The Eternal Word; Its Witnesses.
By Editor
"FOREVER, O Jehovah," declares the inspired psalmist, "Thy word is settled in heaven." Our blessed Lord has declared: "It is easier for heaven and earth to pass away, than for one tittle of the law to fail;" and again: "Heaven and earth shall pass away; but My words shall not pass away." That word is expressed in its written form in the Old and the New Testament Scriptures, which were inscribed by holy men as they were moved by the Holy Spirit. (See 2 Tim. 3: 16; 1 Peter 1: 19-21.) The one preeminent Witness to that word in character is the Son of God, the Eternal Word, who for the salvation of man became the Incarnate Word. Of Him it is said: "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made thru Him; and without Him was not anything made that hath been made." "And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, . . . full of grace and truth." Christ and Christ only is "the faithful and true Witness," and is so predicted by the prophet: "Behold, I have given Him for a Witness to the peoples." His life and character filled up every moral truth of the word of God. Yet God has other witnesses apart from the personal Christ. "The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament showeth His handiwork. Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night showeth knowledge." The great and sky-towering mountains speak of His righteousness, and the hills of His power. His loving-kindness is manifest in the father- and mother-love of brute and bird; and His glory in the rose and the lily. To man also is given the inexpressible privilege of witnessing with our Lord Jesus Christ. We do not mean for God and His truth, because in God's wonderfully infinite wisdom everything shall witness for Him, even tho men seek to witness against Him. For it is eternally true that "the wrath of man shall praise Thee," and that "we can do nothing against the truth, but for the truth." He therefore who thinks that his puny efforts against God's word will overthrow it, knows nothing of that word. He may think his little hammer will break the anvil, but that mighty block has worn out too many little hammers in the past, and shows no sign of wear or diminution. Let them beat on; the word will endure; and in God's hands, in His own time, will become a fire which shall burn to the very foundation of human structure, or a hammer which will break in pieces all man's manufactured rocks, steel reinforced tho they may be. Neither let some self-appointed and self-sent prophet think that unless his message be heeded all will fail, or unless his followers fulfil some prophecy God's word will become void, and the universe will come to naught. Let it be settled forever in poor humanity's heart that God is dependent upon no man or set of men for the success of His work or the fullest development of His plans. "Hath He said, and will He not do it? or hath He spoken, and will He not make it good?" He declares: "The word that I shall speak shall be performed;" "as I have thought, so shall it come to pass; and as I have purposed, so shall it stand." God uses men as witnesses. He calls men to witness for Him by witnessing with Him; but if they refuse, and choose to witness against Him, or of heart or mistakenly pervert His truth, still shall they witness for the truth of His word. For "all flesh is grass, and all the goodliness thereof is as the flower of the field. The grass withereth, the flower fadeth, because the breath of Jehovah bloweth upon it; surely the people is grass. The grass withereth, the flower fadeth; but THE WORD OF OUR GOD SHALL STAND FOREVER." Every soul in Christendom, who professes the name of Christ may apostatize to-day; they may burn every house of worship, every Christian institution, to-morrow; yet will His word not fail. Men may refuse to become the children of Abraham, yet as of old, "God is able" of the insensate "stones to raise up children unto Abraham." Men may refuse to do His bidding and speak His word; if necessary the very "stones will cry out." God gives double witness for His truth; and that truth is so revealed that it witnesses both ways. For rebellious hearts God has declared just the fruit which their opposition to the word will bear in their own lives, and its effect upon men and nations. Rebellion and wickedness are witnessing to the truth of His word. He has foretold apostasy, and what would surely follow; and apostasy is bearing witness to His truth. He has also told of His humble church, persecuted, torn, divided, in Babylon, halting, stumbling, hindered, yet heeding His call, coming into the light, putting on His beautiful robes of righteousness, witnessing for and with Him; yet upon these, as persons or individuals, is He not dependent. They, one and all, may be set aside as staging in the erection of His building, yet will the building go on to completion; and they, if they refuse, will be cast aside. But he who opens his heart to God's truth, whose eye is single to every ray of light which shines from the word, who lets that truth dominate his being, is safe. "He that doeth the will of God abideth forever."