Designed to assist the Labour of Missionaries and other Instructors of the Ignorant.
BY THE LATE REV. JOHN LOVE, D.D.
(Continued from page 271.)
NINTH ADDRESS.
MEN and women of Otaheite, in the presence of Jehovah, the living God, and in the presence of His holy angels, we again stand before you to declare the great Saviour of the world. You are greatly in need of this Saviour. The wicked spirits of hell have been deceiving you and persuading you to do evil. You have yielded to these wicked spirits; they have made you to turn away from Him who created you. You have forgotten the true God, who is worthy of all honour because He is infinitely great, powerful, wise, good, and holy. You, who could not make yourselves, who cannot make a single living fly, have attempted to imagine new gods. You have worshipped them that never had a being—that never did you any good. You have forgotten those immortal spirits within your bodies, made in the image of God; and, like the dogs and swine that run up and down with their faces looking towards the ground, you have only thought about eating, and drinking, and dancing, and dishonouring those bodies in which your immortal spirits dwell. You have been sporting and laughing, and have not at all considered that you must die in a little while, and go forth into eternity. And all the while the holy eyes of Jehovah have been looking at you. He might have cast you into the black world of the wicked spirits; but He now says, “Awake, ye people of Otaheite, repent of your wickedness, forsake the wicked spirits who led you astray, flee from the black world of hell; look to me and be saved; hearken to my servants who show you the way of salvation; be still and know that I am God.”
Brethren and sisters, we are, all of us, blind in our souls. We do not see Jehovah as the holy angels in heaven behold Him. And often when He manifested Himself to our fathers of old they were filled with terror, and were quite ashamed to come near Him. And they could not find it out—how so holy and great a God could be kind to such sinful, polluted wretches who deserve to perish. For there is much wickedness in us from our very birth. Even when we are little children we are false and froward, and delight in doing evil things, and are unwilling to know the true God and to thank and glorify Him. And when we grow up and have the understanding of men, and try to worship God and do good things, there is wickedness in it. Our works are not holy enough; the eyes of Jehovah cannot look at them with pleasure.
But behold, ye people of Otaheite, the mercy and love of Jehovah. That great God, Jehovah, whom the angels of heaven worship, hath become a man, that He might save us. That man who is Jehovah—He is the Saviour of the world. Think of this with wonder: a man like to one of us, who is at the same time Jehovah, the Creator of heaven and earth; this Man is able to save us all.
And that you may still farther know the infinite condescension of the Almighty Jehovah, consider that this Man was at first a little infant, and was born of a woman. We know the name of the woman of whom He was born. She was called Mary. She was descended from a great family of kings. But because the Man who is God must be exceedingly pure, He was formed in the womb of that woman by the power of Jehovah while she was a pure virgin, and had never been with any man as her husband. So it had been foretold long before by one of the ancient fathers: “Behold, a virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel,” which signifies, God with us. Thus the Man who is Jehovah was at first a little infant. But though He was an infant He was unspeakably pure and glorious within. So that the holy angels of heaven came to the place where He was born, and looked at Him with wonder, and worshipped Him, knowing that He was God, their Creator, and that His little human soul was far more pure than themselves. And when they came away from the place, as they passed through the air they made it to resound with heavenly music, and were heard singing thus, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill towards men.”
Ye who desire to be saved and to dwell with Jehovah in heaven after you are dead, hear the name of the blessed Saviour of the world. He is called JESUS CHRIST, a name which signifies the anointed Deliverer or Saviour. And we will tell you in what manner He is the Deliverer and Saviour of miserable sinners. You remember the ten holy commandments of Jehovah, which He pronounced with an awful voice in the ears of the people of Israel. It is by breaking these holy commandments that sinful men have lost the hope of everlasting blessedness in heaven, and have deserved to be cast into the black world of wicked spirits. But Jesus Christ, the Man who is Jehovah, came forth to ransom sinners from hell, and to purchase for them the everlasting blessedness of heaven. For this purpose, being born wonderfully pure, He had all the commandments of Jehovah laid up in His heart. The commandments of Jehovah require the most perfect purity and that there should be a continual burning in the heart of love to God and man, and that this love should be constantly, as it were, sending forth a sweet odour, like that of a delicious garden, in all the thoughts, words, actions, and behaviour. This offering of pure obedience the holy child Jesus presented to Jehovah the Father every day—every hour all the day long. Therefore the heart of Jehovah the Father was continually delighted and ravished in looking at Him. Think, we beseech you, of this glorious Man who is Jehovah, the Son of God; think of His spotless purity; think of the majesty of His obedience to the laws of God. He honoured Jehovah more in one day than all the angels of heaven could do for thousands of years.
The wonderful child, Jesus, grew up from infancy to manhood constantly filled with the sweetness of holy love, and drawing down the favour and kindness of Jehovah on unworthy transgressors by His own pure and glorious obedience. But He came to suffer the punishment due to transgressors as well as to fulfil the commandments which they had broken. Consider, we beseech you, the love and dignity of this wonderful Sufferer. He was Himself all light, purity, majesty, and brightness, but He stood forth to answer for the crimes of thousands of thousands of sinners, yea, for as many crimes as there are grains of sand on these shores. Had He not been Jehovah, He could not have done it. It was therefore astonishing in the eyes of the holy angels of heaven to see this blessed and holy One reduced to poverty, filled often with inward sorrow, frequently weeping with anguish, and at the same time hated, insulted, and reproached by the sinners whom He came to save. You will hardly be able to believe it, that men could be so ungrateful and wicked. But the wicked spirits hardened their hearts and deceived them. These wicked spirits also came upon the holy Jesus with their utmost fury, and often made Him very sorrowful.
Thus He went on for more than thirty years obeying the commandments of Jehovah and enduring innumerable griefs, that He might deliver His vile enemies from hell and lift them up to the joys of heaven.
But when Jehovah thus appeared as a man, you will desire to know how He behaved Himself towards the sinful children of men. Harken diligently and we will tell you. It will make your hearts glad to hear it. He was God, full of power and majesty, full of love, grace, and compassion. He was at the same time Man, melting with the most tender bowels of compassion towards sinful men.
In his appearance, therefore, and deportment, there was an astonishing majesty, dignity, and purity, softened with gentleness, condescension, and compassionate tenderness. The meanest and most unworthy creatures were encouraged to come near Him, if they wanted deliverance from distress of any kind—if they were willing to be instructed, saved, and comforted. He permitted some to become His intimate friends, and to be with Him from day to day. They felt themselves, as it were, in heaven while He suffered them to be near Him, to lean on His bosom, and to behold His countenance, while He poured His wisdom, love, and purity into their souls. When, however, the rays of His divine majesty brake in upon them, they were sometimes ready to sink under the overwhelming splendour, but His grace and compassion cheered and supported them. At all times they felt in His presence a solemn awe and an attracting sweetness. They durst not trifle; they could not be discouraged. Such was the behaviour of the Man who is Jehovah among His intimate friends. But He came abroad into the world, and made Himself familiarly known to great multitudes of people in the country where He was born. When great crowds of people were gathered round Him, He spake to them, warning them to prepare for eternity, showing them their wickedness, and inviting them to trust in Himself for salvation. And that they might know Him to be God, able to save them, He frequently, by speaking a single word, opened the eyes of the blind and healed the most incurable diseases; and at some times, in a moment, He raised dead persons to life.
Beloved friends, His human soul and body are no longer in this world; they are in heaven, far above the glorious angels in the midst of the throne of Jehovah. But because He is Jehovah, He knows that we are now speaking to you of Him, and His heart is melting with love towards you. He is present now amongst us by His divine power, and is ready—if you earnestly seek for Him—to take each one of you by the hand and to introduce you to the favour of His eternal Father. Hereafter we will tell you what terrible sufferings He endured before He left this world, when He offered Himself a bloody sacrifice for the sins of all who should, at any time and in any country, put their trust in Him.
Brethren and sisters, it is the desire of our hearts that you may know the Saviour of the world. We came from afar to tell you of Him, but we cannot make you to know Him—we cannot take away the darkness of your minds. He can do it. We will call upon Him to make Himself known to you.
“Jesus, who art the Son of God Jehovah, who didst come into the world to save sinners, look down from thy heavenly throne on this island of Otaheite. Behold these men, women, and little children. They have done evil, but now they desire to know thy name and to feel thy salvation. Glorious Jesus, come to them! Dart some beams of thy light into their minds; touch their hearts with holy fire. Make them to become sorrowful for their wickedness; make them to become joyful and exceeding glad in knowing Thee. Show them thy beauty; draw them by thy love. Drive the wicked spirits from among them. Lead them to thy heaven, that they may rejoice with Thee for ever, and may be always loving and praising Thee, who art, with the Father and the Holy Spirit, the one God Jehovah, blessed to eternity! Amen.”
TENTH ADDRESS.
MEN and women, natives of this island, who dwell here cherished in the bosom of divine goodness, but who must in a little while pass away into the unseen regions of eternity, to you is the Word of salvation sent; to you the merciful Jesus, Saviour of the world, now stretches forth His hands. And while we declare to you that wonderful Man who is God over all, blessed for ever, the holy angels stand by looking at you and wondering, and they whisper to each other, “How attentively these people of Otaheite listen! Now they are going to repent of their wickedness. Now we will sing over them while they fall down, weeping, at the feet of Jesus, who will save them.”
Jehovah, our God, is a consuming fire, a very jealous God. Because He is infinitely good, evil cannot dwell with Him. They who love wickedness in their hearts, hate Jehovah. And they who hate Jehovah would fight against Him, and if they were strong enough, would destroy Him. They would pull down the throne of Jehovah, and consequently dissolve the frame of heaven and earth. This wickedness Jehovah sees working secretly in the hearts of the children of men. It must be punished. Jehovah, who is infinitely glorious and lovely, will be avenged on all that wickedly hate Him. But amidst the burning flames of the purity of Jehovah, there is a tender melting of compassion towards sinful men. He knows they cannot endure His dreadful indignation, and He desires to save them from perishing; therefore He hath sent forth the Man who is Jehovah. The Father, who is Jehovah, sent His only begotten Son, who is also Jehovah. He came forth in the form of a servant, in the likeness of sinful flesh. That Man did no wickedness. He loved Jehovah more than the angels of heaven were able to do. That Man, when a child and all along His life, presented every day to Jehovah the sweet, perfumed offering of pure obedience. The holy love of the heart of that Man delighted the eyes of Jehovah.
We are going to unfold a mystery exceedingly awful yet exceedingly sweet. You who have done wickedness have been laughing all the while; you have not mourned nor wept for your wickedness. But think, we beseech you, ye people of Otaheite—think of the Man who is Jehovah. He did no wickedness; He was purer than the angels. But He did not laugh. He was “a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief”; He was often exceedingly grieved, so that He sighed and groaned, and tears rolled down His majestic countenance. The holy angels stood by astonished, and would have wept with Him, but they knew the reason of His sorrow. That Man came forth that Jehovah might punish Him for the crimes of many millions of sinners; He came into the world that He might, like a lamb, offer Himself up a bloody sacrifice before Jehovah, that all who trust in Him may be saved.
Brethren and sisters, we are going to tell you how Jesus, the Man who is Jehovah, offered Himself a bloody sacrifice, that He might save many wicked men and women. You must be very still, and listen very attentively. If anyone shall be so wicked as to laugh, or turn away, while we declare this awful mystery, Jehovah will look with anger at that man or woman, and, it may be, will strike him dead in a little while. It is our desire that none of you may be struck dead, but that every one of you may know the merciful Saviour of the world.
Jehovah is the Judge of the whole earth. We have told you why it is that He punisheth wickedness. It is not from cruelty, for He is infinitely good; but because He hates cruelty and all other wickedness, therefore He will punish the wicked. And in punishing wickedness He proceeds with awful majesty and power. His throne of judgment is high in the heavens. This great earth is only the footstool of that throne. “I beheld,” said one of the holy fathers, “till the thrones were cast down, and the Ancient of days did sit, whose garment was white as snow, and the hair of his head like the pure wool: his throne was like the fiery flame, and his wheels as burning fire. A fiery stream issued and came forth from before him: thousand thousands ministered unto him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him: the judgment was set, and the books were opened.” Jesus, the Man who is Jehovah, appeared before this throne. He had a right to sit upon it, but being man as well as God, He stood before the throne of Jehovah, to be punished for the crimes of a world of sinners. And when that glorious Man saw Jehovah the Father sitting on the throne of judgment to punish Him, He was overwhelmed with distress.
It was in the dark night in a lonely garden, while He lay prostrate on the ground praying to Jehovah the Father, then Jehovah, though He loved Him dearly as His own Son, began to look awfully upon Him because of the wickedness of mankind. Then Jesus saw the throne of Jehovah, and Him who sitteth on it frowning upon Him, and He also saw the black wickedness of the multitudes of sinners which was laid upon Him. And though His human soul was full of strength and courage, and burned with love to sinners and to God, yet He felt such inward anguish, and there was such a terrible struggle and agony in His breast, that His very blood came through His skin like a sweat all over His body, and dropped on the cold ground whereon He lay. This was enough to have killed Him, but He had divine strength, and therefore—the terrible anguish being a little abated—He rose from the ground and stood up, full of sweetness, composure, and strength, waiting for His enemies, who, He knew, were just about to come upon Him.
(To be Continued.)
The Salvation Army.—There are many who though repelled by the religious methods of the Army are yet enthusiastic admirers of its philanthropic work and willingly support it. To all such we would recommend the reading of The Salvation Army and the Public by John Manson, a most damaging criticism of this modern institution in which such an effort is made to mix up the World and the Church. This book may be had from George Routledge & Son, London, for sixpence, and will be a revelation to not a few.