VOL. XXVI FEBRUARY 1943
NO. 2 Let Us Offer the Sacrifice of Praise Let Us Offer the Sacrifice of Praise"Bless the Lord, O my soul,
and forget not all His benefits." THE HISTORY
of ancient Israel abounds with sad illustrations of their forgetfulness of God and His
many benefits. The human heart is prone to forget the loving kindness of God. If it seems
strange that though He sends the rain and sunshine on the worldly and sinful, they
should forget their Benefactor, how much more strange that among those brought into
relationship with Him any should ever forget to be grateful. Yet this is the implication
of our first text. How often their faithful God must have lamented the failure of His
chosen people to remember His special acts on their behalf. Again and again through
their Prophets He reproved them for their ingratitude. They were continually failing to
show a thankful regard for His law, or to reciprocate His love and faithfulness. Of such
laments spoken through His Prophets none seem more pathetic than the one by the mouth of
Isaiah in the very beginning of his prophecy: "Hear, 0 heavens, and give ear, 0
earth: for the Lord hath spoken, I have nourished and brought up children, and they have
rebelled against Me. The ox knoweth his owner, and the ass his master's crib: but Israel
cloth not know, My people cloth not consider." (Isa. 1:2, 3.) Thus it continues until
their last Prophet, Malachi, closes the canon of Old Testament prophecy with his severe
indictment against them. Considering all that God had wanted to do for them had they been
properly appreciative of His favors, it would seem that every voice among them should have
been raised in unison with their Psalmist in saying, "Oh that men would praise the
Lord for His goodness, and for His wonderful works to the children of men." - Psa.
107:8. But all were
not unmindful of God's loving kindness. Some there were in those former days who felt as
did the Psalmist, and who said with him, "Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not
all His benefits." These are they whose record has been preserved for our
encouragement in the eleventh chapter of Hebrews; and what a "cloud of
witnesses" they are, urging us to run with diligence and gratitude the race set
before us. These men and women never lost the retrospective vision, neither did they lose
the forward look; for of all of them it could be said, "They looked for a city whose
builder and maker is God." Recalling the blessings poured out when His commands were
obeyed, and His corrective discipline when they wandered out of His way, with a warmth of
gratitude these true Israelites would confess, "Thy mercy, O Lord, is in the heavens;
and Thy faithfulness reacheth unto the clouds." - Psa. 36:5. So by these
records of the past we of today are both warned and encouraged. We are warned by the
failures of Israel, but encouraged by the faithfulness exhibited by the few. The fact
that these things were our ensamples, as the Apostle tells us, makes it clear that a like
favorable or unfavorable story may be the history of our faith, or of our blindness and
ingratitude. Being then thus encouraged to a proper response to God's rich blessings,
shall we not heed the inspired admonition, and recognizing the greatness of our favors
through Christ, rejoice accordingly,' and "by Him offer the sacrifice of praise to
God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to His name." - Heb.
13:15. GIVING THANKS FOR MERCIES PASTIs it not a
fact proved by experience that when the habit is formed of looking back over all the way
the Lord has led, calling to mind His unceasing favors, there comes with such
recollections a new impetus to render to Him the praise due to His name? Is it not just
such reviews by which the heart is stirred to ask, "What shall I render unto the Lord
for all His benefits toward me?" And is it not such recollections we need to start
us "Speaking to ourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making
melody in our heart to the Lord; giving thanks always for all things unto God and the
Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ." - Eph. 5:19, 20. Where, then,
shall we begin to count our blessings? Their number surprises us into a realization of how
incapable we are of rendering adequate praise. But then, are we not shown in God's own
loving manner that this very keenly felt realization of our inability to praise Him as He
deserves, is in reality praise per. fumed with an incense of love, sweet and precious in
His sight; and through Christ it rises to Him a volume of perfect gratitude. He who
"out of the mouth of babes and sucklings has perfected praise," makes our
thanksgiving a perfect harmony of praise with which He is well pleased; because "Like
as a father pitieth his children, so the Lord pitieth them that fear Him. For He knoweth
our frame; He remembereth that we are dust." - Psa. 103:13, 14. His is
indeed a father's perfect understanding. In our best but imperfect response to Him, how
benevolently He looks upon our efforts. This is well illustrated by a story of a
family made up of several strong, healthy children and one born an imbecile. One day this
poor child saw her sisters gathering flowers to present to their father for his birthday,
and, following her feeble impulse and understanding, she, too, wanted to gather a bouquet
for him. The others collected beautiful specimens from the garden, while she gathered a
mixture of flowers, straws, and sticks to present along with the other collections. When
the father came home and saw the whole collection, he was specially moved by the one
presented to him by his afflicted child, and taking hers, he put it in the most beautiful
vase in the room and set it in the most conspicuous place, but the more carefully selected
bouquets of the other children were given lesser prominence. How like the
pity of God toward us, His imperfect children! Holy angels may worship Him in perfection,
and offer Him gifts of rare beauty and sweetness far beyond anything we can bring, yet, He
lovingly understands the imperfections under which we struggle to show our devotion to
Him. Like the father's sympathy for his afflicted child, God in His wonderful grace feels
compassionate toward us, interprets our motives so tenderly that our very feebleness
gives a sweetness to our gifts, making them dear to the heart of God. All of this is our
joy and comfort, knowing we are accepted in Christ. Thinking
then of mercies past, we place first before all else the supreme gift of God's love, His
own beloved Son. Having been brought nigh through the blood of Christ Jesus, made heirs
of God and joint heirs with Christ, a relationship has been established wherein all
future good is assured us, for "He that spared not His own Son, but delivered Him up
for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?" (Rom. 8:32.)
What riches of His grace, what fellowship with the Father and the Son, what light upon our
pathway, and what a blessed future hope may be reckoned as our heritage through the
redemption that is in Christ our Savior -- our All in all. From day to day, He, the
"great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant,"
has been working in us and for us to make us perfect in every good work to do His will;
therefore in thankful remembrance of His past faithfulness we are made strong in faith
to say of all the past, All things have worked
together for our good, and looking into the future we say confidently, thankfully, and
humbly, "I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor
principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth,
nor any other creature, shall be able to separate me from the love of God, which is in
Christ Jesus our Lord." - Rom. 8:38, 39. THANKFUL FOR VEILED ANGELS GUARDING OUR WAYPrecious to
every child of God is the faithful promise of His protecting care. How comforting to
remember that "As the mountains are round about Jerusalem, so the Lord is round
about His people from henceforth even for ever." (Psa. 125:2.) Amid dangers seen
and unseen His hand has guided, and His love protected us. How many Ebenezer memorials we
have had opportunity to raise over special manifestations of God's patient watch-care
over our interests: Surely we may say, "Goodness and mercy have followed me all the days of my life." And even beyond
our knowledge of pitfalls laid for our feet, and dangers unseen by our side, God's veiled
ministering angel spirits have shielded our way. Here is cause for great thankfulness. We call to
mind the numerous times wherein the Scriptures tell of the peculiar besetments of this day
in which we live, when it is said a thousand, yea, ten thousand shall fall ere the evil
day is over. Who will they be? Will they be only those who turn again to the beggarly
elements of earth, or only of those who let first love die out, and zeal grow cold? Of
such there shall be many no doubt; but many will be of the number who, because they verily
thought they could keep themselves from falling, forgot the under lying and special
meaning contained in the warning, "Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he
fall." (1 Cor. 10: 12.) The self assurance of spiritual pride, how deceptive it is. Who then
shall stand? Only those who "are kept by the power of God through faith" - only
such as have Christ formed in them, and in whom His spirit abides. Only He can keep us
from falling, and "present us faultless before the presence of His glory with
exceeding joy." (Jude 24.) And can we know we have been thus kept by power divine?
Yes, the true child of the Lord may know he has been kept in the love of God; kept from
the strife of tongues; kept in the true communion of saints; kept in' a humble
acknowledgment of his own inability to keep himself; therefore privileged to join with the
Apostle in his rejoicing, and say, "Thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory
through our Lord Jesus Christ." - 1 Cor. 15:57. The same
Word by which we are taught to cultivate lively recollections of mercies past, also
urges upon us the vital importance of keeping future joys and benefits before our vision.
In fact the keeping of such future prospects before the mind is shown to be a matter of
supreme moment. Was it not by the keeping of future possibilities before his eyes that the
Apostle Paul was so wonderfully sustained in his day of trial? He it is who has taught us
to look beyond present afflictions and say, "For I reckon that. the sufferings of
this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed
in us." And again, "For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh
for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory." (Rom. 8:18; 2 Cor. 4:17.)
Likewise the beloved John shows the beneficial effect on mind and heart when the future
inheritance is thought upon, saying, "And every man that hath this hope in him
purifieth himself, even as He is pure." - 1 John 3:3. GREATER THINGS THAN THESE SHALL YE SEEA day of
days is ours now. In respect to this present evil Age, "We are facing the west with
the sunset in our eyes," but as children of the morning in respect to the
incoming new day, when righteousness and peace shall kiss each other, we see "the
gleams of the golden morning that will burst the tomb." True, the darkness gathers
over all the earth in ever increasing gloom, but a gleam of brightness penetrates the
gathering clouds, and out of the storm and tempest comes an assuring voice, saying to us,
"It is I, be not afraid." Then pointing to the gathering storm clouds, He says,
"When you shall see all these things, know that He is nigh at the doors." -
Matt. 24:33, see Diaglott and Rotherham. For God's
enlightened children even the darkening shadows may give cause for thankfulness. They
remember the Star of Bethlehem came in a darkest hour in human history, heralding the
birth of One through whom all such darkness would at last be banished from the earth. So
once again, the shadows of the long foretold night are spreading over all lands, even as
it is written, "The morning cometh, and a night also." (Isa. 21:11.) But out of
the din and confusion which betokens the passing out of the old order and the coming in of
the new, the awakened watchers in Zion find comfort and cause for praise in the "sure
word of prophecy," shining as a light in a dark place. Who but the God of all comfort
could speak above the earth shaking and mountain removing tumult of this time such a word
of comfort to the remaining remnant of the Church as this: "There shall no evil
befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling. For He shall give His angels
charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways." (Psa. 91:11.) How "like apples
of gold in pictures of silver" are all such promises made to His people! And who but
God could speak so needed a message for the whole groaning world destined to wait yet a
little longer for Christ's reign of righteousness and peace, saying of that coming day,
"It shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the Lord's house shall
be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all
nations shall flow unto it. . . . And He shall judge among the nations, and shall rebuke
many people; and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into
pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war
any more." - Isa. 2:2, 4. Praise His
name for all these messages of comfort and hope. We often sing the glad refrain: "Oh!
the prospect it is so transporting!" But do we fully realize that transporting
influence as we should today? Are these prospects the gladdening, heart-cheering thing
they ought to be in view of all the signs indicating that the vision cannot long be
delayed now? Think of Abraham looking down the long corridors of three thousand years
before the hopes set before him could have fulfillment. Yet he "rejoiced to see My
day," Jesus said, "and was glad." We look not down over a long period of
waiting time for the consummation of our hopes, but are perhaps nearer to that happy
hour than -we think. The very nearness of the hour when Christ our Bridegroom will present
His faultless Bride before the Father, should awaken hope and give greater reality to
things not seen as yet. Our "blessed hope" should become more and more
separating and purifying, separating us from all but Him "whom having not seen, ye
love; in whom, though now ye see Him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable
and full of glory: receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your
souls." (1 Pet. 1:8, 9.) The Word by which we have been guided and kept in the way
hitherto, should be growing more precious than ever before, and studied more each day, to
the end that we may behold the beauty of the Lord therein, and know it true of us, as
Paul has said, "We all with unveiled face receiving and reflecting the glory of the
Lord into the same image are being transformed, from
glory into glory, even as from a Spirit that is Lord." - 2 Cor. 3:18. "The
night is far spent, the day is at hand." O day of light and gladness, when a
glorified Church shall begin a song of praise, the volume of which will grow wider and
deeper until the choir embraces "every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth,
and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, saying, Blessing, and honor, and
glory, and power, be unto Him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and
ever." (Rev. 5:13.) If we see these things, if we have thus far been kept within the
charmed circle of God's protecting power and love, we will bless the Lord, and forget not all His
multiplied benefits, while in a humble and grateful confidence we strengthen ourselves in
Him for our remaining days by affirming to His praise, "Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I shall
dwell in the house of the Lord for ever." - Psa. 23:6. -J. J. BLACKBURN The Covenants of GodPART II IN PART I of
"The Covenants," we considered Paul's discussion of the Abrahamic and Law
Covenants as they are set forth in his Epistle to the Galatians. We saw that the Covenant
given to Abraham was wholly of God's grace, and that in accordance with the promise
made therein, the Christ, Head and Body, is the Seed
that will bring blessings to all the families of the earth. We saw that
this Covenant was represented in Sarah, Abraham's first wife; and that as she eventually
gave birth to Isaac, so this original promise given to Abraham, eventually brought forth
The Christ, "The Seed of Promise." We saw too
that the Law Covenant was represented in Hagar, and that as she, a bondmaid, gave birth to
Ishmael, "in the common course of nature" (Weymouth), so the Law, working
through the deeds of the flesh, could bring forth only to bondage. We also
noted that whereas the promise of seed and of blessing to come through that seed was
unconditional, guaranteed solely by the Word and Oath of God, nevertheless the right or
privilege of being the channel of blessing was conditional; Abraham had first to
demonstrate both faith and obedience-he had to leave home and kindred and become a
sojourner in a strange land; he had also to offer up the son in whom his hopes were
centered; but, strong in faith, he never wavered. - Heb. 6:15. A similar requirement is made of each one that
becomes a part of "the Anointed." Following in the footsteps of Jesus, each one
of this class must exercise faith and obedience; each must forsake all earthly prospects
and become a pilgrim and a stranger in the earth; each must present his body "a
living sacrifice, holy and acceptable unto God." These steps constitute individual
vows or covenants which, if faithfully performed, will make "sure" our calling
and election to a place in the Body of Christ, vouchsafed to us through begettal and
sealing of the Holy Spirit. It is these individual covenants that the Psalmist speaks of
when he says, "Gather My saints together unto Me, those that have made a covenant
with Me by sacrifice." - Psa. 50:5. THE NEW COVENANTIn this article we will examine the Scriptures that give answer to the following questions respecting the New Covenant:
The first
definite statement of the New Covenant in the Scriptures occurs in Jeremiah 31:27-34. In
verse 31 we read: "Behold,
the days come, saith the Lord, that I will make a New Covenant with the house of Israel,
and with the house of Judah." There are
times when the name Israel is used to refer to spiritual Israel, but here the application
is definitely to the natural house of Israel; for, in the next verse we read: "Not
according to the covenant that I made with their
fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of
Egypt; which My covenant they break, although I was an husband unto them, saith the
Lord." In these two
verses we have the positive assertion that Jehovah will, at some future time, make a new covenant with
natural Israel to replace the old Law Covenant made
with their fathers at the time He delivered
them from Egypt, which covenant they had violated. Obviously,
the covenant made with Abraham could not be violated by men, since the fulfilling of its
provisions depended wholly upon the Word and Oath of Almighty God. But the Law Covenant
being bilateral and dependent upon man's obedience as well as God's word, was violated
by Israel. Jesus, of course, was the one exception and so became heir of all the rights
and privileges which God promised to the one who would keep the Law. All the rest, though
obligated to keep the Law, failed; not because of any fault with the Covenant itself,
but because sinful flesh is not able to keep the perfect law of God. Since the
Law Covenant was confined to natural Israel, the question would naturally arise as to
whether or not the New Covenant would likewise be confined to them. In so far as any
definite statement of Scripture is concerned, the answer is Yes: for where ever we find
the two parties to the covenant definitely stated, it is always God and the natural
descendants of Israel. This would agree with Paul's statement in Romans 9:4 where,
speaking of Israel, his brethren in the flesh, he says: "Whose is the adoption, and
the glory, and the covenants; and the giving of the Law, and the service of God, and the
promises." In this 31st
chapter of Jeremiah it is manifest that the promise of the New Covenant is made to natural
Israel alone; then again, in chapter 32, the covenant promise is confined to natural
Israel. Here the promise is called an "Everlasting Covenant," but a
comparison of the two chapters (Jer. 31:27-34; 32:37-42) leads to the inference that
both prophecies refer to the same covenant, for both are consummated with the natural
house of Israel under the same circumstances and at the same time. This is based on the
assumption that the phrase "Behold the days come" in verses 27 and 31 refer to
the same period of time; we discover no reason for any other assumption. In chapter
31, verse 28, it will be seen that the fulfillment of the promise of a New Covenant is to
follow the dispersion and regathering of Israel: "It shall come to pass, that like as
I have watched over them, to pluck up, and to break down, and to throw down, and to
destroy, and to afflict; so will I watch over them, to build, and to plant, saith the
Lord." The proof that this statement refers to the
regathering of the Jews following the dispersion of this Gospel Age and not the
Babylonian captivity or other like short periods, is given in the two verses which follow: "In
those days they shall say no more, The fathers have eaten a sour grape, and the children's
teeth are set on edge. But every one shall die for his own iniquity; every man that
eateth the sour grape, his teeth shall be set on edge." In other
words, in the day when Israel is regathered, no
man shall die because of the death inheritance received from Father Adam; if they die,
it will be because of individual sin willfully committed; and this we know is not true
now, nor has it been true at any time in the past, but will be true when they are
released from the death penalty brought upon them through Father Adam, in the time that
they come under the judgments of Christ's Kingdom reign. Corresponding
to this, as showing the same circumstances, we read in chapter 32, verse 37: "Behold,
I will gather them out of all countries, whither
I have driven them in Mine anger, and in My fury, and in great wrath; and I will bring
them again unto this place, and I will cause them to dwell safely." Here again
it is quite evident that the prophecy relates to the regathering of Israel at the end of
this Gospel Age, when the Lord shall come in Kingdom power to reign. Thus prophecy
establishes the time when the New Covenant will
be put into operation, and the people with
whom it will be made: namely, natural Israel during the reign of Christ. These
conclusions are verified in the writings of Paul. In Romans 11:25-29 he says: "For I
would not, brethren, have you ignorant of this mystery, lest ye be wise in your own
conceits, that a hardening in part hath befallen Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles
be come in; and so all Israel shall be saved;
even as it is written, There shall come out of Zion the Deliverer; He shall turn away
ungodliness from Jacob; and this is My Covenant unto
them WHEN I shall take away their sins. As
touching the Gospel, they are enemies for your sake: but as touching the election, they
are beloved for the fathers' sake. For the gifts and the calling of God are not repented
of." Thus Paul
speaks of the Covenant (New) which will be made with all Israel, as a future event, to take place when
Christ delivers them, following the period in which the Gospel has gathered the full
number from among the Gentiles, to complete the Church. THE BETTER PROMISESAgain in
Hebrews 8:6, after identifying our risen Lord as the great High Priest of the Heavenly
Tabernacle, we read: "But
now hath He obtained a more excellent ministry, by how much also He is the mediator of a
better covenant, which was established upon better promises." In Hebrews
7:22 we read: "By so much hath Jesus become the surety of a better covenant."
The word "surety" signifies something or some one that becomes a guarantee for
the fulfillment of some promise not yet realized. (See Webster.) Had the New Covenant been
in operation at the time Paul spoke, he would not have used the word "surety,"
but some other expression signifying the then-present operation of the covenant; but the
word "surety" does enable us to understand the statement of Heb. 8:6 above
quoted, for a promise that has been guaranteed by worthwhile surety is
"established" although the time of fulfillment may be years away. Thayer,
Strong, and Barry all show that the Greek word " Nomotheteo," rendered
"established" (Authorized Version) "enacted" (Revised Version),
"legislated" (Rotherham), "instituted" (Diaglott), has to do with
the legal aspect of the matter and means "to legislate," "to pass,"
"to enact," to "sanction by law." In other words, Jesus, in providing
the ransom, satisfies the requirements of the Law. There is nothing here to indicate as
to when the covenant becomes operative: this must be determined from Scriptures which have
to do with the work of mediation. What were
these better promises upon which this better covenant was established? Evidently they were
the promises of God to Israel recorded through Jeremiah, for the writer of the Hebrews
continues by saying: "For if
that first covenant had been faultless, then should no place have been sought for the
second. For finding fault with them, He saith,
Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, when I shall make a New Covenant with the house
of Israel and with the house of Judah: not according to the covenant that I made with
their fathers in the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of
Egypt; because they continued not in My covenant, and I regarded them not saith the
Lord." Here for a
second time, Paul quotes from the Old Testament in proof that the New Covenant is to be made with natural Israel. Furthermore,
the operation of the covenant is said to follow a period in which God "has regarded them not." In the history
of Israel, from the time they dwelt in Egypt down to the time they were rejected from
favor by our Lord, they were punished many times by permitting them to go into bondage,
but they were not cast off or
"disregarded." Even in the seventy-year period of captivity to Babylon, God
gave them Prophets and showed them favors; but during this Gospel Age, natural Israel has
had no favor from God -- He has "regarded them not" -- left them to their own
devices, and they have been dominated by Gentile rulers and beaten down almost to the
point of extinction more than once. Here then is further proof that the operation of the
New Covenant does not start until the close of this Gospel Age, the period in which
natural Israel has been disregarded. Another
significant statement made by the Apostle in the above Scripture avers that "had the
first covenant been faultless, then should no place have been sought for the
second." The inference plainly indicated in these words is that the New Covenant will accomplish that which the Law
Covenant failed to accomplish. Natural Israel was unable, through weakness of the
flesh, to fulfill its part of that first covenant agreement, and so failed to gain the
reward; and since under the New Covenant they will be able to gain that reward, we have
the answer to our fifth question, for the reward which that covenant offered was life
and earthly blessings-that which Adam had lost, and which "Christ came to seek and to
save." In this 8th
chapter of Hebrews, Paul quotes from. Jeremiah proof not only of what the covenant will
accomplish and when it will go into effect, but also proof of why it is better. "For
(ver. 10) this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days,
saith the Lord [the days in which they had been disregarded]. I will put My laws into
their mind, and write them in their hearts: and, I will be to them a God, and they shall
be to Me a people: and they shall not teach every man his neighbor, and every man his
brother, saying, Know the Lord: for all shall know Me from the least to the greatest. For
I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I
remember no more." Here is set
forth the respects in which this Covenant will be better than the one given to Israel at
Mt. Sinai: it is not that it will have a better law, for as we read elsewhere, "The
Law was perfect"; nor is it that the promised reward is different; for as already
seen, the New Covenant will accomplish that which the Law Covenant failed to accomplish;
namely, the bestowal of life and earthly blessings. No, the difference lies mainly in
the fact that the New Covenant will have a better mediator-one able to rewrite God's law
in the hearts and beings of the willing and obedient. Moses was an
exceedingly able man, and did as much for Israel as it was humanly possible to do, but he
had no life-rights of his own to give as a ransom for man; and so, under divine direction,
he offered up bulls and goats, the blood of which could not take away sins, but which
typically cleansed that people (as a whole) for one year. Then, too,
besides being unable to take Adam's place in death, that thereby he might set aside the
condemnation resting upon man, Moses did not possess the wisdom or power to rewrite God's
laws in the hearts and beings of those to whom he ministered, and so was instructed to
write them upon tables of stone. On the other
hand, Jesus not only provided the price of redemption by His death, but suffered that
death in such a manner as to meet the curse imposed by the Law upon those who failed to
keep it. This he did in order that, as mediator, he might have the right and power to
restore all the willing and obedient to that perfection of being which will enable them,
when the Covenant has been fully mediated, to keep the perfect Law of God (the Law upon
which the Covenant is based - Jer. 31:33) that thereby they may enjoy the blessings it
offers. Instead of
writing the Law upon tables of stone, Christ will write it upon their hearts and in their
beings; they will not only have the spirit of the Law in their hearts, but will also have
the perfection of being that will enable them to keep it in letter as well as in spirit.
Those who enjoy the blessings provided under the New Covenant will have to keep both the
letter and spirit of the Law. Briefly
then, the answers to the questions enumerated in the beginning of this study are as
follows: 1. The New
Covenant is the agreement that will be mediated between God and natural Israel by Christ
when he comes to reign. - Jer. 31:31, 32; Heb. 8:6; Rom. 11:25, 26. 2. It is
called a New Covenant because it is given to replace the old Law Covenant. - Jer.
31:31-33. 3. It is
made with natural Israel. - Heb. 8:7, 8. 4. It is
given in order to accomplish the work of restoration which the Law failed to accomplish.
Heb. 8: 7. 5. It
guarantees life and earthly blessings to those. who become able, through the mediatorial
work of Christ, to keep it. - Heb. 8:10-13; Rom. 10:5. 6. It is a
better covenant because it will have a better mediator, one able to restore and perfect in
being those who come unto God through Him. - Jer. 31:33, 34. 7. It will
need a mediator, first, to satisfy the claims of justice against the sinners; and second,
to restore the sinners to that perfection that will enable them to keep the perfect law of
God. - Rom. 11:26, 27; Heb. 9:15. 8. It was
established in a prophetic sense when God gave His promise concerning it; but in the real
sense, it was established when Jesus became its "surety." - Heb. 7:22. 9. It
becomes operative when "The Deliverer shall come out of Zion and shall turn away
ungodliness from Jacob." - Rom. 11;25, 29; Jer. 32:37-42. Any one not
familiar with the Divine Plan might infer from the foregoing exegesis that natural Israel
alone would benefit under this New Covenant arrangement, but not so. God's promise to
Abraham provided for the blessing of all the
families of the earth under the ministration of his seed -- that part of his seed called
"The seed of promise" and identified by Paul as being The Christ, Head and
Body. (Gal. 3:16, 29; 4:28; Rom. 9:8.) Furthermore, we know that life in perfection on the
human plane of existence-yea, all the things which Jesus came to seek and to save-will be
the reward of those who obey "that Prophet" (teacher) and thereby learn
righteousness during His Kingdom reign. We also know
that eternal life (life in unending continuance) is conditional upon unending obedience to
God, and that this constitutes a covenant agreement which can be fulfilled only by those
who have been restored to perfection of being as was Adam before he sinned. - Hosea 6:7,
R. V. It is easy
to understand how all Israel, living and dead,
will be brought into the New Covenant agreement, for God has promised to return them to
their land, no matter whither they have been driven, or whether they be living or dead,
and to save them from their blindness and unrighteous ways. (Ezek. 37:12-14; 36:24-31;
Rom. 11:26, 27.) But how about the Gentiles? Under what arrangement will they receive
the promised blessings? The answer is: They will have to become proselytes to natural
Israel's God and Covenant, just as members of the Church have had to become spiritual
Israelites in order to partake of the favors and blessings of this Age. As Gentiles,
we had no standing with God, but were aliens and strangers. But, through faith and the
grace of God, we, by nature wild olive branches, have been grafted into the tame olive
tree that we might partake of the benefits of the "root," God's promise
through Abraham. (Rom. 11:17-20; Eph. 2:11-13.) So, of that Age to come, we read: "Many
people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of Jehovah, to the
house .of the God of Jacob; and He will teach us of His ways, and we will walk in His
paths: for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of Jehovah from
Jerusalem." - Isa. 2:3. "At
that time they shall call Jerusalem the throne of Jehovah: and all the nations shall be gathered unto it, to the
name of Jehovah, to Jerusalem: neither shall they walk any more after the stubbornness of
their evil heart." - Jer. 3:17; see. Ezek. 16:60,61; Amos 9:11, 12; Acts 15:16-18. Thus will
all the children of Adam, living and dead, be given the opportunity of restoration to
God's favor; and those who take advantage of that opportunity will eventually experience
all the blessings promised. - J. T. Read The Organist of FreibourgAN EXHORTATION TO QUIETNESSThere is a story told of the organist
of Freibourg, who sat, one day, playing the famous organ in that old Cathedral church. He
loved good music, and found life's richest joy in bringing out the thrilling melodies and
harmonies of the masters from the great organ's throbbing pipes. As he played on, oblivious to
everything around, a stranger entered the -old church, and stood awhile listening from a
point on one of its long aisles. Presently the stranger found his way up to the organ
loft, and stood there listening again. "Let me take the organ a little while,"
the stranger said at length. The organist, intent on completing his
exercises, refused to vacate the seat. Several times, as the music ceased, the
stranger repeated his request. Each time it was refused. At length, the practice over,
the organist, with ill grace, made way for the persistent stranger. Taking his seat, the stranger sat
looking at the keys, as though wondering what to play. Then, after a few moments'
reverie, his fingers began to sweep the keys, and volumes of sound pealed forth such as
the old organ never made before! It filled the stately old church from floor to roof, the
very walls vibrating in unison with the lofty themes, and echoing back the sonorous swell
as the music rose and fell in rippling surges of melody and harmony. The old organist stood entranced until
the mighty anthem ceased, then, gripping the unknown player by the shoulders, said:
"Who are you?" "Mendelssohn," said the
stranger quietly. "And to think that I nearly
refused Mendelssohn the use of my organ!" said the abashed old organist. It required the master-hand to bring
forth the possibilities of that great instrument, for when the master played, the
performance was lifted to a higher plane, and the humdrum and ordinary gave place to the
superlative and superb. So in life's little rhythms for every
child of God. We may each and all be interpreting the great realities of life to the best
of our abilities, bringing forth in our performance the best and sweetest music which
our souls can make. But so intent do we become in our little rounds of life we can
scarcely bring ourselves to leave the old organ stool, even for a little while, that we
are repeatedly ignoring the solicitations of a greater than Mendelssohn to rest and listen
:the while He ;plays, so that He may cause diviner melody to flow within and around our
little souls. The old Freibourg organist played
sweeter music in after days for having heard the great Mendelssohn play. So, likewise,
each child of God will make sweeter melody for his friends if, once in a while, he vacates
his stool and listens as his Master's fingers sweep the keys. Each child of God should let the urge
of service--the innate want to be "doing something" for the Lord-subside from
time to time, to go aside and listen quietly to the higher harmonies and deeper concords
which sweet fellowship with the Lord, in secret and alone, can bring into his deeper
life. It is not what we can do for the Lord, but what the Lord can do for us in the
symphonies of life that really counts. Even Jesus spent some of His, nights in undisturbed
solitude-alone, yet not alone-becoming thereby attuned to the rhythms and tempos of His
Father's love. Does His ardent follower need to do less than that? -T. H. - Bible Students Monthly, Eng. Security, in the Secret Place"He that dwelleth in the secret
place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the
Lord, He is my refuge, and my fortress: my God; in Him will I trust. Surely He shall
deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence. He shall cover
thee with His feathers, and under His wings shalt thou trust: His truth shall be thy
shield and buckler. Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night, nor for the arrow
that flieth by day, nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness, nor for the
destruction that wasteth at noon day. A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand
at thy right. hand; but it shall not come nigh thee." - Psa. 91:1-7. IN BEAUTIFUL
phraseology the Lord gives assurance of protection and security for His chosen and
peculiar people. It is related that the birds who built their nests within the sacred
precincts of the temple in ancient days, were considered as coming to Jehovah for
protection, and were therefore kept safe from harm while in that sacred place. So likewise
has God furnished protection to His people down through the ages. That is the theme of
Psalm 91. Examination of its provisions gives comfort in abundance to those of the
household of faith. Undoubtedly
the writer of the Psalm, in speaking of the secret place of the Most High, thought of
Israel's specially favored position. Jehovah had formed Israel and called her by name as
His own. He had entered into a solemn covenant with the nation, under which He became the
God of the people, guaranteeing them protection and life in return for obedience to
the covenant on their part. Truly they were in a secret place under the shadow of the
wings of the Almighty. But it is
not Israel's favored condition which especially interests the Christian. Its primary
application is to the called ones of this Gospel Age, and it is at this critical time, in
the days of the Lord's Second Advent, that its provisions bring solace and strength. The
Prophet Malachi, referring to these troublous days, asks: "Who
may abide the day of His coming? Who shall stand when He appeareth?" - Mal. 3:1. These are no
idle questions, but carry with them the implication that in the days of the Lord's
presence many will fail to meet the fiery tests. The continuous procession of siftings
and divisions of recent years gives evidence that the test is on. Ensnarements and
entrapments, arrows by day, and pestilences by night are prevalent. Many fall on the right
hand or the left. But those in the "secret place of the Most High" are delivered
and kept free from harm. THE SECRET PLACEWhat is this
secret place which affords such great security? The children of the Most High are said to
have been baptized into Christ, and thus immersed into His death. They are a part of the
Body of Christ. Their condition is described by Paul as "The secret which was
concealed from ages and generations, but now is manifested to His saints; to whom God
wished to make known, what is the glorious wealth of this secret, among the nations which
is Christ in you, the hope of glory." (Col. 1:26, 27, Diaglott.) Beautifully pictured
in the "holy" of the tabernacle is this hidden condition of the spirit-begotten
ones, where they are said to "walk with God within the first vail of consecration,
and beyond the intellectual sight of the world, and the unconsecrated believers. These
enjoy the inner light of the golden candlestick, while others are in 'outer darkness';
these eat of special spiritual food, represented in the unleavened 'bread of presence,'
and offer incense at the golden altar, acceptable through Christ Jesus." It is the
spirit-begotten, anointed condition of those called to be joint heirs with Christ that
constitutes the secret place of the Most High. Happy are they thus dwelling under the
wings of the Almighty. SUBTLE SNARES OF THE ADVERSARYSatan is the
great fowler who would ensnare these children of light, and many are the ingenious and
crafty devices used to overreach and deceive them. In the days of Israel the prevailing
method of deception was through idolatry. God had warned Israel that the worship of other
gods would be a snare unto them (Exod. 23:33; Judges 2:3); nevertheless idolatry appears
to have been their besetting sin, and at the time of the great desolation Israel had
become an idolatrous nation. Then every city had its idol, and every street in Jerusalem
its altar devoted to idolatrous worship. Yet God was patient with Israel. He delivered
them many times from the snare. And although the seventy years desolation was a severe
punishment to the nation, it also was a medicine for idol worship which produced a cure.
After the return of the Jews from the captivity, Baal worship ceased to be a serious
temptation, and at the time of the first advent of Jesus, Israel as a nation, in form at
least, worshiped the one God, Jehovah. Likewise
during the Gospel Age idolatry has been a baited trap for the called of God. True, they
have not bowed down to the golden calf or the brazen image, but too oft there have been
other tangible things assuming the place of supremacy in heart and mind, which belongs
only to God. The worship of the idol self often
drives out the worship of God. Wealth, honor, position, and family, improperly valued,
become idolatrous snares. And in this end period of the existing order, there are more
subtle snares used by the fowler to entrap brethren. They are decoys, not seen in their
true import until the victim becomes ensnared by means of their influence. Sectarianism
is an old type of pitfall now brought out in new form by the great Deceiver. Paul warned
the Corinthian brethren and others against its dangers; nevertheless following the lead
of a man or an organization became the popular thing among those setting out to be
footstep followers of Christ. The Papal Church secured the worship and servitude of most
of the world. Protestant systems have received the image worship of millions. And,
regrettable but true, in these days of present truth many have given God's servant a
devotion and subserviency which belongs only to God. Any organization, though once used as
a vehicle for the promulgation of truth, may become an idol of substantial proportions,
thrusting itself forward as the only true channel of the Most High God, alienating many
from single-hearted devotion to God into a slavish obedience to human mandates. PRESENT DAY IDOLSAs we draw
nearer to the cataclysm which will terminate the present evil world, forms of idolatry
become more ingenious and sly. We find God's people divided into many groups, and it is
the attitude of brethren towards these groups which oft determines whether fetishism again
entraps them. Does our particular cluster of brethren constitute the channel of God? Do
we disfellowship those of other congregations? Do we boycott elders and speakers solely
because of their affiliation with another company, regardless of their own unimpeachable
Christian character and ability? Do we indulge in evil speaking against those not linked
with us? Do we identify ourselves as members of one particular aggregation of brethren, as
the sole members of the Body of Christ? The Master, in plain and simple terms stated,
"All ye are brethren"; but under the artful delusions of today, how painful to
see some recognize only those of their own particular religious persuasion as being of the
Bride of Christ. Thus a religious association, though it may be small in number, may
assume undue authority and become an idol of no mean proportions. Even inanimate
objects such as helpful volumes to assist in Scripture study may with some assume undue
supremacy, and be held as divinely inspired, and their contents accepted without
question or dispute. That is idolatry. A set of books may be an instrument of the Lord,
and an invaluable aid in securing a knowledge of the Truth, but can never be a
substitute for the Bible. "Thou
shalt worship the Lord thy God, and Him only shalt thou serve," is a decree for
spiritual. Israel as well as natural Israel. Maintaining one's position in the secret
place of the Most High gives assurance of deliverance from the entanglements of
idolatry. THE NOISOME PESTILENCEThe noisome
pestilence is another danger from which deliverance is promised. In the Hebrew the word
noisome is derived from a root word which means covetous. The noisome pestilence may be
defined as a form of fatal, wide-spreading disease, derived from covetousness, which
attacks the New Creature. Possibly God
had this form of pestilence in mind in telling, through the Apostle Peter, of the false
teachers who would come in among God's people bringing in destructive heresies, and
leading many into their pernicious ways. He states further concerning such: "And
with covetousness they will make gain of you with deceitful words." (2 Pet. 2:1-3,
Diaglott.) This pestilence of covetousness follows quite a definite routine. The leader,
gifted with ability to readily grasp and explain Biblical matters, may be the first
subject of Satan's attack. The desire for adulation of men and a personal following is
fostered by the Adversary until it becomes a dominating ambition. Then with deceitful
and feigned words these false teachers make merchandise of the brethren, securing their
allegiance and leading them from the pathway of truth. "Take care that no one make a
prey of you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men,
according to the elements of the world, and not according to Christ," (Col. 2:8,
Diaglott) is the good advice of the Apostle; nevertheless, how sad has been the record of
this Gospel Age which has seen millions succumb to this pestilence of covetousness. One of the
helps for deliverance from this pestilence is that portion of the armor of God called
the Girdle of Truth. Those in the Secret Place use the Truth as a support and a defense.
In days of trial and test how essential it is to be Bible Students in fact, and not mere spoon-fed babes in
Christ. How necessary it is to prove all things, and thus be enabled to hold fast that
which is good. Bibles, Scripture Studies, concordances, apostles, prophets and
evangelists, together with reasoning faculties, are gifts of God, that we may be enabled
to see the unsoundness of plausible, but deceitful philosophy promulgated speciously
under the cloak of truth. Use of this Girdle of Truth will enable brethren to retain
their liberty in Christ and in the Truth. NO FEAR FOR TERROR BY NIGHTThere are
other dangers mentioned in this Psalm, to which no promise of deliverance is given, but
which the Psalmist states we as God's anointed need not fear. Among these is the
"terror by night." What is the "terror by night" which frightens
others, but does not increase the pulse beat of the Christian? Possibly the
Psalmist thought back to the time when a terror came in the night, bringing horror and
dread to the proud and haughty Egyptians. At. a midnight hour, the messenger of death
smote the first-born in every Egyptian house, from the Pharaoh down to the captive in the
dungeon. Great was the cry in Egypt, for there was not a house where there was not one
dead. But in Israel there was no fear. They were under the protection of the Almighty. During the
ages there has been great fear among people of the calamity which comes in the dark; of
the vengeance which is alleged to come from God upon all who do not conform to prevailing
religious theories. Eternal torment, purgatory, and the second death have been nightmares
to such. The fear of the great tribulation of the day of the Lord, so forcibly described
by the Prophet Isaiah (Isa. 13:6-8) disturbs the rest of many. But the child of God is
not fearful of these unseen terrors. They have no fear of a mythical hell or purgatory.
They blanch not at the thought of second death. Their confidence is placed in the Most
High and in Him do they trust. Love casteth out fear and in place leaves a peace which
abideth continually, and which the world knows not of. THE TONGUEThey fear
not the arrow that flieth by day. Here is a form
of attack that comes not under the cover of midnight darkness, but with open, frightening
visibleness. The Church of God is subject to much in the way of open attack, and the
attack of the tongue is one which ofttimes hurts the most. Jeremiah describes the evil
tongue as an arrow shot out speaking deceit. (Jer. 9:8.) Evilly used, it can cut deeper
than a sword. And how true it is that the course of many is determined by the tongues of
others. Some on receiving a knowledge of the truth hesitate, and pass up the golden
opportunity, solely because of fear of what their friends might say. Some have stepped
aside from whole-hearted adherence to the truth, because of fear of criticism. Some have
refrained from declaring vital truths because they feared a verbal attack. Jesus suffered
from this form of assault but manifested no fear of it. All who walk faithfully in the
footsteps of the Master can make up their minds they will be subjected to
misrepresentation, slander, or abuse. The true soldiers of the cross have well
demonstrated their lack of fear by boldly declaring the truth in the face of murderous,
slanderous assaults. Faith is their shield of defense and they can endure all things with
fortitude and cheerfulness. In the midst
of the gross darkness covering the people of earth the Adversary with persistent diligence
has brought forth many perversions of truth, and errors of doctrine, which may be
described as the "pestilence that walketh in
darkness." These false teachings, described by Jesus as being great signs and
wonders which would deceive the very elect if
possible, have the appearance of truth, and are the means of deceiving many. Their name is
legion. We mention only a few of the modern variety, brought forth in these closing days
of the Gospel Age. Denial of the Ransom -- An old
form of the pestilence, dressed up and exhibited with new garments. The modern style is
not a forthright denial of the ransom, but a limitation of its provisions, such as
declaring Adam and Eve outside of its benefits. Great Witnessing Work -- The gospel
of works has been presented as an open door into the Kingdom. Great works of peripatetic
preaching with circulation of religious literature in voluminous quantities, with much
publication of the numbers of proselytes secured, and persecution reaped, are held forth
as sure evidence of its divine origin.
"Lord, have we not done wonderful works in Thy name?" World's Judgment Now -- Again the formula of salvation
now or eternal destruction is held forth to frighten people of the world into the path of
religion. Universal Salvation-On the surface this looks like
a doctrine of purity, enlarging the view of God's love and mercy. But examined closely, we
believe it to be a doctrine contrary to well defined expressions of the Lord concerning an
eventual destruction of the incorrigible, and therefore antagonistic to the Bible
teachings, and as such, a subtle delusion. The review
of this brief list is painful, but there are many others. A thousand on one side, or ten
thousand on the other side will be deceived and led astray by these teachings of error,
but those in the secret place of the Most High keep on the Girdle of Truth and are not
deceived. DESTRUCTION THAT WASTETH AT NOONDAYThe final
form of pestilence for consideration in this article is described as the destruction that
wasteth at noonday. There is nothing secretive about this. It is a disease attacking the
New Creature in the open, and sometimes with fatal results. It is a wide-spread,
destructive work, breaking down the barriers of strict Christian life. Jesus may have
referred to it when He said, "And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many
shall wax cold." (Matt. 24:12.) Paul describes its effect when he tells of the
selfishness, pride, covetousness, corruptness of morals, blasphemy and opposition to truth
that would abound in the last days. It constitutes a blackout of the Spirit of Christ,
and a let down of morals. Intolerance, selfishness, and the spirit of evil take the place
of the fruits of the Spirit. It may begin in a small way by an undue emphasis upon works
of service in place of growth in character-likeness to Christ. But, like leaven in a loaf,
it spreads until evil dominates, and the first love is forgotten. Christians are not
contaminated by this disease and fear not its evil spread. They walk in the footsteps of
the Master, whose life was one of purity and devotion to righteousness. Thus they know
no evil will befall them, and no plague will come nigh their dwelling. "Because
he hath set his love upon Me, therefore will I deliver him: I will set him on high,
because he bath known My name." Relying upon this the New Creature maintains his
position and continues in the narrow way that leads unto life eternal, unmoved and
unafraid of the plagues, pestilences, and snares placed in his way. Surely goodness and
mercy will follow him all the days of his life and he will dwell in the house of the Lord
forever. -O. R.. M0YLE The Grace of Christ"The grace of our Lord Jesus
Christ be with you all." - 2 Thess. 3:18. GRACE! 'TIS
a charming sound, harmonious to the ear." Thus wrote the poet. It is a charming
sound, not only because we all need the grace of God, but also because it is a charming
adornment of Christian character, and it gives a charm to any who possess it. The fashion
of this world is rapidly passing away. As we face the future and realize life's
uncertainties, whether we be young or old, if we take our life thoughtfully, and in a
Christian spirit, especially if we have consecrated ourselves to do the Father's will by
walking in the footsteps of Jesus to the best of our ability, we feel our need of a higher
wisdom, a more pure and enduring energy than our own, to guide our steps, to mould our
character, to shape our lot for us; and so we look up to God and ask, both for ourselves
and for the whole dear family of God, His benediction, His grace upon all our days and
on all our ways -- grace sufficient for every time of need, teaching us how to make all
things contribute to our highest welfare, thus securing alike from the bleak north winds
of adversity as from the warm south winds of prosperity real and lasting benefits. - 1
Cor. 7:31; Heb. 4:16; Rom. 8:28; Song of Solomon 4:16. "The
grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you." Do
not these words meet your sense of need, your craving for good, your hope of a benediction which will make your days bright with the luster of a joyous, holy
living? To St. Paul they conveyed and implied so much, they were so bright with hope,
that, as another has observed,* "they became his standing good wish for those whom
he loved." They appear at the close of nearly all the letters he wrote, in one place
reading, "The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you"; in another, "The
grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit"; and here, in our text, "The
grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all." ---------------------------------- * For much of
the material used in this article, we gratefully acknowledge our indebtedness to Samuel
Cox, an expositor of days gone by. It is
entirely possible, however, that the very frequency with which we meet these words, has
served to dull their force and clearness. As another has expressed, "People, in
reading the Bible, are often not conscious of the extreme listlessness with which they
pass along the familiar and oft repeated words of Scripture, without the impression of
their meaning being at all present with the thoughts-and how, during the mechanical
currency of the verses through their lips, the thinking power is asleep for whole passages
together." Perhaps this is true in regard to our text. We may never have asked what
the words meant originally, and still mean, what the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ was
and is, and in what senses that grace may be with us, and be the crown and benediction of
our whole life. It will be worth our while therefore, if we meditate on the text long
enough to note that the phrase "grace of Christ" would convey at least three
ideas to the members of the early Church, and should convey the same ideas to us; and that
if the grace of Christ is to "be with us" or "with our spirit" we must
in all these senses reproduce it, and make it our own. THE GRACEFULNESS OR CHARM OF CHRISTThe first
thought which this phrase would suggest to St. Paul's readers, especially to his Grecian
readers -and most of them were Greeks--would be the gracefulness, the charm, of Christ.
They would understand the Apostle to refer to that exquisite sensibility to beauty, the
beauty of nature and of man, by which Christ was distinguished, that love of all that is
fair - and pure and good which gave a beauty, a winning charm, an attractiveness, to His
person, His character, His manner and bearing, and to His words, which no heart not wholly
dead to beauty and goodness was able to resist. Both the Puritan conception and the
Monastic, or ascetic, conception of Christ have gone far to hide this thought from us-so
far that it has been argued from such texts as "His face was more marred than that of
any man" that they do greatly err who attribute any comeliness to the Man of
Sorrows. It is difficult, however, to believe that One born of a pure virgin and
begotten of the Holy Spirit, the spirit of goodness and beauty, could be other than the
most pure, beautiful, and attractive of men. Who can believe that the one perfect Man, He
whose majestic bearing was such as to elicit from Pilate the exclamation, "Behold
the Man!" was destitute of any outward and visible sign of His inward perfection? A
lovely spirit does, indeed, transfigure even the plainest features and lend them a charm
beyond that of a. simply formal beauty; but a lovely spirit in a lovely form is a still
more potent force. And hence the great painters who have invested the face and figure of
our Lord with all the perfections of manly beauty, and who have added a pathetic charm to
that beauty by depicting the perfect face as worn and wasted with thought, with
compassion, with all the toil and burden of His great work of love, have reason on their
side, and give us, we may be sure, a far truer conception of Him than either the Puritan
or the Monk. For the
whole story of His life shows both that He was exquisitely sensitive to beauty in every
form, and that He had the still rarer power of reproducing that beauty in His words and
ways. The whole world of nature lives again in His discourses and parables, to prove how
keen He was to note the loveliness of the world around Him; while these same parables and
discourses are so perfect, both in substance and in expression, as to prove that He
could reproduce this beauty in still more exquisite and enduring forms. And what a keen
eye for beauty of character, for a latent unsuspected goodness, must He have possessed,
who saw in doubting Nathaniel an Israelite indeed, in fickle and impetuous Peter a
steadfast rock, in timid and halting Nicodemus, and even in the wanton of Samaria, fitting
recipients for the deepest truths of His Kingdom, in Mary's waste of ointment an insight
which transcended that of the Apostles, and in the self-humiliation of the woman who was a
sinner a love capable of transforming her into a saint! He who spoke the, most beautiful
words that have fallen from human lips; He who clothed perfect thoughts in forms so
perfect that the noblest spirits of every subsequent age have held them to be
"sweeter than honey" and more precious than "much fine gold," and yet
in forms so simple that the common people have always heard them gladly; He who was at
home with all classes, learned and ignorant, rich and poor, powerful or enslaved, who saw
good even in the worst, and found something to pity, something to love in even the
forlornest outcast; He to whom little children ran for a caress, round whom wronged
women and outcast men gathered as to a friend-was there no beauty, no charm, in Him? Was
there not rather a charm which no open and susceptible heart could withstand? This beauty,
this charm, this gracefulness, is to be with us, is to be ours, if "the grace of
Christ" is to be with us. That is to say, the wish, the benediction of our text
summons us to cultivate the love of all that is fair, all that is good-all that is fair in
nature, all that is good in men; and to reproduce it, so far as we may, in our words, in
our manner, in our lives. We are not to be content with being sourly or austerely good,
but to aim at being winningly and attractively good. The beautiful mind, the beautiful
manner, of Christ, the charm of His character, His speech, His dealings and intercourse
with men, be with us all. THE GRACIOUSNESS, THE GENIAL FRIENDLINESS, OF CHRISTBut graceful
manners soon break down under the strain of change, familiarity, or time, unless they
spring from and express a gracious heart. And hence we must be reminded of the second
meaning latent in our text. For if "the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ" would
suggest gracefulness to a Greek, to a Jew, it would suggest graciousness, a willing,
friendly, genial spirit; not righteousness simply, but a genial righteousness; not
beneficence simply, but a friendly beneficence. There are
men who are weighted all their lives by an unwilling, a reluctant, an unsympathetic
temperament. They do not easily consent to what is proposed to them; their first
impulse is to say No rather than Yes. Not courtesy alone is difficult to them, but
thoughtfulness for others, consideration for their wishes, a lenient judgment of their
faults, a kindly interest in that which interests them.
Their instinct is to differ rather than to concur, to wrangle rather than to assent,
to criticize and condemn rather than to work with their neighbors and yield to their
influence. And hence, strive as they will-and few but themselves know how hard and
bitter the strife sometimes is-they lack the friendly tone, the genial manner, which
commands confidence and love, and even when they do good are apt to do it awkwardly and in
a way which hurts or offends even those whom they help. They do not give themselves with their gifts. But we find
no trace of this stiff, reluctant, self-contained disposition in Jesus Christ. Little
though He had to give as the world counts gifts, the world has never seen a benefactor to
be compared with Him. Not only did He give Himself for us all, but He gave Himself with all His gifts, gave all He had, or all
they could take, to every man or woman who approached Him. There was nothing He could do
which He was not prepared to do for any who asked His help. So gracious was He, so
steadfastly did His will stand at the yielding or giving point, that virtue went out of
Him without any conscious exercise of will, whenever the hand of faith or need was laid
upon Him. And how interested He was in all who spake with Him, however ignorant or
faulty they might be! How deeply He looked into their hearts; how He drew them on, and
drew them out, till they had told Him their inmost secret, till they had relieved their
bosoms of the perilous stuff hidden there; and then how wisely and delicately He adapted
His words and gifts to their needs; as,, for example, when He talked with the woman of
Samaria by the well! How ready He was to love them, or any trace of good in them, till
they rose "to match the promise in His eyes"; as, for instance, in the faith of
the Syrophenician woman! How much good He saw in
them which the world could not see, and of which they themselves had lost sight; as, for
example, in Zaccheus, that true son of Abraham, whom the Pharisees mistook for a child of
the devil, and in the woman who bathed His feet with her tears and wiped them with the
hairs of her head! How quick He was to detect any moment of weakness in those who had a
little faith in Him but held it with a feeble grasp, and how prompt to strengthen them
against any sudden pressure of unbelief; as, for example, when He said to the faltering
ruler of the synagogue, "Only believe; all things are possible to him that
believeth"! But space
does not permit -- we should have to go through the wholly story of His life-even to
allude to the innumerable proofs of His graciousness, of His willing and friendly heart;
the graciousness which enabled Him to give so much, though of outward good He had so
little to give, and which made His every gift a charm, an elevating and abiding power, to
those who received it, or who listened to the gracious words which proceeded out of His
mouth. And yet, with all this graciousness, there was no softness, no weakness, no
insincerity, such as is often found associated with a kindly temperament; there was
nothing inconsiderate, or indiscriminate, in His boundless charity; no yielding at a
single point at which it would have been wrong to yield; no want of faithfulness, or even of severity where severity was needed. He
was sincere as He was sympathetic, rare as that combination is. He who said to a sinful
woman, "Neither do I condemn thee," said also, "From henceforth sin no
more." And He who cured a sinful man of the paralysis induced by vice, also warned
him, "Sin no more, lest a worse thing come upon thee." May the
grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with us all in this sense also. May His graciousness,
His kindly consideration for others, His genial, warm manner, His friendly tone, be ours. THE FAVOR, THE REDEEMING LOVE OF CHRISTBut perhaps
one who has read thus far is saying to himself, "Well, if the grace of our Lord Jesus
Christ means gracefulness and graciousness, then I am afraid it is impossible for me. For
I am neither very graceful nor very gracious; and while I am learning to appreciate
better all that is lovely and fair, both in nature and in men, to reproduce such
loveliness in my own thoughts and words and deeds is another matter, and as for being
gracious, that does not come at all easily to me." Ah! beloved
reader, if the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ meant only His gracefulness or His
graciousness, we would all be in great
discouragement. But the word has another, a third, meaning, one with which we have long
been familiar. The Apostle reminds us of this meaning in 2 Cor. 8:9: "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 become rich." Yes, the grace of our Lord
Jesus Christ means also His favor, His active, redeeming, and renewing love, freely
bestowed upon us, and because of this we may entertain high hopes of having His grace,
in the other two meanings of the word, fulfilled in us also. In the New
Testament, as every student of that blessed Volume must know, the grace of Christ is
constantly used in this third sense, far more commonly in this sense than in any other.
Its most frequent use denotes a divine and loving energy or quality which not only
forgives, but also cleanses us from, our iniquity; which not only pardons, but redeems us from, our faults and sins; an energy which
attends us through our whole career to guard us against temptation or make us strong
enough to resist temptation.; as able to change, elevate, and purify our whole character
and disposition, and to recreate us in its own likeness. And who dare
say that, with this giving, and forgiving energy, this redeeming and renewing grace,
ever at work upon and in him, he cannot become pure, friendly, and gracious in heart, and,
therefore, simple, courteous, and even graceful in manner and in speech? Who dare despair
of himself, or give up self culture as hopeless, if the strong Son of God is ever
waiting to come to his help, ever seeking to bestow His gracefulness, His graciousness, to
exert His forgiving and redeeming power upon us, to recast our mind, our character, our disposition, our temperament, on the larger,
fairer, lines of His own? "The grace of our Lord Jesus
Christ be with us all"the grace which redeems, renews, recreates the inward man of
the heart, and so clothes even the outward man of behavior with a new and friendlier
charm. Amen -- so let it be. -P. L. Read Encouraging MessagesDear
Brethren at Brooklyn: I have just
received your November "Herald." I wish to ask you if you will kindly continue
to send them to me, as they have proved a real comfort to me. I do look for them, and at
this time they are very precious indeed. I am needing that food just now which only our
dear Heavenly Father can supply. Sometimes I find my own testimony in them, but now they
are so precious to me, for I have sustained a very great loss. My dear son, who was just
41, has passed away so suddenly. He went into hospital for an operation, a simple thing
they say, and died a few hours afterwards. He came through all right. None of us were with
him. Although he asked for us they did not send till he had passed away. He cried poor
boy! He has been my support for many years, and he loved his mother. I cannot get
any comfort only from God's Word or His intelligent messengers, so I hope you will still
send me the "Herald." I am now 85. I wonder sometimes how long before God will
take me home. The dear ones tell me my work here is not done yet, and I know my works will
follow me. I have every proof I am called and accepted, and am able to enlighten and
comfort others. This is a very great blow. My boy was
conversant with the Truth, and his record in the flesh was great. He sacrificed his whole
life for others, to do good to all. His record and his memory live. So, dear
ones, I need comfort in the flesh. Let me have your prayers. I do really experience the
prayers of the dear ones. I thank you for sending me the "Herald" free. God will
bless you in so doing. With
Christian love, United we stand in Him, Mrs. A. P. -
Eng. Beloved
Brethren: Fervent
Christian greetings. At the close
of another year I join with many brethren, I am sure, in writing to thank you for the
glorious spiritual food we have received during 1942. How we look forward to the coming of
each issue, and then eagerly devour its contents. We pray -our Heavenly Father to protect the means used
to bring them along, and our prayers are answered, for I believe but one has failed to
arrive thus far. I have forwarded to London office of B. S. M. a note I desire you to use
as you feel best. I just hope and pray that there are many, others enriched and encouraged
as we are. . . . And now I pray our Father in heaven will make you channels of help and
comfort in even greater degree during 1943. Yours most
grateful for all the blessings received, J. W. - Eng.
Dear Brethren in the Lord: Greetings in His dear name. I want to
thank you at this time for all the blessings I have received through the
"Herald," and also through visiting brethren used of the Lord to encourage and
help His people. It surely has been a great encouragement and help to me, and may the dear
Heavenly Father bless all who are serving Him and His people, and grant that the work may
still go on, for we need it so much in these days of stress. Please find enclosed my
subscription to the "Herald" for another year. Again thanking you for your labor of
love and all those who have contributed the splendid articles we have enjoyed, I remain. Your sister in the one
Hope, Mrs. H. A. S. - Ill. Gentlemen: I have read your pamphlet on the
subject "Immortality and the Resurrection of the Dead," which I find to the
point and convincing. I would like also to read your book entitled, "Th Divine Plan
of the Ages," which you will please mail me with bill, and I will mail you check for
same. Thanking you in advance, trusting that
this will be a start towards that fellowship and mutual understanding in the Lord's Word, Sincerely, A. M. -- N. Y. Dear Brethren: More than a year ago I wrote you that I
would not renew my subscription to the "Herald," stating that I thought I had
more in common with some others. At that time I so rejoiced, having come from under the
bondage, of previous associations that I did not realize that I was not yet in complete
Christian liberty. I have learned since then that I cannot follow any blue-print, no
matter by whom, nor how well intended. While I realize that Brother Russell was greatly
used by the Lord, and that his writings embrace the Divine Plan, yet I cannot agree that
his writings are infallible. Please send me all of the issues for
1942 and then begin my subscription for one year. The article entitled, "The Army
of Gideon," is wonderful and did much to open my eyes, and I want to pass, it on to
other brethren here. From various sources have come claims
of not being dogmatic; tolerance has been stressed, the spirit of love is theirs, etc.;
but never have I seen these qualities and principles so exemplified as in the columns of
the "Herald.", The October 1942 issue is a wonderful proof of this. The article,
"Our Heritage of Knowledge," is a brief but clear outline of the Divine Plan
which well deserves its title. If you wish, you may use this letter or
any part thereof, if perhaps it might help some who may be mourning in Zion. Included also
is a list of publications I am ordering, and money order for same. Praying the Lord's continued blessings
upon you and your publication, I remain Yours in Kingdom Hope, C.
M. - Idaho. |
