SUNDAY MORNING No. 22.
Nearer The Crisis.
The end foreshown in Nebuchadnezzar's vision. - The days of the clay and
iron feet. - The fulfilment of the vision during past ages without human
assistance. - Our non-existence during the progress of the vision. - Yet our
turn at last. - The importance of our part. - The Lord's arrival. - The standard
of our position then. - The kingdom of heaven. - The principles of the kingdom
in the saints beforehand. - The wisdom of the present world manifested as folly
when the kingdom of God arrives. - The right course to pursue now. - The
principles of the kingdom of heaven. - Individual sense of insignificance. - The
fear of the Lord. - Broken and contrite in heart. - The case of Job. - Human
doctrines in the contrary direction. - The undivine nature of present sociey. -
The man after God's own heart. - His example on the subject of prayer. - Love
and fear nourish prayer. - Christ's brethren men of prayer. - Self-examination.
- Shortcomings and forgiveness. - Christ's compassion on the people. - Our
example. - Mercy an attribute of God and all His children. - Saying and doing. -
Loving in deed and in truth. - Present dangers. - The thing to aim at.
EVERY breaking of bread brings us one week nearer to the great crisis so vividly
brought before us in the vision of Nebuchadnezzar's image, which we have had
under our attention during the last week, in our daily readings. It is about
2,500 years since Daniel said to Nebuchadnezzar, "Thou art this head of gold."
The things that were at that time matters of prophecy are now nearly all in the
past. The golden empire of Babylon; the silver empire of the Medes and Persians;
the brazen dominion of the Greeks, and the two-legged iron power of imperial
Rome are all affairs of history. We stand in the days of the clay and iron feet
-- the day when the Europe-ruling, ancient, iron Rome is a divided and weakened
mass of independent sovereignties; and we are living late -- very late, in these
days -- at the end of them, in fact, as we know from other visions and many
contemporary facts, such as the complete disappearance of the coercive power of
the Papacy. We stand on the verge of the catastrophe represented by the
destruction of the symbolic image. We live in the era of the Lord's appearing to
destroy all the kingdoms of men, and set up that one universal dominion of which
there will be no end.
It is profitable to realize one fact. During all these centuries, the vision of
Daniel has been slowly and surely working itself out in the affairs of men,
without our assistance -- yea, without our existence. When Daniel stood before
Nebuchadnezzar you might have searched the measureless universe round and you
would not have anywhere found the persons who are assembled here this morning.
Five hundred years afterwards you might have renewed the search with no greater
success. A thousand years -- two thousand years afterwards, we were still
unborn; yet the hand of God was slowly writing on the page of history the record
of His purpose accomplished. Does this not enable us to feel how unnecessary we
are to God: how certainly His word will come to pass independently of us? Yet we
must not shut our eyes to the importance of our own relation to the matter. Our
turn has come at last: here we find ourselves at the most interesting period of
the entire vision; called in the grace of God to be hearers of the joyful sound,
with a view to our being "doers of the word" and heirs of the glorious kingdom
about to appear. In this position, it is of the first consequence that we seek
to gauge our prospective relations.
When the moment arrives at which it will become clear that the great culmination
of the vision has begun -- when it is announced that the Lord is actually in the
earth, the anxiety that will press itself home with overwhelming force on every
mind will be, "What is my individual relation to the crisis?" "Am I favourably
connected with the great matters about to be transacted?" It will be evident by
a moment's thought that mere intelligence in the signs of the times will not be
of great value in the dreadful situation. The signs of the times are valuable
only as indications of the approach of something. It is the something whose
approach they indicate that is the standard of our position amid the closing
scenes of the Gentile times. What is that something?
Brethren and sisters, it is a kingdom of heaven that is coming; a kingdom
founded upon the principles of God in contrast with those now recognized among
men; a kingdom not of this world. Who will be admitted to it? Only those who
belong to it in the sense of partaking of its principles, and being prepared by
the present individual operation of these principles for the political
enforcement of them, which is to characterize the operation of the kingdom of
God. This fact is made abundantly evident in the New Testament. Jesus speaks of
many who will come to him in that day, seeking admission, to whom he will say,
"I never knew you." The reason of their rejection he discloses in the words,
"Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of
heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven." Hence the
great question of the hour, when the Lord has come, will be, "Have I acted in
harmony with the principles on which the kingdom of heaven is to be set up?" The
Lord will have no use for us, unless our wisdom be according to his standard.
Many men are wise according to this world, whose wisdom will turn into great
folly under the scrutiny of the Lord. Kings and captains; bishops and great men;
professional men and merchants grown rich, with their much honouring of each
other, and their much provision for their own well-being, and their neglect of
the poor, and their despising of the Word of God, will appear in the dread and
confusion of that day as the greatest of fools; and so will all professors who
have caught up and acted out their worldly-wise principles. The only men who
will appear wise will be those who have made themselves fools and poor for
Christ's sake, who have incurred reproach and poverty in the carrying out of the
work he has given his servants to do in his absence, in the sounding abroad of
his name, and the comforting of his brethren, and the succouring of his poor.
In view of that time to which we shall all presently stand related, whether we
live or die, let us glance at the principles of the kingdom of heaven as brought
before us in the portions of Scripture read this morning. The kingdom is not of
this world. Christ said, "I am not of this world": the application of which is
brought home to us in the words of Paul: "Be not conformed to this world, but be
ye transformed by the renewing of your mind." Let us look at the principles
which distinguish the accepted of God from the present evil world in all its
departments.
First, turn to the reading from Job. There we find Job saying, "I abhor myself,
and repent in dust and ashes." Here we have one of the first principles of the
kingdom of heaven. Remember who Job was. God said of him, "There is none like
him in the earth, a perfect and upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth
evil." Yet he says, "I abhor myself in dust and ashes." He had just had a
glimpse of the divine majesty, and as in the similar case of Daniel (10:8), all
his beauty in him turned to corruption. He was overpowered by the sense of the
inferiority and uncleanness of human nature created within him by his vision of
the glory of the divine nature. Now, though we are not permitted to see this
glory with the eye, we have so much recorded pertaining to it, that with due
attention to what is written, we may easily attain the same profound sense of
worthlessness and insignificance. We must attain to this if we are to enter the
kingdom of God. It is one of the first things exacted of such. "Thus saith the
high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity ... to this man will I look, even to
him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and that trembleth at my word." It is
written, "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom". The fear of the Lord
produces a strong sense of self-abasement where it is effectual. It is a logical
result; for where a man adequately apprehends the greatness and majesty of God
as the SELF-EXISTENT and the Creator of all, he will easily realize how little
he is in himself, and how inferior as a piece of earthly defiled animal
mechanism. The mind that is equal to the grasping of the glory of God will
readily feel the dishonour of man. This sentiment is the first characteristic of
the family of God. It is enunciated with emphasis in every part of the
Scriptures. Jesus declares that except a man humble himself as a little child,
he shall in no case enter into the kingdom of God. Peter and James both quote
Solomon's declaration that the Lord resisteth the proud, but giveth grace to the
humble." It is written many times, that He knoweth the proud afar off; that
those who walk in pride, He will abase; that he that exalteth himself shall be
brought down; that the meek and the lowly, and the modest, and the child-like,
and the humble He will receive, approve, bless, honour, and exalt.
This is, in fact, the distinguishing feature of the principles revealed from
heaven, as contrasted with those that originate in the thinking of man. This is
seen and felt by those who intelligently advocate the latter. There is a good
illustration of it in a recent magazine article, in which the teaching of Christ
is opposed explicitly on this point. The writer argues that self reliance is the
root of all nobility and virtue, and that because Christianity inculcates
self-abasement, it is an ignoble and demoralizing religion. The writer is a
believer in human immortality and innate human excellence. This explains his
insane opposition to the most true and (in the true sense) philosophical
religion of Christ. Any man with a practical knowledge of human nature,
unobscured by the false sentiments generated by false philosophy, will be
prepared heartily to endorse the declaration of the New Testament, that in the
flesh dwelleth no good thing; and to admire the foundation principle of the
Gospel system -- the glory of the Creator, and the humiliation of poor man.
Suffice it on the present occasion to realize that at the approaching
reappearance of Christ, no man need go before him with the expectation of his
approbation who is not supremely characterized by this first principle of the
house of God -- personal smallness in his own esteem, and a "minding not high
things, but condescending to men of low estate" (Rom. 12:16). It need not be
said how totally different is the state of things prevailing in society around
us. Our danger is great from this circumstance. We are apt to catch the spirit
of the world in all the haughtiness and mightiness of carriage that is to be
seen everywhere, and to be ashamed of the soberness and smallness and
rationality that belong to the profession of the truth. Let us beware. The truth
calls us to "live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present world." Any
other life will make our destruction certain, when we come to stand before that
judge, who is no respecter of persons.
The second reading brings before us the next family characteristic of the sons
and daughters of God. "Unto thee will I cry, O Lord, my rock; be not silent to
me." David, the man after God's own heart, was a man of prayer: so was David's
Son and Lord, who frequently retired from the crowd that thronged around him,
and in some cases "continued all night in prayer to God" (Luke 6:12). It is a
standing precept of his house "to pray to God without ceasing," whose house are
we IF we continue steadfast in the faith of obedience of Him. And it is natural
for sons of God to pray for as sons of God, their first love is the love of God
-- not a feeble, moderate love, but a love of the sort expressed by the words,
"with all thy strength, soul, and mind." This being their love, it impels them,
as all love does, to intercourse with its object. Their fears impel them in the
same direction: for they have fears, as David had, and Jesus in the days of his
flesh had. The triumphs of the enemy and their own experience of evil, and the
awful greatness of God, make them afraid, and drive them to prayer. This mixture
of love and fear gives earnestness to their prayers, and hope makes the light to
shine. The men that Jesus will summon around him in the work of God will be men
of prayer -- not praying men in the mechanical sense, like Mohammedans and
Papists, but men in whom ripe reason, acting on the facts revealed in the Word
of God, has brought forth its fruits of daily and hourly incense to the Most
High. None else need hope for acceptance. This is the fact to be looked at and
applied now.
Let everyone fall back on self-examination. If we come short in this matter, let
us not give way to dejection and hopelessness. Let us rather take courage from
the other fact exemplified in both the Scriptures read, and indeed in all the
Scriptures continually -- that "there is forgiveness with God." "He that
confesseth his sins and forsaketh them shall have mercy." To neglect prayer is a
Sin, because it is a transgression of the law which commands us to pray. If any
man convicts himself secretly of this neglect, let him put an end to his
neglect, let him forsake his sin; let him "pray always, and not faint," as Jesus
taught at his first appearing. In everything giving thanks, for this, says Paul,
is the will of God concerning us.
In the third portion read, we have another point illustrated. Jesus is brought
before us in the attitude of "having compassion on the people," and ministering
to their need, and in this, as in everything else, we have to remember that it
is written, "He hath left us an example that we should follow his steps." Mercy
is one of the greatest attributes of the Almighty. "Merciful" was the reported
characteristic of the kings of Israel (1 Kings 20:31); it is the quality of the
kings of the future age. Without mercy a man is without hope, whatever his
intellectual attainments: "He shall have judgment without mercy that hath showed
no mercy" (Jas. 2:13). On the other hand, the accepted of the future age are
described as "the merciful." "Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain
mercy" (Matt. 5:7). "With the merciful thou, 0 Jehovah [Yahweh], wilt show
thyself merciful (Psa. 18:25). Kindness, forbearance, magnanimity, patience, are
characteristics that belong to the house of God, and must be cultivated by those
who hope to be accepted by the Lord of mercy in the coming day of his glory. In
the day of his humiliation, he showed these qualities in the highest degree, and
we are poor disciples if we cannot show our discipleship in our
compassionateness as well as in our knowledge. The Lord's example is also useful
in exhibiting compassion in practical manifestation. It is easy to say, "Poor
thing!" What you will do? That is the question. The Lord not only had compassion
on the multitude, but he made them sit down, and supplied them with food. Are we
his disciples if we say, "Be ye warmed and filled," but give not those things
that are needful? It may be said, "We have not so much in our power as he had."
True, but we shall be held responsible for what is in our power. We are only
stewards of the manifold grace of God, and the day will come, though it linger,
when we shall have to give an account thereof. The criticisms or commendations
of our brethren we may escape or be misled by, but the judgment-seat is at the
end of the journey, where there is no escape.
These are some of the principles upon which the approaching kingdom of God will
be founded. Now is the time to be leavened with them in the diligent attendance
thereon in the reading of the Word of God and prayer. Let us take care that we
waste not the time in barren disputation, in which the old man and not the Lord
Jesus is served. Let us take care, lest after much profession and preaching and
contention, the Lord Jesus stand suddenly on the earth in this latter day to say
to us, "I know you not. Ye have called me, Lord, Lord; but ye have not addicted
yourselves to the obedience of my commandments. I have no use for you in a
kingdom to be conducted on principles to which ye have proved yourselves
reprobate. Depart from me, ye cursed." Let us rather be of those who, serving
him in deed and in truth, under however much odium, will be addressed in the
cheering words, "Ye have been faithful in a very little -- enter ye into the joy
of your Lord."