THE MAN AFTER THE FLESH.

Chapter 2:THE CAPTIVITY IN THE PHILISTINES' LAND. (Continued from page 6.)

So far as the people were concerned, they had lost the very badge of their relationship with God. "The Ark of the Covenant" had passed from their unfaithful hands-the very throne of God was no longer in Israel. "He forsook the tabernacle of Shiloh, the tent which He placed among men; and delivered His strength into captivity, and His glory into the enemy's hand" (Ps. 78:60, 61).

What an abiding witness that God will never act contrary to His nature, even though the stability of His earthly throne seem for a time to be threatened. How it shows that all divine power is holy, and that there is no authority save that which is consistent with God's holiness. God does not need to preserve the outward continuity of His government, as is the common thought of men. What a mass of ecclesiastical rubbish is swept aside when this is seen. No need to delve into the annals of the past-doctrinal errors of the early "Fathers," grossest abuses of Rome, with her rival popes and councils, all tainted with that unholiness which forever disqualifies them from a claim to God's recognition. No need to search here for a succession from the apostles. Ichabod is upon it all. God forsook all that, as He did Shiloh of old.

But what a relief is this-to see that God can never be held responsible for the errors of His professed people. Were this seen, how quickly would earnest souls turn from Rome or any other establishment which bases its claims of authority upon an unholy past. God can never act contrary to His character, and when that character has been distinctly and persistently ignored, we have a Shiloh-no matter what precious associations may be linked with it -bereft of its glory. Faith can follow God. Even as at an earlier day, when the golden calf usurped God's place in Israel, Moses pitched the tent of meeting outside the camp, and thither resorted all who desired to meet Jehovah, rather than the place where once He manifested Himself.

Thus faith ever reasons:"Let us go forth unto Him without the camp." Has He been compelled to withdraw ? We can no longer recognize that which He has left. Shiloh with the ark away is like a body when the spirit has departed. It can only be buried out of our sight.

We have here a principle of wide-reaching application. Not only is a simple path for faith laid down, where there is no need to attempt to justify what is . not of God; but there is a basis here for recovery to Him, and thus for true unity amongst His people. Who would not desire that ? But it can only be in this way.

The great mistake with nearly all efforts after outward unity among God's people, is in having the eye upon them rather than upon Him. The question, the only question to be asked is, Where is God with reference to the matters upon which His people are divided. Has He been compelled to withdraw His " approval ? does His word condemn that which characterizes His people ? To uphold their position does that need to be maintained which violates, in a radical way, His character ? Then surely all effort at uniting His people, and at the same time ignoring that which has dishonored God, will never meet with His approval, not even if it outwardly brought together all those now separated. God, His will, His character, ignored-all else is absolutely worthless.

But have not all here a most simple basis of true unity ? We side with God-we take up, patiently and prayerfully, if painfully, that which has occasioned the breach. Is it a matter about which God's word expresses His mind ? Then the only thing to be done is to own that mind-to bow to Him. On the other hand, is it a matter practically immaterial, where patience and forbearance would accomplish what suspicion and force could not do ? Then the path is equally clear. May there ever be grace among His own to seek to be with God according to His word, and they will ever be with one another also. Mere ebullition of love to saints, no matter how real, can never take the place of a clear, thorough examination of the difficulties in the light of God's word. To ignore difficult questions, is but to invite fresh and more hopeless complications. But we must return to our narrative.

Chapter 3:GOD'S CARE FOR HIS OWN HONOR. (1 Sam. 5:, 6:)

Having vindicated the holiness of His character by permitting the ark to be removed from Shiloh, and taken captive by the Philistines, God will now show to its very captors that His power and majesty is unchanged. We need never be afraid that God will fail to vindicate either His holiness or His power. Our only fear should be lest we be not in that state in which we can be vessels of testimony for Him.

Notice how all interest is transferred from Israel to the Philistines' land. Wherever God's presence is must be the true center of interest. Nor does this mean that God has permanently forsaken Israel or ceased to love them. Nay, all that is now transpiring in the distant land is but the twofold preparation for the maintenance of His holiness and His grace toward a repentant people.

The Philistines have looked upon this capture of the ark not only as their victory over Israel, but over God as well. They ascribe both to their own god, Dagon, and in acknowledgment of his triumph over Israel's God, they put the ark in Dagon's temple.

It is now no longer a question between God and Israel, or even between God and the Philistines, but between the true God and man's false one-part fish, part man, as the perverted and corrupt ingenuity of fallen man delights to depict the god of his own fashioning. This false god is at once immeasurably inferior to man,-like to the fish in the main, with head and hands of human intelligence and power,-and yet the object of his dread and worship. Such is the idol ever, in all its forms, really beneath those who form it.

At first, doubtless to impress more fully the lesson, God simply casts the image prostrate before Him. Poor hardened man sets it up again. But the second time, the blindness of the people failing to understand, Dagon falls and is broken. He loses all that had given him a semblance of intelligence or power, and the headless trunk witnesses of the vanity of idols, and of the majesty and power of that God whom they in their madness had despised.

Had there been the least desire after truth, what an effectual witness would this have been to the Philistines of the vanity of Dagon and the reality of the living God ! Alas, their hardened hearts see but little in it, and give added honor to Dagon by not treading upon the threshold, where his head and hands had lain. Doubtless the priests put head and hands back again, and most was soon forgotten. How utterly hopeless is all witness to those who do not desire to know the truth. But God is vindicated, and His desire as well to deliver men from their errors.

In how many ways does Rome answer to all this persistent and shameless idolatry. Dagon, the fish-god, suggests that worship of increase, for which the fish is remarkable, and which forms one of Rome's claims to "Catholic." Does she not number her adherents by millions?

Nor can we fail to recognize in all our hearts that Philistine tendency to worship numbers. Is it not the test of a work ? How many simply follow a multitude, and measure all spiritual results by the number of those who are identified with a movement. Again and again does God break to pieces this false god, permitting the loss of hands and feet-both intelligence and power to that which a carnal religion would still deify. We need to have this thing hunted out of our souls. Mere numbers are no token of God's presence or approval, whether it be in evangelistic work or any testimony for God. His truth must ever be the test-His word, as applied by His Spirit. Without that it is but Dagon.

(To be continued.)
"HOW IS IT THAT YE HAVE NO FAITH?"