We have no reason to suppose that Isaiah was in any respect worse than his neighbors. We are not told that the catalogue of his sins was heavier or darker than that of thousands around him. He may have been to all human appearance just like others. But ah! my reader, only remember, I pray you, where the prophet stood when he exclaimed, "Woe is me!" It was not at the foot of the burning mount when "the ministration of death and condemnation" was given forth amid thunderings and lightnings, blackness, darkness and tempest. It was not there he stood, though even there a Moses had to say, "I exceedingly fear and quake"; but it was in the presence of the glory of Christ, the Lord G.o.d of Israel, that our prophet stood when he saw himself to be "unclean" and "undone." Such was his condition when seen in the light which reveals men and things just as they are.
"_I am undone._" He does not say, "Woe is me! I am not what I ought to be." No; he saw deeper than this. He stood revealed in the power of a light which reaches to the most profound depths of the soul and discloses "the thoughts and intents of the heart." Isaiah had never before seen himself in such a light--measured himself by such a rule--weighed himself in such a balance. He now saw himself standing in the presence of Jehovah"s throne without any ability whatever to meet the claims of that throne. He "saw Jehovah sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up." He saw himself a helpless, ruined, guilty sinner at an immeasurable distance from that throne and from the blessed One who sat thereon. He heard the cry of the seraphim, "Holy, holy, holy"; and the only response which he could send back from the depths of a broken heart was, "Unclean, unclean, unclean." He beheld a gulf of guilt and uncleanness separating him from Jehovah which no effort of his could ever bridge. Thus it was with him in that solemn moment when he gave forth that cry of a truly convicted soul, "Woe is me!" He was wholly engrossed with one thought, namely, _his own utter ruin_. He felt himself _a lost man_. He thought not of comparing himself with others, nor of seeking out some fellow-sinner worse than he. Ah, no! a divinely-convicted soul never thinks of such things. There is one grand, all-pervading idea, and that idea is embodied in the words, "I am undone."
And be it carefully noted by the reader that the prophet when under the convicting light of the throne is not occupied with what he had done or left undone. The question before his soul was not as to the evil he had done or the good he had left undone. No; it was something far deeper than this. In a word, he was occupied not with his _acts_ but with his _condition_. He says, "_I am_" what? Defective in many things? Far behind in my duty? Deplorably short of what I ought to be?
No. These and such-like confessions could never embody the experience of a heart on which the bright beams of Jehovah"s throne had fallen in convicting power. True it is "we have done that which we ought not to have done, and left undone that which we ought to have done." But all this is merely the fruit of a nature which is radically corrupt, and when divine light breaks in upon us it will always lead us to the _root_. It will not merely conduct us from leaf to leaf or from branch to branch, but pa.s.sing down along the trunk it will lay bare the hidden roots of that nature which we inherit by birth from our first parents, and cause us to see that the whole thing is irremediably ruined. Then it is we are constrained to cry out, "Woe is me!" Not because my _conduct_ has been defective, but my nature is undone.
Thus it was that Isaiah stood before Jehovah"s throne. And oh, what a place for a sinner to stand in! There are no excuses there--no palliating circ.u.mstances there--no qualifying clauses there--no blaming of men or things there. There is but one object seen there--seen in its guilt, its wretchedness and its ruin, and that object is SELF, and as to that object the tale is easily told. It is all summed up in that most solemn, weighty, suggestive word, "UNDONE."
Yes; self is undone. That is all that can be said about it. Do what you will with it, and you cannot make it out to be aught but a hopeless, undone thing; and the more speedily and thoroughly this is understood the better.
Many take a long time to learn this foundation truth. They have not, as it were, stood in the full blaze of the throne, and as a consequence they have not been led to cry out with sufficient depth, emphasis or intensity, "I am undone!" It is the glory that shines from the throne which evokes the cry from the very depths of the soul. All who have ever stood before that throne have given utterance to the same confession, and it will ever be found that just in proportion to our experience of the _light_ of the _throne_ will be our experience of the _grace_ of the _altar_. The two things invariably go together.
In this day of _grace_ the throne and the altar are connected. In the day of _judgment_ "the great white throne" will be seen without any altar. There will be no grace then. The _ruin_ will then be seen without the _remedy_, and as for the _result_, it will be eternal perdition. Awful reality! O reader, beware of having to meet the light of the throne without the provision of the altar!
This conducts us, naturally, to the second object in the interesting scene before us, namely, _the altar_. The very moment Isaiah gave utterance to the deep conviction of what he was, he was introduced to the divine provisions of G.o.d"s altar. "Then flew one of the seraphims unto me, having a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with the tongs from off the altar: and he laid it upon my mouth, and said, Lo, this hath touched thy lips; and thine iniquity is taken away, and thy sin purged."
Here, then, we have the rich provisions of Jehovah"s altar, which, be it well remembered, is seen in immediate connection with Jehovah"s throne. The two things are intimately connected in the history and experience of every convicted and converted soul. The guilt which the throne detects, the altar removes. If in the light of the throne one object is seen, namely, ruined, guilty, undone self; then, in the light of the altar, one object is seen, namely, a full, precious, all-sufficient Christ. The remedy reaches to the full extent of the ruin, and the same light that reveals the one reveals the other likewise. This gives settled repose to the conscience. G.o.d Himself has provided a remedy for all the ruin which the light of His throne has revealed. "This _hath touched_ thy lips; and thine iniquity _is_ taken away, and thy sin purged." Isaiah was brought into personal contact with the sacrifice, and the immediate result was the perfect removal of _all_ his iniquity--the perfect purgation of _all_ his sin.
Not a single spot remained. He could now stand in the light of that throne which had just detected and exposed his uncleanness, and know a.s.suredly by that self-same light that not a speck of uncleanness remained. The very same light which manifested his sin, made manifest also the purging efficacy of the blood.
Such, then, is the precious and beautiful connection between the throne and the altar--a connection which may be easily traced through the inspired volume from Genesis to Revelation, and through the history of G.o.d"s redeemed from Adam down to the present moment. All who have been really brought to Jesus have experienced the convicting light of the throne and the peace-giving virtues of the altar. All have been made to feel their ruin and cry out, "I am undone!" and all have been brought into personal contact with the sacrifice, and had their sin purged.
G.o.d"s work is perfect. He convicts perfectly, and He purges perfectly.
There is nothing superficial when He carries on His mighty work. The arrow of conviction penetrates to the very centre of the soul, only to be followed by the divine application of that blood which leaves not a stain upon the conscience; and the more deeply we are penetrated by the arrow, the deeper and more settled is our experience of the power of the blood. It is well to be thoroughly searched at the first--well to let the chambers of the heart be fully thrown open to the convicting action of the throne, for then we are sure to get a bolder grasp of that precious atoning blood that speaks peace to every believing heart.
And, my reader, let me ask you to pause here for a moment and mark the peculiar _style_ of the divine action in the case of the prophet.
We all know how much depends upon the way in which a thing is done. A person may do me a favor, but he may do it in such a style as to do away with all the good of it.
Now in the scene before us we not only see a marvellous favor conferred, but conferred after such a fashion as to let us into the very secrets of the bosom of G.o.d. The divine remedy was not only applied to Isaiah"s felt ruin, but applied in such a way as to let him know a.s.suredly that the whole heart of G.o.d was in the application.
"Then _flew_ one of the seraphims unto me." The rapidity of the movement speaks volumes. It tells us distinctly of heaven"s intense desire to tranquillize the convicted conscience, bind up the broken heart and heal the wounded spirit. The energy of divine love gave swiftness to the seraphic messenger as he winged his way down from Jehovah"s throne to where a convicted sinner stood confessing himself "undone." What a scene! One of those very seraphims that with veiled face stood above Jehovah"s throne crying, "Holy, holy, holy," pa.s.ses from that throne to the altar, and from the altar away down to the deep depths of a convicted sinner"s heart, there to apply the balmy virtues of a divine sacrifice. No sooner had the arrow from the throne wounded the heart than the seraph from the altar "flew" to heal the wound. No sooner had the throne poured forth its flood of living light to reveal to the prophet the blackness of his guilt than a tide of love rolled down upon him from the altar and bore away upon its bosom every trace of that guilt. Such is the style--such the manner of the love of G.o.d to sinners! Who would not trust Him?
Beloved reader, whosoever you are, in earnest desire for the welfare of your immortal soul, permit me to ask you if you have experienced the action of the throne and the altar? Have you ever retired from all that false light which the enemy of your precious soul would fling around you in order to prevent your getting a true insight into your total ruin? Have you ever stood where Isaiah found himself when he cried out, "Woe is me! for I am undone"? Have you ever been brought to own from your heart, "I have sinned"? (Job x.x.xiii.) If so, it is your privilege to enter this moment into the rich enjoyment of all that Christ has done for you on the cross.
You do not need to see any vision. You do not require to see a throne, an altar, a flying seraph. You have the word of G.o.d to a.s.sure you "Christ suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to G.o.d" (1 Pet. iii. 18). That same word also a.s.sures you that "all that believe _are_ justified from _all_ things" (Acts xiii.
39).
And is not this far better than many visions or many seraphim? Isaiah believed that his "iniquity was taken away, and his sin purged," when the angelic messenger told him so. And should you not believe that Jesus died for you when the word of G.o.d tells you so?
But perhaps you say, "How can I know that Jesus died for _me_?" I reply, In the way that any one may know it--simply by the word of G.o.d.
There is no other way of knowing it. But you still object, "I do not see my name in the word of G.o.d." No; and even though your name were mentioned this would in no wise satisfy you, inasmuch as there might be hundreds bearing your name. But you see your state, your character, your condition. You see your photograph flung, with divine precision, upon the page of inspiration by the action of that light which makes all things manifest.
Do you not own yourself to be a sinner?--a deep-dyed and ruined sinner? If so the death of Christ applies itself as perfectly to you as the "live coal" did to Isaiah when the seraph declared to him, "This hath touched thy lips." The word is, "If any say I have sinned,"--What then? He will send him to h.e.l.l? No; but "he will deliver him." The very moment you take your true place, and cry out, "Undone!" all that Christ has done, and all that He is becomes yours--yours now--yours for ever. You need not make any effort to improve your condition. Do what you will, and you cannot make yourself anything but undone. A single effort at improvement is but the evidence that you know not yet how bad, how _incurably_ bad you are.
You are "undone," and, as such, you have to stand still and see the salvation of G.o.d--a salvation the foundation of which was wrought out through the cross of Christ--a salvation which the Holy Ghost reveals on the authority of that Word which is settled for ever in heaven, and which G.o.d "has exalted according to all His name." May the blessed Spirit lead you _now_ to put your trust in the name of Jesus, that so, ere you lay down this paper, you may know that your "iniquity _is_ taken away, and your sin purged"! Then you will be able to follow me while, in a few closing words, I seek to unfold the practical result of all that has been engaging our attention.
We have seen the complete _ruin_ of the sinner; we have seen the complete _remedy_ in Christ; let us now look at the _result_, as exhibited in whole-hearted consecration to the service of G.o.d. Isaiah had nothing to do for salvation, but he had plenty to do for his Saviour. He had nothing to do to get his sins purged, but plenty to do for the One who had purged them. Now he gave the willing, ready expression of obedience to G.o.d when, on hearing that a messenger was needed, he answered, "Here am I; send me." This puts works in their proper place. The order is absolutely perfect. No one can do good works until he has experienced, in some degree, the action of the "throne" and the "altar." The light of the former must shew him what he is, and the provisions of the latter must shew him what Christ is ere he can say, "Here am I; send me."
This is a settled, universal truth, established in every section of inspiration, and ill.u.s.trated in the biography of the saints of G.o.d and of the servants of Christ in every age, in every condition. All have been brought to see their _ruin_ in the light of the throne, to see the _remedy_ in the provisions of the altar ere they could exhibit the _result_ in a life of practical devotedness. All this is from G.o.d the Father, through G.o.d the Son, by G.o.d the Holy Ghost--to whom be all the glory, world without end! Amen and Amen!
LEGALITY AND LEVITY
Feeling, as we trust we do, in some little measure our responsibility to the souls of our readers, as well as to the truth of G.o.d, we desire to offer a brief but pointed word of warning against two opposite evils which we can plainly see working among Christians at the present moment. These are legality on the one hand, and levity on the other.
As to the first of these evils, we have sought in many of our former papers to deliver precious souls out of a legal state, as being, at once, dishonoring to G.o.d and utterly subversive of their own peace and liberty. We have endeavored to set forth the free grace of G.o.d, the value of the blood of Christ, the standing of the believer before G.o.d in perfect righteousness and acceptance in Christ. These precious truths, when applied to the heart in the power of the Holy Ghost, must deliver it from all legal influences.
But then it frequently happens that persons, when apparently delivered from legality, run into the opposite evil of levity. This may arise from the fact that the doctrines of grace are only taken up intellectually, instead of being wrought into the soul by the power of the Spirit of G.o.d. A great amount of evangelical truth may be taken up in a very light way, in cases where there has been no deep work of conscience, no real breaking down of nature, no thorough subjugation of the flesh in the presence of G.o.d. When this is the case there is sure to be levity of spirit in some form or another. There will be a very wide margin allowed for worldliness of various kinds--a liberty given to nature wholly incompatible with practical Christianity. In addition to these things, there will be exhibited a very deplorable want of conscience in the practical details of daily life--duties neglected, work badly done, engagements not faithfully observed, sacred obligations trifled with, debts contracted, extravagant habits indulged. All these things we place under the head of levity, and they are, alas! too common amongst the very highest professors of what is termed evangelical truth.
Now we deeply deplore this, and would desire to have our own souls, as well as the souls of all our Christian readers, really exercised before G.o.d about it. We fear there is a great deal of hollow profession amongst us, a great want of earnestness, truthfulness and reality in our ways. We are not sufficiently permeated by the spirit of genuine Christianity, or governed in all things by the word of G.o.d.
We do not give sufficient attention to "the girdle of truth," or "the breastplate of righteousness." In this way the soul gets into a very bad state indeed; conscience does not act. The moral sensibilities become blunted. The claims of truth are not duly responded to.
Positive evil is trifled with. Moral relaxation is allowed. So far from there being the _con_straining power of the love of Christ, leading forth in the activities of goodness, there is not even the _re_straining power of the fear of G.o.d keeping back from the activities of evil.
We appeal solemnly to the consciences of our readers as to these things. The present is a deeply solemn time for Christians. There is a demand for earnest, deep-toned devotedness to Christ, but this cannot possibly exist where the common claims of practical righteousness are neglected. We must ever remember that the self-same grace which effectually delivers the soul from legality is the only safeguard against all levity. We have done very little for a man, if anything at all, if we bring him out of a legal state into a light, easy-going, careless, unconscientious condition of heart. And yet we have frequently marked the history of souls, and noticed this sad fact respecting them, that when they were delivered out of darkness and bondage they became far less tender and sensitive. The flesh is ever ready to turn the grace of G.o.d into lasciviousness, and therefore it must be subdued.
It needs that the power of the Cross be applied to all that is of the flesh. We want to mingle the "bitter herbs" with our paschal feast. In other words, we want those deep spiritual exercises which result from positive entrance into the power of the sufferings of Christ. We need to meditate more profoundly upon the death of Christ--His death as a victim under the hand of G.o.d, His death as a martyr under the hand of man.
This, beloved reader, is at once the cure for legality and levity.
The Cross, in its double aspect, delivers from both. Christ "gave Himself for our sins, that He might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of G.o.d and our Father" (Gal. i. 4). By the Cross the believer is as completely delivered from this present evil world as he is forgiven his sins. He is not saved in order that he may enjoy the world, but that he may get done with it entirely. We know few things more dangerous for the soul than the combination of evangelical truth with worldliness, ease and self-indulgence--the adoption of a certain phraseology of truth where the conscience is not in the presence of G.o.d--a merely intellectual apprehension of _standing_ without any earnest dealing with the practical _state_--clearness in doctrine as to t.i.tle, without any conscientious reference to the moral condition.
We trust our reader will suffer the word of exhortation. We should deem ourselves deficient in faithfulness were we to withhold it. True, it is not an agreeable task to call attention to practical evils--to urge the solemn duty of self-judgment--to press upon the conscience the claims of practical G.o.dliness. It were far more grateful to the heart to unfold abstract truth, to dwell upon free grace and what it has done for us, to expatiate upon the moral glories of the inspired volume, in a word, to dwell upon the privileges which are ours in Christ. But there are times when the true, practical condition of things among Christians weighs heavily upon the heart and rouses the soul to make an urgent appeal to conscience in reference to matters of walk and conduct; and we believe the present to be such a time. The devil is ever busy, and on the alert. The Lord has granted much light upon His word for some years past. The gospel has been brought out with peculiar clearness and power. Thousands have been delivered from a legal state; and now the enemy is seeking to hinder the testimony by leading souls into a light, careless, carnal condition--leading them to neglect the wholesome and indispensable exercise of self-judgment.
It is the deep sense of this that has suggested a word of warning on "_Legality and Levity_."
"For the grace of G.o.d that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying unG.o.dliness and worldly l.u.s.ts, we should live soberly, righteously, and G.o.dly, in this present world; looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great G.o.d and our Saviour Jesus Christ; who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto Himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works" (t.i.tus ii. 11-14).
The veil is rent:--our souls draw near Unto a throne of grace; The merits of the Lord appear, They fill the holy place.
His precious blood has spoken there, Before and on the throne: And His own wounds in heaven declare, Th" atoning work is done.
"Tis finished!--here our souls have rest, His work can never fail: By Him, our Sacrifice and Priest, We pa.s.s within the veil.
Within the holiest of all, Cleansed by His precious blood, Before the throne we prostrate fall, And worship Thee, O G.o.d!
Boldly the heart and voice we raise, His blood, His name, our plea: a.s.sured our prayers and songs of praise Ascend, by Christ, to Thee.
A RISEN SAVIOUR"S CHALLENGE
(Luke xxiv.)
The period during which our blessed Lord lay in the tomb must needs have proved a dark and bewildering moment to many of those who looked for redemption in Israel. It would demand a calm, clear and vigorous faith to raise the heart above the heavy clouds which gathered just then upon the horizon of G.o.d"s people, and it does not appear that many possessed such a faith at that trying moment.
We may doubtless look upon the two disciples who travelled together to Emmaus as ill.u.s.trating the condition of many, if not all, the beloved saints of G.o.d during the three days and three nights that our beloved Lord lay in the heart of the earth. They were thoroughly bewildered and at their wits" end. "They talked together of all these things which had happened. And it came to pa.s.s that, while they communed together and reasoned, Jesus Himself drew near, and went with them.