CONCLUSION. AN attempt to set forth historically the practice of faith might appropriately conclude with what history would often seem to call the failure of faith, but which is truly to be named the waiting, the patient waiting, of faith for the fulness of the promise. Christian teachers weary at times of their fruitless-looking labours, and light thinkers, looking on the experience of years or of a generation, undervalue the means of faith, and say, "Where is the promise of His coming?" The law of faith's great history has been, "One soweth, another reapeth." Let us place ourselves at any point along the line of history of the undoubtedly unbroken advancement of the truth, and it shall be, that while the past always shows progress, the present will always seem to show failure. What are the figures we there behold whose spirits needed to pray all along in the words, "Lord, I believe: help Thou mine unbelief" ? Abraham childless, who was promised countless seed, standing alone on the plains of Canaan, looking wistfully, often wearily, into the never-clearing future ;-Moses gazing from the top of Pizgah upon the promised land, near at hand at last, but afar off from him, never to be trodden by his feet; -fugitive Elijah on a pinnacle of Horeb, his face wrapt in his mantle, answering Jehovah's words, "What doest thou here, Elijah?" "I have been very jealous for the Lord God of hosts, because the children of Israel have forsaken Thy covenant, thrown down Thine altars, and slain Thy prophets with the sword; and I only am left, and they seek my life to take it away;”—Isaiah at the head of the scattered prophets, all in the midst of hopeless signs, standing with their faces Zionwards, looking for an approaching but never-coming time of the salvation of the Lord, and complaining all, "Who hath believed our report?" Souls living in vain, as they think, on the earth for their Master's service, dying in vain, and leaving the world, not having received the promises, to go complaining into the presence of the Lord, and cry before the altar, "How long, O Lord, holy and true?" (Rev. vi. 10)—with one grandlyimpressive uniformity in this respect, diverse in all other circumstances of their history-these stand along the first great history of faith foreshadows only of the attitude and the depression of soul of an awfully more august figure; even The Only-begotten Son, enduring the contradiction of sinners against Himself, complaining in weariness, "O faithless generation, how long shall I be with you? how long shall I suffer you ?"— His miracles called Beelzebub's,-the Holy Ghost blasphemed, —the Saviour despised and rejected of men,—the mocking hill of Calvary in view. Who shall look forward and expect to see, or wait to receive, the supports of worldly promise, when those could but look to Heaven's promise alone; and, upheld by that, endure, patient and unfainting-in the morning sowing the seed, in the evening withholding not their hand-until they all "died in the faith"? But who shall look back on that past story of the truth's reception, and see faith's life and growth written in the Church's and the unbelieving world's history of salvation, and not be helped by the sight to turn with strength of heart and lift its eyes to the future with patient waiting-"troubled, but not distressed; perplexed, but not in despair"? Had the mighty prophet Elijah to leave his labours to be taken up by his servant Elisha? Did he think himself alone faithful in Israel, while the Lord had seven thousand who had not bowed the knee to Baal? Had the wide sowing of the thoughts of faith in David's reign to perish in the idolatries of Rehoboam? Had the grand moral proclamations, the protests, rebukes, and exhortations, of the later prophets, and their glorious visions of the latter days of salvation, to sink into the mire of the drunken filthiness of the nobles and priests of Jehovah's own chosen people? and yet the Messiah, when He came, came the desire of all nations. Is the manner of this world's history broken? Is it not the same to-day that it was in that long-back yesterday? If the morrow be as far separated from to-day, is there anything in experience to make the promise unstable? Is this the end of the world, as sowers of the living seed eighteen hundred years ago thought their day was; or is the world of man but little past its beginning, needing many ages yet for its recovery to uniting faith in God from the destroying effects of sin? Whenever that destined future may be, he that soweth and he that reapeth shall rejoice "together." To look from the height of Christian ages over the field of the world is the best rebuke to slowness of heart to believe in the efficacy of the teaching of the glad tidings for the recalling of the heathen now, and bringing the evil heart of unbelief into captivity to Christ; the better a rebuke that it is a rebuke likewise to reports of speedy success attending man's schemes in that work of God. THE END. PRINTED BY WILLIAM BLACKWOOD AND SONS, EDINBURGH. MESSRS BLACKWOOD AND SONS' NEW PUBLICATIONS. This day is published, THE BOOK OF THE LANDED ESTATE; CONTAINING DIRECTIONS FOR THE MANAGEMENT AND DEVELOPMENT OF THE RESOURCES BY ROBERT E. BROWN, Factor and Estate Agent, Wass, Yorkshire, In 1 vol. royal 8vo, uniform with the 'BOOK OF THE FARM,' by Mr STEPHENS, with numerous Engravings, price One Guinea. This day is published, THE ORIGIN OF THE SEASONS, CONSIDERED FROM A GEOLOGICAL POINT OF VIEW: SHOWING THE REMARKABLE DISPARITIES THAT EXIST BETWEEN THE PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY AND NATURAL PHENOMENA OF THE NORTH AND SOUTH HEMISPHERES. BY SAMUEL MOSSMAN, Author of 'China, its History and Institutions,' 'Our Australian Colonies,' &c. In crown 8vo, price 10s. 6d., with Engravings. A TRANSLATION OF THE ODES AND EPODES OF HORACE. BY THE RIGHT HONOURABLE LORD LYTTON. [Specimens have appeared in Blackwood's Magazine.] Second Edition of Mr Kinglake's New Volumes. MR KINGLAKE'S HISTORY OF THE INVASION OF THE CRIMEA. WITH SOME ADDITIONAL NOTES AND OBSERVATIONS IN REPLY TO SIR JOHN BURGOYNE. With numerous Maps and Plans, price 34s. |