It is quite beyond me," are words that are often heard from one and another with regard to some presentation of spiritual things. Coming from different quarters, the significance of the expression is necessarily also different. It may be a simple statement of fact, without any moral significance. It may be confession of ignorance, real and lamented. It may be a sarcasm, implying the fault to be with the speaker rather than the hearer, the writer rather than the reader. It may be, alas! and very often is, the unintentional revelation of a state of soul which needs to be considered seriously, for it is in itself most serious.

That as to the fact there are for every one of us things that are beyond us, must be conceded at once. There are babes and young men, as well as fathers:and the farthest advanced will most readily perhaps accept in this respect in the apostle's language, " Not that I have already attained, neither am already perfect." He said it as one pressing on continually ; and there is never a place reached by us where there is need of this no longer. As a matter of knowledge, " we know in part," " we see through a glass darkly," and as long as we know but in part, yet with no hard and fast line drawn to hinder indefinite attainment, there will still be unexplored fields beckoning us-things that are beyond us still.

The question is, do we speak of "things beyond us," with desire after them, and an earnest mind to press on after them, as travelers talk of the blue hills which yet are in the horizon, but which draw nearer steadily as they progress? Or do we speak of them as with an intervening chasm between us and them, which we never expect to pass, and so, having no hope of it, naturally make no effort.

In this case-and this is the alarming thing about it,-we have ceased to be travelers plainly; we have settled down. Is not this the fact at least with many who use such expressions?

Let us make any exceptions needed, however, that we may charge no one wrongfully. There are things beyond us which we may have to accept as that. Life is short, and needs a wise economy of strength and effort that it may be to its fullest possibility fruitful. It is easy to distract ourselves even by a multiplicity of pursuits, individually worthy enough. We cannot all be critics of Scripture-texts, or students of the Bible languages, or versed in controversy or apologetics. It would sometimes be for real blessing to recognize in such ways a sphere beyond us, and rigorously restrict ourselves within the limit of true expediency. Even among profitable things thorough earnestness will seek that which is most profitable, and by close pruning of mere branch and leaf, procure the best attainable fruit. With all this it is very far from my object to find fault. Would that we only knew better how to practice it.

But it is different wholly when we come to the range, immense as it is, of Scripture truth-of that of which it is said, "All Scripture, given by inspiration of God, is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works." We have here no option at all, no discriminative power to put away from us any part of what God has given for our learning, and as truth for our sanctification. He who does this is setting up to be wiser than God, despising the love that provided for our need, missing the very thing which he professes to seek by it. Doctrines, such as that of the coming of the Lord, and of which Scripture is full from one end to the other, are dismissed in this way as mere curious questions, irrelevant to holiness, and for which there is not space in a rightly filled up life. But indeed how many of our Bibles, if the unused parts were but to atrophy and drop out, would judge us by their gaps as thus far practical unbelievers! For how many of us the prophets prophesy almost in vain! And if, going deeper than this, we think of chapters and of sections of the books, what a curious net-work of ruin would the pages present, if all these unheeded counselors withdrew themselves from our neglect-dismissed themselves from a thankless service!

It must be confessed that in God's school the scholars are very differently treated from what we might expect, or from the way in which the schools of the day carry on the educational process. In God's school-where from the lowest to the highest all are scholars-there are babes, young men, fathers-every variety of attainment, and measure of capacity. Yet we have no class-books for these different classes, but one common school-book for all grades at once. The simplest parts of Scripture are at the same time often the deepest; the truths of the Word of God are in every page most exquisitely and most intricately interlaced together. It is no mere entanglement, which calls for a hand to separate and unravel; but a perfect, divine manufacture, the beauty no less than the complicity of which resists all such attempts. God means, evidently, that child and mature man shall sit side by side, upon the same bench, and ponder the same lesson, while nevertheless each learns according to his capacity that which harmonizes with and perfects his previous lessons.

But there is to be no picking and choosing of the scholar, no putting himself in class:the blessed Spirit of God, true and only Teacher here, does this unfailingly, dividing to every one his portion of meat in due season. The scholar is to be subject, conscious of his dependence, led along, eye and ear open, amid things confessedly beyond him, part of his discipline to realize this, while encouraged by the assurance that these things too are his own, and by the way he finds them, one after another, actually becoming his. So vast are his possessions, he finds no where a limit; so great in themselves, that if he "think he knoweth any thing, he knoweth nothing yet as he ought to know." Patience and energy are being thus continually called for; hope is stimulated and assured as well; earnests of his inheritance are being constantly put into his hand. This is God's way of teaching, and our hearts as well as minds approve it.

A ministry of what is-at the moment-beyond us is, therefore, what we need as Christians. If we are to be led on, it must be by the putting before us that which as yet we have not attained, and which without energy of soul on our part will lie ever beyond attainment. For while energy itself may be roused and sustained by ministry, this can without it put nothing into our possession at all. Even the roots of a plant spread themselves under the ground to seek their food, though unconscious. But as we rise in the scale of being, it is still more and more apparent that the law is, " Seek and ye shall find." The nourishment must lie close around the rootlets of the plant; but the animal, and in proportion to its rank in the scale of existence, must seek its food from afar, or it will die of starvation. And when we come to man, what a life-labor is his to secure it! On this very account indeed he would plead that in spiritual things the law should not hold good ; and in the thought of many, grace sets it aside or reverses it; but this is an entire and a most injurious mistake. God is still "the Rewarder of them that diligently seek Him." (Heb. 11:6.) It is still "giving all diligence, add to your faith" such and such things (2 Pet. 1:5); and again, "give diligence, to make your calling and election sure " (5:10). Still we are to run a race, and forgetting the things which are behind, to reach on after the things which are before. ….
Let it not be missed, that all progress spiritually means progress in the truth itself-that sanctification is by the truth (Jno. 17:17). It is true this does not necessarily mean more head-knowledge, but often more heart-knowledge. Yet it is the truth itself by which we progress, and only so. There is a secret infidelity here which takes all the failure on the part of those who have the truth as the failure of the truth itself, and thus while insisting upon the "essentials" of Christianity would make all else a thing indifferent. But the failure only shows how little often that which is mentally known is learnt in the heart. To cast the reproach of this upon the truth itself is really wickedness. " By every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God doth man live" is the assurance of the Old Testament, taken up and emphasized by the Savior Himself, as in the wilderness He repelled the tempter. By this let us repel the tempter still. The very hidden things of the Word are for blessing and sanctification to them that search them out; and they are hidden just to draw forth the energy that will search them out. Like the earth's deep mines, only here and there tilted up and opened to the light, to invite further exploration of their riches, so the Word of God has its lodes of precious ore for the diligent heart-hid in parable, in figures, in names, in numbers, in genealogical lists, and what not. And here, all that glitters is true gold:you will find no dross, no base admixture.

Therefore the law:"If thou criest after knowledge, and liftest up thy voice for understanding; if thou seekest her as silver, and searchest for her as for hid treasures, then shalt thou"-what? gain some out-of-the-way accomplishment? some unpractical curiosities for the mantle-piece, or literary lumber? Nay, but " then shalt thou understand THE FEAR OF THE LORD, and find the KNOWLEDGE of god." (Prov. 2:3, 4.)

Let it be truth, and what the Word teaches, then we have surely what enriches, satisfies, sanctifies. What looks barren at first sight may carry more wealth within than where the fertile soil repays with full harvests the easy labor of the husbandman. Look at Israel's land of promise, and you shall find it largely a ridge of rocks and hills, the very place to breed a hardy and energetic race. And here the Philistines are not, but on the low level of the coast. "Their gods are gods of the hills," said their Syrian foes; and though this were not the truth, yet it was but the perversion of a truth. Judah's – the law-giver-was a "hill-country." Jerusalem was enthroned upon the hills. God's dwelling-place is Mount Zion, which He loves.

It is certain that in divine things we are called to diligence if anywhere, and the diligent soul it is
that shall be made fat. It is not, of course, that we have all equal time to devote to Bible-study, although it is certain too that here, above all, may we not say, the will can make a way. Scripture carried in the mind can be ministered by the Spirit, of God, meditated on amid necessary toil, and, instead of making the task heavier, lighten it exceedingly. But the question is not of how much time is at our disposal, but of the heart we have to dispose of it,-the purpose to enter upon our possessions,-the pilgrim yearning to go on, and make the horizon Of to-day the attainment of tomorrow.

Such will still and ever find "things beyond" them; but this will not discourage, but incite forward. They will say, "Not that I have attained, but I press on." Is it not indeed commonly the reason for stopping short, not because the acquisition of truth is unpractical, but for the opposite reason? I have said sometimes, it is as if Scripture were written out on sign-posts by the way we travel; we must travel the road in order to read it therefore. And it will be found in general that the energy which does not find its outlet here, is in fact going off in other directions.
I conclude with this, that if things are, as to knowledge, beyond us, we are wholly incompetent to judge of them; if they are Scripture-truths, to think of them as unpractical is accusing God their Author; to stop short of possessing them, is to defraud ourselves of our inheritance.

Surely, "there remaineth yet very much land to be possessed."