Imágenes de páginas
PDF
EPUB

purpose was equally manifest in his writings. All his epistles are full of Christ, and overflow with references to His nature and offices, His grace and glory. In Him only could he find the grand essentials wherewith to enlighten the minds of men, and pacify their consciences, and purify their hearts. Nor should it be otherwise now, either with the ministers or the members of the Church of Christ. What was his chief theme should ever also be theirs.

It never goes well with any Church when Christ begins to be a mere subordinate or occasional theme with its preachers. Men cannot live without food; and if Christ is not preached, the bread of life, by which alone the soul can be nourished, is wholly wanting. Nor, if the expression may be used, will it do to present only a half Christ-his doctrine, but not himself; or his person, but not his work; or his life, but not his death; or his sympathy, but not his atonement. However eloquent, no preaching can be savingly fruitful in which the incarnation is dwelt on, but never the cross. "Some," it has been forcibly said, " preach Christ, but they do not preach him crucified-the firm, strong, decisive side of our Lord's character, which reveals the majesty of law, and the glory of righteousness, and the terribleness of transgression; which shows no tenderness for sin, though a mighty mercy to the sinner; and their preaching lacking this, lacks power and backbone."

But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.-2 Cor. iv. 7.

I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord.---PHIL. iii. 8.

[blocks in formation]

IT

October 15.

THE RECEIVING OF CHRIST AND SALVATION.

T being the fixed idea of many that before obtaining anything from Christ they must bring something to him, they go on toiling for years in the vain hope of thereby meriting the Lord's favour and blessing. Alas! what can a poor, empty sinner bring to the mercy-seat but his sin and misery? As salvation is wholly a gift and never a purchase, those coming to the Redeemer must bring nothing in their hand, and offer nothing as a price, but just come as they are; in so doing, even the most worthless will get welcome and the weariest rest.

Saints must be receivers to the very end, for, as one says, "they are not wells, but cisterns into which the living waters flow. They are but the empty vessel; sovereign mercy puts them under the conduit pipe, and they receive grace upon grace, till they are filled to the brim.”

In accepting Christ, it is not a mere impersonal abstraction they receive, but a true and living Saviour, human yet divine, who is their life and safety, their pattern and power. He is as real to them as their own flesh and bones, and infinitely dearer than brother or friend. And just because he saves them from their sins, the name Jesus is the name of names to them, and ever sounds sweetly in their ear. "It is the music with which the bells of heaven ring," George Herbert says; "a song in a word, an ocean for comprehension, a gathering up of the hallelujahs of eternity in five letters."

As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him.— COL. ii. 6.

But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name.-JOHN i. 12.

WH

October 16.

LOVE REFUSING.

HEN the man out of whom the devils were cast prayed that he might be with him, Jesus suffered him not. At first such a refusal takes us by surprise, for in the circumstances the request was a most natural one. As the woman loved much because much had been forgiven her, so this man loved much because he had just been the recipient of so great a deliverance, and in the warmth of his gratitude he would fain have companied with Jesus wherever he went.

But besides being natural in the man, the request could scarcely fail to be agreeable to Christ, not merely from the pure unselfish love that prompted it, which is always to him like the odour of a sweet smell, but from the fact that what was the man's desire was in a manner his Lord's also. He, too, longs for abiding fellowship with his people: witness his prayer-" Father, I will that they also whom thou hast given me be with me where I am, that they may behold my glory."

66

In spite of all this, however, the request was denied.

He suffered him not." And why? Not because it was wrong in itself, but simply because it was premature and wrongly timed. The granting of it would have involved a double loss-a loss to the man himself of needful training and healthful discipline, and a serious loss to Gadara, for the one and only witness for the truth in it would have been taken away. In mercy, therefore, to the man's kindred and friends, to whom he might prove a light and a blessing, the Lord suffered him not to go with

him. It was thus love that refused, not anger; and doubtless he himself saw this afterwards, and praised the Lord for it.

“O Lord, my best desire fulfil,

And help me to resign

Life, health, and comfort to thy will,

And make thy pleasure mine."

Jesus answered and said unto him, What I do thou knowest not now; but thou shalt know hereafter.-JOHN xiii. 7.

For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me. And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness.-2 Cor. xii. 8, 9.

October 17.

CONTINUANCE IN THE FAITH.

"THEY," says Matthew Henry, "who are continually

surrounded by temptations to apostasy, have need to be continually attended by exhortations to perseverance." It was on this account that Paul earnestly exhorted the disciples in Lystra and Iconium "to continue in the faith."

This was an advice which was not easy for them to follow, for their circumstances were peculiar. They had heathenism all round them, dark, bigoted, and persecuting, and therefore, in continuing to be Christians, they did not only risk their property, position, and dearest friendships, but hazarded their very lives. The stones were yet lying on the ground that had nearly killed Paul, and might next be gathered up by murderous hands to cast at any one of themselves.

There is no open persecution meanwhile, but even in these quiet times it is neither an easy thing to come to

the faith, nor an easy thing to continue in it in holy simplicity and firmness.

Owing to the inherent corruption in us, we are all to a greater or less extent wrongly biased, and all our natural sympathies draw us to sin rather than to righteousness, and to error rather than to truth; and unless we take this deep under-current of our nature into account, we may insensibly get upon the rocks and make utter shipwreck of our faith.

But besides this general danger common to all, there is a peculiar one forcibly presented in these words of inspiration: "The time will come, when they will not endure sound doctrine, and they shall turn away their ears from the truth." In our own time these words seem getting not a little of startling fulfilment. There is with many a growing intolerance of the revealed and supernatural in every form; nay, as if in fulfilment of John's words, "He is antichrist, that denieth the Father and the Son," not a few now speak as if the very acme of scientific progress would be to prove that there is neither Creator nor Redeemer, but that man himself is all in all.

Were it to come to this, not merely with the few but with the many, the measure of iniquity and unbelief would be well-nigh filled to the brim, and transgressors be as ripe for their doom as the men before the Flood, or the guilty Cities of the Plain. Jude tells us that when the Lord cometh to execute judgment upon all, he will decisively mark not only ungodly deeds, but "all the hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him." To be safe, therefore, we must resolutely continue in the faith; and this we can best do by receiving the truth in the love of it, and practically carrying it out in daily life.

« AnteriorContinuar »