TRUTH THOUGH PRECIOUS AND FROM HEAVEN, THE OCCASION OF DISCORD AND BITTERNESS ON EARTH, AND WHY?
Truth must be precious, for it came from God. I The inspired Word says:"The law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ." The Lord said to Pilate:"For this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Every one that is of the truth heareth My voice." He could say, "I am the Truth." He was the full expression of it. He is designated, "The faithful and true Witness." And the truth that came by Him, and shown forth in Him, was divinely intended for the blessing of poor fallen man. We are assured that God "will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth." We are saved by coming to the knowledge of the truth. The Lord said:"Ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." In praying to the Father for His own, He said:"Sanctify them through Thy truth; Thy word is truth." The apostle tells us that "the truth is in Jesus." Surely then as truth came from God, and by the Lord Jesus, it must be a most precious boon; and being intended for the blessing of man,-man deceived by Satan, who "abode not in the truth,"-it should be gladly received by all, and at any cost. No wonder, therefore, it should be said in Scripture, "Buy the truth, and sell it not,"-that is buy it at any cost, at any sacrifice, and at no price sell it; sacrifice anything sooner than sacrifice the truth. Millions of worlds, if offered, should be no inducement to reject or give up the truth, and indeed would be none to those who truly know it; and yet they are most glad to make it known, that others may enjoy what they enjoy.

And is it so that a thing so precious, and intended to bless, and so needful as truth in a scene where all is false, should be the occasion of trouble and bitterness? Alas! it is really so. It has been thus from the days of Cain and Abel down to the present. Hence we are not to expect any thing else. Yes, the truth, as it is in Jesus, may bring a storm on those who receive it; but never mind, my dear brother or sister, it is better to be saved in a storm than to be lost in a calm. And yet it is not always that simply receiving the truth brings the storm, but taking the path which the truth points out. In these days almost any truth may be made popular as long as you will go on with the great current of profession. You may hold the doctrines of grace, full atonement through the cross, salvation simply through Christ and on the principle of faith, also the heavenly calling, and the Lord's return, and the storm may not come; but take path of truth, the path suited to these doctrines of Christ, having your back turned on that from which you are delivered through the Cross, and your face firmly set toward that into which you are brought in Christ, and you will find that you cannot make the path popular; rather you will find the winds contrary, yea these contrary winds may amount to a hurricane, carrying all before it, all of earth you have held dear. Yet, surely it is better that it should be so, than that you should purchase a calm at the expense of truth, and by dishonoring Him who bore an infinitely greater storm for us on Calvary.

But the question comes up, Why is it that this precious gift of God is thus made the occasion of trouble and bitterness? Surely the fault cannot be with the truth itself, nor with the One from whom it came, and by whom it came. The truth brings no discord in heaven where all is pure and good. Why then is the effect so otherwise on earth? Certainly it must be something very unlike heaven, and contrary to God, which it has to meet, and which is the opposite of itself. It is very clear that the coming of Him by whom truth came, was divinely meant for blessing to all. When Jesus was born, the angel of the Lord said to the shepherds:"Behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people," and the multitude of the heavenly host was with the angel, praising God, saying:" Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men." This was what was in God's heart. His grace was toward all, and for the blessing of all. But though this was true, yet, alas, in view of the fact that, while some would bow to the truth and be saved, many would reject it, and be bitterly against those who received it,-the Lord had to present His coming, looking at the result, under a very different aspect. He said:"Think not that I am come to send peace on earth; I came not to send peace, but a sword. For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. And a man's foes shall be they of his own household." And who is to blame for this unhappy result? Certainly not those who receive the truth in the love of it, and act accordingly. They do not turn bitter against the others, but pray for them, and long for their real good. The blame is clearly with those who reject the truth, and are bitter toward those who receive it, thus taking sides with him "who abode not in the truth." He is urging them on, and will, in due time, meet his doom; but those who put themselves in his power, cannot clear themselves by casting the blame on him. We are individually responsible to receive the truth, and thus be on God's side.

Of course, there are those who are slow in understanding anything, and therefore slow in seeing and receiving truth, and yet long to know the truth. It may require patience in dealing with such; but seeing they are honest and sincere, it is pleasant work to be helpful to them; and, as the result, they see and rejoice. But with others, when the truth is presented, opposition is their first thought. The will of the flesh is up at once, and thus the great enemy can use them to his advantage, and their own injury; and, under his influence, they become awfully bitter, and their spirit and words, alas! become almost, if not really, satanic. The enemy is acting through them. You may be telling out the most important truths, plainly taught in the word of God, even the way that a poor lost sinner is saved, that is through the Cross, clung to by faith, without the deeds of the law, and which an inspired apostle designates "righteousness without works;"-or you may speak of the standing of believers, as "complete in Christ" by being seen of God, as "dead with Christ" and "risen with Him," and seated "in heavenly places in Him," and of the behavior suited to such an exalted calling,-truths which Satan must especially hate, as they magnify the riches of God's grace, and consequently those who have put themselves in his power, find it hard to invent language sufficiently hateful to express their intense bitterness against such thoughts. Should a child of God thus yield to the flesh, and so take sides with "that wicked one," the loss thereby sustained will be shown up at the judgment-seat of Christ.

Beloved, if you are called to suffer for receiving the truth and acting on it, happy are ye. God knows all about it. Besides, your treatment gives you a good opportunity of showing another thing which came by Jesus Christ, namely, "grace." It is for you to show grace, though none may be shown to you. While we are to "walk in truth," we are to "walk in love." The Lord help us to cling to the truth, and to walk in the power of the love which brought the truth; and may those who have manifested such sorrowful hatred to the truth, give evident of repentance before their little day is over, and rest simply on the grace of God, and the merits of the Lord Jesus, and so pass to that scene of blessedness where all ascribe their salvation to God and the Lamb. Yes, happy if they can say, even at the last, from a full heart.

" Vile and full of sin, I am,-
Thou art full of truth and grace."
and
" In my hand no price I bring,
Simply to Thy cross I cling."
Then in Thy blest abode, from all this weakness free,
I, through the grace of God, shall ever with Thee be.

R. H.