IN ALL CASES OBEY AND TRUST IN THE LORD. 37

Friends, what can be done in these trying circumstances, or what can be said, more or less, than simply to follow the holy example, and aspire in the heart, "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do." The enemy would doubtless provoke to anger; but it is not well to be angry, though we may be grieved; what can be done, more than carry all to HIM who has graciously said, by one of HIS prophets, " Cast thy burthen upon the Lord; and He shall sustain thee."+ Doubtless, each of us may individually remember having provoked the Lord; so let us, if we incline to anger, be angry each with himself, and each with his own sin; and let us all deeply seek to know of the Lord, if He have any service for us, with reference to these dark and mysterious defections among us; this unfaithfulness "to the Father of Lights." And cease not to bear in mind, that if the society should ever again experience and witness the glory which has departed from our Israel, it will only be, by getting back to that Rock, which, by too much talking about in our own strength, we had nearly lost sight of, while tossed on the waves of soul-deceiving, self-seeking, empty profession, dry, and dead, and nought, and, alas! even worse than nought.

May we all sink deep into our own souls; may we dig deep, and be enabled to cast out all the rubbish from our hearts, all our own wills and ways, and especially the idols, and come down to the Rock that abideth for ever; even Christ in us, the hope of Glory," the only way to Glory: that we may build on a sure foundation with those materials only which He supplies us with; and, in that manner only which He teaches, for change is stamped on all besides.

* Luke xxiii. 34. + Psalms lv. 22.

Coloss. i. 27.

38

THE KNOWLEDGE OF DIVINE THINGS

Then let us be careful in all things to endeavour to be guided by the good Shepherd; neither running before, nor idling behind, nor straying either from the fold or from the path; for, let us remember, that God's works, not our's, can praise HIM;"* and His wisdom only can direct aright, and His power only can preserve; therefore, let us endeavour to be wise as serpents, and harmless as doves."+ Careful to do our own day's work in the day time; for " the night cometh" on each of us,

66

"wherein no man can work ;" and where the tree falleth, there it shall be."§

Numerous have been the instances in which forms and shadows have been introduced by Divine Wisdom, because of the deficiency of spirituality in mankind: and Jesus, speaking of one of these divine laws, says, "Moses, because of the hardness of your hearts, suffered you" to do so and so.¶ while I have been writing this little book, I have deplored the continuance of hardness of heart, which, even to this day, covers the minds of religious professors in every church, and lamentably tends to curb and divert our heaven-ward progress. I have, in much awe and humility of soul, far beyond my power of language to express, felt the pure, unmixed, entirespirituality, and infinite nature of the christian dispensation, shewn forth in every record of the precept and example of Jesus Christ; and we may observe by the records of the holy apostles, that not even they knew any spiritual thing, until it was spiritually communicated to them; and I believe that the hardness of heart still existing is, in no slight degree, caused by the outward nature of the religion and worship prevailing among

*Psalms cxlv. 10. † Matt. x. 16. ‡ John ix. 4. § Eccles. xi. 3. ¶ Mat. xix. 8.

christians. We read, that when Christ was about to be offered up for our sins, that through His grace we might be redeemed from sin, He addressed His disciples in these words, "I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now; howbeit when He, the Spirit of Truth is come, He will guide you into all truth; for He shall not speak of Himself; but whatsoever He shall hear, that shall He speak; and He will shew you things to come: He shall glorify Me, for He shall receive of mine and shall shew it unto you: All things that the Father hath are mine; therefore, said I, that He shall take of mine and shall shew it unto you.' ""* And again, “The time cometh when I shall no more speak unto you in proverbs, but I shall shew you plainly of the Father."+

We here. see, that at the period when the Son of God was about to be offered up, the disciples even yet remained so carnal and worldly minded, that the most spiritual or vital portion of His doctrines, He told them plainly they could not yet bear; and goes on to instruct them what would enable them to bear it, to understand it, and to be led and guided by it; in which they would come to experience that blessed state wherein He would no more speak to them in proverbs, but tell them plainly of the Father; and this same Spirit of Truth is in us; but, alas! how do we neglect it! And the utter inadequacy of any thing short of Revelation to enable man to comprehend the things of God, was soon put to the test; for Mark thus records the events which immediately ensued upon the resurrection. "Now, when Jesus was risen, early the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom he had cast seven devils.

* John xvi. 12, 15. † John xvi. 25.

40

SPIRITUAL THINGS ONLY

And she went and told them that had been with Him, as they mourned and wept. And they, when they had heard that He was alive, and had been seen of her, believed not. After that He appeared in another form unto two of them as they walked and went into the country; and and they went and told it unto the residue, neither believed they them. Afterward He appeared unto the eleven as they sat at meat, and upbraided them with their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they believed not them which had seen Him after He was risen."*

This hardness of heart and unbelief of the apostles, how strikingly does it confirm these fundamental doctrines with which the Bible abounds. By grace are ye saved, through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God."+ "Every good gift, and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of Lights." "No man can say that Jesus is the Lord but by the Holy Ghost."§ And we see that even those who, like Peter, have received this revelation of God, have no property in it, but only have it so long as God pleaseth to continue to reveal it to them; for Peter, to whom the living God had revealed that Jesus was the Christ, His Son.|| And Peter, James, and John who had witnessed "Moses and Elias talking with Jesus;" and who had heard the voice of God, saying unto them, "This is my Beloved Son hear Him:"¶ And all the Apostles who had witnessed Him restoring several dead bodies to life; who had witnessed that those who touched but His garments were made perfectly whole; who had witnessed His feeding thousands abundantly with a quantity of food, which, without a miracle, would have sufficed

*Mark xvi. 9, 14. xii. 3.

+ Ephes. ii. 8. Matt. xvi. 17.

James i. 17.

¶ Mark ix. 4, 7.

§ 1 Cor.

SPIRITUALLY DISCERNED.

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only a few individuals; who had declared, (and doubtless with sincerity), that they would die for Him rather than forsake Him; who had witnessed Him walking across the sea, on the surface of the water; who had witnessed Peter, at His permission, approach Him on the same unstable element; who had witnessed, that while faith remained in Peter, he was perfectly safe; but that when he began to fear, when he no longer had implicit, unalloyed faith, he began to sink, although in the bodily presence of the Holy Saviour; who had witnessed that even the winds and sea obeyed His voice, and that the tempest was instantly hushed at His rebuke; He bestowed a great calm upon them, instead of the billows which had begun to overwhelm them; and He had, moreover, informed them of His resurrection ; and they had all the reason to depend upon His truth, His Wisdom, and His Fidelity, that it was possible rational creatures could possess: yet, would they not believe, though Mary Magdalene told them, and though two of their brethren told the remainder.*

This incredulity is utterly at variance with all known principles of human reasoning; but to those who have been baptized into the knowledge of the doctrine, that every good gift, and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of Lights;† even this incredulity, how astonishing soever to the unregenerate mind, causes little or no marvel to those who have been taught of God: they know that neither the apostles nor any other men can discern the things of God, except as they are spiritually revealed.‡ although scientific and other reasoning knowledge are attained by mental research, and he who has the quickest

*Mark xvi. 11, 13. + James i. 17.

1 Cor. ii. 14.