Saviour, The Risen, the Life of His people, by W. Jay ... 55 142 ... 158 117 ... 169 11, 12, 27, 28, 43, 44, 59, 60, 75, 76, 91, 92, 103, 104, 119, 120, 131, 132, 143, 144, 159, 160, 171, 172 Temple, God's, by Rev. H. Fisher WAYSIDE WORDS. THE ONE THING LACKING. Thoughts on St. Mark x. 17-22. HE history of souls is very interesting and profitable. and would not come to Him for life. Now, looking at the history of this young man, we see much to admire. I do not say there was good in him, for I believe there is no goodness before grace: still, much we may rightly praise. 1. He was in true earnest. He came, not walking leisurely along, but running. One does admire earnestness, if blended with sincerity, though of course a man may be earnest in a bad as well as in a good cause. Earnestness in religion is to be encouraged; let him, says Carlyle, who would move or convince others be first moved and convinced himself. The young man's question too, was a right one," What shall I do that What shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?" 2. He was respectful and reverent in his manner. He gave honor to whom it was due. He addressed Christ as "Good Master," though our Lord rebuked him for that, meaning, 'If I am good, I am God; and you do not believe I am God, therefore you should not call Me good.' Still, we may admire his reverent address. Irreverence is one of the bad signs of the age. Some quote the Bible in jest, as if it were only a common book. Never do that. Never sit in the seat of the scornful. VOL X. 1 3. He professed to be, and I suppose really thought himself a doer of the law, and not a hearer only, for he says, " all these have I observed from my youth." Alas! how ignorant he was of his own heart! Let me gather three lessons from the story of this young man. FIRST, learn the object of the Law. The young man said, What shall I do? He wanted to be saved by doing, and therefore Christ sets him to do what no man living can do, that is keep the whole Law. But why refer him to the Law? To teach him his own sinfulness. And indeed our Lord proves to him that he does not keep the law, for one part of the law is, "Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself," and this he is not willing to do, for when Christ says, sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor, he was sad, and went away grieved. Now we have all broken God's commandments, for "whosoever," says St. James, "shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all" (James ii. 10), and do not forget, God's commandments condemn evil thoughts, as well as evil words and evil deeds. So that suppose a man kept the whole nine commandments, and yet on one occasion had coveted (coveting, you see is not an act, but a thought) his neighbour's house, or wife, or ox, or ass, what then? Why God's Word pronounces that man "cursed." So we read in Galations iii. 10, "Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them." It has been said that we are so fond of the Law that we read it every Sunday. But is there not a cause? We do not expect our people to keep it, though it should be the rule of our lives, but the Holy Spirit uses it to convince of sin. For St. Paul says, "The law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ." That is its true. object-to teach us our own sinfulness and weakness, and drive us to Christ. SECONDLY, The one thing lacking. Alas, to how many we may say, "One thing thou lackest." They are amiable and reverent, but there is one cross they cannot lift-they have never given themselves. They give £1 or £5 to God's cause every year, but they never give themselves! One thing thou lackest." eloquent living preacher says An "The garden is beautifully laid out: the straight lines and the curves are exact; the terraces are arranged with artistic taste; but no seed is sown, and the summer says-One thing thou lackest.' "The machinery is perfect: cylinder, piston, valve, are in excellent order; no flaw is in the wheel, no obstruction in the flue; finer engine never stood on the iron way; everything is there but steam, and the intending traveller says, 'One thing thou lackest.' "The watch has a golden case, the dial is exquisitely traced and figured, the hands are delicate and well-fixed; everything is there but the mainspring; and he who inquires the time says, 'One thing thou lackest.' ! THIRDLY, learn the need of decision. He went away grieved. His heart was divided. He wanted to serve two masters. Like another he said, "Lord, I will follow Thee; but " Alas! how many are saying still, Lord, I want to be a Christian, I want to live for eternity, but Oh may the Holy Spirit take away that dreadful “but,” and enable you to say, "Lord, I will follow Thee; through floods and flames, by Thy grace, will I go with Thee; for richer or poorer, through evil report and good report, I take Thee as my Saviour and my all only do Thou hold me up, and I shall be safe." But, my friends, know of a truth, that whether you are persuaded or not to give up yourselves to Christ, God's elect will be saved with an everlasting salvation. He went away grieved." Did he never come back? Well, some have thought he did, and that his name was Lazarus, because it is said, "Jesus beholding him, loved him;" and if Jesus loved him, one would think that he could not perish. And then in John xi. where we read of his raising from the dead three times over, we are told Jesus loved Lazarus: verse 3, he whom Thou lovest is sick: verse 5, Jesus loved Martha, and her sister, and Lazarus: verse 36, Then said the Jews, Behold, how He loved him! As John was the one who leaned on His breast, so this young man was he whom Jesus loved, and putting all the verses together, it looks probable that though at this time he went away grieved, through God's grace he afterwards became the friend of Jesus. We hope it was so! We wish all our readers a very Happy New Year. May the Saviour's love, and the Saviour's grace, fill all our hearts, so at the opening of 1879, we may be constrained to say those old words (oft used before half-heartedly and coldly) with burning love and prayerful earnestness,-" We offer and present unto Thee, O Lord, ourselves, our souls and bodies, to be a reasonable, holy, and lively sacrifice unto Thee." May each reader say for himself and herself, O God "Take my lips, and let them be Filled with messages from Thee." And then each one will feel "Words which Thou Thyself shalt give me, Must prevail." THE EDITOR. THE SECURITY OF THE SAINTS. Notes of a Sermon, by the late Rev. EDWARD LILLINGSTON, M.A. "Neither shall any man pluck them out of My hand. My Father which gave them Me is greater than all, and no man is able to pluck them out of My Father's hand. I and my Father are one." St. John x. 28 (1.c.) 29, 30. E have considered the absolute, eternal security of the true sheep of Christ, from these words: "They shall never perish," and our Lord in this passage repeats the same truth, only it may be that the former passage might have reference more especially to internal enemies, whereas the expression contained in the passage before us may refer more particularly to those foes which may assail the sheep of Christ from without. But by the repetition of this truth our Lord seemed to intimate the opposition it would receive from the world in all ages, and moreover, that it was a truth which His own dear people would be very backward to receive for their own comfort and the glory of His name: therefore again and again does He repeat it, in every varied form in order to prove its reality and convince His people of its truth. I have before said that opposition to this truth arises from ignorance. I believe that those who are opposed to it, and those who from various motives do not proclaim it, are themselves destitute of any experience of its power: they do not know it themselves, and they are afraid of proclaiming what God has revealed, lest others should possess and enjoy what they have not themselves. Brethren, what would the Gospel be if it were deprived of this truth? It would be no " Gospel" at all, it would be no "good news," if to-day we might be in the enjoyment of high and blessed privileges and in the prospect of eternal glory, and to-morrow be uncertain as to whether we might be involved in eternal ruin, the very height of the privilege to which we might attain to-day would only enhance the misery which we should experience to-morrow. The Apostle argues in 1 Cor. xii, respecting the mystical body of Christ, that if one member suffer all the members suffer with it. Now supposing that any one of those brought into the mystical body of Christ, could really fail of attaining eternal blessedness, the Head of the body Himself could not enjoy perfect satisfaction and happiness. I have often given you as a test of true doctrine |
