Assuredly it becomes the Christian, at a moment like this, to hear “the word of the Lord.” In one sense, who else can hear it? He is pleased, in His great grace, to open the blind eye and unstop the deaf ear by such a solemn and loud- speaking call as the present prevailing sickness, we had almost said plague. Oh that this might be the case in many instances at this time, will be the earnest cry and prayer of faith.
The Christian is not of the earthly family dispensationally, nor of the world morally, by Christ’s death the Christian is crucified to the world and the world to him, his resorting to the world is doing violence to the cross. He is not of the world even as Christ is not of the world. Alas! how little this barrier of death is owned, even in doctrine, and hence the failure in practice. Alas! too many of God’s saints belong to the world on principle; the church-world and the world-church is the order of the day; the religion of the world and the world of religion keep step in giant stride and funeral march in these last times.
The Christian has a positive status, as well as a negative one; he belongs positively to heaven now, he is going to where in faith and spirit and affection he is already; he is blessed now with all spiritual blessings in the heavenlies in Christ; this is not the position nor the description of the position of the earthly family. I feel that this introduction must be entered into, rightly to understand the application to a Christian now of the Lord’s voice in either pestilence, or famine, or sword.
If I understand correctly what is the singular and unique position of a Christian, I could not apply to him, save in a moral way, passages of scripture which contemplate directly the earthly people—yet in a moral way such a passage as that which heads this paper does very distinctly apply, as well as all such kindred passages.
Further, I am assured that in proportion to the departure of the Christian from his own proper position, calling, and hope, so is intensified the call of the word of the Lord in this moral sense.
Is it then not gross darkness to be now insensible to the present rod, His appointed stroke?
Let us not fear to plainly state the truth. The so-called church and the world have become one Christendom, which is fast ripening for judgment. The world is an empty, lying pageant. The so-called church loves to be patronized by it, and caressed by it, and in return, adopts its principles, habits, and ways. Alas! how many true, beloved saints and servants of Christ seem asleep or indifferent to this. Has, then, the fact that “the Lord’s voice crieth unto the city” no solemn moral significance at this time in this direction?
The angel of death has been stalking through the land, neither prince nor peasant is spared; it has been a solemn moment, may God open His people’s ears to hear. Oh, is He not saying to us, “hear ye the rod.” Shall we listen, shall we hear? One passage of scripture very distinctly comes before me in connection with the Lord’s word to Christians, namely, “Hear me, ye Levites; sanctify now yourselves, and carry forth the filthiness out of the holy place” (2 Chron. 29:55And said unto them, Hear me, ye Levites, sanctify now yourselves, and sanctify the house of the Lord God of your fathers, and carry forth the filthiness out of the holy place. (2 Chronicles 29:5)). It is in this very especial way, at this present moment, the Lord’s voice speaks to Christians. How solemn to see the tendency on all sides to coquette with the world and adopt its ways, both in the worship and service of God. Alas! some who speak loudly against it in worship, seem inclined to adopt it in measure, in service, and Christian work. How fully the heart responds to the following words of a servant of Christ, just recently put forth: “Now I desire to profess my full confidence in God’s word, as the only means by which God’s work is to be done. I believe that it is still ‘the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth’ (Rom. 1:1616For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. (Romans 1:16)). That it is still ‘able to make wise unto salvation’ (2 Tim. 3:1515And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. (2 Timothy 3:15)); that ‘it shall accomplish that which Jehovah pleases, and prosper in the thing whereto he sent it’ (Isa. 55:1111So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it. (Isaiah 55:11)). I am not tempted therefore to adopt any of the modern methods of the nineteenth century, which all proceed on the implied assumption that the word of God has grown weak and has lost its ancient power. No, ‘I believe in the Holy Ghost.’ I have no apologies to make for the truth of His word, and I have no commission to treat with its enemies. I am charged to ‘preach the word,’ and bidden to have faith in its power, while forewarned that the time will come when men will not endure ‘sound doctrine’ (2 Tim. 4:2, 32Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine. 3For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; (2 Timothy 4:2‑3)). It is not my business therefore to study the tastes of such by what are called attractive services, which mean that the music is to get longer and longer and the sermons shorter and shorter, because the time has come when ‘men will not endure sound doctrine.”
Thank God for such a faithful, outspoken testimony. The need for a firm front as to this is now plainly seen. Alas! there are Christians who seem, just now, to be “drifting away,” an easy but dangerous process; some time back, the scriptures of truth, the word of God, seemed to be their one weapon, the word of God and the Holy Ghost their one confidence; but now they seem disposed to go with the times and tide, and the thin edge of the wedge of the world is pressed in in some little way, in some innocent innovation—a musical instrument, or a magic lantern, or some little beginning—avowedly to meet the growing taste of the age, which ever is the precursor of greater and further departure. O beloved fellow-Christians, let us hear the voice of the Lord at this time! Is He not speaking loudly to His own? Is He not distinctly saying, “Consider your ways”; “Carry forth the filthiness out of the holy place”?
Alas! has not Christian position and testimony become neutralized by world-bordering and worldliness, in the spirit of it as in the letter of it, and is there not a great danger of being seduced by the intoxicating cup that is passing around—the mixed, “cup of fornication”?
May the servants of the Lord Jesus Christ, called, commissioned, and sent by Him from glory, lift up their voices without fear, may they see that none are out of reach of the danger. They must expect to be reproached and despised as not up to date, and so forth; be it so: may they prefer the contempt and sneer of the world and the worldling to their smile and approbation; it is the part of the servant of Christ to look for and to seek his dear Master’s approval, and to await that day when all shall be made manifest.
May the voice of the Lord be heard at this time, in the city, in the midst of man’s proud haunts of business and of pleasure, with the corresponding recklessness and indifference to God; but let us remember that if the saints of God refuse to hear it, in its moral application to them, they are effectually helping to bind faster upon the poor ungodly world the chains of darkness flung around it, as well as to stop the ears of men to the solemn cry addressed to the earth at this time: “O earth, earth, earth, hear the word of the Lord.”