WE are forewarned, that in " these last days perilous times shall come," in order that we may be prepared to meet them when they do come' nay, more—that we may be on. the watch, as being fully alive to the Spirit and character of' them. If we do not apprehend the nature of the times, how can we be ready to meet them? And if we are not spiritually sensitive to observe, how can we apprehend? May it not be said of us as of the Jewish teachers (and this was the knell of their incompetency and approaching doom)- " How is it that ye cannot discern these times?" The boast of the scoffer is, that all things remain as they were. There is not spiritual sense to feel the deep and wide-spread devastation of all Christian organization; and consequently, there is among Christians at large, a feebleness in proportion to their ignorance, as to what truth is specially needed for this day; and what is worse, an indifference in seeking to know it. The exigency not being felt, there are but few men that " have understanding of. the times to know what Israel ought to do." My Brethren! these things ought not so to be!
The question, " What is the truth for this day?" was lately put to me by a true-hearted, earnest servant of Christ; and the more I have thought of the subject, the. more deeply important it has appeared to me; and therefore, through the Lord's help, I shall endeavor to trace through Scripture how times and difficulty resembling the present, have been encountered by the true servants of God in their day, and whose example affords us precept and principle, as well as authority from the Divine instruction imparted to them at the time.
First-I must ask my reader to consider the influences now at work, attempting to dissolve and emasculate every principle of Christianity. I reduce them into two. The one is the exaltation of the mind of man, as assuming to contain in itself (per se) the light of revelation, and as able by skilful attention to advance so high as to derive from revelation only a secondary or probable benefit;-the other (which at first appears unaccountable, if we had not the stubborn evidence of facts to assure our wavering judgment) is, that the greater the mental development and progress, the greater the passion for a formal religiousness-one which exacts both a bodily and a sentimental devoteeism. Thus, like two confluent streams, increasing as they go onward, is the progress of mind dispensing with revelation, and extreme religious devoteeism flattering and falsifying the conscience. The mind being made its own oracle, and the conscience its own altar; " both mind and conscience are defiled" and Godless!
The question then arises, How are we, as witnesses for God, to seek to counteract and neutralize the evil thus at work? For whatever meets the existing evil would be the "truth for the day." We are expressly told in 2 Tim. 3, where the last and perilous times are especially dwelt on; that the " Holy Scriptures are: able to make us wise unto salvation." Now, " Salvation" I consider to mean deliverance from everything that can damage or hurt me; and to be by no means confined to the deliverance of my soul from judgment.. The very fact of the Spirit casting the soul on the help of the Scriptures at such a juncture, of itself shows that He knew that when their authority and doctrine would be most assailed, then the true heart would find them in a remarkable way a protection and a guide to safety. Having assumed thus, that in the Holy Scriptures is to be found all that can deliver us morally from the evil and difficulty with which we are surrounded, let us carefully travel through them and note how the servants of God were led and taught to check and frustrate every artifice of the enemy; for he is the same from the beginning, and we have the advantage of studying the way and manner by which he was rebutted in all the great conflicts before our times; and this knowledge will, through' grace, contribute to our efficiency in repelling him in this, our own day.
In the very first temptation, when Satan beguiled Eve through his subtlety, we get the main traits which mark every one of his great assaults on man. Here Satan came in the form of " the subtlest beast of the field which the Lord God had made "-in the form of a serpent. Now the verb, " to use enchantments," is a cognate of the word for serpent, both being spelled alike, without points, (נחש) to which I may allude presently. I only adduce it now to skew that Satan assumed the serpent form with the same intent that he would use enchantments-in order to deceive-and hence the Apostle comments on this deed, as " the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtlety," and Eve says herself, "the Serpent beguiled me." We need no more than this, to establish that the first great aim of Satan is, to conceal from man the power which is exerting its influence over his mind and conscience. And this is a most important discovery for me to make. Evil likes to accomplish its malicious designs without its origin being discovered; whereas good, like everything divine, is always more confirmed by being traced to its origin. We may conclude, then, that Satan will always deceive man when he seeks to make his prey of him; and, therefore, if I cannot see distinctly the origin of the influence brought to bear on me, i.e., from whom it proceeds, I have need to beware and tread cautiously, lest I fall into the snare of the devil. Let us note this well. Satan's first appearance in an assault is with deception and subtlety; the next (and from this, if I have spiritual sense I may discover my danger) is, that he always proposes to me something which will magnify myself; it matters not whether it be so morally or naturally, he seeks, in either case, to make self my object, and will use God's name to lend a weight to his lie. In the case of Eve; he sought to make her disobey. God by first asserting a lie, and then presenting the gain that would arise to her from acceding to his counsel; which is backed up by reference to God. Even though it be an evil insinuation, yet the appeal to God, in its. very hardihood, often reaches the simple and inexperienced with the force of truth. Who, it might be said, would assert so openly, in the face of heaven, if he had not truth on his side? But this dogmatic effrontery is, in reality, diabolical profanity. Now, if I am spiritual, I immediately suspect any specious counsel addressed to me exclusively or primarily with reference to my own progress or advantage. The gospel, I may be told, presents to me pre-eminently my own advantage. True, -but does it not connect me with God? And is it not in the setting forth therein of His grace and His glory that 1 find a place of everlasting nearness to Him? " Unto you is born this day, in the city of David, a Savior, which is Christ the Lord"-a message from the glory of God! Satan would occupy me about my own advantage, and my own ability too, to secure it. Having first deceived me as to the real source of the influence which addresses me, and having obtained a hearing, he presents to me how I may advance myself, and that in a line known to God; all scruple as to Divine restrictions being overborne in the God—known assurances of positive gain, and man's own ability to attain and acquire it. When man yields thus to Satan, the same thoughts in principle pass through his mind as through Eve's; there is a scrutiny and a conclusion, that great personal and self-elevating advantages will arise from the Tempter's propositions. And then the fatal course is entered on. Adam and Eve are naked! They see too much! So much for the advancement they had derived from listening to Satan! They now. see what they cannot remedy. God's grace is always to keep before the soul of His people the remedy equal to the need. Adam, in having recourse to fig-leaves, makes a miserable effort, considering his extensive natural information to remedy his need; and in skulking behind the trees of the garden presents a still more melancholy exhibition of resourcelessness and inadequacy to meet his case when he had to do with God.
But now God comes on the scene; and it is well and blessed for us to note how He acts and counteracts the malice of Satan. He does four things. He first demands from Adam-Had he disregarded His word? for that was Satan's great object, and is therefore the first point to be investigated; and on this demand Adam is convicted. 2ndly, God pronounces the sentence on man because of his sin; appointing him to toil and sorrow in an earth accursed of God. 3rdly, He feeds and buoys up the soul of man by His prophetic word and promise, which engages his soul with the true remedy for his misery; and, lastly, He clothes him with His own hand in a style which, by its contrast with man's previous and incompetent attempt, must have humbled and astonished him.
Now I think we have, in these four displays of the Divine mind, the qualities of power in the Holy Ghost, by which He delivers His people from the wiles of Satan. 1st, I am measured by the word and convicted. 2ndly, My position, as a judicially suffering sinner on an accursed earth is impressed on me. 3rdly, My soul is engaged with the one Who should bruise the serpents head, Jesus Christ come in the flesh, and His perfect work, with which the prophetic word connects me; and, lastly, I find myself clothed through His grace; i.e., my position relieved of its shame by the very hand of God.
I trust, ere I conclude this paper, to be able to spew how, in the fall of man, was displayed, not only the varied lines, of Satan's power brought to bear on man in that fatal hour, but also the distinctive and blessed lines of God's grace in effectually restoring man out of the force and current of Satan's influence; but I now pass on to other Scriptures which present to us the power of Satan in collision with the power of God. Let us turn to Gen. 41, where Joseph is seen as for God, in contrast to the magicians of Egypt. Joseph is called from prison to interpret Pharaoh's dream after the failure and proved inability of all the wise men of Egypt. God, through Joseph, testifies to the world that man is wholly dependent on Him for light; all human skill and resources having proved inadequate and incompetent. Now Joseph was a servant who had learned to trust God and His word. Prophecies respecting himself had been imparted
to him through dreams, which possibly he did not understand, until they were fulfilled; but who can doubt that his soul clung to these communications of God, when every circumstance and- ordering of Providence seemed entirely to ignore and deprecate his faith therein. Thus is it ever God's way to attach the souls of His people to Himself by the communication of purposes, of which they often know no more than that they have not as yet occurred; but if they believe in Him, His communication remains as the refuge of faith. And here is the marked distinction between the man of God and the man of nature in, times of difficulty. When the difficulty supervenes, the servant waits -on God's revelation, watching the unfoldings of His counsels; while man, depending on his own resources, summons to his succor every aid natural and supernatural; and this necessarily affords Satan the desired opportunity, and makes man the ready prey of his machinations.
I now pass on to the conflict between Moses and the magicians, recorded in Ex. 7, and as this is specially referred to by St. Paul (1 Tim. 3:88Likewise must the deacons be grave, not doubletongued, not given to much wine, not greedy of filthy lucre; (1 Timothy 3:8)), as characteristic of the " last and perilous times," we may expect to find in it instruction peculiarly suited to ourselves. The purpose of God, namely, to deliver His people out of the land of Egypt, had been communicated to Moses. Armed with the divine revelation, with faith in God and dependence on His Word, he must boldly meet all assaults. As he proceeds, he finds that he defeats them; and this is the greatest discovery, as well as the greatest cheer and sustainment in the walk of faith. It is only as I walk in faith that I find that I can conquer; and thus I am encouraged to advance in the path on which I have entered. As long as I am outside the path of faith, I shall be looking for encouragement to enter it; and while I am thus occupied, I am not only outside, but without the encouragement; but when inside, I have the encouragement, not to induce me to enter it, but because I am there, to stimulate me to advance onward. How important all this for our souls in this day of difficulty! The mind of God-His Word-has been communicated to me; and to this I adhere by faith. Nay,
the more it is assailed and depreciated, as either insufficient or secondary.(as it is in this day-,how widely I), the more faith cleaves to it as the only guide; for the darker the passage, the more will the prudent attend to his lamp; and, as I do, I shall prove its sufficiency. One who asks me to depend entirely on him in my extremity, and offers to bear the whole responsibility of myself and my position, must know that he is able to bear it, for, if not, he would not only deceive me, but expose his own impotence, if I accepted his offer. Moses knew that God was such an one to him, and he confronts Pharaoh and the magicians, depending solely on the strength of His Word. Mark! it was not any success of his own before them that gave him confidence and boldness, for he had. no success until after he had confronted them; he challenges them, in the intrepidity of faith, relying on God's Word, and his success over the serpent or dragon is then manifested (chap. 7. 12). The object of the magicians (Jannes and Jambres, the sorcerers of the New Testament) was to neutralize and invalidate the power under which Moses acted. It was purely. Satanic; but not more so than those in the last days, to whom the Apostle compares them; " those who resist the truth; men of corrupt minds," etc., etc. How fearful the conflict, if we reflect on it for a moment, that Satan should use man in battle array against God! It is when man finds that natural agency is insufficient for a difficulty, that he has recourse to supernatural; and, God's Word and counsel being set aside, nothing remains for him but to invoke and accept the aid of Satan. The Jannes and Jambres of that day would resist and refute the testimony of God, as maintained by His servant,. Moses, and their mode of resistance was the effort to show, that their power, though avowedly derived from another source, was as great, and that they were able to contravene the power of God. What sustains the servant of God at such a juncture? Not his successes, surely; but, knowing in himself that he has learned the mind of -God, he is assured that his safety and victory lie in persisting in the path of faith; in " continuing in the things that he had learned and been assured of; knowing of whom he had learned them." After this
manner did Moses baffle the enemy; and this is the only simple and blessed rule for the servant of God, unto the end of time. The magicians, who had imitated him up to a certain point, are proved to be totally powerless as to creating life. They cannot produce a living thing from the dust of the earth; and this being done by Moses and Aaron, who were thus the channels of the power of God (chap. 8. 17, 18), the question between God and Satan was determined; the latter can no longer attempt rivalry. And this great victory was all through the Lord upholding His own Word in the mouth of His servant.
I now proceed to 1 Sam. 28, as I think we may glean some valuable instruction on our subject, in that solemn and notable account of Saul having recourse to Satanic power when he had lost the sense of the power of God. I call attention to the passage, chiefly in order to note Saul's state of mind when he thus applied to supernatural power for aid. At one time, in his zeal (pharisaic zeal, no doubt), he had "suffered not a witch to live." When he assumed to be God's king, and ruling under divine power, he righteously and vigorously refused the instruments of another power any quarter. Such a being was strictly prohibited by the law (Lev. 20:66And the soul that turneth after such as have familiar spirits, and after wizards, to go a whoring after them, I will even set my face against that soul, and will cut him off from among his people. (Leviticus 20:6)); and Saul, before he had lost all conscience, was known as the relentless exterminator of them; but when God had deserted him, and would make no communication to him, neither by dreams, nor by Urim, nor by prophet, then be has recourse to what he formerly denounced and withstood; and we learn from his fall how a man who had once thought and acted so differently, may act when under the pressure of difficulty, and seeing. No other way of escape. It is to me one of the most solemn and admonitory examples of how a soul, having departed from God, instead of seeking restoration through repentance and confession, flings himself, a suppliant for aid, at the feet of God's enemy, reckless where he goes, so that he can procure any light through the deep gloom and pressure by which he is overwhelmed. And is there not the same spirit in man now? Supposing one brought up in the doctrines of Christianity, and for a time following them, believing that a present advantage was secured from them; but, if such a one resisted the claim of truth on his conscience, after having for a time admitted its cogency, what would be more natural, when he found himself in growing inextricable darkness and difficulty, than that he should throw himself into the arms of any who would shed light on his path and future? I doubt not that there are many who have turned to Satan after this manner; and I believe that, as God, in His inscrutable wisdom, allowed Samuel to appear, in order that Saul from his mouth should hear his doom, so that many an apostate may hear his condemnation from some once honored, but now forgotten, servant of God.
As I desire to point out the analogy between the power and animus of Satan in those times and these, always the same, though less tangible and distinguishable now, we may examine, for a moment, what was the object and occupation of what were called "familiar spirits." The word in the Hebrew gives us no clue to its origin, but that in the Septuagint is well translated by our English word, "ventriloquist." How they acted or gave forth their counsel we know not, but we have the same word in Job 32;19, translated "like bottles," "ready to burst like new bottles." Now, the bottles of those days being made of leather, were necessarily greatly distended by new wine before they burst, and this incidentally lets us see that these persons described by the same Hebrew word, presented an imposing air, and were those from whom we should expect " great swelling words of vanity." Moreover, their vocation was to lead away souls under their influence; and, in order to effect this, they worked on the credulity of man by some sign or wonder, interpreting dreams, foretelling events, etc. The fact of men being susceptible to such influence, plainly proves that there is in him a felt need of a supernatural subsidy; that is, that he is not, and cannot be, a totally independent individual, and if he be not supported by the power of God, he must necessarily, from inherent feebleness, cast himself into that current which seduces him by its pretensions; a current now flowing in increased and terrible force. A very awful conclusion to arrive at; but one which the whole history of Scripture, and especially those parts which we have been considering, proves to be just. And how was it, let us ask ourselves, that man was then seduced? Was it not then as now, through the mind? These false prophets addressed the senses, and thus reached men's minds, and having swayed them, led their votaries captive. See how Ahab was deceived by them. And the plot is only disclosed by the prophet of God. Well may it be said of man, who has yielded his mind and will to such an influence, " He feedeth on ashes; a deceived heart bath turned him aside, that he cannot deliver his soul, nor say, Is there not a lie in my right hand?" But the interesting and important question for us to consider is, How are we to be preserved from this seducing element and influence? Now, it is to be noted with fervent thankfulness that whenever the Spirit of God exposes an evil, He directs. the people of God to that line of conduct and engagement of mind which would preserve them from its influence. We find this specially as to the evil we are considering, for in Deut. 13, where Israel is expressly warned of the purpose of these spirits being to "turn them away from the Lord their God," the true preservative course is also set forth:.“ Ye shall walk after the Lord your God, and fear Him, and keep His commandments, and obey His voice,• and ye shall serve Him, and cleave unto Him. ' In what strict harmony is such a passage as this with the words of the Lord Himself: " If any man shall do His will, lie shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God." Such a soul shall be confirmed in the truth, and know the power of God, as it walks according to it. It will be both established in mind and preserved in practice. In like manner; we find in Isa. 8, where the rejection of Christ is foretold, and the distress on earth consequent thereon, when the adversary would suggest to his disciples to " seek unto them that have familiar spirits "; the Spirit. of God retorts, " Should not a people seek unto their God?" The distress may be paramount; but that ought only to incite us to seek the Lord, and the Lord only, with. greater earnestness, and to wait on Him. The practice, or even the inclination, to seek aid from any quarter, except God, must necessarily expose the soul to the deadly machinations of Satan, which are always presented in: whatever form they are likely to be most successful, whether to Israel as " familiar spirits," or in all the subtle forms which he. takes in Christendom, and hence the bare inclination should be feared and earnestly deprecated, for where such inclination is yielded to, in the smallest point,. there is always a liability to be led away by the deceivableness of unrighteousness.
And now, ere we pass from the Old Testament record, let us turn to Dan. 2 There we find one who had been-invested with supreme power over men troubled in spirit, because of a dream from God which he cannot recall; nor can all the astrologers and wise men of Babylon give him the required aid. What a picture! Here was a man to whom the God of Heaven had given a kingdom, power; strength, and glory, and c‘ wherever the children of men dwell, the beasts of the field, and the fowls of Heaven hath He given into thine hand, and hath made thee 'ruler over them all," not only troubled, but resourceless, at his wit's end; and, finding all the supernatural aid to which he had resorted incompetent, lie being very furious, commanded all the wise men to be destroyed, as they were unable to supply him with what he demanded, his troubled soul tramples all their pretensions under foot. What a warning to us of the insufficiency, nay of the mocking fruitlessness of man's power, and of all other resources within the reach of man, when the question is to know or learn the purposes of God! One can hardly conceive anything more humiliating than the state of Nebuchadnezzar at this moment. What is the use of extensive power and resources, if they will not reach to the very point where I want them most? What a commentary on the poverty of all power, immense and unlimited as his was; or of all means of acquiring knowledge within the reach of man! Can any man expect to have more at his command than had Nebuchadnezzar; and now see to what a state he is reduced, when that which he requires and seeks is even the least part of the mind of God. God sent the dream, and withheld from the king the remembrance of it, on purpose to testify to this great universal autocrat, that all his power, and all the wisdom at his command, was less than nothing, in regard to aught that had to do with God, and that a eunuch in his palace who knew God's mind was greater than he. How blessed to see how such a knowledge sets the possessor of it in easy superiority to every human eminence, ability, or resource. This Was the testimony here. This was the great truth needed for the day of Nebuchadnezzar, and of Daniel; and if, in the time of the noviciate of Gentile power, the head of gold passed through this deep humiliating conviction of resourcelessness, and found no refuge or relief, but in the counsel of God, from the lips of God's servant, how much more (now that the image is well nigh completed, and preparing for its doom) does it become us, who are in the fourth empire (the feet of iron and clay where the assumption of man has increased a a hundred-fold), to estimate and proclaim all human power, ability, resource or learning, as not to be accounted of, yea as dust in the balance, in comparison to the word of God now fully revealed. The Supremacy and Omnipotency of God's word is our testimony even as it was Daniel's; and the more dark and trying the moment becomes, the more may the practical distress of Nebuchadnezzar and his only quarter for relief, warn and indicate to us, where our succor and safety can alone be found.
We now pass on to Matt. 2, where we shall find in type another instance of the insufficiency and incompetency of human wisdom or scientific discovery, however well directed, for the interpretation of any of God's ways. The Magi, having seen the Star in the East, conclude that the king of the Jews is born, and come up. to' Jerusalem to worship Him. Now this star I regard as the creational testimony, valuable as far as it went; 'and it is well and happy for the wise men to have noticed and attended to it. But beyond a certain point it could not conduct them. Arrived. at Jerusalem, they are entirely at sea, as to where to turn for the object of their search; nor could they have proceeded further, had they not learned from the Divine Record, where the new-born King was to be found. True, human wisdom might have led them to notice the star, which, as the testimony for God in creation, might have raised their expectations as to a glorious one of whom creation itself stood in need; but neither would have led them to Bethlehem, which then contained, in the person of the lowly Babe, all that God was for man, and all that man needed in his relation to God, unless they had heeded the word, from which was announced to them the birth-place of the expected King. The very best motives of mere human wisdom, the most attentive observance of the signs of nature will, when man reaches that point, where God's counsel can alone direct him, confuse rather than guide; for all its information ends in nothing as to the real point which he wants to know. The Magi might. have been wandering forever through Palestine, had not the actual place been communicated to them from Scripture; and, what is more, they, with all their wisdom would have been taken in Herod's trap, for he intended to make use of their information, in. order to kill Christ, but for the intervention of God.; all this remarkably confirming what I have advanced, that man's wisdom, however true or well disposed, is ever inadequate for any difficulty which has relation to God, and that the creational testimony; however it may set its seal to the word; for after the Magi had accepted the word as their "guide, the Star, we read, came and stood over where the young child was," it is, nevertheless, apart from the Divine word, of no practical use to man.
I now pass rapidly on through several passages in the Acts, which, serve the subject of our inquiry, and show how the power of Satan in its different forms was met and repelled by the Apostles in the power of the Holy Ghost. In Acts 8, Simon is an example of the natural character and ambition of men who seek to be reputed for their Wisdom and acquirements, full of their own glory and distinction. Peter meets his advances with the sternest opposition, and pronounces the conclusion which we may reiterate on all such-" thy heart is not right in the sight of God."
Again in chap. 8. 6, we have Elymas the sorcerer who withstood Paul and Barnabas, seeking to turn the Roman deputy from the faith. This man, a Jewish sorcerer, I consider as a type of the evil to which the Gentile is exposed; and Saul, here named Paul as indicating his Gentile connection (for Paul is Latin and Saul Hebrew), encounters this form of Satanic evil, by denouncing its exponent as " full of, all subtlety and mischief, child of the devil, enemy of all righteousness, ceasing not to pervert the right ways of the Lord," and passing the sentence of blindness on him. Again in chap. 16. 16, &c., we find a spirit of divination actually bearing testimony to the truth in proclaiming Paul and Silas " servants of the Most. High God, which show unto us the way of salvation." Now this case, and the way it is met by the Apostle, shows us that, in order to judge' people as God judges them, we must see them as He sees them. If Paul had looked. at, this damsel with the spirit of divination, with a natural mind, how justly he might have argued, that she would be of great use to the truth, and would serve his purpose. What could there be found objectionable in her-words? But no I -He looked on her with the eye of God, and discerned that the enemy was there; and therefore he exorcised the unclean spirit, though this exposed himself and his work, to all the rage and violence of him whose malice we must endure, if we refuse to accept his countenance. All the rancor and violence, however, only brought him 3 contact with the soul that he was sent to Philippi to bless. And how triumphantly does the end justify him in refusing the testimony of another spirit, however commendable its terms; 3 that refuses Satan's aid will expose himself to Satan's enmity; but "he that is for us, is greater than he that is against, us." And, in the long run, we shall be more than conquerors, as Paul was in the self-same Philippi.
We now pass to the Epistle to Timothy, which is the real pivot of our subject, and that on which I desire that all that I have sought to glean from other Scripture may be brought to bear; for there, the " latter days " and " the last days" are described; and we shall find that, though Satan may have changed his garb, he has not changed his character; and, moreover, that the weapons of our warfare are those which the true servant has ever used in the day of difficulty. In the 1st Epistle, chap. 4., the servant of God is informed, that in the "latter times," or times preceding those which we shall consider in the 2nd Epistle, there would be some who would apostatize from the faith, " giving their mind to deceiving spirits and teachings of demons" (see New Translation). From this intimation we learn, that it is professing Christians who yield themselves to these strange and evil influences; so that we are to look for the verification of this prophecy among those who seek to be leaders and appointed teachers of Christianity. Thus, previous to the " last days" of 2 Tim. 3, the door of the MIND of the teachers and leaders has been opened to " deceiving spirits and teachings of demons." And all this with a great ostentation of devotionalism which wins the reverence and admiration of the mass—the consummation desired. We sometimes may not be able to detect a man's aim, when he is only working it out; but when he has attained it, we may review and nark the many unsuspected modes and means by which he has effected it. So, now, we see to very little purpose, if we have not recognized in many glaring examples the fulfillment of this prophecy.
And now, let us gather up all we have learned from these Scriptures on 2 Tim. 3, and see there what will be the most evil or final state of corruption among the teachers in the House of God; and also, how the servant of God can be guarded from it, and be a witness against it. I think we are given three great characteristics of the corrupt teachers in the "last days"; and I dont suppose that one of these marks without the other two, would correctly define or describe the evil. One is Selfishness-. uncontrolled Self. Disobedience to parents only betrays' that all the fences of restraint and subjection are broken down, as far as individual personal rule goes; for there is nothing here said of political rule or patriotic loyalty. It is simply the rein given to man's own mind and will in his private individual capacity as a man. He assumes to be personally independent. The next characteristic is, having the form of piety; that is, that while they free them Selves from every restraint, they assume the appearance of being-devotional to God as pietists. The next characteristic is that they use every effort and art to obtain followers, and, like Jannes and Jambres who withstood Moses, they withstand the truth, using all the occult supplies of magician's skill and Satanic aid;-with what object? To stifle and check the testimony and establishment of the Truth. And mark these persons are not Infidels;- not even open opposers. No I but leaders in the House of God!- very awful and alarming is this. How then is the servant of God preserved from, and constituted a witness against, these? On this point we have ample instruction. First, he is supposed to have " fully known Paul's doctrine"-conduct, faith, patience, love, endurance, persecutions and afflictions a word;
on that line - the line of the apostle Paul, he is supposed to be., But how he is to be maintained on that line is the great question. The answer, is that the "sacred writings are able to make wise unto salvation through faith in Christ Jesus." Now, in this sentence; there are two subjects presented and connected; namely—the sacred writings and the person of Jesus Christ; and we may rest assured, that these two cannot be separated: if we would be preserved from the deadly influences now rife in the world and the Church. The sacred writings which we have just examined; establish our souls in the succor and safety which will ever be accorded to one dependent on. the word of God, of which we have the brightest example in our Lord. Jesus Christ, who met the Tempter and Seducer with the words-" Man must not live by bread alone; -but by every word. that cometh out of the mouth of the Lord cloth man live." That which Israel was learning for forty years is the opening expression of the life and conduct of the last Adam-the Lord from heaven our life. What do we know,-what could we know without the word, of God? Let us remember how evil spirits, serpents, magicians, wise men, kings, peoples, have been baffled and nonplussed, while a Daniel has stood alone, unperturbed before a terror-stricken monarch, in his fury and perplexity condemning to death all the wise men of his kingdom I Oh! how the soul learns
the strength and safety that there is in the word of God in the hour of difficulty. The more the worth of God's mind is known, the less will man value or depend on any human wisdom. The one who knows the light of the sun, must always prefer it to any artificial light; and, this is but a faint simile of the great moral truth that the greater and the divine not only eclipses, but actually causes the weaker and the human to decline while it takes its place. If the word of God, the better it be known, preserves me from the snare of intellectual progress; so, on the other hand, does the person of Jesus Christ held by faith in my. soul, preserve me from the formal pietism so attractive to souls, who, like the Athenians, are informed enough to feel that they dont know God, and therefore, they necessarily, on account of their enlarged human information, become superstitious; for superstition is nothing more than a striving, because of a dim intelligence, to propitiate God without knowing how. The person of Jesus Christ raised from the dead, after bearing the judgment of my sins, and now in heaven on the right hand of God-my life; and loving me with the love of God, in which He has declared the Father, must be a rest, an ark, a sanctuary for my soul, satisfying it by all the endearing testimonies of His ever faithful and watchful, love, enabling it, though with but a " little strength," to keep His word, and not to deny His name, as le " hour of temptation " approaches, and even now surrounds us with its dire influences. Such I believe to be the " truth for this day."
I may remark, in closing, that these two subjects, the Word and the Person, are pressed on us in 1 John 4, but in a more 'positive line. If the testimony of any Spirit now is not Jesus Christ come in the flesh, it is not of God. What a simple rule! And yet how few teachers could say that this 'is the simple and singular subject of their testimony. In the same chapter we also find, that not only is this line of testimony disregarded; but the Apostles, who were the organs of the Word of God, and therefore essentially stood for it, are refused to be heard.
Such is man, whose doom is now hastening! And such is God, who has forborne with him through all the ages that we have been briefly tracing.
Let our souls praise and bless our God, that He would have us day by day to abide more strictly by His word. May we do so more and more, and rejoice in Christ Jesus worshippingly. Christ dwelling in our hearts by faith.