33. “A. Α.,” Basingstoke. You should follow the light as it streams in upon your soul, and leave results to God. We must obey God, at all cost, but care should be taken to avoid giving needless offense to those who have claims upon us flowing out of natural relationships. Delicacy, tenderness, modesty, and humility will ever mark the actings of the true Christian. Your second communication has come to hand. May the Lord lead you into His own blessed and peaceful path!
34. “C.” Pately Bridge. We are much interested in your case. We can only praise the Lord for His goodness in leading you in His own blessed path. We fully agree with you in the purpose which you have formed. It is of the utmost importance, in our daily path, to have the assurance of divine guidance even in the most minute details. The promise is sure, “I will guide thee with mine eye.” But the admonition is solemn, “ Be not as the horse or as the mule”—the former, in high spirit, rushing where he ought not—the latter, in obstinacy, refusing to go where he ought. “The meek will he guide in judgment.” It is our privilege to be as sure that we are in God’s path as that our sins are forgiven; and if we have not that assurance we ought not to take a single step. May God bless you, beloved brother, and make you a blessing!
35. “B. F. J.,” Penzance. We should know more of the circumstances of your case before attempting to give you any opinion. As you have put the matter, you seem to be in a false position; and, of course, the sooner you get out of it the better. But then care must be taken to do things in a right way. It is very certain that no worldly advantage should induce you to remain in a position which robs you of communion with God and His people. So far as you have informed us, it would seem to be, very distinctly, an instance of the “unequal yoke.” May the Lord give you grace to do the right thing in a right way.
36. “A. S.,” Wolston Green. You have not quite laid hold of the force and meaning of the expression, “quick and dead.” There are distinct scenes of judgment spoken of in the New Testament. We have what may be called warrior judgment, and sessional judgment. Take 2 Thess. 1:6-106Seeing it is a righteous thing with God to recompense tribulation to them that trouble you; 7And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, 8In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: 9Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power; 10When he shall come to be glorified in his saints, and to be admired in all them that believe (because our testimony among you was believed) in that day. (2 Thessalonians 1:6‑10), as an example of the former; and Matt. 25:31-4631When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory: 32And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats: 33And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left. 34Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: 35For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: 36Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me. 37Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink? 38When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee? 39Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee? 40And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me. 41Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels: 42For I was an hungred, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink: 43I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not. 44Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee? 45Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me. 46And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal. (Matthew 25:31‑46), as an example of the latter. In the one case, there is no process of trial at all, but rapid execution of judgment. Thus it will be with the beast and false prophet, as in Rev. 19:2020And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone. (Revelation 19:20). In the other case, there is arraignment of the parties, the solemn statement of the ground of indictment, the passing of the sentence, and the execution of it. Then as to the “ quick and dead,” you must remember that there is at least a thousand years between the two. “ The quick” are those who shall be actually alive, in the body, when our Lord is revealed, in His judicial character, previous to the millennium. The dead “will not be judged till after the thousand years of millennial reign.” Study carefully Rev. 20:4-154And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years. 5But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection. 6Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years. 7And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison, 8And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea. 9And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them. 10And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever. 11And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. 12And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. 13And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. 14And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. 15And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire. (Revelation 20:4‑15). As to the saints, they will not come into judgment at all. (John 5:2424Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life. (John 5:24), where the word should be “judgment,” not “condemnation.”) They belong to “the first resurrection”—“the resurrection of life.” They will be associated with Christ when He comes in judgment. They shall be manifested before the judgment seat of Christ, where they shall shine in His perfection. They shall see themselves, their ways, their works, in the full blaze of the light of the glory of Christ. They shall see and think and judge as He sees and thinks and judges. The idea of saints standing to be judged as to their persons and title, is flagrantly opposed to the gospel, to Christianity, and to the teaching of the entire New Testament. May God the Spirit lead your precious soul in the full light of all this!
37. “A Constant Reader,” Canterbury. Mal. 3:16, 1716Then they that feared the Lord spake often one to another: and the Lord hearkened, and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the Lord, and that thought upon his name. 17And they shall be mine, saith the Lord of hosts, in that day when I make up my jewels; and I will spare them, as a man spareth his own son that serveth him. (Malachi 3:16‑17) refers primarily to the godly remnant in Israel, at the close of the old dispensation. All was ruin and apostasy around them; but they feared the Lord, thought upon His name, and spake often one to another. They did not attempt to set up anything, or reconstruct a fallen system; they owned the ruin, feared the Lord, and communed one with another. Jude 20-2320But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost, 21Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life. 22And of some have compassion, making a difference: 23And others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh. (Jude 20‑23), gives us a christian remnant in the midst of the ruin of professing Christianity. You will find it interesting and instructive to mark the points of similarity and of contrast in these two passages of scripture.
38. “J. Α. H.,” Blackrock. We agree with your second view of “the day of the Lord.” As to the expression “righteousness, of God,” Romans 3:2222Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference: (Romans 3:22), and 2 Cor. 5:2121For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. (2 Corinthians 5:21), we take it to mean that righteousness which He has provided for, and revealed to, us. It stands in contrast with man’s righteousness. Under the law, God demanded righteousness from man. In the gospel, God reveals righteousness to man. Under the law righteousness was on the principle of works; in the gospel it is on the principle of faith. Blessed contrast!
40. “A. O.,” Dublin. Psalm 16 is a breathing of the spirit of Christ, in the place of dependence upon God into which He voluntarily entered. “In thee do I put my trust.” He speaks as the dependent man. As to Jehovah, He says, “My goodness extendeth not to thee.” As to the saints, He says, “All my delight is in them.” It is our privilege, in our little measure, to breathe the same spirit of trust in God, and of delight in His people. In Jesus, we need hardly say, it was perfect. He, though God over all, blessed forever, yet so perfectly took the place of man that He could say to God, “in thee do I put my trust”—“my goodness extendeth not to thee”—“my flesh shall rest in hope,” &c., &e. Thanks for the lines. They are pervaded by a deep spirit of piety. May God bless you!
41. “A Constant Reader.” Scripture is silent on the subject of smoking. Looked at from a moral standpoint, we regard it as a most abominable, idle habit. It may be needful, in some cases, on medical grounds; but we must confess we tremble for a young man’s future, when we see him puffing tobacco smoke.
42. “An Enquirer.” Your questions must be answered by conscience, in the presence of God.
43. “G. A. Y.,” Weymouth. Thanks for the lines from the pen of “St. Patrick.” Also for your own.
44. “C. C,” Spring Grove. That to which, you call our attention is a holy mystery, to be approached with unshod feet. God did hide His face from our blessed Lord Jesus Christ when He was making His soul an offering for sin; and yet the blessed Sin bearer was Himself very God as well as very man. To all this faith reverently bows. It is a sacred mystery, lying far beyond reason’s ken.
45. “A Sister,” Wallingford. It is very plain from Rom. 12:1010Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honor preferring one another; (Romans 12:10), Eph. 6:1212For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. (Ephesians 6:12), and other passages, that Satan has access into the heavens. Milton has filled people’s minds with the thought that Satan is confined to hell. He will, ere long, be so confined, but it is only too plain that he is not so now. Accept our sincere thanks for your encouraging note. May God bless you!
46. “R. P. S.,” United States. It was very land of you to send us the touching incident on which the poem “Lean hard” is founded. Accept our warmest thanks.
Communications have come to hand from “G. C,” Sheerness;” II. N.,” Ipswich; “W.,” Cheltenham; “G. F.,” Swindon; “A Brother,” Salisbury: “S. Α. II.,” Fronie; “C. G. H.,” London.