| |
| 1. | 1 Corinthians 14:26 |
| 1 Cor. 14:26 26 How is it then, brethren? when ye come together, every one of you hath a psalm, hath a doctrine, hath a tongue, hath a revelation, hath an interpretation. Let all things be done unto edifying. (1 Corinthians 14:26) is a witness of the principle, but of the principle abused. In the denominations from Romanism to the Ranters there might be irregularities of all kinds, but they never take such a shape as this at Corinth, because the true principle is ignored in all the |
| 2. | 1 Peter 1:10-12 |
| We have here three stages. First, the prophetic Spirit is foretelling the sufferings of Christ, and the glories that should follow; next is the accomplishment of Christ's sufferings; and then comes the Holy Ghost down from heaven to report the things that are now ministered unto us, and this according |
| 3. | 2 Timothy 1:1-2, On |
| The opening salutation of the Epistle as usual is instinct with the spirit of all that is to follow. Deep seriousness and tender affection pervades the whole. It is no longer a question of order in the house of God on the earth, when the apostle is obliged to speak |
| 4. | 2 Timothy 1:12-14, On |
| The apostle no sooner introduces himself and his appointed place in service than he names those sufferings of his which were at least as wonderful as his labors. |
| 5. | 2 Timothy 1:15-18, On |
| There is more, however, than hardship or suffering to be faced in the testimony of our Lord and no one proved it more than the apostle. To be persecuted by foes may be bitter, though glorious for His sake Who really entails it as the world now is. But what |
| 6. | 2 Timothy 1:3-7, On |
| It is interesting to note how often in the last words of an old man one hears the recall of earlier facts in his life or recollections. Inspiration does not set this aside. The apostle speaks now of his "forefathers," as he reminds Timothy of the faithful predecessors in his |
| 7. | 2 Timothy 1:8-11, On |
| In the path of Christ the time surely comes when faith is put to the proof. It is one thing in the confidence of grace and at the summons of the truth to turn one's back on the fairest pretension opposed to His name; it is quite another to stand |
| 8. | 2 Timothy 2:1-2, On |
| In strong contrast with that desertion of the apostle which had overspread the saints of proconsular Asia is the call to Timothy with which chapter 2 opens. |
| 9. | 2 Timothy 2:14-18, On |
| Now he turns to another class of dangers, not so common, but rising from verbal disputes to profanity and impious daring and corruption of fundamental truth. Some shrink from the least consideration of such snares; but nothing is gained by shrinking from what we ought to face, if our delight |
| 10. | 2 Timothy 2:19-22, On |
| The truth cannot be undermined without the most withering consequences, both morally and ecclesiastically. It: is not only communion interrupted between Christ and His own, but divergence from and opposition to His mind, more or less distinctly. Those who undermine may be of course themselves deceived; they may flatter themselves |
| 11. | 2 Timothy 2:23-26, On |
| From instruction on a large scale so impressive and opportune from that time and ever after, the apostle returns to exhortations of a more personal kind which none the less abide in all their value. |
| 12. | 2 Timothy 2:3-6, On |
| The apostle now resumes what is rather personal than relative, though he gradually enlarges into what is comprehensive as well as of the deepest importance for the servants of Christ. |
| 13. | 2 Timothy 2:7-13, On |
| The bearing of that which the apostle had just inculcated was of deep meaning and great value, but by no means obvious. Hence it would appear he adds, "Apprehend what I say; for the Lord shall give thee understanding in all things" (ver. 7). Such is the true text, not |
| 14. | 2 Timothy 3:1, On |
| The word-disputes, the profane babblings, with greater impiety in the vista, the heterodoxy of some who said that the resurrection had taken place already, the great house becoming more and more characterized by vessels to dishonor, which made separation from them imperative, the foolish and uninstructed questionings which begat contentions, |
| 15. | 2 Timothy 3:10-13, On |
| From the unmasking of these various forms of evil, then germinating within the sphere of Christian profession, the apostle turns to the very different path and Walk of his fellow-laborer. |
| 16. | 2 Timothy 3:14-17, On |
| Timothy was not to be given to change. Truth remains immutable, though the most spiritual have to appropriate it increasingly: not the church, nor an apostle, but Christ is the Truth objectively, and the Spirit as inward power. That wicked men and the jugglers of imposture should shift is to |
| 17. | 2 Timothy 3:2, On |
| We have now to enter t the detailed examination of the evil characters which the apostle points out as impressing on the last days the stamp of "grievous times." The first and last words are remarkably and painfully instructive. It is Christendom which comes before us; yet those 'bearing the |
| 18. | 2 Timothy 3:3-5, On |
| We have now to examine a still more numerous lint of qualities that follow:-" Without natural affection, implacable, slanderous, uncontrolled, fierce, without love of good, traitorous, headstrong, puffed up, pleasure-loving rather than God-loving, having a form of godliness, but having denied the power thereof; and from these turn away" (ver. |
| 19. | 2 Timothy 3:6-9, On |
| That the evils of which the apostle forewarned were then at work appears yet more from the description which follows. |
| 20. | 2 Timothy 4:1-2, On |
| Having thus laid down the sacred deposit, new as well as old, in its divine authority and edifying fullness, the apostle proceeds in the beginning of this chapter to urge the earnest ministration of it with all solemnity. |
| 21. | 2 Timothy 4:14-18, On |
| From fellow-laborers gone or sent away, and the desire to have Timothy with him, the apostle turns to an open adversary and to those who forsook him in his recent hour of need. |
| 22. | 2 Timothy 4:19-22, On |
| The apostle now turns to salute some that were dear to him, whose names are familiar to us throughout the inspired history. |
| 23. | 2 Timothy 4:3-4, On |
| There is a fresh, reason which the apostle now puts forward for urgent and assiduous seal in every possible way, another grievous feature of the grievous times of the last days. |
| 24. | 2 Timothy 4:5-8, On |
| Very different from that melancholy and humiliating picture of the course of Christendom is the stand to which the apostle proceeds to exhort Timothy. |
| 25. | 2 Timothy 4:9-13, On |
| The apostle now turns to his companions in service with varied expression of feeling; and to Timothy first as one specially near to his heart. |
| 26. | 2 Timothy: Introduction, On |
| This Epistle is the admirable complement of the earlier communication. Mon have discussed largely the interval between them; but even if it were briefer than many suppose, the change of circumstances and consequently of aim, treatment, and tone is immense: yet we know, from all scripture and experience also, that |
| 27. | Abraham, Experience of |
| The experiences of the heart occupy a large place in the thoughts of Christians. It is nevertheless important always to judge them by the word of God. These experiences are the expression of the inward state of the heart, and of our relations with others, as well as of the |
| 28. | Acts 15:1-9, On |
| The Spirit of God next brings before us the first signal working of that judaizing which was destined to play a deep, wide, and permanent portion in the history of the church of God. "And certain men came down from Judea and taught the brethren, Except ye be circumcised* after |
| 29. | Acts 15:12-21, On |
| Peter had made an admirable introduction and his argument was the reflection of the grace of the Lord Jesus. It was well and worthy that the apostle of the circumcision should so speak not merely from personal experience but from the sovereign choice of. God. We can understand the effect: |
| 30. | Acts 15:22-29, On |
| It may be noticed by the way that no vote was taken, nor any equivalent measure. For it was no question of the will of man but of God, Who wrought by the Spirit to 'give holy wisdom and general concurrence. |
| 31. | Acts 15:30-41, On |
| The scene now changes to Antioch, whither the chosen envoys repair with Paul and Barnabas. |
| 32. | Acts 15:6-11, On |
| It seems evident that much was done before the council. The opposition of the judaizing party had come out fully and distinctly from the time the apostles of the Gentiles had been received by the assembly, as it had wrought since the baptism of Cornelius and his household. Naturally the |
| 33. | Acts 16:1-5, On |
| The apostle has now fully and freely entered on his fresh missionary excursion, as well as visitation of the assemblies already formed. Silas is his chosen companion, no longer Barnabas. All things work together for good in the hand of divine love; whilst governmentally each shall bear his own burden: |
| 34. | Acts 16:13-18, On |
| The gospel entered Europe apostolically with genuine simplicity. Two inspired men were among those who introduced it, an apostle, the greatest of them indeed, and a prophet not the least of them, or as he is popularly styled "the evangelist," Luke. Very likely he may have been an evangelist in |
| 35. | Acts 16:19-31, On |
| An act of such uncompromising decision as well as power roused the enemy acting On human covetousness. But it is well to note that the apostle did not act in divine energy till Satan's persistence made it a duty. |
| 36. | Acts 16:31-40, On |
| Let it be carefully weighed: the question of the jailor, the answer of the Lord's servants, was not about the sign but about the reality of salvation, soul-salvation, as Peter calls it. And this is here, as elsewhere, bound up with faith; which of all things is personal, as is |
| 37. | Acts 16:6-12, On |
| We know how universal was the field opened for the work of the gospel. Go ye into all the world, said the Master to the apostles, and preach the gospel to the whole creation. This general order which ever abides, does not however supersede the direction which the Holy Spirit |
| 38. | Acts 17:1-15, On |
| We are now brought into somewhat new circumstances. The work of the Lord goes on, the testimony varies in its character, the zeal of the laborers is the same, the results differ more or less, and so does the opposition to the enemy. |
| 39. | Acts 17:16-34, On |
| No! Athens was to be comparatively barren for the gospel: so different are the thoughts of God from those of men. Mere love of novelty, not value for truth, characterized that city once the most renowned seat of the arts, of letters, of philosophy. It was covered with idols: God |
| 40. | Acts 18:1-4, On |
| In marked distinction from Athens is the dealing of divine grace with Corinth, the wealthy capital of Achaia, the southern province of Greece under the Roman empire. Thither the apostle repaired after his brief visit to Athens: with what result the record stands, not in the inspired history alone, but |
| 41. | Acts 18:12-18, On |
| During the apostle's stay at Corinth occurred: un event which was of interest enough for the Holy Ghost to claim a place in the inspired narrative as carrying on the design of the work given to Luke for accomplishing. |
| 42. | Acts 18:19-23, On |
| Not only was Paul's head shorn in Cenchrea, and this as a vow; but we ought to gather from the subsequent history, if not from the immediate context, that it was of the Spirit to reveal the fact as important for us to observe in the account He is giving |
| 43. | Acts 18:24-28, On |
| Here is introduced an incident of importance in its bearing on the history of souls, passing out of the transition state which John the Baptist's teaching represents, into the full light of gospel. The episode indeed is two-fold; one part closing chap. 18, the other opening chap. 19, both tending |
| 44. | Acts 18:5-7, On |
| It may be added that too much has been made of the word "persuade," in rev. 4, as if it meant to induce by little and little." It is on the contrary the word by which the apostle himself expresses the preaching of the gospel to win souls in |
| 45. | Acts 18:8-11, On |
| Remarkable blessing followed the decision of the apostle, not among Gentiles only, but among the Jews themselves. |
| 46. | Acts 19:1-4, On |
| Here we have another fact of deep interest as illustrating the state of souls, not as yet favored with the apostolic or even more ordinary gospel testimony. The grace of Christ displays its elasticity in meeting them with the truth which they, needed, in order to bring them into the |
| 47. | Acts 19:13-20, On |
| But the Lord was pleased to manifest in another way, negatively indeed but effectively, what His grace delivers from in this present evil age. |
| 48. | Acts 19:21-31, On |
| Thus in Ephesus did the word of the Lord grow and prevail with might, according to the remarkable expression of Luke. Every testimony had been at full tide there; the evident power and presence of the Spirit, attested by tongues and prophesyings, bold preaching of the kingdom of God for |
| 49. | Acts 19:32-41, On |
| Each was the uproar which pervaded the crowd in, the theater at Ephesus. |
| 50. | Acts 19:5-7, On |
| It can hardly be supposed that the twelve disciples in Ephesus here brought before us had enjoyed •the teaching of Apollos, still less the help of Aquila and Priscilla, who unfolded to him the way of God more exactly. They must' have been in this case led on, as they |
| 51. | Acts 19:8-12, On |
| The rather peculiar but instructive case of the twelve disciples being given, the apostle is next seen resuming his service among the Jews at their synagogue. Compare chap. 18:19-22. He was there according to his pledge. |
| 52. | Administration of the Fullness of Times, The |
| The good pleasure of God is to unite all that is created under Christ's hand. This is His purpose for the administration of the times in which the result of all His ways shall be manifested. It will be a grand spectacle, as the result of God's ways, to see |
| 53. | Christian Character |
| The courage, patience, firmness, and zeal of a Christian, are a perfectly distinct order of character from the courage, firmness, patience, and zeal of a natural man. Self-confidence, self-glory, self-preservation, self-exaltation, are the essential principles of one; confidence in God, self-renunciation, subjection to God, glory to God, abasement of self, |
| 54. | Christian Service |
| Connect your service with nothing but God-not with any particular set of persons. You may be comforted by fellowship, and your heart refreshed; but you must work by your own individual faith and energy, without leaning on any one whatever; for if you do, you cannot be a faithful servant. |
| 55. | Church: Israel and the Gentiles, On the |
| I have read this chapter, not as professing to explain it in detail, but because it gives a summary of that which will happen at the close of this dispensation, at least the heavenly sources of these events, and the woes of the earth.* My object this evening is to |
| 56. | Church: Israel and the Gentiles, On the |
| We have remarked that, when the fall of the Jewish nation was complete, God transferred the right of government to the Gentiles; but with this difference, that this right was separated from the calling and the promise of God. In the Jews the two things were united, namely, the calling |
| 57. | Church of God, The Revealed Truth of the |
| Having read the recent (30 Dec. 1886-20 Jan. 1887) correspondence of the Bp. of Winchester and Canon Wilberforce, I have thought that a few remarks which recall the word of God on the matter in debate might be profitable. |
| 58. | Coming of the Lord Characterizes the Christian Life, The |
| I purpose to take up a subject which I feel to be deeply important-the coming of the Lord Jesus; and to take it up, not proving it as a doctrine, but showing that it was originally a substantial part of Christianity itself. The groundwork is Christ's first coming, and His |
| 59. | Coming of the Lord Characterizes the Christian Life, The |
| The Lord's coming affects all the truths of Christianity. Christ is not now on His own throne at all. He is sitting now, according to the word in Heb. 10 (and often from Psalm 110.), at God's right hand, sitting on the Father's throne, as He says |
| 60. | Deborah |
| Deborah "judged Israel in those days." This was not quite such a successor to him who was " King in Jeshurun " as we might have counted on. But the honor had passed into the hand of a woman, for Israel was out of order. Trespass had come in |
| 61. | Drawing Near to God |
| It is indeed very blessed to be enabled to tell a poor awakened sinner that in Jesus all things are ready which he needs for remission of sins, for righteousness, and for life. And it is not less blessed to be enabled to tell those who have so come to |
| 62. | Ephesians 4:11-13, Thoughts on |
| Salvation is of God. This was held out from the first. The judgment pronounced upon the serpent was in view of salvation. By sin came death, and the first appearance of death was murder. But if the first death was a murder, the first soul that left the earth went |
| 63. | Ephesians 4:11-13, Thoughts on |
| (Concluded from page 531.) |
| 64. | Faith Healing, A Letter on |
| Dear——-, |
| 65. | Faith Healing, A Letter on |
| There is added the Christian's promised part in it, "And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the first-fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves," etc. Then God's word teaches, the believer's part in pain and sorrow because of a mortal body, and, it may be, |
| 66. | Fan and the Sieve, The |
| What a separating process is needed in order twine-pare "the bread which strengtheneth man's heart! " Great indeed is the toil of preparing the ground before the husbandman can "cast in the principal wheat, and the appointed barley, and the rye, in their place." But when the harvest has rewarded |
| 67. | Fan and the Sieve, The |
| It is evident that the maintenance of such nearness to God, which is the groundwork of "righteousness and true holiness"-connected necessarily, as sure nearness is, with a new order of being which can stand and delight in such nearness to God-must be attended with many difficulties. Such a calling and |
| 68. | Fan and the Sieve, The |
| In the case of Peter also Satan was allowed to take all advantage of circumstances against the disciples of the Lord; and if he prevailed to make one traitor, he almost succeeded in doing the same with another. But Satan could not prevail, with all the power of circumstances at |
| 69. | Feasts of Jehovah: the Day of Atonement, The |
| Next, we come to a still more solemn feast, the great Day of Atonement, from verse 27: "Also on the tenth day of the seventh month there shall be a day of atonement." And it is well that we should observe how events are crowding on during this eventful month. |
| 70. | Feasts of Jehovah: the Feast of Tabernacles, The |
| Then begins the last feast in verse 34: " Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, The fifteenth day of this seventh month shall be the feast of tabernacles for seven days unto Jehovah." For seven days! It is to be remarked that we have had nothing about seven days |
| 71. | Feasts of Jehovah: the Feasts of the Future and the Feast of Trumpets, The |
| The Feasts of the Future. (Leviticus 23:23 23 And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, (Leviticus 23:23)-end.) |
| 72. | Feasts of Jehovah: the Passover and the Unleavened Bread, The |
| But now we come to another thing: God laying the foundation of it all; and mark first, He does not effect it hastily. There are many who think it would have been exceedingly good if God had at the beginning given His Son to die for sinners. Instead of this |
| 73. | Feasts of Jehovah: the Sabbath, The |
| It is my hope to bring before you, in the scripture we have entered on to-night, the whole outline of the dealings of God with His people on earth, not of course in detail, but, first, the original purpose as before God; next, the foundation which He laid in order |
| 74. | Feasts of Jehovah: the Wave Loaves or Feasts of Weeks, The |
| Next let us turn to the feast of verses 15 et seqq.: "And ye shall count unto you from the morrow after the sabbath, from the day that ye brought the sheaf of the wave-offering, seven sabbaths shall be complete." There is the peculiar expression of fullness here, such |
| 75. | Feasts of Jehovah: the Wave-Sheaf and the Wave Loaves, The |
| I have already shown the character of the sabbath, and how God introduced it in a manner altogether peculiar. He presented it at the very beginning of the feasts, though in fact its accomplishment, viewed now as a type, will be at the end. It is the great purpose to |
| 76. | First and the Second Man, The |
| As we read the opening verses of the Gospel by John, the mind instinctively recurs to the commencement of the Book of Genesis. Both speak of the beginning, the former of Him Who already existed, the latter of what was then first called into being. "In the beginning was the |
| 77. | First-begotten of the Dead, The |
| Christ in obedience subjects Himself to the last and absolute putting forth of Satan's whole power over men and in death, a power sustained too by the pronounced judgment of God. But it is with the former we have to do here, though it were nothing without this latter. But |
| 78. | Fragment: Difference Between Blessing and Giving Thanks |
| 1 Cor. 14:16, 17 16 Else when thou shalt bless with the spirit, how shall he that occupieth the room of the unlearned say Amen at thy giving of thanks, seeing he understandeth not what thou sayest? 17 For thou verily givest thanks well, but the other is not edified. (1 Corinthians 14:16-17). There is a difference between blessing and giving thanks. Blessing goes out toward, and is swallowed up with, the object of praise; while giving of thanks refers rather to the motives for gratitude in him who litters the thanks. Blessing is unlimited; while giving of |
| 79. | Fragment: Isaiah 53:11 |
| It may be well to learn that Isa. 53:11 11 He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities. (Isaiah 53:11) stands faultily in the A. V. The R. V. rightly gives " and (not " for") He shall bear their iniquities." The error here was due to "! justify " in the preceding clause, which means really as in {vi |
| 80. | Fragment: The Veil Rent |
| Christ's work being accomplished, the veil is rent, full grace goes out to the world, and those who believe have boldness to draw near into the holiest. It is no more a people without, with priests drawing a little nearer on their behalf, under the law which made nothing perfect. |
| 81. | Fullness of Time and Times |
| The believer is assured that all truth and blessing center in Christ, and that it is consequent upon what He is and has done, that the Christian is what the word of God plainly declares Him to be. No less is it so as to the glorious future of blessing |
| 82. | Fullness of Time and Times |
| The apostle Paul unfolded to the Galatians the nature and result of the " Fullness of the time." Their state in returning to the immature era of bondage demanded that they should know, not only that God had sent His Son, but that He by purchase had brought liberty for |
| 83. | Gideon |
| Gideon was not of Judah, to whom such honors had by ancient right belonged, but of Manasseh; and his family the least in Manasseh. But such an one is called away from his threshing, to bear that sword which was soon to distinguish itself as "the sword of the Lord |
| 84. | God's System of a Church |
| The origin of most of the differences in opinion which exist among the saints is secret infidelity as to the sufficiency of the provision made by God for the instruction and guidance of His people in the Scriptures. To enumerate all the evil fruits springing from this unsanctified root were |
| 85. | God's System of a Church |
| SECT. II.-Our nest position is, that this same principle is found as the basis of the most minute details of a system, appointed by God for the church, in its mode |
| 86. | Greek Tenses |
| The following extracts have been sent for a brief examination, which is appended. |
| 87. | Hormah |
| The root of sin lies very deep indeed. It is nothing less than the will of man. Hence the great defect in any mere moral judgment as to sin. Such a judgment proceeds on grounds, either of immutable principles of right and wrong, independently of the acknowledgment of God, or |
| 88. | Hormah |
| (Concluded from page 148) |
| 89. | Inspiration: To the Editor of the Bible Treasury |
| My Dear Sir, |
| 90. | Isaiah 52:13 - 53:12 |
| Until we discover the distinctness and order of the parts of any piece of writing, we are not in a position for interpreting it in detail. All careful readers of the scriptures must have found that the arrangement of the several books into chapters and verses, as adopted in the |
| 91. | Israel's Failure in the Land |
| The vain confidence of Israel in their own might was seriously rebuked at Ai; and no less was their wisdom found to be folly in the matter of Gibeon when as at Ai they forgot to seek counsel from God. Trusting to themselves, they are deceived by circumstances and make |
| 92. | Israel's Failure in the Land: Achan |
| Man being in honor abideth not. Such is the divine testimony. Failure is inherent in man. In innocence, under law, or under grace, no matter what the position, or the privilege, he has never abode therein. Failure may first be secret, in the heart, sometimes the act is hidden, but |
| 93. | Israel's Preparation for Messiah's Kingdom |
| From the call of Abram to Joshua's victories in the promised land, the great lessons of faith-separation, pilgrimage, God's patience with man, judgment of sin, resources of grace for a perverse people, the sacrifices and ordinances connected with the tabernacle, the functions of the priesthood-all, while for the people then, |
| 94. | Israel's Preparation for Messiah's Kingdom |
| As with the antediluvians, so with Israel, God, leaves not Himself without witness. Among them He called out Abel, Enoch and Noah, and now He elects Ruth, having given her a position in a family of Israel. The time was not come for a Gentile testimony independent of the ancient |
| 95. | Israel's Preparation for Messiah's Kingdom |
| Saul's first failure was not when he impatiently offered a burnt offering (1 Sam. 13:8 8 And he tarried seven days, according to the set time that Samuel had appointed: but Samuel came not to Gilgal; and the people were scattered from him. (1 Samuel 13:8), &c.). This intrusion into the priest's office was open to the eyes of all; the most untaught of the people would know that the functions of the priesthood did not pertain to royalty. The |
| 96. | Israel's Preparation for Messiah's Kingdom |
| " Ought not Christ to have suffered these things and to enter into His glory?" (Luke 24:26 26 Ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and to enter into his glory? (Luke 24:26)) Every believer knows the necessity of Christ suffering for salvation, but they were necessary for making good His Messianic, glory. He was made a little lower than the angels on account of |
| 97. | Israel's Preparation for Messiah's Kingdom |
| As the victor over Goliath David enters at once into public life. From, the humble position of shepherd he rose to be really the chief in' Israel. Saul might still be chief nominally, bat it was by David that Israel was raised from the depths of despair and fear, and |
| 98. | Israel's Preparation for Messiah's Kingdom |
| Though dimly, " as in a glass," yet surely in this scene (ch. 20.) historically so sorrowful, we have a glimpse of the coming glory, i.e., of Israel's part in it. Jonathan -confidently looks onward to David's exaltation, and the subjugation of all his enemies; and, while mistaken as |
| 99. | Israel's Preparation for Messiah's Kingdom |
| We may but briefly note the remaining events of. David's life, and those only as they prefigure the Messiah. In all there is much for profitable study, much instruction for our walk as saints. Indeed there is nothing either before law or under law that does not take the form |
| 100. | Israel's Preparation for Messiah's Kingdom |
| Up to this point David has given us a glimpse of the path trodden by Messiah when He was presented to the Jew. And the remnant that then believed in Him, separated from the nation, sharing in His rejection, but to enjoy a more blessed position, were taken out of |
| 101. | Israel's Preparation for Messiah's Kingdom |
| Dark was the day for Israel. The king, terrified by the doom pronounced upon him in the cave by the prophet, goes with its impress upon his brow into the battle, with despair in his heart and with a nerveless hand. A day whose last hour would behold him dead, |
| 102. | Israel's Preparation for the Land |
| No where does the patience and longsuffering of God appear greater than in His dealings with Israel in the wilderness. Nothing like it had ever been seen before. The antediluvian world, the cities of the plain, and Egypt bore witness to the judgment of God; the wilderness to His |
| 103. | Israel's Preparation for the Land |
| Israel numbered, and a new leader appointed, are not all the preparation needed to enter the land, for in these their responsibilities do not appear. Accordingly they are reminded of Jehovah's dealings with them since they came out of Egypt. He had led them through that great and terrible wilderness, |
| 104. | Israel's Preparation for the Land |
| Israel is exalted among the nations upon whom the terror of Jehovah is fallen. Jericho is witness that at the first report of Jehovah's wonders in Egypt, notably in the Red Sea, also to the two kings of the Amorites, their hearts did melt, and there remained no more courage |
| 105. | Israel's Preparation for the Land |
| Yet one thing more before the conflict begins. Joshua, though the most prominent in Israel is not the real Leader. The real Captain of the host is Jehovah Himself. Joshua did not know Who the man with the drawn sword was. Had he not yet learned that He Who' had |
| 106. | Jacob, Thoughts on the Experience of |
| Now let us also examine a little more closely the life and history of Jacob. |
| 107. | Jephthah |
| The son of a strange woman, Jephthah, had been disclaimed by his brethren in Israel, and cast out among the Gentiles. But this is the one whom the Lord chooses to be Israel's savior in the day of their trespass and trouble. But where is Israel's honor now? Where |
| 108. | Jonah |
| "The sign of Jonas the Prophet." |
| 109. | Jonah |
| And so the believer now. He sojourns in a judged world, but he is in the Lord his refuge, and he can there talk of salvation. He dwells in the shadow of death, but he can sing of life. The Spirit of God could enter where Jonah was, and, teach |
| 110. | Jonah |
| This, I do judge, is very striking:-God's care for the house as well as for the man. And here I may observe that the principle of the divine procedure is always the principle of the conduct of faith. As it is written, "be ye followers (imitators) of God as dear |
| 111. | Judaism and Christianity |
| The position and the character, which distinguish the servants of God, are always, and necessarily, in unison with- the principles of the relations which exist between God and men. When God only recognized certain families, the head of the family was its priest and prophet. We find examples of this |
| 112. | Judas, the Tares, and Judge Not: Correction |
| My dear Friend, |
| 113. | Just Published |
| The Doctrine of Christ, a new edition, by W. KELLY. 1 d.
Purchase and Redemption ... ....... 2 d. |
| 114. | Latter Times and Last Days |
| It is sorrowful to have to look at departures from God and His truth. It has been said of the Lord, that His soul tasted some of its bitterest grief, when He looked on the treachery of Judas; and ours should be thus affected when we think of the corruptions |
| 115. | Law and Redemption |
| Man was not treated as a sinful people when put to the test of the law, but as being under trial; and redemption is here wholly and absolutely out of place. The question was, Could righteousness be by law as a means of title to life? It was shown it |
| 116. | Lawful Use of the Law |
| To apprehend aright the place of the law is a difficult thing; because we mast be fully led by the Holy Spirit in order not to be ourselves in some sort under law, as to our feelings at least. We must have rightly seized the power of the work and |
| 117. | Lord's Prayer, The |
| I propose to examine the Lord's prayer, as briefly as is consistent with a perspicuous exposition: first, looking at it, as given most comprehensively in the Gospel of St. Matthew; next, comparing the form which St. Luke presents; and, thirdly, seeking as far as the Lord enables to gather His |
| 118. | Lord's Prayer, The |
| We must now turn for a few moments to St. Luke's report of the prayer, which differs in several respects from St. Matthew's, though both be of equal (i.e. divine) authority, and the points of distinction therefore not the slips of the evangelists, but the result of a different |
| 119. | Lord's Prayer, The |
| Having stated these points of distinction, I come now to a question of great practical importance: What was the Lord's intention in regard to the use of this prayer? The answer is involved in my first statement. I showed that, while intended for disciples, it exactly suited the condition they |
| 120. | Millennium: Setting up the Kingdom |
| In bringing these papers to a close let us take a glance at the establishment of the kingdom. And it can be but a glance, such as is afforded by the might of David and the splendor of Solomon, which are but shadows in comparison of the power and brightness |
| 121. | Ministry |
| God is the great minister. He serves all His creatures in their place and according to their order. He serves out the rain and sunshine and fruitful seasons, filling the heart with food and gladness. And when the need came, He spared not the Son of His love. |
| 122. | Miracles and Infidelity |
| I send you some remarks on the scriptural view of miracles, from which infidels and the defenders of christianity seem to me to have alike wandered. |
| 123. | Miracles and Infidelity |
| Let us have it fixed in our minds-no facts are known to reason. Thus the facts of Christ's existence in the world, or His miracles, cannot be the subject of reasoning, but of sense or testimony. All the conclusions of reasoning, or the inductions of man's mind, are founded on |
| 124. | Miracles and Infidelity |
| (Continued from page 824.) |
| 125. | Miracles and Infidelity |
| (Continued from page 842.) |
| 126. | No Fellowship With Dishonour to Christ |
| I refuse the language used 11y brethren from whom we have seceded, that we have "excommunicated them." This is not a just expression; and it produces indignation; and immediate determination in the mind to have nothing to do with people or with principles of such a bearing. It is |
| 127. | No More Conscience of Sins |
| The grace in which we stand is, that we are sons of God, and priests to God. The true worshippers, as we are taught by our Lord in the fourth chapter of St. John, are those who in the Spirit of sonship worship the Father. But there is another relation, |
| 128. | Paul a Servant of Jesus Christ |
| It is important at all times to distinguish between that which is common to the whole family of God, and that which is the special relationship which any individual may hold to the family. It will be found that what we have in common is far more extensive than what, |
| 129. | Paul a Servant of Jesus Christ |
| Now in the Second Epistle we find that the apostle's patience had been turned against himself by some, as if he was afraid to come and had boasted of an authority which he did not possess; yea, he is even held up to reproach as a vain and fickle man, |
| 130. | Paul a Servant of Jesus Christ |
| Beyond all this there was another most powerful principle at work in the soul of the apostle, and that ' was the so linking himself with God in His service, that he was not discouraged amidst the greatest trials. "And all things are of God." It was God Who first |
| 131. | Person and Deity of the Holy Ghost |
| My Dear Sir, |
| 132. | Person and Deity of the Holy Ghost |
| I would further say, that without this there would be the giving of God's glory to another. For not only is equal tumor required for the Son (John 5), but the Holy Ghost stands with the Father and the Son, as we have seen, in the work which is |
| 133. | Philadelphia and Laodicea |
| My task now is to show that the Lord Jesus had something much more definite in His mind' than the ordinary profit that one may and ought to derive from the word of God, which is written for every believer. For instance, what was written in the Epistle of James, |
| 134. | Philadelphia and Laodicea |
| It is not altogether a peculiarity of Rome to indulge in a self-assertion which enfeebles scripture; but in Rome it takes its most determined and most pronounced form. Here then, first of all, we have Jezebel: “Thou sufferest that woman, Jezebel, which calleth herself a prophetess, to teach and to |
| 135. | Philadelphia and Laodicea |
| But now we come to another thing. And if it has been shown that Thyatira affords us a prophetic picture of what would be in the Middle Ages, and Sardis of what followed the Reformation, let me ask you to weigh before God, beloved friends, what the Lord means by |
| 136. | Philadelphia and Laodicea |
| Let me tell those, if there are any here, that know what it is to be separate to Christ in every-day walk, who, without setting up to be, we Philadelphians in the reality of faith, who really and humbly are standing on that ground, not merely in name and |
| 137. | Philemon |
| There are two ways in which truth is presented to us, didactically, and in the living exhibition of it. There may indeed be a certain admiration of the character in -which truth is embodied, without perceiving that it is the truth which molds the character. But for the most part |
| 138. | Philemon |
| There is one thing more to notice in "Paul a prisoner of Jesus Christ," and that is, how his soul was led out into practical fellowship with others in like circumstances. |
| 139. | Power of Evangelising, The |
| Preaching the gospel is either a weak, strange; and contemptible thing, or the divinely given and honored means of salvation to man, unto God's glory. To preach Jesus Christ and Him crucified might appear an occupation well worthy of ridicule, were not Christ both " the power of God" and |
| 140. | Preparation for the Messiah's Kingdom |
| "Though he were Son, yet learned he obedience from the things which he suffered " (Heb. 5:8 8 Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered; (Hebrews 5:8)). Messiah's sufferings were not necessary to teach Him to obey; He was by nature obedient, for He was holy. He never walked in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stood |
| 141. | Priesthood and the Law Changed, The |
| Among the various aspects in which the Lord Jesus is presented to us, it is well oftentimes to distinguish between that which He is properly in His own person, and that which He is as constituted of. God. |
| 142. | Promises Made to Israel and the Manner of Their Accomplishment |
| Some passages of scripture upon the destiny of the Jews, which at our last meeting there was not time to quote, will terminate our sketch of historical prophecy in the history which God has given us of the future I would again remind you of that important fact, that Jewish |
| 143. | Prophetic Inquiry, Reflections on the |
| The existing circumstances of the church of God seem to call upon those who earnestly desire its welfare, not to hold back from expressing that which may, in any way, tend to the strengthening of faith and healing those divisions which, while they destroy charity and the fellowship one with |
| 144. | Prophetic Inquiry, Reflections on the |
| Now they say it does not tend to sanctification. But man is not a judge of this; he would still be sanctifying the church in his own way. I am persuaded that God never revealed anything without a sanctifying purpose for His nature is holy, His purpose holiness; and I |
| 145. | Prophetic Inquiry, Reflections Upon the |
| But, perhaps, we are passing our subject. I shall therefore next take notice, merely with this view, of a commonly current work, "The Cry from the Desert," in the hope that it may lead to a more accurate examination of scripture itself, before any of the writings of men on |
| 146. | Prophetic Inquiry, Reflections Upon the |
| " For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord," &c.; that is, that when Christ shall, come, the dead in Christ shall rise first, i.e. oἱ νεκροὶ, first, before we are caught up, and then ἡμεῖς οἱ ζπωντες οἱ περιλειπόμενοι ἁμα σὺν αὐτοῖς ἁρπαγησόμεθα. In |
| 147. | Prophetic Inquiry, Reflections Upon the |
| (Rev. 22:1 1 And he showed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb. (Revelation 22:1).8, 1.9.) |
| 148. | Prophetic Inquiry, Reflections Upon the |
| Another subject is the restoration of the Jews to their own land. The calm and judicious W. Lowth, in a day when nothing but the force of scripture influenced him, could not withhold assent from the directness of the testimonies to this. I shall advert merely to some testimonies respecting |
| 149. | Prophetic Letter, Remarks on a |
| (Published in the " Christian," Sept. 28th, 1887.) |
| 150. | Propitiation: Quetions on C.E.S.' Doctrine |
| Q. 1. Dear Mr. Editor, |
| 151. | Psalm 19 |
| 152. | Publishing |
| AUTHORSHIP OF "REMARKS ON THE PRESENT TIMES." |
| 153. | Publishing |
| Ecclesiastical English: a series of criticisms showing the O.T. Revisers' violations of the laws of the language, &c. By G. Washington Moon, &c. London: Hatchards, 187, Piccadilly. 1886. |
| 154. | Publishing |
| JUST PUBLISHED, PRICE ONE PENNY, |
| 155. | Publishing |
| JUST PUBLISHED, Pawn One PENNY, The Doctrine of Christ, a new edition, by W. KELLY. |
| 156. | Publishing |
| JUST PUBLISHED, |
| 157. | Purchase and Redemption |
| There is nothing that characterizes fallen man more than the love of change. In an unfallen state there was not even a desire for it, had it been possible. And the very reverse will characterize the rest of glory, that rest which " remaineth for the people of God." But, |
| 158. | Queen of Sheba, The |
| "The queen of the south shall rise up in the judgment with the men of this generation, and condemn theme for she came from the utmost parts of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and, behold, a greater than Solomon is here."-Luke 11:31 31 The queen of the south shall rise up in the judgment with the men of this generation, and condemn them: for she came from the utmost parts of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and, behold, a greater than Solomon is here. (Luke 11:31) |
| 159. | Righteousness of God, The |
| Man has no righteousness for God, but God has His in His grace for man, sinful and wretched man. Who can stand before the law of God? Who can say, "I have not transgressed it?" Now can a man justify himself by a law he has transgressed? "By law is |
| 160. | Safeguard Against Popery, The |
| Popery is a rest for the flesh; and in the many distractions of the day Satan- is busy in suggesting it; but in its principles really it is apostasy from the truth and church of God. Not that I think any are safe from it (though God can keep them) |
| 161. | Salvation, Instructions in the Way of |
| Both by the Right Revelation the Bp. of Truro. London: Wells, Gardner, Barton, Co. |
| 162. | School of God, The |
| " He teacheth my hands to war, and my fingers to fight," (1 Sam. 17) |
| 163. | School of God, The |
| "And David said unto Saul, I cannot go with these, for I have not proved them." David feared not to go, the Lord being with him, as Saul had said; but he could not go with these also. Faith never trusts in part to the Lord, and in part to |
| 164. | Schools of the Prophets, The |
| It was on the failure of the law, that the value of the priesthood as ordained of God became known to Israel; but, in the days of Eli, the priesthood itself became corrupted,-the priest's sons, themselves priests, being the leaders in the most flagitious practices. They ground down the people |
| 165. | Schools of the Prophets, The |
| "But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction" (2 Peter 2:1 1 But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction. (2 Peter 2:1)). They very early showed themselves, as in the |
| 166. | Scripture Imagery: a Gospel Episode |
| It is, no doubt, mischievous to pursue types too far, and calculated to weaken our estimate of the literal and historical value of scripture. Still we know from the scripture itself that many parts are to be applied most usefully in an allegorical sense, such as Paul's use of the |
| 167. | Scripture Imagery: Bethel, the Drink-Offering, Oil |
| Jacob and his family were in a very low condition at Shechem. In their objectless wanderings and settlements they had contracted a sort of " foot and month disease," a contagious ailment which attacks spiritual as well as physical sheep. There even were "strange gods" in the house, and Jacob |
| 168. | Scripture Imagery: Course of Discipline and Attainment |
| Jacob is also one of the series of representative men; he represents the course of discipline and attainment; and now the most important point of his life is reached. He arrives at Jabbok (depletion), where he indeed is depleted, humiliated and crippled; yet he prevails with God, and attains to |
| 169. | Scripture Imagery: Discipline and Attainment Jacob |
| Everyone recognizes the necessity for discipline-except perhaps for himself-in order to mature character and correct faults. " If folly were a pain," says the Spanish proverb, " there would be shrieking all over the world": it seems ingrained in human nature, and in the servants of God not less than |
| 170. | Scripture Imagery: Election of Jacob, Competition, Jacob and Esau |
| Then, in the selection of Jacob in preference to Esau, even before their birth, the great principle of the sovereignty of God is asserted. It is needful sometimes for us to be reminded that God has perfect right and power to select whom He chooses, and to reject whom He |
| 171. | Scripture Imagery: Eliezer, Rebekah, Laban |
| How far beyond the poor starveling hope of a bare and precarious salvation-which is the utmost reach of general human thought about the gospel-is the mission of Eliezer to Rebekah! He invites her to share the home, wealth, and love of Isaac, and to be taken also into the affection |
| 172. | Scripture Imagery: Jacob Banished and the Ladder |
| Besides illustrating in a general way the life of a believer under discipline-its need, operation, and result, Jacob foreshadows in his history the wanderings and final deliverance of his descendants, the nation of Israel, and, since Christ is the true Israel, of that particular aspect of the |
| 173. | Scripture Imagery: Jacob's Return |
| Laban is for a time greatly enriched by Jacob's visit, but turns out in the end ungrateful and fraudulent, seeking by violence to deprive the true servant of his rights. And that is what will happen when the earthly Christ visits the man of the world: for a thousand years |
| 174. | Scripture Imagery: Joseph |
| Joseph is a well-known type of Christ, in aspects differing from the preceding types, and chiefly in these features: he is especially beloved by his father; hated by his brethren, " hated without a cause "hated yet the more for his dreams, the righteous witness of his life and words |
| 175. | Scripture Imagery: Keturah's Family, Abraham's Death |
| Immediately after the history of the union of Isaac and Rebecca we read of some other children of Abraham by a different line: and so after the episode of the church-dispensation there will be another order of things; and, though an inferior order, yet a dispensation in which there shall |
| 176. | Scripture Imagery: Machpelah |
| There is evidently something very wrong with the world, "the foundations of the earth are out of course." It is filled with vicarious suffering-the innocent victims bearing burdens, enduring pains and laying down their lives, leaving however legacies of perennial benefits to the race. It is not only a few |
| 177. | Scripture Imagery: Rebecca, Gold, Wrought Gold, Needlework |
| No doubt the chief outward points in which Rebecca typifies the church are her having been brought from out' of the Gentiles to be the bride. of Isaac, after his (figurative) resurrection; and her being brought into Sarah's tent after the death of the latter: but the chief moral point |
| 178. | Scripture Imagery: Rebekah, Practical Reflections |
| There are two verses in the Psalm referred to of very practical and general bearing: I refer to those in which the words occur, "So shall the king greatly desire thy beauty." Surely every disciple earnestly wishes to know what the principles of conduct are which lead-in any dispensation-to such |
| 179. | Scripture Imagery: Sarah's Death, Eliezer's Mission, the Camels |
| We should in typical things be much more expecting to hear of Hagar's death (the covenant of law) than of Sarah's (the covenant of grace); but the scriptures record the death of Sarah in much detail, and make no reference to that of Hagar. The fact is that, typically, Hagar |
| 180. | Scripture Imagery: Seclusion and Fellowship |
| SECLUSION AND FELLOWSHIP. |
| 181. | Scripture Imagery: the Chief Butler and the Chief Baker |
| THE CHIEF BUTLER AND THE CHIEF BAKER. |
| 182. | Scripture Imagery: the Pillow, the Pillar and Sympathy |
| When banished Jacob comes, in weariness and darkness, to Luz, he does not find even a but to welcome him, but he finds a stone, rejected of men, waiting for him on the ground: this stone he makes a pillow of in the darkness; and when the light comes he |
| 183. | Scripture Imagery: the Stone of Bethel |
| "And this stone, said Jacob, which I have set for a pillar, shall be God's house." At first view what a crude and poverty-stricken thought this appears. Certainly David's idea of what was Suitable for the house of God was a great advance upon it; the contribution towards its construction |
| 184. | Scripture Imagery: the Three Flocks, Leah, Rachel, the Servant |
| Resuming the view of Jacob as typical of Christ in his earthly character, we find him come to the people of the East, where there are " three flocks " waiting around a well which is as yet closed. When it is " high day " he* opens the well |
| 185. | Scripture Queries and Answers |
| Q. 1. Psa. 110:1 1 <<A Psalm of David.>> The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool. (Psalm 110:1). Is this, as Mr. J. Gall conceives, the Father's " evangelistic work? " Is the Son's work "by outward judgments? " |
| 186. | Scripture Queries and Answers: Propitiation |
| Q. 1. A correspondent writes of "Recent Utterances," especially pp.40-42, as "most confusing. That is, I know less than ever what Mr. Stuart wishes to prove, as differing from former teaching; I wonder if anybody knows." |
| 187. | Scripture Queries and Answers: Romans 5:15-17 |
| Q. Rom. 5:15-17 15 But not as the offence, so also is the free gift. For if through the offence of one many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many. 16 And not as it was by one that sinned, so is the gift: for the judgment was by one to condemnation, but the free gift is of many offences unto justification. 17 For if by one man's offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.) (Romans 5:15-17). -No exposition of this passage which I have seen has appeared to me quite satisfactory. My opinion is, that every one of these verses contains a separate thought, which is fitted, by its position and progression, to magnify the grace of God. The apostle is illustrating |
| 188. | Scripture Queries and Answers: The Close of Mark |
| Q. Is the close, of Mark Ob. 16:9 to the end) authentic and genuine? |
| 189. | Scripture Queries and Answers: The Coming of the Lord |
| Q. 1. Can the Parousia (Coming in Person) of the Lord be separated from His Epiphaneia (shining upon); or from His Apokalupsis (Revelation)? |
| 190. | Scripture Queries and Answers: The Testimony of God |
| Q. What would be sufficient to deprive the assembly of the testimony of God? |
| 191. | Scripture Query and Answer on Revelation 20 |
| Q. Dear Sir, |
| 192. | Separate From His Brethren Joseph |
| JOSEPH: SEPARATE FROM HIS BRETHREN. |
| 193. | Sonship and Eternal Life |
| By creation God's "eternal power and divinity " should have been known to all men, Jews or Gentiles. In addition to this testimony, however, the Jews had the vastly more important one of the word of God, accompanied by His moral government (see Psa. 19). But God Himself was |
| 194. | Sonship and Eternal Life |
| Dear Brother in the Lord, |
| 195. | Suitability of the Evangelists and the Choice of Scene, The |
| As a preliminary to any detailed observations on the Gospels, allow me briefly to notice the wisdom of the Spirit in the choice of each workman for his work. |
| 196. | To One Dying |
| I have but few words to say to you; as what God has set before us is very simple. And thankful we ought to be that it is so. What is deepest is simplest, that is, the perfect love of God. Our difficulty is to reconcile our state, sinners as |
| 197. | Truth Which Is After Godliness, The |
| Titus 1:1 1 Paul, a servant of God, and an apostle of Jesus Christ, according to the faith of God's elect, and the acknowledging of the truth which is after godliness; (Titus 1:1). |
| 198. | What Is Succession a Succession Of? |
| I propose saying a few words on the very solemn subject of the apostacy of the dispensation, suggesting the scriptural statements concerning it, rather than making any comment. |
| 199. | Wilderness Lessons: Prophecies of Balaam |
| The third prophecy fills the cup of Israel's blessing, yea, it overflows. The imagery is earthly and is most appropriate. For their place is the earth; yet their earthly blessings supply images of blessing higher than peace and beauty. The Holy Spirit in few words gives a picture of Israel |
| 200. | Wilderness Lessons: the Flesh |
| The last properly called wilderness lesson is another instance of the incurable evil of the "flesh." Israel falls through the seductive wiles of the devil, from whose open enmity God had so graciously and wonderfully protected them. His care for them as seen in His direct and (if we may |
| 201. | Will the Church Escape the Great Tribulation? (Review) |
| As this pamphlet has been sent for a notice, it is almost enough to say that it is Newtonian prophetically, with the ignorance of the distinctively intimate as well as heavenly relationship of the church to Christ, which characterizes that school. The author mast be strangely unacquainted with "Dissenters," if |