VOL. XXVII OCTOBER 1944
NO. 10 The Mutual Love of Bridegroom and Bride Report of the Toronto Convention "Watchman, What Hour of the Night?""The prophets, searching what
time or what manner of time IT WAS the
duty of the Watchman in an ancient city to call the hours. The question heard by Isaiah
suggests that the watchman had been silent. Perhaps the city was in fear of an enemy of an
attack at dawn. The night was dark-the stars, by which the time might be told, were hidden
in the clouds. A citizen, roused from sleep by he knows not what, calls to the watchman in
the street or on the wall, literally: "Watchman, what from off the night?" "Watchman, how far gone is the night?"
- Rotherham. The
Scriptures picture the symbolic earth, the social order, as being in darkness, and most
of mankind lying in a heavy sleep. (Isa. 60:2; 29:9-12; et al.) But some individuals have
been wakeful; and front the prophets and servants of God, as well as from Seir and other
godless sources, has often come the ancient question: "What time is it?" Thus the
Psalmist, David, asked: "O Jehovah, how long shall the wicked, how long shall the wicked triumph?" Again he
inquires, saying: "Our own signs have we not seen-there is no' longer a
prophet-neither is there one with us who knoweth how long! How long, 0 God, shall the
adversary reproach? Shall the enemy revile Thy name perpetually?" In the prophecy of
Daniel the repeated inquiry is found concerning the symbolic time-measures given him: "How long shall be the vision?"
"What shall be the issue of these things?" The disciples asked of the Lord:
"When shall these things be? and what shall be the sign ...?" Arid after the
resurrection: "Dost Thou at this time restore the Kingdom to Israel?" The demons
also, having a deep personal interest in the matter, demanded of Jesus: "Art Thou
come hither to torment [restrain] us before the
time?" - Psa. 94:3; 74:9, 10; Isa. 20:11; Dan. 8:13; 12:8; Matt. 24:3; Acts
1:6; Matt. 8:29: The interest
today, among the wakeful, is no less intense. The "Worldly Wisemen" are
anxiously seeking to penetrate the future; and many modern Bible students are searching
-the Scriptures, as did the holy men of old, to discover if it may be, "What time or
what manner of time" the prophecies signify. The "Herald" is constantly
receiving, from earnest and zealous brethren, manuscripts, charts, pamphlets, and books on
various features of "the chronology." These usually "correct" one or
two alleged mistakes of past writers and often contain helpful suggestions, but as these
correspondents are not in collaboration, their conclusions are not in harmony. Not only
so, but related Scriptures are often overlooked or ignored, which would modify or
contradict their findings. The Bible
chronology, as it has been constructed by many generations of investigators throughout the
Gospel Age, is not readily corrected in detail; if it is to be changed, it must be revised
with full regard for inter-related prophetic time periods, and with familiarity with
-the vast and invaluable researches of previous chronologers. It is hoped that the
"Herald" may aid in clarifying the subject by a re-statement of some of its
underlying principles and requirements, and a review of the conclusions and unanswered
questions left to us by the ablest of modern investigators in this field; and thus be
helpful to those continuing prophetic "research to harmonize their findings. It is
evident that the question before us is essentially identical with the one that St. Peter
declares was in the minds of the prophets themselves-yes, even in the minds of angels (1
Pet. 1:10-12; Dan. 8:13) -viz.: What time-periods, or what manner (kind) of time-periods,
does the Spirit signify, in the prophecies of Scripture which obviously indicate a fixed
and definite period of suffering for 'God's people, of both the Old and the New
Dispensations, to be followed by an equally definite period of exaltation and glory in
the "Age to come wherein dwelleth righteousness"? St. Peter
says it was revealed to the Prophets that they were not to understand the meaning of these
prophecies, but that this understanding was
reserved, for "us"; and he exhorts us -to "gird up the loins of your.
mind, and be sober, and [with the aid of these prophecies] hope completely [fully] for the
grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. (1 Pet, 1:12, 13.)
Accordingly we honor those brethren who are giving thought and time, labor and their
means, in the endeavor to solve the ancient mystery. Those to
whom the Apostle refers as "us" are the ones to whom he addresses his Epistle:
"... the elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in sanctification of
the Spirit unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ." - (Ver. 1-3.)
We therefore ask, Have all these been fully aware of the time-significance of the
prophecies; of the dates, of the beginnings and endings of the periods;: of "what
time and what manner of time" was meant? The answer of course is No, all have not,
been so aware; it would therefore appear that some other feature of the prophecies was
intended for all the Church -- the
"us" class. It may well
be argued that, though-veritably of this class, we may never know the exact lengths or
dates of the prophetic periods; but we may know of a surety that these prophecies have
their fulfillment in Christ, and if we are joined to Him we may with equal assurance make
application of their promises of blessings to ourselves: for "If we suffer [with Him]
we shall also reign with Him"; and "When Christ, who is our life, shall appear,
then shall we also appear with Him in glory." (2 Tim. 2:12; Col. 3:4.) Certainly it
is far more important for us to know that we may participate in the prophesied blessings,
than to know just when those blessings are to come. It is
apparent that partial knowledge and even misunderstanding of the time prophecies has been
stimulating to Christian living in all periods of the Age. Because the meaning of these
prophecies has been hidden and obscure, yet their promises so attractive and their terms
so urgent, each zealous investigator has been prompted to apply them to his own times.
Constant expectation of impending dissolution of the present evil order has contributed
in an important measure to holy living by the believer in every stage of the Church, as
Peter seems to imply further along in this very passage: "Wherefore . set your hope
completely on the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.
.. like as He is holy ... be ye yourselves also
holy." And 'the Apostle makes his thought still more clear in his second Epistle:
"Seeing that these things arc thus all to be dissolved, what manner of person ought
ye to be in all holy living and godliness, look ing
for and earnestly desiring the coming of the dad o f God ...?" - l Pet. 1:13-16; 2 Pet. 3:11-13. However, the
earnest Bible student can never he satisfied with an incomplete or inaccurate under
standing of Scripture. He cannot admit that the Bible statements of time-periods should be
considered impossible of complete interpretation and understand ing. He refuses to
relinquish hope of an ultimate solution; hence he never ceases his efforts to solve the
puzzles connected with these time-features, and is ever on the look out for hints from any
source that may prove helpful in his quest. Figures are
exact; "seventy sevens" are 490, noy 491, or 489; "seven times" (if we
understand the numerical system correctly) are 2520 years, , not 2520 plus 40, or some
other figure. The time-periods of prophecy must have a definite ending, marked by some
definite event, or their significance and authority are greatly weakened. ' The fact
that previous interpreters obviously have erred in their conclusions should not have a
deterrent or discouraging effect, but rather a stimulating influence, on the
"searchers" and "examiners" of the Scriptures. There is the gold of
further truth yet to be discovered, if we are willing to "Search for it as for hid
treasure." Through the Prophet Habbakuk the assurance is given: "The vision is
yet or -t e appointed time . . . though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely
come, it will not delay" (beyond the "appointed time"). Prov. 2:1-5; Hab.
2:3. Daniel, who
asked 'for an understanding of the time-prophecies given him, was told: "Go thy way,
Daniel; for the words are shut up and sealed till the time of the end ... none of the
wicked shall understand, but they that are wise shall understand." This expression,
"time of the end," clearly indicates a period
of time. The Prophet employs quite another word to indicate a point of time. The latter is found in 2:8, 9,
16 (see A.R.V. and Rotherham); 4:36; 7:22. Similarly,
Daniel distinguishes between a terminating period and a complete end, although the
Authorized Version does not, translating both original words as "end." A final
end is indicated in Dan. 1:5, 15, 18; 4:29, 34; and 9:24 (a still different word) Daniel was
told the vision belongeth to the "time of the end." (v. 17, A.R.V.) Strong
defines the word "vision" as "a view, the act of seeing. Again, the Prophet
was -told to "seal the book to the time of the end." Before that time,
"some of them that are wise" -- Rotherham's footnote says "the,
instructors," and refers to verse 33, "they who make the people wise"
-- "shall fall, to refine them, and to purify and to make them white,' even to the
time of the' end; because it is yet for the -time appointed." The American Revised
Version also has footnotes giving the meaning of "instructors" to "the
wise" of chapters 11 and 12. Perhaps this (11:35, quoted above) has particular
reference to the many sincere but premature and erroneous interpretations of "the
vision by "the teachers of the people. It is encouraging to believe that even our
honest errors may "refine, purify and make us white," by humbling and warning
us. - Chap. 11:33, 35. "The
words are shut up and sealed till the time of the end. None of the wicked shall
understand, but the wise shall understand." (12:9, 10.) Whether this promise means
that during the end-period the "wise" shall come to a complete understanding of
all ' of the time-prophecies, or to the particular one or ones given. through Daniel; or
merely that the "wise" shall know in a general way that it is the time of the
end, and that the prophecies are being, or are about to be, fulfilled, is for each sincere
and earnest examiner of the sacred records to conclude for himself. The writer holds the
former view. He believes that it would be more to the glory of God and the vindication
of His Word for some, at least, of His "little ones" to arrive at "an exact
knowledge of the truth" in this respect as in others, during the due time-the
time-period of the end. Such an understanding would demonstrate not only God's
foreknowledge but His ability to foretell events in such a way as that, hidden until the
"time-lock" is released, even poor human intelligence, enlightened by the Holy
Spirit, may share the foreknowledge in all its exactness. "The path of the
righteous is as the light of dawn, going on. and brightening, unto meridian day." -
Proverbs 4:18 Rotherham. As Bible
students we therefore may say: "We know the solution of the mystery is there, hidden
in His Word. We do not yet fully understand, but we shall understand in God's due time, or
when we have worked hard enough on the problem to merit its unfolding to us. We will not
be discouraged either by past mistakes and disappointments, or by the difficulties that
lie before us. We will remember the intense interest and labors to understand on the part
of the angels, of the prophets, and of our brethren of the Church who have preceded us;
and calling to mind the promises of ultimate- understanding given through Daniel,
Habakkuk, and others of the Prophets and the Apostles, we will follow on in full
expectation of eventually coming to "know even is we are known." - H. E. Hollister. Our Glorious Hope"Let us hold fast the
confession of our hope that it waver not." IN THIS
meditation we propose to consider "our glorious hope." Living as we do today in
the midst of a world without hope, in the midst of a world, the fashion of which is
rapidly passing away, what could be more fitting, what more calculated to stimulate and
inspire us anew to holy living and faithful testimony, than to review our glorious hope;
the hope of eternal life; the hope of immortality; of being with and like our Lord; of
participating with Him in bringing in the Times of Restitution long promised and now so
close at hand? For a text
we have selected Hebrews 10:23 the King the King James Version this verse reads: "Let
us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering." A better translation
is given in the Revised Version. There it reads: "Let us hold fast the confession of our hope that it waver not." The inspired writer,
in this verse, is not referring to faith but to hope. Faith, hope, and love are each
mentioned in turn in this remarkable exhortation. First, in Heb. 10:22, he exhorts:
"Let us draw near, with a true heart, in full assurance of faith." Then, in the next verse, Heb. 10:23,
the verse we have chosen for our text, he continues, "Let us hold fast the confession
of our hope, that it waver not"; and
finally, in Heb. 10:24, he concludes: "Let us consider one another to provoke unto love." That the passage may be still more
clearly seen in relation to its context, permit us to quote seven verses, Heb. 10:19-25
inclusive, using for this purpose yet another translation, that of Weymouth: "Since
then, brethren, we have free access to the Holy place through the blood of Jesus, by the
new and ever-living way which He opened up for us through the rending of the veil -- that
is to say, of His earthly nature -- and since we have a great Priest who has authority
over the house of God, let us draw near with sincerity and unfaltering faith, having had
our hearts sprinkled, once for all, from consciences oppressed with sin, and our bodies
bathed in pure water. Let us hold
firmly to an unflinching avowal of our hope, for He is faithful who gave us the promises.
And let us bestow thought on one another with a view to arousing one another to brotherly
love and right conduct; not neglecting -- as some habitually do -- to meet together, but
encouraging one another, and doing this all the more since you can see the day of Christ
approaching." In the
Epistle from which this passage is taken the writer develops the thought that Christians
constitute; under Christ Jesus their Head, a new priesthood; a priesthood which may be
compared, anti which, because of its superiority, -may be contrasted, with the Aaronic
priesthood. In conformity with his whole current of thought this writer calls upon
believers to "enter in" to "draw near," and so personally to
appropriate and enjoy the blessings which are theirs. What a
marvelous privilege theirs is, when rightly understood, received, and exercised! A kingdom
of priests unto God! How is it that we have this freedom of access into the presence of
the Almighty? We all know that only as a great favor through influential friends could
we gain an audience with the great ones of earth, and then only with proper formality as
to dress, etc. Surely it is not to be supposed that anybody, at any time, and in the
filthy rags of his own righteousness, may rush unceremoniously into the august presence of
the Majesty on High. No, indeed! Our boldness rests on the merit of another. We do not
come before God in ourselves, but in Jesus. And we are
bidden to enter God's presence on two grounds: First, access into the presence of God is
made possible and free for us through the shedding of Jesus' blood. We may approach God by
the new and living way which Jesus has opened for us by the sacrifice of His flesh, the
laying clown of His earthly life in death. In the second place, after opening the way
for us, Jesus did not remain dead, but was raised by the Father's power to life on the
divine plane. He has now become a great High Priest with authority which extends over the
greater tabernacle not made with 'hands. Let us then, first, because we have this freedom
of access, and second, because, after we enter, we shall find this great One at God's
right hand, always ready to plead our cause, ever living to make intercession for us, let
us boldly -- not boldly in the sense of impudently, but boldly, in that all fear is
removed-let us boldly draw near to God. "LET US DRAW NEAR"The phrase
"draw near" is of peculiar interest as suggesting the approach to God of a
priest-in the exercise of the priestly office, it is the expression used in the Septuagint
Version of the Old Testament for the approach of priests to God in the services of the
tabernacle. Thus, for example, in Lev. 21:17, we read: "Speak unto Aaron, saying,
Whosoever he be of thy seed throughout their generations that hath a blemish let him not approach [that is, let him not draw near], to offer the bread of his God." Here, in the
Epistle to the Hebrews, the phrase "draw near" occurs no less than five times.
We first meet it in chapter 4, verse 16, where, after telling us that our High Priest,
Jesus, passed through the real heavens in contrast to the holy place and the most holy of
the typical tabernacle through which the Jewish High Priest, passed, and after assuring
us that Jesus is not an high priest that cannot be touched with the feeling of our
infirmities, but that, on the contrary He is
One who can be touched, because He was in all points, and in every respect, tried as we
are yet without sin, he goes on to say: "Let us therefore draw near with boldness unto the throne of grace,
that we may receive mercy and may find grace to help us in time of need." In chapter
seven we meet the phrase again. Here the Apostle stresses the fact that our High Priest
continues -- in contrast to the high priests of the Aaronic order. The latter each
occupied office for only a few short years, and then died, each one thus being hindered
by reason of death from continuing in office. But He, Jesus, because He abideth for ever,
hath His priesthood unchangeable, a priesthood which does not pass to any successor. After
establishing this fact, the Apostle goes on to say, Heb. 7:25: "Wherefore also He is
able to save to the uttermost them that draw near unto
God through Him, seeing He ever liveth to make intercession for them." The third
occurrence of the phrase is in Heb. 10:1. This time the inspired writer observes that
since the Law had only an outline or shadow of the blessings to come, and not a perfect
representation of the things themselves, the Jewish priests, who officiated under that
Law, could never, by repeating the same sacrifices which they continually offer year after
year, give complete freedom from sin, to those who draw
near. Next comes
Heb. 10:22, to which we will return in a moment. Finally, in
Heb. 11:6, the expression meets, us once again, in that well-known citation: "He that
cometh to God [that is to say, he that draweth
near unto God], must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that
diligently seek Him." The
invitation to "draw near," being applicable, only to priests, should not be
understood as addressed to unrepentant sinners. To -them the message of the Gospel is:
Repent, and believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thus obtain forgiveness of your sins; you
will then be in the condition and attitude of heart to receive the invitation, "Draw
near unto God." The Apostle is addressing those who have already taken this step.
He is addressing the brethren. "Having, therefore, brethren, boldness [courage, confidence, privilege]
to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus ... let us draw near." His language
implies that there may properly be a diffidence on our part in respect to this privilege.
We might properly hesitate to expect to have communion, fellowship, close approach to, the
great Creator, realizing that by nature we are imperfect, "children of wrath-, even
as. others," and that in whatever degree we differ from others and are accounted
worthy of such a privilege as that of drawing near to God, it is not on account of
personal worth on our part, but on account of God's grace bestowed upon us through Jesus
our Lord. The Apostle therefore speaks to consecrated believers in an encouraging voice:
"Let us draw' near; let us have courage to draw near; let us have faith in God, who
has made us such gracious arrangements and promises." CONDITIONS OF APPROACHThere are,
however, certain conditions specified as necessary, to thus drawing near. As no one can
draw near to God except by attaining a "full assurance of faith," neither can he
have a full assurance of faith unless he have his heart "sprinkled from a
consciousness of evil," for as another Apostle declares: "If our heart condemn
us, God is greater than our heart." (1 John 3:20.) We may be sure that if our course
as new creatures is condemned by our own consciences, it would also be condemned by God.
Whoever, therefore, would make progress in drawing near to God, must seek continually
"to have a conscience void of offense toward God and man " (Acts 24:16), a
conscience that is clear, that can say: "I am striving to do that which would be
pleasing to God in harmony with my covenant of self-sacrifice, and I am striving too do
that which would' be approved also by rightly disposed men." Nothing short of this
would suffice for those who have consecrated themselves to be royal priests, to offer
themselves as living sacrifices in the Lord's service, and to draw near to Him in the name
and under the merit of the great High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus. WASHED WITH WATERThe
expression, "Having our bodies washed with pure water," does not, as we
understand the passage, refer to taking an ordinary bath, nor as many expositors seem to
think, does it refer to water immersion, but in harmony with the entire context, it
figuratively represents the continued process of cleansing ourselves from all filthiness
of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in 'the reverence of the Lord, elsewhere
enjoined by the Apostle: (2 Cor. 7:1.); By nature we are all imperfect, sullied, tore or
less depraved; and our devotion; to the Lord is manifested, first of all, by our full
acceptance and full assurance of, faith in the merits of Christ's sacrifice; and
secondly, by our earnest efforts to put away from our flesh, as we have already put away
from our hearts, all things defiling and displeasing in the Lord's sight; that thus we may
more and more become copies of His dear Son, our Lord. This washing- of water by the Word
is elsewhere represented in a similar manner, as being a part of the duty and privilege of
all the Lord's people throughout the remainder of their earthly lives. (Eph. 5:26.) And we
can see how beautiful is the illustration here used, that the Word of God, like water, is
purifying, cleansing, as the Apostle again declares; speaking of the Christian's good hope
of being with and like his Lord: "He that 'hath this hope in him purifieth himself even as He
[the Lord] is pure." - 1 John 3:3. FAITH--HOPE--LOVESuch, then,
are the true, consecrated, believer's privileges -- the privilege of priestly access into
the holiest through, or in, or as a body Member of the great High Priest, Christ Jesus.
And the very character of these privileges, as we have seen, demands a certain frame of
mind, a certain condition of heart, a certain attitude of life on his part, if he is to
enjoy them to the full. This frame, of mind, this condition of heart,, this attitude of
life, is summed up in three words: "Faith, hope, and love. "Let us draw near,
with a true heart, in full assurance of faith. Let
us hold fast the confession of our -hope that it waver not. Let us consider one another to
provoke unto love and good works." - Heb.
10:22, 23, 24. The
association of these three Christian graces at once calls to mind that wonderful 13th
chapter of 1st Corinthians, that' "psalm of love as it has been called, in which, at
its close, St. Paul groups them in such a way that forever after they will shine together
in Christian thought. "And now abideth faith, hope, love, these three." They
appear again in his letter to the Colossians in his opening address to that Ecclesia:
"We give thanks to God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, constantly praying for
you as we do, because we have heard of your faith in
Christ ,Jesus, and of the love which you cherish
towards all God's people, on account of the hope treasure
up for you in heaven. (Col. 1:3-5.) In his first letter to the Thessalonians they are
mentioned together once again: "We continually give thanks to God because of you
all, while we make mention of you in our prayers. For we never fail to remember your works
of faith and labors of love and your persistent and unwavering hope in our Lord Jesus Christ in the presence of
our God and Father." - l Thess. 1:2, 3. This time as
we read them there comes a sad reflection, as we recall our Lord's words of reproof to the
Church of Ephesus, recorded by, St. John in the Revelation: "I know thy works, and
thy labor, and Lily patience." Works were in Ephesus, but Christ does not say works
of faith, the works which St. Paul commended
in the Church at Thessalonica. Labor was in Ephesus, but Christ does not say the labor of love which gives to labor its worth. Patience' was
in Ephesus, but again, how significant it is that the Savior omits all reference to a
patience springing from hope. Faith, hope, and
love, were evidently dimmed. Let all three of the others, works, labor, and patience, be
active, but if the freshness of what called them into action be lacking, they would become
mechanical, a 'mere form of belief, without power. HOPE AS AN ANCHORIt is then,
as priests, as body-members of the High Priest, that we are to "draw near" to'
God. Our frame of mind is to be one of confident reliance on Him, and on His dear Son, our
Redeemer and Lord. "Let us draw near, with a true heart, in full assurance of
faith. Then comes our text: "Let us hold fast the confession of our hope that it
waver not." The use of
the word "hope" in this Epistle is of great interest. Usually when we employ
this word we refer to a promise of God not yet performed, but which we confidently expect
will be fulfilled at. some future time. But in this Epistle, while that meaning of the
word is riot absent, something more is included. For example, in that well remembered
passage at the close of the sixth chapter, where the Apostle speaks of thee hope set
before us, he amplifies his words by saying: "Which hope we have as an anchor of the
soul, both sure and steadfast, and which entereth into that within the veil, whither the
forerunner is for us entered, even Jesus, made an high priest for ever after the order of
Melchisedec." Here is not
a promise yet to be fulfilled, but a decisive fact -- a promise already fulfilled. When
we make confession of this hope, we do. not
express our belief that one day, in the dim, far-off future, Christ Jesus will enter as a
Forerunner for us within the veil; .we confess our reliance on the fact as having already
taken place. Associated
in our minds with this passage is one in the Epistle 'to the Romans. There, in Hebrews
10:9-10, we recall the Apostle's words: "If thou shalt confess with thy mouth the
Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou
shalt be saved. For with the heart man' believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth
confession is made unto salvation." In, both the Hebrews' and the Romans' passages we
find heart and voice playing their parts. "Let us draw near with a true heart in full
assurance of faith" says the writer to the Hebrews.. "With the heart man
believeth unto righteousness" is the statement in Romans. "Let us hold fast the
confession of our hope" urges the writer to the Hebrews. "With the mouth
confession is made unto salvation" is the corresponding passage in Romans. How closely
associated, too, is the resurrection of our Lord with all our personal hopes for the
future. Let us suppose that the Gospel had come to us complete in every detail except in
this one particular, namely, that no mention had been made of our Lord's resurrection, or
that the testimony concerning it was wavering and unreliable. In that case, where would
our hopes be today? Our hopes would be the same as the hopes of those two disciples on the
way to Emmaus, before they knew that Jesus had been raised from the dead. (Luke 24:13,35.)
Their hopes were buried in His grave. They had trusted
in Jesus and had entertained high hopes, but
now, since Jesus had died, they were sad (Heb. 10:17), their hopes having withered. How
different with them when the fact of His resurrection was made known to them! What joy
displaced their dejection! It became true of them, then, as it has of us who have
believed since-they were and we have been begotten again unto a hope of life by His
resurrection. (1 Pet. 1:3.) Because 'He lives we have
grounds for hoping that we shall live also. (John 14:19.) In His resurrection lies our
assurance. Acts 17:31. THE HOPE OF BEING WITH HIMThus His
resurrection is the basis of all our hopes, whether for ourselves or for others. And today
it is our great privilege first to believe in our hearts that God hath raised Him from the
dead, and then to confess that He is-not will be, but is-our Lord, exercising full
sway, in our hearts, our lives-bearing witness to the truth of our confession. In John 14:2, 3, appears -that
wondrous promise of our Lord: "I go to prepare e a place for you. And if I go and
prepare a place for you, I will come again and will receive you unto Myself, that where I
am there ye may be also." What a wondrous hope this gracious promise contains! Of all
the gracious words which proceeded out of the mouth of Him who spake as never man spake,
perhaps none have had a more powerful influence in the history of the Church than these
uttered by the Master just as His earthly career was ending. Nor can we think of any, more
calculated to inspire hope in His waiting followers today, or- more calculated to renew
their courage. How much this promise means to us can best be estimated by contrasting the
poverty of spirit which would be ours if it had never been vouchsafed to us, or if there
were a question as to its fulfillment. How dark our gloom would then be, how forlorn our
state, how void of all good cheer our prospects! Thank God for that "blessed
hope" and for the purifying effect it has had, and, please God yet will have, in our
lives. - Titus 3:13; 1 John 3:3. THE APOSTLE'S EARNEST EXPECTATION AND HOPEThere is one
other passage to which we wish to make a brief reference. It appears in the Philippian
letter, where St. Paul uses, the word "hope" in a striking manner. It appears
in Heb. 1:20, and reads: "According to my earnest expectation and 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." The more we,
examine this expression of the Apostle's hope, the more wonderful it seems. He is writing
from the Roman prison, that prison from which he is shortly to, be led away to martyrdom.
And his whole being is absorbed with one purpose: That whether by his continuance in life
or by entering the valley of the shadow of death, Christ may be magnified in his body.
"According to my eager expectation and hope," he writes, "my watching and
waiting, with outstretched head, for some keenly 'wished for attainment." Such is
the Apostle's thought with regard to the magnification of Christ through his life and
death. It is his hope -- his absorbing
expectation, It is the thing with which he wakes up in the morning, and over which he
lingers as he prepares to sleep at night. It is the animating, inner interest which gives,
its zest to life. What art is to the ambitious and successful artist; what literature is
to the man who loves it for its own sake, and who is himself a widely read author; what
athletic toil and triumph is to the young man in his splendid prime; what the fact of
plant expansion and wealth-winning enterprise is to the man who is conscious of business
ability; all this, only very much more, is the magnification of Christ in his body, to the
prisoner who sits alone, yet not alone, in the Roman prison. It is this
hope, this expectation,, which effectually forbids him ever to find the days dull. Its
light falls upon everything -- on his comforts, his trials, days of toil, hours of
comparative repose, prospects of life prospects of death. It quickens
and concentrates all his faculties, as a great and animating interest always tends to do.
It is always present to his mind. It secures for him the quiet of a great disengagement
and liberty from selfish motives. It continually drives him on, yet with a force which
does not exhaust him, for- it is from above, in the ambition for Christ, giving him at
once an impulse toward great and arduous labors and a patience and loving tact which
continually adjusts itself to the smallest occasions of love and service. Brethren,
this is wonderful and admirable in, St. Paul; is it not? But after all, the ultimate
secret of the great Apostle's life resided not in himself, but in his Lord. And His grace
is available also for us. That we have proved
over and over again in times past, have we not? That
we shall prove still more surely in the coming days, if we "hold fast the
confidence of our hope" firm unto the end. CHRIST MAGNIFIEDBut let us
look at the words just once again. "That Christ may be magnified" - that Christ
may be made great. In what respect? Not in Himself, certainly for Christ is already great;
already He is higher than the -heavens; he filleth all things. (Heb. 7:26; Eph. 4:10.) No!
Paul could not make Christ really greater than He is, either by his life or by his death.
But Christ maybe magnified relatively, to those who see Him or who may see Him. To eyes
which find in Christ only a distant and obscure
object He may be brought near. Many things not, visible to us arc easily seen by us through a telescope. Many people who cannot see
Christ with the naked eye, so to speak --people who never read their Bibles-will be able
to see Christ plainly, if given an opportunity to, look at Him through a telescope-the
telescope of a consecrated believer's life. Thus Christ may be magnified in the eyes of
those with whom we come in touch, if our lives are given over to His rule and sway. What a
"hope" this is! May each of us have large "expectations" in this
respect, "hopes" which may be realized as never before, in the days that may yet
remain to us. - P. L. Read. My Plans for Thee"I know the plans which I 'am planning for you,
plans of welfare and not of calamity, to give you a future and a hope." - Jeremiah
29:11, Rotherham.
- Freda Hanbury Allen. The Mutual Love of Bridegroom and Bride"Thou
hast ravished my heart, my sister, my spouse; thou hast ravished my heart with one of
thine eyes, with one chain of thy neck. How fair is thy love, my sister, my 'spouse! how
much better is thy love than wine! and the smell of thine ointments than all spices!"
"As the apple tree among the trees of the wood,, so is my Be loved among the sons. I sat under His shadow with great
delight, and His fruit was sweet to my taste. He brought me to the banqueting house and
His banner over me was love." - Song of Solomon 4:9, 10; 2:3, 4. IN THAT
ancient story of Abraham's seeking a bride for Isaac perhaps there is no sweeter or more significant statement than these
simple words: "And Isaac brought her into his
mother Sarah's tent, and took Rebekah, and she became his wife; and he loved her." (Gen. 24:67.) Rebekah was
after all Abraham's choice for Isaac. The wife Isaac
loved was the gift his father sought and gave to him, and with that choice he found
supreme delight. A beautiful picture surely of God's
selection of a bride for His Son, and a soul-stirring assurance that when the greater
Isaac saw the companion the Father had chosen for Him, His reactions were those of
spontaneous delight and joy. Yes, "Jesus loved the Church and gave Himself for
it," and, "Having loved His own, He loved them to the end," loved them so
supremely that His joy would be incomplete until the bride He loved and cherished had reached the home and glory
where He has waited for her these nineteen hundred years. Since the
story of Isaac and Rebekah is so manifestly full of typical lessons, if this narrative
were all we had in the way of showing us that our prospective Bridegroom's acceptance of
His Bride was not merely a compliance with a higher will, but an acceptance characterized by the deepest
affection, would more be really necessary to establish that fact? But a love so wonderful as His, and a delight so overflowing, could never, be content
with one expression of its reality. In so many ways it is told over and over again in the
sacred Word. Moreover, the emotions begotten of such love as this of the Bridegroom and
His Betrothed are not hidden from view in the sacred record as something too impractical or superficial to' occupy the attention of
mature, matter of fact minds. The Bible distinctly recognizes the emotional nature' of
God, and its pages are full of this blessed
revelation of His adorable character. Our own emotions therefore are constantly appealed
lo, and in no instance more strikingly so than in that heavenly romance -- the call, the
mutual adoration, and the final union of Jesus and His Church. A BOOK WHOLLY DEVOTED TO THIS THEMEAccepting
the self-evident fact that all Scripture given by inspiration is profitable to the man of
God, there can be no doubt in our minds regarding the profitableness of Canticles, or as
it is more generally styled, "The Song of Solomon." Unquestionably this love
story is not merely concerned with a love affair of Solomon himself, but is to be
understood as being much more applicable to the "greater than Solomon" and
His prospective Bride. This one complete book is given over entirely to the one
absorbing theme, and surely a theme occupying such exceptional consideration should
find a ready response in every heart that sings of Christ as "Jesus lover of my
soul." Canticles has been truly called "the Book of the Bridegroom and the
Bride," for such it is. Every page reveals each in turn viewing with the other in an
exchange of endearing professions of love and admiration. "It is no earthly love
song, breathing only carnal affection; it is a song which, while making use of 'the
figures of earthly language, lifts us above the things that are seen and temporal into the
region. of the unseen and eternal. The love which it celebrates is 'the love which passeth
knowledge'; the union which it tells of .is a union beyond what eye hath seen or ear
heard, both for closeness and endearment; the beauty which it sings of is beauty
surpassing all human thoughts or poetic dreams; the joys and sorrows, the hopes and
fears, the raptures and disappointments, the meetings and the partings, which it depicts
are things which, on' a lower scale, belong to the daily tendernesses of human affection,
but which here are stripped of all earthly grossness, and carry us up to a higher scale of
love than that which in its truest, purity has ever existed between man and woman. "Love
is that which breathes through every line, twofold love-Christ on the one hand uttering
His admiration for His Bride, the Church, and the Church on the other giving vent to her
admiration for her heavenly Bridegroom. The love on both sides is beyond the force of
language to describe; yet there is and must be a difference, seeing the Bridegroom is the
Son of God and the Bride one taken from the depths of poverty and degradation. It is then
the mutual affection founded upon the twofold individuality of our being that is so
prominently brought out in this divine Song of Love. And ;if we would understand aright
what is written here concerning the Bridegroom and the Bride, we must go back to the Book
of Genesis, and read there the symbol is given us on the formation of the first man and
woman -a symbol whose root is in creation, but whose development is in redemption; a
symbol whose outline is given us in the first Book of Scripture, whose filling up is
reserved for the last. "The
relationship between Christ and His Church is altogether peculiar; so is the love. Human
affections are manifold, but this is one and special, apart from the rest. There is the
love between parent and child, between brother and sister, between, friend and friend; but
this transcends them all. 'For this cause, shall a man leave father and mother, and shall
cleave to his wife; and they two shall be one flesh.' (Eph. 5:31.) Is there not something
peculiar about -this statement, and no less about the manner in which it is introduced by
the Apostle as bearing upon the relationship between Christ and His redeemed? 'This is a
great mystery; but I speak concerning Christ and His Church.' (Eph. 5:32.) All that this
'mystery' contains we know not, nor shall we know here; but in this 'Song of Songs' we get
a deeper insight into it, and learn something of the wonders of that new relationship
between heaven and earth, between God and man, when the Son of God in -the greatness of
His love to us took flesh and died, and when the Father chose out for him a fitting Bride
from the fallen creature hood of earth to receive and return His love. "The
Father chose the Bride, and gave her to His Son to redeem and sanctify. Down into this
world where she was, in all her unworthiness "and unlovableness, the Son of God
came; and here.... He wooed her and won her love. Loosing her bonds, ransoming her from
the enemy, drawing her out of the horrible pit and miry clay, He takes her into His
embrace; purifying here with the purification suited to her case, and decking her with the
fine linen, clean and white, that He may present her to Himself a glorious Church, not
having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but holy and without blemish." THE BRIDEGROOM'S DELIGHT IN HIS ESPOUSEDThat Jesus
truly longs for the completion of His Church and our union with Him in glory, there can be
no doubt. Granted that He knows all about the Father's times and seasons, the exact hour
when the last member of His Bride shall pass beyond .the veil, and fully assured as we may
be that He experiences no restless impatience in waiting for the consummation of the Age
in this happy event, yet there is that in. His love and anticipations which some one has
well expressed in the following lines,
This
yearning is not overlooked in the "Song of Songs." Repeatedly in this Song He
confesses the fervent longing He experiences while waiting for that blissful hour when,
"Bride and Bridegroom are made one, before the great white throne." And,
indeed it is manifest that never more clearly than now has the attentive ear of a
waiting Church been able to hear His joyful approach, and exclaim with rapture,
"The voice of my Beloved! behold, He cometh leaping upon the mountains, skipping upon
the hills. My Beloved is like a roe, or a young hart: behold, He standeth behind our wall,
He looketh forth at the windows, shewing Himself through the lattice. My Beloved spake,
and said unto me, Rise up, My love, My fair one, and come away." (Song of Solomon
2:8-10.) Long ago He had made the special request for His Church, "Father, I will
that they also, whom Thou hast given Me, be with Me where I am; that they may behold My
glory, which Thou hast given Me: for Thou lovedst Me before the foundation of the
world." (John 17:24.) Having, then, this assurance, of His attitude toward His own,
surely we can agree that, "For that - completion He waits the Father's time; longing,
even upon the throne, for the hour of meeting, for the marriage day and the marriage
supper. Heaven is not yet to Him what it shall be, when His Bride is with Him; and earth
is not yet what it 'shall be, when its crown is placed upon her head, as well as upon His
own. The cry, 'Behold, I come quickly,' is not merely the word of cheer to us here, in the
day of His absence, and an intimation of His speedy arrival, but the utterance of His own
heart's joy at the prospect of the final union, when all His glory shall be revealed and
all her beauty unfolded -when, in language only too feeble to express the truth, He will
call her 'the fairest among women,' and she will exult in Him as 'the chief among ten
thousand and altogether lovely.' And what
terms of endearment He employs! Unfamiliar as we may be with some of the similitudes
used in this old Oriental Song, we can, nevertheless quite easily understand the strain of
divine love it sings. Love has a language all its own any way, and its inherent character
is ever the same though its verbal expression be set forth in the language of many diverse
tongues. And certain it is, the Spirit which dictated this Song of Songs will -also interpret it to every responsive
Christ-loving soul. Hearken then to the Bridegroom's delight in the excellency of His
betrothed: "As the lily among thorns, so is My love among the daughters."
(Song of Solomon 2:2.) Fragrance, it is said, is a special characteristic of these lilies,
and such a fragrant flower among thorns is she in His esteem. Again we hear Him say,
"O My dove, that art in the clefts of the rock, in the secret places of the stairs,
let Me see thy countenance, let Me hear thy voice; for sweet is thy voice, and thy
countenance is comely." (Song of Solomon 2:14.) First the countenance, then the
voice. First her love lighted countenance revealing the transforming power of His love
and reflecting back her reciprocal devotion, and then the voice that speaks it forth in
unmixed delight. And once again He speaks: "Thou art all fair, My love; there is no spot in thee." (Song of Solomon 4:7.) What
words are these to one who has already confessed, "I am black, . . as the tents of
Kedar." Yes, once .black but now made fair, in virtue
of His call and imputed perfections; tnerefore He says, "Thou hast ravished My heart,
My sister, My spouse; . . . Thy lips, O My spouse, drop as the honeycomb: honey and milk
are under thy tongue; and the smell of thy garments is like the smell of Lebanon."
(Song of Solomon 4:9, 11.) Truly, His is "love divine all love excelling." How
He delights to bear testimony to that love for us! And how He rejoices when our love
responds with equal readiness and spontaneity. One more
selection, and then we turn to the words of the prospective Bride: "My dove," He
continues; "My undefiled is but one; she is the only one of her mother, she is the
choice one of her that bare her. The
daughters saw her, and blessed her; yea, the queens and the concubines, and they praised
her." (Song of Solomon 6:9.) 'What a precious expression of His personal love for His
Bride! Oh, there may be "threescore queens,
and fourscore concubines, and virgins without number" (Song of Solomon 6:8) but His
betrothed is "the only one" for Him. How great is His pride of her! How fully
assured He is that all who see her shall praise her, and pay homage to her beauty. Truly a
Lover of lovers is He. THE DELIGHT OF THE BRIDE IN HER BELOVEDLike the
Bridegroom, the Bride makes use of many similitudes with which to express her admiration and joy. Fruits and
flowers, spices and wine, the graceful hart, and multiplied symbols drawn from nature's
storehouse, are needed to tell the beauties of her Beloved. Space will not permit more
than a few of these. We refer the reader to the second text quoted at the head of this
article as one expression of her delights. In connection therewith we have her-saying,
"Stay me with flagons, comfort me with apples: for
I am sick of love. His left hand is under my head, and His right hand doth embrace
me." (Song of Solomon 2:5,6.) "Sick of love," literally "love-sick.
Blessed indeed are they who really know this love-sick attachment to the Person of Jesus
Christ. "My Beloved," she has perfect confidence to say, "is mine, and I am
His," therefore,, "Until the day break, and the shadows flee away, turn, my
Beloved. "Make haste, my Beloved, and be Thou like to a roe or to a young hart upon -the mountains of
spices. (Song of Solomon 2:16, 17; 8:14.) These last words strikingly associate the Song
of Songs with the -Revelation, as it expresses the same deep-drawn sigh, the same eager
anticipation, the same heartfelt entreaty with which the Revelation visions close:
"Even so, come, Lord Jesus." Thus, both in the language of this Song and in the
Apocalypse, there is the 'same sense of "blessed impatience" for the
consummation, the same deep constant love to an un seen Bridegroom, and the same desire
to see Him in' all His beauty, and embrace Him in unbroken, visible union. "It 'does
not intimate doubting, but only distance; it does not conceive that anything can break the
link between her and Him whom not having seen she loves; it suspects no change in the'
Beloved One, but only wonders why he should be so long in coming."
Hence the
eager listening on her part for every sound .of His footsteps, and for every accent of His
voice assuring her that He really comes for her, "leaping upon the mountains,
skipping upon the hills." "LOVERS' ABSENT HOURS""Poetry
has spoken often of heavy partings, and of 'lovers'
absent hours' in connection with earthly love; but it is in such divine utterances as the
above that we get some, insight into the depth of that love which subsists between Christ
and His Church; into the nature of the 'absent hours' which have run their weary course
since He left her here in her solitude; into the blank which this separation has
occasioned, and the longing on bath sides for the day of final reunion at 'the marriage
supper of the Lamb.' How far the Church on earth has ever realized this sense of absence
and this longing for return is a searching question. Were there the personal attachment to
the Lord which, as His affianced, the saints might be expected to possess, could there
be the indifference to the blessed hope of His appearing, or could there b2 the dislike to
converse about that hope, so strangely manifested by multitudes who name His name and
profess to taste His love?" Evident it
is, then, that a real personal attachment of no ordinary kind, was intended to be the
important lesson of this Song of Songs. The Lord has not given us this charming poem of
love without a special purpose in doing so. How apparent it must be to the most
unemotional reader that this Song expresses a depth of fervent love much too sacred to be
superficial. And it cannot be considered merely an outburst of Oriental sentiment
expressed in exaggerated terms, for in Psalm 45 and in many statements to be found in
both Old and New Testaments we find the same attachment clearly shown. No, the Song is
genuine, a true picture of the feelings which should reign perpetually in the hearts of
those who claim espousal to Christ. It, is a true expression of His love for us, for we
can have no doubt of such affection on His part, and all these words as spoken by Him are
profoundly sincere and' fervent. How then, is it with us? Where are the embraces we ought
ever to give to Him? Wherein do we reveal the desire, over passing all other desires, to
see Him face to face? Can we truly say, "How can I keep the 'longing back?" and
honestly affirm that we love Him with such devotion and fervency that we have really
"lost sight of all beside"? ''A Song
like this shows us that the Christ of God is no abstraction, no fond ideality invented by
men to embody their own thoughts of the beautiful and the loving. He is real; His love is
real; His perfection is real; His beauty is real, . . . Abstractions cannot love;
neither can they be loved. But He of whom all these things are sung is infinitely real and
personal; ... capable of being loved, not merely as the friend loves the friend, or the
child his father, but as the Bride loves the Bridegroom of her soul.... "One
special end, then, of such a Song as that of Solomon is to lift what we call religion out
of the region of abstractions, and to bring it warmly home to the human heart. Here we see
it embodied in the deepest affections of our being. It is no mere theory, no matter of
words, no impassive system wrought out by keen or subtle intellect, but something which
commends itself to every part of 'our nature, pouring in the living gladness of love,
without which the human spirit is a frigid, lifeless void." - J. J. Blackburn. He Seats Her on His Throne"Leaning upon her Beloved." -
Canticles 8:5.
The Letter to the Colossians"Servants, obey in all things,
as to the Lord . . . . Masters, THE RELATION
of the members of the Christian household, the closeness of which is indicated by our
English 'word "relatives," has just been discussed by the Apostle; but he has still to consider the less closely related members
of that household, master and slave; and from the same standpoint of love and obedience,
Ephesians 6:5-9; 1 Timothy 6:1, 2; Titus 2:9, 10; and 1 Peter 2:18-23 add somewhat to the
brief instruction here given to the Colossian Church; and some additional thoughts may be
gathered from other Scriptural sources. For "slave" Paul uses the word that
apparently refers only to involuntary servitude, while Peter writes regarding household
servants of any kind. To the
modern mind, trained to think of slavery as the "sum of all villainies," the
entire absence of all condemnation of this practice in the many allusions to it in the
Bible, and the apparent sanctioning of it in the Old Testament, sound strange, largely
because we fail to appreciate the advantages of learning obedience even though it is
through such suffering as slavery imposes. Perhaps, when the refining' work is
completed, and we have learned how large a part the suffering caused by slavery has had
in that work, all will rejoice that God in His wisdom, through all the centuries it polluted the earth,
thundered no maledictions against it. The bearer of this message to the Colossian
Church, Tychicus, had in the bag with it one to Philemon, and journeying with him was the
run-away slave, Onesimus, returning to Philemon, his fellow Christian. The letter was, not
a plea for his release, but undoubtedly Onesimus had been counseled to be such a faithful
servant as is described in Peter's, and in Paul's other letters. The social
and political problems on which the Master's followers have wasted much time were just as
evident in the opening days of the Church's history as today. Our Lord taught and the
Apostles practised the precept, "First cast the beam out of thine own eye."
(Matt. 7:5.) They waited patiently Jehovah's purposes, knowing His principle: "A
corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit," and "Every tree that bringeth not
forth good fruit is hewn down." (Matt. 7:17, 19.) To wait on Him is the practical
method for Christians whose minds would be too easily turned from the eternal things if
not actually contaminated, if they should devotee themselves to even worthy reforms --
social and political. The pure "mind of Christ" cannot afford to risk even slight contamination by association
in the schemes selfishness has evolved. For us, felling trees is dangerous work. Girdled,
they die of themselves. However, without laying its hand to the tree, Christianity has
transmitted enough of its spirit to the world so that within its bounds nominal slavery
is no longer found. Gibbons estimates that in the reign
of Claudius slaves at least equaled the free population in number. Robertson estimates the
percentage as much higher. It is little wonder that it took nearly two thousand years to
prepare the world for a message of equality and freedom for all, or that in a world that
could countenance slavery for so many millenniums it would be possible in the end of the
Age to rob Christians of the liberty wherewith Christ had made them free. . "Ye are
all children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.
For as many of you as have been baptized into
Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free,
there is neither male nor female; for ye are all one
in Christ Jesus." (Gal. 3:26-28.) This promises no physical changes. Black skin will
still be black, even national characteristics will somewhat persist, and the limitations
of both sexes be recognized;' but the Jew and the Greek, the male and the female, the bond
and the free, who have become Christians, can and should conduct themselves on lofty
principles unknown to their former estate; learning, in
whatsoever state they are, to content themselves with its opportunities to practise
obedience to their heavenly Master. The
Apostle's advice (1 Cor. 7:21) "Art thou called being a servant [bond-slave] care not
for it," would not have been given if their slavery could not have been turned to
good profit. The thought of the last part of this verse, "But if thou mayest be made
free, use it rather," is reversed by Goodspeed, Noyes, Spencer, and the Riverside
translations. They give it the thought, as expressed in Goodspeed's rendering:
"Even if you can gain your freedom, make the most of your present condition
instead." SLAVERY STILL PRACTICEDThe
principles laid down by the inspired writers on
this subject are as much needed today by employer and employee as they were then by master
and slave. Most of us are for a portion of our time under the direction of some other
mind. And perhaps obedience and remaining under the direction of some other mind on our part will
be so much the more commended of the Lord because it 'is usually easy for us to
leave one employment for another more agreeable to the flesh. It is well therefore to note
carefully the extent of the obedience the Apostle recommends, that is, "in all
things." There is no limit, except that, al
ways it is understood the Christian can at no time
go contrary to the command of the Lord. Above, we have stated the case mildly, speaking of
the Apostle as recommending complete obedience. It is better however, to accept the
Apostle's instruction as the command of the Lord. The servant who has affiliated himself with the
Christian movement because he has heard of liberty there, might easily feel great
disappointment on learning that he is now the bond-servant of Jesus Christ and must
continue rendering service to the former master; but that now, since it is "as unto
the Lord," his submission must be complete. Some
might feel justified in interpreting obedience ii all things as merely an outward
obedience; so, to guard against this error, Paul adds that this submission' is "not
with eye-service as men-pleasers." This precept condemns without excuse all work that
is gotten up to look better than it is, as well as all pretended 'diligence. If accounts
-that reach us are true, a visit to almost any large workshop or factory will furnish
abundant evidence that the Apostle's injunction is still needed-if the visit is made
during the absence of the foreman. This vice is theft, stealing back the time that one
'has sold to another. "In
singleness of heart, fearing the Lord," describes a service too seldom found in even
those who make strong profession of being the servants of the Lord. The pay envelope takes
second place in such service. In the next phrase, there is, however, a still more powerful
appeal to those who are truly God's servants: "Whatsoever ye do, work ' heartily, as
unto the Lord, and not unto men." The contrast in this clause is the same as implied
in the former phrase, "fearing the Lord," and tells of work done faithfully, not
because the eye of some man may behold it or some human master reward it, but as a
result of reverence for the Lord and a desire to please Him. In the Greek word rendered
"work" there is the thought of toil, effort, putting all one's power into the
appointed tasks, and instead of seeking to avoid or shift to some one else the unpleasant
and the heavier labor, doing it cheerfully. "From the soul," is a literal
rendering. This will mean a personal interest in the task. "Put all you have into
it," we would say today. It is hardly
to be supposed that such unselfishness could be attained except under the impetus of some
great. inspiration. No greater inducement could be offered than this he gives: "As
unto the Lord, and not unto men." But note the still higher standard set by the
Apostle in his first letter to Timothy. We wonder how many are ready to live up to it.
"Let as many servants as are under the yoke count their own masters worthy o f all honor, that the name of God and the
doctrine be not blasphemed." (1 Tim. 6:1.) This is not an injunction to be dishonest.
Counting the master as worthy of all honor does not imply that even one good quality has
been discovered in him, but does imply that he is actually unworthy of all honor, and it
also implies that true devotion to God and the truth will make it a pleasure to count the
unworthy master "worthy of all honor, that the name of God and the doctrine be not
blasphemed," that others may take knowledge of us that we have been with the meek and
lowly Nazarene and have learned of Him. The capricious, harsh, unjust foreman can be
easily and cheerfully tolerated when all one's work is done with the mind devoted to,
pleasing the heavenly Master, and the most sordid task glow with a radiance almost
divine; useless tasks will have a purpose, trifling employment take on great importance,
and galling duties become a welcome means of both humbling the flesh and honoring our
Head. "Exhort servants to be obedient unto their own masters, and to please them well
in all things; not answering again; not purloining, but showing all good fidelity; that they may adorn the doctrine of God our Savior
in all things." - Titus 2:9, 10. REWARDS, EXCEEDING GREAT"Knowing
that from the Lord ye shall receive [fully: Young's "Comments."], the recompense
of the inheritance." This is no meager three meals a day and a place to sleep, nor
the most liberal wage of our day.. To the human mind, this inducement offered by
inspiration is a will-o-the-wisp, and the one who toils from such a motive is viewed as
mentally deficient. The facts, however, are that few earthly employers will plan to give
all that the product is worth to them, while our heavenly Lord not only does no' consider
the value of our service, but rewards "unprofitable servants," and also plans
to raise to divine sonship the humblest slave. As we work
side by side with the slaves of toil, there should be no resentment because of their
inability to understand the high motives that elicit our best endeavor, nor animosity for
the higher-up who seems selfishly to be watering his garden with the very life blood of
his vassals. There is always the assurance that entering fully into our inheritance will
mean the privilege of guiding them, and all others of earth's billions, to the Highway of
Holiness at the end of which will be no "bag of gold"; but, for them also,
sonship, though on that lower plane of human perfection ,planned for them "from the
foundation of the world." In Adam that foundation was laid-aim earthly hope; and for
all the willing of his twenty billion children it will be assured as eternally theirs in a
world from which Satan and all his evil- work have been permanently banished. Impatience
and constant complainings about our hard lot can only mean that our conditions are not
being accepted and our service rendered "as unto the Lord"; but that instead we
are thinking more of bodily comfort than of the honor due His name, more of paltry
dollars than of the recompense of His present smile of approval, thinking more of the
fleeting present than of the immortal future. The desire
to have the approval of others is a quality that' of itself is good, but the occasion for,
great discouragement when one's labor is spent for those who are unappreciative or who
have not been trained to manifest appreciation. This latter is not true for the Christian,
however, for there is always One who is smiling upon him in approval for every endeavor to
serve acceptably, and the surliness of the earthly master adds only that much more to the
gratitude of the heavenly Master for all that is done as unto Him. There can be no
disappointment for the one who labors with
unmingled devotion to Him. No honor that earth has to confer, Do recompense it can confer,
can compare with the exaltation of being a bond-servant of the Supreme Ruler of the
Universe. As sure as
is the recompense to the faithful bondservant of Christ, so sure is the wage to the
unfaithful. "He that doeth wrong shall receive again for the wrong that he hath
done," and even to "answer again" is indicated in Titus 2:9. to be a wrong.
The one who holds that slave in bondage is doing him one of the greatest of injustices,
but adding another wrong to this by the slave will not
right the first. Yet, how often is heard the silly, childish excuse, "He did it to me
first." The ill-treatment of the worldling lord, gives no warrant to the Christian
slave to make void the law that has been given to him,
whether the over-lord be an individual, a corporation, or even a nation. The same principle applies to
all. Even speaking in condemnation of rulers, regardless of their worth, is forbidden in
Titus 3:1-3. Perhaps a little more of the meekness there enjoined would have protected
the Lord's people from this wrong of speaking evil of either the rulers or even the
lowliest of their associates. The practicing of this precept also would have kept all Christians from sharing in any revolutions,
and shall we say also, reformations of human institutions. The Christian's duty is
submission. "My son, fear thou the Lord and the king: and meddle not, with them that
are given to change [large or small]." (Proverbs 24:21.) The reason: in rendering to
Caesar the things that are Caesar's, we will be
rendering to God an honor due Him. THE DUTY AND PRIVILEGE OF MASTERSAs with
slaves, so with the masters, "There is no respect of persons." The One who is
Master in heaven is also over them regardless of
how high or how low their station here. Slave and master are both tempted to think that
God is on their side. And He is, The time is not come to manifest Himself, but in the
centuries of concealment His eye has been on master and slave, and in due time both will
"receive the' recompense" due them; but just as surely, "He that doeth
wrong shall receive again for the wrong that he hath done, and there is no respect of
persons. [Therefore] Masters, render unto 'your servants that which is just and equal;
knowing that ye also have a Master in heaven." While the slave is convincing himself
that in due time the judgments of heaven will fall on his cruel lord for every injustice
done him, the master is congratulating himself that his position . is clear evidence that
he is one of heaven's favorites, that God does have respect of a few persons. Christian
slaves and masters of that day, as well as this, need to be reminded that God is not such
an one as ourselves. Slaves were
considered to have no rights. . The exhortation to masters was therefore a startling one
(especially when we remember it was addressed to them in the presence of their slaves, as both classes
met in the Christian assembly, and listened to the Epistle), "Masters, render unto
your servants that which is just and equal" equitable. To the master the slave was
not a person, but chattel. They were his own, and he could do with them as he liked. The
condition of slaves among the Greeks and Romans, was wretched in the extreme; they could
appeal to no law; and they could neither expect justice nor equity," Clarke says.
Alexander Maclaren comments: "A master . . . might crucify or torture, or commit any
crime against manhood either in body or soul, and no voice would question or forbid. How
astonished Roman lawgivers would have been if they could have heard Paul talking about
justice and equity as applied to a slave!" In the word
"just," the Apostle is appealing not to imperfect' human laws but to the divine,
requirements. The word for which "equal" is a translation like our English
word, has in it the essence of the Golden Rule. Preparing discourses on either word may
not be difficult, but practicing the precepts of these words is an ideal to be attained
only with the "counting'.' to us of much of His righteousness. The last injustice
will have been inflicted, the last war fought,
when their principles are perfectly applied by all. When an earnest endeavor is made by
all to apply them, service will have lost its discomforts and mastery its temptations.
When perfectly practised, "slave" and "master" will be words the world
will gladly forget, reminders of a night troubled with "an, horror of great
darkness." (Gen. 15:12.) Until that day a "kind and patronizing" manner
will be substituted by the majority for the Apostle's stiffer requirement of-justice
and equality. "Charity likes to come in. and supply the wants which would never have
been felt had there been equity. An ounce of justice he sometimes worth a ton of charity." There is
only seeming vagueness in the commands of these Epistles, for to -do unto others as the
Lord would do to us is the most definite possible of instruction to the one informed
regarding the character of the God of the; Plan of the Ages. Know His eternal purposes and
His daily dealings with us, and we have our course plainly marked out for, us, and clear
as to what others should have a right to expect at our hands. What we need and what we
know we will receive at His hands for service that is 'faithfully though imperfectly
rendered, it is our duty to give to others
though they like ourselves blunder in their efforts to serve. Twenty-four hours of
endeavor to live up to the requirements of the
Apostle will leave no complaint that He has
not been precise enough. Is He my
Master? Is my service done as unto Him? Are my possessions His? -- my life His? -- His
life mine? Is the purpose to honor Him supreme above every, selfish consideration? We are
slaves, bought with a great price. Will we ever consent to be made worthy of the price? - P. E. Thomson. Report of the Toronto ConventionThe Heavenly
Father granted a special blessing upon the friends assembled in Toronto over Labor Day
weekend. The Lord surely- fulfilled His promise that where two or three are gathered in His Name, there He would be in' the midst of them
to bless. Early in the
morning, friends began to arrive, and one could catch the spirit of the convention before
it began. It is always good to see the friends and we believe an additional blessing is
had by those who come early and take part in the opening services. It is well to prepare
ourselves in quiet meditation, for the Lord has promised to be in our midst, and as
David said: "I was glad when they said unto me, 'Let us go into the house of the
Lord." - Psalm 122:1. The
Convention opened with the hymn - "Come All Ye Saints to Pisgah's Mountain"; and
so we spent those happy days, as it were, on the mountain top. The
first-speaker dwelt on the works of Christ and His teachings. The following' lecture 'was
about the Father and His dealings. How appropriate to begin the Convention talking about
Jesus and His Father. The Song
Services were good, interspersed, with testimonies, and one of the best of Testimony
Meetings was the one on Monday afternoon when nearly all present took part. There was no
waiting, but some one was always on his feet and ready to testify. One just felt he could
not refrain from expressing his gratitude to God for all His benefits toward him. Sunday
afternoon the subject discussed was regarding the work of the Priesthood in the Book of
Leviticus, particularly that which had to do with the wave offering or heave offering
before the Lord: The speaker brought out in antitype what our privileges, duties, and
responsibilities 'are toward the Lord and His Truth in these last days. By yielding our
all to Him, and continually keeping our affections and powers uplifted, our offering
will be acceptable to Him through our Lord Jesus. This was
followed by a Chart Talk on the "Divine Plan of the Ages." For the newly
interested such a "Talk" is always profitable, while to those long in "this
way" it has lost none of its interest. Sunday
evening a heart to heart talk was given on the subject of "Reverence" which was
very timely and helpful -- very necessary in these evil days through which the Church is
now passing. Other
subjects used during the Convention were: "The Happy Man," "Prayer,"
"Gideon's Army," "The True Vine," "The Mystery," and
"Children of Promise." All of these talks were very helpful and encouraging to
New Creatures and stimulating to- our faith as we walk along the Narrow Way. At the
conclusion, Brother Blackburn expressed the hope that the results of the Convention would
be to bring the brethren closer together. He urged that we try to, encourage other
brethren we know to join in our conventions, and quoted the words of Joseph when his
brethren were before him: "Ye shall see my face no more unless ye bring your
brother with you." The fact was stressed that we should all have our brother's
welfare at heart, and let him know we desire to see the brethren united, that we may all
have that oneness which Jesus prayed should exist among His disciples-"that they may
be made perfect in one." The Convention closed with. prayer and singing of 'Blest Be
the Tie that Binds" and "God be With You Till, We Meet Again." Those who
took- part in the program were: Brothers J. C. Jordan, J. A. Bell,, D. Copeland, J. E.
Dawson, P. F Thomson, L. L. Benedict, J: J. Blackburn, J. Pollock, and J. Wyndelts. -J. E. Dawson. |
