CALLING FOR A PARLEY

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Oakland, California · Nov 27, 1901

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 27, No. 48.

CALLING FOR A PARLEY.

OUR illustration is fruitfully suggestive. Two great companies of men, made in the image of God, have been engaged in the work of slaying each other. To a man they are in all probability strangers. No one in either army has wronged any individual in the other army. Yet they are fighting, and murdering in cold blood, over some small question which ought to have been settled in reasonable peace, fathers, sons, and brothers. They are trained to kill. They are uniformed to make the calling attractive. And men call that glorious, which to bring glory must dye red its escutcheon in the blood of brother men. Is it not a pitiful spectacle, reader, two millenniums, nearly, this side of the teachings of Christ? Surely the reign of the Prince of Peace is not here.

OUR illustration is suggestive of a battle. It has just been fought, perhaps, and hundreds lie dying and dead, the earth drinking up their life-blood, while electricity in hot haste is flashing sad news with unfeeling sympathy to hundreds of widowed wives and orphaned children. There is a lull in the evil butchery, and men ride forth from one army with a white flag, a flag of truce. It may be but a white handkerchief; it is evidence of the white honor of sincerity. There is a call for a parley, a conversation between the leaders of the two opposing armies. It may be a mere temporary truce to allow one or both sides to unmolestedly bury the dead. It may be to discuss terms of peace from a war in which both sides are weary and well-nigh defeated. It may be that a practically defeated general wishes to secure the best terms of surrender for his army, and he asks a parley. He wishes to talk it over. And in all civilized nations, among all military men of honor, it is granted. Low indeed is the soldier who fires on the flag of truce. It is safe so long as it is in honor, and it is ever in honor till demonstrated to be false. Such are some of the suggestions of our graphic illustration. It has its striking moral lessons.

For we are God's enemies by nature. He has not injured us; we have rebelled against Him. He made man, gave him a home most beautiful, containing all that soul could desire or heart wish, and asked only allegiance to the highest law of man's then only perfect being, willing obedience to which would have insured life forevermore,—a life, which, rendering glory to God, would have ever conserved man's highest good and ever promoted man's highest happiness. But the enemy entered the fair domain, entered its very citadel, man's heart, through man's permission, and man fell. Where before holiness was incarnate, infleshed, sin became incarnate, and the mind became the carnal mind, the minding of the flesh, seeking the good of self, rather than God's glory. And ever since Satan was permitted to reign through sin, it has been universally true that “the carnal ‘mind is enmity ‘against God; for it ‘is not subject to the ‘law of God, neither ‘indeed can be. So ‘then they that are in ‘the flesh [living for its ‘pleasures, desires, ‘lusts] can not please ‘God.” Rom. 8:7, 8. Every man who loves sin in any form is the enemy of God; he is at war with God. “Know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? Whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.” James 4:4.

THERE are two great forces struggling for the mastery in the spiritual world. Now, as of yore, Michael and His angels fight against the dragon, and the dragon fights and his angels. The immediate stake for which they contend is the soul of man; the ultimate, the eternal existence or non-existence of the universe. The devil is now come down unto you. Rev. 12:7-12. He who is God's enemy fights with the dragon and against his own soul.

For, dear soul, tho you are God's enemy, He is not yours. Tho you have rebelled against Him, He has not shut you out. Tho you have despised the goodness of His grace, “He giveth more grace,” that you may be won to repentance by His marvelous goodness. Rom. 2:4. He withholds His blessings at times that we may see how utterly hopeless is our means of existence without Him. Sun and rain, light and heat, air and food, clothing and shelter,—blessings innumerable all come from His bountiful hand.

But He hates sin, because He knows that sin will, if cherished, prove your destruction. If forever continued, He knows it would be the destruction of the universe. Therefore He desires to save you from it. He has not even asked that you, all beaten and bruised and wounded in the battle through sin, shall come presenting a flag of truce. Pitying you with infinite pity, He sends His own servants forth to herald the tidings and terms of peace. He cries:—

“Ho, every one that thirsteth, Come ye to the waters, And he that hath no money; Come ye, buy, and eat; Yea, come, buy wine and milk Without money and without price. . . . Let the wicked forsake his way, And the unrighteous man his thoughts; And let him return unto the Lord, And He will have mercy upon him; And to our God, For He will abundantly pardon.” Isa. 55:1-7.

“Peace, peace, to him that is far off And to him that is near, saith Jehovah; And I will heal him.” Isa. 57:19.

“Come on now, and let us plead together, Saith Jehovah; Tho your sins be as scarlet, They shall be as white as snow; Tho they be red like crimson, They shall be as wool. If ye be willing and obedient, Ye shall eat the good of the land.” Isa. 1:18, 19, Lowth’s translation.

“As I live, saith the Lord Jehovah, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, But that the wicked turn from his way and live: Turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; FOR WHY WILL YE DIE?” Eze. 33:11.

These are only a small part of the many blessed messages of God which He has sent forth blazoned upon the flags of truce borne by His trusted messengers all down the ages. But how have the messengers been treated?—They were, by those whom they were sent to save, “stoned, they were sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain with the sword,” and their flags of truce trampled under foot. Still God pities the poor suffering rebels. From His glorious throne He sends, in His everlasting love, His only-begotten Son. Surely, He says, “they will reverence My Son.” The Son “gave Himself.” He came; spake as never man spake; lived as never man lived; “went about doing good” as never man did, trying to tell the dying enemies of God in it all how much God loved them and desired to save them. A song of peace heralded His birth:—

“Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, good will toward men.”

He said to them,—

“If the Son make you free, Ye shall be free indeed.”

“If any man thirst, Let him come unto Me and drink.”

“Come unto Me, All ye that labor and are heavy laden, And I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you, and learn of Me; For I am meek and lowly in heart; And ye shall find REST unto your souls; For My yoke is easy, And My burden is light.”

But Him, the infinite Peace and Rest of God, they crucified and slew. God hated sin so truly, and loved the sinner so much, that He withheld not His only-begotten Son that He might win and save man from the sin; save him from treason to allegiance, from sin to righteousness, from rebellion to loyalty, from destruction to salvation, from resistance to triumphant co-operation, from an enemy to a friend, from strife to peace, from death to life.

THE Infinite God still pleads with you, sinner. He sends His messengers with all these blessed flags of truce and asks a parley. Will you not think it over? Will you not, face to face with God and your own soul, consider the matter? What have you to gain by continued resistance and warfare against God? It is all loss, for the very sinful pleasures which you may now enjoy will sometime bear the fruit of Dead Sea apples in your life. Turn now. Yield now.

“Behold, NOW is the acceptable time; Behold, now is the day of salvation.”

SOME of us have once been rebels with you. We have despised His goodness, and treated Him shamefully. But at last the citadel of our heart could endure no more. Love conquered hate. The gates were thrown open, and Christ, the rightful King, came in. We know His reign is peace and joy. We know that His yoke is easy and His burden light. We know that this is the love of God that we keep His commandments, and His commandments are not grievous. We know He is all that He promised He would be, more even than we could anticipate. He will be the same to you; for He is no respecter of persons. And we invite you to come. You will find in Him the justification which brings peace. Rom. 5:1. And you will find that walking in His ways, “the work of righteousness shall be peace; and ‘the effect of righteousness, quietness and assurance forever.”