| |
| 1. | Answers to Correspondents |
| Q.-In the Gospel of John, and again in the 1st Epistle of John, the Lord Jesus is called the " only-begotten Son of God," and yet in 1 John 5:1 1 Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God: and every one that loveth him that begat loveth him also that is begotten of him. (1 John 5:1) and 18 believers are spoken of as " begotten of God," which would seem to imply that the Lord |
| 2. | Answers to Correspondents |
| 5. Q.-Why did God allow the Benjamites to destroy in one battle twenty-two thousand Israelites, and in another eighteen thousand, seeing that they were judging a great sin committed by the Benjamites, and seeing, also, that the Israelites had first asked counsel of God as to whether they should |
| 3. | Answers to Correspondents |
| Q.-Do we gather from 1 Tim. 3:15 15 But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth. (1 Timothy 3:15), that the house of God, and the church are, or ever were, identical |
| 4. | Answers to Correspondents |
| 10. Q.-Will you please explain the passage in 1 Corinthians |
| 5. | Answers to Correspondents |
| Q.-What is the difference, as to the persons referred to, between Rev. 1:5,6 5 And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, 6 And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen. (Revelation 1:5-6), and Rev. 7:14-1714 And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. 15 Therefore are they before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple: and he that sitteth on the throne shall dwell among them. 16 They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more; neither shall the sun light on them, nor any heat. 17 For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes. (Revelation 7:14-17)? F. W. |
| 6. | Answers to Correspondents |
| Q.—In Acts 20:29 29 For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock. (Acts 20:29) Paul says, " after my departure," &c., did. he here refer to his death or his leaving Ephesus; the Greek word being different to that used in 2 Tim. 4:66 For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand. (2 Timothy 4:6)? |
| 7. | Answers to Correspondents |
| 1 Cor. 3:16,17 16 Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? 17 If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are. (1 Corinthians 3:16-17), does " the temple " refer to the church in the aspect of the house or the body 7 and does "buildeth thereon " in verse 10 refer to bringing into the house, or to the Lord's Table. J. s. |
| 8. | Answers to Correspondents |
| 23. Q.-Would Col. 2:20 20 Wherefore if ye be dead with Christ from the rudiments of the world, why, as though living in the world, are ye subject to ordinances, (Colossians 2:20), justify a child absenting himself from the Lord's table because of his parents' orders not to go there, and would the same scripture justify him, in obedience to their orders, in going where evil doctrine was held or taught? Would doing things like these, |
| 9. | Answers to Correspondents |
| 26.-Q. Why is it that one speaking against the Son of man shall be forgiven, but one speaking against the Holy Ghost cannot be forgiven? (Matt. 12) Can a true believer commit this sin? |
| 10. | Answers to Correspondents |
| 27.-Q. With reference to W. Y. H.'s first question in the September number of Words of Faith, in connection with a child absenting himself " from the Lord's Table because of his parent's orders not to go there," is not " This do in remembrance of me " the |
| 11. | Apostolic Fathers - Clement of Rome, The |
| Clement of Rome-quite probably spoken of in Phil. 4:3 3 And I entreat thee also, true yokefellow, help those women which labored with me in the gospel, with Clement also, and with other my fellowlaborers, whose names are in the book of life. (Philippians 4:3)-was the author of an Epistle to the, Corinthians written, it would seem, towards the close of the first century, and comprised in a list of books of scripture furnished by the Codex Alexandrinus. In this letter we find " |
| 12. | Assembly and Assemblies |
| THERE is a tendency in our minds, natural to us all and one that we cannot too sedulously seek to avoid, and that is, to go to scripture to substantiate some thought already existing in our minds, or to find in scripture the grounds on which to support a line |
| 13. | Atonement, The |
| THERE is, in John 3, a two-fold aspect of Christ presented to us, as the object of faith; through which we do not perish, but have everlasting life. As Son of man, He must be lifted up; as only-begotten Son of God, He is given by the iv |
| 14. | Atonement, The: Part 2 |
| BUT in the cross perfect righteousness against sin is displayed and exercised, and infinite love to the sinner. God is glorified in His nature, and salvation to the vilest and access to God, according to the holiness of that nature, provided for and made good, and this in the knowledge, |
| 15. | Barnabas, Epistle of |
| The Epistle of Barnabas is found in the original Greek at the end of the Codex Sinaiticus, and confessedly belongs to the early years of the second century. In the fourth chapter occur the following words, "Let us take care that we be not found as it is written, |
| 16. | Books of the Bible, The: Part 1 |
| THE Bible is the oldest book in existence, and its Greek and Hebrew manuscripts are the most ancient. The earliest portions of the Bible were written fourteen centuries and a half B.C.; thus, several centuries before: the first known of human productions-the Greek poems of Homer and Hesiod-and about a |
| 17. | Books of the Bible, The: Part 2 |
| FIRST CHRONICLES contains genealogical records of God's earthly elect people from the days of Adam till the captivity in Babylon, so that all classes of the returned remnants of Judah from their 70 years' exile might be able to verify their claims in resuming their place in the nation; the |
| 18. | Books of the Bible, The: Part 3 |
| LAMENTATIONS of Jeremiah anciently formed an appendix to the book of that prophet. The utter desolation of Judah, especially of Jerusalem, is expressed in touching strains of grief and anguish, every letter is written with a tear, and every word is the sound of a broken heart. The immediate occasion |
| 19. | Books of the Bible, The: Part 4 |
| " THE Holy Bible"—-a happily chosen title, in use for more than five hundred years——-does not contain simply the word of God, but is itself The Word of God; and its verbal or word-inspiration is a fact, not a theory nor a question of degree. (2 Tim. 3:15,16 15 And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. 16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: (2 Timothy 3:15-16); |
| 20. | Canon Not Determined by Any New Testament Writer, The |
| It does not appear from the New Testament that any of the writers held a commission to close the christian canon * neither on the one hand, Paul-as would, independently of date, be very improperly inferred from Col. 1:25 25 Whereof I am made a minister, according to the dispensation of God which is given to me for you, to fulfil the word of God; (Colossians 1:25)-nor on the other, John; though in his case |
| 21. | Christian Standing and Condition |
| A SMALL pamphlet, bearing the above title, has recently been put into circulation, having for its object, as it states, to give believers greater "accuracy of thought" on these subjects. The writer observes, "that the form in which truth is expressed must be considered," as well as the truth itself, |
| 22. | Christian Standing and Condition: Part 2 |
| AND when we come to the eight passages brought for ward in support of the term " state," we must confess to being more than astonished. In not one instance, as the simple reader would surely have expected to have found, is the word " state " represented |
| 23. | Church in a City"*, Comments on "The |
| I DESIRE to say a word or two on a recent paper in "Words= of Faith." The thought of assemblies in a city has all scripture against it. Wherever it is said of a city, it is always spoken of as one-" the assembly." This expression so used then, |
| 24. | Clement of Alexandria |
| The mention of the name of Clement of Alexandria demands a few words as to the atmosphere in which this writer lived and labored. Alexandria had been more or less from the time of Philo-contemporary with Gamaliel -a center of learning and dialectics employed upon scripture, which was compared with |
| 25. | Co-Ordination of the New Testament With the Old |
| While it is in measure correct to say, as Westcott, that not even at this period do we meet with a New Testament corresponding to the Old, we have the testimony of Justin that the " Memoirs of the Apostles " were read in the christian assemblies no less than |
| 26. | Coming of the Lord, The |
| My purpose this evening is to speak of the coming of the Lord, but not in order to prove it from scripture, but to show how it is interwoven with the whole fabric of Christian thought, so that if you take it out you rend the whole fabric to |
| 27. | Coming of the Lord, The: Part 2 - Luke 12 |
| IF you look, beloved friends, at the case of saints dying, as in 1 Thess. 4, Paul says, "I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them that are asleep,.... for if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, them also which sleep in Jesus |
| 28. | Connection Between the Old Testament and the New |
| The Old Testament gradually leads up to the New. But without the fuller revelation which the New Testament imparts, it is impossible to comprehend the purpose or meaning of the ancient " oracles of God." The scribe instructed to the kingdom of heaven brings out of his treasure things |
| 29. | Conversion, The Full Import of |
| 1TH1:9-10IT should ever be borne in mind that the Lord Himself must be the center in testimony, however blessed it is to put forth the gospel of God's grace. Here, in Thessalonica, these souls were brought out to serve the living and true God. The whole man turned to God-a |
| 30. | Cross, The |
| I SEE how, in the cross, the whole question of good and evil was brought to an issue in every way. First, it was the complete display of man's enmity against God-the contemptuous rejection, alas of God-come in love, for His love He had " hatred;" and in every detail, |
| 31. | Deliverance From the Law |
| This chapter gives us the way- in which the believer is delivered from the law, and from the state, as in the flesh, to which the law applies; together with the experience of a quickened soul, learning what the flesh is in its sinfulness and helplessness, before being |
| 32. | Extracts From Letters of J.N.D. |
| MY DEAR BROTHER, G., who told me that you are now settled in -, begged me to write you a few lines, which I do very willingly; indeed it was on my asking him for news of you that he spoke to me of you, and told me that you |
| 33. | Extracts From Letters of J.N.D. |
| DEAR BROTHER,... The Saturday meeting had for its object, that those interested in the various gatherings should have an opportunity of fellowship or consultation, so as to effect convenient action. That they bound anything is an utterly false accusation, and the way the enemy has sought to assail this meeting, |
| 34. | Extracts From Letters of J.N.D. |
| has never got out of his head local constituted order; and the unity of the body I doubt he ever really got into it. The Lord will, I trust, direct the brethren, and still more, the matter itself in L.... It may be that common action, there may not be |
| 35. | Extracts From Letters of J.N.D. |
| DEAR—, Be assured you shall have my prayers, as I am sure you will of many other saints.... It is a serious position in which you are placed, not only, as it ever is, the influence that a wife exercises on a Christian in danger (as the apostle teaches us) |
| 36. | Extracts From Letters of J.N.D |
| My DEAR BROTHER, Thank you very much for your letter and account of Ireland. I bless God with all my heart for the blessing He has given and for the part you have had in it through grace. Be assured of my unfeigned sympathy in your proposed union. Always a |
| 37. | Extracts From Letters of J.N.D. |
| MY DEAR BROTHER, I am glad to see your hand and name, and answer you at once. I object altogether to the question, What benefit does the world get from propitiation? It puts everything on a false and low ground, as if the end and only object of God's ways-leaving |
| 38. | Extracts From Letters of J.N.D. |
| DEAREST BROTHER, Thank you for your letter. I do not at present see that it is God's will. I should be with you at your meeting at 0..., though I should greatly rejoice to see the beloved brethren again. My heart is in their blessing, and I pray God with |
| 39. | Extracts From Letters of J.N.D. |
| . DEAR MR. GOVERNOR,* You will, perhaps, recollect one who went up with you in the train from E. to D., now about a year ago, or not far from it, and be surprised, perhaps, to receive a letter from him from Canada. But though I have been much occupied-as |
| 40. | Gathering to the Name of Jesus, The True Power of |
| IT is with God we have to do when we meet in the name of Jesus, and in dependence on His blessed Spirit as present among us. We may meet on this or that principle, seen as a principle, embraced as a principle, sought to be acted on |
| 41. | Glory of His Grace, The |
| ." THE dawn of day is breaking, |
| 42. | God Is Love |
| 1JO4:7THE expression, repeated over and over in verse 7 of John 4, is "love; ' and in verse 8 it is repeated again, winding up with, " God is love." |
| 43. | God With Us, God for Us, God in Us: Part 1 |
| 21 And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins. 22 Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, 23 Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us. (Matthew 1:21-23)23 And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body. (Romans 8:23)24 And he that keepeth his commandments dwelleth in him, and he in him. And hereby we know that he abideth in us, by the Spirit which he hath given us. (1 John 3:24)THESE passages are linked together naturally for all our hearts, and I may say divinely. We find in them, God with us, God for us, and God in us; lastly, we get the fullest, deepest result of all this manifestation of God in privilege-where we |
| 44. | God With Us, God for Us, God in Us: Part 2 |
| 21 And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins. 22 Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, 23 Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us. (Matthew 1:21-23)31 What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us? 32 He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things? 33 Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth. 34 Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us. (Romans 8:31-34) JON 3:24WE get one more aspect of this wonderful revelation of God to our souls in 1 John 3:2424 And he that keepeth his commandments dwelleth in him, and he in him. And hereby we know that he abideth in us, by the Spirit which he hath given us. (1 John 3:24)-" God dwelleth in us." So again in chapter 4. 12. We know the words that introduce this last passage, and what is connected with them in the |
| 45. | God's Delight in Blessing His People |
| ( Uncorrected Notes of an Address at a Fellowship Meeting.) |
| 46. | Hidden Power |
| IT is very blessed to see how God the Father, and the Son, are one all through these chapters of John as in v. 17-24, but in the opening of chapter 28. there is a remarkable thing for us to note, and that is the place of retirement the Lord |
| 47. | Hindrances to Communion and Service, A Letter on |
| Yours difficulties are, I doubt not, the difficulties of many a dear child of God, and I feel as if to point you to the word that would meet your case, would be to settle the question for myself also, for what you say, I can say too; and often |
| 48. | His Account of the Canon |
| Origen applied to the Christian books, in their collected form, the title of "New Covenant" (or Testament), as on his De Princ. iv. 1. He has spoken of the doubts that some had as to the Epistles of James, Second Peter, Second and Third John and Jude, besides as to |
| 49. | Historical Basis and Integrity of the New Testament, The: Part 1 |
| No Christian, if asked what were the most momentous and fruitful pursuit for those that apply their hearts to seek out wisdom, would hesitate in his answer: there is, there can be, nothing like the study of the New Testament. In these writings we meet with a complete revelation |
| 50. | Historical Basis and Integrity of the New Testament, The: Part 2 |
| BIBLICAL EVIDENCE OF AN EARLY, THOUGH PARTIAL, COLLECTION OF NEW TESTAMENT SCRIPTURES. |
| 51. | How Do You Worship? |
| JON 12:1-11:SHE came not to hear a sermon, although the first of 'Teachers was there; to sit at His feet and hear His word (Luke 10:39 39 And she had a sister called Mary, which also sat at Jesus' feet, and heard his word. (Luke 10:39)) was not her purpose now, blessed as that was in its proper place. She came not to make her requests known to Him. |
| 52. | In Africa |
| In Africa some Numidian bishops had refused to acknowledge the appointment of Caecilian to the see of Carthage upon the ground, amongst others, that he had been ordained by a " traditor," or one who had betrayed the holy scriptures. Donatus headed the malcontents, who took their name as a |
| 53. | In Palestine |
| Not so, however, in Palestine. Eusebius was in that land at the time of the persecution: he has related scenes he beheld. (Eccl. Hist. bk.8.) He would of course "Bible in the Church," p. 144. |
| 54. | Interval Between the Close of the Old Testament Canon and the Period of the Evangelists |
| But there is a long interval between the time of Nehemiah, when Malachi wrote his prophecy, and the appearance of John the Baptist. It is necessary to inquire into the history of this intermediate period, rightly to understand the state of things in Palestine at the time to which the |
| 55. | Irenieus |
| Irenus, born in Asia Minor about A.D. 140, received christian instruction in youth from Polycarp. Later on he made his home in the West, and was bishop of Lyons from A.D. 177 to 202. He was the author of a treatise against heresies, which has come down to us in |
| 56. | Its Objective Side |
| There is, however, a very deep interest attached to viewing the truth of God objectively, as having an historical basis; for facts, whether divinely communicated or gathered in a merely human way, are objective before they can be subjective; that is, they have a value and an importance entirely |
| 57. | John 1, Remarks Upon |
| IN this chapter " the disciple whom Jesus loved " has furnished us with a collection of the personal names and titles of Christ-magnificent in their grandeur, of vast range and extent, stretching from eternity (the Word) to the kingdom (Son of man), and so comprehensive that every personal glory |
| 58. | Jottings of a Lecture |
| ON Luke 12:31-53 31 But rather seek ye the kingdom of God; and all these things shall be added unto you. 32 Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom. 33 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. 34 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. 35 Let your loins be girded about, and your lights burning; 36 And ye yourselves like unto men that wait for their lord, when he will return from the wedding; that when he cometh and knocketh, they may open unto him immediately. 37 Blessed are those servants, whom the lord when he cometh shall find watching: verily I say unto you, that he shall gird himself, and make them to sit down to meat, and will come forth and serve them. 38 And if he shall come in the second watch, or come in the third watch, and find them so, blessed are those servants. 39 And this know, that if the goodman of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched, and not have suffered his house to be broken through. 40 Be ye therefore ready also: for the Son of man cometh at an hour when ye think not. 41 Then Peter said unto him, Lord, speakest thou this parable unto us, or even to all? 42 And the Lord said, Who then is that faithful and wise steward, whom his lord shall make ruler over his household, to give them their portion of meat in due season? 43 Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing. 44 Of a truth I say unto you, that he will make him ruler over all that he hath. 45 But and if that servant say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming; and shall begin to beat the menservants and maidens, and to eat and drink, and to be drunken; 46 The lord of that servant will come in a day when he looketh not for him, and at an hour when he is not aware, and will cut him in sunder, and will appoint him his portion with the unbelievers. 47 And that servant, which knew his lord's will, and prepared not himself, neither did according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes. 48 But he that knew not, and did commit things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few stripes. For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required: and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more. 49 I am come to send fire on the earth; and what will I, if it be already kindled? 50 But I have a baptism to be baptized with; and how am I straitened till it be accomplished! 51 Suppose ye that I am come to give peace on earth? I tell you, Nay; but rather division: 52 For from henceforth there shall be five in one house divided, three against two, and two against three. 53 The father shall be divided against the son, and the son against the father; the mother against the daughter, and the daughter against the mother; the mother in law against her daughter in law, and the daughter in law against her mother in law. (Luke 12:31-53). |
| 59. | Just Shall Live by Faith, The: Part 1 |
| THIS chapter has a character peculiarly its own, and very different to that of any of those which precede and follow it. Its keynote, so to speak, is the statement made at the close of the previous chapter, "The just shall live by faith;" on which, as it were, |
| 60. | Just Shall Live by Faith, The: Part 2 |
| (Continued from page 35.) |
| 61. | Just Shall Live by Faith, The: Part 3 |
| BEFORE passing on let us look again at verse 13, because it has often struck me what a different thing death is to believers now to what it was to the Old Testament saints. " These all died in faith, not having received the promises." A blessed thing |
| 62. | Justin Martyr |
| With Justin Martyr, who died about A.D. 165, we are near the time when written records definitely replace' tradition. The Memoirs of the Apostles, to which Justin refers as "called Gospels," and the sources of his facts, there now seems no reason to doubt were the Four Gospels which |
| 63. | Life and the Spirit |
| " LIFE and the Spirit " has been sent me, and I am concerned about it chiefly for the author's sake. For though it tends to hinder unestablished souls in getting into their true christian place, God may use this, as He does every hindrance, only to deepen the exercise |
| 64. | Many as I Love I Rebuke and Chasten, As |
| IT is still true, "As many as I love I rebuke and chasten." You may be quite sure you needed all you have passed through, for He loved you too well to let you suffer more than needful, or less than was for your good. When we |
| 65. | Mark, The Gospel by |
| MAR 41. MARK, otherwise known as "John (Jewish name), whose surname was Mark" (Roman name) was probably converted by Peter. (1 Peter 5:13 13 The church that is at Babylon, elected together with you, saluteth you; and so doth Marcus my son. (1 Peter 5:13).) The Latin name soon superseded the Jewish one, for in the Epistles he is spoken of as " Mark" only. He was cousin to |
| 66. | Martyrdom and Rest |
| IT is pretty well known now to believers that Psa. 69 gives us the sufferings of Christ from man-as one might so say, as a martyr,.-and it is important to be distinct as to this. He came to the earth, and He was a Witness for God |
| 67. | Ministry of the Gospel, The Character of the |
| NOTES OF A. LECTURE ON 2 Cor. 4:5 5 For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus' sake. (2 Corinthians 4:5). |
| 68. | My God, My God, Why Hast Thou Forsaken Me? |
| WE never find such a thought in scripture as the Father's wrath being on the Son of His love. The great force to me of Psa. 22 is this: that the Son of man did not forsake, or forget to vindicate God's [Elohim's] glory, just when |
| 69. | New Creation, A Thought or Two on the |
| THE death of the Lord Jesus was at the end of the old creation. In resurrection we see Him as the beginning or foundation of the new. (* From an unpublished MS.) |
| 70. | New Creation and the Ministry, The |
| 2CO5:14ONE can only say that such a scripture as this, and such a record of the devotedness and self-surrender of the ministry of those days, makes us look very small, if, on the other hand, it makes us great, by the place in which it sets us; but it is |
| 71. | Oh Woman, Great Is Thy Faith |
| He bath come from fair Gennesaret, |
| 72. | Pilgrim's Rest, The |
| OH the rest that awaits the loved ones below, |
| 73. | Praise of Men, A Weighty Word on the |
| My Dear Friend and Brother in Jesus Christ |
| 74. | Rest, The Secret of |
| THERE was one man whom men would not have; that man was standing, as Son of the Father, in the light, with the consciousness of the Father's eye brightly beaming on Him, and that man said, " Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I |
| 75. | Sacrifices of God Are a Broken Spirit, The |
| I FIND Lev. 26:40-45 40 If they shall confess their iniquity, and the iniquity of their fathers, with their trespass which they trespassed against me, and that also they have walked contrary unto me; 41 And that I also have walked contrary unto them, and have brought them into the land of their enemies; if then their uncircumcised hearts be humbled, and they then accept of the punishment of their iniquity: 42 Then will I remember my covenant with Jacob, and also my covenant with Isaac, and also my covenant with Abraham will I remember; and I will remember the land. 43 The land also shall be left of them, and shall enjoy her sabbaths, while she lieth desolate without them: and they shall accept of the punishment of their iniquity: because, even because they despised my judgments, and because their soul abhorred my statutes. 44 And yet for all that, when they be in the land of their enemies, I will not cast them away, neither will I abhor them, to destroy them utterly, and to break my covenant with them: for I am the Lord their God. 45 But I will for their sakes remember the covenant of their ancestors, whom I brought forth out of the land of Egypt in the sight of the heathen, that I might be their God: I am the Lord. (Leviticus 26:40-45) most blessed in this day. Mark well the 41st verse-if they be " humbled" and accept it." Note, too, Deut. 30:1-201 And it shall come to pass, when all these things are come upon thee, the blessing and the curse, which I have set before thee, and thou shalt call them to mind among all the nations, whither the Lord thy God hath driven thee, 2 And shalt return unto the Lord thy God, and shalt obey his voice according to all that I command thee this day, thou and thy children, with all thine heart, and with all thy soul; 3 That then the Lord thy God will turn thy captivity, and have compassion upon thee, and will return and gather thee from all the nations, whither the Lord thy God hath scattered thee. 4 If any of thine be driven out unto the outmost parts of heaven, from thence will the Lord thy God gather thee, and from thence will he fetch thee: 5 And the Lord thy God will bring thee into the land which thy fathers possessed, and thou shalt possess it; and he will do thee good, and multiply thee above thy fathers. 6 And the Lord thy God will circumcise thine heart, and the heart of thy seed, to love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, that thou mayest live. 7 And the Lord thy God will put all these curses upon thine enemies, and on them that hate thee, which persecuted thee. 8 And thou shalt return and obey the voice of the Lord, and do all his commandments which I command thee this day. 9 And the Lord thy God will make thee plenteous in every work of thine hand, in the fruit of thy body, and in the fruit of thy cattle, and in the fruit of thy land, for good: for the Lord will again rejoice over thee for good, as he rejoiced over thy fathers: 10 If thou shalt hearken unto the voice of the Lord thy God, to keep his commandments and his statutes which are written in this book of the law, and if thou turn unto the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul. 11 For this commandment which I command thee this day, it is not hidden from thee, neither is it far off. 12 It is not in heaven, that thou shouldest say, Who shall go up for us to heaven, and bring it unto us, that we may hear it, and do it? 13 Neither is it beyond the sea, that thou shouldest say, Who shall go over the sea for us, and bring it unto us, that we may hear it, and do it? 14 But the word is very nigh unto thee, in thy mouth, and in thy heart, that thou mayest do it. 15 See, I have set before thee this day life and good, and death and evil; 16 In that I command thee this day to love the Lord thy God, to walk in his ways, and to keep his commandments and his statutes and his judgments, that thou mayest live and multiply: and the Lord thy God shall bless thee in the land whither thou goest to possess it. 17 But if thine heart turn away, so that thou wilt not hear, but shalt be drawn away, and worship other gods, and serve them; 18 I denounce unto you this day, that ye shall surely perish, and that ye shall not prolong your days upon the land, whither thou passest over Jordan to go to possess it. 19 I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live: 20 That thou mayest love the Lord thy God, and that thou mayest obey his voice, and that thou mayest cleave unto him: for he is thy life, and the length of thy days: that thou mayest dwell in the land which the Lord sware unto thy fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give them. (Deuteronomy 30:1-20); and again 1 Sam. 12, especially verses 19-25. |
| 76. | Shepherd's Voice, and Over the River, The |
| 27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: 28 And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. 29 My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand. 30 I and my Father are one. 31 Then the Jews took up stones again to stone him. 32 Jesus answered them, Many good works have I showed you from my Father; for which of those works do ye stone me? 33 The Jews answered him, saying, For a good work we stone thee not; but for blasphemy; and because that thou, being a man, makest thyself God. 34 Jesus answered them, Is it not written in your law, I said, Ye are gods? 35 If he called them gods, unto whom the word of God came, and the scripture cannot be broken; 36 Say ye of him, whom the Father hath sanctified, and sent into the world, Thou blasphemest; because I said, I am the Son of God? 37 If I do not the works of my Father, believe me not. 38 But if I do, though ye believe not me, believe the works: that ye may know, and believe, that the Father is in me, and I in him. 39 Therefore they sought again to take him: but he escaped out of their hand, 40 And went away again beyond Jordan into the place where John at first baptized; and there he abode. 41 And many resorted unto him, and said, John did no miracle: but all things that John spake of this man were true. 42 And many believed on him there. (John 10:27-42)IT is the last portion of this chapter that I just want to lay before you: " They sought again to take him; but he escaped out of their hands, and went away again beyond Jordan, into the place where John at first baptized, and there he abode." And |
| 77. | Spiritual Intelligence and Devotedness |
| JON 12:1-3 38 Now it came to pass, as they went, that he entered into a certain village: and a certain woman named Martha received him into her house. 39 And she had a sister called Mary, which also sat at Jesus' feet, and heard his word. 40 But Martha was cumbered about much serving, and came to him, and said, Lord, dost thou not care that my sister hath left me to serve alone? bid her therefore that she help me. 41 And Jesus answered and said unto her, Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things: 42 But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her. (Luke 10:38-42)LET us look a little into the history of this remarkable woman. What was it she had that filled the house? No doubt it prefigured the Holy Ghost-but what was it? It was something that came from herself-it was reckoned to her, and she filled the house with |
| 78. | Supernatural Religion |
| In the year 1874 a work issued from the English press impugning the foundation upon which our Gospels rest; this, Christians have been accustomed to believe, was laid in the first century of our era. Learning, dissociated from accuracy, has been employed with practiced ability by the anonymous writer of |
| 79. | Tertullian |
| Contemporary with both Irenmus and the Alexandrian Clement, was Tertullian of Carthage, one of the ablest of early christian writers, and deserving of the praise bestowed upon him by Westcott.* He was born about A.D. 160, and died some time before the year 240. Tertullian was a principal vindicator against |
| 80. | The " Absurd and Ungodly " Books |
| Other books, again, he called ἄτοπα καὶ δυσσεβη, absurd and ungodly, such as the Gospels of Thomas and Matthias and like heretical writings, amongst works Clem. Alex. had called ἀπόκρνφα καὶ νόθα.* |
| 81. | The " Acknowledged " Books |
| Now in a celebrated passage of the third book of his " History " he has given, as universally acknowledged, fully canonical books: the Four Gospels, the Acts, Paul's Epistles, First John, First Peter, and, with some reservation, the Apocalypse. These, it was considered, all satisfied the two conditions |
| 82. | The Alexandrian New Testament in the Third Century |
| Of the usage in the Alexandrian Church between Origen's death and the time to which the earliest remaining MSS of the New Testament (classed as Alexandrian) take us back, Westcott says: " it more and more turned in favor of the disputed books."* For the evidence of this the reader |
| 83. | The Common Belief |
| We shall place the grounds of the common belief before the reader, assured that these will gain rather than lose importance by being stated plainly and concisely,* without being careful to disguise the weak side of the argument. Is not Christ's power made perfect in weakness? E. E. W. |
| 84. | The Diocletian Persecution |
| "The persecution of Diocletian," writes Westcott, " offers singular parallel to that which Antiochus Epiphanes directed against the Jews."-I. The imperial edict, issued in A.D. 303, directed that " the churches should be razed. and the scriptures consumed with fire." (Euseb. Eccl. Hist. 8. 2.) " Both resulted in determining |
| 85. | The " Disputed " Books |
| The Epistle of James (in one place treated amongst " spurious " books), Second Peter, Second and Third John and Jude rank in his list as ἀντλεγόμενα, or " disputed," though generally recognized, semi-canonical books: they were not in the Testament (οἰκ ἐν διαθήκῃ). Second Peter, he here |
| 86. | The Grounds of Its Reception |
| The attention of christian readers in England has of late been especially called to the text and translation of the New Testament scriptures. But before believers occupy themselves with such important matters it is well for them to consider the grounds upon which the New Testament is received as the |
| 87. | The Inquiry Is More Than a Literary One |
| Care must be taken lest the consideration of this topic become nothing more than a literary inquiry. May writer and reader each seek wisdom from above, that the materials which are so plentiful be weighed in the balances of God's holy presence 1 " He giveth to all men liberally |
| 88. | The Language of the New Testament |
| Greek, we may believe, was chosen by the Holy Spirit to be the vehicle of these communications, as, through the conquests of Alexander the Great, the language most widely employed at that time, and in particular that of the so-called Hellenist Jews,* who made public use of the Septuagint, or |
| 89. | The Muratorian Fragment |
| Something like a canon is to be found in a document edited, from a manuscript now at Milan, in the last, century by Muratori; hence called the Muratorian Fragment. Its date may be put at about. A.D. 170. This venerable document enumerates all the books of our New Testament, |
| 90. | The Number of Its Books |
| The number of such books, received in the greater part of Christendom, has been twenty-seven, since the provincial Council of Carthage, A.D. 397. They have been divided roughly into historical, epistolary and prophetic.* Amongst the Epistles, First Peter and First John were early ranged with those of Paul as forming |
| 91. | The Old Latin Version of the New Testament |
| In connection with this Latin Father we may introduce the testimony of the Latin Version of the scriptures, used in his time. This was the Vetus Latina, of special interest to British students, because it was used in these islands for centuries after Jerome's version became the usual " |
| 92. | The Post-Apostolic Fathers |
| We have next to examine the evidence for the New Testament books of the ecclesiastical leaders of the second and third centuries, and in particular that of Irenwus, Clement of Alexandria and Tertullian. |
| 93. | The Prima Facie Claims of the New Testament to Reverence Within Christendom |
| In taking up this subject we would cherish, rather than at all suppress, the sentiment that becomes every student within Christendom of writings which have established themselves in the consciousness of man as none others. Every reader must be aware of the effect upon civilization of the spread of them. |
| 94. | The " Spurious " Books |
| Amongst the books he, like Origen, treated as νόθα, spurious or entirely uncanonical, are the Shepherd-which he said earlier on he had found in most of the ancient copies-the Epistle of Barnabas (in the sixth book of his " History classed with disputed books), the Apocalypse of Peter |
| 95. | The Time of Their Composition |
| Is there evidence for the usual statement that the books of the New Testament were all composed within the first century of our era? The author, or manufacturer, of " Supernatural Religion" has spent his talent in setting up the contrary, but that writer rejects evidence when it does not |
| 96. | The Titles of the Books |
| Of no New Testament book can it be said with certainty that the titles were given to them by their authors. The documents from which they are derived differ amongst themselves. Some give long, others short titles, the latter being generally the more ancient. Thus in the oldest copy, |
| 97. | Their Chronological Order |
| We can determine the chronological order of some of |
| 98. | To Me to Live is Christ |
| Phil. 1:21 21 For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. (Philippians 1:21). |
| 99. | Voice and the Ear, The |
| PSA:16JON 10THE sheep hear His voice, and they know His voice. How wonderfully simple this is, and not only establishing, but how it keeps the soul from all danger. |
| 100. | Wait |
| WHAT I would desire to note here, is the attitude that is taken up by these men, and indeed by all the disciples, on the departure of the Lord to heaven. It was a complete change to them naturally. He was taken up, and a cloud received Him out |
| 101. | Walk Worthy: Part 1 |
| IT is interesting and instructive to note the three distinct ways in which the Apostle Paul presses upon Christians that they should " walk worthy " of their christian. position. |
| 102. | Walk Worthy: Part 2 |
| IN the second case in which the believer is exhorted to " walk worthy," it is the Lord Himself that is brought exclusively before the mind. In walking worthy of our vocation in Ephesians it is, as we have seen, the position in which we are set before God |
| 103. | Walk Worthy: Part 2 |
| IN the third instance in which the believer has to " walk worthy," it is " God, who calls us to his kingdom and glory, that comes before the soul, supplying a motive to the heart for our walk, by what His grace is bringing us into. It is not |
| 104. | Wherein We Stand |
| 1 Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: 2 By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. 3 And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; 4 And patience, experience; and experience, hope: 5 And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us. 6 For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. 7 For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. 8 But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. 9 Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. 10 For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life. 11 And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement. (Romans 5:1-11)IT is very important for our souls to see where the death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ put us, and the result of it as a thing enjoyed at the present time in our souls. Well! if we attend to what scripture says, that is to say, |
| 105. | Worship, Notes of a Reading on |
| JON4SOME desire to have a definite thought as to what worship really is. First let me say that preaching the gospel and hearing a lecture are quite distinct from worship, but one thing I would remark in passing, salvation is first needed for it. |
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