POOR, AND DON'T KNOW IT.
By G.
Of the Laodicean church—the church in the last stage of its earthly history—the Spirit says that it is "wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked," and doesn't know it. Rev. 3:17. The reason she knows it not is that she is filled2with the delusion that she is "increased with goods," and is not in need of anything. Certainly no one knows he is poor as long as he thinks he is rich. As long as the church depends upon her material possessions, her great men, her political influence, her growing numbers, she may imagine herself rich, not realizing her real want of the true riches. She may indeed lack all the spiritual gifts, without which she is utterly poverty-stricken, and yet be deceived by the idea that she is making wonderful progress. It is while she is unwittingly in this sad condition that the Lord appeals to her: "I counsel thee to buy of Me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see." "Gold tried in the fire" is the faith of Christ, that rests in "every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God." The "white raiment" is the righteousness of Christ, who never for an instant swerved from the law of God. He was "obedient even unto death." He "knew no sin, neither was guile found in His mouth." The law of God was in His heart. The righteousness of Christ consisted in His perfect obedience of the commandments of God, in contradistinction to the failure of the first Adam through disobedience. The "eyesalve" is the Spirit of God, by which we may be guided into all truth. It is the rejection of the Spirit's leading, for that of the wisdom of men, that produces the terrible blindness of the nominal church to-day, leaving her in ignorance of her spiritual destitution. As with the church, so with the individual backslider; he does not know how poor he is. What a mistake he has made! He actually thinks he is in the way of wisdom. If he knew, he would not follow such a course. But he can not know as long as the only source of wisdom is neglected, as long as the only guide to wisdom is rejected. It is a time for every one to calmly, solemnly consider his position. "Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your ownselves." The Lord is standing at the door, knocking, and He says, "As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten; be zealous therefore, and repent."