Hitherto, then, we have been considering the putting down
of the rule, authority, and power of darkness, ignorance, and death—under
the two figures of the stripping of the strong man of his armor—and the
entrance of the two-edged sword of the word into the heart. By this
effectual operation the word, as we have shown, becomes lord and master of
conscience. This is the hardest part of the work, for until submission is
produced, mercy is not manifested. "The arrows are sharp in the heart of the
King's enemies, whereby the people fall under you." (Psalm 45:5.) Where
there is no falling under the power of the word, there is no real submission
of heart to Jesus; no meek taking of his yoke upon the neck—for this is only
for the laboring and heavy-laden; (Matt. 11:28, 29;) no kissing the Son lest
he be angry. (Psalm 2:12.)
But when the heart is "brought down with labor so as to
fall down, and there is none to help;" (Psalm 107:12;) when the Lord sees of
his servants that "their power is gone, and there is none shut up or left;"
(Deut. 32:36;) when there is a putting of the mouth in the dust, if so be
there may be hope; (Lam. 3:29;) and there is no plea nor cry but, "Lord,
save me," "God be merciful to me a sinner," then the scale turns; then it is
found that "the Lord is good to those who wait for him, to the soul that
seeks him, and that it is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait
for the salvation of the Lord." (Lam. 3:25, 26.)
Being thus made "poor in spirit," a title is given to, an
interest secured in the kingdom of heaven; (Matt. 5:3;) and as this poverty
of spirit is attended with the docility and teachability of a little child
there is an entrance into it; for "of such is the kingdom of God, and
whoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child shall in
nowise enter therein." (Luke 18:16, 17.)
If our readers have thus far, then, followed our train of
thought, they will readily perceive that hitherto we have been directing our
attention mainly to that first work of the law upon the conscience, whereby
the soul is—slain, stripped, and emptied of all its self-strength,
self-righteousness, and self-sufficiency—and brought into the dust of death.
This is analogous to the falling of the stone upon the toes of the image,
and corresponds to the first part of Jeremiah's commission—"See, I have this
day set you over the nations and over the kingdoms, to root out, and to pull
down, and to destroy, and to throw down—to build and to plant." (Jer. 1:10.)
There we see that the prophet, as having the words of the Lord put into his
mouth, was commissioned "to root out and to pull down, to destroy and to
throw down"—as well as "to build and to plant." And so the Lord speaks
elsewhere—"And it shall come to pass, that like as I have watched over them,
to pluck up, and to break down, and to destroy, and to afflict—so will I
watch over them, to build, and to plant, says the Lord." (Jer. 31:28.) Both
are equally of God; and he as much watches over the soul to pluck and break
down—as to build and plant.
But as we have endeavored to show the one and first part
of the work, so shall we now attempt to trace out the other; for if the Lord
kills—he makes alive, if he brings down to the grave—he brings up; and he
who makes poor—also raises up the poor out of the dust, and lifts up the
beggar from the ash-heap, to set them among princes, and make them inherit
the throne of glory. (1 Sam. 2:6-8,) Let us see, then, how this gracious
work is accomplished, and the effects that follow.
1. Poverty of spirit springing out of the stripping hand
of God, as we have described it, brings the soul within the reach of all the
invitations of the gospel. "To the poor, the gospel is preached,"
(Luke 7:22,) and for the poor is the gospel supper provided; (Luke 14:21;)
To them, therefore, emphatically do the invitations of the gospel belong.
The full soul loaths a honeycomb. What are all the invitations of the gospel
to one who is "rich and increased with goods and has need of nothing?" (Rev.
3:17.) "Ho, every one who thirsts!" "Look unto me and be saved, all
the ends of the earth." "Call upon me in the day of trouble." "Ask and you
shall receive, seek and you shall find, knock and it shall be opened unto
you." "Come unto me, all you who labor and are heavy-laden," etc.
These and similar invitations are all addressed to the
poor and needy sinner. There is now a place in his heart for them, as
emptied of self; and, as they come home with some degree of sweetness and
savor, power attends them, whereby faith is raised up to believe that God
speaks in them. This is more especially felt when in some season of distress
the invitation is applied, and is thus embraced and acted upon. How many a
poor sinner has hung upon the invitations, embraced them, pleaded them, and
acted upon them. "Ask and you shall receive." What an encouragement to
prayer.
"Look unto me." "Come unto me." How many a poor sensible
sinner has, upon the strength of these words, looked unto Jesus and been
lightened; (Psalm 34:5;) come to him and met with a kind reception.
By the power which attends these invitations the heart is
opened, as was the heart of Lydia, to attend unto the things spoken in the
gospel. It is not put away as too holy for a poor polluted sinner to touch,
nor is the Lord Jesus viewed as an angry Judge; but in these invitations—his
clemency, tenderness, and compassion are seen and felt—and beams and rays of
his mercy and grace both enlighten the understanding and soften and melt the
heart. Thence spring confession of sin, self-loathing, renunciation of one's
own righteousness, earnest desires and breathings after the Lord, and an
embracing of the love of the truth so far as made known.
And as all these effects—so different from the old dead
Pharisaic religion—are produced by the power of the word upon the heart, the
Bible becomes a new book, and is read and studied with attention and
delight. The ears too being unstopped, as well as the eyes opened, if there
be the opportunity of hearing the preached gospel, with what eagerness is it
embraced, and what a sweetness there is found in it. All who have passed
through these things will agree with us that there are no such hearing days
as what Job calls "the days of our youth, when the secret of God is upon our
tabernacle." (Job 29:4.)
2. This breaking up of the great image of sin and self by
the falling of the stone cut without hands upon its feet prepares a way also
for the entrance of the promises, as so many pledges and
foretastes of that kingdom of God—which is peace, and righteousness, and joy
in the Holy Spirit. It is upon the promises that the new covenant stands, as
the Apostle says—"But now has he obtained a more excellent ministry, by how
much also he is the mediator of a better covenant, which was established
upon better promises." (Heb. 8:6.) As, then, we are brought within the
compass of the promises we are brought within the bonds of the covenant,
according to the declaration—"And I will cause you to pass under the rod,
and I will bring you into the bond of the covenant." (Ezek. 20:37.) As,
then, the soul is brought within the compass of the promises, and thus put
within the manifested bond of the covenant, these promises become—as they
are made sweet and precious—so many breasts of consolation, feeding the
new-born babe with the sincere milk of the word, that it may grow thereby.
(Isa. 66:11; 1 Pet. 2:2.)
Every promise that is made spirit and life to the soul,
establishes the power of the word in the heart; for by the application of
the promises (as Peter unfolds the mystery) "the divine nature," that is,
the new man who, after the image of God, (Col. 3:10,) is created in
righteousness and true holiness, is brought forth. (Eph. 4:24; 2 Pet. 1:4.)
This is a partaking of the divine nature, that is, what is communicable of
the divine nature, as being a conformity to the image of God's dear Son,
Christ in the heart the hope of glory. (Rom. 8:29; Col. 1:27.) By being
brought, then, within the compass of the promises we become children and
heirs of them; (Gal. 4:28; Heb. 6:17;) and as they are applied with power,
they are all found to be "in Christ yes, and in him amen, to the glory of
God by us." (2 Cor. 1:20.)
It was by thus believing the promise that our father
Abraham was justified, as the Apostle declares—"He staggered not at the
promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to
God; and being fully persuaded that what he had promised he was able also to
perform. And therefore it was imputed to him for righteousness." (Rom.
4:20-22.) In his steps his children walk, and thus are blessed with him.
(Rom. 4:11; Gal. 3:9.) The promise comes, faith believes, hope expects,
patience waits; and so through faith and patience they inherit the promises.
(Rom. 15:4; Heb. 6:12, 17-20.)
3. And as the promises are made sweet and precious, as
pledges and foretastes of the gospel, and thus establish the power of the
word upon the heart, so when the gospel itself is made "the power
of God unto salvation," it beyond everything seals and ratifies this power
and authority of the word. This is what the Apostle sets forth so
clearly and blessedly in his first epistle to the Thessalonians, "For we
know, brothers loved by God, that he has chosen you, because our gospel came
to you not simply with words, but also with power, with the Holy Spirit and
with deep conviction. You know how we lived among you for your sake. You
became imitators of us and of the Lord; in spite of severe suffering, you
welcomed the message with the joy given by the Holy Spirit." (1 Thess.
1:4-6.) "For this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because, when you
received the word of God which you heard of us, you received it not as the
word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which effectually works
also in you that believe." (1 Thess. 2:13.)
It is the peculiar province of faith to believe the
gospel; but this faith must "stand not in the wisdom of men, but in the
power of God," (1 Cor. 2:5,) that it may be a saving faith. When, then, the
gospel comes "not in word only," as it does to thousands, "but also with
power, with the Holy Spirit and with deep conviction"—as it only does to the
elect of God, (1 Thess, 1:4,) by this power faith is raised up and drawn
forth. By this faith the gospel is received, "not as the word of men," which
might be weak and worthless, and is sure to be inoperative and
inefficacious—but "as it is in truth, the word of God, which effectually
works in those who believe."
How evidently does this show, not only the power of the
word, but that the gospel is that power, and that it is, if we may use the
expression, a working power effectually molding the heart, giving grace to
the lips, and producing all holy obedience in the life. But as the gospel is
a message from God, a proclamation of mercy and grace—the best news that
ever reached a poor sensible sinner's ears, for it proclaims pardon and
peace, reconciliation and acceptance, through the blood and righteousness of
Christ, so it is but the herald of advance to announce the nearer coming of
the Son of God himself. It is, as it were, the chariot in which he rides
"paved with love for the daughters of Jerusalem." (Song Sol. 3:10.)
We do not wish to separate, except for the sake of
distinctness, the gospel—from him who is the sum and substance of it, nor
the belief of the gospel from the revelation of Christ in and by the gospel,
as these are often made manifest at one and the same moment. But for the
sake of obtaining clearer views of the subject, we shall make a distinction
between believing the gospel and the personal manifestation of Christ. Thus
the disciples evidently believed the gospel and received Christ's words;
(John 15:3; 16:30; 17:8;) and still they were as yet unacquainted with the
special manifestations of Christ, as is evident from the question of Judas,
(not Iscariot), and the Lord's answer. (John 14:22, 23.) So in many cases
now, and we may add it was much our own experience, there is a believing the
gospel—prior to the revelation of the Son of God with power to the soul.
4. When, then, the blessed Lord reveals himself to
the soul in his glorious Person, finished work, atoning blood, and dying
love—then it is with the willing heart almost as it was when the risen and
ascended King of Zion entered the courts of heavenly bliss—"Lift up your
heads, O gates; and be lifted up, you everlasting doors, and the King of
glory shall come in!" (Psalm 24:7.) Surely the posts of the doors of the
heart are moved at his appearance as of the King in his beauty. (Isa. 6:4;
33:17.) His eternal Deity and Sonship on the one hand, and his pure spotless
humanity on the other, uniting to form his one glorious Person as Immanuel,
God with us—are presented to the eye of faith. As he thus appears in his
glory—the understanding is divinely illuminated, the conscience purged, the
heart melted and broken, and the affections drawn forth to embrace this
glorious Lord as the chief among ten thousand and the altogether lovely one!
And as this revelation of Christ, though necessarily
supernatural, has nothing in it visionary or enthusiastic, but is a most
sober and substantial reality, so it is always attended with, or followed by
the word of truth, either to communicate or confirm it. Sometimes it
communicates it; that is, through the word applied and believed the Lord
reveals himself to the soul, as very frequently, for instance, under the
preached word—and often in private by the applied, without the medium of the
preached word. Sometimes the word does not so much communicate it as it
follows upon and confirms the inward revelation of the Son of God—"before I
was aware, my soul became like the chariots of Amminadab," or "a willing
people;" (Song 6:12;) that is, the soul is unexpectedly, as it were,
ravished with the appearance of the King in his beauty, without any
particular word from his lips. But passages flow almost immediately in to
explain, confirm, and settle what has been thus transacted between the Lord
and the soul without the immediate instrumentality of the word itself. This
is like a second feast, a sitting under the shadow of the Beloved with great
delight, and finding his fruit sweet to the taste. (Song 2:3.)
We thus see how the word of God is established in its
power and authority in the heart, not only by its strength to pull down, but
by its strength to build up; by its mission to heal, as well as by its
mission to kill. If we may say of it what the Apostle declares of an earthly
magistrate, that it "bears not the sword in vain," we may also add, it "is
the minister of God for good." (Rom. 13:4.) The word of a king would be
spoiled of half of its authority if life as well as death, were not in the
power of his tongue; (Prov. 18:21;) and if he could not, as supreme, (1 Pet.
2:13,) show mercy as well as judgment, pardon as well as punish.
And so, is there not one supreme Law-giver who is able to
save and to destroy? (Jas. 4:12.) When David measured Moab with two lines,
the one to put to death and the other to keep alive, (2 Sam. 8:2,) the line
of life was as much the king's line, and as much stretched by his authority
as the line of death. The stretching of both these lines over the heart, of
law and gospel, of the curse and the blessing, of the killing and the making
alive, of the wrath of the king as the messenger of death and the light of
his countenance as life and his favor as a cloud of the latter rain, (Prov.
16:14, 15,) makes the Lord at once both feared and loved. By the one the
soul is preserved from presumption, and by the other from despair; and thus
by the combined impressions of judgment and mercy, God is served acceptably
with reverence and godly fear. (Heb. 12:28.)
But this manifestation of Christ to the soul is attended
with peculiar blessings which not only are in themselves exceedingly
precious, and prove the revelation to be genuine—not "the child of fancy
richly dressed," but "the living child," but still more fully confirm the
power and authority of the word of the Lord.
1. First, this manifestation of Christ to the soul makes
the word itself exceeding sweet and precious. Jeremiah knew this
experimentally when he said, "Your words were found and I did eat them, and
your word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of my heart;" (Jer. 15:16;) and
so felt the Psalmist—"How sweet are your words unto my taste! yes, sweeter
than honey to my mouth." (Psalm 119:103.) Nor was Job without an experience
of the same sweetness of the word when he said, "I have esteemed the words
of his mouth more than my necessary food." (Job 23:12.) Does not, then, this
tasting of the sweetness of the word establish its power in the heart in the
surest and most convincing way?
2. This manifestation of Christ to the soul sweeps
away the unbelief and infidelity of the carnal reasoning mind. Perhaps
few of his readers have been more tempted by unbelief and infidelity than
the writer of these lines; but he knows from blessed experience how a
revelation of the glorious Person of the Son of God to the soul sweeps away
as with one stroke, at least for a time, all these armies of hell. Not a
single doubt of the Deity, Sonship, and pure humanity of the Son of God can
stand before the revelation of the glorious King of Zion; and if the
unworthy author of these Meditations has been enabled in former papers to
trace out the Deity and Sonship, and the spotless humanity of the blessed
Redeemer with any degree of light and life in his own soul, or with any
measure of instruction and edification to his readers, he must thankfully
ascribe it to what he has been favored to see of these divine realities by
the eye of faith in the person of the God-man.
3. This manifestation of Christ to the soul therefore
harmonizes the whole word of God from first to last. As the incarnate
Word was "set for the fall" as well as "the rising again of many in Israel,
and for a sign which should be spoken against," so it is with the written
word; it is made a snare, and a trap, and a stumbling-block "to those to
whom God has given the spirit of slumber—eyes that they should not see, and
ears that they should not hear." (Luke 2:34; Rom. 11:9.) This is the reason
why men infidels stumble at the word, being disobedient, whereunto also they
were appointed. (1 Pet. 2:8.) Ever on the watch for difficulties and
objections, they easily find or make what they seek; and as quarrelsome
people readily pick a quarrel, so do they in a moment quarrel with a straw
if it seem to lie awry across their reasoning, counting, calculating path.
But by so doing they only fall into their own nets, while the godly escape.
(Psalm 141:10.)
Truly does Wisdom speak—"All the words of my mouth are
just; none of them is crooked or perverse. To the discerning all of them are
right; they are faultless to those who have knowledge." (Prov. 8:8, 9.) But
being destitute of a heavenly mind and of that divine anointing which
teaches of all things, and is truth and no lie, (1 John 2:27,) such men
"speak evil of those things which they know not; and even what they know
naturally," as arithmetic and logic, "in these things they corrupt
themselves," (Jude 10,) abasing their very knowledge to attempt to prove God
a liar.
4. This manifestation of Christ to the soul by faith,
also produces submission to the will of God, a leaving of all things
in his hand, and a laying at his feet a thousand difficult questions in
providence and in grace, which at other times, the more they are thought of,
the more do they rack and perplex the mind, both as regards ourselves and
others. We cannot enlarge upon this point, but it is surprising to find what
hard knots a believing view of Christ unties—what crooked things it makes
straight—and what a complete answer it is to the sullen objections of our
perverse spirit—bearing the soul, as it were, on a full wave into a harbor
of peaceful rest—over those sunken rocks on which so many gallant ships
sink.
5. Another effect which we must name as produced by the
personal manifestation of Christ to the soul is the place which it gives
the precept in the heart. All who study with any measure of divine light
and life the pages of the New Testament, and pay any attention to such
portions of it as the sermon on the mount and the preceptive parts of the
Epistles must clearly see and feel what an important place the precept
occupies in the inspired word. Take, for instance, the Epistles to the
Ephesians, the Philippians, and the Colossians, and it will be found that at
least half of each of these epistles is occupied with the precept, blended
it is true with doctrine and experience, but enforcing, in the plainest
manner, practical obedience.
But these holy, godly, practical precepts are in our day
either wholly overlooked, or distorted into legal duties—the reason being
that they have not that place in the heart which they have in the word of
truth. And yet by this preceptive portion of the gospel are explained and
enforced all that practical obedience, all that godliness of life, all that
holiness of walk and conversation which mark the followers of the Lamb, and
whereby their heavenly Father is glorified.
But as this obedience must be spiritual not
carnal—evangelical and not legal—of the heart and not of the lip—to the
glory of God and not to the exaltation of self—it can only be produced by
the Holy Spirit. As, therefore, the Lord Jesus, under the power and unction
of the Holy Spirit, reveals himself to the soul, and takes his place as Lord
of the heart, obedience to the precept is produced by the same power and
influence as the faith, hope, and love by and in which he is received. The
precept, therefore, under these divine influences, comes into its right, its
scriptural, and spiritual position—occupying that place in the heart which
it occupies in the word of truth—and is seen and felt to harmonize in the
most gracious and blessed manner with every holy doctrine, every precious
promise, and every sweet manifestation.
We would willingly enlarge here, and show how productive
this is of all practical obedience in attending to the ordinances of God's
house—and how it embraces and extends itself to every relationship in
life—and is as remote from all Antinomian carelessness and licentiousness as
it is from legal service and Pharisaic righteousness. But as it is in our
mind, the Lord enabling us, on some future occasion to make this point the
subject of our Meditations, as being in our view, though much disregarded,
yet full of profitable instruction, we shall content ourselves with thus
briefly touching on one of the most important and, we must say, least
understood points of our most holy faith.