Part 5

And the same effect will follow with reference to all our possessions.

Let no one suppose we are not to prize those precious gifts which God has given us. Ought we to think lightly of money, time, influence, power? By no means; but if we believe that the coming of the Lord is near we must sit light to it all, for it will all soon give place to the glories of His kingdom. Remember St. Paul’s thrilling words: “The time is short,” {67c} and the exhortation that follows to “use this world, as not abusing it.”

If we believe that the Lord’s coming is near we must wake up and trim our lamps.

We must never forget that real, true believers may grow cold, and dull, and sleepy. Thus even the wise virgins were asleep when the Bridegroom came. But they were thoroughly prepared, so they were up in a moment when they heard the cry, and, having trimmed their lamps, were ready. Now, the thought of His appearing should have this effect on ourselves. Who is there amongst us that does not want to be quickened; to be aroused to fresh energy for God; to have the soul filled with a holy fervour, and the whole heart glowing with the love of Christ? Who is there that should not desire to respond with every faculty he possesses to the stirring appeal of St. Paul: “And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed. The night is far spent, the day is at hand.” {68a} Shall we sleep on as if the old world were going on for ever? Do we really believe that “the Bridegroom cometh,” {68b} and shall we not trim our lamps without one moment’s delay in order that when He comes He may find them burning brightly to His glory?

If we are looking for the speedy coming of the Lord, it should lead to a calm, happy, peaceful hope in the midst of the turmoils of the latter days.

There is nothing to lead us to expect a calm termination to the present state of things. Our Lord when He comes will come riding, as it were, on the whirlwind and the storm. It is a very common thing to find a bar with heavy breakers on it at the mouth of the finest harbours, and so we must be prepared for a stormy sea as we enter the haven of rest. Our Lord taught this very clearly when He said, “There shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring.” {68c} And now observe the effect of these events on different characters. Through the world at large they produce what may be called a panic—“Men’s hearts failing them for fear.” {69a} But how is it to be with the people of God? Are their hearts to fail them for fear? No, for we read, “When these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads.” {69b} They are not to be bowed down, but to hold their head erect, and with a confident spirit to look up full of hope. And why? What is it that is to make so vast a difference between the two characters? How can we explain the contrast? It is all explained in the latter part of that verse—“For your redemption draweth nigh.” It is perfectly clear that by redemption is here meant the final deliverance, for in the previous verse {69c} we read of the final coming of the Deliverer. That calm peace, therefore, is the blessed result of a blessed hope. God’s people will know that the Deliverer is at hand, and therefore will not be afraid. They will believe God’s Holy Word, and therefore what alarms others will cheer them. The same storm which sinks the great ironclads outside will bring their little bark into harbour. They will know what it all means, and, with God’s Word in their hand, they will know who is reigning, and will see in all that is frightening others the predicted signs of His near approach.

ONE WORD IN CONCLUSION.

The word “redemption” has a double sense in common use. It is sometimes used for atonement or propitiation simply, and sometimes for the great deliverance which is the consequence of the great propitiation. It is clear that in this passage it is used for deliverance. But another thing is equally clear, namely, this—that we shall never be able to rest in the hope of the deliverance unless we are first taught to rest for forgiveness on the completed propitiation. Redemption by power is the consequence of redemption by blood. It is the redemption by power of which the Lord said “He draweth nigh;” but we shall never be able to lift up our heads, and look up in joy to the prospect, unless we first know in our own souls the unspeakable blessing of that redemption by blood which has long since been completed for ever. It is only when we know Jesus Christ and Him crucified that we can look up in calm, peaceful confidence to Jesus Christ and Him glorified.

“WITH” AND “BY”

“And when they were come, and had gathered the Church together, they rehearsed all that God had done with them, and how He had opened the door of faith onto the Gentiles.”—ACTS xiv. 27.

THERE are few institutions of greater antiquity than the missionary meeting. It is truly apostolic in its origin. The first such meeting of which we read was held at Antioch after the return of St. Paul from his first missionary journey. It was from Antioch he set off, having been commended by the brethren to the grace of God; and it was at Antioch, after his return, that he gathered together the Church and rehearsed to them all that God had done with them in his journey. This is the great subject of his address, and will suggest three subjects of inquiry for ourselves.

I. WHAT HAD BEEN DONE?

In the first place, the door of faith had been opened to the Gentiles. Surely by “the door of faith” we must understand that “new and living way” of which we read in Hebrews. {71} And what is that way? Is not this explained by the previous verse, “Having, therefore, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus.” It is the free access to the throne of Grace through the finished, final propitiation, there described as “the blood of Jesus.” When He died, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom, and the mercy-seat was laid open to the sinner drawing near in faith, and the invitation was proclaimed to all. The throne of righteousness became the throne of mercy, and the throne of judgment became approachable even to the sinner, for it was transformed into a throne of grace.

This is the door of faith that had been opened to the Gentiles, and it is very difficult for us to realize all that was involved in such a fact. There was a middle wall of partition between Jew and Gentile which kept them as wide asunder as if there had been no common Saviour. But now St. Paul reported that the middle wall had been broken down. {72a} Every stone of it had been swept away, and, according to the covenant of God, all were invited as one flock around one Shepherd.

But this was not all that had been done. The great work of that missionary journey was the turning of the hearts of both Jews and Gentiles to enter in by that open door. It is one thing to set a door open before a person, but often a much more difficult thing to induce him to enter in. Now the great result of this journey was that many precious souls were brought in through the open door, and in Christ Jesus were saved. This was the work of which St. Paul gave an account on his return to Antioch. If he mentioned individuals he doubtless told them of Sergius Paulus, the Roman pro-consul at Paphos, that “prudent man,” {72b} one of the first converts given to the Apostle. Then, again, he doubtless told them of the great multitude both of the Jews and also of the Greeks in Iconium who believed. {72c} And if he were asked as to the reality of the work in their souls, he doubtless told them of the beautiful character of the Christians in the other Antioch, Antioch of Pisidia, of whom it is said, “the disciples were filled with joy, and with the Holy Ghost.” {73}

They had, indeed, entered in by the open door. They had tasted the joy of the living way, they had been brought under the shadow of the mercy-seat. They had sat down under His shadow with great delight, and had found the fruit sweet to their taste. So marvellous had been the change that the very men who before this memorable journey had been living, some in Jewish hostility, and some in heathen abomination, were now happy, holy, thankful believers, and were actually filled with the Holy Ghost. We see, then, what had been done. The next question is—

II. WHO WAS THE DOER?

St. Paul and St. Barnabas were the principal agents, and of these St. Paul was the chief speaker, but it was not he who changed the hearts or filled the disciples with joy and with the Holy Ghost. So he did not tell what _he_ had done, but what God had done. The drawing of the sinner, whether Jew or Gentile, into the new or living way was a Divine act. To open the heart required a Divine power as much as to open the door. It is important for us clearly to bear in mind this principle, that the power to enter in is of itself the gift of God—that we must trust Him not only to save us when we have entered in, but to enable us to enter in; not only to show mercy on us when we have come near to Him, but to draw us near by His own Spirit.

III. IN WHAT WAY DID THE LORD MAKE USE OF HUMAN AGENCY?

There are two expressions employed which throw great light on the subject. In this verse we read of the things which God had done _with_ them, and the same expression occurs in Acts xv. 4. But if we pass on to Acts xv., we find it stated that “God had wrought upon the Gentiles _by_ them.” {74a} The one expression implies companionship, the other instrumentality. Consider them separately.

(1) “With.”

The idea is that throughout the journey our Lord was literally fulfilling His promise. “I am with you alway.” {74b} They went out to preach in His name and He went with them, as their constant, never-failing, though invisible, companion and friend. Thus, while they were acting, He was acting also. The two were acting together, and so fulfilling the one purpose of God. The action of the Lord was giving effect to the action of the preacher, though in some cases it was quite independent of it. Take the case of Lydia as an illustration. {74c} St. Paul preached to that little company assembled at the place of prayer by the riverside at Phillipi. There was the action of the preacher. But now look at the action of the Lord working with him. By His fore-seeing providence He had brought Lydia from her home at Thyatira, and by His guiding Spirit had brought St. Paul from his work in Asia Minor. It was He that brought them both to the same spot on that Sabbath morning. Then, again, while St. Paul was preaching the Lord was acting, for He was acting with His servant, first by the preparatory leading of His providence, and afterwards by the heart-opening movement of the Holy Ghost

(2) And this leads me to the other expression, “_by_.” This expresses something different to companionship, for it teaches that in thus drawing sinners to Himself He makes use of men as instruments. In the case of Lydia the Lord opened her heart, but the things which were spoken by St. Paul were the instrument which God employed to lead her to the faith. It was not without instrumentality, but by it, that God acted. It is important to bear this in mind—that human instrumentality is not in antagonism to faith. We must remember the “by” as well as the “with,” and that when God has given means, we do not honour Him by neglecting or ignoring them. St. Paul was most anxious to urge on the Corinthians that it was God alone who gave the increase, but while he did so he was not deterred from adding that he had planted and Apollos watered. {75} We know that God is a Sovereign, and that He, if He pleased, could gather in the whole company of His elect without the use of any one man to work for Him; but we know also that “by us” the preaching is to be fully known, and we are fully persuaded that if we are to look for a harvest we must both plant and water.

THE STIRRING OF THE SPIRIT

“And the Lord stirred up the spirit of Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and the spirit of Joshua the son of Josedech, the high priest, and the spirit of all the remnant of the people; and they came and did work in the house of the Lord of Hosts, their God.”—HAG. i. 14.

LET US consider this stirring of the will, and then the great need of it even amongst the faithful people of God.

I. We read a great deal in Scripture of a movement in the will, as we know in practical life, how we ourselves are moved, or aroused on many occasions. We know what it is to be like Peter, who was asleep in the prison till the Angel of the Lord “smote him on the side, and raised him up, saying, Arise up quickly.” {76a} We are often aroused to make an _effort_ which we never thought of before, and our whole soul is on fire to be working with a holy enthusiasm for God.

Now this stirring of the spirit is the act of God Himself. I am quite aware that there are passages in which man is described as stirring himself, as for example, “There is none that calleth upon Thy name, that stirreth up himself to take hold of Thee.” {76b} But such an expression is the description of the outward effect, and not of the inward movement of the soul, as is proved by that very text, which gives us the reason for the absence of any such stirring, “Thou hast hid Thy face from us.” It was because He had hidden His face that no one was stirred to lay hold on His grace. Thus St. Paul teaches us that it is God Himself who worketh on the will. He urges the little flock at Philippi to be more diligent in his absence than they were in his presence, {77a} and in the next verse he gives us the reason that “It is God who worketh in you both to will and to do of His good pleasure.” So in this passage, when Zerubbabel was aroused to a new action it was the Lord who stirred his spirit, and who produced such a strong, deep feeling in his soul that he could not rest without making a fresh effort for the Lord. This stirring was the blessed result of the Holy Spirit’s action. Oh, that we had more of it amongst ourselves!

But while it is the work of the Holy Spirit, we shall find that, as a general rule, He makes use of means. Of course, if He pleases, He may Himself speak to the soul in the way of direct personal communication, and so arouse the heart and conscience without the aid of any human instrumentality. But in most cases He makes use of means.

Sometimes men are stirred by the sight of evil, as St. Paul was stirred in spirit by the sight of the idolatry at Athens. {77b} And it does seem strange that God’s faithful people can sit so still as they do, and look on so quietly on the sin that abounds around them. How is it that the whole soul does not burn within us with a longing desire to be at work for God?

Sometimes it is through the power of the ministry. It was so with Zerubbabel, of whom it is said that the Lord stirred his spirit. The means employed in his case was the preaching of the two prophets Haggai and Zechariah. Sometimes God raises up great preachers whose office it seems to be to awaken nations. Such were Whitfield and the Wesleys. Such was Luther at the time of the Reformation, and such were Haggai and Zechariah after the return of the captives from Babylon. It was through them that the fire was lighted in the soul of Zerubbabel. Their burning words stirred his spirit, and he threw himself with a holy zeal into the service of the Lord.

Sometimes it is by the example and influence of others, as “iron sharpeneth iron.” {78a} There is nothing more infectious than character. There is a certain atmosphere surrounding each of us, and it has its influence on all who come near us. The idle man makes others idle, the corrupt man makes others corrupt; so the holy man wins others to holiness, and the man of Christian enthusiasm will warm up those who come in contact with him.

Sometimes He does it by stirring our nest. This is what He did for Israel in Egypt. They had begun to settle down content with their captivity. They had their flesh-pots, their melons, and their cucumbers, and they did not care to be unsettled; so God stirred them up by oppression. This is the process described in Moses’ song, “As an eagle stirreth up her nest.” {78b} The young eagles, being comfortable in their nest, have no desire to launch forth into the untried experiment of flight. So the parent bird stirs up the nest, and by means of that stirring compels them to a move. Is it not often just the same with us? We are so fond of our nests, so apt to settle down quietly, forgetful of that which is to come. So God in mercy stirs the nest. The heart is saddened, but the very stirring may be God’s appointed instrument for waking up a new hope, a new longing for the second advent, and a dependence never known before on His own grace, and love, and perfect sufficiency.

By whatever means the Lord does it, we must never forget that it is His own divine act of mercy and grace. No sight of evil, no preaching, no example, no chastening can produce the result. It is God the Holy Ghost that stirs the spirit.

II. Consider the need of this stirring amongst the faithful people of God.

It might be supposed that the true and faithful people of God would not require it, and that they would be irresistibly drawn on by the constraining power of the love of Christ. But this is not the teaching of Scripture, and I am sure it is not the conclusion from experience. We must never forget that the wise virgins went to sleep. Nor must we even lose sight of those thrilling words addressed by St. Paul to those in Rome whom he describes as “beloved of God, and called to be saints,” {79a} when in the prospect of the second Advent he said to them, “Now it is high time to awake out of sleep.” {79b} Had they not, you may say, been already aroused from sleep? Had they not been awakened from the sleep of death, and brought into a new life in Christ Jesus? How, then, should it be high time for them to awake out of sleep? Were they not already the “beloved of God”?

Now, this brings us exactly to the point; to the great need of Divine stirring, even for those who have already been awakened into a new life in Christ Jesus. Turn to the Song of Solomon, and you will find the whole thing explained. In ch. v. the Bridegroom is described as returning home at night, and, knocking at the door of his home, calls to the Bride within, and says, “Open to me.” {80} Now what is her state of mind when she hears His knock and listens to His voice? “I sleep, but my heart waketh.” Have we not there the exact description of very common Christian life? How many are there still sleeping, though they hear the knock and their heart waketh? They are neither fully asleep nor fully awake. They are awake enough to hear the voice, but too sleepy to act on it. But we cannot be satisfied with this half and half condition. The Bride in the Song of Solomon was so long in arousing herself, that when at length she did so, it was too late. In ver. 6 she tells her sad, sad story. “I opened to my Beloved, but my Beloved had withdrawn Himself and was gone.” Should not such a description arouse us all? Most truly may it be said that He is standing at our own doors both knocking and calling. Sin is raging, error is spreading, misery is abounding, hell is filling; but, thanks be to God, Christ Jesus is saving, and shall His own chosen people be sleeping quietly, seeking their own ease, and sitting down content if only they can entertain a well-grounded hope that the heavy burden of their own sin has been blotted out through His most precious blood. “Stir up, we beseech Thee, O Lord, the wills of Thy faithful people.”

A WILLING SERVICE

“Who then is willing to consecrate his service this day unto the Lord?”—1 CHRON. xxix. 5.

THE occasion was a very solemn one. It was the last act of David’s reign. He had long desired to build a temple for the glory of God, but he was not allowed to carry out his wish. So he collected the necessary materials, and at length, when he had decided to abdicate in favour of Solomon, he called an assembly and declared Solomon, who was still young and tender, to be his successor, then handed over to him the plans which he had prepared for the Temple, and concluded with a solemn charge. {81}

Having thus ended what may be termed the official business of his life, the aged king proceeded to address the congregation. Let us study four things in that address; his question, his thanksgiving, his prayer, and his final appeal.

HIS QUESTION

He told them how he was passing away, and how the work was great, so he asked them a question which may be well put to every congregation in every age, “Who then is willing to consecrate his service this day unto the Lord?”

Now, we hear a great deal in these days of consecration. The idea of consecration is not a new thing in the Church of God, and I am sure that we want more of the true spirit of it in our own hearts. There is such a thing as consecration of heart, and consecration of service. The consecration of heart is the surrender of the whole man with the affections, the powers, and the strong will to the Lord. The consecration of service is the dedication of all our active powers to his work. When David said, “I am thine,” {82a} it was the consecration of heart, and when Isaiah said, “Here am I, send me,” {82b} it was the consecration of service. Now, it was the consecration of service for which David appealed, and it is this practical consecration of service on which we are dependent for the work in a parish. Who is willing to consecrate his service? I cannot see into the secrets of the hearts, but I know who ought to be willing—all those who believe in the words of our Blessed Saviour, “For their sakes I consecrate Myself.” {82c} Did He, the spotless Son of God, consecrate Himself to be the atoning sacrifice for us? And if we believe that, can we doubt for one moment who it is that should be willing to consecrate his service to Him? Redeemed sinner, is it not you? Pardoned believer, is it not you? Are you ready to fall at His feet and say, “Here am I; let me be Thine. Here is my skill: use it. Here is my intellect: use it. Here is my power of speech: use it. Here is my money: use it. Here is all, all I have and all I am: let it all be Thine own, and help me to employ it for Thy glory”?

HIS PRAISE