IN our last paper we saw that the death of Jesus, the "Plant of Renown," terminated the period during which God sought to win back to Himself the confidence of His rebellious creatures. Man having proved fruitless even when the Son of God was on earth, God has henceforth concluded all men everywhere as both dead and lost.
A new and fresh action of His grace commenced nearly two thousand years ago—just a short time after Jesus had gone out of the world. This new period is one of pure, rich sovereign grace. That is, it is a period when God is freely and fully bestowing infinite blessings on all who believe on His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ.
This period commenced in a wonderful way. A small company of despised followers of the lowly Jesus were assembled together in an upper room in the city of Jerusalem. “Suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting; and there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them." This was the descent of the Holy Ghost, who baptizes all who believe into one Body, of which the risen and glorified Christ is the Head. All who believe are henceforth united one to the other and to Christ.
After a time, many others, besides the true believers, pretended to belong to this company of Christians, as they were soon called. The Lord Jesus had foretold, as we read in Matt. 13, that this little beginning would be like a tiny " mustard seed, which is the least of all seeds," but that, ultimately, it would grow to such proportion, that the fowls of the air would come and " lodge in the branches thereof."
At first Christians were hated and despised on every hand; they were, in fact, as the apostle Paul says, “the offscouring of all things." After not many years, however, they sought and obtained the patronage of the world, which had formerly persecuted them even unto death. Then unbelievers found their way into the company of true believers.
The mustard seed was growing into a large tree, and the fowls of the air were finding an abiding place in its branches.
This tree must be destroyed as those in connection with Israel were cut down. Let us refer to the Epistle to the Romans, where we Gentiles are compared to a wild olive tree grafted into a good one; and we are expressly warned that, if we do not continue in the goodness of God, we, too, shall be cut off. As we look through the length and breadth of Christendom, can we say that, as a mass of people, we have continued in the goodness of God? Surely not! Hence judgment on Christendom is coming, and will fall unsparingly on all who name the name of Christ with the lips, but who possess Him not in the heart.
This remarkable period, during which our lot is cast, is now hasting to a close. What will transpire afterward we hope to see in our next paper. H. N.