Seeking Righteousness and Meekness
By J. M. McLellan
This is the warning of one who was called to declare the whole counsel of God; and as he looked down the stream of time to these our own days, when evil men and seducers should wax worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived, [2 Tim. iii, 13,] when the wicked should do wickedly, [Dan. xii, 10,] when men should be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, when men would have a form of godliness, but deny the power thereof, [2 Tim. iii, 2-5,] when iniquity should abound and the love of many should wax cold, [Matt. xxiv, 12] the prophetical warning is to "seek righteousness, seek meekness." Why? Answer: "It may be, (if ye do this,) ye shall be hid in the day of the Lord's anger." This also shows the chronology of this prophecy to be in the last days, just before the day of the Lord. Who, or what class of people is it, that are here warned to seek righteousness and meekness? They are all the meek of the earth. And who are the meek of the earth? They are those who have wrought his judgment, performed the Lord's will, done justice and judgment. They are the Lord's people, [Ps. xxv, 9; lxxvi, 9.] those that shall dwell in the new earth. Isa. xxxvii, 11; Matt. v, 5. They are those against whom there is no law. Gal. v, 22, 23; 1 Tim. i, 9, 10. Why is not the law against them? Because they are keeping it. Rev. xiv, 12; xii, 17. These are the meek of the earth, the ones that are here warned by the Prophet to seek greater meekness and humility. This prophecy is wonderfully applicable to the Laodiceans, to those who are neither cold nor hot, but are lukewarm and careless. Be zealous therefore and repent, is the admonition of the Saviour: Seek righteousness, seek meekness, is that of the Prophet. Dear brethren and sisters, let us profit by this timely warning, and seek the Lord with our whole heart. A half-hearted work will do us no good. We must enter into this work of repentance with zeal. O that we all might manifest as much zeal in the work of the Lord as Paul did when the scales were removed from his eyes! O seek righteousness, seek meekness, seek patience and humility of soul, seek that burning love of God that we may not be barren nor unfruitful, that we may be begotten to a lively hope, that we may be no longer lukewarm, but hot, and zealous, in the cause of Christ. The prophets admonish us, the Son of God admonishes us, the signs of the times admonish us, to seek for these things. We need them greatly. We must have them if we would be hid in the day of the Lord's anger. When are the meek of the earth warned to seek greater meekness? Just before the decree bring forth, ("He that is filthy let him be filthy still, and he that is righteous let him be righteous still." Rev. xxii, 11;) before the day pass as the chaff; before the fierce anger of the Lord come upon you; before the day of the Lord's anger come upon you. Zeph. ii, 2. We see by this that the meek of the earth are called to seek for righteousness and meekness before the decree brings forth, before the day of the Lord's fierce anger come in the seven last plagues. Rev. xvi. What will the Lord do for those that obey? He will hide them in the day of his anger; he will lift them up. Ps. cxlvii, 6. He will beautify them with salvation, [Ps. cxlix, 4] and give them an inheritance in the earth made new. Ps. xxxvii, 11; Matt. v, 5; Rev. xx, 1-7; Rom. xi, 31. Peter says, "But we according to his promise look for new heavens and new earth in which (margin) the righteous dwelleth." (Whiting.) Dear brethren and sisters, these are indeed great inducements that are held out to us to seek greater humility and holiness without which no man can see the Lord; and may we embrace them without delay. Meekness signifies mildness of temper. The people of God have not that meekness, that mildness, that patience, that they should and must have. Therefore those holy men of old who spake the will of God as they were moved by the Holy Ghost, have left their exhortations, reproofs and warning, upon record that we "upon whom the ends of the world are come" might be profited by them, and induced thereby to seek for those graces of the Spirit [Gal. v, 22-26; Eph. v, 9; Col. iii, 12-17.] that should adorn the character, lives and profession, of every follower of the meek and lowly Jesus. Behold I stand at the door and knock, says the Son of God; and if any man hear my voice, (the still small voice of the Spirit,) and open the door, (door of the heart.) I will come in to him. O bar him out no longer! His locks are wet with the drops of the night. Arise and let him in, lest he withdraw himself from thee and the shame of thy nakedness appear. Rev. iii, 18. From this we learn that the Lord is not in the hearts of his people, although we might have supposed him there; therefore the Prophet says, "Seek ye the Lord, all ye meek of the earth which have wrought his judgment, seek righteousness, seek meekness; it may be ye shall be hid in the day of the Lord's anger." Zeph. ii, 3. Joel says, "Therefore also now saith the Lord, Turn ye even to me with all your heart and with fasting (for the Spirit of God and the return of his power,) and with weeping, (for our past sins and careless manner of living,) and with mourning, (over our lukewarm and miserable condition,) and rend your heart and not your garments, and turn unto the Lord your God; for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repenteth him of the evil. Who knoweth if he will return and repent and leave a blessing behind him." Joel ii, 12-14. "O Israel, return unto the Lord thy God; for thou hast fallen by thine iniquity. Take with you words and turn to the Lord. Say unto him take away all iniquity, and receive us graciously." Hosea xiv, 1, 2. "Therefore turn thou to thy God. Keep mercy and judgment, and wait on thy God continually." Hosea xii, 6. "He hath showed thee, O man, what is good: and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?" Micah vi, 8. Dear brethren and sisters, let us be zealous and repent, and turn to the Lord with a pure, a humble and contrite heart. O let us turn to him with our whole hearts and give ourselves unreservedly to him. Let us do justly and love mercy, and walk humbly with God. Let us present our bodies a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to the Lord, which is our reasonable service. Rom. xii, 1. For the Lord is now purifying unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works; [Titus ii, 14; Eph. ii, 10.] Let us maintain good works; for by our own works (fruits) we are known; [Matt. vii, 20;] and according to our deeds (works) we shall be justified and rewarded. Ps. xxviii, 4; Jer. xxv, 14; 2 Tim. iv, 14. A little way ahead, between us and mount Zion, is a time of trouble such as never was since there was a nation upon the earth even to that same time. Dan. xii, 1. The vials of God's wrath will be poured out on the wicked. "The mighty man will cry there bitterly." The wicked will famish from hunger and thirst; [Rev. xviii, 8; xvi, 4-7:] but those who have sought righteousness and meekness have nothing to fear. Ps. xci, 4-12. Their bread and water shall be sure. Isa. xxxiii, 16. They shall be hid beneath the wings of the Almighty in the time of trouble, in the day of the Lord's fierce anger. Ps. xvii, 8, xxvii, 5. The apostle John, when God showed him in vision this time of trouble, exclaimed, "And who shall be able to stand?" Rev. vi, 17. David says, "Thou, even thou, art to be feared, and who may stand in thy sight when once thou art angry?" Ps. lxxvi, 7; Nahum i, 6. Answer: "He that hath clean hands and a pure heart, who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, he shall receive the blessing." Ps. xxiv, 4, 5. Hastings, Mich., Nov. 21st, 1856.