The Triumph of the Gospel.

IN the book which God has graciously given to us, and which addresses itself to every creature under heaven, a few plain facts are stated which will enable you, dear reader, if you so desire it, to take a true account of yourself, and see where you are, and how you stand in relation to God. Nothing, surely, can be of greater importance than this. Life is uncertain. There is nothing in this poor world upon which you can safely rely. The heart of man instinctively longs for that which is stable and abiding; and the anxious cry is going forth from many a weary soul today, “Who will show us any good?” (Psa. 4:66There be many that say, Who will show us any good? Lord, lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon us. (Psalm 4:6)).
In Genesis 1 God is seen diligently working for the benefit and blessing of His creatures. In chapter 2 a “garden of delights” is planted, eastward in Eden, and there God placed the man whom He had formed for His own pleasure. In chapter 3 man, listening to Satan’s lying insinuations, revolts from God; and, conscience-stricken, seeks a hiding-place from his Maker among the trees of the garden; he is there challenged, exposed, convicted, and subsequently driven out of Paradise. Thus, briefly, the Spirit of God sums up for us the “present situation.” “By one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that ALL HAVE SINNED.” Solemn picture this. Have you honestly faced it, reader? There is no way of return to an earthly Eden (Gen. 3:2424So he drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life. (Genesis 3:24)), and the sentence of death is upon all who are born outside of it (Rom. 6:2323For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. (Romans 6:23); Heb. 9:2727And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment: (Hebrews 9:27)). Gloomy enough would this outlook be were it not that God Himself has intervened on man’s behalf. No sooner had sin cast its withering blight upon His fair creation, than the voice of God is heard in the garden, announcing the fact that the woman’s seed should bruise the serpent’s head (Gen. 3:1515And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel. (Genesis 3:15)), and following quickly upon this blessed intimation, Adam and Eve were clothed with coats of skin, signifying that a victim had been slain, and sinful man accepted in the life of another. In that innocent animal, put to death to cover the nakedness and guilt of ruined man, God’s mighty triumph over the powers of evil is typically declared, and the all-atoning sacrifice of Christ shadowed forth. And from that moment onwards, until the Son of God was manifested, the slain victims at the altars bore continuous witness to faith’s only ground of approach to God.
But in the death of Jesus, where man’s guilt and enmity reached their culminating point, God’s righteousness was established and His love fully expressed. Jesus laid down His life, to end forever, as before God, the sad history of man “in the flesh” (Gen. 6:1313And God said unto Noah, The end of all flesh is come before me; for the earth is filled with violence through them; and, behold, I will destroy them with the earth. (Genesis 6:13); Rom. 8:33For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: (Romans 8:3)). His holy soul was “made an offering for sin.” The waves of judgment, in all their fury, spent themselves upon Him who came to do the will of God (Isa. 53:1010Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand. (Isaiah 53:10); Psa. 40:7, 87Then said I, Lo, I come: in the volume of the book it is written of me, 8I delight to do thy will, O my God: yea, thy law is within my heart. (Psalm 40:7‑8)). But death could not hold Him. (Acts 2:2424Whom God hath raised up, having loosed the pains of death: because it was not possible that he should be holden of it. (Acts 2:24)). He was “raised from the dead by the glory of the Father” (Rom. 6:44Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. (Romans 6:4)). The everlasting gates were opened wide to welcome the mighty Conqueror into the courts of glory (Psa. 24:7, 87Lift up your heads, O ye gates; and be ye lift up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in. 8Who is this King of glory? The Lord strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle. (Psalm 24:7‑8)). God has placed Him at His own right hand (Rom. 8:3434Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us. (Romans 8:34)). The sacrifice of Christ has come up as a sweet savor to God; and now―
“The river of His grace,
Through righteousness supplied,
Is flowing o’er the barren place
Where Jesus died.”
Dear reader, has this blessed report reached you? All power in heaven and earth is committed to God’s beloved Son. All that God has, or ever will have for man in the way of blessing, is dispensed by Jesus, the true “Zaphnath Paaneah” (Gen. 41:44-5744And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, I am Pharaoh, and without thee shall no man lift up his hand or foot in all the land of Egypt. 45And Pharaoh called Joseph's name Zaphnath-paaneah; and he gave him to wife Asenath the daughter of Poti-pherah priest of On. And Joseph went out over all the land of Egypt. 46And Joseph was thirty years old when he stood before Pharaoh king of Egypt. And Joseph went out from the presence of Pharaoh, and went throughout all the land of Egypt. 47And in the seven plenteous years the earth brought forth by handfuls. 48And he gathered up all the food of the seven years, which were in the land of Egypt, and laid up the food in the cities: the food of the field, which was round about every city, laid he up in the same. 49And Joseph gathered corn as the sand of the sea, very much, until he left numbering; for it was without number. 50And unto Joseph were born two sons before the years of famine came, which Asenath the daughter of Poti-pherah priest of On bare unto him. 51And Joseph called the name of the firstborn Manasseh: For God, said he, hath made me forget all my toil, and all my father's house. 52And the name of the second called he Ephraim: For God hath caused me to be fruitful in the land of my affliction. 53And the seven years of plenteousness, that was in the land of Egypt, were ended. 54And the seven years of dearth began to come, according as Joseph had said: and the dearth was in all lands; but in all the land of Egypt there was bread. 55And when all the land of Egypt was famished, the people cried to Pharaoh for bread: and Pharaoh said unto all the Egyptians, Go unto Joseph; what he saith to you, do. 56And the famine was over all the face of the earth: And Joseph opened all the storehouses, and sold unto the Egyptians; and the famine waxed sore in the land of Egypt. 57And all countries came into Egypt to Joseph for to buy corn; because that the famine was so sore in all lands. (Genesis 41:44‑57)). Have you learned that God expects nothing from you; but that He comes out towards you today in the character of a Saviour-God, a Giver? “There is one mediator between God and men, the MAN Christ Jesus, who gave himself a ransom for all” (1 Tim. 2:3-63For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour; 4Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth. 5For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; 6Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time. (1 Timothy 2:3‑6)). The gospel addresses itself to all, without exception. Friend, whatever your condition may be, there is only blessing in the heart of God towards you. Take Him at His word, and claim the blessed Saviour as your own, and you will know, in the deep experience of your soul, what it is to have peace with God, the forgiveness of your sins, and an inheritance among all “the sanctified” (Acts 13:3838Be it known unto you therefore, men and brethren, that through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins: (Acts 13:38); Rom. 5:11Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: (Romans 5:1); Eph. 1:1111In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will: (Ephesians 1:11); 1 Peter 1:3, 43Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, (1 Peter 1:3‑4)).
But the day of God’s long-suffering is drawing to a close. Soon the last gospel message will be told out, and the last sinner brought under the peaceful sway of Christ. The Saviour will come into the air to meet His saints. The sleeping ones will be raised, and the living changed, and all taken up to be “forever with the Lord” (1 Thess. 4:16-1816For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: 17Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. 18Wherefore comfort one another with these words. (1 Thessalonians 4:16‑18)). What a blessed consummation! What a glorious prospect to look forward to! What a stimulus for happy service in the great harvest-field of human souls! But if the coming of the Lord crowns the blessedness of the believer’s portion, what of those who are so absorbed with the things of this life that they are utterly unconcerned about eternity and the interests of their souls? Like Belshazzar in Daniel 5, and the wealthy farmer in Luke 12:16,16And he spake a parable unto them, saying, The ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully: (Luke 12:16) they are set upon making everything of “the present,” and leaving God and the great hereafter out of their reckoning. Their language is, “Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years: take thine ease; eat, drink, and be merry” (Luke 12:1919And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry. (Luke 12:19)).
Friend; if this is the road you are traveling upon, may God awaken you from your sleep of death. Remember the handwriting on the wall of Belshazzar’s palace, and that mighty monarch’s sudden doom (Dan. 5:5, 27-305In the same hour came forth fingers of a man's hand, and wrote over against the candlestick upon the plaster of the wall of the king's palace: and the king saw the part of the hand that wrote. (Daniel 5:5)
27TEKEL; Thou art weighed in the balances, and art found wanting. 28PERES; Thy kingdom is divided, and given to the Medes and Persians. 29Then commanded Belshazzar, and they clothed Daniel with scarlet, and put a chain of gold about his neck, and made a proclamation concerning him, that he should be the third ruler in the kingdom. 30In that night was Belshazzar the king of the Chaldeans slain. (Daniel 5:27‑30)). Think of God’s solemn announcement to that prosperous worldling, in the midst of his brilliant day dreams: “Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee” (Luke 12:2020But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided? (Luke 12:20)). It is the dark death-knell of a lost eternity. Listen to the voice of wisdom: “Unto you, O men, I call, and my voice is to the sons of man. Riches and honor are with me, yea, durable riches and righteousness. My fruit is better than gold, yea, than fine gold: and my revenue than choice silver. I lead in the way of righteousness, in the midst of the paths of judgment: that I may muse those that love me to inherit substance: and I will fill their treasures” (Prov. 8:4, 18-214Unto you, O men, I call; and my voice is to the sons of man. (Proverbs 8:4)
18Riches and honor are with me; yea, durable riches and righteousness. 19My fruit is better than gold, yea, than fine gold; and my revenue than choice silver. 20I lead in the way of righteousness, in the midst of the paths of judgment: 21That I may cause those that love me to inherit substance; and I will fill their treasures. (Proverbs 8:18‑21)). The speaker in these verses is the same blessed Person who came into this world to do a Saviour’s part for you, poor sinner, in spite of your folly, and waywardness, and sin. You have been “weighed” in God’s balances, and are “found wanting” (Dan. 5:2727TEKEL; Thou art weighed in the balances, and art found wanting. (Daniel 5:27)). But Jesus went into the storm of judgment that you might know the rest, and peace, and enjoyment of the love of God.
Life’s little day for you here will soon be ended, and a long eternity begun. The One whom man has slighted, and refused, and cast out, is coming to reign over this earth, where once He had “nowhere to lay his head.” “Every eye shall see him” (Rev. 1:77Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen. (Revelation 1:7)). Every knee shall bow to Him. Universal homage shall be His. “The Lord alone shall be exalted in that day.” All who have found a refuge in Christ in this day of grace, will then be associated with Him in glory.
G. F. E.