14. “Daisy,” Torquay. The publisher is the one to whom you should apply.
15. “R. M.,” Kingstown. Does not Rev. 11:3, 4 show that the olive trees and the witnesses are identical? Looked at in one aspect they are “witnesses”—in another, “olive trees”—in another, “candlesticks.” We can see the beauty and moral fitness of each title.
16. “T. R. W.,” Bristol. Your idea is interesting; but one could not teach it with authority. No doubt, these numbers which you quote (7, 12, 24, 40, 70) do make up “one hundred and fifty and three.” But whether this latter is intended to set forth “the sum total of all the perfect numbers in scripture” is more than we could venture to affirm.
17. “H. C. C.,” Peckham. “Studies on the Book of Daniel,” by J. N. D, and “Lectures on the Book of Daniel” by W. Kelly, may help you.
18. “G. F.,” Wakefield. We could not attempt to offer any judgment. in such a case, without a thorough knowledge of all the facts. Any opinion given without such knowledge must necessarily be worthless. We believe that, so long as there is a single fact in any given case of which we are ignorant, we are wholly incompetent to give an opinion, inasmuch as that one fact might throw such a flood of light on all the other facts as to alter their bearing completely. We ought, most sedulously, to avoid one-sided judgments, and the taking up of mere impressions which may prove in the sequel to be utterly false. We must have facts, or divine revelation, in order to form a sound judgment.
19. “G. J. W.,” Feliston. The last clause of John 3:36, is as simple as it is solemn. It tells us plainly that the wrath of God abideth on all who refuse to believe on the Son. We have been much struck with the power of this entire verse as meeting, with one mighty stroke, and completely demolishing two fatal errors of the day, namely, universal restoration on the one hand; and annihilation on the other. “Shall not see life.” Here the universalist gets his divine answer. “The wrath of God abideth on him.” Here the annihilationist gets his. If the unbeliever shall not see life, it is evident he cannot be restored. And if the wrath of God abideth on him, it is evident he cannot be annihilated. What living power—what overwhelming force in holy scripture!
As to Rom. 8:24, it sets forth the present condition of creation. We see death and decay— “the bondage of corruption” —stamped on everything, even on the body of the believer. Thank God, all this shall be done away. The creation shall be introduced into the liberty of the glory of the sons of God. What a contrast between “the bondage of corruption” and the liberty of the glory!”
We are truly thankful for the help derived from the answers to correspondents in our January issue. How good of the Lord to allow us to help one another! His holy name be praised!
20. “E. D. B. B.,” Wandsworth. We believe the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost was the attributing to Beelzebub works done by the Holy Ghost. Your reference to the three gospels is quite correct; but there is nothing in Heb. 6:4 about blasphemy against the Holy Ghost. We believe the apostate leaders of the Jewish people were guilty of this blasphemy; and our Lord declares, “It shall not be forgiven, neither in this age (that is, of the law) neither in the coming age” (that is, the age of the Messiah). It is a misquotation to speak of “The sin against the Holy Ghost.” Of course, every sin is a sin against the Holy Ghost who dwells in us. But many souls, through simple ignorance, torture themselves with the idea that they have committed the unpardonable sin, and they cannot tell what that sin is. In 1 John 5:16, we read “There is a sin unto death,” but this refers to the death of the body under the governmental dealings of God. See 1 Cor. 11:33. It is very important to keep close to the veritable language of holy scripture.
“A Constant Reader,” Ipswich. You say “I read in scripture, that leaven is sin, but I am told in Matt. 13:33, it is not so.” We believe, most surely, that leaven is expressive of evil; and we have yet to learn that Matt. 13:33 is any exception. The fact is, the tares, the mustard tree and the leaven do all set forth what Christianity has become, in this world, through the working of Satan. He has corrupted what was once set up in beauty and perfection. The leaven sets forth the corrupting process which has gone on in the christian profession from the very beginning. It will continue to work and come to a head, and then judgment will fall upon it.
21. “D. C.,” Newmarket. Accept, dear friend, our hearty thanks for your kind and truly encouraging communication. It has refreshed us greatly; and we can only bless God, with a full heart, for all you can tell us of the help and blessing which you have found in the pages of this magazine. We deem it a rich reward for our poor labors to be allowed to feed the very feeblest lamb in all the flock of Christ. May the good Lord pour His richest and best blessings upon you!
23. “T. L.,” Bishop’s Stortford. All you say, beloved brother, is solemnly true. May all the Lord’s dear people be kept from the spirit of the age! We want to cultivate a truly humble contrite spirit—a spirit of lowly obedience—a spirit which shall lead us to bow down, with unreserved submission, to the authority of holy scripture. “It is written” is a sentence of commanding power—a sentence uttered by our blessed Lord and Master, at the opening of His public career—referred to again and again in the course of His marvelous ministry—and reiterated, with solemn emphasis, in the ears of His disciples, as He was about to pass into the heavens. May this weighty sentence be engraved on the tablets of our hearts! If we were asked to state what we consider to be one grand want of the day in which our lot is cast, we should say, without hesitation, it is this—we want to give the word of God. its true place as the basis of our individual peace, and the sole and all-sufficient authority for our individual path. Let us unite, beloved friend, in earnest prayer to our God that He will give us grace so to do, to the praise of His holy name.
24. “R. H.,” Bath. We do not consider that there is any principle involved in having two or more cups for the wine in the Lord’s supper. In the matter of the loaf it is different, inasmuch as it expresses, according to 1 Cor. 10:17, the one body. Besides, there is, in reality, to each individual communicant but the one cup, as there is the one loaf. Oh! for spiritual power to celebrate, somewhat more worthily, the precious supper of our Lord—to feed upon Him, by faith, and to remember Him according to His own loving desire, while we wait for His appearing.
25. “C. D. C.,” Ashford. Like many others, you confound two distinct passages of holy scripture. “Jacob have I loved and Esau have I hated” was not said before the children were born, but hundreds of years after, when the real character and practical ways of each had been fully manifested. All that was said before the children were born was that “the elder shall serve the younger.” It is more than a sad mistake to represent God as hating a man before he was born. In the first chapter of Amos we read “For three transgressions of Edom [Esau] and for four I will not turn away the punishment thereof; because he did pursue his brother with the sword, and did cast off all pity, and his anger did tear perpetually, and he kept his wrath forever.” Have we not here ample grounds for the divine hatred? If you will carefully compare Gen. 25:23 with Mal. 1:2, 3, you will see your mistake, and you will better understand the apostle’s use of both passages in his magnificent argument in Rom. 9—an argument so little understood by theologians.