THE UNCOMPROMISING NATURE OF TRUTH.
By H. R.
Every word of my mouth, every thought of my heart, every act of my life, is either right or wrong. Every contract, engagement, obligation, or relation of life, whether individual, domestic, social, business, or governmental, is right, or it is wrong. Every business transaction, every judicial decision, every legislative act, every demonstration of executive authority and power, must be right, or else it is wrong. Every union, league, society, corporation, or constitution, is founded upon, and maintains its existence by virtue of, principles of right or wrong. There is no middle, neutral ground of arbitration where right may meet wrong and compromise for the sake of domestic, social, business, or governmental peace, advantage, or preferment. Righteousness is a straight line (Isa. 28:17) and can in nowise deviate from her unswerving, uncompromising course without being untrue to her nature and source, as the needle is true to the magnetic pole (Deut. 5:32; 4:2; Matt. 7:13, 14). Error is a crooked line, and it is ever the merciful endeavor of the Gospel to straighten the crooked paths of error (Isa. 40:4; 42:16), as it is the settled and malignant purpose of error to make crooked the straight path of the just, by guile, or fraud, or force, from the precedent of Eve’s temptation down to the present reign of terrors. Truth and error are antipodes. These two great principles—forces—hosts, from their very nature, are and must be antagonistic. As wide as east is from west, light from darkness, love from hate, life from death, heaven from hell, are these two mighty hosts separated in nature, purpose, and destiny. The Prince and Champion of the host on the one hand is Michael, Son of God, Archangel, Jesus, Prince of peace, of truth, of light, and love, and life. His right to be Prince of peace He exemplified not only by precept and command, but by a life of unexampled patience and long-suffering in the face of the most virulent persecutions and mockings that His old enemy and his legions of demons could invent, even to His shameful humiliation and death at their hands, by which He purchased peace for us. As the Prince of truth, He set forth truth not only by parable and precept, and confirmed with mighty signs and miracles, but demonstrated the same beyond all cavil and above all reproach, by a stainless life of righteousness and holiness. He was the Prince of light, because His “deeds were made manifest that they were wrought in God.” “God is light, and in Him is no darkness at all;” and through His Son, God shined—a heavenly light in a world of darkness and sin, and “in His light shall we see light.” In His mission He shall “bring to light all the hidden things of darkness, searching the thought and intents of the hearts5of men, and “rendering to every man according to his works.” “Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in His sight; but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of Him with whom we have to do.” Heb. 4:13. As the Prince of love, He proved His right to rule beyond all gainsaying by His marvelous condescension, humiliation (Phil. 2:5–10), and death, which He suffered, a voluntary and willing sacrifice, to redeem His creatures from the bondage of the enemy and his power of sin and death (John 3:16; 1 John 3:5; Rom. 8:21; 6:23). As the Prince of life, He was manifested that He might destroy the works of the devil (1 John 3:8; Heb. 2:14, 15), and to redeem unto Himself “a chosen people,” of all that will call upon His name in truth—to deliver them from “the bondage of corruption”—to purify and cleanse them by the regeneration of His Spirit, by His Word (John 3:1–19; 17:17); and to present them at last before the presence of His Father’s glory, a blameless, holy band (Jude 24), heirs of eternal life, triumphant “overcomers” (Rev. 21:7) over all the temptations and power of the enemy to overthrow them (Rom. 8:37). Such is the mission of the Prince of life, that by His death He might bring many sons to glory, and destroy the works of the wicked one,—all sin, all death; for it hath pleased God that life should be by His Son, as it is written, “In Him was life; and the life was the light of men.” John 1:4. Again: “This is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.” 1 John 5:11, 12. And again it is written, “The Father loveth the Son, and hath given all things into His hand.” John 3:35. See also Phil. 2:9–11. “He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.” He has proved His power over death in that He rose from the dead and triumphed over the grave, and is ascended up on high, where He ever liveth to make intercession for us. Heb. 7:25. On the other hand, the prince and champion of the opposing host is “the great dragon, that old serpent, called the devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world,”—the prince of the power of darkness, error, hate, wrath, strife,—the author of sin and death,—the original and arch-traitor and seducer,—the “father of lies” and all deception. He, the arch-traitor, despising the high honors of his rank among heavenly intelligences, and trusting in his own brightness, beauty, and power, with which God had endowed him (see Eze. 28:1–17), sowed the original seed of anarchy and discord, which ripened and spread as a pestilence, till the third part of heaven’s host was arrayed, under his leadership, in open revolt against the hand that gave them being. Then was he overthrown, and all his rebel host cast with him out of heaven. Since that overthrow it has been the policy of that wicked one to impeach the justice, mercy, and goodness of God, and to accuse all His children of all unworthiness; hence he is called the “accuser of the brethren.” Because he had set his heart “as the heart of God,” above all “principalities and powers” and “authority and rule;” because he refused to acknowledge the shame of his monstrous presumption; had spurned all conditions of peace, all overtures of mercy at the hand of his rival and conqueror, the Son of God; because his proud heart could not brook the humiliation of confession, for the joy of forgiveness and reconciliation, he sinned yet more, and there entered into his darkened soul a deep and settled hatred, an incurable spite and thirst for vengeance—the heart of a murderer. John 8:44. The fire of hell burned in his soul—a deep-burning, implacable desire for the humiliation and death of his rival and all that were faithful to Him. All ruin, devastation, and destruction—all treachery, rapine, and murder—were in that hate. All the beautiful and gentle traits of the character of Michael, the Prince, all the lovely attributes of His mild yet fervent spirit, were as wormwood and gall to the fallen angel. He became His enemy continually, and resolved on war, which, until the Son of God burst the bonds of death, and rose triumphant and victorious over the power of the grave, was with hope of success. Then he knew his inevitable end—that he is a vanquished foe, and that it is only a matter of time till his final overthrow will seal the victory. Since that time has been the era of “great wrath” against the Lord Jesus and His church, which waxes hotter and more terrible as his (Satan’s) impending doom approaches, “for he knoweth that he hath but a short time.”