IN

July 7.

POVERTY IS NOTHING IF THERE BE PURITY.

N reading the epistles to the seven churches, we cannot fail to be struck with the wise and loving way in which the Lord mingles commendation and censure. Even in the worst of them there were usually some little things that could be approved; and, on the other hand, even in the best there was more or less of defect to call forth reproof. He warmly commended the church of Ephesus for its works, and labour, and patience; yet he adds, "I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love." So also, while commending the church of Thyatira for its charity, service, and faith, he adds, "Notwithstanding I have a few things against thee, because thou sufferest that woman Jezebel to teach and to seduce my servants."

The church of Smyrna, however, is an honourable exception. In the epistle addressed to it not an error or shortcoming of any kind is specified, nor one word of reproof given; it is throughout laudatory. But though eminently sanctified, it was not sinless. The Church militant may be graciously kept from falling; but it is only the Church triumphant that is presented faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy. Such as it was, however, it was very dear to Christ. “I know thy poverty," he said. This poverty was peculiar, and entirely different from that of the church of Laodicea. While the Lord said to the latter, "Thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and

miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked," he said to the former, "I know thy poverty, but thou art rich." It was poor in earthly things-poor, possibly, through its very loyalty and faithfulness; but it was rich in heavenly things, and in the graces of the Spirit,-faith, love, and joyous hope. Thus while in the one church we see poor rich men, in the other we see rich poor men; hence the beautiful words of an old divine, "Sweet-smelling Smyrna, thou poorest but purest of the seven."

The same thing was true of the Macedonian believers: they were poor, but pure, yea, also rich and blessed; for "in a great trial of affliction the abundance of their joy and their deep poverty abounded unto the riches of their liberality." The more gracious the heart is, and the more purified through the Spirit, the more generous it is.

Ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich.-2 COR. viii. 9.

There is that maketh himself poor, yet hath great riches.-PROV. xiii. 7.

July 8.

THE "COME" AND THE "DEPART" OF
THE GREAT DAY.

No part of Scripture, perhaps, is more impressive than

that which tells of the Lord's advent, and of his sitting on the throne of his glory, and gathering all nations before him. He shall then, it is said, separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats. The righteous shall be set on the right hand, and the wicked on the left, and never more shall

they meet or mingle. Even among the Twelve there was found a Judas; but in the blessed family of the redeemed, to be then gathered on the right, will be found only the believing and the true; and to them the King will say, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world."

But besides the bright, there is a dark and oft-forgotten side of the picture; for then, also, the King shall say unto them on the left hand, "Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels."

More awful words than these can scarcely be conceived. Yet mercy may be seen in the very recording of them beforehand in all their decisiveness and awfulness; for in the hands of the Spirit they have been the means, in every age, of leading countless thousands, not merely to serious thought, but to flee from the wrath to come, and find safety and peace in the one and only Refuge.

Doubtless it would be easy so to handle and plausibly interpret these words as to take away from them much both of their sternness and their certainty; but would He that uttered them thank us for so doing? or would they then serve their beneficently designed purpose to awaken and save? One ingredient taken out may change the best of medicines into a deadly poison; so one clause dropped from a text, or one word in it softened, may make that destructive which before was saving. On this account, the express injunction of the Lord to Jeremiah was: "Speak unto all the cities of Judah all the words. that I command thee to speak unto them; diminish not a word."

When of old God said, “In the day thou eatest thereof

thou shalt surely die," it was softer to say, "God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, lest ye die." The difference may seem slight between these two sentences, yet it so altered the word of God as at once to change certainty into doubt, and rob of all its preserving influence the very first and weightiest of the divine warnings. So would it be with any softening down of the awful words recorded by the evangelist: "Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels.”

What intensifies their solemnity is the lips from which they came, and which had so often before entreated and warned, but all in vain. "It should constrain us," says one, "to humility and silence on this subject, that the most solemn and explicit declarations of the everlasting misery of the wicked recorded in the Scriptures, fell from the lips of Him who, though equal with God, was found in fashion as a man, and humbled himself unto death, even the death of the cross, for us men, and for our salvation."

Seeing that it is so, it should make men tremble to tamper with divine utterances, remembering who it was that said, "Ye shall not surely die;" and remembering, too, all the ruin and woe which that lie believed has brought for ages on our fallen race. Unsaved men are ready enough to quench conviction without being helped to do it by deceitful whisperings that, even if salvation is missed in this world, it may yet in the end be found in the next, or that, at the very worst, all that is meant by perishing is a sleep from which there is no awaking. It will go hard with the misled in such a case, but if we are to believe the great Judge of all, it will go harder still with those misleading; for thus it is written: "When I

say unto the wicked, Thou shalt surely die; and thou givest him not warning, nor speakest to warn the wicked from his wicked way, to save his life; the same wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thine hand." The friendliness is cruel that says, Peace, peace, when there is no peace; whereas the severity is tender and loving that tells of the wrath to come, and fervently urges to flee from it.

A venerable minister, with compassionate earnestness, once preached a sermon on this solemn theme. On the next day some thoughtless men agreed that one of their number should go to him, and, if possible, draw him into a discussion. He went accordingly, and began the conversation saying, "I believe there is a small dispute between you and me, and I thought that I would call this morning and try to settle it." "Ah!" said the good man, "what is it?" "Why," he replied, "you say that the woe of the finally impenitent will be eternal, and I do not think it will." "Oh, if that is all," he answered, "there is no dispute between you and me. If you turn to Matthew xxv. 26, you will find that the dispute is between you and the Lord Jesus Christ, and I advise you to go immediately and settle it with him."

Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.2 COR. vi. 2.

How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation?-HEB. ii. 3.

I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.LUKE xiii. 3.

He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.-JOHN iii. 36.

Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctitied, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace?-HEB. X. 29.