Here the poor human heart lets itself out, in its ignorant reasonings.
How little did these skeptics understand either the person or the path of the Son of G.o.d! How could they appreciate the motives that actuated Him either in what He did, or in what He did not do? He opened the eyes of the blind, in order that "the works of G.o.d might be made manifest in him." And He did not prevent the death of Lazarus, that G.o.d might be glorified thereby.
But what did they know about all this? Absolutely nothing. The blessed One moved at far too high an elevation to be within the ken of worldly religionists and skeptical reasoners. "The world knew Him not." G.o.d understood and appreciated Him perfectly. This was enough. What were the thoughts of men to One who ever walked in calm communion with the Father? They were utterly incapable of forming a correct judgment either of Himself or of His ways. They carried on their reasonings in that thick moral darkness in which they dwelt.
Thus it is still. Human reasonings are begun, continued, and ended in darkness. Man reasons about G.o.d; reasons about Christ; reasons about Scripture; reasons about heaven, about h.e.l.l, about eternity; about all sorts of things. But all his reasonings are worse, far worse, than worthless. Men are no more capable of understanding or appreciating the written Word now, than they were of understanding or appreciating the living Word, when He was amongst them. Indeed, the two things must go together. As the living Word and the written Word are one, so to know the one we must know the other; but the natural, the unrenewed, the unconverted man knows neither. He is totally blind, in utter darkness, dead; and when, without reality, he makes a religious profession, he is "twice dead"--dead in nature and dead in his religion. What are his thoughts, his reasonings, his conclusions worth? They are baseless, false, ruinous.
Nor is there the slightest use in arguing with unconverted people. It only tends to deceive them by leading them to suppose that they can argue. It is always the best way to deal solemnly with them as to their own moral condition before G.o.d. We do not find our Lord taking any notice of the unbelieving reasonings of those around Him. He only again groans and goes on His way. "Jesus _therefore_, again groaning in Himself, cometh to the grave. It was a cave, and a stone lay upon it."
This second groan is deeply affecting. He groaned, at first, in sympathy with the mourners around Him. He groaned again over the hardness and dark unbelief of the human heart, and of the heart of Israel in particular. But, be it carefully noted, He does not attempt to explain His reasons for not having hindered the death of His friend, although He had opened the eyes of the blind.
Blessed, perfect Servant! It was no part of His business to explain or apologize. He had to work on in the current of the divine counsels, and for the promotion of the divine glory. He had to do the Father"s will, not explain Himself to those who could not possibly understand the explanation.
This is a weighty point for us all. Some of us lose a quant.i.ty of time in argument, apology, and explanation, in cases where such things are not the least understood. We really do mischief. Better far pursue, in holy calmness of spirit, singleness of eye, and decision of purpose, the path of duty. That is what we have got to do, not to explain or defend ourselves, which is sorry work at best for any one.
But let us look a moment at the tomb of Lazarus, and there see with what lovely grace our adorable Lord and Master sought to a.s.sociate His servants with Himself in His work, in so far as that was possible; though, even here, too, He is sadly intruded upon by the dark unbelief of the human heart. "Jesus said, Take ye away the stone." This they could do, and hence He graciously calls upon them to do it. It was all they could do, so far. But here unbelief breaks in and casts its dark shadows over the heart. "Martha, the sister of him that was dead, saith unto Him, Lord, by this time he stinketh; for he hath been dead four days."
And what of that? Could the humiliating process of decomposition, even if completed, stand for one moment in the way of Him who is the resurrection and the life? Impossible! Bring Him in, and all is clear and simple; leave Him out, and all is dark and impracticable. Let but the voice of the Son of G.o.d be heard, and death and corruption must vanish like the darkness of night before the beams of the rising sun.
"Behold, I shew you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump; for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pa.s.s the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to G.o.d, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ."
How magnificent! What are death, the grave, and decomposition in the presence of such power as this? Talk of being dead four days as a difficulty! Millions that have been mouldering in the dust for thousands of years, shall spring up in a moment into life, immortality, and eternal glory, at the voice of that blessed One to whom Martha ventured to offer her unbelieving and irrational suggestion.
VI
In our Lord"s reply to Martha we have one of the most blessed utterances that ever fell on the human ear. "Said I not unto thee, that, _if thou wouldest believe, thou shouldest see the glory of G.o.d_?" What living depth, what divine power, what freshness and comfort in these words! They present to us the very gist and marrow, the essential principle of the divine life. It is only the eye of faith that can see the glory of G.o.d. Unbelief sees only difficulties, darkness, and death. Faith looks above and beyond all these, and ever basks in the blessed beams of the divine glory. Poor Martha saw nothing but a decomposed human body, simply because she was under a spirit of dark and depressing unbelief. Had she been swayed by an artless faith, she would have walked to the tomb in company with Him who is the resurrection and the life, a.s.sured that, instead of death and decomposition, she should see the glory of G.o.d.
Reader, this is a grand principle for the soul to grasp. It is utterly impossible for human language to overstate its value and importance.
Faith never looks at difficulties, except indeed it be to feed on them. It looks not at the things that are seen, but at the things that are unseen. It endures as seeing Him who is invisible. It takes hold of the living G.o.d. It leans on His arm; it makes use of His strength; it draws on His exhaustless treasury; it walks in the light of His blessed countenance, and sees His glory shining forth over the darkest scenes of human life.
The inspired volume abounds in striking ill.u.s.trations of the contrast between faith and unbelief. Let us glance at one or two of them. Look, for example, at Caleb and Joshua, in contrast with their unbelieving brethren, in Num. xiii. These latter saw only the difficulties which stood in their way. "Nevertheless the people be strong that dwell in the land,"--not stronger than Jehovah, surely,--"and the cities are walled, and very great"--not greater than the living G.o.d:--"and moreover we saw the children of Anak there." It is very clear that they did not see the glory of G.o.d; indeed, they saw anything and everything but that. They were wholly governed by a spirit of unbelief, and hence they could only "bring up an evil report of the land which they had searched unto the children of Israel, saying, The land, through which we have gone to search it, is a land that eateth up the inhabitants thereof; and _all_ the people that _we saw_ in it are men of _great stature_"--they did not _see_ a single small man: they looked at everything through the magnifying-gla.s.s of unbelief.
"There _we saw_ the giants"--no doubt!--"the sons of Anak, which come of the giants." Anything more? Ah, G.o.d was shut out; they could not see Him at all through the gla.s.ses they used. They could only see the terrible giants and towering walls: "and we were in our own sight as gra.s.shoppers, and so were we in their sight."
But what of Jehovah? Alas, He was left out! Unbelief invariably leaves G.o.d out of its calculations. It can take a very full account of the difficulties, the hindrances, the hostile influences; but as for the living G.o.d, it sees Him not. There is a melancholy consistency in the utterances of unbelief, whether we listen to them in the wilderness of Kadesh, or, fourteen hundred years afterwards, at the tomb of Lazarus.
Unbelief is always and everywhere the same; it begins, continues and ends with the absolute exclusion of the one living and true G.o.d. It can do naught save to cast dark shadows over the pathway of every one who will listen to its voice.
How different are the accents of faith! Harken to Joshua and Caleb, as they seek to stem the rising tide of unbelief. "And Joshua the son of Nun, and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, which were of them that searched the land, rent their clothes: and they spake unto all the company of the children of Israel, saying, The land, which we pa.s.sed through to search it, is an exceeding good land. _If the Lord delight in us_,"--here lies the secret,--"then He will bring us into this land, and give it us; a land which floweth with milk and honey. Only rebel not ye against the Lord, neither fear ye the people of the land; for _they are bread for us_"--faith actually feeds on the difficulties which terrify unbelief:--"their defence is departed from them, and the Lord is with us: fear them not."
Glorious words! It does the heart good to transcribe them. "Said I not unto thee, that, if thou wouldest believe, thou shouldest see the glory of G.o.d?" Thus it is always. If there is a melancholy consistency in the utterances of unbelief, there is a glorious consistency in the accents of faith, wherever we harken to them. Caleb and Joshua saw the glory of G.o.d, and in the light of that glory what were giants and high walls? Simply nothing. If anything, they were _bread_ for the nourishment of faith. Faith brings in G.o.d, and He dispels all difficulties. What walls or giants could stand before the Almighty G.o.d? "If G.o.d be for us, who can be against us?" Such is ever the artless but powerful reasoning of faith. It conducts its arguments and reaches its conclusions in the blessed light of the divine presence.
It sees the glory of G.o.d. It looks above and beyond the heavy clouds which at times gather upon the horizon, and finds in G.o.d its sure and never-failing resource. Precious faith!--the only thing in the world that really glorifies G.o.d, and makes the heart of the Christian truly bright and happy.
Take another ill.u.s.tration. Turn to 1 Kings xvii., and contrast the widow of Sarepta with Elijah the Tishbite. What was the difference between them? Just the difference that ever exists between unbelief and faith. Listen again to the utterances of unbelief. "And she said, As the Lord thy G.o.d liveth, I have not a cake, but a handful of meal in a barrel, and a little oil in a cruse: and, behold, I am gathering two sticks, that I may go in and dress it for me and my son, that we may eat it, _and die_."
Here, truly, is a gloomy picture. An empty barrel, an exhausted cruse, and death! Was that all? That was all for blind unbelief. It is the old story of the giants and lofty walls over again. G.o.d is shut out, though she could say, "As the Lord _thy_ G.o.d liveth." In reality she was out of His presence, and had lost the sense of His all-sufficiency to meet her need and that of her house. Her circ.u.mstances excluded G.o.d from the vision of her soul. She looked at things that were seen, not at the things which were unseen. She saw not the invisible One; she saw nothing but famine and death. As the ten unbelieving spies saw nothing but the difficulties; as Martha saw nothing but the grave and its humiliating results; so the poor Sareptan saw nothing but starvation and death.
Not so the man of faith. He looked beyond the barrel and the cruse. He had no thought of dying of hunger. He rested on the word of the Lord.
Here was his precious resource. G.o.d had said, "I have commanded a widow woman there to sustain thee." This was quite enough for him. He knew that G.o.d could multiply the meal and the oil to sustain him and her. Like Caleb and Joshua, he brought G.o.d into the scene, and found in Him the happy solution of every difficulty. They saw G.o.d above and beyond the walls and the giants. They rested on His eternal word. He had promised to bring His people into the land, and hence, though there were nothing but walls and giants from Dan to Beersheba, He would most surely fulfil His word.
And so with Elijah the Tishbite. He saw the living and almighty G.o.d above and beyond the barrel and the cruse. He rested upon that word which is settled forever in heaven, and which never can fail a trusting heart. This tranquilized his spirit, and with this he sought to tranquilize the widow too. "And he said unto her, _Fear not_;"--precious, soul-stirring utterance of faith!--"go, and do as thou hast said.... For _thus saith the Lord G.o.d of Israel_, The barrel of meal shall not waste, neither shall the cruse of oil fail, until the day that the Lord sendeth rain upon the earth."
Here was the solid ground on which the man of G.o.d rested when he ventured to offer a word of encouragement to the poor, desponding widow of Sarepta. It was not in the light-heartedness, or blind recklessness, of nature that he spoke to her. He did not deny that the barrel and cruse were almost empty, as the woman had said. This could have given her no comfort, inasmuch as she knew too well the facts of her case. But he brought the living G.o.d and His faithful Word before her aching heart; and hence he could say, "Fear not." He sought to lead her soul to that true resting-place where he himself had found repose, namely, _the word of the living G.o.d_--blessed, unfailing, divine resting place for every anxious soul!
Thus it was with Caleb and Joshua. They did not deny that there were giants and high walls: they brought G.o.d in, and sought to place Him between the hearts of their desponding brethren and the dreaded difficulties. This is what faith always does, and thus gives glory to G.o.d and keeps the soul in peace, let the difficulties be ever so great. It would be folly to deny there are obstacles and hostile influences in the way: and there is a certain style of speaking of such things which cannot possibly minister comfort or encouragement to a poor, troubled heart. Faith accurately weighs the difficulties and trials, but, knowing that the power of G.o.d outweighs them all, it rests in holy calmness on His word, and in His perfect wisdom and everlasting love.
The reader"s mind will no doubt recur to many other instances in which the Lord"s people have been cast down by looking at circ.u.mstances, instead of looking at G.o.d. David, in a dark moment, could say, "I shall one day perish by the hand of Saul." What a sad mistake!--the mistake of unbelief. What should he have said? Denied that the unrelenting hand of Saul was against him? Surely not. What comfort would that have given him, inasmuch as he knew too well that it was really so. But he should have remembered that the hand of _G.o.d_ was with him, and that hand was stronger than ten thousand Sauls.
So with Jacob in his day of darkness and depression. "All these things," said he, "are against me." What should he have added? "But G.o.d is for me." Faith has its "_buts_" and "_ifs_" as well as unbelief; but faith"s buts and ifs are all bright, because they express the pa.s.sage of the soul--its rapid pa.s.sage--from the difficulties to G.o.d Himself. "_But_ G.o.d who is rich," etc. And again, "_If_ G.o.d be for us, who can be against us?" Thus faith ever reasons.
It begins with G.o.d, it places Him between the soul and all its surroundings, and thus imparts a peace which pa.s.seth all understanding, a peace which nothing can disturb.
But we must, ere closing this paper, return for a moment to the tomb of Lazarus. The rapid glance we have taken through the inspired volume will enable us to appreciate more fully those most precious words of our Lord to Martha, "Said I not unto thee, that, if thou wouldest believe, thou shouldest see the glory of G.o.d?" Men tell us that seeing is believing; but we can say that believing is seeing. Yes, reader, get hold of this grand truth. It will carry you through and bear you above the darkest and most trying scenes of this dark and trying world. "_Have faith in G.o.d._" This is the main-*spring of the divine life. "The life that I live in the flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of G.o.d, who loved me, and gave Himself for me." Faith knows, and is persuaded, that there is nothing too hard, nothing too great--yea, and nothing too small--for G.o.d. It can count on Him for everything. It basks in the very sunlight of His presence, and exults in the manifestations of His goodness, His faithfulness, and His power. It ever delights to see the platform cleared of the creature, that the glory of G.o.d may shine forth in all its l.u.s.tre. It turns away from creature streams and creature props, and finds all its resources in the one living and true G.o.d.
Only see how the divine glory displays itself at the grave of Lazarus, even spite of the unbelieving suggestion of Martha"s heart; for G.o.d, blessed be His name, delights at times to rebuke our fears as well as to answer our faith. "Then they took away the stone where the dead was laid. And Jesus lifted up His eyes, and said, Father, I thank Thee that Thou hast heard Me. And I knew that Thou hearest Me always: but because of the people which stand by I said it, that they may believe that Thou hast sent Me. And when He thus had spoken, He cried with a loud voice, Lazarus, come forth! And he that was dead came forth, bound hand and foot with grave clothes; and his face was bound about with a napkin. Jesus saith unto them, Loose him, and let him go."
Glorious scene! displaying our Jesus as the Son of G.o.d with power, by resurrection of the dead. Gracious scene! in which the Son of G.o.d condescends to use man in rolling away the stone and removing the grave clothes. How good of Him to use us in any little way! May it be our joy to be ever ready--in a holy readiness to be used, that G.o.d in all things may be glorified!
LOVE DIVINE.
Father! Thy sovereign love has sought Captives to sin, gone far from Thee: The work that Thine own Son hath wrought Has brought us back--in peace, and free!
And now, as sons before Thy face, With joyful steps the path we tread, Which leads us on to that blest place Prepared for us by Christ, our Head.
Thou gav"st us in eternal love To Him, to bring us home to Thee-- Suited to Thine own thoughts above; As sons, like Him, with Him to be
In Thine own house! There Love Divine Fills the bright courts with cloudless joy: But "tis the love that made us Thine Fills all that house without alloy!
Oh, boundless grace! What fills with joy Unmingled all that enter there-- G.o.d"s nature, love without alloy-- Our hearts are given e"en now to share!
O Mind Divine! so must it be, That glory, all, belongs to G.o.d!
O Love Divine! that did decree We should be part, through Jesus" blood!
O, keep us, Love Divine, near Thee,-- That we our nothingness may know; And ever to Thy glory be-- Walking in faith while here below.
J. N. D.
RESTORATION
(Gen. x.x.xv.)
The words "Arise, go up to Bethel" contain a great practical truth to which we desire to call the reader"s attention.
It has been well remarked by some one that "G.o.d, in His dealings with us, always keeps us up to the original terms." This is true; but some may not exactly understand it. It may, perhaps, savor of the legal element. To speak of G.o.d as keeping us up to certain terms may seem to militate against that free grace in which we stand, and which has reigned through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord. Many, we are aware, have a kind of horror of everything bordering, in the most remote way, upon the legal system; and we may say we sympathize with such. At the same time, we must take care not to carry that feeling to such an extent as would lead us to throw overboard aught that is calculated to act in a divine way upon the heart and conscience of the believer. We really want practical truth.
There is a vast amount of what is called abstract truth in circulation among us, and we prize it, and would prize it more. We delight in the unfolding of truth in all its departments. But then we must remember that truth is designed to act on hearts and consciences, and that there are hearts and consciences to be acted upon. We must not cry out, "Legal! legal!" whenever some great practical truth falls upon our ears, even though that truth may come before us clothed in a garb which at first sight seems strange. We are called to "suffer the word of exhortation"--to listen to wholesome words--to apply our hearts diligently to everything tending to promote practical G.o.dliness and personal holiness. We know that the pure and precious doctrines of grace--those doctrines which find their living centre in the person of Christ, and their eternal foundation in His work--are the means which the Holy Ghost uses to promote holiness in the life of the Christian; but we know also that those doctrines may be held in theory, and professed with the lips, while the heart has never felt their power, and the life never exhibited their moulding influence. Yes, we frequently find that the loud and vehement outcry against everything that looks like legality proceeds from those who, though they profess the doctrines of grace, do not realize their sanctifying influence; whereas those who really understand the meaning of grace, who feel its power to mould and fashion, to purify and elevate, are ever ready to welcome the most pungent appeals to the heart and conscience.