MILTON C. WILCOX, EDITOR
By Editor
The Assurance of Faith.—The language of the true child of God is not that of uncertainty. While no one realizes more clearly and strongly than he that "all flesh is weak," and that he himself is utter weakness, yet is he not uncertain in regard to his salvation. His language is that of assurance, "I know." Uncertainty.—Uncertainty is of the world, and is a characteristic of worldly religions. Its types are found in the devotees of the oriental religions, who seek by severe discipline and penance to save themselves, ever seeking light and peace and finding none; ever longing for the blest Nirvana, but never attaining it. It is to this same uncertainty that the followers of Brahma and Buddha are inviting Christians; and, sad to say, many are leaving the cool, life-giving waters of Lebanon to quaff the polluted mixture of the broken cisterns of men. Wherein the Certainty Exists.—The certainty, the assurance, of the Christian hope does not exist in man. His language concerning himself is, "For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh), dwelleth no good thing." He can of himself do nothing. It is not in his prayers or fastings or sacrifices or labors that he hopes. It is not in the promises of man or anything that man has done. Neither is it in any combination of men that his assurance lies; for he knows that no man is able by any means to save his brother. His hope is in One who is higher, even in the living God: "For I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that He is able to keep that which I have committed unto Him against that day." 2 Tim. 1:12. The trust of the Christian is in the "living God, which made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and all things that are therein." Acts 14:15. His Fullness.—(1) He has all power, and all things that we see about us are evidences of the power of his Godhead. "Our God is in the heavens; he hath done whatsoever he pleased." Ps. 115:3. "Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the Lord [Jehovah], the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary?" Isa. 40:28. "Trust ye in the Lord forever; for in the Lord Jehovah is everlasting strength ["the Rock of Ages," margin]." Isa. 26:4. This is the power of God, in which rests the assurance of the Christian. (2) He has wisdom. "There is no searching of his understanding." Isa. 40:28. "O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out." Rom. 11:33. "Great is our Lord, and of great power; his understanding is infinite." Ps. 147:5. This is the wisdom and knowledge of our God. (3) His love is equal to his power or wisdom; it is infinite. It is not even to be compared with the strongest earthly love. "Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee." Isa. 49:15. "For God so loved the world that he gave his only-begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him, should not perish, but have everlasting life." John 3:16. "Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends" (John 15:13), "but God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." Rom. 5:8. This is God's love. Can we not rest with assurance on this threefold foundation of Infinite Power, Infinite Wisdom, Infinite Love, each and all everlasting in their infinity? All Given Us in Jesus Christ.—All these attributes of God are pledged for the salvation of every soul who will trust him, and are given to us in Christ Jesus our Lord. "For in him dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily." "For it pleased the Father that in him should all fullness dwell." Col. 2:9; 1:19. "In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace; wherein he hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence." Eph. 1:7, 8. "And ye are complete in him, which is the Head of all principality and power." Col. 2:10. "What Must We Do?"—Simply submit to God's holy will; simply choose his own blessed way of infinite knowledge, love, and power. We do not know ourselves; we have not wisdom for the task; we have no commendable righteousness; we have no price to redeem ourselves from the bondage of sin; but Jesus Christ "is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption." All he asks of us is to coöperate with him, to choose his way. Does he command even to impossibility?—Then choose to do for his sake, and it will be done. Does he bid us wait?—Then wait and his salvation will be seen. Does he promise?—Submit to the condition, trust the promise, and it will be fulfilled. In short, this choosing, eternally, continually, momentarily because eternally, is but the renunciation of self for Christ's sake; and into the thus emptied soul Christ will bring the fullness of the Godhead, so that it will be "God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure." Phil. 2:13. But do not choose because you think you must choose thus to be saved. Do not choose it as a matter of policy, or expediency, or a makeshift. Choose willingly, gladly, counting it as a privilege to choose the wisdom, power, and love of the King of the universe. Nothing else is choice. All else will sooner or later prove futile. Oh, choose Christ and Christ's way, not alone at his baptism, not alone on the mountain top, but in meeting the temptation, in the nights of prayer, in the Garden of Gethsemane, on the cross of Calvary. Choose him every when, everywhere, earnestly, gladly, as the wisest, best, and only way. "I Know."—Then, when Christ is chosen, can the Christian truly say, "I know that my Redeemer liveth." "We know that we have passed from death unto life." God cannot fail; his word endureth forever. He has chosen us all, corrupted by sin as we are, chosen us to make us "to the praise of the glory of his grace." Have we chosen him? Have we accepted the way, the process, the cross, the triumph? Then may we trust. All Heaven is pledged to carry us through. We can plead with our Daysman in all assurance when the trial is great and the enemy presses us sore, accusing us of sins and mistakes: "We acknowledge, O Lord, our wickedness, . . . for we have sinned against thee. Do not abhor us, for thy name's sake; do not disgrace the throne of thy glory." Jer. 14:20, 21. God will not do it; he cannot do it. He abideth faithful. On his word we can rest. On his promise, oath, and deed we may anchor our frail craft; the anchor will hold. We are not anchored down, but up. The storms may beat, the blasts howl, the deep may boil; we are anchored on high.2The Rock of Ages is our refuge; Christ is our hope. Rest in him, Christian, rest in his word. No Need of the Uncertainties.—We have no need of the uncertain delusions of the age; we have no time to listen to the voice of false guides from the plain of Ono; it is not necessary to test every link in the chain when we know it has one defective one; we have all fullness in Christ and his blessed word. Why leave the Fountain of Life for the brackish pools of worldly wise men? Why turn from the simple gospel to its thousand and one perversions? Why not now, reader, in these evil days, choose once for all the eternal truth of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord and revealed in his holy word? Why not choose now?