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July 15.

FOREWARNINGS OF THE WORD.

HE Lord, seeing the end from the beginning, has in some degree lifted up the veil from the future, that his people, being graciously forewarned of coming dangers, may be in some measure forearmed to meet them. These, among other things, are written in the Word: "There shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect "" Then shall that Wicked be revealed, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, and with all deceivableness of unrighteousness."

Whatever else may be taught by these words, they clearly intimate a rising up of men in the latter times who, by the wiliness of their teachings, and also apparently by their power to do semi-miraculous things, will draw many away from truth and righteousness. Whether the great signs and wonders spoken of are to be wholly deceptions through sleight of hand or otherwise, or partly also, as some think, directly Satanic, is not said; but this much is clear, that when in full manifestation they will exert so great an influence for evil on men in general that even the very elect of God will, for the time, be imperilled by them.

Some have spoken of modern Spiritualism, with its mysteries and wonders, and professed supernaturalism and communings with the dead, as if it were in part a kind of incipient fulfilment of certain of these prophetic words. Whether it be so or not, it may at least be said that while

in some of its aspects it is so altogether contemptible that it may be safely disregarded, yet in other respects, and when looked at in its possible fatal consequences, it becomes serious in the extreme. The whole system proceeds on the insufficiency of Scripture as a revelation, and accordingly, from giving heed to its whisperings, not a few have gradually lost all faith in the teaching of the Word and in the blessed gospel of the grace of God.

"If you want to see," said Mr. Moody, "the fruit of Spiritualism, go to our country; it has been a blight on it. I consider it the greatest plague that could come on any nation. I would a good deal rather have some terrible disease sweeping over the land and taking away hundreds, than to have God's people running after spirits. What do we want to know from departed spirits, if we have the Son of God? It must grieve the Master."

It ought to be kept fixedly in mind that should there be in the future any such signs and wonders as Revelation xiii. indicates, so startling in their nature and seemingly supernatural as powerfully to influence beholders, they must yet be resolutely disregarded, because they will be signs not of Christ but of Antichrist, to draw men away from the Redeemer and redemption. Indeed, the forewarnings just referred to are mercifully given by the Lord to his people for the express purpose of preserving them from the peculiar perils of such an era.

Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils.-1 TIM. iv. 1.

Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.—1 JOHN iv. 1.

Saul died for his transgression which he committed against the Lord, even against the word of the Lord, which he kept not, and also for asking

counsel of one that had a familiar spirit, to enquire of it; and enquired not of the Lord: therefore he slew him, and turned the kingdom unto David the son of Jesse.-1 CHRON. X. 13, 14.

July 16.

CAN WE MAGNIFY THE LORD?

Na strict and literal sense, the Lord Jesus cannot be

IN

magnified or be made greater than he is, for he is infinitely great already, and possessed of a glory altogether unbounded. But in a secondary sense, he may be magnified and extolled by his saints, and have his greatness rendered more striking and conspicuous in the eyes of others. We find, accordingly, the Psalmist saying, "O magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt his name together." It is in the same sense and application that the apostle's words must be understood when he says, "According to my earnest expectation and my hope, that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but that with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ shall be magnified in my body, whether it be by life, or by death."

In a world like this it is vain to expect perpetual sunshine and calm; all have some trying experiences which make demands on their fortitude, patience, submission, and Christian charity. It may be feeble health, or failure in business, or loss of friends, or the sudden blighting of the fairest and most cherished of hopes. Now, in all these things the Lord may be magnified or the Lord may be dishonoured by his professing people. He is dishonoured when they fret and repine, and so dwell on past comforts and blessings as to ignore all present ones. the other hand, he is magnified when they are submissive

On

and calm, and can, even in thorny paths and clouded hours, and in the darkest of valleys, be sweetly trustful.

"Let good or ill befall,

It must be good for me,

Secure of having Thee in all,
Of having all in Thee."

"Nothing," says one, " magnifies Christ like a Christian death-bed, when, in spite of languor and disease, there is perfect submission to the will of God, and an entire repose of the heart, all based upon what Christ has promised, and above all upon what Christ is."

Perhaps no man throughout life ever more resolutely aimed with single eye and loyal heart at magnifying his Lord than President Edwards, and in this he very largely succeeded. When, for the last time, he had taken leave of his family, he looked about, and said, "Now, where is Jesus of Nazareth, my true and never-failing Friend?" And so he fell asleep, and went to the Lord he loved.

Whoso offereth praise glorifieth me: and to him that ordereth his conversation aright will I shew the salvation of God.-Ps. 1. 23.

Verily, verily, I say unto thee, When thou wast young, thou girdedst thyself, and walkedst whither thou wouldest: but when thou shalt be old, thou shalt stretch forth thy hands, and another shall gird thee, and carry thee whither thou wouldest not. This spake he, signifying by what death he should glorify God.-JOHN xxi. 18, 19.

And they glorified God in me.—GAL. i. 24.

W

July 17.

THE GREAT HINDERER.

HEN the apostle heard of the sore and varied trials of the Thessalonian believers, he longed much to visit them again. In this, however, he did not succeed as

he desired; and what hindered? Occasionally in such cases we know that the Lord is the hinderer: it is thus written, for example, "They assayed to go into Bithynia: but the Spirit suffered them not." We cannot, however, trace his non-return to Thessalonica at this time to any such special divine interposition. What, then, stood in the way? He himself tells us that it was the great adversary: "We would have come unto you, even I Paul, once and again; but Satan hindered us."

He did this, as some think, by raising such a persecution against Christians at Berea and other places, that it was deemed prudent by the apostle to delay his visit till the storm had somewhat abated. Or, as others suppose, he hindered by intensifying the antagonism of false teachers, or by stirring up dissensions and discords in the churches. But whatever the outward instrumentality, whether persecution, or heresy, or internal division, this much is clear, that Satan himself was ever the prime mover and hinderer-a fact that strikingly shows the wonderful importance attached to the action of Christian ministers. 'Here," says one, "is the master of all evil, the prince of the power of the air, intensely watching the journeying of three humble men (Paul, Silas, and Timothy), and apparently far more concerned about their movements than about the doings of Nero or Tiberius. These despised heralds of mercy were his most dreaded foes. They preached that name that makes hell tremble, and declared that righteousness against which Satanic hate always vents itself with the utmost power."

As it was then, so is it still. Indeed, in every age Satan has been the great hinderer, compelling God's saints