(Concluded.)

(Chaps. 12-16.)

Chapters 12-16 are exhortations. The recipients of the mercies of God are told what ways should characterize them. We have seen that the apostle regards the body as being dead. It is in no way capable of displaying the life of Christ; the power for that is in the Spirit that indwells it. We need then to place it at His disposal, to yield it to God. His mercies, of which we are the subjects, impel us to deliberately surrender ourselves – our bodies-to His will. Our practical lives are thus, and only thus, acceptable to God-a sacrifice rich in the fragrance of Christ. The life of Christ is produced in us by the power of the Spirit (chap. 12, verse 1).

But this means non-conformity to the life of the world which is astray from God, and at enmity with Him. It is ours to pass through it with minds laid hold of by what is found only where the risen Christ is. Living in the practical realization of association with Him where He is, is to prove the blessedness of the will of God (verse 2).

The Christian's practical life becomes thus a life of service. Self-seeking is no expression of the life of Him who humbled Himself and was meek and lowly. We are therefore warned against it. We are reminded of the nature and closeness of the tie by which we are bound to one another-a tie that makes us dependent on one another. Whatever the line in which the Spirit of God exercises us, and in which He leads us out, it is not for self-exaltation, but for the profit of others. The spirit of service then befits us. We should accept our gifts as being grace to us, and in humbleness of mind use them for the benefit of those whom love so urgently prompts us to serve. The spirit of service will find its justification in the need of the object of love. Let each one then serve as prompted by love in the measure in which he finds he has capacity for it (vers. 3-8).

The remainder of the chapter shows us the holy ways of the spirit of service-the ways in which love, which is the spring of service, manifests itself. Those who have derived such immeasurable blessing from the grace of Christ are here exhorted to see to it that they walk in these beauteous ways of love. It is not necessary here to enlarge on them singly, or even to enumerate them. We need to remind ourselves however that the actual attainment of a walk characterized by these things is not, and cannot be, the fruit of legal effort. It is by the power that is in the renewed mind that such a transformation is effected. It is alone by putting God at the helm, to be our governing power, that we can walk in ways that display such characteristics as are here declared.

If, as we have seen, chapter 12 gives us the character to which divine grace transforms us, in chapter 13 we find what characterizes our relations to the world through which we are passing. If we have the practical character of which we have been speaking, though we are yet in the world, evidently we cannot be of it. We are of heaven; we belong to the new creation. Here is where we find our new origin and citizenship. This separates us completely from the old creation. This takes us entirely outside of the course of this world. But that does not empower us to regulate the world or reform its ways. We are reminded that God has authorized the governments of the world, and are exhorted to be in subjection to them. We are to see in them a divine institution, and leave those charged with the exercise of government to their responsibility to God, to be dealt with by Him who will call them to give account as to their use of the power which He has put in their hands. The Christian, then, needs to be in subjection to the governments under which God has placed him. He is to show due respect to their agents, honoring them as servants of God (verses 1-7).

But subjection to governments does not mean that Christians should be under obligation to them. In fact they should not be indebted to any one. As having found their resource in God, they should be dispensers of blessing. Themselves indebted to the love of God, they should regard, themselves as under the obligation of showing love to all. In doing this they are fulfilling what the law required. It demanded love, but man in the flesh is without power to meet the demand. The Spirit dwells in the Christian. With Him there is power to produce what the law required. The requirement of the law is carried out in the Christian through the power of the Spirit without his being under law either for righteousness or as a rule of life.

What a wonderful thing this! The very fulness of the law-what was sought after by those under it, but not attained unto-through the power of the Spirit is produced in the Christian, in the measure in which the power of the Spirit is realized and depended on. How little this is understood! In how many is the measure extremely scant! (vers. 8-10.) May it be much enlarged in us all.

The Christian belongs to the day that is coming, which in fact is at hand. It is fast drawing near. It is nearer now than when we believed. The Christian is not of the night; but passing through the darkness, the power of the day to which he belongs should be manifested, not the power of the night. Walking here in the sense of the light of the coming day he is armored against all the temptations of the night. He needs to be awake, to be in the sense of the light-in the practical enjoyment of the things of the coming day. Let us be diligent, then, in casting off the works of darkness! May we be sincere and wholehearted in putting on the Lord Jesus. Let there be such a sense in our souls of His claim to the exclusive use of our bodies that we shall be kept from providing for the sinful lusts of the flesh (verses 11-14).

In chapters 14:i to 15:7 the apostle unfolds the principles which are to regulate our dealings one with another. There are three general principles. The first is the supreme authority of the Lord. The right to command is in His hands, not ours. He is the only dictator of the conduct of His people. His way of ruling His people is by the conscience. Each one needs to be individually before Him. It is a most serious thing to interfere even in the slightest way with the conscience of another. It is damaging to the soul to hinder one from being in his own conscience before the Lord. No one can make his own conscience the rule for another.

We must remember, of course, the apostle is not here raising any questions about doctrine. He is not speaking of the faith. We are not at liberty to believe what we like. A faith has been revealed and committed to us. If question arises as to truth or doctrine, revelation is the only appeal. But this is not what is under consideration here. It is a question of practical conduct that is occupying the apostle now. How am I to act towards a brother whose conscience, as truly before the Lord as my own, does not permit him to do the things I feel myself free to do ? Is it my conscience that is to govern him or his own ?Am to decide his doubts for him ?

Here we need to remember that we each have our predilections, our prejudices, our tastes, our likes and dislikes. In these things we are accountable to the Lord surely, but we are not each other's master. These are things in which one is not the judge for another. We should receive one another without regard to them (chapter 14:1-12).

The second principle governing our conduct towards one another is love. Love will not find its pleasure in censuring, nor will it delight in causing a brother to offend or fall. Where true love is operating, no brother who thinks a thing to be wrong will be forced to do it. If he thinks it is sinful, to him it is sinful; and to force him to do it is to crush his conscience. To despise the conscience of another is not to walk in love toward him. One may indeed be within the limits of what is perfectly right, and as to which his own conscience is free and clear, yet be liable to have his good considered evil. As the servant of Christ he is not to think of what he may consider his rights, but of the benefit and blessing of his brother. Love will seek peace and edification for its objects (verses 13-23).

A third principle is the glory of God. We should diligently seek this in all our dealings with one another. What simply pleases ourselves may not be to His glory. It is to His glory to seek to profit our brother. The weaker he is, the more needful it is to be considerate of him-the more necessary to think of what will prove best for him. The example of Christ is appealed to:He pleased not Himself, but endured and suffered even the reproaches of those who reproached God. Let us be like-minded with Him, tender towards one another, considerate of one another's weaknesses, ready to bear another's infirmity. We shall glorify God in so doing.

Chapter 15:8-33 is the apostle's vindication of his boldness in writing as he has to the saints at Rome. In the first place he appeals to the fact that the Old Testament, while marking out the Jewish Messiah as the minister of the circumcision for the truth of God to confirm, or establish, the promises made to the fathers, at the same time distinctly declares that the Gentiles would glorify God for His mercy through Him. He draws on both Psalms and Prophets to show this. Naturally, therefore, he encourages Gentile believers to lay firm hold on the hope the gospel has brought to them, and to be filled with joy and peace in doing so.

While thus exhorting and encouraging them he declares his confidence in them and in their ability to admonish one another. At the same time it was his special privilege and right, as called to be an apostle to the Gentiles, to put them in mind of the claims upon their hearts of the blessing it was his to minister to them. For him it all was a happy priestly service, in which believers from among the Gentiles, laid hold of by the power of the Spirit, were an acceptable offering to God. Thus the apostle glories in the power by which he had been sustained to fully preach Christ in those extensive regions through which he had journeyed. His work had been abundantly manifested as authorized by God. Throughout he had! acted in accordance with what is written in the prophet, "To whom He was not spoken of, they shall see; and they that have not heard shall understand."

It was the faithful carrying out of this service that had so long stood in the way of his going to Rome; but now that he had fully covered the field which had been thus far the sphere of his labors, moved by the same principle which had hitherto governed him, he was thinking of Spain. He saw in his journey there his opportunity to see the saints at Rome whom he had so long desired to visit.

But before undertaking the carrying out of his purpose, he felt the need of the saints at Jerusalem had a claim upon him. He was going there to deliver to them the offerings of the Macedonian and Achaian saints. Having performed that service, his purpose was to immediately set off for Spain. He was anticipating a season of refreshment among the saints of Rome, confident that in coming to them it would be "in the fulness of the blessing of Christ." Nevertheless he realized the dangers to which he exposed himself in going to Jerusalem, and thus implored the earnest prayers of the Roman saints. He desired them specially to beseech God for his deliverance from the disobedient, the favorable reception of his ministry, and the privilege of making his long-purposed visit to them.

Chapter 16 needs little comment. It is touching to notice the delicacy with which the apostle makes mention of one and another. How quick love is to notice and single out what deserves approbation in the service of saints. There is also a warning against the makers of division. Such are to be turned away from, characterized as they are by self-seeking and pretentious speech. He rejoiced in the obedience of the saints. He desired them to be wise in what is good, and not to be dwelling on evil.

He closes with the salutations of Timothy and others, wishing the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ to be with them. C. Crain

(Luke 23.)

Here is a thief dying for his crimes on a cross beside our Saviour. Within a few hours of His death he judges himself and justifies the Saviour whom all the world had condemned and hanged on the cross.

This thief then turns to the Saviour, in the hour of His deepest anguish and humiliation, and confesses His Lordship and true Kingly glory, and looks on to the establishment of His kingdom here in the place of His rejection. Then he commits himself to the Lord for that day.

Only a little while before he had joined with the other thief, and with the crowd around the cross, in deriding Him and in railing against Him. But in a short time a marvelous change has taken place in him; and now when everyone is against Christ in the religious world-when men who were enemies were made friends because so perfectly united in their determination to destroy Him-when the orthodox Pharisee and the heterodox Sadducee are united in their condemnation of Him-when the chief priests and other rulers of the nation with the common people united in condemning Him-when His own disciples had fled and forsaken Him, and one of them had betrayed Him-when the secular world was against Him with its king and governor and soldiers; yea, when all the world had cast Him out and condemned Him, then in the face of everyone's judgment, on that solemn occasion was heard the voice of this thief, reversing the whole world's judgment by boldly and fully declaring before all the Saviour's absolutely spotless character, " This Man hath done nothing amiss" (ver. 41).

The perfect grace of Jesus awoke this thief to righteousness. He hears Him praying for His murderers, who, in the hours of His anguish, thinks of others and prays for them ; even thinks of His mother and makes provision for her. How high above the creature He appears in this terrible hour; in His thoughtfulness for others; in His calmness and patience!

Across this dark scene faith sees plainly written the proofs of His true Deity; and faith had begun to assert itself in the heart of this thief. In a scene where unbelief sees nothing but that which calls forth scoffing and reproach, his faith sees the outshining of Jesus' Godhead glory. He learns that if
he and his companion will spend their last hours reviling the Saviour, the Saviour will spend His last hours praying for His revilers and murderers!

Who can fathom the depths of that love and pity of God displayed in the Saviour's death on the cross? Is it not enough to break the hard heart of a railing thief, and bow him adoringly at the Saviour's feet ? Is it not enough to turn his taunting into praying ? his hatred into love ?

The last official act in Luke's account is the nailing above the Lord's head His accusation. All that man could do to insult and persecute the Son of God has been done, and the solemn time has come-those hours of darkness when God's wrath against sin comes in unto His holy soul ; when the spotless Sufferer is "made sin for us, who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him" (2 Cor. 5:21)-but man could be no spectator now, so all is shrouded in deepest, darkness.
But to return a moment to the mighty change which has come over this thief:he rebuked his fellow, saying, "Dost not thou fear God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation ? And we indeed justly, for we receive the due reward of our deeds but this Man hath done nothing amiss."

He has changed his company, and this puts him in sympathy with the Man all the world is against. He is now the godly man rebuking the ungodly. He has the fear of God which drives out the fear of man. He is among the righteous now, and such are "bold as a lion," while " the wicked flee when no man pursueth " (Prov. 28:i). This puts him in the company of the blessed, for "Blessed is the man that feareth the Lord"; and it also makes him wise, for "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom " (Ps. 112:1; Prov. 9:10).

He says,'' We receive the due reward of our deeds " and are justly condemned.

This shows that He is in the light of God, for " that which doth make manifest is light " (Eph. 5 :13). Conscience is at work and like another before him he owns he is a man of unclean lips.

" But this Man hath done nothing amiss" (ver.41).

How wonderful and how blessed! He condemns himself and justifies the Saviour. He is one of wisdom's children; and "Wisdom is justified of all her children" (Luke 7 :35).

Moreover, " He said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when Thou comest into Thy kingdom " (ver. 42).

He has just confessed His spotless humanity; but in this verse he takes another step forward. He sees in this spotless Man his Lord and King although crowned with thorns and hanging helplessly on the cross, the object of man's scorn and mockery. In faith he looks on to the time when this Man, hanging on the cross, will come in glory and establish His kingdom in this world, the scene of His humiliation. What wondrous grace in the Saviour's reply, " Verily I say unto thee, To-day shalt thou be with Me in paradise! " (ver. 43).

Notice how He answers the desire rather than the expression of it. The Lord has not come in His kingdom yet. But the believing sinner does not need to wait for that, nor is there a long unconscious sleep, as some would teach, in the grave and in separation therefore from the Saviour. " Today shalt thou be with Me" is the Saviour's promise.

Here is the Good Shepherd that went after the sheep that was lost until He found it. On the cross is where He overtakes this hopeless wanderer; and He brings him back, not to man's original blessedness in innocence, but into His glory and likeness, and makes him a joint-heir with Him who is the Heir of all things.

Thus a man that was not only unfit for heaven, but unfit for earth, becomes the companion of the Son of God at once and for all. By what title ? He has confessed a title to nothing but judgment in himself. There can be no blessing for him on the ground of his works. He has none but wicked works. This he owns fully.
His exemption from judgment, and title to glory, is that the Saviour there by his side has borne his judgment. His blood becomes his title to glory as well as justification from all his guilt.

" None of the ransomed ever knew
How deep were the waters crossed,
Nor how dark was the night that, the Lord passed through,
Ere He (bund His sheep that was lost."

" And you, that were sometime1 alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath He reconciled in the body of His flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in His sight . . . Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light" (Col. i:21,22,12). Peter Van Winkle

(Continued from page 152.)

THE STRUGGLE ENDED.

Had now been for over five years laboring in the organization with which I had linked myself, and ever seeking to be certain that I had attained a sinless state. In some twelve different towns and cities I had served, as I thought, faithfully, endeavoring to reach the lost, and to make out of them staunch Salvationists when converted. Many happy experiences had been mine, coupled, however, with some most gloomy disappointments, both as to myself and others. Very few of our "converts" stood. "Backsliders" often outnumbered by far our "soldiers." The ex-Salvation Army was many times larger than the original organization.

One great reason for this I was blind to for a long time. But at last it began to be clear to me that the holiness doctrine had a most baneful influence upon the movement. People who professed conversion (whether real or not the day will declare) struggled for months, even years, to reach a state of sinlessness which never was reached; and at last they gave up in despair and sank back in many instances to the dead level of the world around them.

I saw that it was the same with all the holiness denominations, and the various "Bands," " Missions, "and other movements, that were continually breaking off from them. The standard set was the unattainable. The result was, sooner or later, utter discouragement, cunningly-concealed hypocrisy, or an unconscious lowering of the standard to suit the experience reached. For myself I had been ensnared by the last expedient for a long time. How much of the second there was I do not dare to say. But eventually I fell a victim to the first. And I can now see that it was a mercy I did so.

When I went to the Home of Rest I had not yet fully given up seeking for perfection in the flesh. I really expected great things from the six months' furlough granted me, in order to "find myself," as it were. Closely allied to the Home were other institutions where holiness and faith-healing were largely dwelt upon. I felt sure that in so hallowed an atmosphere great things would be accomplished.

In the Rest Home I found about fourteen officers, broken in health, seeking recuperation. I watched the ways and conversation of all most carefully, intending to confide in those who gave the best evidence of entire sanctification. There were some choice souls among them, and some arrant hypocrites. But holiness in the absolute sense I saw in none. Some were very godly and devoted. Their conscientiousness I could not doubt. But those who talked the loudest were plainly the least spiritual. They seldom read their Bibles, they rarely conversed together of Christ. An air of carelessness pervaded the whole place. Three sisters, most devoted women, were apparently more godly than any others; but two of them admitted to me that they were not sure about being perfectly holy. The other one was non-committal, though seeking to help me. Some were positively quarrelsome and boorish, and this I could not reconcile with their profession of freedom from inbred sin. I attended the meetings held by the other workers I have mentioned. There the best of them did not teach sinless perfection; while the manifestly carnal gloried in their experience of perfect love! Sick people testified to being healed by faith, and sinning people declared they had the blessing of holiness! I was not helped, but hindered, by the inconsistency of it all. At last I found myself becoming cold and cynical. Doubts as to everything assailed me like a legion 'of demons, and I became almost afraid to let my mind dwell on these thing's. For refuge I turned to secular literature, and sent for my books, which some years before I had foresworn on condition that God would give me the " second blessing." How little I realized the Jacob-spirit in all this! God seemed to have failed; so I took up my books once more, and tried to find solace in the beauties of essays and poetry, or the problems of history and science. I did not dare to confess to myself that I was literally an agnostic; yet for a month at least I could only answer, "I do not know" to every question based on divine revelation.

This was the legitimate result of the teaching I had been under. I reasoned that the Bible promised entire relief from indwelling sin to all who were wholly surrendered to the will of God. That I had thus surrendered seemed to me certain. Why then had I not been fully delivered from the carnal mind ? It seemed to me that I had met every condition, and that God, on His part, had failed to perform what He had promised. I know it is wretched to write all this:but I see no other way to help others who are in the same state that I was in for that awful month.

Deliverance came at last in a most unexpected way. A lassie-lieutenant, a woman some ten years my senior in age, was brought to the Home from Rock Springs, Wyo., supposedly dying of consumption. From the first my heart went out to her in deep sympathy. To me she was a martyr, laying down her life for a needy world. I was much in her company, observed her closely, and finally came to the conclusion that she was the only wholly sanctified person in that place.

Imagine my surprise when, a few weeks after her arrival, she, with a companion, came to me one evening and begged me to read to her; remarking, " I hear you are always occupied with the things of the Lord, and I need your help." /the one to help her! I was dumfounded, knowing so well the plague of my own heart, and being so fully assured as to her perfection in holiness. At the very moment they entered my room I was reading Byron's " Childe Harold." And I was supposed to be entirely devoted to the things of God! It struck me as weird and fantastic, rather than as a solemn farce-all this comparing ourselves with ourselves, only to be deluded every time.

I hastily thrust the book to one side, and wondered what to choose to read aloud. In God's providence a pamphlet caught my attention which my mother had given me some years before, but which I had dreaded to read lest it might upset me; so afraid had I been of anything that did not bear the Army or Holiness stamp. Moved by a sudden impulse, I drew it forth and said, "I'll read this. It is not in accordance with our teaching; but it may be interesting anyway." I read page after page,
paying little attention, only hoping to soothe and quiet this dying woman. In it the lost condition of all men by nature was emphasized. Redemption in Christ through His death was explained. Then there was much as to the believer's two natures, and his eternal security, which to me seemed both ridiculous and absurd. The latter part was occupied with prophecy. Upon that we did not enter. I was startled after going over the first half of the book when Lieut. J– exclaimed, "O Captain, do you think that can possibly be true ? If I could only believe that, I could die in peace! "

Astonished beyond measure, I asked, "What! do you mean to say you could not die in peace as you are ? You are justified and sanctified; you have an experience I have sought in vain for years; and are you troubled about dying?" "I am miserable," she replied, "and you mustn't say I am sanctified. I cannot get it. I have struggled for years, but I have not reached it yet. This is why I wanted to speak with you, for I felt so sure you had it and could help me! "

We looked at each other in amazement; and as the pathos and yet ludicrousness of it all burst upon us, I laughed deliriously, while she wept hysterically. Then I remember exclaiming, "Whatever is the matter with us all ? No one on earth denies himself more for Christ's sake than we. We suffer, and starve, and wear ourselves out in the endeavor to do the will of God; yet after all we have no lasting peace. We are happy at times; we enjoy our meetings; but we are never certain as to what the end will be."

"Do you think," she asked, " that it is because we depend upon our own efforts too much ? Can it be that we trust Christ to save us, but we think we have to keep saved by our own faithfulness -?"

" But," I broke in, " to think anything else would open the door to all kinds of sin! "

And so we talked till, wearied out, she arose to go, but asked if she and others might return the next evening to read and talk of these things we had gone over – a permission which was readily granted.

For both Lieut. J — and myself that evening's reading and exchange of confidences proved the beginning of our deliverance. We had frankly owned to one another, and to the third party present, that we were not sanctified. We now began to search the Scriptures earnestly for light and help. I threw all secular books to one side, determined to let nothing hinder the careful, prayerful study of the word of God. Little by little, the light began to dawn. We saw that we had been looking within for holiness, instead of without. We realized that the same grace that had saved us at first alone could carry us on. Dimly we apprehended that all for us must be in Christ, or we were without a ray of hope.

Many questions perplexed and troubled us. Much that we had believed we soon saw to be utterly opposed to the word of God. Much more we could not understand, so completely warped had our minds become through the training of years. In my perplexity I sought out a teacher of the Word who, I understood, was in fellowship with the writer of the pamphlet I have referred to above. I heard him with profit on two occasions, but still was in measure bewildered, though I began to feel solid ground beneath my feet once more. The great truth was getting a grip of me that holiness, perfect love, sanctification, and every other blessing, were mine in Christ from the moment I had believed, and mine forevermore, because all of pure grace. I had been looking at the wrong man -all was in another Man, and in that Man for me! But it took weeks to see this.

A booklet blessed to many proved helpful to both of us. The title, "Safety, Certainty, and Enjoyment,"* was itself a source of cheer. Other tracts were given me, and read with earnest purpose, looking up every reference, searching context and other passages of like, or apparently opposite, character, while daily we cried to God for the knowledge of His truth. Miss J— saw it ere I did. *A 4 cent stamp will bring this to the reader. Address the same Publishers.* The light came when she realized that she was eternally linked up with Christ as Head, and had eternal life in Him as the Vine, in her as the branch. Her joy knew no bounds, and she actually improved in health from that hour, and lived for six years after; finally going to be with the Lord, worn out in seeking to lead others to Christ. Many will be disappointed to know that she maintained her connection with the Army to the last. She had a mistaken (I believe) notion that she should remain where she was, and declare the truth she had learned. But ere she died she repented of this. Her last words to a brother (A. B. S.) and me, who were with her very near the end, were:"I have everything in Christ-of that I am sure. But I wish I had been more faithful as to the truth I learned about the Body-the Church. I was misled by zeal which I thought was of God, and it is too late to be faithful now ! "

Four days after the truth burst upon her soul in that Home of Rest, I too had every doubt and fear removed, and found my all in Christ. To go on where I was, I could not. Within a week I was outside of the only human system I had ever been in as a Christian, and for many years since I have known no head but Christ, no body but the one Church which He purchased with His own blood. They have been happy years; and as I look back over all the way the Lord has led me, I can but praise Him for the matchless grace that caused Him to set me free from introspection, and gave me to see that perfect holiness and perfect love were to be found, not in me, but in Christ Jesus alone.

And I have been learning all along my pilgrim journey that the more my heart is taken up with Christ, the more do I enjoy practical deliverance from sin's power, and the more do I realize what it is to have the love of God shed abroad in that heart by the Holy Spirit given to me, as the earnest of the glory to come. I have found liberty and joy since being thus freed from bondage that I never thought it possible for a soul to know on earth, while I have a confidence in presenting this precious truth for the acceptance of others that contrasts with the uncertainty of the past.

I purpose dwelling somewhat fully upon the truth that wrought my deliverance, in the second part of these papers; but I desire, ere closing the experimental part, to sum up in one more chapter my impressions of the Holiness movement. H. A. I.

(To be continued.)

Come, ye who love the Lord,
Whose hearts are tuned by grace;
We'll sing together of His love
Until we' see His face.

Humble He came to earth,
E'en to the cross of shame:
Now we'll exalt His blessedness
And praise His worthy name.

No more for Him the shame,
But now His Father's throne;
With Him we shall both live and reign
When He comes for His own.

In robes of spotless white,
Through wondrous grace we'll stand;
Made fit to dwell with God in light,
Through Jesus' pierced hand.

Come, then, and praise our Lord,
So worthy of all praise !
In sweet communion every one,
The heart and voice we raise.

A. W.

(Gal. 2:20.)

Not I but Christ " ! oh, let it:be the watchword,
Sifting each motive in this heart of mine;
Engrave it, Lord, upon " the fleshly tables,"
There in its burning characters to shine.

"Not I, but Christ " ! Thy likeness, Lord, already,
Even in this "vile body" would I bear,
Since, in the glorious "image of the heavenly,"
Thine own unsullied beauty I shall wear.

"Not I, but Christ"! write it across life's story,
Each grievous blot of subtle pride erase ;
Make every page a transcript of Thy glory,
And leave the whole a little hymn of praise !

J. M. G.

There is an utterance in the twenty-second psalm of deep and marvelous import-a sentence to which there is no parallel in the volume of God. It is this:"My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me?" Never, we may safely say, was there such a question asked before; never has there such a one been asked since; nor shall its like ever be asked again. It stands alone in the annals of time and eternity.

Reader, let us dwell upon it for a few moments. Who was it that asked this wondrous question ? It was the eternal Son of God, the One who had lain in the bosom of the Father before the foundation of the world-the object of the Father's infinite delight. Moreover, He was Himself God over all, blessed forever; the Creator of all things; the Almighty Sustainer of the wide universe. Finally, He was a man -a spotless, holy, perfect man-One who had never sinned, nor could sin, because He knew no sin. And yet, withal, a man, a real man, born of a woman, like unto us in every possible respect, with one solitary exception-sin. "He did no sin; neither was guile found in His mouth." He did ever those things that please God, from the manger of Bethlehem to the cross of Calvary. His whole life was in perfect accordance with the will of God. He lived but to glorify God. His every thought, His every word, His every look, His every movement, emitted an odor of ineffable sweetness, which ascended to the throne and refreshed the heart of God. Again and again the heavens were opened upon this blessed One; and the voice of the eternal Father bore witness to Him in such accents as these:"This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased."

This, then, was the One who asked the question. He it was who said, "My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me ?" And is it really true that that One was forsaken of God ? Did God, in very deed, forsake His only-begotten, well beloved Son ? Did He actually hide His face from the only sinless, spotless, perfect man that ever lived in this sinful world ? Did He close His ear to the cry of One who had lived but to do His will and glorify His name ? Yes; marvelous to declare, God did this. God, who with-draweth not His eyes from the righteous; whose ear is ever open to the cry of the needy; whose hand is ever stretched forth for the defense of the weak and the helpless-He, even He, turned away His face from His own beloved Son, and refused, for the moment, to hear His cry. Here we have a profound mystery, on which we cannot dwell too deeply. It contains in it the very marrow and substance of the gospel, the grand basis truth of Christianity. The more we ponder the glories of the One who asked the question; who He was; what He was; what He was in Himself, and what He was to God, the more we see the marvelous depths of the question. And, further, the more we consider the One to whom the question was put, the more we know of His character and ways, the more we see the force and value of the answer.

Why, then, did God forsake His Son ? O reader, dost thou know why ? Dost thou know it in its bearing upon thyself personally ? Canst thou say from thine inmost soul, "I know why God forsook that blessed One ? It was because He had taken my place, stood in my stead, and taken all my guilt upon Himself. He was made sin for me; all that I was, all that I had done, all that was due to me as a sinner, was laid on Him. God dealt with me in the person of my Substitute. All the sin of my nature, and all the sins of my life, all that I am, and all that I have ever done, was imputed to Him. He represented me, and was treated accordingly."

Say, beloved reader, has God's Spirit taught you this ? Have you received this, in simple faith, on the authority of God's word ? If so, you must have solid peace, a peace which no power in earth or hell, men or devils, can ever disturb. This is the true and only foundation of the soul's peace. It is utterly impossible for any soul, to have real peace with God until he knows that God Himself has settled the whole question of sin and sins in the cross of His Son. God knew what was needed, and He provided it. He laid on Christ the full weight of our iniquities. God and sin met at the cross. There the whole question was divinely gone into, and settled once and forever. Sin was judged and atoned for. The Sin-Bearer went down under the billows and waves of divine wrath. God brought Him into the dust of death. Sin was dealt with according to the infinite claims of the nature, the character, and the throne of God; and now the One who was made sin for us, and judged in our stead, is at the right hand of God, exalted, crowned with glory and honor; and the very crown which adorns His blessed brow is the proof that sin is forever put away; so that ere ever a single sin can be laid to the believer's charge that crown must be torn from the risen Saviour's head.

But there is another element of ineffable precious-ness and sweetness that enters into the answer to the mysterious "Why ? " of the forsaken One. It is this:The amazing love of God toward us poor sinners -a love which led Him not only to give His Son from His bosom, but to bruise and forsake Him on the cross. Why did He do this ? Because there was no other way possible in which we could escape. It was either a question of an eternal hell for us, or of infinite wrath for the Sin-Bearer. God be praised, He chose the latter, and hence the place which Christ now occupies is the place of all who simply believe in Him.

" 'Tis the treasure I've found in His love
That has made me a pilgrim below ;
And 'tis there, when I reach Him above,
As I'm known, all His fulness I'll know."

QUES. 7.-Why does the Lord repeatedly tell those whom He healed not to make it known, as in Matt. 8 :4; Mark 5:43, etc. ?

ANS.-Because the time of His glory was not yet. The cross must be gone through first. He hides therefore the glory of His Person. The need of man stirs His heart, and in meeting it He cannot hide Himself; but the cross-the absolute necessity of it for the putting away of sin-is before Him, and His mind dwells in the state of humiliation which belongs to it. But blessed are they who, underneath that veil of humiliation, read His glory.

QUES. 8.-What-is meant in 1 Cor. 7 :14 by "The unbelieving husband is sanctified by the wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the husband"? A neighbor of mine says that to be sanctified means to be free from all indwelling sin. Surely this cannot be so. for an " unbeliever" cannot be free from indwelling sin, and he 01 she is said here to be sanctified by the believer. Kindly explain.

ANS.-Your reason concerning what "sanctified" cannot be is very true and right. Now as to what it is, as briefly as we can :Our Lord says in John 17 :19, " For their sakes I sanctify Myself." As to His person, the Lord could never be more holy at one time than at another, for "in Him is no sin." He alludes here to the place where He was going-a place before God, in separation from all the world, lie went there in that place to carry our hearts with Him, and thus separate us too from the world.

The believer is 'thus a "sanctified," or separated, person-separated to God from the world which is going to judgment. The household being an institution of God, formed by marriage, which was ordained of God for that purpose, God identifies the unbelieving husband or wife with the believer, so that the household, because of the believer, becomes a Christian household-a little circle in this world for God, different from all other households in the would, and where Christian truth is held and taught, as well as Christ's claims acknowledged and obeyed. In other words, it is a little kingdom where Christ's rule is respected and enforced. Of course it does not secure the eternal salvation of any one in the household. For this each one must lay bold of Christ Cor himself or herself, but it brings the unspeakable privilege of having Christ constantly ministered there. We believe that by far the greater number of those in heaven will be there through the instrumentality of household teaching, praying, and praising. Multitudes of cases of conversion through the labor of evangelists are but the reaping from the seed sown in the Christian household.

Oh, the awful guilt and loss of Christians who give up the family worship, the daily consecutive reading of the Scriptures from Genesis to Revelation, with its prayer and praise ! Precious and effective as a truly Christian Sunday-school is-and we can bear abundant witness to its fruitfulness-nothing can make up for the loss of household instruction. May grace revive it where it may have fallen.

QUES. 9.-Does the resurrection of dry bones in Ezek. 37 refer to a literal resurrection of the Hebrews in the future, or is it a vision showing that right will ultimately triumph? Will the Church spend eternity in heaven, and the resurrected Israelites who are saved be here on the earth ? A professor in the college has been giving us his views on these subjects, but I would like to know yours.

ANS.-No. All who pass through death, whether they have been believing Jews or believing Gentiles, belong to heaven (Heb. 11:9, 10, 16). Nor is it a vision of the triumph of right. Verses 11 to 14 plainly show that the vision refers to the restoration to nationality of the then living people of Israel. Their "graves" are the various countries where they are scattered, contrasted, as verse 12 shows, with " the land of Israel" into which they will be brought again. The New Jerusalem, the city of heaven, will evidently, from the whole testimony of Scripture, be the eternal abode, not only of the Church, but of all the redeemed before the close of the first resurrection. After that, the earth (utterly renewed at the end of the thousand years of Christ's reign over it) is the habitation of those who have proved true during that reign.

"Plain Papers on Prophetic Subjects," by far the best work we know on these matters, would give you much of the light you seek. Published by Loizeaux Bios., at $1.25, post-paid.

That the enemy of God and man has for his constant object not only the destruction of men, but even more the dishonor of the Lord Jesus Christ is a fact that we will do well to heed. In accomplishing the ruin of earth's fairest creature at the beginning he was aiming a blow at the very throne of God and the One who by His blood has vindicated that throne and become the deliverer of many, and who on this very account is the special object of Satan's attacks.

That there are many ways in connection with our walk as Christians by which Satan gains advantage, and brings dishonor upon Christ is, alas, too often verified in our experience; and this, in the measure that we love Him, will cause us to feel as Peter did when he " went out and wept bitterly." It is not of this, however, but of false views as to Christ's holy nature, that we wish to speak at this time.

Every one born of God possesses a true knowledge of Christ. This divine life and consequent illumination of the Holy Spirit is essential to escape the wiles of him who "deceiveth the whole world." To be safe from his deception, we must know Christ as "the way, the truth, and the life." Apart from this we are but a prey to the enemy, no matter what we profess to be or to have. Nor has God withheld this from any of His children. It is to the "little children"-the "babes"-that John says, "But ye have an unction from the Holy One, and ye know all things. I have not written unto you because ye know not the truth, but because ye know it, and that no lie is of the truth" (i John 2:20, 21). Christ's sheep "know His voice," they "hear Him "; and that is evidently what the apostle means when he says, "Ye know all things." The sheep do not, and need not, know any other voice than that of the Good Shepherd; and this is their security. Their safety lies in their simplicity, as Paul says to the Christians at Rome, "I would have you to be wise concerning that which is good, and simple concerning evil."

Those born of God then know Christ, and hence, in that sense, "know all things," for " Christ is all." It is, however, the -word of God by which we are guided into "all the truth"; hence, though we may be born of God, and be thus "partakers of the divine nature," we are absolutely dependent upon the Word ministered to us by the Spirit of God to enjoy our relationship with God, or to discern between truth and falsehood. Our God and Father has qualified us therefore; has given us by new birth the capacity for this; besides, He has given us His Holy Spirit, who constitutes us thus "spiritual," so that we are able to "discern all things," even though we are not "discerned" in our true character by the world.

But do all the children of God realize that they are thus competent, or rather that they possess that which, if realized, makes them competent, to judge as to whatever is brought before them, whether it be truth or error? Do all realize that "ye have not need that any man teach you," in the sense of men putting themselves in the place of the Word and the Spirit of God? (Of course, we do need "teachers," and the Lord has Himself given us these as "gifts" to be recognized and to profit by (Eph. 4; i Thess. 5, etc.). Is it not true, however, that many of them are preyed upon by the enemy and being led astray by not realizing their God-given ability of discerning whether the doctrine brought to them is really the voice of the Good Shepherd, or whether it is Satan appearing to them as an "angel of light" ?
One thing, however, is certain:No one who is born of God can be indifferent to what concerns the person of our Lord Jesus Christ, or His work of atonement. There is that family trait, so to speak, in God's children, that they are jealous of Christ's honor when realizing anything that would degrade Him. It is not meant by this, of course, that they do feel everything that dishonors Him. Alas, how very different the fact is we see everywhere apparent; and it is because they have not, as Scripture says, their "senses exercised to discern good and evil" that they are so often led astray by the enemy into doctrine and practice that works for the dishonor of Christ. They have the spiritual faculties needful to discern, but in some way those faculties have been blunted.

The ministry of the word of God from day to day is what alone can properly exercise our renewed natures. Let us not neglect this great gift of God- His Word; nor the "gifts" He has given to minister it to us, to perfect our souls in the faith. His Word alone is authoritative:"Ye have not need that any man teach you." The work of the servant of Christ is to unfold the word of God; ours is to "prove all things, and hold fast that which is good."

It is not necessary to be among Unitarians, "Christian Scientists," or other openly antichristian sects, to meet with Christ-dishonoring doctrines. There are religious bodies to-day, especially among those who are advocates of so-called "holiness," "sinless perfection,"etc., who regard the Lord Jesus as having had a nature capable of sinning! This error is supposed to rest on the passage in Hebrews, 4:15, where we read that " He was tempted in all points like as we are, yet without sin." ^If the meaning is what is by many claimed to be the import of the passage, then it is clear that we have not in our Lord and Saviour one who is absolutely perfect. If Christ might have yielded to sin; if the temptations spoken of in this passage were of this character, then it is plain that we are robbed of the one "who knew no sin" (2 Cor. 5:21); yea, of the one who said, "The prince of this world cometh, and hath nothing in Me" (John 14:30).

Temptations are of two kinds; one from within, the other from without. Those from without are temptations, or trials, such as James speaks of when he calls upon the saints of God to rejoice in them. Sin is not the source of these temptations, for God could not tell us to rejoice in that to which sin prompted us. The other temptations have their source in our own heart; and Christians are subject to them, for James is writing to the people of God when he says, " Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God:for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth He any man:but every man is tempted when he is led away of his own lust, and enticed. Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin; and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death."

It is commonly supposed that when a person is tempted to sin it is the devil who is tempting. This is not necessarily the case; for while all sin has come in through the devil, yet man's heart is of itself evil, and needs no outside agency to tempt it; but, as James says, "Every man is tempted when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed." No doubt there are occasions when Satan does act upon the heart of man in a direct way, not simply as "the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience." For instance, those "by the wayside are they that hear " the word of God; "then cometh the devil, and taketh away the word out of their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved." Even this may be by presenting something to the mind and heart of the hearer so that the word is forgotten, or its effect annulled. There is also a direct work of the devil:it was Satan that put it into the heart of Judas Iscariot to betray the Lord. When the awful thought met with that man's approval, then " Satan entered into him," for he needed more than human energy to carry out the awful scheme.

Heb. 4 :15 speaks of the temptations (trials) through which the Lord Jesus passed when here on earth. It distinctly says that they were " apart from sin." (See New Trans.)

In the first part of the chapter we have "the word of God, quick and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, … a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart, "and making "all things naked and opened unto the eyes of Him with whom we have to do." Where is the sincere and upright Christian who would desire the Lord's sympathy with what is revealed of his old self to himself in the presence of God by this operation of the word of God ? It but makes him loathe himself, judge himself, and bless the Saviour for having gone to the cross for it all. But what pain, what trial, what tears, these results of man's sin bring upon him ? This our Saviour passed through as He met all the results of evil along His pathway. In this we have His sympathy, and in this only our hearts can rightly desire it. Death, the result of sin, came into the household of Bethany; and "Jesus wept" with those who wept over Lazarus' death. Peter denied his Lord. It was sin. Jesus died for that. But in result Peter wept bitterly, and Jesus sympathized with that, and prayed for Peter.

Nor are the temptations He endured at Satan's hands referred to in Heb. 4:15; for while they were an attempt on the devil's part to find, if possible, something in the Lord Jesus akin to himself (which only served to bring out the Lord's absolute perfection), they were of a peculiar character, and not such as are "common to man," neither in that sense to which we are liable through infirmity, nor, assuredly, was it from within, as, alas, is so often the case with us. For we need to realize that while, in that limited sense mentioned here, the Lord Jesus was tempted as we are; on the other hand, He was tempted by Satan in a manner such as God in mercy shields man from. Even at the beginning, man was tempted by a creature beneath him; and while Satan made use of the serpent to accomplish his ends, yet we can see the goodness of God in not allowing a direct assault by a being so much superior to man in wisdom and power.

There is thus a sense in which the Lord endured temptation such as we never know it-by the direct power of Satan himself. There is also, as we have seen, that temptation (from lust) to which He was an utter stranger. To maintain that the Holy One was tempted in that sense is to blaspheme Him; for it involves Him in sin. It would mean that His nature was not holy-a thing most abhorrent to Scripture. He was the "Lamb without blemish, and without spot." " He knew no sin." Not simply did He not yield to it, but, as He said Himself, "The prince of this world cometh, and hath nothing in Me." In the most absolute sense of the word was it true of Him that " He that is begotten of God keepeth himself, and that wicked one toucheth him not." Thus we see fulfilled in His entire life below that He was that "holy thing that is born of thee " – "the Son of God." He was indeed "made sin for us " (or, a sin-offering). But this was the very thing that made the cross what it was to Him-that He who was an utter stranger to sin should nevertheless, and for that very reason, take the place where He was charged with it all, and confess it as His, and meet God in wrath against it, to glorify God, to vindicate His throne in righteousness, and thus make it for us, for all who believe on Him, the mercy-seat, the throne of grace. Oh for hearts to honor Him who thus honored God!

If you, dear reader, have been in the habit of thinking of the Lord Jesus' temptations in the way many do, which we have sought to bring to the light, may you have that sense of the honor due Him which will lead you to judge it as utterly hateful to God, and to yourself; for no one who is born of God could persist in such a thought after having its character and origin laid bare. Let us remember that "He that honoreth not the Son, honoreth not the Father that sent Him"; and it is God's will "that all men should honor the Son, even as they honor the Father." To accomplish this in those even who refuse now to submit to Him, God the Father has placed all judgment in His hands, not as the Son of God- for in that sense He is equal with God-but as the Son of Man. As a righteous answer to the Son's love to the Father in carrying out at such cost to" Himself all the Father's perfect will, therefore has He "highly exalted Him, and given Him a name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus " (the name by which He was known in His lowly life here below, and by which He is still spoken against)-"that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of [beings] in heaven, and [beings] on earth, and [beings] under the earth:and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father" (Phil. 2:9-11).

Reader, " What think ye of Christ ?" On the answer to this question hangs man's eternal destiny. " He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life:and he that believeth not the Son (is not subject to the Son) shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him " (John 3:36). If as yet He is unknown to you, dear reader, may you be led of God to a true knowledge of Him! If you know Him
already, may you "grow in grace, and in the knowledge of" Him! "Children, keep yourselves from idols." W. H.

QUES. . 23-Will you please explain as fully as convenient 1 John 3:4-7? A friend here used that as an argument, that if we sinned we were lost, and had to he saved again. I will be thankful for help.

ANS.-It is a strange use of this passage which your friend is making in the face of verse 6. It says, "Whosoever sinneth hath not seen Him, neither known Him." If such a person has never seen nor known Christ, how can they be "saved again" ?

The whole passage is a contrast between believers and unbelievers. The grace told out in verses 1 and 2 produces (more or less vividly) in all who are of faith, the mind of verse 3. If one has not that mind he is no Christian at all. He is yet lawless- insubject to God-as a correct rendering of verse 4 teaches. A true Christian is not so, as all the world knows ; he abides in Christ ; he lives no more in sin as other men do ; if he fails to carry out the holiness he loves, he mourns over it. The unconverted sin with pleasure ; they have not seen Christ nor known Him. If it be said that a true Christian never fails from the high and holy standard which he pursues, why then is Christ now the "Advocate" of His failing people, as chap. 2 :1 of this same epistle teaches us ?

QUES. 24.-Can it be said that sin and death still reign since Christ has come into the world? Please answer for my own benefit, also for that of others.

ANS.-There are two creations going on ; the one which circles around Adam, the other around Christ. In the first, sin and death still reign; in the other, "grace reigns through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord."

QUES. 25.-Col. 1 :6 says, "Which [the Gospel] is come unto you as it is in all the world," and Col. 1 :23, "Which [the Gospel] was preached to every creature which is under heaven.'' That seems to imply that the gospel had then been preached to every creature which is under heaven. How do you understand that?

ANS.-Just as it reads. We believe there is abundant evidence of it too. Even China had been so well evangelized that its government in the fifth century came near adopting Christianity as, its religion, and Africa was not a whit behind. If it be asked how darkness has covered the earth again so much, the warning to the church of Ephesus (Rev. 2 :5) answers it:" Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works ; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent."

In Europe itself all know about "the dark ages" brought about by Popish idolatry and superstition-the corruption of Christianity -and but for the work of God's grace in the reformation what but heathen darkness would cover it now, as is found where Popery has had full sway.

QUES. 26.-1 Cor. 8 :11, "And through thy knowledge shall the weak brother perish, for whom Christ died?" The word here translated "perish" is the same in Greek, I think, though different in form, that is so translated in John 3:16, " should not perish," and in John 10 :28, "shall never perish." The passage seems to imply that one brother may cause another to perish. How are we to understand that ?
ANS.-If I cannot deny myself in such an unimportant matter as that of eating, for the sake of a weak brother's conscience, I prove myself unconcerned about his welfare, and ready to see him perish. Of course the Lord Jesus, the good Shepherd, will never let one of His sheep perish. He has said so, and His word cannot be broken, but as far as my actions can have effect, I cause my brother to perish. This is what knowledge without love does-Love says, " Wherefore if meat make my brother to offend, I will eat no flesh while the world standeth, lest I make my brother to offend" (1 Cor. 8:13).

QUES. 27.-How do you prove that the canon of Scripture is closed ? I have heard something from St. Paul's writings cited to prove it. But if St. Paul meant the canon was closed when he wrote that, it would cut out those portions of the New Testament written after Paul's time.

ANS.-Col. 1 :25, 26 settles the matter. "Whereof [the Church] I was made minister, according to the dispensation of God, which was given me to you-ward, to complete the word of God, [even] the mystery which hath been hid from ages and generations, but now hath been manifested to His saints."

No doubt some of the books of the New Testament were written after Paul's time, but there is no further revelation of God's purposes in them. The revelation which God has given to man was completed by that great mystery-Christ and the Church-the climax and finish of redemption – work, as Adam and Eve were the climax and finish of creation-works. To Paul, the last of the apostles, was given this finishing revelation, whatever details or summing up of events may have been written after this.

QUES. 28.-Do not the apostles, at times at least, seem to have believed that Christ would return in their lifetime, or very shortly, even as men reckon things? If so, do they not seem to have made a mistake ?

ANS.-It is evident throughout the writings of the Apostles that they looked for the Lord's return in their day. The hope of the twelve was His return to take the kingdom-the Jewish hope. Acts 1:6 proves this. The Lord's word to Peter as to his end when he got old seems to stand in the way of this expectation, hut their expectation was not like ours-that of the Church. Acts 3 :19-23 clearly shows that they knew it depended on the nation's repentance for its fulfilment. As the nation got farther and farther away, this hope must have grown farther and farther away too, in nowise disappointing to Peter who, by the Lord's prophecy, would expect a delay in Israel's hope.

It is later on, when Peter has already grown old, and might be martyred any day, that the hope of the Church is given by Paul. From the moment this is given, no event stands in the way of the expectation of the Lord's return.1 Thess. 4 :15-17 may occur at any time, as all Christians were taught by Paul. Prom 2 Pet. 1 :16-21 it is evident Peter was perceiving the hope of the Church, difficult as it was for Jewish hearts to allow any other hope to supersede theirs. This incessant expectation is not of course to put us on tip-toe, as fanaticism would have it, as if such a thing as the great harvest promised to Paul at Corinth would stand in the way of it. Not at all. But it is to be the thing before the soul, to form and fashion the heart and character of the Church. She is a stranger here, ready to go."Whether it be that part of it which is now in heaven, they are waiting there for the Lord's return to complete His grace in them, and bring on the marriage-supper of the Lamb; or whether it be the other part on earth, toiling still in the great conflict while waiting for the same thing, the whole Church is put in a waiting, expectant attitude. An unexpecting Church is a Church which has become an adulteress-a friend of the world; and what is true of the Church as a whole is true of the individual as well.

(Continued from page 305.)

THE FIFTH AND SIXTH DAYS.

VERSES 20-31.

The fifth day divides into two parts. First, the creatures of the waters. Second, the birds of the heaven. The sixth gives the creatures of the earth, with man the climax of all.

The waters, with their unrest, are typical of what is evil in a fallen creation. Yet these waters are made to produce most excellent things. The Christian has no difficulty in understanding this. The government of God, which constantly appears under number five, makes "all things"-evil too-"work together for good to them that love God, who are the called according to His purpose " (Rom. 8:28).

Again, "We glory in tribulations also, knowing that tribulation worketh patience; and patience, experience; and experience, hope." What blessed things these are, coming out of evil, out of these waters of unrest! But we look for that scene where there shall be "no more sea" to disturb.

These waters produce clean and unclean things, however. There is that evil which corrupts if we come in contact with it. The Lord prayed we should be kept from it. The clean creatures have fins and scales (Lev. n:9, 10). The fins propel the creature through the waters. The scales protect it as an armor. So, if we go through the evil as "strangers and pilgrims," and take unto us "the whole armor of God," we will surely find good, and be productive of good.

The fowl fly above the earth, in the expanse of the heaven. The "influences now are not from beneath, but from above. They are "every winged fowl after its kind." Some are evil birds, unclean, delighting among carcases. Others are beautiful in plumage, or sweet songsters, or rich in productiveness of good. Ephesians 6:12 tells of the evil ones:"For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in the heavenlies." They are birds of prey, ready to pounce upon the corpse-like Christian who falls asleep among the dead (Eph. 5:14). It is such who fall a prey to the multitude of heresies on every hand. What but carrion-birds are such things as Unitarianism, Mormonism, Millennial Dawnism, Christian Science, 7th Day Adventism, and more ?

The other birds display the holy influences from above. What plumage more beautiful than the character of Christ produced in a man once wicked and vile ? What song sweeter than the praises which break forth from hearts in tune with heaven ? What fruitfulness is like that which marks men who, once dissolute, or living for self, are now "steadfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord " ? What transformation through those heavenly influences under which we daily walk!

"And God said, Let the earth bring forth living souls after their kind, cattle and creeping thing, and beast of the earth, after their kind."
In the "living souls" of the earth-that earth which has come out of the waters-we have now illustrated the affections, emotions, and desires, of the new man. But here, too, the lesson is practical, not ideal; for we find from Lev. n that there are clean and unclean among the cattle, the creeping things, and the beasts of the earth. We have not here a picture of that time when nothing save the fruit of the new man will be produced, but rather of present conditions when there may, and indeed does, come in that which is not of the new, and therefore must be eliminated and judged. Our rule of life is "new creation." As Christians we belong to an order of life set up in Christ. If we want to know what our new nature is we turn to Christ in whom that nature is perfectly manifested, to God's perfect delight. But the flesh remains in us. Therefore the variety of the creatures of earth as well as of those of the sea and of the heaven. The creation of the man Adam, the crown and full glory of God's work, is on this sixth day, "the figure of Him that was to come"- Christ. Several characters of Christ are suggested in what is said of Adam. Let us look at some of them.

1. " The image of God."

" And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. … So God created man in His own image, in the image of God created He him." How plainly this figures Christ, "who is image of the invisible God, firstborn of all creation " (Col. i; 15) "God manifested in flesh" "the expression of His substance," so that in Him is seen what God is in His essential being. He is the "second Man, out of heaven " (i Cor. 15:47). He is the beginning, or-first, of a new race, "the beginning of the creation of God" (Rev. 3:14). For this "the Word became flesh." He is thus the head of a new humanity, whose end is to be in His own likeness (i Cor. 15:49).

2. '' God said, Be fruitful, and multiply, and fill the earth."

In this we think of our Lord as "the Last Adam." "The first man Adam became a living soul; the last Adam a quickening spirit" ® Cor. 15:45). It is He who quickens-who gives the life eternal which forms this new humanity.

3. Subdue the earth, and hold in subjection all creatures.

This brings another line of thought-the kingship of Christ. Into His hand all government has been committed, and He is to subject all things unto Himself. He is to take His great power, and reign over the earth during the Millennium. The character of His reign is distinctly the subdual of all enemies, and the bringing all things back to God. i Cor. 15:25-28 is a comprehensive statement of this. "For He must reign until He put all enemies under His feet. The last enemy that is annulled is death." This being accomplished, comes "the end, when He gives up the kingdom to Him who is God and Father; when He shall have annulled all rule and all authority and power" (ver. 24). This carries us beyond the Millennium to the eternal state.

4. Adam is marked out as the head of creation, and heir of all its blessings.

This brings before us the thought of Christ as the Head and Heir of all things. He is "Head over all things to the Church "-"Head of all principality and power," and "Heir of all things." God's purpose is to "head up all things in Christ." What grace, what unspeakable grace, to hear Him say to us, "If children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ"! (Rom. 8:17.) Looking on the glory of this grace, we cry, "Come, Lord Jesus;" "come quickly." J. B.

(To be continued.)

Passing through dense forests of fir-trees and cedars recently in British Columbia, one feature struck us forcibly, and brought thoughts of greater things:Where the forest was so dense that the trees stood only a few feet from each other, they were tall, smooth, and straight as arrows, shooting their heads far up toward the sky. Where, here and there, a little space was comparatively bare, the trees were ill-shaped and crooked. How like God's people! was what came to mind. First of all, where trees are thus very dense, they are all of one kind. So, before God's people can stand together closely knit, they must guard against unconverted persons getting in as if of them. Having confidence in each other as being children of God, they now can cling to each other in love; and the more they do this, the more they will develop in Christian perfection.

All these trees so pressed against each other that it made them shoot up their heads toward the sun. So, if we stand close to each other in love, the pressure we shall be under from the faults and failings we shall find in each other will compel us to "look unto Jesus the beginner and finisher of faith." In Him we shall see love, patience, grace, faithfulness, combined in perfection, and constantly exercised towards us, each one. This will send us back to our place among our brethren, ready to act in the same way.

If we do not thus continue with each other, like David's men, who were all "of one heart to make David king," and therefore "could keep rank (i Chron. 12:38), but stand aloof in supposed superiority, we shall not fail to grow one-sided and crooked. We need one another, if but to make each other grow straight.

Our Children.

Nothing perhaps presses itself more upon the Christian mind than the subject of the children of Christian parents. We are living in "perilous times;" and many Christians do not realize this enough. Apostasy in a multitude of forms is advancing with rapid strides under cover of Christianity, making it more necessary than ever that our children be well instructed in the word of God. Nothing is so effective for this as the home , where the Christian father daily gathers his household for reading the Word and infusing it into their minds and lives. They may afterward depart from it in practice, yet, as a hook in the mouth of the fish, will it abide in them, and compel them, sooner or later, to yield to the hand of God. The Sunday School is a blessed adjunct to this. Other witnesses will there add their testimony to that of the home; and we know the power of "two or three witnesses." Then the various meetings of the people of God, where the Scriptures are in constant use, how we should value all these means of instruction, and have our children with us!-all this illustrated in the frequent gatherings and feasts of the people of Israel.

If we think we can do without these helps we will surely find ourselves and our children the losers. "Then they that feared the Lord spake often one to another:and the Lord harkened, and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before Him for them that feared the Lord, and that thought upon His name" (Mal. 3:16).

We are also living in days of great pride, when not only are men subject to God no more, but are not even subject to rulers, nor to parents-days of socialism and rising anarchy. The more careful therefore should we be to instil obedience in our children's minds-not tyrannize them, not "provoke them," but see to it that they obey, and obey cheerfully. Obedience is the very first principle, and at the root of all godliness. Many think that because we "are not under law, but under grace," therefore to command and to govern are unworthy of a Christian. It is all wrong. Grace in nowise destroys government-government in the assembly or in the family. An assembly without godly government is a ruin, and so also a family. We have seen many a time a row of children sit quietly by their mother through a long meeting without a move from one of them. They were no less active than others when free, but they were under government, and knew where and when to be quiet and reverent. Will this be the exception ? or will it be the rule ? Beloved fathers and mothers, this will depend on how we fulfil our responsibilities as such.

How encouraging it is to find in various places that many of the young recruits in the assemblies are from godly families, and from the Sunday-schools! May the Lord increase still the labor and the fruit of both!

David and Solomon.

None can read the lives of these two kings without feeling the immense difference between them. The heart of the shepherd predominates in the first; that of the king in the second. David wins your heart; he is a man of and among the people of God; you feel free to come near to him. Solomon is not so. He is so great, so wise, so glorious, that in awe you stand at a distance.

David sets forth our Lord Jesus Christ in His relations with the people whom His grace calls to Himself. Solomon sets forth our Lord Jesus Christ with the people in millennial times.

What a blessed eternity awaits a people brought so near to the heart of Christ, as we who are privileged to live in this the Church dispensation! May we value it and use it aright!

Another Year.

As we write, another year is well-nigh gone and a new one about to begin. One more year of wilderness journey with God; so much nearer the blessed hour when the commanding voice of our Lord will be heard raising His dead ones, changing His living ones, and translating all into His Father's house, our eternal home. Blessed hope, which scatters all clouds and fills the pilgrim with cheer! May we indeed be " as men who wait for their Lord "!

Nor let us lose our present opportunities. Let us not sleep as do others. Let us remember that in all the eternity of bliss which awaits us we shall no more have the opportunity of proclaiming His grace to sinners, of feeding and shepherding His sheep and His lambs, of spending and being spent to spread the knowledge of His blessed name. Let us use no idle words, have no idle hours. Let us seek nothing for ourselves-all for Christ, who is the only One worthy of all our love, of all our obedience, of all self-denial.
We heartily thank our beloved fellow-laborers for the share they have had in the work of our little magazine. As each year passes by, this service with them has deepened in sweetness and interest. May God, in His grace, continue it so to the end.

Our space seems at times too small, yet we deem it better to condense the good as much as possible than to give it room for greater diffusion. We beg our brethren who write to be as concise as is consistent with clearness; and may such as are able to edify with their pen not deny this service to the people of God. God is granting us abundant testimony of blessing received through our pages.

"The like figure . . . doth also now save us" i (Pet. 3:21). The ark-figure of Christ passing through death, and His own in Him-was to carry them through judgement to a new earth in safety. Baptism, " the like figure," looks to, points to, salvation – is "the request (Gk.) … of a good conscience," reached in Christ's resurrection, and we in Him the Ark of our salvation through judgment.

" Till Christ be formed in you."

The passage in Gal. 4:19-21 shows in a remarkable way what Christianity essentially is, and what is the true purpose of all Christian ministry. Pained at the quick departure of the Galatian believers from the grace of God, the apostle sorrowfully exclaims, "My little children, of whom I travail in birth again until Christ be formed in you, I desire to be present with you now, and to change my voice; for I stand in doubt of you. Tell me, ye that desire to be under the law, do ye not hear the law?" Then he proceeds to show how law works but bondage, while the grace of Christianity produces sonship and fruit to God. Now, it is not absolutely necessary to use the Ten Commandments to put the soul under bondage. We may use almost anything for this, and by it fail to fulfil the great and glorious purpose of Christianity.

By the cross of Christ, God has pronounced sentence of death upon every soul of man, inasmuch as all are declared by it to be lost sinners. As the judge pronounces sentence of death upon a breaker of the law, and declares him thereby unfit for society, so God, in the cross of Christ, pronounces sentence of death upon every man, and pronounces him unfit for His presence.

Christianity therefore does not propose to moralize man. It comes not to offer man a new or better code of moral ethics than Judaism did. It does not pretend that abstinence in meat or in drink, or hardness to the body, or modes of dress, or refinement of mind and habits, or even moral reform, or any- other thing, avails to set man up again before God. It is none of all this. It is Christ-who is the Eternal Life-implanted in the believer the moment he believes:and the Holy Spirit labors to form Christ (to develop the mind and ways of Christ) in every such believer. The characteristic of Christianity, then, is love to Christ, attachment to His person, devotedness to Him as the One in whom God delights, and delights to honor-He to whom, we are indebted with a debt of gratitude which, neither in time nor in eternity, we can ever repay;-nay, the very sense of that debt is our power to worship and serve Him.

It is that blessed Person therefore whom God the Spirit is forming in us-that lowly, kind, faithful, holy Person whose enthronement in our hearts and whose virtues in our lives God delights in. And it is this object, this same passionate purpose, which marks the ministry of every God-sent man to-day on the face of the earth. Every true servant of Christ is animated by this one purpose. One may lay the foundation in telling of Christ to the children; another, in preaching Christ to sinners; another, build on-teaching saints in the knowledge of Christ; another, in various good works for Christ's sake-all that is Christian, having Christ for its object and its end.

We may turn Christian ordinances and Christian virtues and Christian principles into legal principles, and be as hard, and sectarian, and fanatical as possible, and thus check and hinder God's true purpose -Christ, instead of building wood, hay and stubble for the fire. "Christ is all"-all to God, and to those who have true fellowship with God.

Precious Stones.

Exodus 28 :6-21 tells of the Ephod-one of Aaron's "garments for glory and beauty " as he presented himself before God for the people of Israel. All Christians know that he was the type of Christ in the presence of God for all His people.

Attached to this ephod were two large precious stones, one on each shoulder:on each of which were engraved six names of the tribes of Israel. On the breastplate of this ephod were other precious stones, twelve in number, and the name of one tribe engraved on each jewel.

Why the bunching of names on the shoulders, and the singling on the breast ? We all know the shoulder is the place of strength; and to be "kept by the power of God " is blessed indeed; but to be placed upon His heart, and be able to say, He "loved me, and gave Himself for me "-what is there like it ?

The Christian Home.

An ill-tempered, domineering, exacting selfish husband; a pettish, peevish, never-quite-satisfied wife; restless, unruly, noisy, undisciplined children-that is not a Christian home. It is not a home at all. It is but a house where a few people eat and drink and sleep, and make life as hard as they can for each other.

A kind, gentle, considerate and loving husband; a submissive, duty-loving, home-abiding wife; obedient, respectful, happy children; the word of God, prayer and praise in daily prominence-this is a home, a Christian home, a place where Christ, being truly entertained, makes yet an oasis of refreshment in the midst of the great wilderness of this world.

The call of Abraham occurred at a. time when the human race was sunk in idolatry, and resulted in his removal from its atmosphere (Josh. 24:2, 3); for God set him apart for Himself, to serve Him in a place to be shown him. '' The Lord had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from
thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land at I will show thee:and I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shall be a blessing:and I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee :and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed" (Gen. 12:1-3). And again, in verse 7, " Unto thy seed will I give this land"

The truth thus exemplified was significant, for God's selection of Abraham for Himself indicated His right to the affection of all men; and His gift of inheritance to a chosen people affirmed His ownership of the earth.

Let us then consider this call especially in its practical effectiveness:(i) from the time Abraham heard it until his journey to Egypt; (2) during his sin there; (3) as recovered.

A tardiness that is gently hinted at in Acts 7:4 marked the

BEGINNING

of his career, so that in the historical account Terah his father takes the initiative. It was Abraham to whom the God of glory had been manifested, yet he was in the background during the first stage of the journey Canaan ward; for it is written, "And Terah took Abram his son, and Lot the son of Haran, his son's son, and Sarai his daughter-in-law, his son Abram's wife; and they went forth with them from Ur of the Chaldees, to go into the land of Canaan " (Gen. ii:31). His motive can only be conjectured. Doubtless his son sought only to act for himself, but if others would go with him he forbade them not:indeed, he may have believed that his decision had effectually impressed those about to consort with him, although the halt at Haran, where Terah subsequently died, proved rather that he had been retarded by their company, and that as far as Terah was concerned all might have ended in failure with his decease. But in Acts 7:4 we read that when he was dead God removed Abraham to Canaan; and in Heb. ii:8, " By faith Abraham, when he was called, obeyed to go out into a place which he was to receive for an inheritance; and he went out, not knowing whither he went." Not a word about Terah.

How profitable therefore to ponder the movements of this man, seeing we are saints by calling, and distinctively "partakers of the heavenly calling" (Rom. 1:7; Heb. 3:1). For we have been blessed with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ; we have been called to a more intimate knowledge of and a closer relationship with God than was Abraham, having been brought to Him in accord with the revelation in Christ of what He is, and as sons (Eph. i); and have also been brought into corporate relationship with Christ as members of His body (Eph. 2).Oh, to walk worthy of the vocation wherewith we are called!

Observe, also, that if Abraham's earthly seed received an earthly inheritance, we have been begotten " to an inheritance . . . reserved in heaven " for us (i Pet, i:3, 4). Yea, God has given us to know what it is to be placed under Christ when, in the administration of the fulness of times, God will gather together in one "all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in Him:in whom also we have obtained an inheritance" (Eph. i:9-14). So that, as sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, we anticipate the future manifestation of Christ, when He will take His purchased possession, when love

"Gives not as the world, but shares
All it possesses with its loved coheirs."

Having observed Abraham's fairly good progress in the path of obedience, we are now to see him

TESTED

The test was, Would he remain obedient to God ? Alas, he did not. To escape a famine that had arisen in Canaan, he had gone to Egypt without a command from God. He had ceased to live by words proceeding out of the mouth of God. And not walking in the fear of the Lord, he feared what man would do unto him. Therefore he told Sarah that she would be favored in Egypt because of her beauty, he slain as her husband, and that they should therefore pose as brother and sister. The ruse succeeded, for Sarah was installed in Pharaoh's house, and Abraham enriched as her brother.

And may not Christians be similarly injured through love of ease ? Have we not seen instances of this ? Being pressed in spirit, they sought relief in the world; turned from occupation with Christ and things above, and ceased to stretch forward toward the heavenly goal. Surely no sadder sight can be seen than the gradual darkening of a Christian's life-one whose path, instead of being as the shining light that shineth more and more unto the perfect day, ceases to give light. When he walked with God, how wholesome was his influence, as when a member of the body was honored and all the members rejoiced with it; but when he declined in spiritual energy, what sorrow he caused!

But to return. In the prevarication of Abraham we see the course a believer may pursue when decoyed from the way of righteousness. He told a tale that could be explained to be technically correct while entirely misleading. See Gen. 20:12. His life was not one of confession. He had failed to let his light shine before men. His breakdown was an exemplification of the first half of that text, " The fear of man bringeth a snare; but whoso putteth his trust in the Lord shall be safe" (Prov. 29:25).

But a pitying God intervened for the deliverance of His servant; helped him out of a false position by compelling Pharaoh to expel him as a menace to the community. Therefore he returned to the place where his tent had been at the beginning, between Bethel and Hai; unto the place of the altar, which he had made there at the first; there to call on the name of the Lord.

After the

RECOVERY

of Abraham we see exhibited in him the results of his training in the school of God, notably on the occasion of a strife between his herdsmen and Lot's (Gen. 13:6-12). This dispute applied once more the test-Would Abraham remain obedient to God ? The result declared how well he had learned his lesson. No doubt the disputants advanced their rival claims according to their respective view-points, but the man of God refused to attach importance to the subject of dispute, and pressed upon Lot the relationship in which God had set them to each other:"We be brethren," said he. As to the claims of those at strife he affirmed nothing, but allowed Lot to adjust details any way he liked, making it his sole business to see that he was not diverted from the testimony of God. Contrariwise, Lot chose the well-watered plains of Sodom, thereby proving his failure to learn from the discipline of his uncle-failure in valuing the things of God. Nor was his defection temporary, as was Abraham's; for later events revealed the purpose of the man. For when four kings invaded the plain of his choice, and carried him off as prisoner, he perceived no help of God in this, no merciful interposition; but when rescued by Abraham, he returned to the wicked city where "his righteous soul" was continually vexed.

Time and testing had reduced the movement of an earlier day to its real proportions. He who was told to sever his kindred relations was at last thus separated. And no sooner so than Jehovah told him to lift up his eyes and look north, south, east and west, and behold the inheritance He would give him and his seed-to arise and walk through its length and breadth. Thus did he value his calling and await the inheritance, living in his tent at Hebron, where he builded an altar unto the Lord. If a stranger on earth, he was a worshiper of God.

Another instance of obedience we see exhibited after Abraham's return from "the slaughter of the kings "(Gen. 14:17-24 and Heb. 7:i). On that occasion "Melchizedek (righteousness) king of Salem (peace) brought forth bread and wine:and he was the priest of the most high God. And he blessed him, and said, Blessed be Abram of the most high God, possessor of heaven and earth:and blessed be the most high God, which hath delivered thine enemies into thy hand. And he gave him tithes of all. And the king of Sodom said unto Abram, Give me the persons, and take the goods to thyself. And Abram said to the king of Sodom, I have lifted up my hand unto the Lord, the most high God, the possessor of heaven and earth, that I will not take from a thread even to a shoe-latchet," etc. (Gen. 14:18-24). In looking at this scene we confine ourselves to that side of it (1) in which Abraham's appreciation of Melchizedek is seen; (2) to his refusal of a recompense from the king of Sodom.

As to the former, " he gave him tithes of all." He owned that all he had belonged to God, and recognized this in His priest. Now it has often been observed that the mysterious introduction of this great person, without a word of his genealogy or subsequent record of death, serves the more clearly to render him a type of Christ. As it is said, "Without father, without mother, without descent, having neither beginning of days, nor end of life; but made like unto the Son of God; abideth a priest continually" (Heb. 7:3). And in reference to Christ, "Thou art a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek" (Heb. 7:17). While it is true that the functions of priesthood now exercised by the Son of God are after the pattern of the Aaronic priesthood, the "order" of this great and glorious priest is after that of Melchizedek. It is a question of who He is. Nevertheless, as priest of the most high God He stands preeminently before us in this passage as the One to manifest Himself in the Millennium as the righteous King who brings peace upon earth after the destruction of the enemies of God's people, Israel, bringing them joy and strength, and leading their worship.

And surely we who revere and should render "all we have and are " to the Son of God-the Priest who sympathizes with us in our weakness and supports us in our worship of God, look forward to the public manifestation of His glory.

In conclusion, let us notice that it was the man who gave Melchizedek his rights who refused'' from a thread to a shoe-latchet" from the king of Sodom. He was a benefactor to the community, not a recipient of its rewards. When living under false pretenses, he had allowed Pharaoh to enrich him; but when walking with God, he awaits the recompense of " the Possessor of heaven and earth."

And if we appreciate Christ, we will refuse the world's favors, and that while doing good. "Ye are the salt of the earth," said our Lord; and "salt is good." We are to pray for all men. We are to express the character of a Saviour-God among them. Rivers of living waters are to flow out of our inward parts (John 7:38); and if walking worthy of our calling, and anticipating the manifested glory of our Lord, we shall keep ourselves unspotted from the world. R. J. R.

Books.

A volume has just issued from The Bible Truth Press to which we desire to call very special attention. It is the "Lectures on the Gospel of Matthew," by William Kelly, announced on the cover of this magazine.

In a correspondence just at hand the writer says:"What a sample this book is of the extraordinary work of God in the unfolding of His word at the time when it was written! It manifests not only the vast knowledge of the word of God in the company of writers among whom Mr. Kelly was a prominent figure, but also the piety and devotedness of life in them with which God was well pleased, and which give power to their writings to edify as well as to impart knowledge. A copy of this book should be in every Christian home, and will surely be if they know what blessing is in it."

We would press it on our readers. In the beginning of our Christian life we found great difficulties in the Gospel of Matthew. We knew not how to unravel its Jewish character and yet the rich grace underlying it all. We have learned much since, yet the reading of these "Lectures "now is most refreshing and strengthening. We therefore sincerely long to see this book read by the many. We are sure they will, as they read it, thank us heartily for having pressed them to do so.

Wesley's Puzzle.

John Wesley was puzzled as to the issues of Christianity. He saw that godliness makes men temperate in all their habits, and that this tends to wealth. But wealth tends to pride, and pride is the destruction of Christianity.

He need not have been puzzled; for if Christianity tends to wealth, as it surely does, it provides the way and the power to prevent its accumulation. It sets the mind "on things above, not on things on the earth." It says, "Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom. Sell that ye have, and give alms; provide yourselves bags which wax not old, a treasure in the heavens that faileth not, where no thief approacheth, neither moth corrupteth" (Luke 12:32, 33).

Faithful Christians, no matter how prosperous in their affairs, have thus at their hand the effectual means of escaping the pride of wealth and at the same time of laying up a wealth which will make them the nobles in " the kingdom " where all danger of pride will be over, and where they will have it forever.

The Seventh of Romans.

There have been, and are still, plenty of foolish things said and written on the subject of the seventh of Romans; but my own soul blesses God day by day for having learned there that the flesh in me which I hate is no longer a part of me, and that spite of its presence in me I can now go on without distraction " bringing forth fruit unto God " in the path of holiness. And this I learned in the same order in which the subject occurs in Romans; that is, after learning my guiltiness in the third chapter, my justification in the third and fourth, and how I can "joy in God" in the fifth.

Truly "blessed are the poor in spirit," who have no great systems to build, but learn the truth at Jesus' feet.

Where lies the path of faith?

Genuine confidence in God can be exercised only in the path of genuine obedience to God. When Jehoshaphat, a devoted man of God, "joined affinity with Ahab," an evil man, he cried out with terror on the battle-field, and well-nigh lost his life. When Josiah, another devoted man, meddled with matters which the Lord had not put into his hands, he received a mortal wound.

Faith is invulnerable only in lowly obedience. God will not identify Himself with the issues of man's will.

Church Decrees.

In Publishing the " Correspondence which appears further on in our number, one is shocked at the thought of men apparently well acquainted with Scripture and yet seemingly so ignorant of God as to make Him the author of a system which compels Him to bind iniquity in heaven and to make His people walk with it on. earth. What a pity that, to enforce such an unholy thing, they should hit upon a passage of Scripture the abuse of which blinds the eyes to Scripture itself. As well might we quote, "Whatsoever ye shall ask in My name, that will I do," to hold our Lord responsible to fulfil a multitude of requests contrary to the word of God made in His name, as to quote, "Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven," to make God bind the errors of the Church. It is thus Rome quotes, "Whosoever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them," to establish its corrupting system of the confessional. Scripture abounds with guards against the abuse of any one of its parts.

It is true that God's people may often have to submit to wrong from "the powers that be," though He certainly never expects them to obey if obedience to them be disobedience to Him. If so, His "cloud of witnesses" all along the line have greatly erred.

But why compare the powers that be to the Church ? The two have not a shadow of similarity. God's people form no part whatever of the powers that be. They are subjects of the powers. They are not responsible therefore in any measure for their actions. Is it so with the Church ? Are the children of God subjects of the Church ? Is not every child of God a member-a living, responsible part- of the Church ? Which part of it then has been set up by God in authority over the other ? Such a principle is in itself the confession of a "clergy " and a "laity "-an official class which rules over the consciences of the unofficial. Where such a system is not recognized, yet existing, the power falls into the hands of the proud and self-willed. It may seem like piety to meekly submit to this, but in the sight of God it is otherwise-it is following that which is evil.

The word of God teaches not so. There, every member of the Church is held responsible with the rest. We are "every one members one of another," and that not merely in the local assembly, but to the ends of the earth. None can be rightly independent of the others. If the Church errs, every member is responsible to see to it; every conscience should be exercised, refuse the error, resist it, and if not discontinued turn away from it.

As to the manner of procedure in all that pertains to the affairs of the Church of God, Scripture says, "Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility." And this manner preserves love and unity. A people walking in it will never need to appeal to ecclesiastical authority to establish wrong doings and pervert consciences, But history has ever proved, and will prove to the end of time, that "God resisteth the proud and giveth grace to the humble."

How much more simple, how much more honorable and holy, to frankly confess our wrongs, whether individual or collective, than to seek out such devious ways to avoid it! Why seek so strenuously to avoid humbling ourselves, when God's hand is so wide open to bless humiliation ?

The Lord holds His Church responsible to keep herself pure in doctrine, in practice, and in associations. To that end, and that end only, He has given her the authority and the power to put away from her communion such as cause defilement. Beyond this the Church has not a shadow of authority. She has no judicial place. She has not, as some teach, the position of a court whose decree must abide until reversed by a superior one. And if, under cover of keeping herself pure, she trespasses against righteousness, she is the guiltiest thing on earth; for set there to be the exponent of Christ's character, she drags that holy character down into the mire.

What more abominable thing can there be in the sight of a holy God than the claim that, righteous or unrighteous, an action is bound in heaven because it has been done in the name of Christ! Thus have the unspeakable crimes of Jesuitism been sanctified. Evidently the author of that frightful institution still lives.

There seems to be more than ordinary significance in that of which the apostle speaks when he makes use of the above expression. He has been urging the Hebrews who had believed in Jesus to follow the example of their father Abraham, who having received promises from God waited in patience for their fulfilment. Then he adds that he is persuaded of them better things than those of which he had spoken; 1:e., of some dangers that specially beset them in their changed position-one of faith, and not of sight. " But we desire earnestly that every one of you do show the same diligence to the full assurance of hope unto the end:that ye be not sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith and patience have been inheritors of the promises. For God, having promised to Abraham, since He had no greater to swear by, swore by Himself, saying, Surely blessing I will bless thee, and multiplying I will multiply thee:and thus having had long patience he got the promise. For men indeed swear by a greater, and with them the oath is a term to all dispute, as making matters sure. Where in God, willing to show more abundantly to the heirs of the promise the unchangeableness of His purpose, intervened by an oath, that by two unchangeable things, in which it was impossible that God should lie, we might have a strong encouragement, who have fled for refuge, to lay hold on the hope set before us, which we have as anchor of the soul, both secure and firm, and entering into that within the veil, where Jesus is entered as forerunner for us, become forever a high priest according to the order of Melchizedek" (Heb. 6:11-20, J.N.D.).

Having before spoken of Jesus according to the type found in Melchizedek, the apostle, after making these needful remarks, returns to that which was before his mind, and speaks in detail of it.

It is very beautiful to observe the manner in which the Spirit of God seeks to instruct and encourage the hearts of these Hebrew Christians through the types found in the Old Testament. In this particular instance He seems to lead them into a fuller understanding of the place of blessing into which the resurrection of Christ introduces the believer, showing in what way the "strong encouragement" is given us who have laid hold on the hope of the gospel. The manner in which He states it here is, of course, specially adapted to those to whom the epistle is addressed, though, as we shall see, having none the less the blessing of all true believers in view, whether Jew or Gentile.

We can well understand how anything that could be gathered from the history of their forefathers, and applied as an encouragement to the minds of these Hebrews, would come home to them with peculiar force. If they could look back, and see in one like their father Abraham circumstances akin to their own, it would indeed prove to those who had faith in God a stimulus to press on and not to be discouraged :hence the Holy Spirit recalls their minds to the time when God made promise to Abraham, and how he patiently awaited, under the most severe testing, the fulfilment of that which Jehovah had spoken, learning by means of the trial to know the One he trusted as the God of resurrection. The force of the argument seems to be as follows:

God had called Abraham when he was yet an idolater in Mesopotamia, to leave his country, his kindred, and his father's house, and go into a land which God was about to show him. He said, " I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great . . and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed" (Gen. 12:2, 3). "By faith " Abram obeys God's call, "and he went out, not knowing whither he went"; yet God told him that the land whither He led him was to be his, and afterward promised him a "Seed," in whom all his hopes were to be realized.
After a time of testing, during which Abraham seeks to obtain God's promise of the seed by the strength of nature, God fulfils His own word:Abraham is "without strength," but in the "due time" of God's promise Isaac is born, and, as his name implies, faith now rejoices in the manifest fulfilment of the promise God had made. When Isaac is well grown, God commands Abraham to take his son, "thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah, and offer him there for a burnt-offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of." In beautiful submission, Abraham obeys, and is about to raise his hand to slay his son, when God intervenes, saying, "Lay not thy hand upon the lad, neither do thou anything unto him; for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son, from Me." After providing a ram to be offered instead of his son, the Lord again speaks to him, and says that which we have quoted in Hebrews:"By Myself have I sworn, saith the Lord, for because thou hast done this thing, and hast not withheld thy son, thine only son, that in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the seashore; and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies; and in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed My voice" (Gen. 22:16-18). It is important to observe here that Abraham still rests on the promise of God. "After he had patiently endured, he obtained the promise." But he had now, not merely the promise of God, certain as that surely was, but also (for the sake of the "heirs of promise," we are told) the oath from God concerning the certainty of its fulfilment, assuring them in this manner of the un-changeableness of His purpose.

Do we see in the trial of the faith of these Hebrew Christians anything at all akin to that of Abraham? Let us inquire. If they were merely the natural seed, they had no claim on the promises; for Scripture teaches us that "it is of faith," without which "it is impossible to please Him." Abraham is the "father of all them that believe" (and here the Jew has no prerogative over the Gentile). Now by the proclamation of the same gospel which has come to us, who were Gentiles, these Hebrew believers were also called. Like their father Abraham, they were asked to .leave their former condition, for "the hope set before them." Like Abraham, they had obeyed-though there was a danger with some of them, like Lot's wife, to turn back to the Jewish system which was marked by the judgment of God. Spiritually, Jerusalem is called Sodom (Rev. ii:8). As a nation they had already had proved to them what Abraham learned as to Hagar and Ishmael, 1:e., that the flesh could produce no acceptable fruit for God, and therefore stood condemned before Him; while He had sent them the true Isaac according to His word of promise. While despised by '' His own," as Isaac by Ishmael, yet a remnant discerned Him as the promised Heir, and placed their hopes in Him. This remnant leave their all to follow Him; and when challenged, "Will ye also go away ?" reply, " Lord, to whom shall we go ? Thou hast the words of eternal life, and we know and are sure that Thou art that Christ, the Son of God." But while this little company knew and honored Jesus as God's only begotten Son, we find that they were all unprepared for that which was about to take place. They seemed not to realize that "He must first suffer " ere they could share the inheritance with Him; that this was the only ground on which He could righteously have them share His reign. Over and over He seeks to lead them into the truth of that which He had come for. They could not understand why He must suffer, but thought that by His almighty power He would deliver the nation from their enemies, and reign over them. They have their Isaac, so to speak, and expect to be blessed through Him. In this they were surely right; but as to the manner in which that blessing was to be accomplished, or the sphere of their blessing, they "understood not." When at last, instead of redeeming them according to their expectations, He is actually put to death by His enemies, their perplexity and fear give way to despair:they return to their homes dejected and overcome by all that had taken place. Their brightest hopes seem all to be dashed to the ground. Their Messiah, the Son of God, as they believed, instead of blessing them and reigning over that people and the whole earth, as the prophets predicted he would, has actually been put to the most ignominious death, and does not even attempt to deliver Himself. Nay, more:when men had done their worst to Him, He cries to God; and instead of being delivered by Him, is forsaken by God too:then, having died, and being buried, the disciples go away unto their own homes, saying, "We trusted that it was He that should have redeemed Israel." Here Abraham's faith was stronger than theirs:he had learned this same deep lesson in taking the son of promise to the mount of sacrifice, where, to all appearance, every hope given him of God was about to be destroyed. Yet it was just here that everything was established upon a foundation eternal as God Himself:at this critical moment Abraham found strength in faith, giving glory to God. Could God altogether take Isaac from him ? To do so were to abandon His faithfulness. Abraham waits; he is patient; by faith he endures the trial, "accounting that God is able to raise him up even from the dead, from whence also he receives him in a figure" (Heb. n:19). Isaac's deliverance from death was but a figure of the resurrection of Christ; and this, blessed be God, is His answer of joy to the deep sorrow of His people, who are now made to rejoice with Him in the One who by going into death has glorified God and opened the avenue of eternal blessing to all who will believe on Him. Thus in the resurrection of Christ God comes in with His oath of assurance to the "heirs of promise" of His unchangeable purpose in respect to their receiving the "eternal inheritance." If in the birth of Christ we behold the promised "Seed" given, and thus the "word of promise" fulfilled (Acts 13:23, 33), is not the resurrection of Christ the oath, so to speak, to all who believe in Him, of the absolute certainty of their blessing?

It is the only possible ground on which the "sure mercies " can and will be given to Israel, to restore them again in their land, and to save them with an "everlasting salvation"; and it is the same blessed way in which blessing has come to us Gentiles, and apart from which all faith and preaching of the gospel, and all hope derived therefrom, are "vain." (Comp. Acts 13:34; Gal. 3:8; Heb. 6:13-20 )1

No wonder, then, that the Spirit of God speaks of God as giving to all the heirs of promise, to all who hear God's voice in the gospel, a "strong encouragement "! How blessed to know that the death of Christ has (may we not say ?) placed God in a position of indebtedness for eternal blessing to every one who has fled for refuge beneath the precious blood of Christ, even to those who by faith have laid hold on the hope of the gospel; and the fact that He has raised His Son from the dead, and sent down the Holy Spirit with the message of good news, inviting all, whosoever will, to come and take the water of life freely, is the wondrous manner in which God declared His obligation, His righteousness, as also His great joy, in justifying and blessing every sinner who believes in His Son Jesus Christ.

To His own name be glory and praise from our hearts forever. Wm. H.

We must all be manifested before the tribunal of Christ, in order that each may receive according to that which he shall have done in the body, be it good or evil. A happy and peaceful thought, after all, solemn as it maybe; for if we have really understood grace, if we are standing in grace, if we know what God is, all love for us, all light for us, we shall like to be in the full light:it is a blessed deliverance to be in it; it is a burden, an encumbrance, to have anything concealed, and although we have had much sin in us, that no one knows (perhaps even some that we have committed, and which it would be no profit for any one to know), it is a comfort-if we know the perfect love of God-that all should be in perfect light, since He is there. . . . There is no condemnation for those who are in Christ. They do not come into judgment. But they shall be manifested before His tribunal and receive that which they have done in the body.

The good deserve nothing; they received that by which they have wrought what is good-grace produced it in them. Nevertheless they shall receive a reward. What they have done is counted as their own act. If by neglecting grace and the witness of the Spirit in them the fruit which He would have produced has been turned aside, they will bear the consequences. It is not that in that case God will have forsaken them, it is not that the Holy Ghost will not act in them with regard to the condition they are in, but it will be in their conscience that God judges the flesh which has prevented them from bearing the blessed fruits of His presence and operation in the new man. So that the Holy Ghost will have done all that is necessary with respect to their state of heart, and the perfect counsel of God with regard to the person will have been accomplished, His patience manifested, His wisdom, His ways in governing, the care which He deigns to take of each one individually in His most condescending love. Each one will have his place as it was prepared for him of the Father.

Where the natural fruit of the presence and operation of the Holy Ghost in a soul which has a certain measure of light (or, ought to have had, according to the advantages it has enjoyed) will not have been produced, it will be seen what it was that prevented. It will judge according to the judgment of God all that was good and evil in itself, with a solemn reverence for that which God is, and a fervent adoration on account of what He has been for us. The perfect light will be appreciated, the ways of God understood in all their perfection by the application of the perfect light to the whole course of our life, and of His dealings with us in which we shall thoroughly recognize that love-perfect, sovereign above all things-has reigned with ineffable grace.

Thus the majesty of God will have been manifested by His judgment at the same time that the perfection and tenderness of His dealings with us will be the eternal recollection of our souls. Light without cloud or distance will be understood in its own perfection. To understand it is to be in it and to enjoy it. And light is God Himself. Selected

I may not comprehend, O Lord,
Thy great and wondrous plan,
In all its depth and breadth, to save
Poor, sinful, fallen man.
My finite mind's too narrow for
The Infinite;
And though I strive, the problem is
Too intricate:
Yet, in my little measure,
I count Thy Truth great treasure.

I may not search the starry depths
Of Thy great universe;
I may not sound the awful depths
Of sin and its dread curse;
I cannot lift the gauzy veil
Which hides from me-
In blest obscurity indeed-
What is to be:
But, in my little measure,
I count that faith's a treasure.

I may not follow Thee, O Lord,
To dark Gethsemane;
In awe, I breathless stand apart
From Thy great agony;
I shudder at the darkness deep
Of Calvary,
And wonder Thou couldst bear so much,
O Lord, for me!
And while I cannot measure
These depths, they're full of treasure.

I may not know Thee as I should
In all Thou art to me;
I may not lean as hard, O Lord,
As Thou hast bidden me;
I may not seek Thy footprints in
The hidden way,
Ofttimes because the blinding tears
Obscure the way:
Yet, in my faulty measure,
I count Thee all my treasure.
I may not cling so close to Thee,
While all the way is bright,
That I can breast the heavy storm
That shadows sorrow's night,
And rest in undisturbed repose
Upon Thy breast.
I own it, Lord, to Thee alone-
Thou knowest the rest:
Yet, in my feeble measure,
Thy mercy is my treasure.

I cannot comprehend Thy deep
And lasting love for me:
My Father, will it e'er remain
A hidden mystery?
No, I shall know in that bright world
As I am known.
Though I may never know just why
Thou lovest Thine own:
Still, in the fullest measure,
Thy love will be my treasure.

Could aught of earth detain me here,
When Thou, O Lord, shall come ?
How worthless seems the richest gain
When one is nearing home!
Though what Thou'st been and art to me
I may not know
On earth in all its blessedness
And depth; yet, oh,
I'll know in God's full measure,
Thee, Lord, as all my treasure.

H. McD.

(Continued from page 95.) HOLINESS:THE GREAT DESIDERATUM.

Being saved myself, the first great desire that sprang up in my heart was an intense longing to lead others to the One who had made my peace with God.

At the time of which I write, the Salvation Army was in the zenith of its energy as an organization devoted to going out after the lost. It had not yet become popular, a society to be patronized by the world and used as a medium for philanthropic work. Its officers and soldiers seemed to have but one aim and object-to lead the weary and despairing to the Saviour's feet. I had often attended its services, and in fact had frequently, though but a child, given a "testimony" by quoting Scripture and urging sinners to trust Christ, even while I was in the dark myself. Naturally therefore, when the knowledge of salvation was mine, I went at the first opportunity, the night after my conversion, to an "Army" street-meeting, and there spoke for the first time, in the open air, of the grace of God so newly revealed to my soul.

I suppose, because I was but a lad of fourteen and fairly familiar with the Bible, and also somewhat forward-unduly so. I have little doubt-I was at once cordially welcomed among them, and soon became known as "the boy preacher," a title which, I fear, ministered more to the pride of my heart than I had any idea of at the time. For, in fact, in my new-found joy I had no conception that I still carried about with me a nature as sinful and vile as existed in the breast of the greatest evildoer in the world. I knew something of Christ and His love; I knew little or nothing of myself and the deceitfulness of my own heart.

As nearly as I can now recollect, I was in the enjoyment of the knowledge of God's salvation about a month when, in some dispute with my brother, who was younger than I, my temper suddenly escaped control, and in an angry passion I struck and felled him to the ground. Horror immediately filled my soul. I needed not his sarcastic taunt, "Well, you are a nice Christian! You'd better go down to the Army and tell what a saint you've become! " to send me to my room in anguish of heart to confess my sin to God in shame and bitter sorrow, as afterwards frankly to my brother, who generously forgave me.

From this time on mine was an "up-and-down experience," to use a term often heard in "testimony meetings." I longed for perfect victory over the lusts and desires of the flesh. Yet I seemed to have more trouble with evil thoughts and unholy propensities than I had ever known before. For a long time I kept these conflicts hidden, and known only to God and to myself. But after some eight or ten months, I became interested in what were called "holiness meetings," held weekly in the "Army" hall, and also in a mission I sometimes attended. At these gatherings an experience was spoken of which I felt was just what I needed. It was designated by various terms:"The Second Blessing"; " Sanctification "; "Perfect Love"; "Higher Life"; "Cleansing from Inbred Sin"; and by other expressions.

Substantially, the teaching was this:When converted, God graciously forgives all sins committed up to the time when one repents. But the believer is then placed in a lifelong probation, during which he may at any time forfeit his justification and peace with God if he falls into sin from which he does not at once repent. In order, therefore, to maintain himself in a saved condition, he needs a further work of grace called sanctification. This work has to do with sin the root, as justification had to do with sins the fruit.

The steps leading up to this second blessing are, firstly, conviction as to the need of holiness (just as in the beginning there was conviction of the need of salvation); secondly, a full surrender to God, or the laying of every hope, prospect and possession on the altar of consecration; thirdly, to claim in faith the incoming of the Holy Spirit as a refining fire to burn out all inbred sin, thus destroying in toto every lust and passion, leaving the soul perfect in love and as pure as unfallen Adam. This wonderful blessing received, great watchfulness is required lest, as the serpent beguiled Eve, he deceive the sanctified soul, and thus introduce again the same kind of an evil principle which called for such drastic action before.

Such was the teaching; and coupled with it were heartfelt testimonies of experiences so remarkable that I could not doubt their genuineness, nor that what others seemed to enjoy was likewise for me if I would fulfil the conditions.

One aged lady told how for forty years she had been kept from sin in thought, word, and deed. Her heart, she declared, was no longer "deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked," but was as holy as the courts of heaven, since the blood of Christ had washed away the last remains of inbred sin. Others spoke in a similar way, though their experiences were much briefer. Bad tempers had been rooted out when a full surrender was made. Evil propensities and unholy appetites had been instantly destroyed when holiness was claimed by faith. Eagerly I began to seek this precious boon of holiness in the flesh. Earnestly I prayed for this Adamic sinlessness. I asked God to reveal to me every unholy thing, that I might truly surrender all to Him. I gave up friends, pursuits, pleasures-everything I could think of that might hinder the incoming of the Holy Ghost and the consequent blessing. I was a veritable " book-worm," an intense love for literature possessing me from childhood; but in my ignorant desire I put away all books of pleasurable or instructive character, and promised God to read only the Bible and holiness writings if He would only give me "the blessing." I did not, however, obtain what I sought, though I prayed zealously for weeks.

At last, one Saturday night (I was now away from home, living with a friend a member of the "Army "), I determined to go out into the country and wait on God, not returning till I had received the blessing of perfect love. I took a train at eleven o'clock, and went to a lonely station twelve miles from Los Angeles. There I alighted, and, leaving the highway, descended into an empty arroyo, or water-course. Falling on my knees beneath a sycamore tree, I prayed in an agony for hours, beseeching God to show me anything that hindered my reception of the blessing. Various matters of too private and sacred a nature to be here related came to my mind. I struggled against conviction, but finally ended by crying, " Lord, I give up all- every thing, every person, every enjoyment, that would hinder my living alone for Thee. Now give me, I pray Thee, the blessing! "

As I look back, I believe I was fully surrendered to the will of God at that moment, so far as I understood it. But my brain and nerves were unstrung by the long midnight vigil and the intense anxiety of previous months, and I fell almost fainting to the ground. Then a holy ecstasy seemed to thrill all my being. This I thought was the coming into my heart of the Comforter. I cried out in confidence, "Lord, I believe Thou dost come in. Thou dost cleanse and purify me from all sin. I claim it now. The work is done. I am sanctified by Thy blood. Thou dost make me holy. I believe; I believe!" I was unspeakably happy. I felt that all my struggles were ended.

With a heart filled with praise, I rose from the ground and began to sing aloud. Consulting my watch, I saw it was about half-past three in the morning. I felt I must hasten to town so as to be in time for the seven o'clock prayer-meeting, there to testify to my experience. Fatigued as I was by being up all night, yet so light was my heart I scarcely noticed the long miles back, but hastened to the city, arriving just as the meeting was beginning, buoyed up by my new-found experience. All were rejoiced as I told what great things I believed God had done for me. Every meeting that day added to my gladness. I was literally intoxicated with joyous emotions.

My troubles were all ended now. The wilderness was past, and I was in Canaan, feeding on the old corn of the land. Nevermore should I be troubled by inward drawings toward sin. My heart was pure. I had reached the desirable state of full sanctification. With no foe within, I could direct all my energies toward vanquishing the enemies without.

This was what I thought. Alas, how little did I know myself; much less the mind of God! H. A. I.

(To be continued.)

QUES. 20.-In Luke 7:28, after commending John to the people, and saying that of all born of women there was no greater prophet than he, the Lord adds, "But he that is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he." What is the meaning of this? Would not John himself be in the kingdom of God ?

ANS.-Surely he will be there, but not in the greatness which attaches to great deeds. God was about to open a new order of things, a heavenly kingdom, in which the privileges conferred by His sovereign grace would be greater than anything that had gone before. It is a question of God's will and sovereign grace, not of what we are in ourselves, of course. A weak believer now is not in himself greater than those mighty servants of God in Old Testament times, but by the position that grace has given him he is greater. A child in a king's household may in himself be like nothing compared with able and trusted servants of the king ; yet, by the privileges of his position, the least child in the king's household is greater than the ablest minister in the king's dominions.

(Continued from page 237.) SANCTIFICATION BY THE HOLY SPIRIT:INTERNAL.

In closing the last chapter I remarked that sanctification is both absolute and progressive. Absolute sanctification is by the one offering of Christ on the cross, and will be treated of further on. Progressive sanctification is looked at in two ways:it is by the Spirit and by the Word.

It may help some to put it in this way:

Sanctification by the Spirit is internal. It is an experience within the believer.

Sanctification by the blood of Christ is eternal. It is not an experience; it is positional; it has to do with the new place in God's eternal favor occupied by every believer-an unchanging and unchangeable position, to which defilement can never attach, in God's estimation.

Sanctification by the word of God refers to the believer's outward walk and ways. It is the manifest result of sanctification by the Spirit, and goes on progressively all through life.

I desire to group together four scriptures which refer to the first important aspect above mentioned. Doctrinally, perhaps, I should take up sanctification by blood first; but experimentally the Spirit's work precedes the knowledge of the other.

In i Cor. 6:9, 10 we read of a host of sinful characters who shall not inherit the kingdom of God. The 11th verse immediately adds, "And such were some of you:but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified, in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God."

Again, in 2 Thess. 2:13 we read, "But we are bound to give thanks always to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth."

Closely linked with this is the second verse of the opening chapter of i Peter:"Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ."

The fourth verse is Rom. 15:16:"That I should be the minister of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles, ministering the gospel of God, that the offering up [ of the Gentiles might be acceptable, being sanctified by the Holy Ghost. "

In all these passages it is of the utmost importance, in order to rightly apprehend the truth intended to be conveyed, to observe that sanctification by the Spirit is treated as the first beginnings of God's work in the souls of men, leading to the full knowledge of justification through faith in the blood-sprinkling of Jesus Christ.

Far from being "the second blessing," subsequent to justification, it is a work apart from which none ever would be saved. That this may be made plain to the thoughtful reader, I purpose a careful analysis of each verse quoted.

The Corinthians had been characterized by the common sins of men. They had, like the Ephesians (chap. 2 :1-5), " walked according to the course of this age," lured on by that unholy "spirit that now worketh in the sons of disobedience." But a great change had taken place in them. Old affections and desires had been superseded by new and holy longings. The wicked life had been exchanged for one in which the pursuit after godliness was characteristic. What had wrought this change ? Three expressions are used to convey the fulness of it. They had been " washed, sanctified, and justified" – and all "in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God." Objective and subjective are here closely linked together. The work and character of the Lord Jesus had been presented as set forth in the gospel. He alone was the Saviour of sinners. But in the application of that salvation to men there is necessarily the subjective side. Men are unclean because of sin, and must be "washed." The "washing of water by the word" (of Eph. 5 :25, 26) is clearly alluded to. The word of God lays hold on the conscience, and men are awakened to see the folly and wickedness of their lives – away from God, and walking in darkness. This is the beginning of a moral washing that goes on all through the believer's life, and of which I hope to treat more fully later on.

But now, observe carefully – the same word of God comes to all men, but the same effect is not produced in all. Christ and His cross is preached to an audience of a hundred unconverted men. One remains, broken-hearted over his sins and seeking peace with God, while ninety and nine go away untouched. Why the difference ? The Holy Spirit gives power to the Word, plowing up the conscience in the case of every one truly converted, and such a one is separated, set apart by a divine work within, from the indifferent multitude to which he once belonged. It is here that sanctification of the Spirit applies. It may be some time ere he finds true peace with God; but he is never again a careless sinner. The Holy Spirit has laid hold of him for salvation. This is beautifully illustrated in the first few verses of our Bibles. The world created in perfection (see Isa. 45:18) in verse i, is described as fallen into a chaotic condition in verse 2. "Without form and void," and covered with a mantle of darkness:what a picture of fallen man away from God! His soul a moral chaos, his understanding darkened, his mind and conscience defiled, he is in very deed dead in trespasses and sins; '' alienated and an enemy in his mind by wicked works." All this the ruined earth may well speak of.

But God is going to remake that world. It shall yet become a dwelling-place for man, a fit home for him during the ages of time. How does He go about it? The first great agent is the Spirit; the second, the Word. "The Spirit of God moved [or brooded] upon the waters." Hovering over that scene of desolation, the Holy Spirit brooded; and then the Word of power went forth. "God said, Let light be:and light was." And so in the salvation of fallen man-the Spirit and the Word must act. The brooding-time comes first. The Holy Spirit quickens through the message proclaimed. He awakens men, and gives them a desire to know Christ and to be delivered from sin's power and saved from its judgment. After this brooding season, or as a result of it, the heart is opened to the gospel in its fulness; and, being believed, the light shines in and the darkness is dissipated. " God, who commanded the light to shine put of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ" (2 Cor. 4:6). Thus are we who believe no longer children of the night, nor of darkness, but of the day. We were once darkness:now we have become light in the Lord. But ere the shining forth of the light there was the Spirit's brooding. And this is the sanctification referred to in the four passages grouped together above. Notice the order in 2 Thess. 2:"Chosen to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit"-the divine agency- "and belief of the truth"-the Word of life scattering the darkness and bringing in the light of the knowledge of salvation through the name of the Lord Jesus.

It is the same in i Peter. The saved are elect, but it is the sanctification of the Spirit that brings them unto the obedience and blood-sprinkling of Jesus Christ. Now the knowledge of justification is mine when brought by the Spirit to the knowledge of the sprinkled blood of Jesus. It is faith apprehending that His precious blood cleanseth my soul from every stain, thus giving peace. By the Spirit I am brought to this, and to begin a life of obedience-to obey as Christ obeyed. This is the practical effect of the Spirit's sanctification.

But now it is of importance to realize that justification is not in itself a state. It is not a work in the soul, but a work done by Another for me, yet altogether outside of me, and utterly apart from my frames and feelings. In other words, it is my standing, not my experience.

The difference between the two may be illustrated thus:Two men are haled into court charged with the joint commission of a crime. After a full investigation, the judge on the bench justifies them both. They are free. One man, hearing the decision, is filled with delight. He had feared an opposite verdict, and dreaded the consequences. But now he is happy, because he knows he is cleared. The other man was even more anxious and gloomy. So occupied is he with his troubled thoughts that he does not fully catch the declaration of the court, "Not guilty." He hears only the last word, and he is filled with dismay. He sees a loathsome prison rising before him, yet he knows he is innocent. He gives utterance to words of despair until with difficulty made to comprehend the true status of the case, when he too is filled with joy.

Now what had the actual justification of either man to do with his state, or experience ? The one who heard and believed was happy. The one who misapprehended the decision was miserable; yet both were alike justified. Justification was not a work wrought in them. It was the judge's sentence in their favor. And this is ever what justification is, whether used in the Bible or in matters of every-day life. God justifies, or clears, the ungodly when they believe in the Lord Jesus who bore their condemnation on the cross. To confound this judicial act with the state of soul of the believer is only confusion.

" But," says one, " I do not feel justified! "Justification has nothing to do with feeling. The question is, Do you believe God is satisfied with His beloved Son as your substitute upon the cross, and do you receive Jesus as your substitute-your personal Saviour ? If so, God says you are justified; and there is an end to it. He will not call back His words. Believing the gospel declaration, the soul has peace with God. Walking with God, there is joy and gladness, and victory over sin in a practical sense. But this is state, not standing.

The Holy Spirit who quickens and sanctifies at the beginning, leading to the knowledge of justification through faith in what God has said about the blood-sprinkling of Jesus Christ, abides now in every believer, to be the power for the new life, and thus for practical sanctification day by day.

In this way the offering-up of the Gentiles-poor aliens, heathen of all descriptions, strangers to the covenants of promise-is made acceptable to God, being sanctified by the Holy Spirit. He accompanies the preaching-the ministry of reconciliation- opening the heart to the truth, convincing of sin, of righteousness and judgment, and leading to personal faith in the Son of God.

I think it must now be plain to any who have carefully followed me thus far that in this aspect at least sanctification is wrongly designated as a "second blessing." It is, on the contrary, the beginning of the work of the Spirit in the soul, and goes on throughout the believer's life, reaching its consummation at the coming of the Lord, when the saved one, in his glorified, sinless body, will be presented faultless in the presence of God. And so Peter, after telling the Christians to whom he writes that they are sanctified by the Spirit, very properly proceeds to exhort them to be holy because He who has saved them is holy, and they are set to represent Him in this world.

So too Paul, after affirming the sanctification of the Thessalonians, yet prays that they may be sanctified wholly, which would be an absurdity if this were accomplished when first sanctified by the Spirit. "The very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Faithful is He that calleth you, who also will do it" (i Thess. 5:23, 24). There is no room for doubt as to the final result. Sanctification is God's work; and "I know that, whatsoever God doeth, it shall be forever" (Eccl. 3:14). "He who hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ " (Phil. 1:6).

When asked for scripture as to the term "the second blessing," the perfectionist will generally refer you to 2 Cor. i:15. There Paul writes to the Corinthians (who, as declared several times over in his first epistle, were sanctified), and says, " In this confidence I was minded to come unto you before, that ye might have a second benefit." The margin reads, "a second blessing." From this simple expression, an amazing system has been deduced. It is taught that as a result of Paul's first visit to Corinth many had been justified. But as the carnal mind remained in them, they manifested it in various ways, for which he rebukes them in his first letter. Now he longs to get to them again, this time not so much to preach the gospel as to have some "holiness meetings," and get them sanctified!

An ingenious theory surely! but it all falls to the ground when the student of Scripture observes that the carnal saints of the 1st epistle were sanctified in Christ Jesus (chap. 1:2); had received the Spirit of God (chap. 2:12); were indwelt by that Spirit (chap. 3:16); and, as we have already noticed at some length, were "washed, sanctified and justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God" (chap. 6).

What then was the second blessing Paul desired for them ? To begin with, it was not the second blessing at all, but a second blessing. They had been blessed by his ministry among them on the first occasion, as they learned from his lips and saw manifested in his ways the truth of God. Like any true-hearted under-shepherd, he longs to visit them again, once more to minister among them, that they may receive blessing, or benefit, a second time. What could be simpler, if the mind were not confused by faulty teaching, leading to one's reading his thoughts into Scripture, instead of learning from it ?

From the moment of their conversion, believers are "blessed with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ," and the Spirit is given to lead us into the good that is already ours. "All things are yours " was written, not to persons perfect in their ways, but to the very Corinthians whom we have been considering, and that before they received, through the apostle Paul, a second benefit.
H. A. I

(To be continued.)

And when He had spoken this, He saith unto him, Follow Me" ( John 21:19 ). The path to which the Lord calls is found and followed only as He is before our eyes and our heart.

Would you like to lead lost ones to Jesus ?
Lost souls who are wandering astray ?
To point them to Jesus the Saviour,
And show them the straight, narrow way ?

Do you long to tell out the sweet story
Which once you heard some one repeat ?
Which brought you to your loving Saviour,
To bow in the dust at His feet ?

He has promised rewards for the service
Of those who are faithful to Him:
To all who go forth at His bidding,
To bring the poor wanderers in.

The short time that remains may we serve Him;
For grace will soon close her bright day:
The dark night is swiftly approaching,
And soon He will call us away.

Let us live unto Him who has loved us;
Let Him be our constant delight:
While our thoughts are all centered on Jesus,
His love makes the pilgrim path bright.

Let us sow the good seed in the morning;
At evening withhold not our hand;
And may we be always found ready
To go at the Master's command.

Let us not meet our Lord empty-handed:
Some soul we may each seek to win:
All praise will to Jesus be given,
All honor and glory to Him.

S. P. S.

(Concluded.)

THE DOXOLOGY.

"But to Him that is able to keep .you without stumbling, and to set [you] with exultation blameless before His glory, to the only God our Saviour, through Jesus Christ our Lord, [be] glory, majesty, might, and authority, from before the whole age, and now, and to all the ages. Amen." (Verses 24, 25.)

What a paean of holy exultation with which to close a letter which has drawn so dark a picture of the dangers besetting the path of the man of faith! God lives and reigns. His power is limitless. His grace is boundless. His glory and majesty shall to all eternity remain unsmirched by all the evil thoughts and ways of ungrateful and insensate men. It is for the Christian to pillow his head upon these blessed and soul-inspiring truths, and thus rise above all discouragement, and so go on in holy confidence to more than conquer!

"Unto Him that is able-." This is what gives new strength to the wearied warrior. Weak and helpless in himself, he looks up in faith to One who is able, and thus out of weakness is made strong.

Let the difficulties of the path be what they may -however thickly strewn with gins and snares of Satanic device-God is able to keep the trusting soul without stumbling. David knew this when he' sang, "Yea, though I walk through the vale of death's shadow, I will fear no evil:for Thou art with me." This is enough for faith in the darkest and most trying hour. I may not see a step before me, but He who is able sees the end from the beginning, and bids me confide in His love and wisdom, and thus implicitly trust myself to His guidance.

No believer would question the power of God to keep him five minutes without stumbling. But He who can keep for five minutes can keep for sixty; and He who can keep for an hour can keep for twenty-four; and He who can keep for one day can keep all the days if the eye and heart be fixed upon Himself. For this very purpose our Lord Jesus Christ has been "separated from sinners," with whom He once walked in grace, the undefiled and undefilable Man on earth. He prayed, "For their sakes I sanctify Myself [or set Myself apart], that they also might be sanctified through the truth." Thus He became in heavenly glory the object for His people's hearts, that, daily living "looking off unto Jesus," they might be kept from stumbling.

And as He has all needed stores of grace for the pilgrim path, so the end is sure. He is able "to set you with exultation blameless before His glory." There shall be no failure here:God has predestinated every believer to be conformed to the image of His Son. To this end Christ, who loved the Church, and gave Himself for it, is now engaged in its sanctification and daily cleansing by water-washing of the Word, that He might present it to Himself a glorious Church, not having spot or wrinkle, or any such thing. Then shall the Eve of the last Adam be manifested in the same glory with Himself; and all because God is able! Blessed, heart-refreshing, and soul-uplifting truths are these.

In verse 25 the Authorized Version ascribes adoration and praise to "the only wise God our Saviour." The Revised Version, and all later translations, omit the word "wise," as unsupported by the better authorities. But granting it to be an interpolation made inadvertently, or otherwise, by some pious scribe, how it tells the effect that the transcribing of this epistle had on this unknown soul! Contemplating it, his heart was filled, and he cried in hallowed ecstasy, "This God is the only wise God." It is indeed " He that is perfect in wisdom" with whom we have to do, who will never call back His word. He is indeed the only God, for all others are but the imaginings of men's minds. Nor is it as the Judge he views Him, but with purged conscience worships before the mercy-seat as he owns Him as our Saviour-God;' for He it was who so loved the world as to give His only begotten Son that we might live through Him.

Thus all blessing flows down to us from the heart of God "through Jesus Christ our Lord," in whose peerless name we return our feeble praises, and through whom will be manifested that to our Saviour-God belong all glory, majesty, might and authority, from before the age-times, in the present (despite the jarring note of sin), and through all the ages to come, when the full results of the Cross will be displayed in "a new heaven and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness."

For this Christ Jesus gave Himself when He died to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself. Thus He became the Lamb of God who beareth away the sin of the world. Not yet do we see this fully accomplished, for the trail of the serpent still mars God's fair creation; but His eternal purpose is working out; and when all the ages of time have run their course, the last remains of sin will be banished to the lake of fire, and the sinless ages of eternity will have been ushered in. Then shall God be all and in all forevermore, and none dispute His authority or seek to detract from His glory again.

"Amen" swells up from every believer's breast, and faith looks on with blest anticipation to the accomplishment of all His good promise. This affirmative word is, in the succeeding book (the Revelation), used by the Son of God as one of His own names, or titles. "These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God" (Rev. 3:14). He is, in His own character, the affirmation of all God's plans and ways. Through Him all shall end in perfection, and thus all glory, majesty and dominion be ascribed to the God of all grace while endless ages roll on to infinity. Amen and Amen. H. A. I.

(No. 2.)

(Continued from page 106.)

Let us again note the importance of distinguishing the two phases of prophecy:1st, the present application of the Word to men; ad, its relation to the future. With the completion of the word of God which the New Testament gives us, this last aspect ceased, and we are not now to expect any new revelations. The New Testament completes the prophetic scriptures, as also all Scripture (Col. i:25). If this is seen, the fallacy of all new revelations will be discerned.* *The "Book of Mormon," for instance; and Mrs. White's, of the Seventh-day Adventists.*

There is no need now of prophets as of old to open up, to make known, the future; for the whole purpose of God has been given, and the word of God now in our possession is the believer's prophetic chart to guide him unto the end.

The other aspect of prophecy, however, abides, presenting the mind and will of God to His people; and that not from any new revelation proffered, but the bringing out from the word of God needed truth according to the condition of God's people. This is a ministry always needed; especially so, we might say, at the present time-the close of the present dispensation. This form of prophecy was part of the ministry of prophets in the Old Testament-a very large part; but with them it was associated with new revelations, because Scripture was not then completed. With us, seeing the Word is completed, it is a ministry of bringing home, out of that Word, to the heart and conscience of the people of God, that all may feel the power of the truth, and be practically sanctified by it. If the isth, i3th and i4th chapters of 1st Corinthians are carefully read, the place of this ministry will be clearly seen; and they who prophesy now, whether in the assembly of God's people or otherwise, will be those who bring home to the hearts of His people the mind of God from the suited portion of His Word for present "edification, exhortation, or comfort."

Would that we felt and realized now the need of such a ministry, as the apostle pressed it upon the assembly at Corinth, in i Cor. 14! May there be among us everywhere a revival of this much-needed ministry of prophecy, a ministry that will keep the mind of God before us, so as to preserve us from the influences which prevail at the present time. Evil doctrines abound and multiply in seductive forms to seduce the weak and those young in the faith, and the ministry of the word of God alone can build up and fortify them against the rising tide. Worldliness in a multitude of forms is seeking to press in to the destruction of piety; and that not only here and there, but in many places. To check this and reprove it with such ministry, how necessary! When this is neglected, little by little forms of teaching neither wholesome nor edifying are liable to develop. If the neglect continues, the Christian standard of walk is lowered, worldly associations are formed, and the words of the prophet may be applied, " Woe to them that are at ease in Zion " (Amos 6:1). May there not be many gatherings of the Lord's people which bear this characteristic mark ? Where this is true the world comes in, and devotion and spirituality depart. Does not another prophet's message then apply:"Woe to them that go down to Egypt for help?" (Isa. 31:1:)

"Follow after love, and desire spiritual gifts, but rather that ye may prophesy" (i Cor. 14:i) are the apostle's opening words in this chapter, which throw so much light on the need and use of this ministry in the assembly.* *This ministry is not confined to those wholly devoted to the Lord's work, as this whole chapter shows, but a ministry urged upon the local assembly-"For ye may all prophesy."* Evangelists may preach the gospel and sinners be saved; teachers may expound the Word, and many be enlightened-and these gifts have their God-given place, for which we can be truly thankful-yet they can never supply the ministry of prophecy.* *That is, those merely evangelists or teachers ; but au evangelist or teacher may also prophesy, as Paul, who was evangelist, pastor, teacher, etc.; yet prophecy is not distinctly the work of an evangelist or of a teacher.*

For a gathering of God's people to maintain a true Christian testimony, there is need of more than the evangelist, more than the teacher. The Word must not only be preached and taught; it needs also to be applied; and this is prophesying. This ministry appeals especially to the conscience; so much so that unbelievers coming in are searched by it:"If all prophesy, and there come in one that believeth not, or one unlearned, he is convinced of all, he is judged of all:and thus are the secrets of his heart made manifest; and so falling down on his face he will worship God, and report that God is in you of a truth" (i Cor. 14:24, 25).

Oh for a revival of the ministry of prophecy in the power of the Holy Spirit among us everywhere, so that the standard of true spirituality of life and heart may be on a higher plane, and freshness and devotedness take the place of indifference and worldliness. We need the exercise as individuals-prayerful exercise of heart as to what first pleases the Lord Jesus, the Holy and the True; then, by those thus exercised, both men and women, private prophesying from house to house, between individual and individual (Acts 21:8, 9; i Cor. n:5):in the assembly, by men only (i Cor. 14:23-40).

"Wherefore, brethren, covet (desire) to prophesy;" "For ye may all prophesy one by one, that all may learn, and all may be comforted"-encouraged (vers. 31, 39). A. E. B.

The Path, and the Glory.

Jesus my Saviour,
Be with me every hour
In joy or sorrow
Be Thou my present power.
And, whether dark or bright
May be the coming morrow,
I would still be in the path of faith, with Thee.

Time quickly passeth,
I see in all around me
Signs of Thy coming
While evil doth surround me.
I'll hail Thee with delight,
Then I shall cease my roaming
And Thy glory will be my joy eternally.

Yet, should it please Thee
To close mine eyes in slumber,
Ere thou shalt come Lord
My days on earth to number,
I know that through thy grace
I'll find a welcome home Lord,
With the loved ones, who are waiting there with Thee.

Be Thou my portion,
Whatever may befall me.
And should I stray Lord,
Oh let Thy love recall me.
There is no love like Thine,
I prove it every day Lord,
'Tis my solace, till I reach Thy home of love.

When I look backward,
Thy cross looms up before me-
Where, I confess Lord
I saw Thy hidden glory,
Which lightens all the goal
Toward which my feet now press Lord.
May its brightness fill my heart still more and more.

Ah, well Thou knowest
The path and all its sorrow,
Teach me each day Lord,
To trust, and not to borrow
The cares that weigh me down,
But follow in the way Lord
Which Thy footsteps have marked out, in love for me.

Earth hath no power
To break the bands that hold me
To Thee forever,
Since all Thy love Thou'st told me.
'Tis stronger e'en than death.
And none I know can sever
Thy redeemed one from Thy heart, in life, or death.

When I behold Thee
In all Thy grace and glory,
And there before Thee
Retrace life's path and story,
I'll know Thee as I would,
And worship and adore Thee-
For Thy patience and forbearance Lord with me.

H. McD.

Plainfield, April 1911

(Continued from page 252.)

Then, if it is a question of a larger sphere, when it might necessitate the giving up of the means of livelihood, though not necessarily, the same principles apply. When Paul would go forth from Asia into Europe, his larger and proper field as apostle of the Gentiles, we see the local church acting with the Holy Spirit (Acts 13:1-4). It is worthy of note too that he went forth from Antioch instead of Jerusalem. This is not according to the claims of tradition and clerisy. There is no such thing as a metropolitan church or bishop in the New Testament. Officialism has no place here. This has always very largely abused and overlooked the presence of the Spirit of God in the Church-a truth of transcendent importance. Man, when in his place in the Church, acts only as the Spirit leads, and as His instrument.

According to the principles of clerisy, Paul should have been sent from Jerusalem by Peter and James, who were apostles before him. The Judaizing teachers reproached him because he was not thus sent, and said, for this reason, he was not an accredited apostle. But he tells them that what they reproached him with he gloried in. He was not from James, Peter, or any other man, but from Jesus Christ and God the Father who raised Him from the dead (Gal. i:i). In Gal. i; 2 and in Acts 13, clerisy and independency in ministry are both set aside.

The general notions of ministry abroad are chiefly derived from the teachings of the word of God about the Jewish priesthood. The very idea of a pope and his clergy came from the pattern of Aaron and his priestly family; but Aaron is the type of Christ as our Great High Priest, and Aaron's family represents the Christian family, for every Christian is a priest, (i Pet. 2:5). A man born a priest in Judaism could not act as a priest until he had gone through certain forms. This was all in the hands of the priesthood, and the nation had nothing to do with it. This is all repudiated in Gal. i; 2.

God allowed Judaism to enter into the Galatian churches at the beginning so that we would not only know what the truth is, but also what it is not. He let us see what was false and foreign to it. Instead of sending Paul up to Jerusalem, God sent him into the desert. He saw James the Lord's brother once, and was with Peter for fifteen days-too short a time to take a course in theology. Nearly all Christian bodies on earth have a Jerusalem to prepare their ministers; the early Church had no such custom.

Instead of Peter giving Paul his mission and authority, he tells us he had to resist him to the face because he was giving up the truth of the gospel; and for the lack of Peter's self-styled successors having some one to continue to resist them, they have long since lost it. Let us look now at Acts 13:1-4:First, we notice that there was gift, spirituality and devotedness in the church at Antioch. (The Lord's words to Peter in Matt. 16 did not make him the first pope, but they do teach us that He valued spirituality and devotedness.) They were ministering to the Lord, and fasting (vers. i, 2). They were before God, waiting on Him, with the Holy Spirit as power and intelligence in the Church. While the whole body is not directly spoken of, yet we know from Acts 15:4 that the church was present on such occasions. This is according to the principles of i Cor. 12 and 14. The Spirit here is the one who distributes to each man severally as He wills. His manifestations are all in the Church, and of the Church, even if through a Paul or a Peter. In fact, all gift is set in the Church, and is of the Church, as to its exercise. Yet individual responsibility to the Lord is ever maintained.

The Spirit is operating in Acts 13. This is more and more seen in the book of the Acts as the history progresses-"The Holy Spirit said." Who would say He could not give the mind of God now through the written Word as well as then without it? It was because the written Word was incomplete that it had to be supplemented by this direct speaking. On this occasion His word is, "Separate Me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them." Would any say that the Spirit could not indicate, and would not indicate, to an assembly of the Lord's people now that He had called to a certain path a certain man or men? "We have first the divine call, which must in some way be repeated wherever profitable labor is to be done after this fashion." (P. W. G.) A divine call will be known to the saints. Then the church is to separate such men to the work whereunto the Spirit has called them. But this is far from the principles of clerisy. Notice it was when they ministered to the Lord and fasted that they got the mind of God.

Through God's loving care we have everything still as at the beginning-"apostles and prophets" in the completed word of God; the Holy Spirit abiding to the end; and the gifts of evangelist, pastor,
and teacher. Besides, in the sense of giving the mind of God from the written Word of God, "all may prophesy," and thus be "unto edification, exhortation, and comfort." That is, they build up, stir up, and bind up.

This assembly at Antioch was devoted, and it is the devoted individuals and companies whom God uses yet. Gift depends largely on devotedness for development. Where there is little devotedness, little gift will be manifested. Where there are devoted individuals and devoted gatherings, the work of the Lord goes forward, and men and women are raised up to do His will and carry His blessing far and near.

In verse 3 we read of more fasting and prayer, and the laying on of hands, and of their letting them go. How suitable and significant! How much trouble we get into from a lack of what we see here! Then they "laid their hands on them." This is the fellowship and identification of the church at Antioch with these two men. We should see more now of what this signifies. But who among us is to do the laying on of hands ? There is no more need now of laying hands literally on the heads of such men in order to carry out the truth in the 13th of Acts, than there is of washing the feet literally in order to carry out the truth of the 13th of John. The thing symbolized is what we want to see carried out, not the symbol itself. The point in John 13 is the washing from defilement by the water of the Word; and in Acts 13 it is the Church's fellowship and identification with the Lord's work and workmen. It means that they identify themselves with the afflictions of the gospel, and with the necessities of those whom they own as sent by the Holy Spirit to preach it. What a call there is still for devoted, spiritual, gifted, God-sent men, both for home and abroad!

Are the gatherings of the Lord's people taking up faithfully the responsibilities which are theirs in this matter ? What blessed results came from prayer, fasting, and ministering to the saints, spoken of here! They will share in eternity the rewards bestowed by the Lord on His two devoted servants. May the Lord grant us more of this in the gatherings of His people, that we may see more God-sent and God-gifted men going forth from us into His harvest! The harvest is great, and the field is the world. Go with me to that little company of the disciples in the 4th of John, and hear the speaker say again, "Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields." Then hear Him again:"The harvest is great, but the laborers are few. Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest that He will send forth laborers into His harvest."

Look on the multitude today, and see it in the same condition that it was when the disciples looked in the day of the 9th of Matthew, famished and fainting in the pursuit of that which does not satisfy because it is not true bread. It may be you will hear Him saying to you, " Go ye" (Mark 16:15). But it is one thing to see the need, and desire to help to meet it, and quite another thing to be called, fitted and sent forth in fellowship with the Lord and with the assembly to serve Him.

May the Lord bless the feeble effort to examine this subject, which is of such great importance!

Peter Van Winkle

A man may forget without having forgiven. He may also forgive in a way, and yet not forget. But God never forgets without having forgiven, and, having forgiven, He always forgets.

(Continued from page 319, Dec. No.)

(Chap. 8 :5-39.)

Having described the walk of a Christian, not exactly after the flesh, but according to the power of law, the apostle now goes on to describe his walk according to the power of the Spirit. No believer, even though he be but the merest babe in Christ, is after the flesh. One who is after the flesh is in the condition and position of the fallen first man. He is under sin and death-an unregenerate man whose heart has not been laid hold of by the grace which has come through Jesus Christ. He minds only the things of the flesh.

One who has been a victim of sin and death, but whose heart has come under the grace that is by Jesus Christ, has a renewed heart and mind. He belongs to the risen Christ, is of Him, and is no longer in the position of the fallen first man, but in the position of the risen Christ. Being in this position he is also in the condition that attaches to it, 1:e., he is "in the Spirit"-a condition in which he characteristically minds the things of the Spirit (verse 5).

Now these two conditions are essentially different. The mind of the flesh is death. The mind of the Spirit is life and peace. A condition .of death on the one hand, and a condition of life and peace on the other-two contrasted and widely differing conditions, which cannot commingle. The mind of the flesh being in its nature and essence enmity against God is intrinsically antagonistic to the expressed will of God. Law will not subject it to God. Hence it is impossible for those who are of Adam to please God. The walk according to the flesh is not suitable to Him (verses 6-8).

Plainly, then, all efforts on the part of those who are in Christ to improve or regulate the flesh are misdirected and contrary to the mind of the Spirit. This we have seen in our consideration of chap. 7. We saw there a renewed man, ignorant of his true condition according to the Spirit, endeavoring by the power of law to subject the mind of the flesh to God. It was a vain and useless effort, for if we are not in the flesh (not in that condition) why seek to improve or better a condition we are not in ? What a great deliverance it is to be set free from such a profitless conflict!

But those who are in Christ-those whose hearts the grace that is by Him has laid hold of, are not in the flesh. They belong to the risen Man-the new Head and Fountain of life and blessing. They are of Him, and the Spirit of God dwelling in them is the divine acknowledgment of it. He characterizes the condition of all those in whom He dwells. That He dwells in all believers, John 7:39; Gal. 4:4-6, and Eph. i:13-rightly translated, plainly declare. The children of faith, even the babes among them, are justified, are children of Abraham, are Christ's. Even if we should read, as it is by some claimed we should read, " Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is not of Him " instead of "none of His," the truth remains the same. The force of "not of Him" or "none of His," must be determined by the doctrine taught in chap. 5:12-21. Those who have derived life and nature from the fallen Adam are of him, they belong to him and share with him in the consequences of his disobedience. On the other hand, those who have derived life and nature from the risen Christ belong to Him, are of Him and share with Him in the consequences of His one obedience. He is the Head of the family, of the race, and all who belong to Him are of Him, and thus are sharers with Him in the position in which He is as risen; they are the sons among whom He is the First-born. Being thus sons they are given the Spirit. The indwelling Spirit is connected with being of Him,-not with deliverance from sin's power. Hence all who are in Him are in the Spirit. All His race are in Him. They are all in the Spirit. Being in the Spirit they are not in the flesh (verse 9).

But as yet we have the old mortal body. This is our present participation in the sin that came in through Adam. The body being mortal cannot be the power by which we manifest the life of Christ. It is not able to express our vital connection with Him. The Spirit indwelling us is the power for this. Righteousness having come in, having been maintained, or accomplished, the Spirit can now righteously dwell in our bodies, and doing so He effects in us the display of the life and nature of Christ. Nothing else but the effect of His activities in us is life according to the thought of God (verse 10).

But the spirit that dwells in us, in our mortal bodies, is the Spirit of Him who raised up Jesus from the dead. In taking up His abode in our mortal bodies He has thus claimed them for Christ. He is the witness of God's title to quicken them. We see thus that even the mortal body itself is delivered from the claims of death. If the Lord tarry it will die, but not as being under the claims of death. If the believer dies it is as being "put to sleep by Jesus," not as under the penalty of sin. The indwelling Spirit then is the proof of Christ's absolute and complete title to our mortal body itself. It is in His right to deliver it from the sin that dwells in it by applying the power of life to it, by quickening it, by changing it into an immortal body (verse 11).

This makes it clear how we can look for the Lord to come for us before we die. If He had not title to quicken our body with immortal life, death would be our inevitable lot before we ever could be with Him. But the mortal body of the believer belongs to Christ. He can do what he wills with His own. If He so wills it, it is His right to leave us here in the mortal body. If He wills it, He may with perfect right "put us to sleep," 1:e. take the spirit to be with Himself while the body goes to corruption. But whenever He wills to do it, it is in His right to change our body, and quicken it into an immortal body.

If now the very mortal body itself is no longer under the claim of death, but subject to the claim of Christ, then in no sense are we debtors to the flesh to live according to it (verse 12). The natural relationships which God has formed for man on earth are of course to be owned and walked in, but the believer is under no obligation to the sinful lusts which have their seat in the mortal body. The mere natural man, whether under law or not, lives according to the flesh. He is led by the fleshly passions and lusts. He is on the road to death as the penalty of sin (verse 13). But those who live through Christ, participating in His life as risen from the dead, are characteristically Spirit-led men. Through the Spirit they mortify the deeds of the body. The measure of it is doubtless never perfect in any one of us, but, with whatever defects, mortifying the deeds of the body is characteristically true of all those who are of Christ. They are in the way of life. They are already participators in eternal life. Being thus Spirit-led men, they are sons of God (verse 14). Man, the natural and fallen man, has lost his place as a son with God. The children of grace and faith are now put in the position of sons; but their sonship is the concomitant of their connection with the risen Christ; it is therefore a position of greater exaltation and dignity than the one that has been forfeited by sin.

The sons of God of Old Testament times (Gen. 6:2) had the spirit of bondage and fear. The full truth had not then come; the full measure of grace had not been given. Necessarily, therefore, they were all their life-time subject to bondage through fear of death. But now the sons of God have the Spirit of adoption, characterizing the position in which they are. In the power of that Spirit the cry, Abba, Father, is in their hearts (verse 15). Here again the measure is never perfect, even in the hearts of those with whom the sense of it is deepest, but it is a cry characteristic of every one whose heart the grace of Christ has laid hold of. By the Spirit it is instinctively in the renewed soul. The renewed spirit instinctively turns to the One from whom a new life has been derived.

With this renewed spirit, the Spirit of God allies Himself. He joins His own testimony to that of the intelligent part of the renewed man. The twofold witness is one-the one testimony confirming the other. Thus the fact of being in a relationship with God, that of a child with a Father, is fully certified to (verse 16). Our own spirits agree in declaring it. The subjects of the grace of the Cross are children of God. The race of the risen Christ have God for their Father.

But if those who are participators with Christ in His risen life are the children of God, then they are heirs-and what heirs! Heirs of God-possessors with Him of what He possesses, all things ours! But it is through Christ that we have come into this wonderful inheritance. It is as being joint-heirs with Him it is all ours. We have no claim upon it. We are absolutely without title to it save as He holds the title to it for us. But if we are joint-heirs with Him, then we share with Him the sufferings of the time of His patience, so that our glorification will also be a joint-glorification with Him (verse 17).

But if the present time is a time of suffering, of patience and endurance, we seriously err if we think of the sufferings as deserving comparison with the glory that is to be revealed to us in its own suited time (verse 18). The former are temporal; the latter is eternal. But, beside this, creation itself is not yet in its final and permanent condition. The manifestation of the sons of God will bring about a great change for it. By the will of God it was not given its permanent abiding condition. It was subjected to change and decay, to vanity. But this condition was not intended to be permanent and final. So there is before it the prospect, not only of a measure of relief from its present groanings and travail-pains, when the sons of God shall be manifested, but of full and permanent deliverance at the end, when all things will be made anew to abide forever. It is to have finally the liberty from corruption that will characterize the glory of the children of God (verses 19-21).

If creation, now in a state of decay, in earnest hope looks for a final and permanent deliverance from it, how much more must we who are of the race of the risen Christ, already possessing the Spirit (the pledge and foretaste of new creation), be in earnest longing for the glorious change that awaits us, the redemption of our bodies. It is this that will complete our salvation. How we long for it! (verses 21-25.)

Meanwhile, as we wait for the consummation of our hope, how incapable we are of measuring our present dependence. But here we realize the great value of the indwelling Spirit. He joins His help to our infirmity. Whatever sense of need there is in our souls it has been produced by the Spirit. But our sense of need is never in the full measure of the Spirit's sense of it. Hence in expressing our need to God we never do it as we ought; we always come short of the measure of the Spirit. But it is He who is working in us, and He is at work according to God. In our inability to lay hold of His full measure, so far as His mind is concerned, there is a longing with Him that is never fully expressed by us, though what we do express is by His power (verse 26).

But the God who searches our hearts knows perfectly the mind of the Spirit-what He is working in us. Our imperfect, defective utterances go up to Him, reach His ear; and, inadequate as they are as expressions of what the Spirit means, He gives them all the value of His own mind (verse 27).

Verses 28-39 are a triumph-shout which the apostle puts into the mouths of the subjects of the grace of the Cross. All things are absolutely in the hands of Him who has purposed the glory of the Man Christ Jesus, in whom He has called the joint-heirs. Nothing whatever can defeat that purpose. He has seen the end from the beginning, and determined all the steps by which to reach the end. Everything must necessarily be subservient to the eternal purpose, and work for the blessing of those marked out for participation in the image of the glorious Firstborn.

God is manifestly for (working in behalf of) the subjects of His grace. If there is nothing that is not under His mighty hand-the hand displayed in the resurrection of Christ, then there is nothing that can be against those who are of Him who died for them and is risen again. The love that spared Him not, but delivered Him to judgment and death for us, triumphs in His glorious resurrection, proclaiming the impossibility of anything being charged against the elect of God. It is God Himself who justifies, and there is none to override His judicial decrees.

He whom God has raised up from the dead as justifying those believing on Him, sits now on the very throne of God itself as Intercessor-a continuous Intercessor for the objects of His love, who live through and in Him. His ceaseless intercession is in the same love in which He assumed their judgment and death. Nothing can possibly separate them from that love which even judgment and death could not overcome-the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

How complete and glorious is the victory of the Cross! What boastings for those who are altogether the debtors of grace-the grace of Christ! How these boastings glorify Him who loved us and gave Himself for us! C. Crain

(To be continued.)

When I see the blood, I will pass over you " (Ex. la:13). There was only one place of shelter when the angel of justice, with his sword of judgment, passed through the land of Egypt:it was under the blood of the lamb.

If an Israelite had neglected to kill the lamb, and to sprinkle its blood on the side-posts and lintel of his door, nothing-no prayers, vows, or pledges; no tears, zeal, or cries for mercy-could have saved him from the sword of judgment. Even Moses and Aaron, had they neglected to sprinkle the blood on their doors, would have perished. And so will every one who does not take personal shelter under the blood of Christ. The blood of Israel's lamb sheltered them only from temporal judgment. The blood of Jesus Christ, God's Lamb, shelters from eternal judgment.

In fact, the evil thought of blending the imperfections of human merit with the sacrifice of Him who was the brightness of God's glory is shocking in the extreme, and the height of folly. The atonement of our Lord is a complete satisfaction to the demands of God's justice against sin.

There is nothing left for man to do but, in the confession of his guilt and sinfulness, to receive the great salvation as, a gift from God. "He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life:and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him " (John 3 :36). "The blood shall be to you for a token." There is nothing else that God will give for the assurance of salvation. Therefore, from first to last, our only resting-place is under the blood of Jesus, the Lamb of God's providing.

The pardon of all our sins rests upon the blood of Jesus. We are redeemed-brought back to God- by the blood of Jesus, "in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins" (Eph. i:7). We are "justified by His blood "(Rom, 5:9). We are cleansed-made meet for the eye of God-by the blood of Jesus (i John i:7). We are sanctified-set apart to God from the world-by the blood of Jesus (Heb. 13:12). We are "made nigh" to God by the blood of Jesus (Eph. 2:13). We enjoy peace with God only because peace has been made by the blood of the cross (Col. i:20), We enter the holiest, as worshipers, only by the blood of Jesus (Heb. 10:19). Our robes are made white by the blood of the Lamb (Rev. 7:14). We overcome our spiritual enemies by the blood of the Lamb (Rev. 12:11). God's testimony to all is, "Without shedding of blood is no remission" (Heb. 9:22). There is no salvation, no pardon, no hope, no life, save beneath the value and shelter of the precious all-cleansing blood of Jesus. And the song that will fill the heavens from end to end to all eternity will be this glorious anthem, "Unto Him that loves us, and has washed us from our sins in His own blood, to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen" (Rev. i:5, 6).

Such, and much more, is the infinite value of the blood of the Son of God. From Genesis to Revelation, from the beginning of the revelation of God to its close, God proclaims our eternal salvation, and the glory to which we are traveling, as due to the shedding of the blood of His beloved Son. It is His remedy for man's ruin, as it is the basis of His righteousness and the proof of His love.
D. C. Tuck