AR 4:14-41 {IT is difficult to understand clearly the structure, of this passage without referring to the corresponding one in Matt. 13, which furnishes: an explanation to it. I may indeed say, they whole gospel of. Matthew furnishes, in some respects, a key to the other gospels. Matthew gives dispensational truth, dealing with facts which are more readily, laid hold of by us than principles of truth, but which are necessary to, the right intelligence of these principles.
In Matthew the kingdom is habitually called' " the kingdom of heaven "-an expression which is peculiar to that Gospel. It presents to us the sphere in which the authority and government of God are known. Christ is the One who exercises it as Son of man; as we read in Dan. 7 "I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like-.the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him. And there whs given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom,
that all people nations, and languages, should serve him his dominion is an everlasting do: minion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed." The moment He comes before the Ancient of days all the power is given to Him.
In this passage we see the place where the dominion and glory is given to the Son of man; and consequently get a further detail as to how the eighth Psalm is accomplished. But the great point is that He who stands before the Ancient of days is. " One like unto the Son of man," as it is stated in the Psalm: " What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him? For thou hast made him a little lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honor. Thou madest him to have dominion over the works of thy hands; thou hast put all things under his feet." It is to man not angels that the " world to come " is subjected. This is what the apostle insists on in Hebrews, when quoting this passage from the Psalm; and he adds: " But we see Jesus, who was, made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honor: that he by the grace of God should' taste death for every man... For verily he took not on him the nature of angels; but he took on him the seed of Abraham." (Heb. 2:9,169But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honor; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man. (Hebrews 2:9)
16For verily he took not on him the nature of angels; but he took on him the seed of Abraham. (Hebrews 2:16).)
The truth as to this coming time of blessing, foretold all through the Old Testament, is, that the seed of the woman, the seed of Abraham, the seed of David, the One whom all the prophecies speak of, and in whom all the promises center, that One is a Man. He has not taken up angels; and God does not subject Messiah's kingdom to angels at all. It is put under the power of man, in His person-the " Son of man:" " Thou hast put all things under his feet."
Now we come to another point. The moment lie enters into this place of power as man, the kingdom of heaven really begins. It is, as far as we are concerned, in mystery and patience surely; but the power is given to Him, though He has not as yet taken possession of His " world kingdom," according to the expression of Rev. 11:1515And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever. (Revelation 11:15). But as He says in the end of Matthew: "All power is given unto me in heaven and earth. Go ye therefore and teach all nations." Indeed how else could they? He had sent them forth " as sheep among wolves." As such what prospect could be before them but to be eaten up: killed all the day long, accounted as sheep for the slaughter "? If He had not all power in His bands, how could they now go forth to preach? But there is power given to His servants to go forth, and that because HE is in the place of power, as we find it indeed clearly indicated, in accordance with the general character of the Gospel of Matthew.
Another passage which will help to make this clear is the parable of the nobleman in Luke 19 Jesus was just entering into the city, at the end of the journey which according to the structure of the gospel begins in chapter 9.; when He comes down from the mount of transfiguration. He was on the mountain with the two " men" who appeared with Him in glory-Moses and Elias, and who " spoke with him of his decease which he should accomplish at Jerusalem." He comes down from that Mountain with His face " steadfastly set to go to Jerusalem," and telling His disciples that what He was going to there was the cross.
They did not understand His words, and were afraid to ask Him their meaning. We find in the Gospels that He spoke of it to them four times at least. But they did not understand. And when He arrived at Jerusalem, they thought, as we read in chapter 19., " that the kingdom of God would immediately appear." So He " added and spoke the parable " referred to above. " A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom, and to return. And he called his ten 'servants, and delivered them ten.
pounds, and said unto them, Occupy till I come."
Now this shows what Christianity is. Christ has gone into " the far country to receive the kingdom: for it is given in heaven to the Son of-man, as Dan. 7 shows. He has gone up as Man to receive it, and now we are waiting for His promised return. " Occupy till I come " is His word to us; it is our sole business now. Knowing-that He is gone up there to receive the kingdom; our privilege is to be waiting for Him, and occupied meanwhile especially with that part of the kingdom which is nearest to God; that is the heavenly side. So in chapter xii the Lord warns us against being careful about things here, as food and raiment. We are not to be of a doubtful mind, for, He says, " it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom." Surely then He will care about the small temporal needs of His children, for whom He has prepared such glory. We are to seek " His kingdom," and all the needed things of this life will be " added " to us. The very smallest thing possible He knows you have need of, He makes His care. What He-desires for you is that you should be occupied with things above, having an unfailing treasure in the heavens, the place to which the Lord is gone. This, too, gives a deepening value for our souls to the expression " the kingdom of heaven."
(*So it should be read in Luke, and not " kingdom of God," as in Matthew. Here it is the Father's.)
But let us glance at Matt. 13 There are' in it seven parables, six of which relate to the kingdom of heaven. The first one, that of the " sower," is introductory, and unfolds the principle on which the Lord is now acting. Then three parables, spoken to the multitude, furnish a view of the kingdom seen in its external character the last three lift the veil to show us what is internal, unseen by the world and unknown to those who do not know Christ. These three are spoken in the house privately, to the disciples, when the Lord gives them the explanation of the parable of the tares.
Let us look, then, for a moment at this introductory parable in the order in which it is given in Matthew and Mark. On the face of it, we see-that the Lord is not now seeking fruit from this world. Man is no longer looked at in his responsibility to bring forth fruit to God. This had: been the case under law, and it was, continued too, whilst the Lord was upon earth, as is shown, by the parable of the fig-tree in Luke 13:6-96He spake also this parable; A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard; and he came and sought fruit thereon, and found none. 7Then said he unto the dresser of his vineyard, Behold, these three years I come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and find none: cut it down; why cumbereth it the ground? 8And he answering said unto him, Lord, let it alone this year also, till I shall dig about it, and dung it: 9And if it bear fruit, well: and if not, then after that thou shalt cut it down. (Luke 13:6‑9),„ and again by His cursing the fig-tree that brought forth nothing but leaves. And so, in. John, He says: " If I had not come and spoken to them, they had not had sin, but now they have no cloak for their sin." As a matter of fact the trial of 'man went on up to the cross; but here the Lord spews that He is introducing a new principle, a new way of dealing with man. It is no longer man under probation, but He Himself brings into this world what is divine and absolutely perfect: He "SOWS" in it the WORD OF GOP; and this is what is to bring forth fruit for God. The Sower is Christ Himself. Thus both the Sower and the seed sown are perfect, -divine, infinite. And, being sown, the seed remains in its own divine perfection.
As the parable is explained in Mark 4:14-2014The sower soweth the word. 15And these are they by the way side, where the word is sown; but when they have heard, Satan cometh immediately, and taketh away the word that was sown in their hearts. 16And these are they likewise which are sown on stony ground; who, when they have heard the word, immediately receive it with gladness; 17And have no root in themselves, and so endure but for a time: afterward, when affliction or persecution ariseth for the word's sake, immediately they are offended. 18And these are they which are sown among thorns; such as hear the word, 19And the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in, choke the word, and it becometh unfruitful. 20And these are they which are sown on good ground; such as hear the word, and receive it, and bring forth fruit, some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some an hundred. (Mark 4:14‑20) one is struck by the way in which, as compared with the other Gospels, the word " sow " characterizes the whole passage in Mark. It is peculiar to this gospel. In verse 14 we read: "' THE SOWER SOWETH the word." The thought of sowing is given doubly in this verse. It is His own personal work, and- the seed, too, is divine; but this latter is more the point of the -parable in Luke. (See Luke 8:1111Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God. (Luke 8:11).)
Then He goes on to speak of the four classes of hearers. It is remarkable to find the word “sown" introduced in verse 15, for the seed was eaten up by the birds. But the way it is stated allows for the strict truth as to this; "those by -the way-side where the word is sown;" thus leaving the direct effect produced indefinite, while the point of the parable is maintained in its integrity, as Mark does all through, insisting-upon the work of "the sower." So the word is repeated in the end of the verse: ". the word sown in their hearts." It assumes, indeed, in Mark an importance it has not in the other Gospels, not only from its being repeated in the description of each succeeding class (vers. 16, 18,. 20), so that the verb is found six times in verses-14-20, but also in the two succeeding parables, the same prominent idea is kept before us. See verses 26, 31, 32. It is the divine work of Him who has come as the Servant-Prophet into this-world, and prepares here for God, by the word, a living testimony to the truth. Over and over-again this word "sown " is repeated; it is the important part of the truth in these three parables. It is no longer God testing man, coming down to see what good He can get out of the world, but it-is God in grace bringing into the world that which, can and does bring forth fruit for Himself, though in different degrees certainly. In Mark it is precious to find that the measure of this fruit-bearing gets ever higher and higher, until it reaches" an hundred-fold." The Lord's heart cannot rest, satisfied until God has His full desired portion.
In this Gospel also we have another characteristic word: " straightway," or, " immediately." It is not lacking in this parable, and very solemn it is in verse 15 " Satan cometh immediately, and taketh away the word that was Sown in their hearts." The activity of the 'enemy in evil comes out in marked contrast with the unceasing, unwearying energy of God's holy Servant. But more: in verse 16, " they receive the word immediately with gladness." But does that necessarily give hope for the apparently willing hearer? Alas! it only serves to make more evident man's inefficiency and weakness; such persons are as '" immediately offended " as they had quickly received, being unable to endure affliction or persecution arising for the word's sake.
The third class is that which was sown among thorns; in this case " the cares of this world, and -the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other Things entering in," choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful. This latter is another remarkable expression. It does not say the things that are already there; it is other things that keep entering in: it implies an unceasing activity of the enemy to destroy the effect of God's word in-the soul, thus demanding, on our part, continued -watchfulness, that we may not be entrapped.
The Sower sows the seed. If it had been merely doing good for—people, nothing could have been got out of them by that. The Lord 'did not commit himself " to those whose 'intelligences were convinced by the evidence of His power in the miracles which He did, but whose consciences were unreached by the word. (John 2:23-2523Now when he was in Jerusalem at the passover, in the feast day, many believed in his name, when they saw the miracles which he did. 24But Jesus did not commit himself unto them, because he knew all men, 25And needed not that any should testify of man: for he knew what was in man. (John 2:23‑25).) When seed is sown it is another matter. The sower expects to reap fruit from it in the place where he sowed it. You may leave your garden without sowing anything in it at all, and in that case you could not look to get anything but weeds out of it; but if you want it to bring forth fruit, you will sow it with the seeds of what you wish it to produce. So Christ has come down here to sow seed for God. And the seed sown brings forth fruit, though indeed in different measures. In some cases there is comparatively little fruit; the yield is but thirty-fold; yet He does not pass it by unnoticed, because it is little, though he goes on to say that there is that which does bring forth More: there is the sixty-fold. And, further still, for He cannot rest short of what answers to the delight of God's heart, there is the full measure-" the hundred-fold." May it be so with us through His mercy, as our hearts dwell in His love!
In considering the two following parables we must go back for a moment to Matt. 13, which presents six parables relating to the kingdom.
There are first, as we have seen, the three which refer to what is outward in the kingdom -its aspect in this world. The first of these is the parable of the tares, where the enemy seeks to spoil the fruit-bearing of the field by sowing other seed amongst that sown by the Son of man. The Lord gives no remedy for such a state of things: the servants are to leave it all as it is, letting both grow together to the harvest, because they are not competent to judge of what,..should be rooted up and what left. The judgment, when it comes, is committed to other hands.
Next, the Lord speaks of the great tree grown from " the least of all seeds." The kingdom of heaven, which had so small a beginning, becomes, a great power in the world, so that the birds of the air-unclean thing such as those emissaries of Satan who caught away the seed that fell by the way side-come and " lodge in the branches thereof."
And, lastly, we are told of the leaven " hid in three measures of meal, till the, whole, was leavened." The whole 'thing becomes corrupted in man's hand: it is Christendom as man has made it by adulterating christian doctrine. The Lord does not there say what He will do with it, but He indicates what has taken place.
Thus far we have the outward public aspect of the kingdom. Then, in the secret of the house,, the Lord gives His disciples those two beautiful parables of the treasure found in the field and the pearl of great price.. We know what the field is the Lord had explained it before, in connection with the tares; it is the world. And we know the One who found the treasure in it-the only One who could see it and who had anything to sell so that he might buy it. Angels looked down upon a scene of moral degradation here, growing darker and darker as the years rolled, by. What treasure could they see in It? What could they -do to remedy it, though they might wonder at the grace that bore with it so long? But there was One who looked, on it and saw in the world a treasure that would serve to set forth the glory of God. And He hid it. So at the beginning of His ministry He tells His disciples two things. He says, " Ye are the salt of the earth," and "'Ye are the light of the world." The " salt " answered in a way to His hiding the treasure. Christians are the salt of the earth. It is for their sake the world is preserved from imminent destruction. So in Peter, " we are to count the long-suffering of God as salvation." Hence, too, our responsibility, as in 1 Tim. 2, to pray for the powers of the world, " that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty," that this world may be kept going on by God's power, the progress of evil restrained, and the governments, though they know it not, overruled so that we may be left to serve Him in quietness, and that His word may have free course and be glorified.
On the other hand, the responsibility of Christians is that there should be a light on God's behalf, a living testimony for Him, in the world. The former truth is more brought out in ' Matthew; the latter in Mark, see chap. 4:21-25.
The next parable, that of the pearl, goes deeper, bringing out what is more personal to Christ. It is no longer the field bought for the sake of the treasure, but the pearl itself, in its moral beauty, is the object of His research and desire. It is the church; but we find here, I believe, a divine principle, which I do not think we ought to limit so as to apply it only to the church. The principle holds in the case of an individual soul, and so indeed as applied to. Christians generally, viewed as children walking before the Father. The apostle says in Galatians: "He loved me, and gave himself for me;" in Ephesians " Christ loved us, and gave himself for us;" and so, too, we read in Revelation: "Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood;" and again in Eph. 5 we find: " Christ loved the church, and gave himself for it." It is the divine principle of His love that we get in the pearl, though our hearts know that the beauty He sees in it is the fruit of His own toil. Was ever love like this?
The last parable in Matt. 13 spews us the work of the servants, the fishermen instructed in the Master's mind and ways in view of that. Which He is now doing in grace in this world.
To resume then, we have seen in these six parables Of the kingdom of heaven in Matthew 13 its upward and inward aspect; the latter affording us a precious insight into the Lord's thoughts and blessed work. The two parables in Mark 4 give us the same two aspects, though in the inverse order: they are the two things that our hearts have to learn, in order that we may walk through this world in wisdom and grace, in a way worthy of Him.
But before speaking of them I would say just A Sword as to the difference of the two Gospels. Matthew presents the King, Messiah, the Anointed 'One who is to reign. Mark gives the perfect „Servant, the living Word, He who came to do God's will, and who, on entering into His service on earth is introduced in the first verse of the 'Gospel as " the Son of God;" for, if He is to be the Servant, it is as Son of God. Thus we too have to learn the qualification for service: there is none now apart from sonship. So it is, " The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of -God." And we find Him all through the Gospel as the perfect Servant-Prophet declaring God's mind, and carrying out His will in this world.
We cannot now go into the details; but we find Him in chapter 3 joining others to Himself in this service; we read: " He ordained twelve, that they should be with him, and that he might send them forth to preach." In Matthew, as we have seen, all power being now given to Him in -leaven and earth, He sends them forth to all nations. And then in John: " As my Father hath sent me, even so send I you;" which implies the Sonship. Both sides of the truth are united in His person in the Gospel of Mark. When at the end of the Gospel He ascends to heaven, He leaves the testimony in the world, giving power to His word, which always goes out through His, servants, as we read in the last verse: " And they went forth, and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following."
They preach everywhere. What had they been called for? That they might be " sent forth, to preach." But there was a needed preparation for this service, in the place which He gave them, near to His own blessed person. " He ordained them that they might be with Him." Then, when He sends them forth, He works with them.. How could they preach unless they knew His mind? We have to learn that it is our joy and blessing, through His grace, to be able to present, His truth according to His mind. And to do this we must be habitually with Him in spirit, dwelling with Him, and learning of Him.
These considerations will, I trust, help us to seize the special character of the two parables of the kingdom of God in Mark. The first one, following after that of the sower, gives us again the sowing of the seed, the bringing in of the divine word. We know who this " man" is, this " sower" who cast seed into the ground." There is only one. He sloes not say there are many sower’s. It is the Lord.
The parable continues: "And should sleep, and rise night and day, and the seed should spring and grow up, he knoweth not how. For the 'earth bringeth forth fruit of herself; first the blade, then the ear; after that, the full corn in the ear. But when the fruit is brought forth, immediately he putteth in the sickle, because the harvest is come." Mark again the word " immediately." During all the progress of growth what is he waiting for? When the farmer has cast the seed into the ground he has abandoned it all to the soil. He has it no longer in his granary; it is no longer in his power; he cannot set his eyes on it; it is gone. It is of no use his going to look at the ground in which it lies; it is of;, no use his rooting it up as children do sometimes to see if it is growing. He can only leave it alone; he cannot help it in any way: " The earth bringeth forth fruit of itself." He cannot help it to grow; if the rain does not fall, he cannot make it sprout; if the sun does not shine, he cannot make it ripen. From the moment he has cast the grain into the ground he has practically given it over into God's hands; he has his daily occupation elsewhere, and as he sleeps and rises night and day, the time passes while he waits-waits for the harvest day. Then he has again work to do in his field: "immediately he puts in the sickle."
And that is what the Lord is doing now, He has sown the seed, but does not interfere in any active, outwardly apparent way; He is leaving it to grow: " The earth bringeth forth fruit of itself." And this is applicable in principle to the individual soul as well as to the entire church, as indeed we saw in considering the parable of the pearl in Matthew. If it is the individual, the " harvest " is the completion of divine work in the soul in God's school while passing it through this world: when ripe, He puts in the sickle and takes the soul home to Himself. If it is the church, He is waiting until the last one is called in and then He will come to take all His redeemed home to Himself in glory. He is waiting for the harvest-day-that day when He will present to " himself a glorious church, not having-spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing."
And what are you and I looking on to, beloved friends? Are we waiting for that harvest-day?' Do we so realize in our souls " the kingdom of God" as to have it before us in this aspect of the carrying out to the end of God's will in. His ways with His own, whether individually or-collectively, and that for the glory of Christ and: the delight of His heart, that He may see of the travail of His soul and be satisfied? Is it this-which is occupying us, giving us courage to go, on serving Him, and making us to abound in joy in the Holy Ghost? The more we think of it,, the more we shall find it comes into all the details of our daily life. Christ is waiting for the harvest; He will not be satisfied till it comes.-In Thessalonians we get the very same thought " The Lord direct your hearts into the love of God, and into the patience of Christ." Just what-, we find indeed in this chapter of Mark. His, love is shown to men. Before ever the world was His " delights were with the sons of men." It is-, not said to have been with the angels. It is with men; amongst them, He came to live and die amongst them, in this earth, He has sown the-precious divine seed. The " love of God" is manifested in sending His only begotten Son into the world. (John 3) And the "patience of Christ shines out in His waiting for the harvest day. (See 2 Thess. 3:55And the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God, and into the patient waiting for Christ. (2 Thessalonians 3:5).)
In the next parable-that of the grain of mustard-seed-we have the outward aspect of the kingdom of God as in Matt. 13:31,3231Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is like to a grain of mustard seed, which a man took, and sowed in his field: 32Which indeed is the least of all seeds: but when it is grown, it is the greatest among herbs, and becometh a tree, so that the birds of the air come and lodge in the branches thereof. (Matthew 13:31‑32),, only that here stress is laid again by repetition on the word " sown." It is as the insignificant seed, which " when it is sown in the earth is less than all the seeds that be in the earth: but when it is sown, it groweth up, and becometh greater' than all herbs, and shooteth out great branches; so that the fowls of the air may lodge under the, shadow of it." That is what the kingdom of God has become in its external aspect. Principles and agents of evil find a convenient home in -it; they "lodge under the shadow of it." It shoots out " great branches;" there is plenty of -room and convenience for lodging in it. He does not say that the tree is going to be cut down, or its branches lopped off, or that the birds are to be driven out, but he states a fact that all must admit who have eyes to see and hearts to understand. This great power is in the world both for good and evil; it is full of confusion and corruption; yet we are not told to expect that things will get brighter or become better. What have we then for our hearts to rest in? Is it not the blessed certainty that He is waiting for the harvest day, and that then His heart will be satisfied in having around Him forever through eternity -all those who have been "brought forth" by His word to the Father's glory?
The end of, the chapter furnishes a practical comment on these two parables. The Lord is seen with His disciples in the ship launched -forth amid troublous waters: " And the same day, when the even was come, he saith unto -them, Let us pass over unto the other side. And when they had sent away the multitude, they took him even as he was in the ship: and there were also with him other little ships. And there arose a great storm of wind, and the waves beat into the ship, so that it was now full." There they are amid all the confusion of the tempest; -the waves breaking over them, Satan striving to destroy the testimony. And where was He? Look at this picture of peaceful calm in such a, scene! The One who " had nowhere to lay his head" had found a resting-place in the midst of the raging storm: " He was in the hinder part of the ship, asleep on a pillow." He was taking no outwardly active part in the management of the ship. He was truly with them, as a matter of-fact, and they all knew it; but Her seemed to see nothing that was going on, nor to know it; He said nothing to still the wind, nor was He disturbed by the boisterous waves; yet they saw-the water were filling the ship, while He, in the hinder part of it, was asleep, taking no apparent notice of the dangers around.
And what were they doing? Had they not already forgotten the parable of the seed cast into the ground? " They awake him, and say to him Master, carest thou not that we perish?" Just think of what these words imply! " Carest thou not!" It was impugning His thoughts of love for them; it was making nothing of all their experience of His care and affection. But more: it betrays their utter want of trust in Him, their practical insensibility to His being with them, If you were to read this part of the history to, one who did not know the passage, leaving out the first part of verse 38, and were to ask him', Where was the Lord at this time? the natural answer would be: Oh, of course, He was in heaven, and they were offering up a prayer to. Him there; they speak as if they we're apart from Him altogether. But He rises at their request, rebukes the wind, and says to the sea -" Peace, be still." And the wind ceased, and -there was a great calm. And then He says to them: " Why are ye so fearful? How is it that ye have no faith?" In Matthew He says, " little faith;" here it/is, "no faith." Did not His words burn into their hearts, making their consciences say, on His behalf: You have doubted my love; you have doubted that I was " caring" for you; you have thought that, somehow or another, you would go down, and that I should leave you to go down-leave you to " perish." Was that all 7-the practical result to 'them of having been " ordained to be with him," that He might send them forth to preach? Alas, what hearts are ours! How slow to receive, how ready to let slip, -the sense of His perfect' love!
And when He had done it, did 'they say, Well,.(this is just what we might have expected? No strange to say, "They feared 'exceedingly, and said one to another, What manner of man is -this?" There is no communion here. If there had been communion with Him, would they not have found in Himself an all-sufficient reason for feeling perfectly safe, and sheltered from the enemy's power? Could their trouble have another result than in a fresh miracle, skewing them again the might of His power, and the activity of His love? Would not their hearts have at least taken the cue from the unruffled calm in which He was sleeping? The raging billows were no hindrance to His finding a little moment of rest from His active service. And in what a scene! ' Every human heart was filled with turmoil and fear of death; He was at rest, enjoying peaceful sleep; and He was with them. Should not His presence have been sufficient for them?
I am convinced that we shall find more and more, through grace, that this blessed fact of the Lord's presence with His own is to be the starting-point for our souls in everything. If it is a question of the church, He says: " Where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them." Supposing that an assembly is professedly and truly gathered to His name (I do not, of course speak of any manifested evil there, or suppose it), am I to find out, first, what its moral condition is, in order to know whether, the Lord may be there? That would be to act as did the disciples. Satan's power may be, and is, displayed against it; the ship may be full of water; but I am to start with the fact that He is there. That will produce individual exercise of heart and conscience, that everything is in me, of me, and about me, may be characterized by that presence. It is to be the starting-point of all my thoughts.
There we shall find the needed balance for our souls as we go through this world. Impossible it is, surely, for mere man to pass safely through it, with such an enemy as Satan in constant activity, going about, seeking whom he may devour.. But the presence of the Lord with His own changes everything. What is impossible for man is possible with God; and so we may fearlessly meet every difficulty, knowing that the Lord is with us, and that the storm is just the occasion for the manifestation of His active grace.
Thus may we not lose courage; thus may our hearts rest in the blessed certainty that God is carrying out His own work of grace, both individually and collectively, and that Christ is waiting for His harvest-day-the day when His heart will be satisfied in the perfect blessing of His own-satisfied in the delight of Him who works all things after the counsel of His own will, who " rests in his love," and who, when all is finished,, ushers us, too, into His rest-" the rest which remaineth for the people of God.".
(W. J. L.)
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