The Difference betwixt the Law and the Gospel

REV. RALPH ERSKINE.

I.

The law supposing I have all,
Does ever for perfection call.
The gospel suits my total want,
And all the law can seek does grant.

The law could promise life to me,
If my obedience perfect be:
But grace does promise life upon
My Lord’s obedience alone.

The law says, Do, and life you’ll
win;

But grace says, Live, for all is
done;

The former cannot ease my grief;
The latter yields me full relief.

The law convinc’d of sinful breach;
By gospel-grace I comfort reach;
The one my condemnation bears;
The other justifies and clears.

The law shows my arraigns are great;
The gospel freely pays my debt:
The first does me the bankrupt
curse;

The last does bless and fill my purse.

The law will not abate a mite;
The gospel all the sum will quite:
There God in threat’nings is
array’d,

But here in promises display’d.

The law and gospel disagree,
Like Hagar, Sarah, bond and free,
The former’s Hagar’s servitude;
The latter’s Sarah’s happy brood.

To Sinai black, and Zion fair,
The word does law and grace com-
pare.

Their cursing and their blessing vie
With Ebal and Gerizzam high.

The law excludes not boasting vain
But rather feeds it to my bane:
But gospel grace allows no boasts,
Save in the King, the Lord of
Hosts.

The law still irritates my sin,
And hardens my proud heart there-
in;

But grace’s melting pow’r renews,
And my corruption strong sub-
dues.

The law with thunder, Sinai-like,
Does always dread and terror speak;
The gospel makes a joyful noise,
And charms me with a still, calm
voice.

The legal trumpet war proclaims,
In wrathful threats, and fire, and
flames:

The gospel-pipe, a peaceful sound,
Which spreads a kindly breath
around.

The law is weak through sinful
flesh,

The gospel brings recruits afresh;

The first a killing letter wears;

The last a quick’ning spirit bears.

The law that seeks perfection’s
height,

Yet gives no strength, nor offers
might;

But precious gospel-tidings glad
Declare where all is to be had.

From me alone the law does crave,
What grace affirms in Christ I
have;

When therefore law pursuits en-
thrall,

I send the law to grace for all.

Cleanings from many Fields.

The Power of God in Redemption.

BY REV. STEPHEN CHARNOCK, B.D.

[The following extract is taken from a remarkable sermon, entitled “A Discourse Upon the Power of God,” by Rev. Stephen Charnock, one of the most noted of the Puritan preachers. This discourse forms one of a series on the existence and attributes of God, in which the preacher presents to his readers, in an impressive and awe-inspiring way, the greatness of our God. Here we have no mere dry statement of theological commonplaces, but the truth, presented from a heart that was awed in the presence of the great mysteries of the being of the Eternal. During the Commonwealth, Charnock acted as chaplain to Henry Cromwell, Chief Governor of Ireland. On Cromwell’s death, Charnock came to London, and, according to his biographers, Adams and Veal, there he spent “the greatest part of fifteen years without any call to his old work in a settled way.” In 1675 he was appointed joint pastor with the Rev. Thomas Watson in Crosby Hall. He died in July 1680, in the fifty-second year of his age.]

THE power of God appears in redemption. As our Saviour is called the Wisdom of God, so He is called the Power of God (I Cor. i. 24.) The arm of power was lifted up as high as the designs of wisdom were laid deep. As this way of redemption could not be contrived but by an infinite wisdom, so it could not be accomplished but by an infinite power; none but God could shape such design, and none but God could effect it. The divine power in temporal deliverances veils to that which glitters in redemption, whereby the devil is defeated in his designs, stripped of his spoils, and yoked in his strength.

The power of God in creation requires not those degrees of admiration as in redemption. In creation the world was erected from nothing; as there was nothing to act, so there was nothing to oppose; no victorious devil was in that to be subdued, no thundering law to be silenced, no death to be conquered, no transgression to be pardoned and rooted out, no hell to be shut, no ignominious death upon the cross to be suffered. It had been in the nature of the thing an easier thing to divine power to have created a new world, than repaired a broken and purified a polluted

one. This is the most admirable work that ever God brought forth in the world, greater than all the marks of His power in the first creation.

I. The power of God in redemption will appear in the Person redeeming.

1. In His conception. “The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God” (Luke i. 35).

2. The second act of power in the Person redeeming is the union of the two natures, the human and the divine. The designing of this was an act of wisdom, but the accomplishing of it was an act of power. He was “of the seed of David according to the flesh, and declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead.” The Word was made flesh; the Word from eternity was made flesh in time. Word and flesh in one Person; a great God and a little Infant. The terms of this union were infinitely distant. What greater distance can there be than between the Deity and humanity, between the Creator and the creature?

God blessed for ever taking the properties of human nature, and human nature admitted to a union with the properties of the Creator; the fulness of the Deity in the humanity. Was there not a need of an infinite power to bring together terms so far asunder, to elevate the humanity to be capable of, and disposed for, a conjunction with the Deity? Nothing less than an incomprehensible power could effect what an incomprehensible wisdom did project in this affair. The divinity of Christ is as really united with the humanity as the soul with the body. The Person was one though the natures were two; so united that the sufferings of the human nature were the sufferings of that Person, and the dignity of the divine was imputed to the human by reason of that unity of both in one Person. Hence the blood of the human nature is said to be the blood of God—Acts xx. 28. All things ascribed to the Son of God may be ascribed to this Man, and the things ascribed to this Man may be ascribed to the Son of God, as this Man is the Son of God eternal, almighty. The Person suffered, that was God and man united, making one Person. Now, let us consider what a wonder of power all this is. The knitting a noble soul to a body of clay was not so great an exploit of almightiness as the espousing infinite and finite together. What a wonder is it that two natures infinitely distant should be more inti-

mately united than anything in the world, and yet without any confusion! That the same Person should have both a glory and a grief; an infinite joy in the Deity, and an unexpressible sorrow in the humanity; that a God upon a throne should be an infant in a cradle; the thundering Creator be a weeping babe and a suffering man, are such expressions of mighty power as well as condescending love, that they astonish men on earth and angels in heaven.

1. Power was evident in the progress of His life. In the miracles He wrought, how often did He expel malicious and powerful devils from their habitations, hurl them from their thrones, and make them fall from heaven like lightning. How many wonders were wrought by His bare word, or a single touch: sight restored to the blind, and hearing to the deaf, impure leprosies chased from the persons they had infected, and bodies beginning to putrify raised from the grave. But the mightiest argument of His power was His patience; that He who was in His divine nature elevated above the world should so long continue on a dunghill, “endure the contradiction of sinners against Himself,” be patiently subject to the reproaches and indignities of men, without displaying that justice which was essential to His Deity, and in an especial manner daily merited by their provoking crimes. The patience of man under great affronts is a greater argument of power than the brawniness of his arm.

2. Divine power was apparent in His resurrection. The restoring of a dead body to life requires an infinite power, as well as the creation of the world. But there was in the resurrection of Christ something more difficult than this. While He lay in the grave He was under the curse of the law, under the execution of that dreadful sentence, “Thou shalt die.” His resurrection was not only the retying the marriage knot between His soul and His body, or the rolling the stone from the grave, but the taking off an infinite weight, the sin of mankind, which lay upon Him. So vast a weight could not be removed without the strength of an almighty arm. It is therefore ascribed not to an ordinary operation, but an operation with power—Rom. i. 4—and such a power wherein the glory of the Father did appear—Rom. vi. 4—”Raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father;” that is, the glorious power of God. It is a wonder of power that the divine and human nature should be joined, and no less wonder that His person should surmount and rise up from the curse of God under which He lay. The apostle therefore adds one expression to another, and heaps up a variety, signifying thereby that one

was not enough to express it: Eph. i. 19, “Exceeding greatness of power,” and “working of mighty power, which He wrought in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead.” It was an hyperbole of power, the excellency of the mightiness of His strength; the loftiness of the expressions seems to come short of the apprehension he had of it in His own soul.

II. The power of God appears in the publication and the propagation of the doctrine of redemption. This power will appear if you consider—

1. The nature of the doctrine. It was contrary to the common received reason of the world; it was contrary to the customs of the world; it struck at the root of the religion of the world, and the ceremonies wherein they had been educated from their infancy, delivered to them from their ancestors, confirmed by the customary observance of many ages, rooted in their minds and established by their laws. This doctrine of the gospel was of such a nature that the state of religion all over the world must be overturned by it; the wisdom of the Greeks must veil to it, the idolatry of the people must stoop to it, and the profane customs of man must moulder under the weight of it. The difficulties of carrying it on against the divine religion of the Jews, and rooted customs of the Gentiles, were unconquerable by any but an almighty power. It was contrary to the sensuality of the world and the lust of the flesh. It thundered down those three great engines whereby the devil had subdued the world to himself, “the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eye, and the pride of life.” The first article of the doctrine ordered them to deny themselves, not to presume upon their own worth; to lay their understandings and wills at the foot of the cross, and resign them up to One newly crucified at Jerusalem. The cross, disgrace, self-denial, were only discoursed of in order to the attainment of an invisible world; and an unseen reward, which none of their predecessors ever returned to acquaint them with; a patient death, contrary to the pride of nature, was published as the way to happiness and a blessed immortality. The dearest lusts were to be pierced to death for the honour of this new Lord. Other religions brought wealth and honour; this struck them off from such expectations, and presented them with no prospect of anything in this life but a prospect of misery, except those inward consolations to which before they had been utter strangers, and had never experimented. It made them to depend not upon themselves, but upon the sole grace of God. How impossible was it that a crucified Lord and a crucifying doc-

trine should be received in the world, without the mighty operation of a divine power upon the hearts of men!

1. Consider the instruments employed for the publishing and propagating the gospel. These were mean and worthless in themselves; not noble and dignified with an earthly grandeur, but of a low condition, meanly bred; they possessed nothing but their nets, without any credit and reputation in the world, as unfit to subdue the world by preaching, as an army of hares were to conquer it by war. Had it been published by a voice from heaven that twelve poor men, taken out of boats and creeks, without any help of learning, should conquer the world to the cross, it might have been thought an illusion against all the reason of men; yet we know it was undertaken and accomplished by them. They were destitute of earthly wisdom, and therefore despised by the Jews and derided by the Gentiles; the publishers were accounted madmen, and the embracers fools. Had they been men of known natural endowments the power of God had been veiled under the gifts of the creature.

2. Consider the means by which the gospel was propagated. The apostles bore not this doctrine upon the points of their swords: they presented a bodily death where they would bestow an immortal life; they employed not troops of men in a warlike posture; they had no ambition to subdue men to themselves, but to God; their design was to change their hearts, to wean them from the love of the world to the love of the Redeemer. The apostles had as little flourish in their tongues as edge upon their swords; their preaching was not with enticing words of man’s wisdom; their presence was mean, and their discourses without varnish; their doctrine was plain, a crucified Christ; but they had the demonstration of the Spirit, and a mighty power for their companion in the work. They were opposed by all the wisdom and power and force of this world. The gospel never set foot in any place, but the country was in an uproar; swords were drawn to destroy it, laws made to suppress it, prisons provided for the professors of it, fires kindled to consume it, and the executioners had a perpetual employment to stifle the progress of it.

3. But consider the great success it had under all these difficulties. After the descent of the Holy Ghost upon the apostles, you find the hearts of three thousand melted by a plain declaration of the doctrine, who were a little before so far from being favourable to it, that some of them at least, if not all, had expressed their rage against it in voting for the condemning and crucifying the Author of it. But in a moment they were so altered, that they breathe

out affection instead of fury; neither the respect they had to their rulers, nor the honour they bore to their priests, nor the derisions of the people, nor the threatening of punishment, could stop them from owning it in the face of multitudes of discouragements. In less than twenty years there was never a province of the Roman Empire, and scarce any part of the known world, but was stored with the professors of the gospel. So much did this doctrine overmaster the consciences of its followers, that they rejoiced more at their yoke than others at their liberty, and counted it more a glory to die for the honour of it than to live in the profession of it. Thus did our Saviour reign and gather subjects in the midst of His enemies; in which respect, in the first discovery of the gospel, He is described as a mighty conqueror, and still conquering in the greatness of His strength. How great a testimony of His power is it that from so small a cloud should arise so glorious a sun, that should chase before it the power and darkness of hell, triumph over the idolatry, superstition, and profaneness of the world. This plain doctrine vanquished the obstinacy of the Jews, baffled the understanding of the Greeks, humbled the pride of the grandees, threw the devil not only out of bodies but of hearts, tore up the foundation of his empire, and planted the cross where the devil had for many ages before established his standard. How much more than a human force is illustrious in this whole conduct.

III. The power of God appears in the application of redemption.

1. In the planting grace. As we could not contrive the death of Christ for our redemption, so we cannot form our souls to the acceptance of it; the infinite efficacy of grace is as necessary for the one as the infinite wisdom of God was for laying the platform of the other. It is by His power we have whatsoever pertains to godliness as well as to life (2 Pet. i. 3). The gospel which God useth in this great affair is called “the power of God to salvation;” also, “the rod of His strength.” And the day of the gospel’s appearance in the heart is emphatically called “the day of power,” wherein He brings down strongholds and towering imaginations. The gospel of God is the power of God in a way of instrumentality, but the almightiness of God is the principle in a way of efficiency. The gospel is the sceptre of Christ, but the power of Christ is the mover of that sceptre.

This power of God is conspicuous in turning the heart of man against the strength of the inclinations of nature. There would be no, or far less, resistance in a mere animal

to be changed into a creature of higher nature than there is in a natural man to be turned into a serious Christian. There is in every natural man a stoutness of heart, a stiff-neck unwillingness to good, forwardness to evil. Not one converted soul, from Adam to the last that shall be in the end of the world, but is a trophy of the divine conquest. None were pure volunteers, nor listed themselves in His service, till He put forth His strong arm to draw them to Him. This power of God is also conspicuous, as it is wrought against a multitude of corrupt habits rooted in the souls of men. Every proud thought, every evil habit captivated, serves for matter of triumph to the power of God. To have a heart full of the fear of God, that was just before filled with the contempt of Him; to have a sense of His power, an eye to His glory, admiring thoughts of His wisdom, a faith in His truth, that had lower thoughts of Him and all His perfections than he had of a creature; to have a hatred of his habitual lusts, that had brought him much sensitive pleasure; to loathe them as much as he loved them, to cherish the duties he hated, to live by faith in, and obedience to the Redeemer, who was before so heartily under the conduct of Satan and self; to chase the acts of sin from his members, and the pleasing thoughts of sin from his mind; to make a stout wretch willingly fall down, crawl upon the ground, and adore the Saviour whom before he outdared, is a triumphant act of infinite grace and power that can “subdue all things to itself,” and break those multitude of locks and bolts that were upon us.

This power of God is also conspicuous in the manner of conversion. There is not only an invincible force used in it, but an agreeable sweetness. The power is so efficacious, that nothing can vanquish it, and so sweet that none did ever complain of it. The almighty virtue displays itself invincibly yet without constraint, compelling the will without offering violence to it, and making it cease to be will; not forcing it, but changing it, not dragging it, but drawing it; making it will where before it nilled; removing the corrupt nature of the will without invading the created nature and rights of the faculty; not working in us against the physical nature of the will, but “working to will” (Phil. ii. 13). It is a “drawing with cords,” which testifies an invincible strength; but with “cords of love,” which testifies a delightful conquest. It is no mean part of the power of God to twist together victory and pleasure; to give a blow as delightful as strong, as pleasing to the sufferer as it is sharp to the sinner.

1. The power of God appears in pardoning a sinner.
   In the pardon of a sinner, after many overtures made to

him and refused by him, God exerciseth a power over Himself; for the sinner hath dishonoured God, provoked His justice, abused His goodness, done injury to all those attributes which are necessary to his relief. God has to exercise a power over Himself to answer His justice and pardon the sinner, as well as a power over the creature to reduce the runaway rebel. Unless we have recourse to the infiniteness of God’s power, the infiniteness of our guilt will weigh us down. We must consider not only that we have a mighty guilt to press us, but a mighty God to relieve us. A man is no more able to apply to himself any word of comfort under the guilt of sin, than he is able to convert himself and turn the proposals of the Word into gracious affections in his heart. The power of God is more visible in silencing a tempestuous conscience, than the power of our Saviour was in the stilling the stormy winds and the roaring sea.

1. The power of God appears in preserving grace. The counter workings of indwelling corruption, the reluctances of the flesh against the breathings of the Spirit, the fallacy of the senses and the rovings of the mind, have ability quickly to stifle and extinguish grace, if it were not maintained by that powerful blast that first inbreathed it. No less power is seen in perfecting it than was in planting it; no less in fulfilling the work of faith than in ingrafting the word of faith. God doth more magnify His power in continuing a believer in the world, a weak and half-rigged vessel in the midst of so many sands whereon it might split, so many rocks, whereon it might dash, so many corruptions within, and so many temptations without, than if He did immediately transport him into heaven and clothe him with a perfectly sanctified nature. What is therefore in this world that is destitute of notices of divine power? Every creature affords us the lesson; all acts of divine government are the marks of it. Look into the Word, and the manner of its propagation instructs us in it; your changed natures, your pardoned guilt, your shining comfort, your quelled corruptions, the standing of your staggering graces, are sufficient to preserve a sense and prevent a forgetfulness of this great attribute so necessary for our support and conducing so much to our comfort.

It is good to see blessings as they issue from grace and mercy. It much commands any blessing to see the love and favour of God in it, which is more to be valued than the blessing itself.—Psalm lxxiii.—Dr Sibbes.

He that is led by the flesh, he consults with his enemy.—Sibbes.

Searmoinean leis an Urramach Honghas MacMhaolain.

Searmoin III.

Eoin, I. Caibh, 29 Rann.

“Feuch Uain Dé, a tha toirt air falbh peacaidh an t-saoghail.”

(Air a leantainn o t.—d. 277).

Tha còir dhligheach aig gach fìor iompachan air buannachd na saorsa a cheannaich Crìosd air a shon. An uair a tha urras air bith a paigheadh fiachan an neach air son am bheil e ‘na urras, gus an fheòirling dheireannach, tha e cordadh ri reusan, ri lagh, agus ceartas, gu ‘m faigheadh fear-nam-fiach buannachd an dìolaidh a thug an t-urras air a shon, gu ‘m biodh fhiachan uile air an dubhadh a mach, agus e féin air a shaoradh a phrìosan agus o bhreitheanas. Air an amhuil cheudna, tha e cordadh ri ceartas, co maith ri tròcair Dhé, gu ‘m biodh peacannan an dream air son an d’ thug Crìosd e féin mar ìobairt gun smal do Dhia, air a’ maitheadh dhoibh, agus air an dubhadh gu h-iomlan a mach a leabhar a chuimhne. “Ma dh’ aidicheas sinn ar peacaidhean, tha esan fìrinneach agus ceart, chum ar peacaidhean a mhaitheadh dhuinn, agus ar glanadh o gach uile neo-fhìreantachd.”

1. Anns an àite mu dheireadh, tha truaillidheachd nàduir pobaill an Tighearna air a thoirt air falbh ann an obair naomhachaidh, tre naomhachadh an Spioraid, agus crathadh fola Chrìosd. Cheannaich Crìosd saorsa d’a phoball o ‘n uile pheacaibh, cha ‘n e mhàin o chionta, ach mar an ceudna o uachdaranachd, agus o thruaillidheachd a’ pheacaidh, o pheacadh gin agus gniomh; agus an deigh dha saorsa cheannach dhoibh air thalamh, bha e air àrdachadh gu deas laimh Dhé, chum an t-saorsa cheannaich e a chompartachadh, chum aithreachas a thabhairt do Israèl, agus maitheanas peacaidh. Cheannaich e ‘n t-saorsa so le umhlachd a bheatha, agus le fulangasaibh a bhàis; phàighe e ‘n fheòirling mu dheireadh d’a fhiachaibh, an uair a leag e sìos a bheatha air a chrann-cheusaidh: Cha robh, ‘s cha bhi am feasd, feum aig air ni sam bith tuille dheanamh chum saorsa cheannach d’a phoball. Gidheadh cha ‘n ‘eil obair Chrìosd mar Fhear-saoraidh fathasd air a crìochnachadh,—seadh, cha bhi obair mar Fhear-saoraidh gu h-iomlan air a crìochnachadh, gus am bi an t-saorsa a cheannaich e air a compartachadh, agus air a deanamh

éifeachdach, chum slàinte shìorruidh a shluaigh. Air an aobhar so, tha Crìosd fathasd a toirt air falbh peacaidh an t-saoghail, a giùlan air aghaidh obair na saorsa o linn gu linn, anns an eaglais. Tha e saoradh a phobuill o an peacaibh, an uair a tha iad air an ionnlaid, air am fireanachadh, air an naomhachadh, agus air an toirt gu sealbh air beatha mhaireannach.

Ach ‘s ann trìd an Spioraid Naoimh a tha e giùlan air aghaidh na cùid so do obair na saorsa; ‘s ann trìd oibreachadh an Spioraid, a tha peacaich air an dùsgadh, air am beothachadh, agus air an gairm gu h-éifeachdach o dhorchadas gu solas; agus ‘s ann trìd an Spioraid cheudna a tha Crìosd a giùlan air aghaidh obair naomhachaidh ‘nan cridheachaibh, a tha e ‘g an glanadh o gach salchar feòla agus spioraid, ‘g an cruth-atharrachadh chum ìomhaigh féin, agus fa-dheòidh, ‘g an deanamh iomchuidh air son oighreachd nan naomh ‘s an t-solus. Agus an uair a bhios a mhuinntir shaorta gu h-ìomlan air an deanamh iomchuidh air son na h-oighreachd so, nochdaidh Crìosd iad an làthair Athar, gun smal agus gun lochd. An sin, cluinnear iad uile seinn cliù an Uain a ghràdhaich iad, agus a dh’ ionnlaid iad o ‘m peacaibh ‘na fhuil féin, agus a rinn rìghrean dhiubh agus sagairt, do Dhia agus d’ a Athair-san; dha-san gu robh glòir agus cumhachd, gu saoghal nan saoghal. Amen.

III. Rachamaid a nis air ar n-aghaidh, gu bhi toirt fa’near, an dòigh anns am bheil e iomchuidh dhuinn a bhi sealltuinn ri Uan Dé.

I. Anns a’ cheud àite, tha sinn air ar gairm gu bhi sealltainn ris, trìd creidimh; oir cha ‘n ‘eil cothrom againn, anns an t-saoghal a tha làthair, air fhaicinn air dòigh sam bith eile. Bha Crìosd, aig aon àm, a gabhail còmhnuidh air thalamh, agus aig an àm so, bha cothrom aig daoine air fhaicinn le sùilibh an cuirp; ach chunnaic na mìltean e le ‘n sùilibh, agus chual iad e le ‘n cluasaibh, nach fhac a riamh a ghlòir agus a mhaise spioradail, mar aon-ghin Mhic an Athar, a bha làn gràis agus fìrinn. Ann an sealladh a luchd-dùthcha féin, anns a’ choitchionn, bha e mar fheur a talamh tioram, gun sgèimh na maise air bith aige gu ‘n iarradh iad e. Ach ged bhiodh daoine a nis a miannachadh Crìosd fhaicinn le sùilibh an cuirp, cha ‘n ‘eil cothrom aca air a’ mhiann so a riarachadh, oir dh’fhàg e ‘n saoghal so, chaidh e steach d’a ghlòir, agus ” ‘s eigin do na nèamhan a chumail gu aimsiribh aisig nan uile nithe;” air an aobhar so; cha ‘n fhaod neach air bith fhaicinn le sùilibh a chuirp ni ‘s mò, gu là a bhreitheanais. Ach feudaidh fìor iompachain fhaicinn, eadhon anns an t-saoghal so, le sùil a chreidimh. ‘S ann trìd creidimh

a chunnaic Abraham a là fad as, ‘s ann trìd creidimh a chunnaic na fàidhean, na h-Abstoil agus na Martairean a ghlòir, mar Shlànair uil-fhoghainteach, agus tha sinne air ar gairm gu bhi sealltainn ris trìd creidimh mar an ceudna. Ma bha do choguis air a dùsgadh, O a pheacaich, gu mothachadh air do chionta, ma bha t-inntinn air a soillseachadh leis an Spiorad Naomh, ma bha sùil a chreidimh air a fosgladh ann a t’anam, thoir oidhirp air an t-sùil so thionndadh a dh’ ionnsuidh Chrìosd: ” Feuch Uan Dé.” Thoir fa’near e fosgladh a shùl ann am Betlehem, baile Dhaibhidh. Faic an t-Uan naomha, neo-chiontach so, ‘na laighe ‘s a’ phrasaich, agus paisgte le brat spéilidh. Lean e gu bruachan Iòrdain, agus faic an Spiorad Naomh teachd a nuas mar choluman, agus a gabhail còmhnuidh air. Seall ris ann an gàradh Ghetsemane, air a bhrùthadh, air a chlaoidh, agus anam ro-bhrònach eadhon gu bàs, fo bhuille throm an smachdachaidh, a thoill do pheacaich. Lean e fathast le sùil a chreidimh, gu talla an àrd shagairt, gu cathair breitheanais Phùlait, gu sliabh Chalbhari. Feuch Uan Dé air a lot, air a chur gu bàs, agus air ìobradh suas air a’ chrann-cheusaidh, chum peacaich an t-saoghail a thoirt air falbh.

1. Tha e iomchuidh dhuinn a bhi sealltainn ri Uan Dé le mòr iongantas. Tha ‘n Tighearn Iosa Crìosd air a ghairm, “an t-Iongantach,” anns na sgriobtuirean, agus tha e d’a rìreadh, air iomadh dòigh, ‘na neach ro iongantach. Mar eadar-mheadhonair, tha e ann an sealbh air dà nàdur eadar-dhealaichte,—nàdur na Diadhachd agus na daonnachd. Tha uile bhuaidhean na Diadhachd, agus uile shubhailean nàduir na daonnachd, a’ coinneachadh a chéile, agus a’ dealradh a mach an cuideachd a chéile, ann an pearsa agus trìd obair an Tighearn Iosa Crìosd, agus tha ‘n aonachd so a tha eadar an Diadhachd agus an daonnachd, ann am pearsa Chrìosd, ga dheanamh ‘na neach ro iongantach, ‘na neach gun choimeas air nèamh no air talamh. Tha aobhar iongantais ro mhòr againn, mar an ceudna, ann an irioslachd Chrìosd. Tha e ‘na ni neo-chumanta anns an t-saoghal so, a bhi faicinn daoine a tha ann an àrd inbhe agus urram, ‘g an ìsleachadh féin, ‘g an cur féin gu toileach ann an co-inbhe ris na daoine is isle staid, ‘g an toirt féin gu bochdainn, gu bròn, agus péin, agus sin gu h-iomadach air sgàth buannachd muinntir eile. Tha so ‘na ni neo-ghnàthaichte, agus bhiodh e ‘na aobhar iongantais ro mhòr anns an t-saoghal chruaidh, pheacach so. Ach O! faiceamaid am Ti a bha ann an cruth Dhé, agus air a chrùnadh le glòir na Diadhachd o bhith-bhuanachd, a’ cromadh a nuas o àirde a mhòrachd, a’ gabhail nàduir na daonnachd air féin, agus ga dheanamh féin bochd, chum

tre bhochdainn-san, gu ‘m biodh a phoball air an deanamh saoibhir! O, faiceamaid, le mòr iongantas, Uan Dé air irioslachadh, agus air ìobradh chum rèite dheanamh air son peacannan a shluaigh! ‘S ann le mòr iongantas a thigeadh dhuinn, mar an ceudna, bhi toirt fa’near ciùineas, macantachd, agus foighidinn Chrìosd fo gach masladh agus amhghar a dh’ fhuiling e anns an t-saoghal so. ‘S ann gun aobhar a dh’ fhuiling e géur-leanmhuinn o a luchd dùthcha féin, oir cha do thoill e tàir, na masladh, na peanas a rìamh, o neach air bith do chloinn nan daoine; gidheadh bha ‘fhuilingais gun choimeas, a thaobh lìonmhoireachd is meud. Dh’ fhuiling e ‘na anam ‘s ‘na chorp, ‘na bhuill ‘s ‘na bhuaidhean, ‘na ainm agus ‘na oifigean; dh’ fhuiling e o cheartas Dhé, o naimhdeas dhaoine, agus o shaighdean teinntich ifrinn; dh’ fhuiling e bàs maslach a’ chroinn-cheusaidh—seadh, chrìochnaich e a thuras air thalamh ann am fhùirneis an amhghair. Ach ma bha ‘fhuilingas gun choimeas, bha ‘fhòighidin gun choimeas mar an ceudna, Feuch giùlan sèimh, agus macanta ‘n Uain so, fo gach anacainnt agus aobhar brosnachaidh a fhuair e o a naimhdibh! “An uair a chàineadh e, cha do chàin a rìs, an uair a dh’ fhuiling e, cha do bhagair.” “Thug e dhruim do ‘n luchd-bualaidh, agus a ghialan dhoibh-san a spìon am fionnadh; cha d’ fholach e ghnùis o nàire agus o shile.”

(Ri leantainn.)

Oh what soul-undoing bargains do some make with the devil! He is a great trader for souls, he hath all sort of commodities to suit all men’s humours that will deal with him. He hath profits for the covetous, honours for the ambitious, pleasures for the voluptuous: but a soul is the price at which he sells them: only he will be content to sell at a day and not require present pay—so that he is paid on a death-bed, in a dying hour, he is satisfied.—John Flavel.

There are many thousands of souls who had never obtained the hopes of heaven, if they had not been brought thither by the gates of hell. As every mercy is a drop derived from the ocean of God’s goodness, so every misery is a dram weighed out by the supreme wisdom of God’s providence.—W. Seeker.

A saving, though unmethodical, knowledge of Christ will bring us to heaven—John iii. 2—but a regular and methodical, as well as a saving knowledge of Him, will bring heaven into us—Col. ii. 2, 3.—Flavel.

Notes and Comments.

A Movement Deserving Encouragement.—The Scottish Grocers’ Federation are endeavouring to have a bill abolishing Sabbath trading introduced into next session of Parliament. The bill is of a far-reaching nature, and is meant to abolish trading of any kind on the Lord’s Day, whether in street or shop. The London correspondent of the “Glasgow Herald” says that the Early Closing Association will endeavour, when the time comes, to have its provisions extended to England. We have not seen the Scottish Bill, and it is possible that it may not be as thoroughgoing as we would like, but from what we have gleaned from the public press, it is a forward step on present legislation.

Palestine and the Arabs.—The condition of things in Palestine is far from reassuring. The Arab population is strongly opposed to the influx of the Jews to their ancestral home. One bad feature is that the Turks and Arabs, who were bitterly opposed, have recently drawn closer to each other. Following the delegation of Arabs to London, there has been another of Syrians to Angora, to discuss matters with the Kemalist Government. Some English papers are advocating the discontinuance of the British mandate over Palestine, but the Government have not given any indication that it is influenced by this newspaper propaganda. What the outcome of the Arab opposition will be it is difficult to say, but if the Turk can cause trouble in that part of the world we may rest assured he will not hesitate a moment to foment it.

Communism and the Children.—Of late much attention has been directed to the efforts of the Communists to capture the young. Schools are conducted on the Sabbath Day in imitation of Sabbath Schools, and the children are taught the revolutionary doctrines of Bolshevism. Such teaching is not only a menace to the State, but strikes directly at the very existence of religion. The Labour correspondent of the “Times” gives the following words of a Communist oath:—”I . . . do swear that I will be faithful and bear true allegiance to my Class, their heirs and successors, according to the Class Struggle without any God.” The last three words show plainly the source whence this teaching comes. It is well that all should realise what is going on in this country, and alas! at our very doors in Scotland.

Roman Catholic Members of Parliament.—According to the “Churchman’s Magazine,” there are twenty Roman Catholics in the new House of Commons. The names of these, with their constituencies, are:—Lieutenant-Colonel Archer-Shee, Finsbury; F. N. Blundell, Ormskirk; P. Collins, Walsall; Lord Colum Crichton-Stuart, Northwich; N. Gratton Doyle, Newcastle-on-Tyne; T. Gavan Duffy, Whitehaven; P. J. Hannan, Birmingham (Moseley); E. A. Harney, K.C., South Shields; Major G. R. J. Hennessy, Winchester; James Hope, Sheffield (Central); Major P. B. Malone, Tottenham; R. Mitchell-Banks, K.C., Swindon; Major L. J. Molloy, Blackpool; H. Murrin, Stirling and Falkirk; T. P. O’Connor, Liverpool (Scotland); J. O’Grady, Leeds, S.E.; J. Sexton, St Helens; J. Sullivan, Lanark (North); J. Wheatley, Glasgow (Shettleston).

Protest Against Games on the Lord’s Day.—A public meeting has been called for Tuesday, 23rd January, to protest against the London County Council’s permission to allow games in the London parks and open spaces on the Sabbath Day. It gives us pleasure to notice that one of the law officers of the Crown—Sir Thomas Inskip, Solicitor-General, is to preside. We trust a united front will be presented to the enemy, and that a clear, definite challenge against him will go forth from the meeting. The “Lord’s Day Quarterly” says:—”Prayer is asked for to the end that this effort may be wholly directed by God, and may result in helping to bring about a reversal of the decision of the London County Council.” This strikes the true key-note, and if Sabbath desecration in our day is to be brought to an end, while doing our duty, we must ever look to the Lord of the Sabbath for His strong and effectual help.

The Church of Rome Said to be Losing its Hold in Southern Ireland.—A well-informed writer has recently been contributing a series of articles to the “Spectator” on the state of Ireland. He makes no hiding that he recognises the Church of Rome as a great moral force in Ireland, and he somewhat ruefully comes to the conclusion that Rome is slowly but surely losing its influence in Roman Catholic Ireland. “The insults,” he says, “publicly offered recently by the ‘wild women’ to the Cardinal and Bishops at a meeting of the Catholic Truth Society were symbolical of a sinister change in public feeling; a few years ago such a scene would have been impossible. More coldly significant is the failure to nominate a single Bishop, either [Roman] Catholic or Protestant, to serve in the Senate of the Free State. In

short, from all I hear, the Church has lost its ancient hold on the unquestioning allegiance of the Southern Irish.” If such be the case, we may rest assured every effort will be put forth by the Roman Catholic Hierarchy to regain what has for the time apparently slipped through their fingers: It will be a great day of deliverance when Rome’s power is broken for ever in that unhappy land.

Sovereign Grace Union Booklets—This Union, which exists for the proclamation and defence of the doctrines of free and sovereign grace, carries out its object, among other ways, by the publication of books and booklets in which these doctrines are clearly set forth. Among the more recent issues is the Rev. Joseph Irons’ “The Body of Christ,” in which we are presented with a clear Scriptural definition of the term “church.” Those of our readers who are familiar with this excellent minister’s sermons can well understand that they will find in the above booklet good, substantial, Scriptural fare. The other booklet—”Stones that Speak”—is by the late Rev. James Ormiston, at one time editor of “The Gospel Magazine” and “English Churchman.” Mr Ormiston’s sermons and writings were highly appreciated by the Lord’s people, and in the above booklet he describes a visit paid by him to the site of the Temple. He makes a very interesting and instructive spiritual use of what he saw in the immense quarries from which the Temple stones were taken. These publications may be had from Rev. Henry Atherton, The Parsonage, 100 Camberwell Grove, London, S.E. 5, or E. J. Peacock, Esq. Price 3d each, or 100 for 20s.

The Bible and Archaeology.—The wonderful discoveries made by archaeologists in Egypt, Babylonia, and Palestine, have done much to overturn the cherished theories of the Higher Critics. Professors Sir William Ramsay and Sayce felt that they must give up the higher critical positions once held by them, and do battle against them, because of the convincing evidence of archaeology against them. In a recently published pamphlet by Miss A. M. Hodgkin on “The Witness of Archaeology to the Bible” (Morgan and Scott, London, price 4d net), there is an excellent summary of the important developments of these discoveries in Bible lands and their bearing on the authenticity of the Bible. Evangelical Christendom must sooner or later face the question whether it is to support those who hold higher critical views of the Bible or not. This is the issue that has split up the Church Missionary Society. It is to be

hoped that believers in the infallibility of God’s Word in other Missionary Societies and Churches will make it clear to all who hold higher critical views of the Scriptures, that they need no longer look for their support financially or otherwise.

A Sign of the Times.—Recently a large and representative gathering met at the Old Dock, Leith, for the ceremony of naming the drill ship provided for the Edinburgh Sub-Divisions of the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve. The Marchioness of Graham named the vessel “Claverhouse.” The Marquis of Graham, in his speech, remarked that it was appropriate that they should have a ship of the name of Claverhouse. “It would be hard,” he said, “to find a more fearless or ardent spirit than breathed in the breast of Claverhouse.” Scotland has good reason to wish that Claverhouse’s name would perish. “No feat of prowess,” says Dr King Hewison, in his “Covenanters,” “is recorded to the credit of this untiring and merciless executer of the orders of his superiors, and of the cruel decrees he assisted in framing. No attractive ordinances displays the prudence and kindness of a counsellor who understood his fellow-citizens. On the contrary, there abide reminiscences of a martinet, a mercenary, a miserable clamourer for spoil, and a ruthless reveller in the blood of his countrymen.” This witness is true. There has been too much vapid sentiment spent on this ruthless slayer of the saints. “He has left a name,” according to Macaulay, “wherever the Scottish race is settled on the face of the globe, which is mentioned with a peculiar energy of hatred.”