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    October 27, 1898

    “God's Beautiful Preachers” The Present Truth 14, 43.

    E. J. Waggoner

    “How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace; that bringeth good tidings of good, that publisheth salvation; that saith unto Zion, Thy God reigneth.” Isa. Iii. 7.PTUK October 27, 1898, page 673.1

    There is more than one preacher of this class, for when the Apostle Paul quotes this scripture, he, uses the plural, saying, “It is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the Gospel of peace, that bring glad tidings of good, things!” Rom. x. 15.PTUK October 27, 1898, page 673.2

    It is true that the text speaks only of the feet of these preachers, calling them beautiful, while we are talking about God's beautiful preachers; but since the feet are the most humble members of the body, it necessarily follows that if the feet are beautiful, the whole body must be beautiful also. May we know who these beautiful preachers are?—Certainly, or else we cannot know the message that they bear. Let us see what the Scriptures have to say about them, and we shall learn something valuable about preaching the Gospel, as well as something of the glory of the Gospel.PTUK October 27, 1898, page 673.3

    In Rom. x. 13, we have the statement that “whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” Then follow some questions, designed to emphasise the tact that all have had an opportunity to know the Lord, and to call upon Him. Thus: “How then shall they call upon Him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher? and how shall they preach, except they be sent?” All these questions suggest their own answer. But some have been sent, as is shown by what follows: “As it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the Gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!” So since some have been sent, it is evident that there are preachers; and since there are preachers, it follows that people have heard; and since they have heard, they have had a chance to believe, and to call upon the name of the Lord.PTUK October 27, 1898, page 673.4

    Passing by the statement that “they have not all obeyed the Gospel,” and that “faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God,” we come to the question, “But I say, Have they not all heard?” Heard what?—The Word of the Gospel, of course, for that is the only thing under consideration. “Yes, verily,” they have all heard the Gospel, but they have not all believed it. Now for the proof that all have heard it: “Their sound went into all the earth, and their words unto the ends of the world.” Whose words went unto the ends of the world?—The words of the beautiful preachers of whom the Apostle has just spoken as preaching the Gospel of peace, and bringing glad tidings of good things.PTUK October 27, 1898, page 673.5

    So far it is all very clear. Now who are these beautiful preachers of the Gospel, whose words have gone unto the ends of the world?—The answer is found in the scripture from which the Apostle has quoted. It is Ps. xix. 4. It is the bodies which God created to be in the firmament of the heavens, to give light upon the earth, whose “line is gone out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world.” The sun, moon, and stars, and the firmament itself, are the preachers whose feet are so beautiful upon the mountains, as they come preaching the Gospel of peace. And truly their feet are beautiful. Who has not been filled with ecstasy as he has seen the sun lighting up the hilltops, or the soft light of the moon upon the mountains? Beautiful preachers they are indeed.PTUK October 27, 1898, page 673.6

    Glory is power, for we read in Rom. vi. 4, that “Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father,” and in, Eph. i. 19, 20 that the resurrection of Christ was a manifestation of the working of the mighty power of God. Therefore the heavens, in declaring the glory of God, are proclaiming His power.PTUK October 27, 1898, page 674.1

    And the power of God is salvation; for the Gospel is the power of God unto salvation, and “His Divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness.” 2 Peter i. 3. So the heavens proclaim the salvation of the Lord. Thus, as rendered in the best translations, “Jehovah hath made bare His holy arm in the sight of all the nations; and all the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God.” Isa. Iii. 10. Take notice that this statement directly follows the verse first quoted, about the beautiful messengers of good tidings, publishing salvation.PTUK October 27, 1898, page 674.2

    So the heavenly bodies are God's model preachers. They preach simply shining. That is the way that Jesus Himself preached. He was the light of the world. It was the shining of His life that taught men. He is the Light that lights every man that cometh into the world, and whosoever follows Him shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life, even of His life.PTUK October 27, 1898, page 674.3

    Would you be one of God's beautiful preachers? You do not need to be eloquent. It is not actually necessary that you be able to speak at all. You have only to let Christ shine upon you, and to allow God to make your heart His sanctuary, and then He that sitteth between the cherubim will “shine forth.” “It is God which worketh in you, both to will and to do of His good pleasure.” The one thing that the world needs is to see God in His works, that they may learn His ways. Then “let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.”PTUK October 27, 1898, page 674.4

    “Notes on the International Sunday-School Lessons. Hezekiah's Great Passover. 2 Chron. xxx. 1-13” The Present Truth 14, 43.

    E. J. Waggoner

    November 6

    At the time of Hezekiah's accession to the throne, the worship of God had fallen into sad decay in the land of Judah. The king's father, Ahaz, during a reign of sixteen years, had gradually made up his mind that there was no profit in serving Jehovah or maintaining His worship. The treasures of the temple had been used to purchase the alliance of heathen kings, “for Ahaz took away a portion out of the house of the Lord, and gave it unto the king of Assyria; but he helped him not.” The reign of Ahaz was filled with disaster, but although the prophets Micah, Hosea, and Isaiah, proclaimed faithfully the cause of the evils, and exhorted the people to return to the Lord, to find in quietness and confidence the needed strength, they would not hearken. Instead they leaned upon those who smote them, for Ahaz said, “Because the gods of the kings of Syria help them, therefore will I sacrifice to them, that they may help me. But they were the ruin of him, and of all Israel.” At last Ahaz gathered together the vessels of the house of God, and cut them in pieces, and shut up the doors of the house of the Lord, and he made him altars in every corner of Jerusalem.PTUK October 27, 1898, page 674.5

    RE-OPENING THE TEMPLE

    As a consequence, when Hezekiah was made king, at the age of twenty-five, the house of God was in a deplorable condition. Before be had been on the throne a month he opened the doors of the temple and repaired them. Although the father of Hezekiah had been an infidel, his mother was the daughter of a prophet, and to her training of him was doubtless due the stand he took on the aide of the Lord. He gathered the priests and Levites together, and exhorted them to sanctify themselves, and then cleanse the temple, removing all the filth that had accumulated. In eight days this work was accomplished, and sin-offerings were made on behalf of all the people. By His prophets God gave directions concerning the order of the proceedings. As the people joined in the solemn service of confession and re-consecration of themselves and the temple to God, their hearts were filled with gladness and thanksgiving. “And Hezekiah rejoiced and all the people that God had prepared the people, for the thing was done suddenly.”PTUK October 27, 1898, page 674.6

    “A SHORT WORK”

    It was a marvellous change. A month before the worship of God had seemed dead and forgotten, Now it had revived and all the congregation was rejoicing in the Lord. No man would have dared to predict such a reformation, and if anyone had proposed it, the general expectation would have been that it would take a longtime to accomplish. But God's arm was not shortened. All through the years of the reign of Ahaz one disaster after another had fallen upon the nation, and its enemies had triumphed over it, because Judah had not leaned upon the strong arm of their ever-present Deliverer. Now the first recognition of His presence was meeting with such a response of spiritual power and blessing that their hearts were filled with rejoicing. The barren years of the past might all have been as full of blessing as this week was proving, and it was not God's fault that they had been so different. We may learn from this that when we come to God sinful and unworthy, His temple polluted and abandoned to filth, “which temple ye are,” our past lives but a record of idolatry and abominable deeds, God does not turn away from us. He gladly takes such people and prepares them suddenly.PTUK October 27, 1898, page 674.7

    UNFAITHFUL SHEPHERDS

    There is one feature of the history which demands attention, because it is ever present in a work of reform. At the preparation of the burnt offerings, not all the priests had sanctified themselves, “for the Levites were more upright in heart to sanctify themselves than the priests.” In Christ's day, the question was asked, “Have any of the rulers or of the Pharsees believed on, Him?” and there were many who did not dare to confess Him for fear of being put out of the synagogue. It was not until many days after Christ's ascension that we read, “a great company of the priests were obedient to the faith.” Acts vi. 7. So in Hezekiah's reformation it was not until all the people had come in, even from the provinces of apostate Israel, that the priests and Levites were ashamed, and sanctified themselves. 2 Chron. xxx. 15. Yet, in spite of the truth which is repeated so often in the Scriptures, that God alone is the head of every man, and that no one is to be conscience for another, we find men to-day asking the ministers and church leaders believe. When an old truth shines anew from the sacred Word, men who profess to be God's servants, excuse themselves from accepting or obeying it, because the ministers have not done so. Many who learn that the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord, ask, “Why do not the ministers preach it then?” If the people had waited for the priests, Judah would never have seen the reformation, and those who wait now for others to obey before they receive the word, may wait for ever. When God prepared the hearts of the people they waited for no man, and the thing was done suddenly. So the prophets of Hezekiah's day tell us that the remnant of Jacob, in the last days, shall be in the midst of many people as a dew from the Lord, “that tarrieth not for man, nor waiteth for the sons of men.” Micah v. 7. “Ye have eaten the fruit of lies: because thou didst trust in thy way, in the multitude of thy mighty men.” Hosea x. 13.PTUK October 27, 1898, page 674.8

    OBSERVING THE PASSOVER

    While the people were assembled at the re-dedication services, it was decided among them that the Passover should be observed. The proper time for this was the first month, but rather than wait a whole year for the privilege, they agreed, and the Lord approved their decision, that the Passover should be kept in the second month. Letters were sent throughout Judah and Israel calling all the people to Jerusalem to join in the service. The promise was given, perhaps through Isaiah, that if the people would yield themselves unto the Lord, and come once more to His sanctuary, the fierceness of His wrath should be turned away from. them, end those of them that had already been carried away captive should return to the land. Even then, on the very eve of Israel's capitivity and dispersion, Jehovah's love for them was as strong as ever. He was still ready to do for them all the good things that were promised to the obedient, if they would turn to Him with all their hearts. “So the posts passed from city to city ... but they laughed them to scorn, and mocked them.” “Nevertheless divers humbled themselves, and came to Jerusalem.”PTUK October 27, 1898, page 675.1

    REJOICING IN THE LORD

    All Judah joined with one heart in the celebration of the Passover, and a great company assembled at Jerusalem. They brake down all the idolatrous altars in Jerusalem and cast them into the brook Kidron. Many of the people were ignorant of the cleansing that God had prescribed for those who should eat the Passover, “yet did they eat the Passover otherwise than it was written. But Hezekiah prayed for them, saying, The good Lord pardon every one that prepareth his heart so seek God, the Lord God of his fathers, though he be not cleansed according to the purification of the sanctuary. And the Lord hearkened to Hezekiah, and healed the people.” So there was great gladness among all the people, and they made the air ring with their songs of praise, “singing with loud instruments unto the Lord.” The Levites taught the good knowledge of the Lord, and the people had such a joyful time together, that it was unanimously decided to keep another seven days in the same way. So there was great joy, for since the time of Solomon there was not the like in Jerusalem. And their voice was heard, and their prayer came up to God's holy dwelling-place, even unto heaven.PTUK October 27, 1898, page 675.2

    “PRAISE IS COMELY”

    “Praise waiteth for Thee, O God, in Zion!” Ps. lxv. 1: “Praise ye the Lord: for it is good to sing praises unto our God; for it is pleasant; and praise is comely.” Ps. cxlvii. 1. God inhabits the praises of Israel, but too often, instead of building Him a glorious habitation of praise and thanksgiving, His people cause Him to dwell in a silent, deserted house, in sad need of cleansing and repair. God loves to be praised by His children, not for the sake of being praised, but because He delights to fill their mouth with laughter and their tongue with singing over the great things He has done for them. He puts gladness in men's hearts more than in the time that their wine and oil increase. When men praise God with their whole heart it means that they are waking up to some appreciation of His everlasting love for them by proving it in their own lives. When Israel could be persuaded for awhile to fix their eyes on the Lord, it always let in a flood of rejoicing. If it were not that we are equally blameworthy, we would wonder that men could ever be so foolish as to drop back again into the chilly darkness of despair. Yet they did, and their history is written for us that we should not fall after the same example of unbelief.PTUK October 27, 1898, page 675.3

    “A Really Good Man” The Present Truth 14, 43.

    E. J. Waggoner

    “A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil.” “A good tree bringeth not forth corrupt fruit; neither doth a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.” Luke vi. 43, 43.PTUK October 27, 1898, page 675.4

    From good only good can come. A good man does only good things. A good man can no more do bad things, than a good tree can bear bad fruit. “Every tree is known by his own fruit.” No matter what the appearance of a tree may be, its fruit is the test of its character. If it looks good, and yet brings forth poor fruit, that shows that its pretences are false. Even so if a man professes to be good, and is called good, and yet does bad things, that shows his profession to be a vain one.PTUK October 27, 1898, page 675.5

    But what is it to be good, and to do good deeds? The last part of this question answers the whole. To be a good man is to do good deeds, “He that doeth righteousness is righteous.” 1 John iii. 7. Not that doing good deeds makes one good. Far from it. It is the being good that makes one do good deeds. The good deeds are the natural, inevitable result of the goodness that is within. But the good deeds are the measure of the man's goodness. To be good is to do good, for goodness is active. Righteousness is right doing. Just as a man cannot do good unless he is good, so a man cannot be good without doing good. It is the fault of mere “professors” of religion, that the world has for the most part a false idea of what Christianity is. It is too often thought to be mere sentiment, the holding of certain correct ideas. Passing by all false ideas, we come direct to the truth, which is that Christianity is a life,-the life. To be a Christian, is to live right. Christianity is the life of Christ in men and women. One's life is made up of what one does; of everything that one does. Every moment of a man's life, and every act, goes to make up his life. Every act of the true Christian is a Christian act. That means that every act of the true Christian is a Christlike act,-an act which is the product of Christ's life.PTUK October 27, 1898, page 675.6

    Christ is the standard of Christianity. He is “the Son of man.” He is “the Man.” Only as one is in Him, can one be “a perfect man.” Eph. iv. 13. Christ is the representative Man. He is God's idea of what a man ought to be. In Him we find the reality of God's ideal as to man. That is to say, that every real man, every true man, every perfect man, must be a Christian. Just to the extent that a man is below the standard of Christ's life, is he below the standard of a perfect man; he is so much less than a man.PTUK October 27, 1898, page 676.1

    People often complain of the narrowness of their sphere. They long for great things. They feel that their field is too narrow to allow any real expansion to their lives. They despise the humdrum of the everyday round of duties. Such should remember that the greater part of Christ's life on earth was lived in an obscure town of mean reputation, and that there He was but a common labourer. Only the last three years of His life was he before the public as a teacher and preacher. At twelve years of age, a Jewish child was reckoned a member of the synagogue, to which only men belonged, and at that age, Jesus, who was subject to His parents, would naturally begin to take an active share in the work of the family. At thirty He began His public ministry. Therefore we see that eighteen years of His life were spent as a carpenter. That is, His experience as a carpenter was just six times as long as His career as a public teacher.PTUK October 27, 1898, page 676.2

    But during all that time He was the Son of God. He was the Saviour, Christ the Lord, just as really while He was working at the carpenter's bench, as when He was teaching and healing diseases. He was doing the will of God just as really, and just as perfectly, when He was driving the saw and the plane, as when He was silencing the Pharisees, blessing little children, and making the lame to walk. “God was with Him” when He was a carpenter in Nazareth, just the same as when He was going about and “healing all that were oppressed of the devil;” for He says to the Father, “Thou art My trust from My youth.” These are simple facts in the life of Christ that are too often overlooked, but which it is necessary to remember if we would live the real Christian life.PTUK October 27, 1898, page 676.3

    Did you ever hear the question asked, “What kind of carpenter was Jesus of Nazareth?” Do you say that it is impossible to answer it? that we have no statement about it? Not so; we know just as well as we know anything about Him, that He was a good carpenter. How do we know that? We know it from the fact that “God was with Him,” and that He was a good man. God was in Him, and that was what made Him “the Man.” If He had not been a good carpenter, He would not have been a good man. If this seems irreverent to anyone, it is because he has not accustomed himself to think what it moans to be a Christian. To be a Christian means to be a good man,-just such a man as Christ was; and a good man is one who does everything well that he has to do. Remember the axiom that being good means doing good work, not a part of the time, but all the time. It does not mean doing some things well and other things poorly, but doing well everything that he professes to do. More than half the earthly life of Jesus was spent as a carpenter. It is evident therefore that if He had not done good work as a carpenter there would have been a large part of His life when He was not good, and this thought cannot be entertained for a moment.PTUK October 27, 1898, page 676.4

    As before stated, and as it must be evident to every person, it takes every act of a man's life to make up his life. There is not a single thing that one has to do as a carpenter, a farmer, a housekeeper, a dressmaker, or as a servant in any line whatever, that does not go to make, up the life. Now if one is a Christian, every one of these acts, no matter how seemingly in. significant, must be a Christian act, that is, an act that comes from the life of Christ dwelling in the person; for the Christian has not two lives, but only one, and that the life of Christ.PTUK October 27, 1898, page 676.5

    In this connection a few texts might be read with profit, as showing that the Gospel is concerned with every detail of one's life and work. “Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might.” Eccl. ix. 10. “And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not to men; knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance; for ye serve the Lord Christ.” Col. iii. 33, 34. “Whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus.” Verse 17.PTUK October 27, 1898, page 676.6

    From all this it is evident that for a professed Christian to do poor work, to slight his work, and not to put the full measure of his strength into everything that he does, is a disgrace to his profession. It is to dishonour Christ. Since Christianity does not consist merely in singing hymns and making prayers, and in doing certain acts of benevolence, but in the whole of the daily life, it follows that the true Christian, being a good man, will be a good workman in whatever line he follows. Of course all men are not equally adapted to the same thing; but the man who is led by the Spirit of the Lord will not make the mistake of choosing labour to which he is not adapted. Having been guided to the right thing, to the work that God has given him to do, he will be guided by the same Spirit to perfection; for in Christ there is perfection.PTUK October 27, 1898, page 676.7

    “Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the law of the Lord and in His law doth he meditate day and night. And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.” Ps. i. 1-3. There is no exception here. Everything that the godly man does shall prosper. There is nothing that concerns any human being, that is too small for God to be interested in, and to direct. There is nothing in this world, of anything that needs to be done, that is so small and insignificant that it can be done right without the power of God. And whatever is done wholly in His strength, must be done in the best possible manner.PTUK October 27, 1898, page 676.8

    Every inspired prayer is a promise. The Spirit “maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God;” therefore when the Spirit prompts a prayer, we know that it is God's will that we should have the thing prayed for. Now in the prayer of Moses the man of God we read, “Let the beauty of the Lord our God be upon us: and establish Thou the work of our hands upon us; yea, the work, of our hands establish Thou it.” Ps. xc. 17. So then if one is consciously and willingly a dweller in God, the work of his hands, no matter in what line, whether great or small according to man's estimate, will be established. Everything that he does will be done so well that it will stand throughout eternity. He will not be engaged in a business that he will be ashamed of in the Judgment, as the work that he does will be such that he will not be ashamed to have it exhibited there. Isn't that a glorious possibility?PTUK October 27, 1898, page 676.9

    Christianity is not a small matter. To be a good man means a great deal more than most people think. The true idea of Christianity, if accepted, would make a complete revolution in ore's whole life. A few such Christians in every community would make a vast difference in that community, even though they were but day labourers. Would that all professed Christians would rightly represent “the Man Christ Jesus!” Would that all might more perfectly comprehend the high calling of God in Christ Jesus! Then men would see that “godliness is profitable unto all things;” and the time would soon come when God's kingdom would come, and His will be done on earth as it is done in heaven.PTUK October 27, 1898, page 677.1

    “The Everlasting Gospel: God's Saving Power in the Things That Are Made” The Present Truth 14, 43.

    E. J. Waggoner

    THE GLORY OF THE HEAVENS

    Gen. i. 14-18: “And God said, Let there be lights In the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs and for seasons, and for days, and years; and let them be for lights in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth; and it was so. And God made two great lights; the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night; He made the stare also. And God set them in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth, and to rule over the day and over the night, and to divide the light from the darkness; and God saw that it was good.”PTUK October 27, 1898, page 677.2

    Isa. xl. 26: “Lift up your eyes on high, and see who bath created these, that bringeth out their host by number; He calleth them all by name; by the greatness of His might, and for that He is strong in power, not one is lacking.”PTUK October 27, 1898, page 677.3

    Ps. lxxxix. 35-37: “Once have I sworn by Thy holiness that I will not lie unto David. His seed shall endure for ever, and His throne as the sun before Me. It shall be established for over as the moon, and as a faithful witness in heaven.”PTUK October 27, 1898, page 677.4

    Jer. xxxi. 35-36: “Thus saith the Lord, which giveth the sun for a light by day, and the ordinances of the moon and of the stare for n light by night, which divideth the sea when the waves thereof roar; the Lord of hosts is His name; if those ordinances depart from before He, saith the Lord, then the seed of Israel shall cease from being a nation before Me for ever.”PTUK October 27, 1898, page 677.5

    Ps. viii. 1: “O Lord, our Lord, how excellent is Thy name in all the earth! who hast set Thy glory upon the heavens.”PTUK October 27, 1898, page 677.6

    Ps. xix. 1-7: “The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament showeth His handiwork. Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night showeth knowledge. There is no speech nor language; their voice cannot be heard. Their line is gone out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world. In them hath He set a tabernacle for the sun, which is as a bridegroom coming out of his chamber, and rejoiceth as a strong man to run his course. His going forth is front the end of the heaven, and his circuit unto the ends of it; and there is nothing hid from the heat thereof. The law of the Lord is perfect converting; the soul; the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple.”PTUK October 27, 1898, page 677.7

    Ps. lxxxiv. 11: “The Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord will give grace and glory.”PTUK October 27, 1898, page 677.8

    John viii. 12: “Then spake Jesus again unto them saying, I am the Light of the world; he that followeth Me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.”PTUK October 27, 1898, page 677.9

    Eph. v• 14: “Awake, thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall shine upon thee.”PTUK October 27, 1898, page 677.10

    Mal. iv. 2: “Unto you that fear My name shall the Sun of Righteousness arise with healing in His wings.”PTUK October 27, 1898, page 677.11

    2 Cor. iv. 6: “God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.”PTUK October 27, 1898, page 677.12

    Matt. v. 14, 16: “Ye are the light of the world.” “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.”PTUK October 27, 1898, page 677.13

    Isa. Ix. 1-3: “Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee. For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, nor gross darkness the people; but the Lord shall arise upon thee, and His glory he seen upon thee. And the Gentiles shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising.”PTUK October 27, 1898, page 677.14

    Matt. xvii. 1, 2: “Jesus taketh Peter, James, and John his brother, and bringeth them up unto a high mountain apart, and was transfigured before them; and His face did shine as the sun, and His raiment was white as the light.”PTUK October 27, 1898, page 677.15

    Phil. iii. 20, 21: “Our citizenship is in heaven; from whence also we wait for a Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall fashion anew the body of our humiliation, that it may be conformed to the body of His glory, according to the working whereby He is able even to subject all things unto Himself.”PTUK October 27, 1898, page 677.16

    Matt. xiii. 13: “Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father.”PTUK October 27, 1898, page 677.17

    Dan. xii. 3: “They that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever.”PTUK October 27, 1898, page 677.18

    God's everlasting power and Divinity are seen in the things that He has made, and in nothing do they more plainly appear than in the heavenly bodies. They are where they can be seen by all, and they speak a language that all can understand.PTUK October 27, 1898, page 677.19

    No sound is heard from the sun, moon and stars; that is why they can speak to the understanding of all. If they used any of the languages of earth, only a portion of the people could comprehend their speech; but by their silent shining forth of the glory of God, their words have gone to the ends of the earth, so that “all the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God;” for God's glory is His power, and His power is salvation.PTUK October 27, 1898, page 678.1

    The sun, moon, and stars did not create themselves. They are not the originators of the light which they send forth. It is God's glory that they declare by simply letting it shine, as He has put it upon them. The light which they give to the earth is light direct from the presence of the Lord; it is indeed the light of His presence.PTUK October 27, 1898, page 678.2

    God is light, and in Him is no darkness at all; and Christ is the shining of His glory. So Christ is the light of the world. He is the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world. We cannot have the fact too strongly impressed upon our minds that Christ is the light of the world, that is, He is all the light there is. The light that rejoices our eyes every day, is really the personal presence of Christ with us. If these scriptures were but real to us, what a difference it would make in our lives. We should know that we are constantly in the presence of the Lord.PTUK October 27, 1898, page 678.3

    As Christ is the light of the world, so are His true followers. but it is only as His light is allowed to pass through us; that we are the light of the world. Christ shines upon us, and it we are sincere, that is, if there is nothing in us to obstruct the light, the light shines through us, and we share His glory. What a wonder, that Christ will let mortal men occupy the same relation to the world that He Himself does!PTUK October 27, 1898, page 678.4

    The same light which God commanded to shine out of darkness, is the light which He shines into our hearts. Do not forget that the light that shines upon us new every morning is to enable us to behold our God.PTUK October 27, 1898, page 678.5

    Jesus said: “The glory which Thou gavest Me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one. I in them, and Thou in Me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that Thou hast sent Me, and hast loved them as Thou hast loved Me.” John xvii. 22, 23. The glory of God, which Christ has given us, marks us as sons of God, even as He is. We are joint-heirs with Christ, and the Father loves us even as He loves Him. “Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be; but we know that when He shall appear we shall be like Him; for we shall see. Him as He is.” 1 John iii. 2. The glory is not now recognised in us as the glory of God, even as it was not in Christ, except on the mount of transfiguration; but when He comes, the glory of His grace, with which He has filled us, will shine forth, so that our bodies will shine like His glorious body. But His body shines above the brightness of the sun. And the glory in which the saints will at last appear, is but the glory which now is given to them in the form of grace and truth. So the lesson that we are to learn is that the power that is revealed in the whole heavens, is the power that is given no, to enable us to live to the glory of God.PTUK October 27, 1898, page 678.6

    “Revealing the Glory” The Present Truth 14, 43.

    E. J. Waggoner

    “For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God, in the face of Jesus Christ.” 2 Cor. iv. 6.PTUK October 27, 1898, page 678.7

    Other versions give the verse something like this: “For God, who said that light should shine out of darkness, has let it shine into our hearts.” This is not perhaps so exactly literal a rendering, but it makes emphatic the fact that is contained in the text, that the light which in the beginning God caused to shine out of darkness, is the same light that He lets shine in our hearts. And why does He let it shine into our hearts? “To give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.”PTUK October 27, 1898, page 678.8

    One may read this text very many times without getting the full benefit of it. It is only when we consider it in relation to what goes before, and remember what the general subject of these chapters is that we can get the force of these words. One ordinarily thinks that God has shined this light into our hearts, in order to give us the light of the knowledge of His glory. It is true that that result will follow as a matter of course; but what the text teaches is that the light shines into our hearts for the sake of others, to give to others the light of God's glory. God makes His people the light of the world, not for their own sakes, but for the sake of others.PTUK October 27, 1898, page 678.9

    If anyone will read carefully from the latter part of the second chapter of 2 Corinthians to the first part of the sixth chapter, paying no attention to the chapter divisions, but reading all as one connected letter, he will see what is meant. In the latter part of the sixth chapter we read, that God “maketh manifest the savour of His knowledge by us in every place.” Compare this with the test first quoted. Then in the third chapter we read that God has made us able to be ministers of the new covenant, that is, ministers of the Spirit; and so follows a statement of the glory of this ministration. It is the glory which transfigured the face of Moses, as he talked face to face with the Lord. The children of Israel would not look upon this glory, and so they remained in darkness; but we, beholding this glory with unveiled face, are changed into the same image, from glory to glory. Here we learn what effect the glory has upon us personally when it shines upon us.PTUK October 27, 1898, page 678.10

    “Therefore seeing we have this ministry, as we have received mercy, we faint not.” 2 Cor. iv. 1. Here we learn that this shining of the glory upon us is not simply for our sakes, but it is that we may minister it to others. “But if our Gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost; in whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious Gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them. For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord, and ourselves your servants for Jesus’ sake. For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.” Then passing on into the fifth chapter we read that we are ambassadors for Christ, since God has put the word and ministry of reconciliation into us, and beseeches sinners by us even as He did by Him. “We then, as workers together with Him, beseech you that ye receive not the grace of God in vain.” 2 Cor. vi. 1.PTUK October 27, 1898, page 678.11

    Surely no one can fail to see that God designs that every one of His people should shine the light of His glory forth to the world, even as the heavens do and as Christ did. “For so hath He commanded us, saying, I have set thee to be a light of, the Gentiles, that thou shouldest be for salvation unto the ends of the earth.” Acts xiii. 47. The glory which God has given to Christ, He has given to us, and for the same purpose that He has it, namely, that we may shine as lights in the world, and thus glorify God. “Glorify Thy Son, that Thy: Son also may glorify Thee.” John xvii. 1. “Herein is My Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit.” John xv. 8.PTUK October 27, 1898, page 678.12

    “I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.” Rom. viii. 18. “We know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose. For whom He did foreknow, He also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom He did predestinate, them He also called; and whom He called, them He also justified; and whom He justified, them He also glorified.” Verses 28-30. God has glorified His Son Jesus, and has given us the same glory that He has given Him. By beholding Him we are conformed to His image, so that we are His brethren, He being the firstborn. “Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be; but we know that, when He shall appear, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.” 1 John iii. 2. The glory that God has given us does not appear to the eyes of the world, even as the glory of Christ did not. Yet those who were enlightened by the Spirit, saw the glory of Christ, “the glory as of the only begotten full of grace and truth.” John i. 14. So the glory which God gives us is now in the form of grace and truth; but when the Lord will come it will shine forth so that all may recognise it as glory.PTUK October 27, 1898, page 679.1

    What is the measure of that glory? “Unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ.” Eph. iv. 7. When Christ was on the mount of transfiguration, the glory that was in Him as grace and truth shone forth, so that “His face did shine as the sun.” Matt. xvii. 2. Therefore when He comes, and we appear like Him, “then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father.” Matt. xiii. 43. That is, the glory which God even now gives us, is the glory of the sun. But glory is power, the power of grace, so that the power which God gives us now, not simply to enable us to be saved, but to bring others to salvation, is the power that is manifested in the whole heavens. “They that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever.” Daniel xii. 3. Therefore, “Arise, shine!”PTUK October 27, 1898, page 679.2

    “God's Faithfulness” The Present Truth 14, 43.

    E. J. Waggoner

    “I will sing of the mercies of the Lord for ever; with my mouth will I make known Thy faithfulness to all generations. For I have said, mercy shall be built up for ever; Thy faithfulness shalt Thou establish in the very heavens. I have made a covenant with My chosen; I have sworn unto David My servant, Thy Seed will I establish for ever, and build up thy throne to all generations.” Ps. lxxxix. 1-4.PTUK October 27, 1898, page 679.3

    Christ is God's Chosen, in whom His soul delights (Isa. xlii. 1), and He is the Seed of David. Rom. i. 3. He is “the Root and the Offspring of David.” Rev. xxii. 16. The tabernacle of David, that is fallen down, is to be built up by the preaching of the Gospel of Jesus Christ (Acts ii. 14-17), and the throne of David is to be perpetuated to all generations through the resurrection of Christ. Acts ii. 29-31. But by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead all who believe are begotten unto a lively hope of an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away. 1 Peter i. 3-5. Therefore the covenant with David, unto which God swore, is the covenant that assures us an inheritance among the saints in light; and so we see that it is identical with the covenant with Abraham, to which God swore by Himself, and which gives us strong consolation and hope of salvation through Jesus Christ. Heb. vi. 13, 20.PTUK October 27, 1898, page 679.4

    The Seed of David is the Seed of Abraham, and if we are Christ's we are a part of this Seed, and heirs according to the promise. Gal. iii. 29. So we find in the following scripture the direct promise of eternal life to us: “Once have I sworn by My holiness that I will not lie unto David. His Seed shall endure for over, and His throne as the sun before Me. It shall be established for ever as the moon and as a faithful witness in heaven.” As surely as the sun and moon endure, so surely will God give eternal life to every one who trusts Him. His faithfulness is written in the heavens. The sun and moon are witnesses to it.PTUK October 27, 1898, page 679.5

    “When God made promise to Abraham, because He could swear by no greater, He sware by Himself.” This was not for Abraham's sake, but for our sake. Abraham did not need the oath for confirmation, because his faith was perfect before the oath was made; but it was given that we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold on the hope set before us.” “God, willing more abundantly to show unto the heirs of promise the immutability of His counsel, interposed Himself by an oath.” Heb. vi. 17, margin.PTUK October 27, 1898, page 679.6

    Do you realise what is involved in the oath of God? how strong the consolation is? Think of it a moment, and when you have grasped its meaning, you may continue to think of it forever. He promised salvation to every one who would accept it in faith; to all who would simply trust Him to save them. Then He pledged Himself its surety for the fulfilment of the promise. He interposed Himself between us and the possibility of failure, staking His own existence upon the result. When one pledges anything, it is well known that the thing pledged is lost if the price is not paid, or the vow performed. So in swearing by Himself God put Himself in the position where He would forfeit His own existence if His promise should fail.PTUK October 27, 1898, page 679.7

    Let us in passing remember that this promise is to all. “Whosoever will, let him come.” God has chosen the poor of this world. James ii. 5. “And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen.” 1 Cor. i. 28. If God's promise should fail in the case of the poorest or the most insignificant and despised of human beings, that would be a failure just the same as if He should reject the whole world. If one poor soul should come to Him and fail to find forgiveness for a sin confessed, or help in time of need, that would be a failure of God's promise, to which He swore by Himself, and therefore that very moment God would cease to exist.PTUK October 27, 1898, page 679.8

    Does some one say that it is irreverent to talk about God's ceasing to exist. It is no more irreverent that it is to talk about His not being able or willing to forgive any sin that is acknowledged, or to provide all the help that any soul needs. Would that all men might see that to doubt God's willingness to forgive is to deny His existence, so that it is the rankest infidelity not to accept pardon, or to doubt that God helps in every time of need.PTUK October 27, 1898, page 680.1

    And now what constant assurance have we before our eyes that God lives, and that therefore His promise is sure?—His faithfulness is written in the very heavers. “Lift up your eyes on high, and see who hath created these, that bringeth out their host by number; He calleth them all by name; by the greatness of His might, and for that He is strong in power, not one is lacking.” Isa. xl. 26. The whole universe depends on God. If He should cease to exist, everything would that instant cease to exist. God made the sun, moon, and stars “for signs, and for seasons, and days, and years.” That thing of which the exist as a sign is the faithfulness of God. The sun, moon, and stars are evidences that God still lives, and as surely as He lives, may we come with boldness to the throne of grace, with perfect confidence that we shall obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need. “For ever, O Lord, Thy word is settled in heaven. Thy faithfulness is unto all generations.” Ps. cxix. 89, 90.PTUK October 27, 1898, page 680.2

    “The Children. Light-Bearers” The Present Truth 14, 43.

    E. J. Waggoner

    “And God made two great lights; the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night; He made the stars also.”PTUK October 27, 1898, page 682.1

    God “giveth the sun for a light by day, and the moon to shine by night.” But you know that the bright moon which lights up the dark night and makes it beautiful with its clear beams, has really no light of its own. All the glory that shines from it is the borrowed light of the sun; it shines by reflecting the sun's rays. So when the sun sets, and passes for a time out of our sight, we know that it is still shining somewhere, although we cannot see it, because the moon catches its rays and sends them down to us.PTUK October 27, 1898, page 682.2

    But did you ever think that the sun has really no light of its own any more than the moon has? All its light is borrowed also; it is the reflection of s greater light, of the Light, the only Light, in whom is no darkness at all. When we studied our lessons on the light we learned that Jesus is the true Light of the world, and all the glory of the sunlight is the reflection of the light of His face, the shining forth of His glory which He puts upon it.PTUK October 27, 1898, page 682.3

    And so, although we cannot see the face of God, we know that He lives and that His glory is still shining, because we can see its beams in the glorious sunlight by day and the soft beautiful moonlight by night. God makes the sun and moon and stars to be “great lights,” just by letting His own glory shine upon them. And this is how He makes His children to be, as Christ called them, “the light of the world.” They “shine as lights in the world,” only because He shines upon them and they reflect His light to others just as the sun and moon do.PTUK October 27, 1898, page 682.4

    As we see what the sun is to our world, how there would be no light, no heat, no beauty, no growth, and so no life without it, we see how all things come to us from God just through the shining of His face upou us. Then let us pray the prayer of the Psalmist, “God be merciful unto us and bless us, and cause His face to shine upon us.”PTUK October 27, 1898, page 682.5

    Read the following piece which shows how dependent our world and all who live in it are upon the sun. But as you read remember that it is not the sun that is doing all these things for us, but He whose glory lights up the sun, whose hand guides it in its path through the heavens, and who is working through it to give life and blessing to us all.PTUK October 27, 1898, page 682.6

    “A Tender Plant” The Present Truth 14, 43.

    E. J. Waggoner

    Long before the Lord Jesus Christ, the only begotten and beloved Son of God, came into the world as a little baby and lived here as a little child, the prophet Isaiah had written of Him, “He shall grow up before Him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground.”PTUK October 27, 1898, page 683.1

    Nazareth, the city where Mary and Joseph lived when Jesus was a boy, was a place with such a bad reputation, and so many wicked people lived there, that when Nathanael heard first of Jesus of Nazareth, he said, “Can any good thing come out of Nazareth?” He could hardly believe that Jesus of Nazareth could be the Son of God, the Seed so long promised find expected.PTUK October 27, 1898, page 683.2

    Growing in such a soil, in the midst of such surroundings, Jesus was indeed as a “root out of a dry ground.” But the power of God's own holy life was in this Seed, and nothing but purity and beauty could spring from Him. In the midst of sinners, He lived, even as a child, a life of perfect purity, “holy, harmless, and undefiled.”PTUK October 27, 1898, page 683.3

    “From His earliest years Christ lived a life of toil. In His youth He worked with His father at the carpenter's trade, and thus showed that there is nothing of which to be ashamed in work. Though He was the King of Heaven, yet He worked at a humble trade, and thus rebuked all idleness in human beings. All work done as Christ did His work is noble and honourable. Those who are idle do not follow the example that Christ us given; for us from His childhood He was a pattern of obedience and industry.PTUK October 27, 1898, page 683.4

    “He was as a pleasant sunbeam in the home circle. Faithfully cheerfully He acted His part, doing the humble duties that He was called to do in His lowly life, Christ became one with us in order that He might do us good. He lived such a life of poverty and labour as would help the poor to understand that He could sympathise with them.”PTUK October 27, 1898, page 683.5

    “He did not choose to be the son of a rich man, or to be in a position where men would praise and flatter Him. He passed through the hardships of those who, toil for n living, and He could comfort all those, who have to work at some humble trade. Those who know the kind of life Christ lived can never feel that the poor are to be despised, and that those who are rich are better than the humble.”PTUK October 27, 1898, page 683.6

    All the beauty of, this “tender plant” was just the unfolding of the precious Seed of which we have already learned, just as the flower is the unfolding and opening out of the seed that we sow in the ground. So when Jesus the Seed comes into your hearts, (and He has promised to do this if you ask Him,) this same life will unfold in you just as it did in Him when He dwelt in Nazareth. So as you read of the child life of Jesus, how He was obedient to His parents, and anxious to learn the Word of God from those whom He had appointed to teach it how He “waxed strong in Spirit, filled with wisdom, and the grace of God was upon Him;” how He helped His father in the carpenter's shop, and “increased in wisdom and stature and in favour with God and man;” in all this God is teaching you what you too will be if this precious Seed is allowed to spring up in your heart. Like Jesus you will “grow up before Him as a tender plant,” and no matter what your outward surroundings may be, like Him you will be “holy, harmless and undefiled,” kept from the evil that is around you.PTUK October 27, 1898, page 683.7

    “Jottings” The Present Truth 14, 43.

    E. J. Waggoner

    -A vessel laden with naphtha exploded off the coast of Kent. Nine lives were lost.PTUK October 27, 1898, page 686.1

    -A great gale has caused many wrecks and much loss of life all around the coast, especially off Scotland.PTUK October 27, 1898, page 686.2

    -France exports to England more than ?52,000,000 worth of her products, while to Russia she exports ?2,000,000 worth.PTUK October 27, 1898, page 686.3

    -In consequence of the severe heat throughout New South Wales farm stocks are dying and crops are failing from want of rain.PTUK October 27, 1898, page 686.4

    -The Church Army has fifty-nine mission and colportage vans which travel through the rural districts of England winter and summer.PTUK October 27, 1898, page 686.5

    -An express on the Great Central Railway fouled a goods train near Lincoln, and was thrown off the rails. Nine persons were killed and many injured.PTUK October 27, 1898, page 686.6

    -The Khedive of Egypt have been agitating against England and seeking help from the Powers of Europe. There is some talk of deposing him, as he has always been unfriendly to England.PTUK October 27, 1898, page 686.7

    -The Atlantic liner went ashore last week off the coast of Cornwall, 103 lives being lost. The vessel was fifteen miles out of its course, but the reason is unknown as the officers all perished.PTUK October 27, 1898, page 686.8

    -The Paris railway strike has collapsed owing to the failure of the various branches who had voted for the proposed strike to cease work when ordered. The officials of the Union have “struck” in consequence.PTUK October 27, 1898, page 686.9

    -The whole of North Wales has been visited by a phenomenal rainfall. Mountain torrents have been swollen into rivers, flooding roadways and homesteads, and the rivers have overflowed their banks into the valleys, covering thousands of acres with water.PTUK October 27, 1898, page 686.10

    -Aluminum seems likely to take the place of stone in lithographic printing. Experiments made with it have given great satisfaction.PTUK October 27, 1898, page 686.11

    -Owing to a failure in the gas supply, the greater part of Bournemouth was suddenly enveloped in darkness last Sunday evening, the service terminated abruptly in most of the churches.PTUK October 27, 1898, page 686.12

    -The Spanish-American Commission for settling the terms of peace is divided over the question of assuming the Cuban debt. America absolutely refuses to do this, and has instructed its representatives to refuse further parley on the subject.PTUK October 27, 1898, page 686.13

    -A terrific hailstorm broke over the island of Malta last Wednesday, lasting for twenty minutes. The damage done to property was enormous. Hailstones were found weighing a quarter of a pound. Thousands of panes of glass were destroyed.PTUK October 27, 1898, page 686.14

    -?30,000 has been raised in England to assist the sufferers from the recent hurricane in the West Indies, but a further ?50,000 is urgently wanted. In view of the vast sums which are raised for purposes of destruction every year, this request ought not to be denied.PTUK October 27, 1898, page 686.15

    -A most remarkable gradual upheaval of land is taking place around Hudson Bay, the upheaval extending over a larger area of ground than any other recorded instance. Driftwood-covered beaches are now twenty to seventy feet above water, many of the old harbours have become too shallow for ships to enter, and various new islands have appeared.PTUK October 27, 1898, page 686.16

    -Twenty-four firms of dyers in the Bradford district have combined and will soon be formed into a company, with a capital of five millions. “The objects of these combinations are evidently twofold-too cheapen production, and to save the expense and waste which come from rivalry, while it is probably not overlooked that these gigantic unions are better able to fight trade unions.”PTUK October 27, 1898, page 686.17

    -The Russian Government organ asserts that at the present moment there are, throughout the world, 5,250,000 men under arms, and that in the event of a general war these could be increased to 44,250,000. The annual cost of the military establishments for the whole of Europe amounts to the sum of ?250,000,000; and this is only the charge for the land forces. The fleets are not included.PTUK October 27, 1898, page 686.18

    -Cardinal Rampolla has been talking of the French protectorate over Christians in the East in such a way as to offend German susceptibilities, especially in view of the Kaiser's visit to the East. He has now been ordered by the Pope to wait on the Prussian Legation and tender it “the most pacific and conciliatory assurances.” The danger of a rupture between Prussia and the Vatican is now removed.PTUK October 27, 1898, page 686.19

    -A remarkable accident is reported from Birkenhead, owing to a steamer dashing into some dock gates, forcing them open. The water in the dock, which was about eight feet above the river level outside, rushed out with tremendous force, and carried everything before it, the massive gates being dragged from their sockets in the wall and hurled into the river. It will cost many thousand pounds to repair the damage to the gates.PTUK October 27, 1898, page 686.20

    -At a London police-court a boy of eleven charged one twelve years old with assaulting him. The magistrate returned to the prosecutor the money he had paid for the summons, and advised him, “If a boy of your own age, and not too big-in that case I would protect you-hits you again, hit him back. It's much more English.” Of course, it was absurd for one boy to summons another, but the magistrates’ Council would justify a good many cases of assault, if it does not increase their number. If it is right for boys to be “English,” it is for men.PTUK October 27, 1898, page 686.21

    “Back Page” The Present Truth 14, 43.

    E. J. Waggoner

    The question of Fashoda still continues to absorb the public interest. Both English and French statesmen profess confidence that a peaceful and satisfactory solution of the difficulty will be arrived at, but great activity in naval preparations is reported on both sides. Major Marchand's report has been received in Paris, but it makes no mention of recent events. Captain Baratier, who was with Marchand, is now on his way home to furnish full information to the French Government.PTUK October 27, 1898, page 688.1

    Christ's invitation to those who labour and are heavy laden is, “Take My yoke upon you, and learn of Me.” What is His yoke? He “bare our sins in His own body,” “Himself hare our weaknesses and carried our infirmities.” “Why,” you say, “that is my burden. Those are the things that make me feel so discouraged and heavy-laden. If it were not for those weaknesses I could get along very well. These cannot be Christ's burden, for they are mine.” Not so, the things that weigh you down are the things that He bears. You have thought you bore the weight, while He comforted you and tried to encourage you, but instead of this, it is He who bears it, and asks you to join Him.PTUK October 27, 1898, page 688.2

    When Christ bears the yoke it is light in proportion to His strength, and so it will not press heavily upon those who take His burden upon them. It is so light that there is rest in bearing it, because the strength is so much greater than the burden that the sense of labour is swallowed up. In thinking of being yoked with Christ, we must not regard ourselves as walking by His side, bearing half the burden, for He dwells in our hearts, and the full weight is upon Him as long as we abide in Him. It is getting out of Christ, and being separated from His strength, that brings us where we feel heavy laden.PTUK October 27, 1898, page 688.3

    How is it that Christ bears our burden? “In all their affliction He was afflicted ... in His love and in His pity He redeemed them; and He bare them and carried them all the days of old.” Isa. lxiii. 9. He brings His people out of the house of bondage, because He loves them. Therefore never think that when you are in trouble through your own wilful folly and sinfulness, the Lord leaves you to bear that burden by yourself. All burdens come that way, but the Lord bears every burden because He loves us. He does not choose some of the lighter ones and leave the least hopeful cases to bear their own. All burdens are His, and so for every soul there is rest in Christ. “Casting all your care upon Him, for He careth for you.” 1 Pet. v. 7.PTUK October 27, 1898, page 688.4

    The visit of the Kaiser to the Sultan has been the occasion of much display and pomp. Constantinople has been hastily decorated and its unsightly places covered by yellow hoardings, but underneath the gaudy externals lies the squalid reality of ignorance and poverty. Gifts of great value are bestowed freely upon the Imperial visitors, but the troops who lined the route of the procession can rarely get their pay. The Turks are said to weep for joy as they read the Kaiser's words of congratulation, but so fearful are the police of anarchist outrage that people are thrown into prison on the slightest pretext, and foreigners are not allowed to look from upper windows. Such is the glory of this world!PTUK October 27, 1898, page 688.5

    “He that cometh to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that seek after Him.” Heb. xi. 6. The man who comes to God confessing his sin must believe that He is just and faithful to forgive the sin. When God gave to Israel instruction as to sin-offerings, He provided that every one who came to confess sin should also come prepared to return thanks for the forgiveness.PTUK October 27, 1898, page 688.6

    “When he shall be guilty in one of these things, he shall confess that he hath sinned in that thing: and he shall bring his trespass offering.... And if he be not able to bring a lamb, then lie shall bring ... two turtledoves, or two young pigeons, unto the Lord; one for a sin offering, and the other for a burnt offering.” Lev. v. The burnt offering was “an offering made by fire, of a sweet savour unto the Lord.” It was expressive of thanksgiving for favours received. “And when the burnt offering began, the song of the Lord began also with the trumpets.... And all the congregation worshipped, and the singers sang, and the trumpeters sounded: and all this continued until the burnt offering was finished.” “And the congregation brought in sacrifices, ... and as many as were of a free heart burnt offerings.” 2 Chron. xxix. 28, 39, 31.PTUK October 27, 1898, page 688.7

    It is evident therefore that when a man brought a burnt offering it was to express joy and gratitude, and when the burnt offering was brought in connection with a sin offering, it showed that the sinner was so confident of receiving forgiveness that he had brought along with him the expression of his thanks. Indeed, if he should present himself to the priest with only one pigeon for the sin offering, and explain that the other for the burnt offering would be forthcoming as soon as he received the forgiveness, the one pigeon for the sin offering would not be accepted. He had to come showing his faith that the forgiveness was an absolute certainty.PTUK October 27, 1898, page 688.8

    And the blessedness of the thought consisted in this fact, that this was the Lord's own appointment. He left no room for any to doubt their acceptance and forgiveness. He did not invite sinners to try to find out if there was any forgiveness for them, but to come in full assurance of faith and take it. The forgiveness was to be a matter of course for every one who should confess. Jesus Christ is still the same. Whosoever comes to Him He will in no wise cast out. Shall not we to whom Christ is revealed, not in types and shadows, but as the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth, be as confident in His forgiving love as He taught Israel to be? Let us not confess our sins and then wonder if we are forgiven, but learn to know Him as “The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering.... forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin.” Ex. xxxiv. 6, 7.PTUK October 27, 1898, page 688.9

    Those who could afford to offer more, gave not pigeons, but a goat or a sheep, or a bullock, and in such cases the sin offering and the burnt offering were found in the same animal. So Christ is not only our sin offering, but He is also our burnt offering. “By Him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to His name.” Heb. xiii. 15. Accepting His life as the atonement for our sin, we enter also into His relation with the Father, being made one with Him as Christ is. “We also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” Rom. v. 11.PTUK October 27, 1898, page 688.10

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