There are many parts of our Lord's ministry greatly neglected, because they do not immediately touch the question of individual salvation. And yet these are the parts which often are found happily to settle those questions, which human wisdom, although always trying, is never able to solve. Among these questions, that of the source of power is one very much debated, and not likely to be settled by the interested disputations of man's will. Man knows what power is in the hands of his fellows, and therefore he seeks to put such limits to it as may hinder its abuse with regard to his own interests. So that really power becomes a mere conventional arrangement; men agreeing how much they will give up of their own will for the sake of their own convenience. The idea of there being such an entity as power, is hardly practically allowed. If it be allowed that irresponsible power must exist somewhere to meet man's own convenience, the question will then arise, is this in each individual, or in one only? If men do not allow that power belongeth to God, they are necessarily driven to the alternative that man's will is irresponsible. And this really is becoming the question of the day.
It would be deeply interesting as well as profitable, to trace the scriptural history of power. It is, I think, very simply as well as pointedly detailed to us; and the subject is one of deep practical importance to the steadfastness as well as godliness of the walk of the saints. There are three particulars, which, for the sake of clearness, might be noticed.
First, that the scriptures most distinctly recognize power as alone belonging to God.
Secondly, that God has delegated power directly from Himself to some individuals in the world, to be held responsibly to Him.
Thirdly, that there is power directly from God in the Church, involving also responsibility to Himself.
1. -A few short statements from scripture will be sufficient on the first point. "God hath spoken once; twice also have I heard this, that power belongeth unto God." Now in this statement, power is attributed to God, -irresponsible power, guided in its exercise only according to His will. "He giveth not account of any of his matters" (Job 33:1313Why dost thou strive against him? for he giveth not account of any of his matters. (Job 33:13)). "He doeth whatsoever pleaseth him, both in heaven and earth." Power in God necessarily implies supreme will; if there be not a supreme will, there cannot be absolute power, so that the two become necessarily connected together. He "worketh all things after the counsel of his own will." Here we have another necessary adjunct of supreme irresponsible power, -counsel to direct it aright. "Wisdom and might are his" (Dan. 2:2020Daniel answered and said, Blessed be the name of God for ever and ever: for wisdom and might are his: (Daniel 2:20)). And when it comes to actual manifestation, it is Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God.
2. -Power thus being in God alone, He has been pleased to delegate it; but in doing so, He has held those to whom He delegated it, responsible to take His will in the exercise of it for their guide, and this alone would be their wisdom. "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom." Or as we see exhibited in Jesus; perfect wisdom in man by acquiescence in the supreme will of God. -"Even so Father, for so it seemed good in thy sight" (cp. John 7:1717If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself. (John 7:17), Isa. 1). The possession of power with subjection of will, is the universal order of God, -we see it in the case of angels. -"Bless the Lord ye his angels, that excel in strength, that do his commandments, hearkening unto the voice of his word. Bless ye the Lord, all ye his hosts, ye ministers of his that do his pleasure." In God's dealings with man, the same principle has been manifested. Let us make man in our image, and our likeness, and let them have dominion. The dominion was ample, but ample as it was, limited by the will of God. His will was to be supreme over the governor he had appointed over the earth. The result we know. Man would have supreme will as well as ample dominion. He would rule in his own name "Ye shall be as Gods," -this was the temptation; and in seeking to be so, he lost the place of happy subjection and ample lordship. An antagonist will to that of God's had come in, and the earth was speedily corrupted by means of it. Oh, that men knew what real bondage and dishonor their boasted freedom of will is, -free from righteousness to be the servants of sin.
Moses had ample power delegated to him of God, so that he was as "a god to Pharaoh." And he was faithful to God in the use of it, excepting in a single instance, -he would exercise the power in his own name and not the name of God, and for this he brought on himself the wrath of God (Num. 20:10-1210And Moses and Aaron gathered the congregation together before the rock, and he said unto them, Hear now, ye rebels; must we fetch you water out of this rock? 11And Moses lifted up his hand, and with his rod he smote the rock twice: and the water came out abundantly, and the congregation drank, and their beasts also. 12And the Lord spake unto Moses and Aaron, Because ye believed me not, to sanctify me in the eyes of the children of Israel, therefore ye shall not bring this congregation into the land which I have given them. (Numbers 20:10‑12)).
God raised up David, and gave him mighty power, and his whole soul seemed to expand in ascribing his power to the source from whence it came, as may be gathered from many places in the Psalms, but is summed up in one sentence in the Chronicles. -"Thine, O Lord, is the greatness, and the power, and the glory, and the victory, and the majesty: for all that is in the heaven and in the earth is thine; thine is the kingdom, O Lord, and thou art exalted as head above all. Both riches and honor come of thee, and thou reignest over all; and in thine hand is power and might, and in thine hand it is to make great, and to give strength unto all." But David failed in owning this responsibility in the matter of numbering the people, and brought the wrath of God on himself and them. In these several instances we find power as a blessing entrusted by God to man; and when used in God's name, it is always a blessing. But man has not so used it, but for his own selfish ends; and thus power in the hands of men, has become an object of distrust and jealousy. Men have tried to limit it by restrictions of their own; but power in blessing will never be known until it is limited in its exercise, not by the will of man, but by the will of God. Men feel the necessity of power somewhere; and it is God's purpose yet to introduce His own power in full unhindered blessing, even in this earth, which has been the scene of the exercise of power in so many wrongful ways. David failed in using God's power unto God's glory and man's blessing, but David's testimony in his last words is not to fail. "The Spirit of the Lord spake by me, and his word was in my tongue. The God of Israel said, the rock of Israel spake to me, he that ruleth over men must be just, ruling in the fear of God." David knew it would not be so with his house, God would take away his power from it, and transfer it elsewhere, yet still the covenanted purpose of God would stand sure; and power limited in him that exercised it by the fear of the Lord, and acknowledged by those over whom it was exercised as of God, should be known in this earth.
To one exercised only about individual salvation, this question of power would not at all appear to be interesting; but to one desirous of being intelligent in all the thoughts of God, it will not only appear a question of deep interest, but of all importance. For various as have been the abuses of power in the world, its final apostasy is that which marks that great future corruption, the greatest that ever has been witnessed under heaven. It is difficult indeed to read the Revelation without having this solemnly pressed on the mind. However we may interpret the book, such passages as these -receive power as kings one hour with the beast -these shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them: for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings" -or again, "and I saw the beast and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against him that sat on the horse, and against his army" -clearly mark the collision of power in man, with the immediate power of God himself. Are our minds really prepared for such an awful issue as this? Now if to this be added the warnings of the Spirit by the Apostles to the saints, and the direct prophetic testimony through them unto the apostasy of power, surely it will become us to give this subject more heed, lest in any wise we be led away by the spirit of lawlessness, now so remarkably working. The Spirit saw clearly the advantage which man's will would take of God's long-suffering. Contempt cast upon the riches of God's goodness, would only lead to a more palpable manifestation of will in man. Even in the very Church this would be the great danger. "Put them in mind to be subject to principalities and powers, to obey magistrates." Yea, the distinguishing blessings of the Church which were common to all, the least as well as the greatest, might be abused, so as to leave an opening for man's will to come in, and to seek to level distinctions which God had sanctioned (1 Tim. 6:1-51Let as many servants as are under the yoke count their own masters worthy of all honor, that the name of God and his doctrine be not blasphemed. 2And they that have believing masters, let them not despise them, because they are brethren; but rather do them service, because they are faithful and beloved, partakers of the benefit. These things teach and exhort. 3If any man teach otherwise, and consent not to wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which is according to godliness; 4He is proud, knowing nothing, but doting about questions and strifes of words, whereof cometh envy, strife, railings, evil surmisings, 5Perverse disputings of men of corrupt minds, and destitute of the truth, supposing that gain is godliness: from such withdraw thyself. (1 Timothy 6:1‑5)). But when we read such plain words as "even denying the Lord that bought them"—"but chiefly them that walk after the flesh in the lust of uncleanness, and despise government. Presumptuous are they, self-willed, they are not afraid to speak evil of dignities (2 Peter 2:1-101But 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. 2And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of. 3And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you: whose judgment now of a long time lingereth not, and their damnation slumbereth not. 4For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment; 5And spared not the old world, but saved Noah the eighth person, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungodly; 6And turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrha into ashes condemned them with an overthrow, making them an ensample unto those that after should live ungodly; 7And delivered just Lot, vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked: 8(For that righteous man dwelling among them, in seeing and hearing, vexed his righteous soul from day to day with their unlawful deeds;) 9The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished: 10But chiefly them that walk after the flesh in the lust of uncleanness, and despise government. Presumptuous are they, selfwilled, they are not afraid to speak evil of dignities. (2 Peter 2:1‑10))" "Likewise also these filthy dreamers defile the flesh, despise dominion, and speak evil of dignities (Jude 88Likewise also these filthy dreamers defile the flesh, despise dominion, and speak evil of dignities. (Jude 8))" -surely we must be prepared to find that the abuse of God's grace ends in the unrestrainedness of man's will. And this worst form of corruption arises from the bosom of the Church. It is for this reason that I believe the bringing the conscience of the Church into exercise, as to the rights of Caesar and the rights of God, would be very profitable at the present time.
We have now to consider the source of the present power in the world, for its order and government. Such power was acknowledged by Jesus to be in the hands of Caesar, when Jesus was on earth, and it was acknowledged to be of God. How far Caesar might have acknowledged it of God is not the question; but the place that Jesus held, led him to the acknowledgment of God in all his ordinances.
The question of the Pharisees was framed with a subtlety which the adversary well knows to use, when he would vitiate any holy principle of God's truth. And it is because we overlook Christ as the wisdom of God moving through the varied circumstances of man, and meeting the many questions as they met him in his way, that we witness many a saint of God unwillingly surrendering some weighty principle. Satan knows that the wisdom of man cannot guide safely through this dilemma; it is the spiritual mind and obedient heart which alone can do this. -"Master, we know that thou art true, and teachest the way of God in truth; neither carest thou for any man: for thou regardest not the person of men. Is it lawful to give tribute unto Caesar or not?" But here, as on other occasions, the wise were taken in their own craftiness. The answer of the wisdom of God always goes beyond the expectation of the inquirers. He brings out the question as it really is before him. There is not a thought in our hearts but God knows it altogether; and the answer to it will be found according to the comprehensiveness of his own wisdom, and not according to the narrowness of ours. This is our wisdom ever to bring in God, whereas the wisdom of the world is to exclude God. In their minds the question was between Caesar's power and their own will. They would use Jesus against Caesar, or Caesar against Jesus, if they could only have their own wills. But subjection of will was that which Jesus came to teach, and which He so fully exhibited. There were Caesar's rights and God's rights, and both were to be respected without being confounded. Submission, implicit submission, to all the power of Caesar, limited by implicit submission to the power of God; and they were responsible for defining the limit. And here again we see the wisdom of God, in throwing the inquirers on their own responsibility. Power, wherever it is, should lead to immediate recognition of God, both in the one who exercises it and the one who submits to it; and the failure of this recognition in the one, does not relieve the other from his responsibility. The tribute money showed that Caesar had a godly claim to their subjection, and the presence of Jesus himself was at that time God's special test of submission to himself. "This is my beloved Son, hear ye him. " But they were hypocrites, -they owned God neither in Cesar nor in Jesus. And however hardened their hearts might have been, their consciences were stricken by his answer. "When they heard, they marveled, and left him and went their way. "
But not only in his doctrine, but likewise in his conduct, we find Jesus recognizing the power of Caesar as of God. When He stood before Pilate, He said to him, "thou couldest have no power against me, except it were given thee from above." Pilate knew not the source of his power: he had said, "knowest thou not that I have power to crucify thee, and have power to release thee. " But Jesus could not own power in man, except from God; and Israel too should have known power only from God, therefore their sin was greater than even that of Pilate. It was their will which was at work to destroy Jesus. Pilate who had the power, was willing to let Him go; but their voices prevailed, and 'he delivered Jesus to their will." Pilate knew not the fear of the Lord as the limit to his power, but his power was guided by popular opinion, -"the voices of them, and of the chief priests prevailed"; and the result was, the crucifying the Lord of glory.
But in no way can we more clearly see the power of God in the world, or the rights of Caesar, and the limit set by God to the power so entrusted there, than by going back to its original grant. The greatest sin that Israel (up to that moment of its history) had committed, was to ask for a king as the nations had, when the Lord was their King. He was their immediate King, Lawgiver, and Judge, and they rejected him, to have one more according to their heart (1 Sam. 7). The Lord was pleased to show them what choosing a king for themselves would lead to: nevertheless grace came in, and the Lord raised up one after his own heart, in the person of David; but the fear of the Lord in the kings of Judah and Israel soon gave place to expediency; and God who had given them a king in his anger, took him away in his wrath (Hos. 13:1111I gave thee a king in mine anger, and took him away in my wrath. (Hosea 13:11)). Israel was left without a king, and God now publicly on Israel's degradation, delegated most ample power to Nebuchadnezzar.
The 2nd, 3rd, and 4th chapters of Daniel, may be considered as the moral history of the power thus delegated -that is God's judgment as to the character of the exercise of the power, and its end in judgment. It is in fact man's thoughts and God's thoughts respecting power. In the dream which Nebuchadnezzar had, his thoughts were what should come to pass hereafter (Dan. 2:2929As for thee, O king, thy thoughts came into thy mind upon thy bed, what should come to pass hereafter: and he that revealeth secrets maketh known to thee what shall come to pass. (Daniel 2:29)), and this he is shown in the vision; the destruction of all the power and glory which he saw, -to be succeeded by a power and glory which should never be destroyed. But the point to notice in the second chapter, is the distinct announcement by God, through Daniel, of the grant of power to Nebuchadnezzar; to be continued, whatever their fortunes might be through four successive monarchies, and not to be withdrawn by God or superseded, except by a kingdom which God would set up never to be destroyed: set up on the ruin and downfall of all other power,—"it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand forever." In all the vicissitudes of the world, from Nebuchadnezzar to the present hour, this grant of power still continues, and has never been canceled. Jesus acknowledged it in Caesar, and in Caesar's officer. And it is a direction given to the Church, so long as it is militant here -"to submit to the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God." That is the important word -there is no power but of God: the power may think otherwise and forget his responsibility, but that does not relieve the saint from his responsibility of owning God in the very power which may disown God altogether. It becomes therefore a matter of conscience, for God is in question,—"Ye must needs be subject not only for wrath, but also for conscience sake." There may be obedience through fear of the consequences of disobedience from the power himself, but the subjection of the saints is on a far higher principle, it is unto God in the power. The moment God appears, he has to do with the conscience: this prerogative he has reserved to himself, and this as we shall see will set the only limit to unhesitating obedience to the power.
The grant to Nebuchadnezzar was large indeed. -"Thou, O king, art a king of kings: for the God of heaven hath given thee a kingdom, and power, and strength, and glory. And wheresoever the children of men dwell, the beasts of the field and the fowls of the heaven hath he given into thine hand, and hath made thee ruler over them all." This grant laid Nebuchadnezzar under the responsibility of acknowledging God in the exercise of his power, -this was the lesson he had to learn, and which he eventually was taught under much humbling discipline. And it laid likewise the responsibility on all, to acknowledge the power of God in Nebuchadnezzar. Daniel knew the great secret, that power belongeth unto God. "Daniel answered and said, Blessed be the name of God forever and ever; for wisdom and might are his: and he changeth the times and the seasons: he removeth kings, and setteth up kings: he giveth wisdom unto the wise, and knowledge to them that know understanding. He revealeth the deep and secret things: he knoweth what is in the darkness, and the light dwelleth with him." He now knew the power of God in Nebuchadnezzar, and was therefore placed where the maintenance of a good conscience, would be in rendering to Nebuchadnezzar the things of Nebuchadnezzar, and to God the things of God; in exercising himself to keep a conscience void of offense both toward God and toward men.
In the 3rd chapter of Daniel, we find Nebuchadnezzar forgetting his responsibility to God; and as necessarily must be the case, assuming irresponsible power and supreme will to himself. Here then we have the general statement as to the working of God's power in man's hands. Nebuchadnezzar in forgetfulness of the history of the image he had seen in the vision, as well as his responsibility to God, sets up an image of gold in the plain of Dura, and commanded all people, nations, and languages, which God had given into his hand, to worship this golden image. At the instance of Daniel, the king had set Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego, over the affairs of the province of Babylon. They were men set under authority having others under them, being themselves under Nebuchadnezzar; but this did not in any way affect their direct responsibility to God. Nebuchadnezzar must have the conscience surrendered, or they are no fit servants for him. He looks on himself as the supreme source of power, and holds his own will as supreme. This has been the way of power in the world, -those who act under it find that it acts as that from which there is no appeal; it allows not of the maintenance of individual responsibility to God. To act on such responsibility which God implicitly claims, incapacitates at once from serving under it: -"Ye cannot, says the blessed Master, serve God and Mammon"; and so Shadrach, and Meshach, and Abed-nego found, when the point of trial came. The power virtually claimed by the world, is that which admits of no appeal. Nebuchadnezzar was only in this acting over again what had taken place in Eden, -"e shall be as Gods." He would be independent himself, and have all in dependence on him; in this respect, he is the type of the last of his generation, who embodies in himself all the features of direct hostility to God. The king shall do according to his will, and shall exalt himself above every God, and shall speak marvelous things against the God of gods (Dan. 11:3636And the king shall do according to his will; and he shall exalt himself, and magnify himself above every god, and shall speak marvellous things against the God of gods, and shall prosper till the indignation be accomplished: for that that is determined shall be done. (Daniel 11:36)): the direct contrast of God's king -the one who is just, ruling in the fear of the Lord. The Chaldeans came and said, "There are certain Jews, whom thou hast set over the affairs of the province of Babylon, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego: these men have not regarded thee, they serve not thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up." These Jews knew Jehovah, as the one only God, -the one only to be worshiped. They knew also that Jehovah had given large dominion to the king.
To have obeyed the king in this his command, would have been to have disobeyed Jehovah, -to have owned his gods, would have been to have disowned Jehovah as their God. What then must be done? they leave their matter in the hand of Jehovah, and suffer from the hands of the king. Their alternative was to obey or suffer. They assert no rights, but the undoubted right to obey God, be the consequences what they may. If rendering to God the things which were God's involved disobedience to Nebuchadnezzar and suffering to themselves, it must be so. -"This is grace, if a man for conscience towards God endure grief, suffering wrongfully." This is ever well-pleasing to God, the acknowledging Him in all our ways. They were not only delivered, but publicly justified by the king himself. -"Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego, who hath sent his angel and delivered his servants that trusted in him, and have changed the king's word, and yielded their bodies that they might not serve nor worship any gods except their own God." It is quite the same principle now: those who confess Jesus before men, will suffer for it now, but he will confess them publicly when he comes in glory. There may appear to be no present deliverance, even as there was none for Jesus in the eyes of men; but resurrection was the declaration of God's well-pleasedness in him, and his coming in glory will be his public vindication in the eyes of the world. There is always a present unseen blessing to faithfulness now, of which the soul is conscious, even though the deliverance be not yet come. "If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye, for the Spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you." But the promise to faithful confession of the name of Jesus, even where there is little strength, is, "Behold I will make them of the synagogue of Satan which say they are Jews, and are not, but do lie; behold I will make them to come and worship before thy feet, and to know that I have loved thee." The great point of instruction to be gathered from this chapter, is that Shadrach and his companions held themselves responsible for acting on the knowledge they had, that Jehovah himself was the alone object of worship. He had not left it to Nebuchadnezzar to determine this, -this was His prerogative which He never delegates. In all the ample power He had given to Nebuchadnezzar, He had not given him to say who was the God to be worshiped, neither had He allowed him to prescribe the manner in which that worship was to be conducted. God has never allowed man to have a will at all in the matter of worship, He keeps the ordering of it all in His own hands. The very fact of their being "servants of the most high God," at once led them to see that the king had passed the limit which God had set to his power, and that he was really intruding into the place of God himself, -it was seeming disobedience to the king, but it was really obedience to God, and consequently suffering for righteousness' sake. The tendency of man to turn the power received from God, against God himself, is perhaps more plainly seen in the case of Daniel in the sixth chapter. It was a blessed testimony from adversaries -"we shall not find any occasion against this Daniel, except we find it against him concerning the law of his God." What a fearful display of man's hatred of God, when obedience to him is to be regarded as the highest crime. The supreme power of the state is to be asserted in making a decree, and the one who owned a power superior to that of the state, to be treated as a traitor. They consulted together "to establish a royal statute, and to make a firm decree, that whosoever shall ask a petition, of any god or man for thirty days, save of thee, O king, he shall be cast into the den of lions." This was plain enough, -there was no power above that of Darius and his senate. It is not protest, but action which was needed. "Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went into his house; and his windows being open in his chamber toward Jerusalem, he kneeled upon his knees three times a day, and prayed, and gave thanks before his God, as he did aforetime." It is on this point that the trial of faith will often turn, owning a power superior to all that is in the world. It was this that gave rise to the misrepresentation in the days of the Apostles.
"These that have turned the world upside down are come hither also, whom Jason hath received, and these all do contrary to the decrees of Caesar, saying that there is another king, one Jesus." Jesus is held up as the rival to Caesar, instead of being acknowledged as the supreme power of God. Men have turned everything upside down themselves, and then accuse others of doing so, because they simply obey God. What a disordered world it must be, when it will not even allow God in his own rightful power to interfere with it. The point is one of such practical and growing importance, that I have dwelt on it at length, and now dismiss it simply noticing that obedience to God and not disobedience to the king, was the principle of the conduct of these holy men. They knew how to render to Nebuchadnezzar his rights, and to God his.
I only briefly notice the fourth chapter, as showing the necessity of the holder of power from God, being brought to acknowledge God in the power which he exercises. It is not irresponsible power, it is not power by compact with men, or any of the varied forms in which it has been exhibited, "but the Most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will." To this end must the heathen be "rebuked" -be "chastised," and therefore the humbling of Gentile pride by fearful judgments. Men may have many thoughts on the question of power, and many theories for settling it, but this is God's thought so to humble men by judgment, as to make them know that power alone is his attribute. Nebuchadnezzar could not use power aright, till after the humbling discipline of being taught that neither wisdom nor power were in him. It is said of the Gentiles, "their judgment and dignity shall proceed of themselves," their characteristic; is being "high-minded," and they must be humbled in order to be blessed. And I cannot refrain noticing the blessed training of the saints now for exercising the power of God. "The world to come" is put under them. And they administer the power of God in blessing, as those who have themselves learned obedience through suffering. They are now learning to acknowledge God in everything, giving to Caesar all his rights, and to Jesus all his; and "if we suffer with him, we shall also reign with him. " When a king shall reign in righteousness, then also princes shall rule in judgment.
I would briefly recapitulate,—
1st, that power is directly from God to whomsoever he may please to give it.
2nd, as it is said of the subjection of all things to Jesus, when he saith all things are subjected unto him, it is manifest that He is excepted which did subject all things unto Him; so in a minor sense, but on the same principle, God in giving lordship to Adam or dominion to Nebuchadnezzar, did not give up His own supremacy.
3rd, that the tendency has been, to use delegated as supreme power, and thus as it were to subject God himself to our own thoughts and ways.
4th, that this necessarily leads to a claim of subjection of the conscience to delegated power, which God claims to own him in his supremacy.
5th, that God has never so delegated power as to interfere with individual responsibility to himself. 6th, that obedience and suffering are always before the saint; and in suffering he has to commit himself to him that judgeth righteously.
But however difficult the path of obedience may be, if it were confined to the simple ascertainment of the limit set to the power which God has delegated in the world; it becomes a great deal more difficult and requiring the exercise of a spiritual understanding, when we find another order of power (namely the Holy Ghost sent of God), for the rule, guidance and instruction of the Church, which is altogether distinct from the power of God given to Nebuchadnezzar. When Jesus was on earth, responsibility to God was acknowledged in the reception of Him. God's due was withheld from Him while the One whom He had sent was rejected. Caesar had his rights, but God put in His claim in the person of his Son, and they disowned His Son, and said we have no king but Caesar. The first duty now of every man is to own Jesus. "Christ is God's," and we are not rendering to God His due, while we are in any wise keeping back from confessing Christ. God brings all to this point, whether they will own His Son or not; everything turns on this point. If I own God in Christ, I shall own God in Caesar; but it is very doubtful whether any do really acknowledge God in Caesar, who do not acknowledge Him in Christ. But Jesus is not now personally present here, He has gone away; and the Holy Ghost who is the immediate author of the life of the Church, is come as the one who exercises sovereign power in that Church.
Now God's power in the world in Caesar, and His power in the Church by the Holy Ghost, are two very different things; Caesar's power has come down from the head of gold, even to the iron mingled with the clay. It may have deteriorated in its descent, as the word of God testifies that it would, but still the power in the world in the present day, is that which God originally granted to Nebuchadnezzar. But the power in the Church, is derived immediately from the head of the Church, the first-born from the dead. He ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts to men. Its character is much more defined than the other. Of Nebuchadnezzar, it is said, "whom he would he slew; and whom he would he kept alive; and whom he would he set up; and whom he would he put down (Dan. 5)." Such a character of power is unknown in the Church. The testimony of one who had it as largely as any, is, "our authority which the Lord has given us for edification, and not for your destruction (2 Cor. 10)." Now the spiritual understanding is especially exercised in marking the distinctness of these two powers. Human ingenuity has constantly attempted to blend them. The power of Nebuchadnezzar was of God, -the power of Caesar was "from above": their divine right to govern was most clear, -to resist them would have been to resist the ordinance of God. But their power was not spiritual, it did not flow from the ascended Jesus; and this new power being introduced into the Church, did not set aside the other power which was already in the world. Caesar had his prerogatives, but Jesus risen had -is also; and these -He has not delegated to Caesar. This is the important point, the new power introduced; "for the kingdom of God is in power," was of another order: it was not hereditary, not successional, but continued by successive grants to living individuals; "there are diversities of gifts but the same spirit, and diversities of ministries but the same Lord, and diversities of operations but the same God who worketh all in all." Caesar might exercise the power of God without at all being cognizant of its source, or owning his responsibility to God in the use of it. But it is impossible to exercise spiritual power, without being cognizant of its source, and owning responsibility to the Lord who has given it. The earliest attempt of men in the Church was to follow the order of the first power, and to exercise authority in the Church by official succession and prescribed canons; and the same Spirit which saw what the end would be of the power delegated to Caesar, saw also what corrupted power in the Church would end in, even the form without the power of godliness. It was easy and natural to recur to Judaism, because these were the rudiments of the world. All was ordered there by "carnal commandment," and the power exercised in the Church came to be that of which man could see the source, and thence followed a mere outward separation by means of ordinances. The high priest of the Jews might have been a bad man, but he was God's ordinance and therefore to be respected (Acts 23:55Then said Paul, I wist not, brethren, that he was the high priest: for it is written, Thou shalt not speak evil of the ruler of thy people. (Acts 23:5)). Pilate might be a bad man, but God's power was to be owned in him. But in the Church it is the very character of the power which has the only claim to obedience. If we own any power in the Church which is not of the Holy Ghost, we do not render to God the things which are God's. No one dare present himself as having power from God in the Church, who is incapable of commending himself as spiritual to the conscience of those who are spiritual. This is exceedingly important; there is no exercise of judgment with regard to God's power in the world, "the powers that be are ordained of God," it is a simple matter of fact, and then follows due obedience to them as unto God. But in the Church it is a matter of individual responsibility to judge all the pretensions to it. "If there come any unto you and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God-speed {2 John 1010If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed: (2 John 10)}." To own a false teacher, would be to rob God of his rightful due. The Lord Jesus has not let out of His own hands the giving pastors and teachers for edifying his body the Church. The acknowledgment of the direct power of the Holy Ghost in the Church, and of God's power in Caesar, are two of the most important truths of the day.
But the great principle that power belongeth unto God, is as true in the Church as in the world. God has not given us the spirit of fear, but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind {XXX}. The exercise of any power in the Church implies responsibility to the Lord from whom it comes, and the owning of it is obedience to Him. He that has it is a servant -a steward, to be faithful in its exercise; and on the other hand, it is to be acknowledged as of God by others, -he that receiveth you, receiveth me, and he that rejecteth you rejecteth me. The Lord has not given a deposit of power to the Church, to be used at its will. He has not left it the power of making laws for its government, He has made them Himself; and here again we see a wide distinction between the first and the second order of power. And He gives by the Spirit from time to time, as He is pleased, those who are competent to guide the conscience of the Church, by the rules He has given. It would be a fearful denial of God's rights, to own any other source of power in the world than himself. But surely it would be doubly fearful in the Church, to assert power as coming from itself, -this really is denying the Holy Ghost. The whole Church might agree together to make a canon and to bind it on others, but then the principle for an individual to act on, would be to render to God the things of God. There is a tendency in the minds of many, to set the Church above the Church's Lord; but here again comes in that which the Lord never allows to be touched, -direct individual responsibility to himself. Here is the danger both in the world and the Church, lest the delegated power in either interfere with this. It solves a hundred difficulties to say I must obey Christ. If it is asked by what authority do you preach? I must obey Christ, He has given me the power, and woe unto me if I preach not. By what authority are you gathered together as a body of believers? Obedience to Christ. The great principle is not the assertion of right, but the unqualified duty to obey Christ; and if obedience unto him leads into suffering, even from the powers that be, "it is better if the will of God be so, that ye suffer for well-doing, than for evil-doing."
We are sanctified unto obedience {1 Peter 1:22Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied. (1 Peter 1:2)}; and true godliness really consists in acknowledging the power of God wherever it exists. The magistrate may not own it in himself, but the only warrant of obedience to him, is that we do own it in him. It may too be asserted where it exists not; and then to disown the false pretense, is equally obedience to God -is true godliness. The Spirit of God foretold there should be false teachers, -it would be ungodliness to listen to them. It is surprising what deliverance the bringing in of God effects; it stops all abstract reasonings, and immediately brings the conscience into exercise. Now in the world, the ruler would have the surrender of the conscience to him, and in the Church too many a corporate portion of it would have the conscience surrendered to it; but God says, "Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind." "He that doubteth is damned if he eat, because he eateth not of faith: for whatsoever is not of faith is sin." God will not surrender His title to the conscience of every man, -He has never delegated this power to any; and how happy for the saints if their consciences were more individually exercised before God.
We have seen man asserting irresponsible power and supreme will in the world. The history of the Church has shown the same tendency, though in quite a different form; and the modern attempt at self-government by many sections of the Church, will be found when analyzed, to partake of the character of irresponsible power and supreme will. Nothing can be more unlike the power of the Holy Ghost, because the exercise of any of His gifts, immediately leads to acknowledged responsibility to the Lord Himself. It is required in stewards that a man be found faithful. It makes all the difference as to the godly tone of the soul, whether a saint be exercising a right or an office which other Christians may have given him; or whether he be rendering to God what is His in the use of any power given him by God. And so also it makes a great difference whether the soul is deferring to some office of its own creating; or, recognizing the gift of God in an individual, is led to obey Christ by owning that gift.
There are few principles of more widely extensive application, than that of rendering to God the things which are God's. The world cannot allow in its servants the exercise of a conscience towards God. And where is the Church constitution in our day, which does not virtually claim adherence to itself, as the paramount duty? it does not allow for each being fully persuaded in their own. mind. The moment the sense of individual responsibility to the Lord begins to act, it seems an action against the associated body. There is no room in the associations called Churches, for the exercise of individual responsibility to the Lord. And this is one of their worst features, they tend so to deaden the conscience; and we find persons much more resting on their accredited membership with associated Christians, than on the person of the living Lord. Men will suffer this, because in many instances they themselves are the originators of the very rules by which they are governed, so that direct responsibility to Christ is virtually set aside in both cases.
In the midst of all the abuse of power in man's hand, what a refreshing prospect is before us. Fearful as will be the issue of man's will, both in the world and the Church, when again it may be said "nothing will be restrained from them which they have imagined to do," yet the sure word of prophecy is, "the kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ, and he shall reign forever and ever. And the four and twenty elders which sat before God on their seats, fell upon their faces, and worshiped God, saying, we give thee thanks, O Lord God Al-mighty, which art, and wast, and art to come, because thou host taken to thee thy great power and hast reigned." Yes, the prospect before the Church of its own glory, is immediately connected with the owning of power in its rightful source, and the exercise of the immediate power of God. -"I heard a voice of much people in heaven, saying, Alleluia; salvation, and glory, and honor, and power, unto the Lord our God: for true and righteous are his judgments: for he hath judged the great whore, which did corrupt the earth with her fornication, and hath avenged the blood of his servants at her hand. And again they said, Alleluia. And her smoke arose up forever and ever: and the four and twenty elders, and the four living creatures fell down and worshiped God that sat on the throne, saying, Amen; Alleluia. And a voice came out of the throne, saying, Praise our God, all ye his servants, and ye that fear him, both small and great. And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of many thunderings, saying, Alleluia; FOR THE LORD GOD OMNIPOTENT REIGNETH. Let us be glad and rejoice and give honor to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready." What Jesus announced, was the gospel of the kingdom of God. And nothing more proves the total disorder of man, than that it is not glad tidings to him, that God is about to take power into his own hands. But that is the real blessing, the one that calls forth praise on earth as well as in heaven. "Say among the heathen that the Lord reigneth: the world also shall be established that it shall not be moved: he shall judge the people righteously. Let the heavens rejoice, and let the earth be glad; let the sea roar and the fullness thereof. Let the field be joyful and all that is therein: then shall all the trees of the wood rejoice before the Lord. For he cometh, for he cometh to judge the earth: he shall judge the world righteously and the people with his truth."
The Christian Witness 7: 218-235 (1840).