Practical Thoughts on Scripture Subjects.
By John Nevins Andrews
THE WISDOM OF GOD IN THE BIBLE.
One book has been given to mankind which has God for its author. This book contains such stores of wisdom and knowledge as can never be exhausted. In it God has laid up sound wisdom for the righteous. Our love for God is indicated as correctly by the love which we have for the perusal and the study of this book as by our delight in secret prayer. In the one case God is addressing us, and we in our hearts as we read are responding to him; in the other we are addressing God, and he by his Holy Spirit is communing with us. The Bible is like Christ. Why should it not be when Christ is its Alpha and Omega? When men saw Christ as he appeared upon earth, so plain in dress, so unassuming in manner, so unselfish in conduct, so meek and lowly in heart, there was no beauty in him that they should desire him. For the same reason men in these days take no delight in the book of God. Perhaps they read a small portion now and then from a sense of duty, or from shame to be wholly ignorant of its contents, but they are glad when the task is accomplished so that they may turn to books which are more to their taste, or from which they expect greater profit. Oh! sad perversion of the mind. Oh! cruel slight of that book which contains the words of eternal wisdom. Oh! strange blindness and infatuation. One of the old Fathers of the church made in substance this striking remark concerning the Scriptures: “In the Old Testament the New Testament lies concealed: In the New Testament the Old Testament lies open.” This remark is truthful and just. And shall such a book remain in our hands to be read in the most sparing manner, and perhaps not studied at all by us? Shall other books be loved while this one is only tolerated and endured? Other books should be read, but let the Bible have the first place. In fact the best rule that I know to determine the character of our general reading and study is that what we thus gather shall be that which in some measure better prepares our minds for the understanding of divine truth. Our lives at the least are very short. They are even a vapor, appearing for a little time, and then vanishing away. A life so short must be wisely employed or it will indeed be an utter failure. The book of God has been sent us to make us wise unto salvation. This book teaches the way of eternal life. It shows how a life that is only a hand breadth in extent may be exchanged for one of infinite duration. It teaches us by its example of good and evil not less than by its commands, prohibitions, or its warnings. It is not given for the purpose of gratifying idle curiosity. It is not to be studied for the purpose of disputing well, or of making display. Far from this. We can never appreciate the Scriptures unless we come to their study in the same spirit that those were under who wrote them. Here are the words of eternal wisdom. Shall we not make them the theme of meditation by day and by night? Shall they not be the subject of our conversation wherever we may be? Shall we not redeem time from our business, or other reading, and even from our sleep, for the purpose of learning the things of God? And when we read shall not the truths which we learn be received by faith into our hearts? Shall not the terrors of the day of Judgment, the awful voice of God's law addressing itself to our conscience from Sinai, the tender accents of mercy and pardon from Calvary, the love of Christ, the history of our fallen world, the prophecies of its glorious future, the example of good and evil, the doctrine of divine truth, shall not these things make this the book of books to us? The carnal mind is represented in the Scriptures as “the old man.” This old man is described as having “members,” just as the “outward,” or physical, man has members by which it is enabled to act. But what a catalogue of evil propensities and sins constitute the members of the old man, the ruling spirit, or carnal mind, of natural men. Here are the “members” enumerated by the Spirit of God: “Mortify, therefore, your members which are upon the earth: fornication, uncleanness, INORDINATE AFFECTION, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry.” Col. 3:5.
Inordinate affection is one of the members which pertain to the body of the old man. It is one of the elements that make up the carnal mind, or one of the evil things produced by it. It is found in bad company most certainly. Paul has classed it with the basest of human actions and principles. Inordinate affection is an affection for any person or thing beyond that which may be properly placed on them. It is an affection for any object or person which makes them idols to us. We may know that we have this inordinate, or idolatrous affection, whenever we find ourselves unwilling to give up our friends or our possessions for Christ's sake. We may also know that to be the case when our friends are taken from us by death, and we cannot accept of the Saviour as sufficient to make up the loss. The afflicting hand of God is often stretched forth to reveal to us our idols. If we would regulate our affections by the principles of the Christian religion, we would be saved from many and great troubles. If when we see that we have failed to do this we would at once correct our faults, and yield in unreserved surrender every thing to God, we might still escape his chastening hand. And if this be neglected by us till the providence of God takes from us the objects of our idolatrous affection, we may even then equally bring the controversy to a close by acknowledging the right of our sovereign Lord to the full possession of our hearts' best affections, and humbly asking him to forgive our past idolatry, and henceforth to take that place in our hearts which the idols once filled. We may love our friends tenderly, and yet not with inordinate affection. In fact, the sanctified love which fills the breast where the Spirit of God has the control, is not only purer and sweeter, but it is even stronger, than that love which is inordinate and idolatrous. It is a love that will enable us to lay down our lives for our friends, and yet one whereby we can give them up for Christ's sake with a submissive heart. It is a love that will not resent it when our dearest friends are reproved. It is a love that did enable Abraham to offer Isaac upon the altar. It is one that holds all earthly good as something lent of God, which he has a right to recall to himself at any time. It is an unselfish love. It is kindled by the Spirit of God, and while it exists in our breasts, all is heavenly serenity and peace. Inordinate affection is selfish, idolatrous, and rebellious. We can never enter heaven till our hearts be cleansed from this. Some Christians are just what all that profess godliness should be. They are “steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord.” This quality of steadfastness is something admirable. In every church of Christ there are some who possess this noble quality. They are the burden bearers. They stand to their post, especially when everything is sad, trying, and dark. Then there is a much larger number who can hardly stand at all, only as they are held up by these faithful, self-sacrificing disciples. There is the utmost reason to fear that sooner or later such will fall by the way. God gives men fair warning of their dangers, and teaches them how to fortify themselves against the power of Satan. Having done this, he suffers Satan to tempt and to put them to the test just where they are weakest. So the sieve is shaken, and the heedless are sifted out. There is always opportunity for those mindful of the country from which they came out to return thither. Caleb and Joshua had the steadfast spirit. But nearly all the host of Israel in their heart turned back to Egypt. It is right to entreat the people of God not to love the world; not to turn back from Christ; not to harden their hearts; not to make shipwreck of the faith. All this entreaty has to be made, and sometimes with no success. But we love to meet that kind of Christians who do not need such entreaty; the kind that will not turn back, even when as a test of their fidelity they are invited so to do. “Tarry here,” says Elijah. “As the Lord liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee,” answered Elisha. At the next place Elisha is tested in the same manner. And again the third time is the same entreaty used by Elijah, and the same answer given by Elisha. Elijah did not say this because it was best for Elisha to tarry, but that he might be proved. When the trial had thus been made Elijah says, “Ask what I shall do for thee before I be taken away from thee.” And he receives the blessing of such infinite value to himself, a double portion of Elijah's spirit. Naomi, when returning from her sojourn in the land of Moab, bade her two widowed daughters-in-law, return to their own kindred in Moab, as being every way to their earthly advantage. Orpah, after withstanding some time with tears, kissed her mother-in-law and went back. Then Naomi said to the other, “Behold thy sister-in-law is gone back unto her people, and unto her gods; return thou after thy sister-in-law.” And Ruth said, “Entreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee, for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge. Thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God. Where thou diest will I die, and there will I be buried. The Lord do so to me, and more also, if aught but death part thee and me.” Now please to read the book of Ruth. Orpah returned to her mother and to the gods of Moab. Her name is mentioned no more. Doubtless her connection with the people of God ceased here forever. But Ruth is honored with a place in the chief family in Israel; she becomes one of the ancestors of Jesus Christ; her history is preserved in the Bible as a precious legacy to the people of God; and her name, in all probability, is now in the Lamb's book of life. We have a very few in whom exists the spirit of Ruth, a much larger number, we fear, have that of Orpah. The great day will285reveal the fact that only those whose hearts are steadfast, are accepted in the sight of the Lord.