A FRIEND in Canada has kindly sent us two instructive letters of the late worthy Mr. Forrest’s:—
(I.)
BRUCEFIELD, 8th January, 1906.
DEAR MR. —, I was so pleased to think that you would put yourself to so much trouble as to come so far just to see an old body like me. I thought I ought to write a few lines acknowledging your kindness. But as I have no general news of importance to give you, I will try to give you some thoughts that I had on that beautiful hundred and tenth Psalm, but premising that I do not claim to be an authority in these matters.
The Psalm looks as if it had been a conversation between the Three Persons of the Godhead after Christ had undertaken the work of Redemption. And the Father is the first to speak, and He says to the Son, “Sit thou on my right hand until I make thy foes thy footstool.” This was the place of honour and power, to which Christ would be exalted when His work as Mediator, which He had undertaken, should be accomplished.
The next speaker is the Holy Spirit. David said, “The Spirit of the Lord spake by me, and his words were in my tongue.” Then, as if to encourage Christ in the work He had undertaken, the Holy Spirit says to Christ:
“The Lord shall out of Sion send
The rod of thy great power;
In midst of all thine enemies,
Be thou the Governor.”
There is Christ, as Mediator, installed as universal Governor or King over the world of mankind. By nature they are all His enemies, but a portion of them are to be subdued by the rod of His power, which He sends out of Sion. I think the rod of His power is the Gospel, for it is by the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God, that Christ is to subdue the nations to Himself; and “Sion,” the Church—His people who have His Word and whose duty it is to make it known to the world. This is the means by which His own people are subdued. He manifests His great power to them in love and grace, making them willing. They are thus changed from being enemies, and are made holy and so beautiful in His sight that they are compared to the dew in the morning. What a beautiful figure! How beautiful is the dew, and also how numerous are its drops. At present, as compared with the rest of the world, they are a little flock, but when they are all gathered together at last they will be a great multitude which no man can number. And how beautiful they will appear to Christ Himself when He sees them all before His throne, clothed in His own righteousness, and not one spot of defilement to be seen on one of them! Christ will then see of the travail of His soul and shall be satisfied. But not only had Christ, as a King, to subdue His enemies and to make them willing friends, but Christ found His people slaves and criminals under sentence of death. So He had to pay a ransom for them, and satisfy justice in their stead. And this He did when He gave Himself an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling savour.
But in this Psalm the Holy Spirit also speaks to Christ of His kingly office as Mediator; of his Priestly office in these words:—
“The Lord himself hath made an oath,
And will repent him never;
Of the order of Melchisedec
Thou art a priest for ever.”
One part of His priestly office was to satisfy divine justice: this part was finished when He expired on the cross. That sacrifice is of perpetual efficacy, and is referred to by the Apostle in these words:—“This man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sin for ever, sat down on the right hand of God, from henceforth expecting, until his enemies be made his footstool.” Thus far in the Psalm the Holy Spirit speaks of the Son.
But you will notice that it is the same person that continues to speak, but now he speaks to the Father about the Son. And see how He describes Him:—“The glorious and mighty Lord that sits at thy right hand.” When Christ was on the earth he was poor and despised, and rejected; oppressed by power and mocked by pride. But this is all changed now, and He is exalted to the highest place of power and authority in the universe. It is as Mediator that He is so highly exalted, and He is there carrying on the other part of His priestly office, as the advocate and intercessor for His people, pleading His own merits on their behalf. Happy indeed are all those who have a saving interest in His intercession. For you will notice that it is not of mercy or of grace that the Spirit speaks to the Father, when He mentions the glorious and mighty Lord—but He speaks wrath, a day of wrath. Christ manifests His great power in love and grace in subduing His own people by making them willing and obedient. But He will manifest His power upon those who withstand Him, no matter what may be their power or authority among men. If they continue to withstand Him, and will not yield themselves willingly in the day of His power, He will cut them through in the day of His wrath.
I have never seen a satisfactory explanation of what is meant by the “brook that runneth in the way.” But we may safely say that this at least is in it:—When He rides forth to conquer the world to Himself, He will never lack instruments to carry on His conquest; and nothing can hinder Him in His way until He shall triumph gloriously over all opposition.
I began to write this more than a week ago but was not able to finish it until to-day. You can look on this as a New Year’s greeting.—From your affectionate friend,
GEORGE FORREST.