Publishing Committee · Battle Creek, Mich. · Jun 2, 1859
SAINTS' INHERITANCE.
By John Norton Loughborough
BY J. N. LOUGHBOROUGH.
"Blessed are the meek; for they shall inherit the earth." Matt. v, 5.
(Continued.)
But we now wish to call attention to another promise which the Lord has made respecting the earth. It is
THE PROMISE MADE TO ABRAHAM.
Some are ready to object to our dwelling on the promise made to Abraham, and wish us to confine ourselves to the teachings of the gospel. Well, if we were to acquiesce in their request and preach the gospel, (which we hope we shall ever be found doing) we must needs teach elementary principles before entering upon the great truths of the gospel. Those first principles must be connected with the first gospel sermons, and therefore some of these must be connected with this promise, for Paul says, [Gal. iii, 8,] God "preached before the gospel unto Abraham." The gospel as proclaimed at the very commencement of the present age declared the approach of a kingdom. Said John, [Matt. iii, 2,] "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." A kingdom consists of territory and a king, as well as laws and subjects. This promise to Abraham we understand has reference to the territory and king. And so in examining this promise we shall not be departing from the commission to preach Christ's gospel.
We will now notice this promise, recorded Gen. xiii, 14, 15. "And the Lord said unto Abraham, after that Lot was separated from him, Lift up now thine eyes, and look from the place where thou art, northward, and southward, and eastward, and westward; For all the land which thou seest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed for ever."
After the Lord made this covenant with Abraham and was about to confirm it, he said to him, [chap. xv, 13–15.] "Know of a surety that thy seed shall be a stranger in a land that is not theirs, and shall serve them; and they shall afflict them four hundred years; and also that nation whom they shall serve, will I judge: and afterward shall they come out with great substance. And thou shalt go to thy fathers in peace; thou shalt be buried in a good old age."
We are told by some, that these promises which were made to Abraham were concerning the temporal possession of the land of Canaan. To this we object.
1. If it was a temporal possession of the land that was promised, then Abraham would have received it in his life time; but according to Stephen's testimony, [Acts vii, 5,] he never received it. "And he gave him none inheritance in it, no, not so much as to set his foot on." Therefore the inheritance promised was not a temporal possession of the land.
2. It could not be a temporal possession that was promised, for he was to have it for ever, and for an "everlasting possession." If we should admit that the terms for ever and everlasting are limited in this testimony, and the promise had been fulfilled, we should find Abraham still on the land;* for the land still exists.
In Gen. xvii, 1–8 the Lord enters into covenant with Abraham respecting the possession of the land. Certain conditions are given to Abraham by which he and his seed are to receive the blessings of the covenant, the possession of the land.
"And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the Lord appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I am the Almighty God; walk before me, and be thou perfect, and I will make my covenant between me and thee." This charge given to Abraham, as we learn by the marginal reading of the text, was to "be upright, or sincere." Uprightness and sincerity can only be developed by a perfect law, and so we conclude that the very conditions here given by which the inheritance is to be obtained is keeping the law of God The blessing of the covenant is stated again in verse 8: "And I will give unto thee, and to thy seed after thee, the land wherein thou art a stranger, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession."
The promise made to Abraham was renewed to Isaac. Gen. xxvi, 1–5. The Lord said to him: "Sojourn in this land, and I will be with thee, and I will bless thee . . . and will give unto thy seed all these countries: and in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed. Because that Abraham obeyed my voice, and kept my charge, my commandments, my statutes, and my laws."
This promise we find also confirmed to Jacob, as he had a view of the ladder: Gen. xxviii, 13. "And behold the Lord stood above it, and said, I am the Lord God of Abraham thy father, and the God of Isaac: the land whereon thou liest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed."
But we wish to trace the subject of the promise to Abraham still farther, and shall inquire
WHAT WAS THE NATURE OF THE ABRAHAMIC PROMISE?
Was this simply a promise that Abraham should have a temporal possession of the land of Canaan? If it was, the promise failed; for he died, as the Lord said he should, "in a good old age," and, as Stephen says, [Acts vii, 5,] "he gave him none inheritance in it, no not so much as to set his foot on." We shall not admit that he did not receive it because God has failed to fulfil on his part; but shall claim that the promise of a possession made to him is yet to be fulfilled, and will be fully realized in a future possession of the earth. While it is claimed by some that this promise to Abraham was a temporal possession of the land, Paul says [Heb. xi, 9,] "He sojourned in the land of promise as in a strange country." It is vain that men strive to10find a fulfillment of this promise, either to Abraham or his posterity in the past; for it cannot be done. Simply a possession of the land of Canaan does not meet the promise; for Paul says the promise was that "he should be the heir of the world." Rom. iv, 13.
To gain further light concerning the nature of the Abrahamic promise, we will look at the comments of Paul in Gal. iii, 16. "Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, and to seeds as of many: but as of one, and to thy seed, which is Christ."
If the seed to whom the promise was made was Christ, then the promise could not be fulfilled prior to the coming of that seed, consequently, not prior to the first advent of Christ. With the view above, we readily perceive that there is no ground for the claim which is made by some, that the promise made to Abraham was all fulfilled when the children of Israel sojourned in the land of Canaan. Were Abraham, Isaac, or Jacob with them when they went in to possess the land? No. "They carried up Joseph's bones." Here are four generations that did not receive the land while alive, and yet the Lord said to Abraham, "I will give it (the land) to thee." To Isaac he said, "For unto thee I will give all these countries." To Jacob he said, "The land whereon thou liest, to thee will I give it." See Gen. xvii, 1–8; xxvi, 4; xxviii, 13. If we allow any force to the above language, when this promise is fulfilled, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob will receive the promise, with the rest of God's people.
Although Christ is the seed to whom the promise was made, to the church has been granted the privilege of joint-heirship. Paul says, [Gal. iii, 29.] "If ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise." This text shows that the fulfillment of the Abrahamic promise is yet future; for Christ's children could not be said to be heirs of a promise that is fulfilled. This testimony from Gal. iii, shows (contrary to the faith of some) that the Jews after the flesh are not heirs simply because they are descendants of Abraham; but, as expressed in verse 9: "So then they which be of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham."
Paul's testimony [Heb. xi.] shows this promise is yet to be fulfilled. Verses 8–10, "By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out not knowing whither he went. By faith he sojourned in the land of promise, as in a strange country, dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise; for he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God." This testimony shows that when Abraham was in the land, the promise was not fulfilled; but "he should after" receive it. Again, when he receives the accomplishment of this promise he is to receive "a city whose builder and maker is God."
In verse 13, Paul testifies of these ancient worthies: "These all died in faith not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth." Paul can mean only one of two things in this statement: either that these worthies died and God never made any promise to them, or else they died without receiving the accomplishment of those promises which he had made. The latter, of course, is the only conclusion we can draw from the text. "Well," says the objector, "this means they died without seeing the Saviour; the promise is respecting him." True, the promise is respecting the Saviour; he is the true seed, and he is the one with whom we are to be joint-heirs to the land. And your admission proves too much for you; for the possession could not be till after the heir came.
Paul in this chapter mentions a number of worthies, and says time would fail to tell of them and the work they accomplished through faith. In verses 39, 40, he draws his conclusion in regard to them as follows: "And these all having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise; God having provided some better thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect." Some would fain draw their conclusion from this text that God did not fulfill his promise to Abraham, because he has concluded to do better for his people than he promised to Abraham. But we do not so understand the text. The "better thing" is not a better inheritance, but something better than that these ancient worthies should receive the promise in their day; which "better thing" is: "that they without us should not be made perfect." It seems from this text that this promise is yet future, and is to be realized when all those whom Paul styles us shall be gathered out by the gospel preaching. Paul seems to locate the fulfillment of this promise in the perfect state. Had this promise been accomplished to the ancient worthies, they would have been "made perfect" without us. It is to be accomplished when our perfection shall come, which Paul clearly shows, [1 Cor. xiii.] is when "we shall know even as we are known;" that is, when faith is lost in sight—after Jesus comes.
We next inquire, How did Paul view himself in connection with that promise? We read, [Acts xxvi, 6–8.] "And now I stand and am judged for the hope of the promise made of God unto our fathers; unto which promise our twelve tribes, instantly serving God day and night, hope to come. For which hope's sake, king Agrippa, I am accused of the Jews. Why should it be thought a thing incredible with you, that God should raise the dead?" Paul here represents himself as willing to be judged for his hope relative to the promise to the fathers. He saw at once that the people would inquire how Abraham, Isaac and Jacob could receive this promise, as they were dead; for the promise was unto them, and therefore he inquires why they should think the resurrection incredible. It would be strange indeed if the apostle Paul should submit himself to be judged in a Roman court, liable to be condemned, because of a hope inspired by a promise that was all fulfilled. Paul's reasoning on this text shows clearly that the fulfillment of this promise is beyond the resurrection.
The Apostle's teaching, [Eph. i, 13, 14.] clearly shows that this earth is the place where God's people are to receive their full reward. He says, "Ye were sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise, which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession."
THE PURCHASED POSSESSION.
In the text above quoted there is a possession spoken of which has been purchased, and is also to be redeemed. What is this possession that is to be redeemed? Heaven, says one. If it is heaven, then heaven has passed from the hands of the original possessor, or else it could not be redeemed. To take this view would also oblige us to claim that heaven had been purchased; for it is the purchased possession that is to be redeemed.
What possession has passed out of the hands of its original possessor? I answer, The earth. "The heaven, even the heavens, are the Lord's; but the earth hath he given to the children of men." The earth was given to man; but he has lost the dominion God gave him. Where is it? We shall claim that when he was tempted, and overcome by the Devil, he was brought in bondage to him. "Of whom a man is overcome, of the same is he brought in bondage;" [2 Pet. ii, 19.] and he would of course claim the property of man until his lease runs out. Therefore the Devil is represented in the New Testament scriptures, as the god of this world. Not that he is the rightful possessor of the earth, but by intrigue the Devil has usurped the dominion which was given to man.
With this view of the subject we may understand the testimony of Luke iv. The Devil said to Christ, when he "showed him all the kingdoms of the world," "That is delivered unto me, and to whomsoever I will I give it." But, say you, this is only the testimony of the Devil. Although it is his testimony, it may for all that be truth, and it furnishes a solution to Luke iv, which otherwise remains without an explanation. It is stated that the Devil tempted Christ. It surely would be no temptation for him to offer to Christ that which was already Christ's, or to offer that which he himself did not possess. But admitting that the Devil had usurped man's dominion, and that he held, as he claimed, "the kingdoms of this world and the glory of them," and then the presentation of them by him to Christ can be looked upon as a temptation.
This dominion which Satan had usurped was promised, to be given to Christ. "Thou, O tower of the flock, the strong hold of the daughter of Zion, unto thee shall it come, even the first dominion." Micah iv, 8. The first dominion was dominion over the earth, which man lost when he yielded to the Devil. This dominion was to come to Christ. But the manner in which he was to obtain it was to spill his blood, and by the suffering of death obtain power to dethrone the usurper. The Devil offered him one of the very objects which was to be obtained by his death, and it was a temptation. By an ignominious death upon the cross, Christ was to obtain the first dominion. But, said the Devil, you need not die to get the kingdom; "fall down and worship me, and I will give it you." That was a temptation. We will now notice
ISRAEL'S SOJOURN IN THE LAND.
While some contend that the promise to Abraham was fulfilled when the children of Israel sojourned in the land of Canaan, we contend that they had only a temporal possession of the land, which was typical of the final possession of the earth. When they corrupted themselves with their idols, and sinned against the Lord, their enemies prevailed against them, overran their land, and dispossessed them of their cities. Temporal judgments were thus brought upon them. All this we understand was to show them the necessity of obeying God if they would have his favor. If any would really be Abraham's children, according to Christ's rule, they must "do the works of Abraham."
While the yearly services of the sanctuary were kept up and strictly carried out, Israel would have a yearly purging of rebels. Every one who, in the day of atonement, would afflict his soul, would find mercy; but those who would not do it must die. It is strange to us how individuals with these facts before their minds can claim that there are very peculiar national blessings yet to be given to the Jew after the flesh.
But we are digressing. This possession of the land of Canaan by the natural descendants of Abraham, we understand, as we before claimed, was a type of the possession promised to God's people. Therefore we can see a propriety in purging the profane from among the children of Israel, that they might be kept a holy seed, and thus their possession of the land typify that inheritance which none but righteous ones can enjoy.
When we come to the time of Zedekiah, the children of Israel had so corrupted themselves by disobeying the Lord's commandments, that the scepter was taken from them, and passed into the hands of the wicked kings of the earth. The testimony of the Lord to Zedekiah, just before he was carried captive to Babylon, was: "And thou, profane wicked prince of Israel, whose day is come when iniquity shall have an end, thus saith the Lord God, Remove the diadem, and take off the crown; this shall not be the same; exalt him that is low, and abase him that is high. I will overturn, overturn, overturn it; and it shall be no more till he come whose right it is, and I will give it him." Eze. xxi, 25–27.
The One, "whose right it is," is Christ. He is the seed "to whom the promise was made." In the above text we learn that after the scepter passed from God's people, it was to be three times overturned before it passed into the hand of him "whose right it is." When Zedekiah the high prince was "abased," the low prince of Babylon was exalted to rule over God's people. When the kingdom of Babylon was conquered by the Medes and Persians, and Israel became tributary unto them, the scepter was overturned once. Again, when the Medes and Persians were conquered by11Alexander, and the Grecian kingdom established, the Lord's word was fulfilled, and "it," (the scepter, &c.) was overturned the second time. And when, 31 years b. c., the celebrated battle of Actium brought Rome to her position of "mistress of the world," the scepter had been three times overturned. And so far as the prediction made against Zedekiah is concerned, he whose right it was might come and take possession of the kingdom.
THE DISCIPLES LOOKED FOR JESUS TO ESTABLISH A LITERAL KINGDOM.
When our Saviour commenced his teaching, the Jews were expecting the Messiah, not, however, in the form in which he came; but as a king to take to himself the scepter of the kingdom, and reign over Israel, and destroy his enemies. We see from the movements of the disciples of our Lord, that their minds were strongly impressed with the same idea; namely, that Christ was then to take possession of his kingdom. With this view of the subject we can understand the meaning of their words, when they said, "If thou art the king of the Jews, tell the people plainly." And at another time when Jesus had performed a notable miracle, he "perceived that they would come and take him by force to make him a king, and he departed into the mountains." John vi, 15. Again, when Christ rode up to Jerusalem seated upon a colt, what a shout of "hosanna to the son of David" was raised by the people. What caused them thus to shout? Did they understand that in a few hours he was to hang upon the rugged cross, and expire, while all nature should be convulsed? No, they supposed he was riding to Jerusalem to take possession of the kingdom and throne of his father David. But Jesus died. Sadness filled the hearts of his disciples, and when on the morning of the resurrection he appeared to the women of their company, it was "as they mourned and wept."
Why this mourning if they understood the plan of God for the salvation of lost man? Why such sadness if they really had faith in Jesus' resurrection? Why were they not looking forward with joyous hope to the third day when they should again see him whom their souls loved? Instead of their manifesting such feelings as we should expect them to have if they understood what was to be accomplished by the death of Christ, we behold two of them conversing sadly of their disappointment as they walked in the way to Emmaus. We read that Jesus drew near and walked with them, "and said unto them, What manner of communications are these that ye have one to another, as ye walk, and are sad?" They answered, "Art thou only a stranger in Jerusalem, and knowest not the things that are come to pass?" He said, "What things?" They said concerning Jesus of Nazareth: "the chief priests and our rulers delivered him to be condemned to death, and have crucified him. But we trusted that it had been he which should have redeemed Israel; and besides all this, to-day is the third day since these things were done. Yea, and certain women also of our company made us astonished, which were early at the sepulchre; and when they found not his body, they came, saying that they had seen a vision of angels, which said that he was alive." "Astonished" to hear of the resurrection of Christ? Who would claim, with such testimony before them, that they understood the plan of redemption, to be accomplished through his death and intercession? If they understood it, what necessity for Jesus to begin "at Moses and all the prophets," and expound "unto them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself"? Their testimony then in this conversation, that they trusted Christ would redeem Israel, must, and does to our mind, embody the idea that they supposed Christ would redeem them from under the hand of the Romans, by whose Tetrarchs they were then ruled in their civil affairs. If Christ redeemed them from this, it would simply be by establishing his kingdom.
This company returned to Jerusalem, however, believers in Christ's resurrection, and with their minds enlightened on the subject of Christ's death. But did they banish from their minds the idea that Christ was first to commence his reign? We will see. In Acts i, 6 we read: "When they therefore were come together, they asked of him, saying, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel?" They were now more than ever satisfied that Christ was the one whose right the kingdom was. He had been raised from the dead, and himself had shown them that it was necessary that this should take place that the Psalms &c. might be fulfilled. And now seeing nothing in the way of its establishment, they asked the above question respecting the kingdom: "Wilt thou at this time restore" it. Israel once had it, but lost it in the days of Zedekiah. The question is, will Christ now restore it? They had not yet seemed to get the force of the parable which Jesus spake when he was nigh to Jerusalem, for the benefit of those who thought the kingdom of God was immediately to appear [Luke xix, 11, 12.] in which he showed that the Son of man (like the nobleman) must "go into a far country and return" before the kingdom could be established. The light also seemed to be obscured from their minds, which Christ gave them when their hearts were saddened on account of his telling them, "I go to him that sent me." "Whither I go ye cannot come." Said he, "I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to myself." John xiii, 33; xiv, 1–3. But we ask, What is his reply to their question concerning the restoration of the kingdom? Does he tell them that he will never restore it? "It is not for you to know the times or the seasons which the Father hath put in his own power." This is virtually admitting that the kingdom was to be restored to Israel: not after the flesh; but as Paul says, [Rom. ix, 8.] "The children of the promise are counted for the seed." "But," he says, "ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth." This seems to indicate that they would understand this matter, after they should receive the Holy Ghost and be endowed with power from on high. Christ had told them [John xvi, 13.] "When he, (the Spirit of truth,) is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak; and he will shew you things to come." Peter was among those who received this power, and has borne testimony concerning the matter. His testimony will lead us to notice the time for the establishment of the kingdom.
(To be Continued)
THE HOME SICKNESS.
By H. Bonar D. D.
BY H. BONAR D. D.
And whence this weariness,
This gathering cloud of gloom?
Whence this dull weight of loneliness,
These greedy cravings for the tomb?
These greedier cravings for the hopes that lie
Beyond the tomb, beyond the things that die;
Beyond the smiles and joys that come and go;
Fevering the Spirit with their fitful flow;
Beyond the circle where the shadows fall;
Within the region where my God is all?
It is not that I fear
To breast the storm or wrestle with the wave,
To swim the torrent or the blast to brave,
To toil or suffer in this day of strife
As He may will, who gave the struggling life.
It is not that the cross
Is heavier than the drooping frame can bear,
Or that I find no kindred heart to share
The burden, which, in these last days of ill,
Seems to press heavier, sharper, sorer still.
It is not that the snare
Is laid around for my unwary feet,
And that a thousand wily tempters greet
My slippery steps, and lead me far astray
From that safe guidance of the narrow way.
It is not that the path
Is rough and perilous, beset with foes,
From the first step down to its weary close,
Strewn with the flint, the briar and the thorn,
That wound my limbs and leave my raiment torn.
It is not that the sky
Is darkly sad, and the unloving air
Chills me to fainting; and the clouds that there
Hang over me seem signal clouds unfurled,
Portending wrath to an unready world.
It is not that the earth
Has grown less bright and fair—that these grey hills,
These ever-lapsing, ever-lulling rills,
And these breeze-haunted woods—that ocean clear,
Have now become less beautiful, less dear—
But I am home-sick.
Let me, then, weary be!
I shrink not—murmur not;
In all the homelessness, I see
The church's pilgrim lot;
Her lot until her absent Lord shall come,
And the long homeless here, shall find a home.
Then no more weariness!
No gathering cloud of gloom;
Then no dull weight of loneliness,
No greedy cravings for the tomb;
For death shall then be swallowed up of life,
And the glad victory shall end the strife!
Gratitude in Our Circumstances
Are you dissatisfied with your place, your circumstances, or your provision? Let me ask, Have you not said to the Lord, “Thou shalt choose my inheritance for me?” If so, where is your gratitude? or where your consistency?
The way the Money goes.
[Bro. SMITH: That the readers of the Review may see the pride of our nation, I send you the following article, which I cut from a paper not long since.]
Of the way in which the public money has been wasted upon the new Capitol at Washington, our readers have been well posted by our Washington correspondent. But still, we think they will be surprised at a few details. For instance, the two front doors of that remarkable building, with their outside trimmings, cost $47,072. In addition to this, the design and models for these doors cost 12,000. By the original estimate these doors were put down at 600 dollars. One of the bronze doors leading into the representative chamber will cost according to estimate, 14,416 dollars—the design and model having already cost 8000 dollars. It is no wonder the ancients had a high idea of the position of 'a doorkeeper.' Each window has cost about 2000 dollars exclusive of the glass. The spread-eagle hand-rails for the private stairways in both wings cost 12,000 dollars; and yet they are in such dark places that it is proposed to tear away one of the committee rooms in order to let a little light shine upon one of them. So much by way of detail—merely enough to prevent any wonder when we state that the appropriations for the Capitol already reach 5,075,000 dollars, and that it is estimated that the building cannot be completed on the present plans for less than 8,000,000 dollars.
The same inordinate expenditure also extends to the furnishing of the various rooms. Thus, the furniture of the speaker's room alone cost 5,500 dollars. Everything is on a grand scale—of expense at least. Mr. Speaker Orr, for instance, withdrawing from the arduous duties of the chair refreshes himself by surveying his portly person in a mirror which cost 1,350 dollars. If the light is not sufficient he arranges the brocatello curtains for which the "dear people" have paid 900 dollars. Should he discover any dust on his brow, he repairs to a washstand worth 85 dollars. He can then select some interesting work from a bookcase which cost 668 dollars; take his choice between a forty-eight and ninety-five dollar chair and a ninety dollar lounge, and thus enjoy himself till a 145 dollar clock tells him it is time either to write a note from a fifty dollar ink-stand on a ninety-five dollar writing-table, or else take his coat and hat from a forty-seven dollar clothes rack, and temporarily absent himself from a room of such "republican simplicity."
And so it is throughout the Capitol. The room of the committee of ways and means is furnished at an expense of 2,749 dollars—one of the items being a "fine book-desk and case, 600 dollars." The desks and chairs of the representatives hall cost 45,000 dollars, and merely the cleaning and varnishing of them last fall cost over 1,100 dollars. Carpets, curtains and lounges are on the same scale. The members at the last session even brushed their shrewd financial heads at an expense of four hundred and twenty-five dollars of the people's and combed them (not the people's heads) to the tune of 220 dollars. Now if the people are willing that this general and in the aggregate enormous flow of prodigacy in the national expenditures should continue, and even increase, according to its natural tendency, they should say so. If not they should say that in thunder tones.
The Temple of the Heart
EXTRACT.—"When the ancient people of God built their tabernacle under the direction of Jehovah, they brought each their offerings from the most precious of their possessions. Gold and jewels, and skilful handiwork and pure vessels and pictures, and whatever was costly or beautiful, was cast into the treasury of the Lord.
We who to-day call ourselves his people have to build no material temple, no tabernacle of costly wood and of rare and gorgeous workmanship, but we have each to dedicate to the God of the prophets, a temple in our hearts, a temple adorned with the beauty of holiness. Whoever of us performs the most acceptable service to God and humanity beautifies the most his heart temple. He who stands firm in the hour of temptation, brings from the quarry of trial and suffering, granite to help form its beautiful proportions. He whose heart throbs in continual sympathy with humanity, whose hand supports the falling, and whose voice whispers, brother, to the degraded, hangs up daily pictures that Christ himself may look upon with delight. He who offers the prayer of faith, with a broken and contrite spirit, breaks bottles of exquisite perfume, whose delicate odors fill the outer court and penetrate even to the holy of holies."—Sel.
Christian Firmness.
ThE counsel given by a reverend divine is both safe and good. "Be sure you stand on good ground, and then resolve to stand your ground against all the world. Follow God and fear not men. Art thou godly ? repent not, whatsoever thy religion cost thee. Let sinners repent and let saints repent of their faults but not of their faith. Repent not of zeal, or your forwardness, or your activity in the holy ways of the Lord. Wish not yourselves a step further back, or a cubit lower in your statue, in the grace of God. Wish not any thing undone, concerning which, God will say, well done."
In Galen's time it was a proverbial expression, when any one would show the impossibility of a thing. You may as well turn a christian from Christ as do it. A true heart-choice of Christ is without reserves, and what is without reserves will be without repentance. There is an obstinacy of spirit which is our sin; but this is our glory. In the matter of God, saith Luther, "I assume this title, Cedonulli—I yield to none."—Sel.