
How great are the triumphs of God's
Word ! What did it effect on the day of
Pentecost ? And what lias it effected since ?
Has there never been a time in our own
experience, when we have felt sad and
down-hearted ? We have looked for com-
fort, and found it not. We have gone to
our Bible, with a secret prayer, that God
would give His blessing ; and then He Him-
self has shone upon its pages. The dark,
heavy cloud has passed away, and some
bright ray from His everlasting truth has
beamed in upon us with its cheering light ;
so that we have got up gladdened and re-
joicing. And is there not many a one who
owes all his happiness to the simple preach-
ing of God's truth ? He was once careless
and worldly ; but he went to the Lord's
house, and there his attention was arrested,
and his conscience pricked. He heard, he
listened, he believed. He became an al-
tered man.
Are we going too far then when we speak
124 THE CHRISTIAN LIFE.
of this as the great instrument in God's
hands for saving souls ? Oh, it is saving
many, daily and hourly ! May it save many
more ! May the words spoken from our
pulpits never be spoken in vain ! Shall we
not, one and all, pray, and that earnestly,
that God may be pleased to make His
house a " Bethesda," *' a house of mercy," to
numbers who meet within its walls — a
place where they may get light, and comfort,
and peace to their souls — that God will
pour out upon those who worship there
" the Spirit of grace and of supplications " —
and that He will give life and power to His
own Word? Ask for this. Ask God to
give to yourself and others what we so
much need, the quickening, sanctifying,
comforting influence of His grace.
CHAPTER IX.
PRAYER, THE BREATH OF THE CHRISTIAN
LIFE.
What an important moment that is,
when a Hving child comes into the world !
How great is the anxiety with which a
mother listens to the first breathing, or hears
the first faint cry, of the new-born babe !
That cry, which only disturbs and annoys
others, is sweet to her ear.
Ah, there is a Parent who feels more for
us than even a mother does for her little
ones. A woman may forget her sucking
child, and not have compassion on the fruit
of her womb ; but God cannot lose His
tenderness. He is love itself The first
breathing of new life in His children, the
first cry which is sent up to Him from a
heart in distress, fills heaven with joy.
Now, Prayer is the breathing of a new-
born soul. It is the first sign of life.
I am to speak in this chapter about
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120 THE CHRISTIAN LIFE.
Prayer, which I have called, " the Breath of
the Christian life." Blessed subject ! May
God teach us what Prayer is, and quicken
us in the exercise of it !
What is Prayer ?
Ask the Worldly-minded man. He will
tell you what it is to him. It is something
which he knows he ought to do ; something
which he has been brought up to do ; some-
thingr which his conscience will not let him
leave altogether undone. But he has no
pleasure in it. It is irksome to him. He is
glad enough when it is over.
Ask the Pharisee — the Formalist. He
seems to think that it is the mere utterance
of words ; the mere repeating certain holy
sentences on his knees ; the mere outward
acknowledgment that God is the great
Giver of all things.
But we can go to better teachers than
these.
Ask David what prayer is. "As for me, I
will call upon God ; " "I will cry unto God
most high ; " "I cried with my whole heart ;
I prevented the dawning of the morning ; "
*'As the hart (or stag) panteth after the
PRA YER, BREA TH OF CHRISTIAN LIFE. 127
water-brooks, so panteth my soul after Thee,
O God : my soul thirsteth for God."
Ask Jacob. He will tell you that it is a
" wrestling " with God.
Ask Daniel, It was something real with
him. Not even the wrath of the king could
close his lips. He prayed three times a-
day, though at the risk of his life.
Ask Saul of Tarsus. *' Go to him,
Ananias," said the Lord; "behold he
prayeth."
Ask that penitent Prodigal, when from
his wounded, aching heart those words
came streaming forth, " Father, I have
sinned against heaven and in thy sight, and
am no more worthy to be called thy son."
Ask the Publican, as he stands in the
House of God, smiting his breast. Few
words indeed he spoke ; but they were
earnest, burning words, which came forth
from the very depths of his heart.
Ask the holy Saviour. He spent whole
nights in prayer ; not because He was
obliged to pray, but because He foimd co7n-
fort in prayer.
Once more, let us ask jfcreniiah, who
wrote the Book of Lamentations. He says
128 THE CHRISTIAN LIFE.
in the 55th verse of the third chapter, " I
called upon thy name, O Lord, out of the
low dungeon. Thou hast heard my voice :
hide not thine ear at my breathing, at my
cry. Thou drewest near in the day that I
called upon thee ; thou saidst, Fear not."
" Prayer," observes a Christian writer,
*' is human need craving the Divine fulness ;
the wretchedness of earth begging the con-
solations of Heaven ; man's guilt beseech-
ing the mercy of God. By prayer the help-
lessness of the creature clings to the strength
of the Creator. Prayer is a voice from
Nature's womb, calling to the Heavenly
Healer. All creation prays. The little
plant droops its head, and curls its leaves;
and thus asks for moisture. The sheep
that has lost its lamb, fills the air with its
piteous bleating. The dog howls when he
is hungry ; and he has been known to en-
treat you, almost with the power of speech,
to follow him to the lonely spot, where his
master lies wounded and bleeding."
Every child of God prays. Where there
is spiritual life there must, and will, be
prayer. As surely as a living man breathes,
so surely will a living soul pray. We have
PRA YER, BREA TH OF CHRISTIAN LIFE, i 29
many and great wants, especially spiritual
wants ; but it is only when we are brought
under God's converting grace, that we begin
to feel those wants.
Let me now give you some hints about
your every-day prayers. I trust that many
of you have a real wish to live a Christian
life, and that you are ready to welcome any
directions which we can give you.
First, then, as to the particular Kind of
Prayer that we are now speaking about —
Private Prayer. Other Prayer is also need-
ful. It is very good for us to meet in the
House of God for Public Worship. A pe-
culiar blessing seems to be promised us
when we do so. Christ pledges Himself to
be in the midst of us. It is good for us
too to assemble our families for prayer.
But it is Private, Closet prayer that I am
now dwelling upon. And how needful this
is ! How necessary for us to get apart from
our fellow-men, and draw near to our heav-
enly Friend in the silence of our chambers !
I believe, if there was more of such prayer,
and more earnestness in it, there would be
9
[30
THE CHRISTIAN LIFE.
more advance in the spiritual life, more grow-
ing up unto Christ in all things.
When we call it *' Closet Prayer," we are
using our Lord's own words ; for He says,
"And thou, when thou prayest, enter into
thy closet!' Some of us have no difficulty
here. We have our own quiet rooms, where
we may go, and no one will disturb us. Be
thankful for it. Enter into thy closet. Let
the walls of it witness to many a fervent
prayer offered there. Remember, God is
near, and never so near as when we are
calling upon Him. Open your heart to
Him. Tell Him of all your wants. Go to
Him in all your trials. Let Him be your
Friend, to whom you fly in every season ;
your Counsellor, whom you love to consult ;
the Companion, with whom you delight to
hold intercourse.
But some have no private room, where
they can be alone — no door which they can
close, so as to shut out all interruption.
Some are so much mixed up with the busy
world that they are seldom at home. But still
there is a way of feeling ourselves alone
even in a crowd, even amidst the bustle of
life. The noisy room, the crowded work-
PR A YER, BREATH OF CHRISTIAN LIFE. 131
shop, the open field, or the roadside, may
be our closet. And God can and will hear
us there, if we call upon Him. We can lift
up our Jiearts without lifting up our voices.
We need not be alone to do this. The
silent breathing of the soul is sufficient.
Next, as to the Manner of our prayers.
There must be earnest7iess. Jeremiah
speaks of it as a cry ; " Hide not thine ear
at my cry."
When Esau had been cheated of his
father's blessing, what earnestness there was
in his complaint ! We are told that " when
he heard the words of his father, he cried
with a great and exceeding bitter cry, and
said unto his father. Bless me, even me, O
my father." Such, too, was the cry of the
Israelites, when their spirit was almost bro-
ken by the cruelty they met with in Egypt.
" They sighed by reason of the bondage,
and they cried ; and their cry came up unto
God by reason of the bondage. And
God heard their groaning, and God remem-
bered His covenant."
I have been present at death-beds, when
the slumbering soul has at length woke up,
and cried imploringly for mercy.
132 THE CHRISTIAN LIFE.
We have heard of shipwrecks, too, and
of the piercing cries that have been uttered,
when those on board felt that death was
near. I lately read of one, who, while wan-
dering along a lonely and rocky shore when
the tide was down, slipped his foot into a
narrow crevice. To his horror, he found he
could not Vv^ithdraw his imprisoned limb.
There he sat, with his face to the ap-
proaching weaves ; he knew that, as the tide
came in, it would rise upon him inch by
inch, till it washed over his head. Did he
cry for help ? Yes, we may be sure he did ;
and who could doubt his earnestness? He
cried, but none heard him. He saw here
and there a boat in the distance ; but his
signal did not attract their notice. How he
must have envied the very sea-gull, as it
skimmed the air above his head! And as
he watched the waters rising inch by inch,
his cries never ceased, till the last wave
swelled up, and washed the dying shriek
from his lips.
There was 7io help for liiin. There is for
us. " Call unto me, and I will answer thee,"
says our Lord. And why should any of us
be less earnest than the man on the sea-
PR A YER, BREA 7H OF CHRISTIAN LIFE. 133
shore was ? Our past sins, and our present
iniquities, press upon us ; and we need par-
don. Temptation assails us each day and
each hour of our Hves ; and we need help.
We are poor, and blind, and weak; and we
need strengtJi from God.
Then, do not look upon prayer as a thing
which may be shuffled over in a few mo-
ments ; as a duty which may be engaged in
sleepily and carelessly : but let us look
upon it as a thing into which we must put
our wJiole hearts. Let it be a cry from our
inmost sotils.
There must also be reality in our prayers.
Our prayers must be real. It is very easy
to speak words which we do not feel. Our
lips get into the way of uttering what our
hearts deny. We often speak, for instance,
very humbly of ourselves, when perhaps
there is no humility within. We acknowl-
edge before God that we are sinners, when
all the while sin is not felt by us. We ask
for grace, without having any desire for it.
Be real. Be honest with God. Say
nothing to Him which is not strictly true.
And if you cannot feel in your heart what
134 THE CHRISTIAN LIFE.
your liead tells you that you ought to feel,
ask God that the feeling may be given you.
Again, pray often. Will once, twice,
three times a-day be enough ? some one will
perhaps ask. Yes, it will be enough, and
too much, for us, if our souls are asleep. It
will be too much, if our minds are engrossed
with this world. We shall have no time
for prayer. There are other things to take
up our thoughts. We are too busy for such
a work as this. Ah, try and plead this with
God ; " I am too busy." Try and say it to
Him, this night in your prayers ; " Lord, I
have no time to seek Thee." You dare not.
Will you plead it in your dying hour, or at
the judgment day? Will you say, *' I had
no time ? " Rather say the truth ; " I had
no heart for prayer ; I lived to gain the
world. I gained it: but I lost my soul."
Be often in prayer, O believer. Thy
Father hears thee. He is ready to answer
thee. Be often in His presence. Your
prayers may not be always expressed. There
may be no utterance. Your petition may
be sent up to heaven, without any cry being
heard. Remember, prayer is tJie breath of
a soul. It may be but a gentle breathing,
PR A YER, BREA TH OF CHRISTIAN LIFE. 135
and yet God can hear it. Think of Jere-
miah's words, " Hide not thine ear at my
breathing!'
A few words now about tJie Difficulties
we find in our prayers.
Perhaps tJiis has been a difficulty with
you — If God orders everything, and has
planned beforehand everything that happens,
what is the use of my praying ? But surely
if this stops the wheels oi prayer, it ought
also to stop the wheels of busijiess. You
might say, If God has ordained that I and
my family should be well off in the world,
it will be so ; whether I provide for them or
not. Or again,, one might argue that if God
has determined whether I shall live to old
age or not, I shall reach that age which He
has fixed upon ; and therefore it matters
not whether I am careful or not about my
health or my safety. You will see then at
once the folly of making God's forethought
a reason why we should not pray.
You may feel another difficulty. Do you
not often find it very hard to ^oX your hearts
in tune for prayer ? You know not how it
136 THE CHRISTIAN LIFE.
is, but you seldom are in the humor for it.
I will tell you how it is. You give your-
self up to the world. You lose sight of
heaven perhaps all day. And therefore no
wonder that you cannot, when the hour of
prayer comes, bring your mind to seek
God. You come to the throne of grace
with your heart loaded with the plans, the
toils, the difficulties, the disappointments,
the irritations of the day. You come, drag-
ging the world with you into God's presence.
And the consequence is you feel ready for
anything else rather than prayer. It must
be so, if the world is allowed to have full
dominion over your heart.
Now if you suffer from this sad feeling —
if this is indeed your unhappy experience —
do not be tempted to think that it is better
to give up prayer, when your heart is not
in tune for it. Rather try and shake the
world off; for if it hinders you in prayer, it
will certainly be in the way of your reach-
ing heaven. The Prophet complained of
the Jews in his day, ** None stirreth himself tip
to take hold on thee." We must arouse our-
selves. We must stir up our drowsy hearts,
and ask God to put us into a better frame.
PR A YER, BREA TH OF CHRISTIAN LIFE. 137
Yes, and I will go farther, and say. If a
man has so much worldly business on his
hands, that it occupies all his thoughts, and
calls away his mind from higher and holier
things, let him give up his business — let him
part with his earthly cares — rather than for-
feit heaven. It is better to beg in the streets,
than to die rich, but unsaved.
There is another complaint, which even
God's people sometimes make. They do
not experience that enjoyment in prayer
which they hear so many speak of
If our hearts are not 7'iglit with God, there
can be no enjoyment in prayer. An impeni-
tent man has no heart to pray. David once
said, " Thy servant hath found in his lieart
to pray this prayer unto thee." But an im-
penitent, worldly man has no such thing in
his heart. He finds there no desire for God.
The work of prayer is unsuited to his taste.
He vci-d.y force himself into it for a time, but
he cannot love it : it is impossible.
Hide not from yourself this truth, that the
entire absence of joy in prayer is a sad but
sure sign that you are a stranger to true
religion. But I was rather speaking of
those who are serving God, and yet com-
138 THE CHRISTIAN LIFE.
plain that they do not find the joy they
could wish in praying. How is this ? Per-
haps we are not living so near to God as we
might live. There is a lack of close inter-
course with Him. There is too wide a gap
between Him and our souls. We have
taken Him perhaps as our hope and our
refuge, but not as the friend of our daily
life. Surely, if we knew Him better, and
walked more closely with Him, we should
soon feel the real enjoyment of conversing
with Him in prayer. Our moments of de-
votion would be our happiest moments.
The hour of prayer would indeed be to us
a blessed hour.
There are times, I dare say, when you
feel warmth. Your heart glows within you,
and God seems to be very near to yoi^.
And then you grow cold again, and the
spirit of prayer flags within you. Now, did
you ever try to keep up this warmth of feel-
ing ? Did you ever make a direct effort to
do so? It may be done by meditation, by
watchfulness, and by fixing the heart on
God. When the fire burns in your soul,
keep it alight. Don't let it go out. Be-
seech God to fan the flame, and to make
PRAYER, BREATH OF CHRISTIAN LIFE. 139
you feel, not sometimes but always^ in an
earnest, believing, loving frame.
Lastly, who does not feel that his mind
is sadly apt to wander in prayer ? This is a
great difficulty with any one who prays.
But I am sure that if we were more watch-
ful, this might, in a great measure, be got
over.
When you kneel down, think what you
are going to do, whom you are going to ad-
dress, and what you are going to ask. Re-
member you are in the presence of the
Great King, your Almighty Father ; there-
fore, as Solomon says, " Be not rash with
thy mouth, and let not thine heart be hasty
to utter anything before God."
I have sometimes found it good to walk
up and down my room, when engaged in
prayer. I would not recommend this as a
regular habit ; but it may be desirable occa-
sionally, and especially when our minds are
disposed to wander.
After all, the very best of us pray but
very poorly. But if we make a conscience
of our prayers, and if we desire to render
them what they should be, God will
strengthen us. The Holy Spirit will " help
I40 THE CHRISTIAN LIFE,
our infirmities," teaching us what to ask, and
how to ask, and giving us such a praying
frame as will make us feel that it is good
for us to draw near to God.
Be encouraged to pray more earnestly,
more frequently, and with more reality.
When you send a message by the telegraph,
you expect it to reach its destination ; you
expect it to accomplish the purpose for
which it is sent. Expect the same with
your prayers. Lose this idea of reality, and
your devotion will droop ; your prayer will
become a mere form. It has been said by
an old writer, that " Good prayers never
come weeping home." No, they are quite
sure to bring down a blessing from Him,
who is so ready to give, and has so much to
bestow.
CHAPTER X.
THE lord's day, THE HOLIDAY OF THE
CHRISTIAN LIFE.
A " Holiday," or ** Festival," used to be
the name given to those days which the
Church specially sets apart to be observed
by her children. The Passover, Pentecost,
and the Sabbath were counted as Holidays
by the Jews ; and Christmas, Easter, Ascen-
sion Day, Whitsuntide, and the Lord's Day,
are Holidays in the Christian Church.
But as no work was done on these days,
they were by degrees turned into seasons
oi worldly rejoici?ig; so that the word "Holi-
day " got at length to signify a day of liberty
— a day o{ pleasure — in short, any day when
public business was put aside.
I have called the Lord's Day " the Holiday
of the Christian Life." But you will, of
course, understand that I use the expression
in its best and highest sense — in the same
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142 THE CHRISTIAN LIFE.
sense as Moses used it in Exodus, xxxv. 2,
where he says, "Six days shall work be done,
but on the seventh day there shall be to
you an holy day, a sabbath of rest to the
Lord." In the same sense too as it is used
in Isaiah, Iviii. 13, " If thou turn away thy
foot from the Sabbath, from doing thy pleas-
ure on my holy dayT And in the same
sense that David uses it in the forty-second
Psalm.
These last words want a little explaining
to make them clear. They are supposed to
have been written by David at a time when
he was away from his own home, and cut
off from the comforting ordinances of the
sanctuary. In the first verse, he expresses
his holy longing for God : "As the hart
panteth after the water-brooks, so panteth
my soul after thee, O God. My soul
thirsteth for God, the living God ; when
shall I come and appear before God " — that
is, appear before Him in His courts ? In
the third verse, he mentions the taunts with
which his ungodly enemies assailed him,
" My tears have been my meat day and
night, while they continually say unto me,
* Where is thy God ? " Then, in the fourth
THE L ORD'S DAY A HO LID A V. 143
verse, he calls to remembrance the joy and
comfort, which he used to experience in
Public Worship with his brethren ; *' When
I remember these things, I pour out my
soul in me ; for I had gone with the multi-
tude; I went with them to the house of
God, with the voice of joy and praise, with
a multitude that kept Hofy-Day."
The expression " holyday " or " holiday,"
when speaking of our Christian Sabbath, is
a very delightful one to my mind. P"or it
gives us the idea of a sacred day set apart
for God ; also of a day of rest, and yet a busy
day; and, further, oi 2, joyful, happy day.
Let us take this view of it. And may
the Lord ever make His own day a day of
many blessings to our souls !
First, Look upon your Sundays as sacred
days, set apart for God.
One day in seven has been a consecrated
day from the very first. In Genesis, ii. we
read of Adam having his Sabbath in the
garden of Eden. Then, in giving His com-
mands to the Jews, the Lord laid great
stress on the observance of the Sabbath.
He made the breaking of it a most serious
144 THE CHRISTIAN LIFE.
offence. Again, when He rained down
Manna from heaven for His people in the
wilderness, this remarkable fact occurred —
although on every day the ground was
strewed with this heaven-sent food, not a
particle appeared on the seventh day ; and
yet they had enough to last them during
that day also. Thus did He constantly
remind His people of its sacredness.
When our Lord came on earth, He
observed the Sabbath, doing only works of
mercy or of necessity upon it. We find the
early Christians meeting together, not on
the last day of the week as heretofore, but
on the first, in honor of our Lord's resur-
rection. They met for Prayer, and for the
Breaking of bread. And Christians have
always observed this blessed custom up to
the present time. I do believe that a marked
blessing rests on that family, and on that
individual, who honors God's day. The
promise still holds good, " Blessed is the
man who doeth this, and the son of man
that layeth hold on it, that keepeth the
Sabbath from polluting it. Even unto them
will I give in mine house and within my
THE L ORD 'S DAY A HO LID A V, 145
walls a place and a name better than of
sons and daughters."
Thank God, the sacredness of the Chris-
tian Sabbath is observed in this our land.
That would be a sad day for America, if its
strictness should be set aside, and the world
should be allowed to come in upon us like
a flood, and overwhelm us with its daily
cares and occupations. And that would be'
a sad day for a?iy one of us, if we were to
break down the partition wall which parts
off this from every other day, and think
lightly of the ordinance of God.
Learn, then, to look upon the Lord's Day
as the day which is peculiarly His own —
not yours, but His. He calls it His own.
He claims it as His own. Let us give it to
Him as His right, willingly and cheerfully.
Just as the Bible is different from other
books, so Sunday is different from other
days. Other books are men's words : the
Bible is God's word. So other days are
man's in which he may labor : this day is
the Lord's.
It is true, that on Sunday the sun rises and
sets as usual. The winds and the rain come
down as at other times. But in this Chris-
146 THE CHRISTIAN LIFE.
tian land everything puts on, as it were, its
Sunday dress : there is a stillness and
quietness about the day which remind us
that it is the Sabbath of the Lord. Oh, that
our hearts may be fitted by God to enter
into the full spirit of this heavenly appoint-
ment.
Secondly, the Lord's day is a day of Rest.
The old Jewish word Sabbath signifies
" rest." And if you remember, when God
first set apart the seventh day, it was to
mark His having rested on that day from
the great work of creation. It is written,
"And God blessed the seventh day, and
sanctified it : because that in it He had
rested from all His work which God created
and made."
But it was appointed for oiir sake ; that
we, who so much need rest might enjoy it.
And here we see the great goodness of God
— for though He condemned us to hard
labor on account of our sin, yet He gave
us a weekly Holyday to refresh us.
We all need rest. If a laborer were to
toil on without any pause, his health would
fail, his spirits would flag, his bodily frame
THE LORD'S DAY A HOLIDAY. 147
would give way. It is in mercy then to
our bodies that the Lord, from the very first,
appointed a resting-day from labor ; and in
mercy also to our soitls. For do not our
Sundays often come very seasonably to call
us back from our worldliness ? How need-
ful are they to remind us of our Father in
heaven, and of our Home above ! And how
sweet to the Christian traveller are these
weekly stages in his course, as he journeys
onward to a better country !
It is remarkable, that during the time of
the French Revolution, some seventy years
ago, when many things that were right
were overturned, and a lawless and ungodly
spirit reigned throughout the land, the
Lord's Day in France was set aside. But
it was soon found that, even for the body's
sake, a resting day was absolutely needful ;
and one day in ten was publicly appointed
for that purpose. But this lasted only for a
short time, and men soon discovered that
God had chosen wisely for them ; and they
gladly returned to the seventh day of rest,
which he had so mercifully ordained.
I feel assured that no one who reads this
book would think of putting on his zvorking
148 THE CHRISTIAN LIFE.
clothes, and doing his usual labor, on the
Lord's Day. He would feel it to be a direct
insult to God. He would expect a curse to
rest upon him, if he thus broke the Lord's
command. And yet for money some will
work. For gain some will dare to set aside
the solemn command of God.
There is a large amount of buying and
selling carried on in some parts of London.
And if we could visit some of the back
streets of that great city on the Sabbath, we
should find much to shock our minds.
And then, on our Canals and Railway
Lines, how fearfully is the sacredness of the
Lord's Day broken in upon ! How many
are travelling simply for their own con-
venience, not from necessity ! And how
many poor men are forced to labor for the
selfish gratification of others ! It has been
lately ascertained that 70,000 persons are
employed in connexion with railway trav-
elling on Sundays : 70,000 men are com-
pelled to break the plain command of God !
And let us remember that each individual
traveller, who needlessly takes part in this
Sabbath desecration, is himself guilty of
breaking that law by which he will one day
THE LORD'S DAY A HOLIDAY. 149
be judged ; nay, more, he is guilty of caus-
ing others to break it; and their blood will
be upon him.
But why do I speak of this ? My voice
will not reach those who are the instigators
in this system of Sabbath-breaking. And
if it did reach them, it would be no easy
matter to bring conviction home to the con-
sciences of men who act in a body. When
** hand joins in hand," there is a sort of feel-
ing that guilt will go " unpunished." But I
speak for your sake. Oh, do not take the
smallest part in this ungodly act. It may be
more convenient for you to make a journey
on the Lord's Day. And why so ? Be-
cause you can do it without neglecting your
ordinary work. Because you can do it, and
yet appear to the world as if you reverenced
God's Sabbath. Ah ! but you cannot do it
without pouring contempt on God's ordi-
nance, and putting your own pleasure or
convenience before His will.
I know there are times when necessity is
laid upon us, and then the act is allowable.
But let us satisfy ourselves that it is abso-
lutely necessary, or else as Christians we must
refrain.
150 THE CHRISTIAN LIFE.
Again, I know how difficult it is for a poor
man to leave his home on any other day.
However, let him look at the matter con-
scientiously, and I am sure he will be guided
to do what is right.
But when I say that God's day is a day
oiresi, I do not mean to speak merely of
travelling or laboring on that day. There
are other works besides those that meet the
eye, which are an offence to God. The Mas-
ter, for instance, who takes no pains to re-
lieve his servant from labor, but sees him
staying away from the Lord's house that he
may mind his earthly concerns ; the man
who makes Sunday a day for letter-writing,
or for newspaper-reading, or for making up
accounts ; he dishonors God by this sort
of work quite as much as the more open
Sabbath-breaker.
And this leads me to the Third point
which I mentioned ; namely, that whilst Sun-
day is a resting-day, it should also be a busy
day to the Christian, a day for holy employ-
ments. A person may abstain from work.
He may carefully avoid employing others
to work. And yet the day may be anything
THE LORDS' S DAY A HOLIDAY. 151
but a sacred day to him. It may be a day
of worldliness, or a day of idleness. He may
do nothing to help his soul forward towards
heaven.
The earnest Christian will feel that this
is the great preparation-day for a better
world ; the great solving season ; the great
ripening time for the future harvest. I have
already shown you that the Word of God
and Prayer are special helps to us in the
Christian Life. No child of God can live
without them. And here we have another
help which God has mercifully given us,
His sabbaths, when much work maybe done
for heaven.
And what are the particular employments
to which we are called on the Lord's Day?
Congregational worsJiip is the great em-
ployment of the day. We meet for business
on other days, in the market-place, or in the
field, or in the work-shop. We meet our
friends, at \.\\q family meal. We meet, most
of us, I hope, for family worship. But on
Sunday the doors of the Lord's House are
thrown open, and every individual in each
parish is invited to come together for joint
worship.
152 THE CHRISTIAN LIFE.
Oh, must it not be asightat which angels
rejoice, to see crowds of worshippers press-
ing into the courts of the Lord ? Rank is,
or ought to be forgotten ; little disagree-
ments laid aside ; the world thrust back for
a season. We meet for Prayer, as brethren,
to pray together, to pray for each other, to
kindle the flame of devotion in one another's
hearts, to confess our sins as with one voice,
to put up our petitions together to God's
throne, to sing the praises of Him whom we
love, and to receive that message from
heaven which God is pleased to send us.
How can any one be absent at such a
time ? How can any content themselves
with coming once, when they might come
twice? Some think the Prayers too long ;
others think the Sermon too searching. But,
if your heart is right with God, you will love
His house, as David loved it : "A day in thy
courts is better than a thousand." See how,
amidst his tears, he thought of those blessed
seasons he had spent in the sanctuary : " I
went with the multitude to the house
of God, with a multitude that kept holy-
day."
I think that by a little effort, and with a
THE LORD'S DAY A HOLIDAY. 153
little management, some who come once a
day might perhaps come oftener. With
some I know it is almost impossible. But
just ask yourself, Could I not so arrange
it as to be oftener present in the house of
my God ? And, when there, put as much
heartiness as you can into the service. Let
us pray heartily; respond heartily; sing
heartily; receive heartily the Word into our
souls. Let it be the service of the whole
heart, and not of the lips only.
Besides Public Worship, there is also the
Lord's Supper to which we are called. But
of this I hope to speak at large in another
chapter.
These are the more public ordinances
which belong to the Sabbath. But there are
many hours which we spend at home with
our families, or alone. And much depends
on the way in which they are spent. If they
are passed in idleness, or in a worldly man-
ner, then the blessing we may have received
in God's house will soon be lost. If our
hearts have been warmed there, they will
soon grow cold again; and God's work of
grace will be undone by our neglect.
154 THE CHRISTIAN LIFE.
Let Public Prayer be followed up by
Closet Prayer. Let the seed sown from the
Pulpit be watered at home by drawing near
to the Throne of Grace, by imploring God's
blessing, and by a devout reading of His
Word. I am sure that our happiness dur-
ing the week greatly depends on the way
in which our Sunday hours are spent. If we
merely attend to outward ordinances, and
then put religion aside for the rest of the
day, there will be no growth in grace, no
victory over our sinful selves, no ripening
for heaven.
There is one more point I wish to speak
of; and that is, the ^oy and Happiness vjh'ich.
belong to the Lord's Day.
It is a great mistake to look upon it as a
mournful day, a day on which we should
hang down our heads, and banish joy from
our hearts. What! is that a mournful day,
which is more like heaven than all other
days ? Is that a gloomy invitation, which
bids us gather round our Father's throne?
Is that a sorrowful message, which declares
that " God was in Christ reconciling the
world unto himself?" We dishonor the
THE LORD'S DAY A HOLIDAY. 155
Gospel, if we think it necessary to put on a
sad countenance when we press its claims.
The true Christian is the happiest man upon
earth. And of all days this will be the day
on which his soul will experience the com-
pletest joy ; and of all places the sanctuary
will be the place in which he feels the pur-
est delight. It was so with David ; ** I was
glad when they said unto me, Let us go
into the house of the Lord ; " " Enter into
his gates with thanksgiving, and into his
courts with praise ; " "I went with the mul-
titude to the house of God, with the voice
of joy and praise, with a multitude that kept
holyday." And thus it should be with every
Christian. Say to yourself then, as each
Sunday comes, " This is the Christian's Holi-
day!' " This is the day the Lord hath made;
we will rejoice and be glad in it." And
whilst the worldly man exclaims, " Behold,
what a weariness is it ! " " When will the new
moon be gone, that we may sell corn ? and
the Sabbath that we may set forth wheat ? "
ask God to give you a Sabbath blessing,
to tune your heart for His service, and to
fulfil His word in your experience; " I will
make them joyful in my house of prayer."
156 THE CHRISTIAN LIFE.
May God in mercy pardon all that has
been wrong in our past Sundays ! And may
we put up an earnest prayer that He will in
future make them more profitable and more
blessed days to us !
CHAPTER XI.
PUBLIC WORSHIP, THE OUTBURST OF THE
CHRISTIAN LIFE.
The meeting together of God's people for
Public Prayer seems to have been always
observed. We can certainly trace it back
as far as the time of the Israelites, above
three thousand years ago. By the com-
mand of God, they used to meet together
in a Building set apart for His worship.
This Building was called the Tabernacle.
It was a kind of movable tent, just suited
to the wants of the Israelites, during their
journeyings from place to place in the wil-
derness. Here it was the delight of every
pious Jew to meet his fellow-worshippers,
and to draw near with them to the throne
of grace. David, in his Psalms, often speaks
of the great joy and comfort he felt in going
up to the House of the Lord. He exclaims,
in Psalm Ixxxiv., " How amiable are thy
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158 THE CHRISTIAN LIFE.
tabernacles, O Lord of Hosts! My soul
longeth, yea, even fainteth for the courts of
the Lord; my heart and my flesh crieth
out for the living God."
Soon after the days of David, the Temple
was built at Jerusalem. This was a much
more substantial building. It was some-
thing like one of our great Cathedrals, only
much larger, and more magnificent. In this
temple all the scattered Jews used to meet
together at certain times in the year to offer
up prayers and sacrifices.
When our Lord came upon earth, the
Temple was still standing. And besides,
there were several other smaller places of
worship called Synagogues, both at Jeru-
salem and in the other Jewish towns. In
the Gospels we often read of Jesus and His
followers being present in these Houses of
Prayer.
The very first thing that the Disciples
did after their Lord's departure from them
into heaven, was to meet for Public Prayer;
Acts, i. 12, 13, 14. Such too was their con-
stant custom afterwards. And we find St.
Paul exhorting the Hebrews, " not to forsake
the assembling of themselves together."
PUBLIC WORSHIP. 159
So you see that Public Prayer is a script-
ural duty. And can you not say that it has
been to you a most dehghtful duty, a
pleasure, a joy, a blessed privilege? Has
not this again and again been the feeling of
your heart, " I was glad when they said
unto me. Let us go into the House of the
Lord ? " Have you not sometimes gone to
God's house with a heavy heart ; and come
away lightened ? Have you not gone there,
mourning over the coldness and dullness
of your feelings; and come home warmed
and comforted ? The dew of God's grace
has fallen upon your soul, and refreshed it.
The Sun of Righteousness has risen upon
you, and every cloud has been dispersed.
There is certainly a special blessing prom-
ised to us in Public Worship. Where a few
are gathered together in the Saviour's
name, there He pledges Himself, as we
have seen, to be in the midst of us ; Matt,
xviii. 20. Surely we can have but little
faith, or we should look for a much larger
flow of spiritual mercies in the House of
God.
But let me say a few words about the
1 63 THE CHRISTIAN LIFE.
manner in which we should conduct our-
selves in our public devotions.
First. Let me remind you that we meet
in the house of God to pray. Remember,
it is written, " My house shall be called a
House of Prayer!' But can it be necessary
that I should remind you of this ? Alas ! it
is necessary. Some go only to hear the
sermon. Some go to stare about them.
And others, like so many machines, go
through the mere form of worship.
I was lately reading of a person who
had been travelling among the Calmucs (a
Russian tribe). At the entrance of some of
their huts he observed a kind of small wind-
mill. He inquired for what purpose they
were put there ; and he was told that they
were " praying-machines." The owner of
the hut causes certain prayers to be written
by the priests ; and they are then turned
round by the wind, which saves him the
trouble of repeating them himself
A Christian wonders at such absurdities.
But in the conduct of these poor ignorant
Calmucs, may he not see something like a
picture of his own conduct? The devo-
tions of too many Christians are but little
PUBLIC WORSHIP. i6i
better. It seems to be quite enough with
some to make their appearance in God's
house. They hold a Prayer-book in their
hand ; and this is to them what the praying-
machine is to the Calmuc. They seem
ahnost to expect it to pray for them, and to
bring down from heaven all the blessings
they need, without any trouble or concern
of their own. Before then you smile at the
poor ignorant Calmuc's devotions, see that
your own are what they ought to be. It is
not enough to listen to the prayers, or to
read them ever so attentively in your
Prayer-book. You should /r^j the prayers.
You should make them your own. Be not
a mere listener in God's house, but a wor-
shipper.
Secondly. Be careful about your posture.
Ours is not, I know, a mere bodily service,
but a spiritual one. It is the service of the
heart. But still, a lowly posture of the
body is fit for those who are approaching
God.
If you will take the trouble to look out
the following passages, you will clearly see
that kneeling was the posture observed by
the people of God in scripture times :
1 62 THE CHRISTIAN LIFE.
Exodus, iv, 31; xxxiv. 8 ; Psalm xcv. 6 ;
I Kings, viii. 54; Dan. vi. 10; Luke, xxii.
41; Acts, vii. 60; ix. 40; XX, 36; xxi. 5.
Standing however seems to have been allow-
able ; Mark, xi. 25 ; Luke, viii. ii, 13.
But go into our churches, and what do
you find? You see the greater part of the
congregation, not kneeling, not even stand-
ing, but actually sittmg at their ease, during
the solemn act of prayer ! Alas, how wrong !
How useless to call ourselves " miserable
sinners," and yet to approach God in such a
way as this ! Surely our people will never
worship God inwardly, as long as they thus
despise Him outwardly.
Have you been hitherto one of the sitting
part of the congregation ? Then I solemnly
and affectionately warn you not to dishonor
God any more. Though many around you
sit, do you kneel, or at least stand. No
matter, if you should act differently from
the rest of those in your pew; you will be
acting rightly. No matter if some should
jeer you ; your conscience will tell you that
you are right. And sometimes, you know,
we must meet with reproaches for our Mas-
ter's sake. How happy it would make me,
PUBLIC WORSHIP. 163
if I could watch you reading this book, and
then follow you to church next Sunday,
and see you on your knees before God !
May He give you strength to do what is
pleasing in His sight!
Thirdly. Join heartily in all the prayers.
In some parts of the service only the voice
of the minister ought to be heard. In these
you should pray silently and secretly, but
still you should pray fervently. But there
are other parts in which all should pray
aloud. And what a life and warmth it gives
to our services, when this is heartily done.
Supposing that all, with one heart and voice,
should pray, when they are required to pray ;
praise, when they are required to praise;
and sing, when they are required to sing ;
what would be the effect ? What a change
would then take place in our public worship !
There would be no complaint then of the
want of heart, and life, in our solemn ser-
vices. Theii, as St. Paul says, if there
should come in " one that believeth not, or
one unlearned," he would indeed be " con-
vinced of all ; " and, falling down on his face,
he would worship God, and would report
that God was in us of a truth.
1 64 THE CHRIST/ AN LIFE.
Yes, this would be delightful indeed.
And how can it be brought about ? Not
by empty wishes. Not by sighs after a bet-
ter state of things. A congregation is com-
posed of different members. You are one.
Let your prayers, in the house of God, be
henceforth more earnest. Let jj^<3?/r voice of
prayer and praise be heard in the congrega-
tion.
Fourthly. Keep your heart fixed on God.
Have you not sometimes felt quite ashamed,
when the service is ended, to think how
little you have prayed ; and how sadly your
mind has wandered away from God ? Have
you not found that the most worldly, and
the most trifling, thoughts will creep in, if
they are not forcibly shut out ? This shows
what corrupt and fallen creatures we are.
The world follows us to the very house of
God. It clings to us, even when we are
before His throne. Watch against this.
Strive against it. Pray against it.
Lastly. Avoid all light, vain, and world-
ly conversation both in going to God's
house, and in returning from it. If you go
to church in a devout and prepared state
of mind, you will find that this is the surest
PUBLIC WORSHIP. 165
way to enjoy a peaceful and holy frame dur-
ing the service. How often we have seen
a person come in late and hurried ! It is
quite impossible that he can bring his mind
to engage at once in the solemn work of
prayer. Perhaps, for the last half-hour, he
has been thinking of his dress, or has been
engaged in some worldly matter ; and thus
he rushes into the presence of his God.
No wonder if his heart is far away. No
wonder if the world, instead of God, is in all
his thoughts. It is very important then to try
and get j^//r heart right beforehand, by draw-
ing near to God in your closet and asking
Him to be specially with you in His House.
And then, after the service, how is it
usually with us ? The congregation breaks
up, and the doors open ; and too many, as
they walk home, begin almost immediately
to talk about the most trifling matters.
To hear them, one would little guess that
they had been to the house of prayer. God
is forgotten ; heavenly things are put aside ;
and the good seed of His Word choked.
Beware of this ; for Satan thus draws off
multitudes of souls. *' Keep thy heart with
all dilisfence."
i66 THE CHRISTIAN LIFE.
May there be more praying people in
our congregations ! May God put more
life into our services ! May our confessions
be more heartfelt, our petitions more earnest,
our praises more lively, and our hearing
more childlike ! May we say of God's
House, "Surely the Lord is in this place.
This is none other but the House of God,
and this is the gate of heaven ! "
CHAPTER XII.
THE HOLY COMMUNION, THE BOND OF
THE CHRISTIAN LIFE.
The Christian Church consists of" all who
profess and call themselves Christians " — all
who have been baptized. This is a large
circle, and includes every one who names
the name of Christ.
But, besides this, there is also an inner
circle, which takes in only those who are
really Christ's people, those whom He looks
upon as His own elect.
The Jews of old all belonged to God's
Church. The whole nation were called His
people. " To them belonged the adoption,
and the glory, and the covenants, and the
giving of the law, and the service of God,
and the promises." The Lord treated them
as His children ; " Israel is my son, my
firstborn." But only a few of them were
true Believers. There was only a little rem-
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1 68 THE CHRISTIAN IIFE.
nant according to the election of grace.
" They are not all Israel," as St. Paul says,
" who are of Israel." And so all are not
true Christians who belong to Christ's outer
household. Thus in the Apostles' Creed
we say, " I believe in the Holy Catholic
Church ; " that is, I believe in the great Body
of Professing Christians. And then we add,
"I believe in the Communion of Saints;"
that is, the Company of true Believers.
But how difficult for us to discern be-
tween God's professing people and His real
people! Several years ago, there was a
census taken of the population of this
country. But suppose it had been directed
that, in the return to be made, it should be
specified who were God's saints, and who
were not — shall I say, How hard it would
have been, — rather I would say, How impos-
sible it would have been to mark them ! The
Lord Himself only " knoweth them that are
His." We may think ^ we n^2.y judge , we may
form our opinions ; but we dare not pronounce
who are of God, and who are of the world.
Nay, our Lord seems to caution us against
making the attempt ; for in the Parable of
the Wheat and the Tares, when the servants
THE HOLY COMMUNION. 169
propose to the master of the harvest-field,
*' Wilt thou that we go and gather up the
tares ? " he replies, " Nay, lest while ye
gather up the tares, ye root up also the
wheat with them."
Still there is the inner circle, the precious
wheat, the little flock. God has His saints^
upon earth, as well as in heaven. And the
good Shepherd says, *' I know my sheep,
and am known of mine."
Happy those, who can in the secret of
their hearts feel that, unworthy as they are,
they have been received into the fold — who
have an humble assurance that God does
number them among His people — whose
conscience bears witness that their one chief
desire is to serve God with all their hearts,
and to live a Christian life.
It is to help such on their difficult jour-
ney, to cheer them and strengthen by the
way, that the Lord has given His Word to
nourish them, a Throne of Grace where
they may apply for help, the Sabbath to
rest them, His House as a place of refresh-
ment; and, further, His Body and Blood to
give new life from time to time to their
souls.
I70 THE CHRISTIAN LIFE.
Now, our subject for this chapter is the
Lord's Supper. And I shall speak of it,
1. As the Bond which binds God's peo-
ple together.
2. As a Mark of Discipleship.
3. As a most important Means of grace.
I shall afterwards give you a ^^^ direc-
tions as to the spirit in which we should re-
ceive it.
I. We will speak of the Lord's Supper as
the Bond which binds God's people together.
His people are scattered about the world.
Some are here, and some at the other ex-
tremity of the globe. Some are poor, and
some rich. In many ways they are separ-
ated from each other. But yet there is a
oneness about them, which nothing can
break. " We being many," says the apos-
tle, " are one body in Christ, and every one
members one of another," separated as
members of the world, but united as mem-
bers of Christ.
It is well to think of this union, and try
and realize it. When we hear of any one,
for instance, loving and serving God, it is
good to feel, he is my Brother. When we
THE HOLY COMMUNION. 171
are told of a person being drawn from the
path of sin, and brought to Christ, it is a
comfort to think that another member is
added to God's happy family. When a
true Believer dies in the Lord, there is
something very sweet in the thought that
another sheep of the flock is safely folded.
It is our privilege, if we are true Chris-
tians, to feel this ; and we ought to feel it —
that we are not alone, but that we are mem-
bers of a great Christian Brotherhood, and
that we shall one day be together in the
many mansions of our Father's House.
But there is a time, when Christians are
specially reminded of this happy union ; I
mean when they meet together at the Lord's
Table. There is something in a meal which
draws us closely together, and binds us to
one another. And this is a heavenly meal,
a spiritual feast. ** The cup of blessing
which we bless, is it not the communion of
the blood of Christ ? " Is it not a partak-
ing together of the benefits of Christ's blood-
shedding ? " The bread which we break, is
it not the communion of the body of
Christ?" " Is it not a feeding together on
His body ? " " For we being many are one
172 THE CHRISTIAN LIFE.
bread, and one body : for we are all partak-
ers of that one bread." We feed upon
Christ; and thus become united to Him
and to one another; we become one loaf
as it were, one bread and one body. We
are like so many vine-branches, feeding to-
gether on the same spiritual Vine ; so many
limbs or members, clinging to Christ, the
living Head.
Here is a bond indeed, which should
make us feel that we are one — one in our
misery and helplessness — and one too in
having Christ as the only Saviour, to whom
we all alike owe our salvation.
And here let me speak of a temptation,
by which Satan sometimes sends a chill into
our hearts. He perhaps whispers to us,
*' They are not all God's true people who
meet at His Table. There are some for-
malists there, some who have only a name
to live, some who are w^earing the mere
mark of the Gospel." Yes, and so it is per-
haps. But we have nothing to do with this.
We are told in God's Word to "judge noth-
ing before the time." We are exhorted to
exercise that charity which " believeth all
things, hopeth all things;" and "in lowli-
THE HOLY COMMUNION. 173
ness of mind to esteem other better than
ourselves." Ah, that is a cold, withering,
unhappy, unchristian feeling, which leads a
person to be looking into other hearts rather
than his own, and to judge harshly of his
brother's state. Remember, there was a
Judas among the Twelve, a false apostle
among the true ones ; and who knows but
that he was one to whom the Saviour gave
the bread and wine in the Passover Supper
Room ? Remember, too, that the Lord's
Table is spread on earth, and not in heaven;
and we shall never find perfection here.
Let us come together, then, as members of
one family, knit together in love, drawn to-
wards each other by a holy bond of broth-
erly affection. This is the spirit which
becomes those who are groaning under the
same load of sin, and are looking to the
same Saviour, and to the same blessed
Home.
2. We may regard the Lord's Supper as
a Mark of Disciple ship. I have already said,
that all who partake of the Holy Com-
munion are not Christ's disciples. We may
eat the bread and drink the wine, and yet
have no part with Christ. But, still, to
174 THE CHRISTIAN LIFE.
come to His Table is as much as to declare
oneself His follower ; it is as much as to
say that we cast in our lot among His
people, and that we feed on Him as the
Bread of our souls. We become full mem-
bers of His Church, when having been con-
firmed we partake of this ordinance. Christ
bids us come, and by accepting His invita-
tion we declare our willingness to be His.
It is well to look at the Lord's Supper in
this light. It is well to consider it as a mark
of allegiance \.o our Lord.
Let those who never come lay this to
heart. Here is a public act, which my Lord
bids me engage in, an act by which I may
enroll myself among His people. But I
stand afar off, and obey not His loving
call.
And let those who do come lay it also to
heart. It is my high privilege to draw near
to my Redeemer, to partake of this most
blessed of all ordinances. Then let me live
accordingly. Let my life, my conduct, my
feelings, my words, be those of a disciple
who loves his Lord. Let me ever remem-
ber whose I am, and to whose service I have
joyfully pledged myself.
THE HOLY COMMUNION. 175
3. We may look upon the Lord's Supper
as a most important Means of Grace.
It is something, if by coming to this Feast
we are only reminded of our Lord's death.
It is something, if by so doing we are bound
more strongly to one another. It is some-
thing, if we thus make an open confession
of Christ. ^wt.fnrtJicr, we must not forget
that it is an ordinance by which God gives
fresh grace to our needy souls. Are we
sorrowful ? Here is a comfort for us. Are
we weak ? Here is strength. Are we sore
let and hindered in running our Christian
race ? Here is a help by the way. Do we
long for the Saviour to be nearer to us?
Here we are brought close to Him. " The
cup of blessing which we bless ; is it not tJie
comiminion of the blood of Christ f The
bread which we break, is it not the com-
■mrimon of the body of CJuist ? For we being
many are one bread, and one body : for we
are all partakers of that one bread." As we
say in our Communion service, "We dwell
in Christ, and Christ in us; we are one with
Christ, and Christ with us."
When you kneel at that Table, think of
Christ. Receive Him into your hearts
176 THE CHRISTIAN LIFE.
by faith. Feed upon Him. Believe that a
blessing is there, and open your hearts to
receive it.
Thus I have endeavored to show you
how much there is in this heavenly banquet
which our Lord has provided for us ; how
it meets all our wants ; how it ought to bind
us to one another ; how bold it ought to
make us in confessing Christ ; what a re-
freshment "it ought to be to our poor, hun-
gering souls.
I often think, that considering the state
of our congregations, the number of our
communicants ought to be larger than it is.
If they were in a dead, careless, unawakened
state, then we should look for few at the
Lord's Table. But that is not generally the
state of our congregations. Blessed be
God, there is life among us ; there is earn-
estness among us. There are many, I be-
lieve, who come to the House of God who
have deep convictions, strong feelings in
their hearts, a real desire to be saved ; and
yet even some of these stay away ; and
others come but seldom.
What is it that keeps them back ? Is it
THE HOLY COMMUNION. 177
fear? Is it want of decision? Is it the
notion that we can be saved as well without
the ordinance as with it ? If it is the first
of these, namely, a fear that we are 7iot fit^
this is a serious reason and ought to be
considered. Now, there are many whom I
would not think of urgincr to come to the
Lord's Table ; namely, those who love sin,
those who are careless about the things of
God, those who see no preciousness in
Christ, those who are trying to save tJiein-
selves, instead of looking to the salvation
offered in the Gospel. To such I would
say, Come first to Christ ; give your heart
to Him ; and theii come to His Table,
But are there not some in whose hearts
there is a true sorrow for sin, and a real
desire to take Christ for their Saviour; and
yet we never see them among our commu-
nicants ? To such I would say, If you love
Christ, though you feel that you do not lov^e
Him enough, come to the Feast which He
has so graciously provided. Come, that
you may love Him more. Come, that your
faith may be strengthened. Come, that you
may obtain the very help which you need.
Or if it is waiit of decision which keeps
178 THE CHRISTIAN LIFE.
you back, how sad it is that any should
have good thoughts and feehngs about sal-
vation, and yet should halt and hang back,
and thus run the risk of losing all, even
heaven itself. If you are one of these
waverers, leave at once the false and uncer-
tain ground on which you are now stand-
ing. It will not bear your weight, if trials
come. It will not support you, when death
stares you in the face. Stand boldly for-
ward. " If the Lord be God, follow Him,
but if Baal, then follow him." If you wish
Christ to be your Saviour, do not dishonor
Him by your half-heartedness ; but give
Him all your love and all your service ; and
let your first act of decision be to come to
this precious ordinance.
Or, once more, if some have the idea that
they can be serving Christ, whether they
join in this sacrament or not, they are under
a fatal mistake. For does not our Lord
say, " Do this ? " and yet they do it not.
It is one of our Saviour's plain commands,
which we can only disobey at our great
peril. To stay away from the Lord's Table
is to live in a state of disobedience — it is to
put from us an offered blessing — to try and
THE HOLY COMMUNION. 179
do without that which He has declared
needful for us. For He says, *' Except ye
eat the flesh of the Son of Man, and drink
His blood, there is no life in you." No,
dear friends, we cannot do without this
holy ordinance. We cannot neglect it, and
yet grow in grace and holiness.
Let me now offer you a few directions.
1. When you come to the Lord's Table,
raise your thoughts upwards, and fix them
on Christ. You remember that, in the
Service, the Minister says to you, " Lift up
your hearts ; " and you reply, *' We lift
them up unto the Lord."
Endeavor to do so. When you take the
bread and wine into your mouth, think of
Him who is your spiritual Bread, and feed
on Him by faith. He is in heaven ; and
thither must your heart ascend.
2. When you are assembled with your
brethren at the Holy Communion, try and
feel that ** we are members one of another,"
and that we belong to a great Family for
whom Christ died. Ask God to kindle a
feeling of real brotherly love in your heart.
3. When you draw near to the Saviour's
l8o THE CHRISTIAN LIFE.
Feast, come to it with an humble, but at the
same time a thankful^ heart. Remember,
the Communion Service is a Service of
gratitude and thankfulness. How full of
joy, for instance, are those words in it,
" Therefore with angels and archangels, and
with all the company of heaven, we laud
and magnify Thy glorious name, evermore
praising Thee." And again, towards the
end of the Service, " Glory be to God on
high, and in earth peace, good will towards
men. We praise Thee, we bless Thee, we
worship Thee, we glorify Thee, we give
Thee thanks for Thy great glory, O Lord
God, heavenly King, God the Father
Almighty."
Let us try then, on these occasions, to
waken up all our thankful feeh'ngs. Blessed
Feast, which reminds us of our pardon, our
acceptance, and our full redemption ! Blessed
Feast, which binds us closer to our Lord,
and closer to one another ! Happy those
who eat bread and drink wine with the
Saviour here : they will soon be called to a
higher Feast above, even to the Marriage
Supper of the Lamb in heaven !
CHAPTER XIII.
THE HOLY SPIRIT, THE SEAL OF THE CHRIS-
TIAN LIFE.
The descent of the Holy Ghost upon the
early followers of our Lord, was the great
object to which He specially directed their
thoughts. And in accordance with this
promise, the Spirit came down on the day
of Pentecost, in all the fulness of His power,
to bless and give life to the Christian
Church.
Now, it was promised by our Lord that
the Holy Spirit should abide with us — not
merely visit us for a time, but continue and
remain with us. And He does now actually
dwell in the hearts of all God's people.
He is as truly present with them as He was
with the Disciples on the day of Pentecost.
And if we cannot see this, and believe it,
what is it but a sad proof that we are still
in our worldly state ; not taught of God,
(i8i)
1 82 THE CHRISTIAN LIFE.
and not under the influence of His grace?
For does not the Saviour Himself, when
speaking of the Holy Spirit, say, " Whom
the world cannot receive, because it seeth
Him not, neither knoweth Him ; hxsXye know
Him, for He dvvelleth with you, and shall
be in you ! "
I would ask those who deny the Spirit's
influence, just to consider this —
Is it not most clearly told us in Scripture,
that our Lord promised to bestow the gift of
the Spirit upon His people ?
Is it not clear that the Holy Ghost did
descend upon the Disciples ten days after
our Lord's Ascension ?
And again, is it not clear that, in the Acts
and Epistles, Christians are spoken of as
having the Holy Spirit in their hearts ; nay,
that if they are not led by the Spirit, they
are not, and cannot be, the true children of
God?
But some have the notion in their minds,
that the Holy Spirit is with the Church gen-
erally, but that He does not work in indi-
vidual hearts. They do not, and cannot,
deny His presence and His power in the
world ; but they will not allow that He
THE HOLY SPIRIT, 183
carries on a special work in the Believer's
soul. This they look upon as all fancy and
enthusiasm. They are willing to pray in
church, as we have been praying this morn-
ing, "Almighty God, cleanse the thoughts of
our hearts by the inspiration of Thy Holy
Spirit, that we may perfectly love Thee."
But they would perhaps think it folly to
kneel down alone in their own private
chambers, and pour out their hearts to
God, saying, " O Lord, give i)ie Thy Holy
Spirit to dwell within me ; and fill me with
His blessed inspiration."
Believe me, it is not enough to acknowl-
edge that every true Church must have the
Holy Spirit present with it, or it cannot be
a living Church; but we must have the
same Holy Spirit, each one of us. In fact,
if you and I have not God's Holy Spirit
working in our hearts, dwelling there at
this moment, we are not real living Chris-
tians ; there is something we lack, some-
thing without which we cannot be the true
people of God.
This is a solemn thought. Oh, that none
of us may deceive ourselves ! We may be
regular church-goers, regular Bible-readers,
1 84 THE CHRISTIAN LIFE.
regular at our private prayers, of upright and
honest hves ; and so far all is well. But if
our hearts are not the temple, the abode,
the dwelling-place, of the Holy Ghost — if
His presence and power are not felt deep in
our souls — if He is not there, leavening our
whole inner man — then we fall short of
being genuine Christians; there is no life
in us.
This is too important a matter to be put
aside with a mere passing thought. Let us
then seriously consider, what are the signs
of the indwelling of the Holy Ghost. I will
mention /<:^/^r.
I. Earnestness as 7'egards salvation. One
would think that the salvation of a person's
soul would be the first, the chief, the greatest
concern with every one. But is it so? We
see this person eager about making money.
We see another full of anxiety about his
family. A third is very desirous to improve
his health. But seldom, very seldom, do we
find men filled with concern about their
souls. We sometimes say, " When a man
gets older, he will become thoughtful."
But this by no means follows as a matter
THE HOLY SPIRIT. 185
of course. How often we see persons
drawing near to the very brink of the
grave, still careless and unconcerned. The
world is leaving them; but they still love it,
and cling to it, to the very last. Truly we
need the Holy Spirit's quickening, awaken-
ing power to rouse us from our sleep, and
make us seek salvation in real earnest.
2. TJie enlighieniiig of the mind. Being
naturally blind as regards heavenly things,
we must be taught of God, and a light from
above must shine in upon our souls, before
we can even understand God's truth. If
any one wishes to see this plainly stated,
let him quietly read over i Corinthians, ii.
We are there told, concerning " the things
which God hath prepared for them that love
Him," that is, the good things which the
Christian enjoys now that " eye " hath
not seen them, nor ear heard them. " But,"
the Apostle says, ** God JiatJi revealed
them unto us by His Spirit ; for the Spirit
searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of
God." And, a few verses on, he speaks still
more plainly ; " The natural man," he
says, "receiveth not the things of the
i86 THE CHRISTIAN LIFE.
Spirit of God, neither caji he know them,
because they are spiritually discerned."
I will go even further, and observe that a
person may know a great deal, and get hold
of the outside of the Gospel, and yet, for
want of the Spirit's grace and teaching, his
mind may be in darkness still. You may
learn in childhood that God is love ; and
yet you may grow up utterly disregarding
Him, and you may even die blaspheming
Him ! You may be acquainted with the
holiest truths, and be able to speak learnedly
about them ; and yet you may be a wretched
man. You may have this text upon your
lips, ** Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and
thou shalt be saved ; " and yet you may neg-
lect His salvation all your days. But, when
God teaches by His Holy Spirit, He teaches
the heart; He enlightens the very soul.
3. Another sign of the indwelling of the
Holy Spirit will be Love to God and to His
people. The Spirit changes the heart of
man, and raises it up from earth to heaven.
He not only teaches us that we ought \.q love
God, but draws our hearts towards Him.
" The love of God " as the Apostle says,
" is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy
THE HOL V SPIRIT. 187
Spirit which is given us." And so it is with
love to His people. The Holy Spirit not only
shows us that it is our duty to love them ;
but He sows the seeds of love within us. Our
hearts are drawn out towards our heavenly
Father's children ; " By this we know that
we have passed from death unto life, because
we love the brethren."
4. I will mention one more sign, and that
a sure and unfailing sign, of the indwelling
of the Holy Spirit in a soul ; and that is
Holiness. Where the Holy Spirit is, there
will be holiness ; a love for holiness ; a
striving after holiness ; a gradual growth in
holiness ; the bringing every thought, and
desire, and feeling, into subjection to the
will of God. We may mistake nature for
grace. We may mistake the outside of re-
ligion for that which is inward and real. But
when we see a holy man — one walking with
God, and doing everything to His glory —
this we cannot mistake ; it is, and must be,
God's own work in the soul.
Now, take these four signs, and examine
your own heart. Are you earnestly con-
cerned about your soul's salvation ? Is your
l88 THE CHRISTIAN LIFE,
mind enlightened ? Do you see heavenly
truths much more clearly than you once
saw them ? Do you love God your Saviour
and His people ? And lastly, are you walk-
ing in the path oi holiness f Then, if so, do
not doubt but that God's Holy Spirit has
taken up His abode within you.
But there is an expression to which I
must in conclusion call your attention — the
sealing of the Holy Spirit. In Eph. i. 13,
St. Paul says, " After that ye believed ye
were sealed\N\Xh. that Holy Spirit of promise."
We find the same thing spoken of in two
other passages of Scripture. In chap, iv,
30, of the same Epistle, St. Paul says,
" Grieve not the Holy Spirit, whereby ye
are sealed unto the day of redemption." And
in 2 Cor. i. 22, it is written, ** God hath also
sealed us, and given the earnest of the Spirit
in our hearts."
What is this sealing ? We must not look
for it in the case of the unconverted, but in
those who are true Believers ; for the Apos-
tle says, "After that ye believed, ye were
sealed." It is an after work, by which the
Believer is confirmed and strengthened in
his faith. Just as when any paper or docu-
THE HOLY SPIRIT. 189
ment is drawn up, we are in the habit of
signing our name at the end of it, and then
we put our seal upon it, in order to show
that we acknowledge it, and make it ours,
so God by His Holy Spirit sets His
stamp upon believers, and marks them for
His own.
We often see God's people full of doubt
and uncertainty whether they are accepted
or not. Their hearts are turned heaven-
ward ; they love Christ, and wish to serve
Him. But they do not feel happy. Their
footing is not firm. There is a work of grace
within them ; but they seem to lack some-
thing. What is it? Not a voice from
heaven, to tell them that God is their
Father ; not a vision of the night, to remove
all doubt : no, this is not God's way of deal-
ing. What they want is more of the Holy
Spirit — a deeper work in their souls — they
want this sealing, which is spoken of in
Scripture. And often God is pleased to give
this, under the preaching of the Word, or
in reading of a chapter of the Bible. Some
promise is brought by the power of the
Holy Spirit, and sealed upon the heart. And
thus the soul is led into the full assurance
I90 THE CHRISTIAN LIFE.
of understanding and of faith. The Believer
feels that he is welcome, and that he is in-
deed one of God's adopted children. How
blessed thus to have our way cleared,
our doubts removed, our slavish fear
calmed, and under the drawings of eternal
love to approach God as a reconciled
Father !
No one who reads the New Testament
can fail to see that this was the bright and
happy feeling of true Believers in former
days. And this it was that made them
strong, and enabled them to go through the
world as men who had " made their calling
and election sure."
Look at St. Paul saying, " But I obtained
mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might
show forth all long-suffering, for a pattern
to them which should hereafter believe."
Did he not mean that all, who should believe
like him, might rejoice as he rejoiced ? He
would not shut out one from that blessed
source of joy to his own soul — the power
of saying, " But I have obtained mercy."
Again, did not the early Christian Be-
lievers speak in language of the greatest
confidence, and say, " We are of God " —
THE HOLY SPIRIT. 191
'' We are fellow-citizens of the saints and of
the household of God" — once "darkness,"
now " light in the Lord ? " And may not
we speak with the same holy, humble con-
fidence ? May not we take to ourselves the
comfort that we are actually and really
adopted into God's family.
Yes, we may. And it is moreover the
duty and the privilege of every Believer
among us diligently and prayerfully to seek
for this assurance of faith, this sealing of the
Spirit. It is not an imaginary blessing: it
is a real one, and it may be ours. Be not
satisfied with a dim hope ; or rest content
with a past experience. Apply for a present
pardon, a present sense of acceptance, a
present salvation, 2, present Christ to rejoice
in, and to live upon.
CHAPTER XIV.
THE CHRISTIAN LIFE, A DAILY PROGRESS.
In the fourth chapter of the Epistle to the
Ephesians, the Apostle speaks of the
Christian Church. In the 4th, 5th, and 6th
verses, he describes its oneness ; " There is
one body and one spirit, even as ye are
called in one hope of your calling ; one
Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and
Father of all, who is above all, and through
all, and in you all." In the following verses
he shows how abundantly Christ has pro-
vided for the grozutJi and strength of His
Church ; " Unto every one of us is given
grace according to the measure of the gift
of Christ. Wherefore he saith,he ascended
up on high, he led captivity captive, and
gave gifts unto men. And he gave some
apostles, and some prophets, and some
evangelists, and some pastors and teachers."
And all this that our spiritual growth might
be as sure and gradual as the growth of our
(192)
A DAILY PRO GRESS. 1 93
bodies ; " For the perfecting of the saints,
for the work of the ministry, for the edify-
ing of the body of Christ ; till we all come
in the unity of the faith, and of the knowl-
edge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man
(or a full-grown man), unto the measure
of the stature of the fulness of Christ."
If you watch a child, you will see how
from year to year his stature gradually in-
creases, till he attains to the perfection of a
full-grown man. But if he remains sta-
tionary— if year after year his limbs gather
no strength — if there is no growth — then
the conclusion you come to is that some-
thing is wrong. There is clearly something
wanting, or something which interferes with
the usual course of nature.
So is it with the Christian. When there
is no advance, no growth in grace, no
spiritual progress, something must be wrong.
It is not God's will that it should be so. He
would not have us always to be mere babes
in Christ, always children ; but He desires
to see us increasing in our spiritual stature,
and advancing to spiritual manhood.
Now, it is against this stuntedness in the
Christian growth that the Apostle goes on
13
194 THE CHRISTIAN LIFE.
to warn us, when he says, " that we hence-
forth be no more children."
The expression " children," or babes, is
sometimes used in a good sense, and some-
times in a bad sense. Truly it is a blessed
thing to be a child of God ; to be taken out
of the family of the world, and to be brought
into God's family ; to have a place among
His sons and daughters ; to be, as it were,
even a little one in His household.
And yet is it not well to remember that
we must not be ahvays children ? I am
sorry to say, there are some in the Christian
Church, whom we believe to be God's peo-
ple ; but they never seem to be getting on.
There is no running of the Christian race ;
but rather a standing still. Instead of mov-
ing forward, it seems as much as they can
do to keep their ground. They have the
same doubts, the same difficulties, the same
weakness of faith, the same infirmities of
temper, the same feebleness in grappling
with temptation, that they had years ago.
Their wings are clipped ; they do not fly up-
wards ; their souls " cleave unto the dust."
And what is the reason of this ? God is
willing to give. Christ offers a full supply.
A DAILY PROGRESS. 195
There is no lack in Him ; the lack is in
ourselves. " We have not, because we ask
not." If you feel that this is, alas ! the case
with you, why should it be so a moment
longer? Go to Christ with the cry of the
needy. Take your empty pitcher to the
full Fountain. And then you shall no more
have reason to complain, " My leanness !
my leanness ! "
But this state of spiritual childishness is
further described by the apostle in the
chapter to which I have referred : ** Tossed
to and fro, and carried about with every
wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and
cunning craftiness, whereby they lay in wait
to deceive."
The weak Christian is here compared to
a tender reed shaken by the wind ; or to a
ship at sea, tossed about by the waves, or
driven forward by the gale ; or to a thin
fleecy cloud sweeping across the sky on
some stormy day. Just so is it with the
weak and unstable Christian. There is no
firmness and fixedness about him. He is
swayed this way and that way, by the first
one who tries to persuade him. He is easily
led away by the craft and cunning of those
196 THE CHRISTIAN LIFE.
who are always ready to draw aside the
wavering.
In St. Paul's days, when there were many
false teachers, how needful it was for Chris-
tians to be firmly established in the truth ;
to be resting on the one great foundation.
And is this less needful now ? As soon as
any one becomes a real Christian, is he not
assailed by enemies on every side — enemies
within and without — secret enemies and
open enemies ? And many a person, who
did once run well, has been drawn aside
from the right path, and, like a vessel with-
out a rudder, has been driven upon rocks,
and has made shipwreck of his faith.
How necessary then that, in our weak-
ness, we should have some strong, solid
support on which we may lean. Thank
God, as members of a sound Christian
Church, we have that support. When in
danger of being carried away by any fresh
" wind of doctrine," we have the teaching
of our Church to fall back upon. We have
our Articles and our Liturgy to rest upon,
which are based upon the sure Word of
God, and have remained firm and unmoved
under many a storm.
A DAILY PRO GRESS. 197
Ay, and we have a stronger One even
than our Church to rely upon. We have a
Rock, even Christ; and if we cleave to
Him, we shall, and must, be eternally safe.
The Apostle points to Him, whon he says,
that "we may grow up into Him in all
things, which is the Head, even Christ."
I have explained to you this passage at
some length. Let me now call your atten-
tion to the great lesson which it teaches us ;
namely, that the ivork of grace is a gradual
work.
The Christian begins by being a babe in
Christ. There is a childhood in religion.
When a soul is quickened and born again
of God, everything seems new to it. We
are " new creatures ; old things are passed
away ; behold, all things are become new."
Prayer is a new thing — real, earnest, heart-
prayer. The Bible is a new book to us ; we
see it to be the Word of God ; w^e feel it to
be the nourishment of our souls. TJie House
of God is a new place to us. TJie Sabbath
is a new day to us. Once it was a weari-
ness; now it is our delight. Oh, the joy,
the new, fresh joy, that is felt by one who
has just "passed from death unto life;"
198 THE CHRISTIAN LIFE.
who has burst the bonds of sin, and has
tasted the glorious Hberty wherewith Christ
makes His children free !
But the young Christian is weak. There
is much ignorance and darkness yet about
him. He is liable to be misled. His foot-
steps are apt to slip. He has many lessons
yet to learn, and many a battle yet to fight.
After a little while, doubts and fears spring
up; and these too are new to him, for he
never felt them before. He discovers too
that his faith is very weak ; and this again
is something quite new to him ; for time
was when he never thought about it, or
cared about it. And most surely will Satan
attack him upon his weakest points. Young
Christians, again, are often rash, often set
up, often harsh in their judgment of others.
Now we must expect to find such infirm-
ities in those who have newly entered upon
their Christian course. And those who are
more advanced ought to take them by the
hand, and help them in their weakness."
Yes, those very Ephesians, to whom St.
Paul was writing, were once but *' children "
in the spiritual life. But the Apostle warns
them not to continue in this state — *' that
A DAILY PROGRESS. 199
we henceforth be no more children," but
that we " may grow up into Him in all
things, which is the head, even Christ."
And again he speaks of our growing up
into a " perfect man," and arriving at a full
Christian stature.
This shows us then that we should be
grozving Christians. Our course should be
onward ; and our path should be like that
of the Sun, " shining more and more unto
the perfect day." One stone after another
should he added to the Christian Building;
and so we should be " built up a spiritual
house;" and being ** fitly framed together,"
should " grow into an holy temple." It
should be with our souls, as it is with our
bodies: we should wax stronger and stronger
and every limb should do its appointed work.
This is important. May God enable us
to lay it to heart ! For remember, if w^e are
true Christians, we shall be groiving Chris-
tians.
I. We should grow in knoivlcdge.
Knowledge, if it is not accompanied with
grace, is worth but little. The Apostle tells
us that mere " knowledge pufifeth up." But
it is heavenly knowledge that we should
200 THE CHRISTIAN LIFE.
earnestly seek after. To know ourselves;
to know God, and Jesus Christ whom He
hath sent ; to know the truths of the Gospel ;
all this is within our reach, for God has re-
vealed it to us in His Word. And the
Christian, who studies his Bible with prayer,
will become more and more enlightened.
He will " grow in grace and in the knowl-
edge of our Lord Jesus Christ."
We must not only desire to be Christians,
but to be wise Christians, intelligeyit Chris-
tians, enlig]ite7ied Christians. Pray for the
blessed teaching of the Spirit. Ask Him
to " lead you into all truth." Get acquainted
with your Bible. Get to know something
about the Church to which you belong.
Get to understand her doctrines, and see
how thoroughly they agree with the Word
of God. If you are a Churchman, be an
earnest, hearty, intelligent Churchman.
Love your Church, and "be ready always
to give an answer to every man that asketh
you a reason of the hope that is in you
with meekness and fear."
2. We should grow in faitJi too. The
more we know of Christ, and the more we
experience His love and the greatness of
A DAILY PROGRESS. 201
His salvation, the more simply we should
trust Him, and the firmer should be our
confidence in Him. We should be ever
praying, " Lord, increase our faith." We
should desire that Christ "may dwell in
our hearts by faith ; " and that we " may
grow up into Him in all things." We
should try and leave the land of doubts and
fears, and soar upwards in the full enjoy-
ment of God's presence. The Believer's
faith should rest upon a rock, so that noth-
ing can shake it.
3. We should grow in love. St. Paul
says to the Philippians, " This I pray, that
your love may abound yet more and more."
And so the Thessalonians, " The Lord
make you to increase and abound in love
one toward another." Our love to Christ
should be a growing love : and the more of
it we possess, the more we shall love His
people for His sake.
If this flame of holy love has been kindled
in our once cold hearts, is it, I ask, burning
brighter, and steadier, and stronger? Do
we love our Lord, not merely when our
affections are warmed by excitement, but
with that constancy and evenness which be-
202 THE CHRISTIAN LIFE.
longs to His true friends ? And do we love
our Brethern more and more, desiring to do
them good both in their souls and bodies,
and rejoicing in their welfare?
4. We must grow in humility. Ah,
there is no surer test of grace than this —
are we growing humbler ? Is self put
down, and Christ exalted in its place? The
young Christian is oftentimes a little set up;
but the more we know of ourselves and of
our Lord, the more lowly will our walk be.
The fuller and riper the fruit, the lower do
the boughs droop. The seed-corn falls ta
the ground, whilst the dust that is mixed
with it flies aloft before the wind. We often
meet in these days with bold Christians,
earnest Christians, active Christians. But
how rare to meet with a really Jiiiinble Chris-
tian ! There are such to be found, but, alas,
how few ! It needed much grace to make
St. Paul say, " I am less than the least of
all saints ; " " God forbid that I should
glory save in the cross."
5. We should grow in zeal and activity.
It is well to be doing something for Christ
and His Church. If we would have our
bodily limbs increase in vigor, we must
A DAILY PROGRESS. 203
exercise them, we must give them work to
do, else they will very soon grow feeble and
powerless. And so with our spiritual frame.
It is good for our soul's health to work for
God. Nothing helps the Christian, and
makes him grow, so much as engaging in
some active work in the cause of Christ.
While he is doing good to others, a bless-
ing is sure to come into his own soul.
6. We should grow in holiness and like-
ness to Christ. The sanctifying work of
the Spirit is a gradual work. It is often
long before we discover our sins, and, when
discovered, it is no easy matter to part with
them. But if God is really at work in our
souls, there will be an increasing hatred of
sin, and an increasing desire after holiness.
That person has made but little progress on
the way to heaven, who has not learned to
curb his evil nature, and whose life does
not show forth the power and grace of the
Gospel.
7. Once more, we must grow in ineetness
for heaven. " It is with the true Believer
as it is with the ripening fruit. Though
hard at first, its substance grows soft.
Though sour and green at first, it becomes
204 THE CHRISTIAN LIFE.
rich and mellow. Though it once was fixed
tightly to the tree, when it grows ripe it is
ready to drop at the slighest touch. And
so is it with the Christian who is growing
in grace and ripening for heaven. His
heart becomes mellow, and soft, and tender.
He is loosed from earth and earthly things.
He yields himself readily to the hand of
death, and leaves the world without a
wrench."
On the other hand, there is some fruit
which hangs upon the wall, and never
ripens. The showers of heaven descend
upon it, the rays of the sun light upon it ;
but it never ripens. And are there not
some, who bear the name of Christ, who
are planted as it were in the garden of the
Lord, who bask in the very sunshine of
His favor, who have every advantage they
can need ; and yet they never ripen for
heaven ; they are never ready to die ; they
will never be fitted for the Master's presence ?
Look upon this life as a ripening time
for eternity. Lose no opportunity of get-
ting ready for the great change. Sit loose
to this world, and live for eternity. Let
your ** life be hid with Christ in God ; "
A DAILY PROGRESS. 205
and then, " when Christ who is our life
shall appear, ye shall appear with Him in
glory."
Seek to be a growing Christian. Pray
that you may grow in knowledge, in faith,
in love, in humility, in zeal and activity, in
holiness and likeness to Christ, in meetness
for heaven.
Happy that Church, that Congregation,
that heart, in which this growth is going
on ! I often think that God has wonder-
fully blest our Church in the last few years,
and is wonderfully blessing it still. I some-
times feel so ; but I long for more decided
proof of it. And oh ! that each one of us
may be able to say, " He is indeed blessing
me. I feel that I am not as I once was.
Those things which once were gain to me,
I have counted loss for Christ. Yea, doubt-
less, and I count all things but loss for the
excellency of the knowledge of Christ
Jesus my Lord. For Him I desire to live ;
for Him I am ready to die; with Him I
hope to dwell throughout eternity."
CHAPTER XV.
THE CHRISTIAN LIFE, A DAILY STRUGGLE.
There are many struggles going on in
the world around us. There are nations
groaning under oppression, and struggling
for liberty. There are countries at war with
one another, each struggling for the mas-
tery. There is many a man, who has been
unjustly accused, struggling to prove his
innocence. There are persons too, who
have been brought low by misfortune,
struggling against poverty, and trying hard
to raise themselves in the world. All
these struggles are going on at this mo-
ment.
But there is another struggle, which no
one ever yet earnestly engaged in without
success. The Bible speaks of it, and calls
it " our warfare ;" that is, the warfare which
God's people were then, and are still, en-
gaged in. Let us see,
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A DAILY STRUGGLE, 207
I. What is the nature of this warfare ?
II. What are the weapons which we are
to use ?
III. What is the object to be gained?
I. What is the nature of this warfare ? It
is a spiritual struggle. "We do not war,"
says the Apostle, "after the flesh;" or, as
he says in another place, " We wrestle not
against flesh and blood, but against princi-
palities, against powers, against the rulers
of the darkness of this world, against
spiritual wickedness in high places." It is
a conflict with Satan, and with our own
evil nature.
There are in the world two great powers
— the power of evil and the power of good —
the kingdom of God and the kingdom of
Satan. These are set one against the other.
Satan is ever trying to advance his king-
dom, and to get the upper hand. He struck
his first blow, when he drew away our first
parents from their allegiance to God ; and
he has tried ever since to mar the Lord's
work. And never did he try so hard, as
when Jesus appeared in the world on His
great errand of redeeming love. He then
2o8 THE CHRISTIAN LIFE.
dared even to tempt the Son of God Him-
self, and endeavored to thwart His glorious
work. And so now, wherever the Gospel
seed is sown, he is ready to pluck it up, or
else to scatter tares among the wheat.
Here then is a great spiritual conflict
going on in the world, a conflict between
the Lord's people and the servants of
Satan, between light and darkness, between
sin and holiness.
But this is not exactly the conflict of
which I am going to speak. There is still
another; namely, that inward struggle,
which goes on in a person's own heart ; not
in every ]ieaTt,h\x\. in the hearts of ^// God's
people. It is an inward and spiritual con-
flict, which none can feel but those who are
under the influence of God's grace. And
this is the reason why I have called the
spiritual life a daily struggle.
When a soul is first awakened, opposition
is sure to spring up ; opposition from the
world, which is unwilling to part with one
of its followers ; opposition from Satan, who
before, like ** a strong man armed," had
peaceful possession of the soul, and will not
now without a desperate effort unloose his
A DAILY STR UG GLE. 209
grasp ; and opposition, too, nearer home, in
our own heart.
Ah, once there was all ease and quietness
within ; there was no disturbance, no
anxiety, no concern, no questioning of our-
selves. And why ? Because the soul was
asleep. But the moment grace began to
work, then the struggle was felt. Hear
how it was with St. Paul. He tells us, in
Rom. vii., how severe the warfare was in his
case ; what a conflict there was between his
new and spiritual nature, and his old evil
nature which still remained within him : " I
know," he says, " that in me, that is, in my
flesh, dwelleth no good thing; for to will is
present with me ; but how to perform that
which is good I find not. For the good
that I would I do not : but the evil which I
would not, that I do. I find then a law,
that when I would do good, evil is present
with me. For I delight in the law of God
after the inward man, but I see another law
in my members warring against the law of
my mind, and bringing me into captivity to
the law of sin, which is in my members.
O wretched man that I am, who shall
deliver me from the body of this death ? I
14
2IO THE CHRISTIAN LIFE.
thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord."
Here was a violent conflict continually
carried on in St. Paul's soul between the
old man and the new man, between the
flesh and the spirit, between the bad part
of his character and the better part. And
this it was that led him to say to the
Galatians, " The flesh lusteth against the
spirit, and the spirit against the flesh : and
these are contrary the one to the other : so
that ye cannot do the things that ye would."
Is it any wonder then that Christ's people
are sometimes sad? Are we surprised that
now and then they seem so anxious ? It is
because there is this great struggle going
on in their souls. They earnestly desire
to do right; but there is something within
which hinders them — something continually
pulling them back, when they wish to go
forward.
But it may be asked, Is this warfare
alzvays going on ? Is this struggle a co7i-
timial one? There are times, when the
Christian is especially tried. There are
periods in his experience, when the enemy
assails him with unusual fierceness, when
he has to gather up all his strength to
A DAILY STRUGGLE. 211
oppose him ; when he is forced to summon
all his faith, and to apply earnestly to God
for His promised aid. But besides these
special occasions when the struggle is
severe, there is a lesser warfare ahvays
going on in the Believer's soul. There is a
daily struggle — a struggle which lasts all
the while we are in this wilderness world,
and never ceases till we reach the heavenly
Canaan.
Perhaps I am speaking to one who knows
and feels that this is the case. Can we ever
say that our warfare is accomplished, our
journey ended, our race run, as long as we
remain here ? No, there is always an
enemy near, some danger to be guarded
against, some evil to be overcome, some fresh
gift to be sought. *' Not as though I had al-
ready attained," says the Apostle, " either
were already perfect ; but I follow after." It
is a daily " pressing towards the mark."
Such is the great warfare which the Word
of God speaks of — a spiritual warfare — a
warfare within the soul — a warfare that is
always going on, so long, at least, as there
is infirmity, temptation, and sin, to be re-
sisted— in short, so long as life lasts.
212 THE CHRISTIAN LIFE.
Let us now inquire,
II. What are the zveapons with which we
fight ? We are told that, " The weapons of
our warfare are not carnal, but mighty
through God." They are not such as men
of the world use, but what God has pro-
vided.
When the followers of the false prophet
Mahomet began to spread their religion,
they did it by violence : that was a ** carnal "
weapon. When Peter wished to defend his
Master, he drew his sword ; that again was
a " carnal " weapon. How different were
the weapons which that same Peter and his
brother apostles used a few years after,
when they won souls to Christ. Look at
the sixth chapter of the Second Epistle to
the Corinthians, and see by what means
they gained their victories ; " By pureness,
by knowledge, by long-suffering, by kind-
ness, by the Holy Ghost, by love unfeigned,
by the word of truth, by the power of God,
by the armor of righteousness." These
were their weapons ; and they were " mighty
through God." And these too are the
weapons by which hard hearts are broken,
and souls won, in these days also.
A BAIL V STRUGGLE. 213
But I am not speaking now of the work
which the minister of Christ is carrying on ;
but of that work of grace which is going on
in the heart of eveiy true Christian. How
does he fight the good fight of faith ? Is
there a prize to be won, and he must strive
for it as best he can ? Is there a warfare to
be waged, and he has no weapons but those
with which nature provides him ? We
might well pity him, if this were the case.
Just suppose a person awakened to the
importance of religion, earnestly desiring to
serve God, and to reach heaven ; but yet
left entirely to his own resources. He feels
his faith to be weak ; and how can he
strengthen it ? He has powerful enemies ;
how can he stand up against them ? He
has a sinful, treacherous heart ; how can he
subdue and sanctify it? If left to himself,
he would, indeed, soon fail ; and the little
spark of religion would soon die within him.
But, thank God, He does not leave His
people alone and unprovided. He has bid
us seek His help in prayer, and lean upon
His grace. He has given us an armor, in
which we may subdue every foe, and be
" more than conquerors."
214 THE CHRISTIAN LIFE.
Here is our great comfort ; "The Lord of
Hosts is with us : the God of Jacob is our
refug-e." Our dangers and our trials are
great ; but not greater than we can bear.
When any one is earnestly engaged in
fighting the good fight, God's eye is upon
that person ; He stands ready to give him
the wished-for succor, and to help him ac-
cording to his need. Sometimes we feel
almost disheartened with the toils and diffi-
culties which are before us. Sometimes the
way seems very rugged, and the hill very
steep. Sometimes our trials seem too great
for flesh and blood. Yes, and they would
be too great, if we had only flesh and blood
to meet them. But there is a Heavenly
Helper; and with His assistance we can
master them all. We " can do all things
through Christ which strengtheneth us."
Oh, then, why should we ever be cast down ?
Weak as our own powers are, they will be
" mighty through God." Puny as we are
in ourselves, we shall be as giants, if like
David we go forth in the name of the Lord.
But there is yet another inquiry to make.
HI. What is to be gained by this warfare ?
A DAILY STRUGGLE. 215
What is the Christian's great object, for
which he struggles so hard ? It is '* the
puUing down of strongholds ; " the ** casting
down imaginations, and every high thing
that exalteth itself against the knowledge of
God ; " the " bringing into captivity every
thought to the obedience of Christ."
Here is a glorious work indeed to be ac-
complished. Here is something to be de-
fiwlished ; something to be kept tmder ;
something to be won for Christ. Let me
say a word upon each.
There is something to be demolished.
There are " strongholds " to be " pulled
down." Just as in battle there are certain
strong fortresses which must be completely
destroyed, and levelled with the ground, or
there will be no hope of victory; so it is in
the Christian warfare. For instance, tJie love
of the world, which naturally has possession
of our hearts, is one of these strongholds.
That must be pulled down, to make way for
the love of Christ. Pride is another strong-
hold, which sets itself up in every uncon-
verted heart. That too must be lowered ;
as it is written, " the lofty looks of man
shall be humbled, and the haughtiness of
21 6 THE CHRISTIAN LIFE.
man shall be bowed down, and the Lord
alone shall be exalted." In short, every sin,
which reigns in the unrenewed heart — and
every sin too which still strives for the mas-
tery even in the heart that is changed by
grace — every such sin must be fought
against, and subdued, and destroyed.
Ah, it may be a hard and a long warfare ;
but if we fight manfully, and in dependence
upon God, we shall succeed at last. For
the promise is, "Sin shall not have dominion
over you." God "shall bruise Satan under
your feet shortly."
Then, there is something to be kept under
— " casting down imaginations, and every
high thing that exalteth itself against the
knowledge of God."
I am sure, if we know anything of our
own hearts, we shall feel that there is a great
deal that wants constant curbing there.
Our vain thoughts, our vile affections, our
unbelief, which are always rising up, and
troubling us ; our ignorance, which sets it-
self up against the knowledge of God, and
leads us away from His truth ; all these need
to be kept under. And how can we do
A DAILY STRUGGLE. 217
this, unless we are ever on our watch, and
ever seeking fresh and fresh grace from
God ? If we attempt it with our weapons, we
shall fail. But if we use the grace which God
so freely gives, then the victory will be ours.
Once more — there is something to be
won to Christ ; " bringing into captivity
every thought to the obedience of Christ."
He claims all our thoughts, and all our
hearts ; and it is our happiness to give them
to Him. But it is no easy matter. And
yet it may be done. Our weapons are
powerful enough to effect it. Let us only
strive and pray — strive as those who are
really in earnest, and pray as those who
feel that prayer is their strength — and we
shall find that one thought after another,
and one desire after another, will by de-
grees be subdued, and brought as a pris-
oner to Christ.
Happy those who are thus winning
spiritual victories ; who are learning to
control their tempers, their wills, their de-
sires ; and are gradually bringing every
feeling of the heart into sweet submission
to their Lord !
2i8 THE CHRISTIAN LIFE.
And now I will close this subject with
two short directions.
The first is, Learn to look on the Oiristian
life as a daily struggle. Do not expect it
to be all smooth and easy. Be prepared
for many a conflict. Enter heartily upon
this warfare.
How is it as regards earthly things ?
Who are those who succeed in the world,
who win, who gain the prize ? The Strong
Man, who gives himself vigorously to his
work ; the Student, who reads and studies
that he may outstrip his fellows ; the daunt-
less Sailor, who defies the storm, at the risk
of his life runs up the rigging to obey his
Captain's orders ; the Soldier, who at the
sound of the bugle rushes from the trenches,
springs into the deadly breach, and fights
his way on and on, till his flag waves in
victory above the smoke of battle.
And so, it is the Christian who is earnest
in faith, and strong in prayer, who wins the
battle of the Lord. " The kingdom of
heaven suffereth violence, and the violent
take it by force."
My other direction is this — Whatever
special work you engage in, remember that
A DAILY STRUGGLE. 219
yoii need a strength better than your own ;
and that strength will be granted, if only
you apply for it. Are you anxious to do
some good to others, to win a brother's soul,
or to comfort a mourner's heart ? Do you
want to overcome some one of your own evil
habits, to destroy some sin, or to obtain
some Christian grace ? Never set about it
as if you had power of your own to accom-
plish the work. This would be making the
weapons of your warfare carnal. But rather
throw yourself simply on God, and ask Him
to work with you, and in you, by his Al-
mighty power.
Such are the directions that I would give
you. And may God enable you to act upon
them, and thus to do greater things than
you have ever yet done in His name !
CHAPTER XVI.
THE CHRISTIAN LIFE, A LIFE OF JOY.
We know, all of us I suppose, what joy
is ; and we have all tasted it in some shape
or other. Who is there that cannot call to
mind some event in his past life, when he
was for a time unusualh^ happy, and his
heart was filled with joy? But observe, this
may be, without there being a spark of re-
ligion in our souls. For the joy I am
speaking of is a mere natural joy — mere
earthly joy — it is quite different from that
higher joy which is so often spoken of in
Scripture.
I have sometimes heard people say, that
there is no joy but in religion. If they mean
there is no true joy, no lasting joy, then I
agree with them. But if they mean that the
unconverted man can never feel happy, I
think that they are mistaken. For there is
a joy which the world gives, and which per-
haps you and I have often felt; and it is
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A LIFE OF JO V. 221
folly to deny it. Why, David draws a pict-
ure of earthly happiness, even in the case
of an ungodly man, when he describes him
as ** prospering in the world," and " spread-
ing himself like a green bay tree."
I think that it will be useful to us, and
interesting also, first to trace some of the
peculiar features which mark the Christian's
joy, and then show its difference from
worldly joy.
I. Spiritual joy comes direct from God.
He alone can give it.
The happiness of worldly persons comes
from what is around them. If their circum-
stances in life are prosperous, they are
happy. If they enjoy health, and freedom
from pain and anxiety ; if they meet with
no opposition or unkindness ; if all goes
smoothly ; then they are happy, it may be.
But the Christian's happiness is not
bound up in these things. It is not acci-
dental happiness. It does not depend on
circumstances. But it comes straight from
God. It is His blessed gift to His own
people. It is spoken of as *' the joy of the
Lord." Christ calls it ''His joy. His peace."
222 THE CHRISTIAN LIFE.
This was His farewell legacy to His people,
** peace I leave with you ; my peace I give
unto you ; " and, again, " These things have
I spoken unto you that my joy might remain
in you, and that your joy might be full."
And yet we are almost surprised to hear
Christ speaking of His joy. For was He
not a " man of sorrows ? " Was not His life
one of toil and tears ! Where then is the
joy of which He speaks, and which He
prays that we may have as our portion ?
Are burdens, insults, sorrows, persecutions,
crucifixions, joys ?
Truly He was " acquainted with grief," as
regards His outward condition. But there
was within a deep well of love and joy
which never failed. He delighted in His
suffering errand. It is true, He was often
grieved at the hardness of men's hearts. It
is true, He was sometimes hungry, and
thirsty, and weary ; but He had *' meat to
eat," which men knew not of
And so it is with His people. He calls
upon them to cut off right hands, and pluck
out right eyes, and deny and crucify them-
selves, and be poor in spirit, and bear the
cross after Him. And what joy, it may be
A LIFE OF JOY. 223
asked, is there in this ? How can the Chris-
tian Life be called a life of joy ? Ah, but
there is such a thing as " dying, and behold
we live ; as chastened, and not killed ; as
sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as having
nothing, and yet possessing all things." The
Christian can look up, and thank God that
there is in his soul a fountain of peace, of
which God Himself is the spring. It comes
from Him. He is the Author and Giver
of it.
2. Spiritual joy has God for its object.
Not only is He the bestower of it, but He
is the great object of the Believer's delight.
We are disposed to look here, and there,
and everywhere for happiness. Like the
restless Bee, we try one flower after another.
But never can we say of any earthly thing,
" Here will I dwell. Here I find that which
satisfies me."
Very different is it with the Christian.
He too, perhaps, has made many a fruitless
search ; but he has found peace at last. He
has found it in Christ. He rests his weary
soul in the Saviour's bosom, and he is
happy. He feels, " They may take away my
worldly goods. My friends may forsake me.
224 THE CHRISTIAN LIFE.
They may persecute me, bear false witness
against me, tal>:e away my character. But
they cannot rob me of my blessed hope;
they cannot part me from my Saviour."
If, then, you ever feel uncomfortable and
restless, do not imagine that you would be
better anywhere else than where you are, or
better under any other circumstances. Do
not pitch upon this or that object, and fancy
that if you had it, it would bring you happi-
ness. Do not say, " Who will show me any
good ? " but rather say, " Lord, lift Thou up
the light of Thy countenance upon me.'*
Look upwards to Him, from whom alone
real peace comes, " that so among the
sundry and manifold changes of the world
your heart may surely there be fixed, where
true joys are to be found."
It may happen sometimes that you open
your Bible, and get little or no good. You
may turn to religious friends, but there is no
comfort there. You may even come to
God's house, and find it but a barren wilder-
ness. But go to God Himself Go to the
Saviour. Rest your soul upon Him ; and
you are sure to find peace. " I will go,"
said the Psalmist, " unto the altar of God,
A LIFE OF JO Y. 225
unto God, my exceeding joy." Christ is
" our peace." " The Lord is my portion,
saith my soul."
3. This spiritual joy lasts. Can this be
said of earthly joy ? Ko, we may have it to-
day ; but we cannot reckon upon it to-mor-
row. It is like the summer's sun, which
often disappears as soon as we begin to bask
in its warmth. Our mind is bent on it for
weeks and months. At last we obtain it,
and our heart is content. But how long
does it remain ? Perhaps it is soon taken
away again. Or, if it remains, we discover
that it does not give us the pleasure we
expected. And then we turn to some-
thing else, in the hope of finding enjoyment
in it.
But the joy we are now speaking of, when
once it enters the soul, remains there. We
can reckon upon it as our own. Yes, once
gain this prize, and it becomes yours. It
may for a time be damped, and smothered
in the soul ; but there it is, planted there
by the hand of God Himself Satan may
disturb it now and then. Sometimes it is
so weak within us, that it is hardly felt.
But nothing can steal it away from that
15
226 THE CHRISTIAN LIFE.
heart which God has blest. " Your joy no
man taketh from you."
4. It is unselfish. Worldly joy, on the
other hand, too often has self for its centre.
What flatters, and pleases, and exhalts self,
is what alone rejoices the worldly heart.
But the Christian's joy has its centre in God.
He finds delight in God's service. He re-
joices when God is honored. And he
takes pleasure, too, in the welfare and hap-
piness of others.
The Saviour seems to have found His
chief joy in doing good, in relieving the
sick, in comforting the mourner, and in sav-
ing souls. And we are told that a thrill of
delight is felt by the very host of heaven
when a lost sheep is received, and brought
home to the fold. Such, too, is the Chris-
tian's joy. It is unselfish. To see his
Father honored — to see his fellow-men
saved and happy — this brings the purest
joy to his soul.
5. A fifth feature in this joy is that it de-
pends but little on oiitivard tilings.
Think of those who lived in the days of
the Apostles. There was everything in
their case to cast them down. All out-
A LIFE OF JOY. 227
ward things were against them. But there
was that within them which enabled them
to rejoice in their tribulation. Instead of
being filled with alarm and sadness, they
were " filled with joy and with the Holy
Ghost." So it was in all their persecu-
tions ; they rejoiced that they were counted
worthy to suffer shame for the Saviour's
name. See how they bore their troubles
at Philippi. What do we hear under those
prison walls ? Is it the dismal sound of
moaning and distress ? No, we hear amid
the clank of chains the voice of joy and
gladness, the song of thankfulness and
praise. Again, it is said of others, that
" they took joyfully the spoiling of their
goods, knowing in themselves that they had
in heaven a better and an enduring sub-
stance." Think of the Martyrs, too, who in
later times suffered so nobly, so patiently,
so cheerfully, for Christ's sake. They wel-
comed the very flames that took away their
lives. How was this? Were they not filled
with a joy from heaven, which man could
not take from them ?
And I would ask you if you know what
Christian joy is ? When have you felt hap-
228 THE CHRISTIAN LIFE.
piest? When have you drunk deepest of
this heavenly joy? Not perhaps when
prosperity has shone full upon you ; but in
some hour of trial, when the world was
nothing to you, but God was everything.
Then you felt the Saviour near you ; you
saw religion to be a real thing ; your heart
leapt with joy; you experienced a happi-
ness which you cannot describe.
6. Once more. This joy is often most felt
in the hour of death.
How remarkable ! For then it is that
our earthly joys utterly fail us. When the
worldling is forced to part with his friends,
and his possessions — when life is ebbing
fast — what is left for him ? Alas ! nothing.
Oh, what a gloomy prospect ! No wonder
that such persons should look upon Death
as " the king of terrors," and should shrink
from the very thought of it.
But how is it with one who knows and
loves Christ ? There is a peace and joy in
his soul, which neither sickness, nor pain,
nor even death, can weaken. He is happy ;
for he " knows whom he has believed." He
feels that he is near his home, that he is soon
going to " enter into the joy of his Lord."
A LIFE OF JOY. 229
If we could have stood by St Peter, or
St. Paul, or St. Stephen, or "the disciple
whom Jesus loved," in their dying hour, I
suppose we should have found them happy,
very happy in the love of Christ, in the
comfort of the Holy Ghost, in the hope of
heaven.
But are true Christians, then, always hap-
py in a dying hour? No, I think not — not
ahvays. They have enough to make them
happy. They have the spring of joy within
them. But the waters do not always flow.
The brightest Christian is not without his
trials ; and sometimes his bitterest trials,
his darkest days, come at the close. Some-
times— we know not why — but sometimes
the Christian's evening is stormy and over-
cast. It seems as if the Saviour were no
longer near him. The peace he once felt is
gone, when he most desires to have it. But
Jias \\\^ Saviour left His servant? Is his
joy forfeited ? Oh, no. That loving Friend
is by his side, though he knows it not, and
is ready to fill his soul with a full flood of
joy, if not now, at all events when it takes
its happy flight from this earthly prison.
Let our prayer be that the close of our
230 THE CHRISTIAN LIFE.
life may be peaceful and joyous. But if
God should, for some wise reason, deny us
this, still let us remember that " light is
sown for the righteous," and that, although
" weeping may endure for a night," joy is
sure to " come in the morning."
We have seen then that this joy is the
Christian's portion. It belongs to us, if we
are God's people. I do not say that we
shall always have it. I do not say that one
Christian partakes of it as richly as another.
No, a hundred things may hinder the feel-
ing of joy in our hearts. But seek for it.
Pray that it may be yours. The Christian
Life ought to be a happy life. And if it is
not so with us, then most likely there is
something wrong. It ought, I say, to be a
most happy life; for what are the stages in
it ? There is the joy of Conversion^ the hap-
py feeling of being brought nigh to God.
There is the joy of Forgiveness ; thus we
pray, " Grant, merciful Lord, to Thy faith-
ful people /'(^r</<5';^ and /^^^r^." There \s the
joy of Adoption, the feeling that He is our
Father and our Friend. There is the joy of
i^3:zV/2, "joy and peace in believing." There
A LIFE OF JO Y. 231
is tJiejoy of mi Inunble cJiild-like Trust, know-
ing that we are in His safe hands. There
is the joy of a Holy Walk with God. I will
say nothing now of " the joy that is set be-
fore us',' of that " fuhiess of joy" which is
at God's right hand, and of those pleasures
which ** are for evermore."
When I speak of the Christian's life be-
ing a happy one, I do not mean merely
that it leads to bliss hereafter, but that it is
a happy life iioiv. Let us then " lift up the
hands which hang down, and the feeble
knees." Let us not live as bond-slaves, but
as the Lord's freemen. Let us not be al-
ways sighing as we journey heavenward ;
but let us " go on our way rejoicing." May
God's promise be abundantly fulfilled to us,
" The ransomed of the Lord shall return,
and come to Zion with songs and everlast-
ing joy upon their heads. They shall ob-
tain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sigh-
ing shall flee away.
CHAPTER XVII.
THE CHRISTIAN LIFE IN HEAVEN.
Fifty years hence, where shall you and
I be ? We shall probably have passed away
from this world. Our places will be filled
by others. Our houses will be occupied by
other tenants. Another set of faces will
be seen in our village or our town.
Where shall we be ? In our graves, you
will say. Yes, our bodies will be there, but
not our sotils. They can never die. They
are immortal. Those who have lived here
without God, and without hope, will be
living still without Him, and hopelessly
banished from His presence. But those of
us who have been living that Christian life
— that spiritual life — of which I have spoken
so often in the foregoing chapters — they
will be still living that very same life which
was begun here, but which will then be
perfect and unbroken through eternity.
(232)
THE CHRISTIAN LIFE IN HEA VEN 233
The CJiristian Life in Heaven — this is the
closing subject of my Book.
0 my God, if no good has been received
from any of these chapters, bless tJiis at
least to the Reader. Or, if Thou hast made
them useful to any one, oh grant a double
blessing to these remaining words.
1 shall speak of the Christian life in
Heaven,
I. As a life of Service.
II. As a life of Holiness.
III. As a life of Happiness.
IV. As a life of a blessed Companionship.
V. As a life of Endless Duration.
I. The Christian Life in Heaven is a life
of Service.
When St. John speaks of the happy
world above, he says, '* There shall be no
more curse ; but the throne of God and
the Lamb shall be in it : and His servants
shall serve HimT Blessed be God, He
allows us now to serve Him. If we are
His people, our delight is to do His will.
But oftentimes, when the spirit is willing,
the flesh is sadly weak. Oftentimes we
234 THE CHRISTIAN LIFE.
grieve to think that our hands are so feeble,
and our hearts so cold. Our zeal flags.
Our desires are checked. We grow faint
and weary in well-doing. But in heaven
there will be no sins to hinder us, and no
infirmities to weaken us.
Imagine what the service of the Angels
must be. How readily and cheerfully they
obey the summons of their Lord. Is there
work to be done ? Their language is,
" Here am I, Lord, send me." Is there
some relief to be given, some comfort to be
carried, to one of God's suffering people ?
Their delight is to be the messengers and
carriers of His mercy. "Are they not all
ministering spirits, sent forth to minister to
them who shall be heirs of salvation ? "
We know not hozu they help us ; but they
do help us : and not one is ever backward
to perform his errand.
Now, this may give us some idea of the
spirit in which our work will be done in
heaven. We know not what that work
will be ; but this we know, that God will
ever have some holy, happy work for His
people to perform. We shall enter upon
our rest ; and yet rest not day nor night.
THE CHRISTIAN LIFE IN HEAVEN. 235
Our labors will be at an end ; and yet we
shall labor still. There will be work to do
in God's Church above. There will be a
choir of heavenly singers ; and every voice
and every heart will be in tune. There
will be a glorious band of worshippers ; and
their thoughts will never wander, or their
devotions flag. We shall be employed to
carry out God's will in ways that we have
no idea of now. Some think that many of
those glittering stars we see are filled with
inhabitants. And perhaps God may have
a message of mercy for us to carry to those
worlds. Who knows ? Who can say
what blessed work the Lord may have in
store for His gathered ones in heaven ?
This we know, that the Christian Life
there will be one of Service.
II. It will also be a life of Holiness.
God's command to us now is, " Be ye holy,
for I am holy;" "Be ye followers of God
as dear children ; " " Be ye therefore perfect,
as your Father in heaven is perfect." But
how miserably small is the degree of holi-
ness which any of us reach ! There are
times when we grow, like plants in the
236 THE CHRISTIAN LIFE.
garden of the Lord. We advance in grace,
under the fostering care of the heavenly-
Husbandman. But how constantly is our
growth checked. How often are our leaves
withered, and our blossoms nipped. How
often does the cold blast of temptation fall
upon us, and drive us back from the point
which we had gained. " Not, as though I
had already attained, either were already
perfect" — this is the constant complaint of
the holiest Christian.
But in heaven it will be very different.
We shall carry no body of sin with us
there. Flesh and blood cannot enter there.
There will be no more curse, no evil, no
corruption, no infirmity, in that unfallen
world. We shall all bear the image of
God : we shall all be like Christ. Our love,
which is now so feeble, will be strong. Our
faith, which is now so mixed with unbelief,
will be pure and perfect. Our humility,
which is often so spoilt by the creeping in
of pride, will be the humility of a lowly
but rejoicing heart. To know the will of
God, to feel that our wills are in complete
harmony with His, and to be ever doing not
our will, but God's — this will be our delight.
THE CHRISTIAN LIFE IN HE A VEN 237
Tell me, are you not constantly made sad
by the risings of a sinful nature within you ?
When you would do good, evil is present
with you. Are you not often reminded
that you are still a prisoner here, " tied and
bound by the chain of your sins ? " Ah,
the prison-door will soon be thrown open.
Your prison-dress will soon be laid aside.
You will soon pass through the outer ward.
You will soon breathe a purer air. You
will soon gain your liberty, ** the glorious
liberty of the children of God." When the
King comes in to see His guests, there will
be none, not one, that has not on the wed-
ding garment. " These are they which
came out of great tribulation, and have
washed their robes, and made them white
in the blood of the Lamb." " They are
without fault before the throne of God."
III. But let us think of the life in
heaven as one of Happiness. Holiness and
happiness are twins ; they cannot be parted.
Where there is holiness, there miisth^ happi-
ness.
There are many questions concerning
heaven which we cannot answer. Where
238 THE CHRISTIAN LIFE.
will it be} We cannot tell you ; for God
has not revealed it. It may be far away in
some distant planet. It may be here in
this very world of ours, purified and fitted
for our eternal residence. What shall we be
like in heaven ? What language shall we
speak ? We know not ; and never shall we
know, till we reach our Father's presence.
Never till then shall we know where heaven
is, or what it is. Nor does it matter. For
if God spared not His own Son to redeem
us nothing will be wanting to make us
supremely happy. The Home of the Re-
deemed, the House of " many mansions,"
the Palace of the Great King, has joys
which eye hath never seen before, nor ear
heard, and which it hath not entered into
the heart of man to conceive.
Who can tell the blessedness of a ran-
somed soul when it reaches heaven ? We
read that ** to die is gain " — not shall be gain
at some future time, after a certain delay —
but to die is gain, immediate gain. There
is but one step, and the soul is in glory.
Before the sounds of mourning have sub-
sided in the chamber of death, the song of
the upper sanctuary has begun. There is
THE CHRISTIAN LIFE IN HEA VEN 239
no delay — no waiting for an escort to con-
duct us along that untrodden path. On
angels' wings, in angels' arms, Lazarus is
borne to Abraham's bosom. The pardoned
thief was tJiat day " with Christ in paradise."
What makes God's people unhappy here
on earth ? What brings a cloud now and
then over the brightness of our sunny life ?
What makes the rejoicing heart sometimes
fall back into sadness. The presence of
sin : but there shall be no more there. The
assaults of the Tempter: but he cannot reach
us there. Doubts and misgivings as to our
acceptance : but there shall be no more
then. The trials of life : but they will be
ended. Affliction, pain, sickness : but these
will be unknown.
There is another thing too which some-
times distresses us ; and that is our igno-
rance. There are some things in God's
word which we cannot understand, and
many of the dealings of His providence
perplex us. Now we see but dimly, as
through a glass ; but soon we shall see
clearly. " Now I know in part, but then
shall I know even as I am known."
Who can tell the exceeding joy of having
240 THE CHRISTIAN LIFE.
all cleared up ; every mystery made plain ;
every tangled thread unravelled ? What a
blessed study will the past be — to look
along the whole line that we have travelled
since our birth, and not only to see how,
step by step, the Lord has led us ; but also
why He led us in the way He did ; why He
thwarted our plans here, and made them
succeed there ; why He directed us to one
place, rather than another; why He ap-
peared to prosper us at one time, and to
chasten us at another; why He sometimes
seemed to be our Enemy, rather than our
Friend. It will be joy indeed, when our
minds are capable of taking all this in, when
" we shall know even as we are known."
But does not this tell us that there is a
lesson for us now to learn ? When you
read God's Word, remember the feebleness
of your knowledge, and that there are many
depths which you cannot fathom. Be
thankful for what is plain, and leave what
is difficult to be cleared up in heaven. The
Holy Spirit will meanwhile teach you all
that you need to know, if you earnestly ap-
ply for His gracious help.
Try and feel the same too with regard to
THE CHRISTIAN LIFE IN HE A VEN. 241
the Lord's dealings with you. Be patient,
O child of God ; be submissive to thy
Father's will. Accept His darkest dispen-
sations cheerfully, thankfully, without a
murmur. " Be still, and know that He is
God." Wait a moment, and the shadows
will flee away, and all will be clear. What
thou knowest not now, " thou shalt know
hereafter."
IV. Our life in heaven will be a life of
blessed CompanioiisJiip. " We shall be ever
with the Lord " — not only under His care,
as we are now — not merely near Him, as
we may be even in this world — but actually
with Him. This was His promise, " If any
man serve me, let him follow me ; zvhere I
am, tJiere shall uiy servafit be!' And this
was His prayer : " Father, I will that they
also whom thou hast given me be tvith
7ne where I am."
Happy were those who walked with Him
along the plains of Galilee. Happy those
who were His close companions when He
dwelt among us. Happy those who shared
His trials and His joys. Happy those who,
like Mary, sat at His feet and heard His
16
242 THE CHRISTIAN LIFE.
words. We may well envy them. But we
shall enjoy a yet higher privilege ; we shall
be with Him in His own kingdom.
But we shall have other companions.
And who will they be ? The angels, who
have never sinned. The multitude too,
whom no man can number, of God's saved
ones, " having their Father's name written
in their foreheads."
Such will be our companionship. Are we
beginning to enjoy it now ? Do we love
the Saviour ? Are His people dear to us ?
Are our hearts drawn towards them, the
holier they are, the more heavenly-minded,
the more Christ-like ? Are our happiest
hours those which we spend in the Lord's
courts, and with His people? Then we
have <2/r^rt^/y something of heaven about us.
We have an earnest of that inheritance
which will one day be ours.
V. Once more : The Christian life in
heaven will be one of Endless Duration.
Everything about this world is fleeting,
changing, temporary: everthing about the
future world is fixed, lasting, endless. " If
the tree falls towards the south, or towards
THE CHRISTIAN LIFE IN HE A VEN 243
the north, in the place where the tree
falleth, there it shall be." Whatever por-
tion is ours, it will be unchangeable, eternal.
" He that is unjust " now will be " unjust
still ; " and " he who is filthy " now will be
** filthy still ; " and " he that is righteous "
now will be " righteous still." Our state in
the eternal world will never alter. The
gnawing worm of conscience will never die :
the fire of torment will never lose a particle
of its heat. And so too the joys of heaven
will be unceasing, always full and always
new. The pleasures at Christ's right hand
will be for evermore.
Oh, the littleness of all earthly things I
What is pain for a few weeks or months ?
What are the pleasures which this world
makes so much of? What are riches, and
honors, and greatness ? They are " but for
a moment," compared with " an eternal
weight of glory."
Learn, oh learn it in time — that every-
thing here is Q^\c^y passing azv ay, and that
everything in heaven is for ever. To be
for ever safe — for ever happy — to be for
ever with those who have been our Chris-
tian brethren on earth — to meet them again.
244 THE CHRISTIAN LIFE.
never to be separated — to be ever with the
Lord Himself — this will be our blessed
portion, if we are Christ's.
But are we His ? Have we ** passed from
death unto life ? " Have we " washed our
robes, and made them white in the blood of
the Lamb ? " Are we children of His
household, and subjects of His kingdom ?
Is Heaven already begun in us ? I have
spoken of our life in heaven being one of
service: are we delighting in the Lord's
service 7iozv ? I have spoken of it as a life
oi holiness : is ours a holy walk now? I
have spoken of it too as a life of happiness :
are we already happy in Christ ? Have we
found peace in Him ? Our companionship
will be with the Lord, and with His saints;
are such our companions noiv ?
It is a great mistake to look upon heaven
merely as a place of reward, a sort of new
life altogether different from this. No, it
will be our present Christian Life carried on
and perfected in a better world. It will be
the transplanting of the fruitful tree to
another and a richer soil. It will be the
calling up of the faithful servant to a higher
and more honored post.
THE CHRISTIAN LIFE IN HE A VEN 245
And now I have been graciously per-
mitted to carry out rny purpose, and to
finish this little Book. Both you and I
must give an account of it. May we do it
with joy and not with grief! May the Lord
bless you, and make you a blessing to
others! We shall only be a little while
longer here. Oh, that our lives may be\
happy and useful ! Oh, that our passage
through this world may be a blessed one,
and that we may shine hereafter " as the
brightness of the firmament," and " as the
stars for ever and ever ! "
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