AW and order characterize every creation of the Almighty One. "The heavens declare the glory of God and the firmament showeth His handiwork. " We read it however as plainly in the opening flower, the springing grass, and the budding trees. Is it possible then that Infinite Wisdom has made everything with which man holds communion to abound in and be characterized by law, and left the great plan of redemption, whereby man is enlighted, elevated, ennobled and fitted for the courts of a higher life, lawless and orderless? Like a dismantled bark in an angry tempest, to be tossed two and fro by every wind and wave, and at last, forced on the reefs of destruction?

      No! Our text states, that there is a perfect law for the conversion of the soul. We, as a people, have been characterized by the tenacity with which we have upheld this law before the world, for the last half century. [461]

      My purpose here is to set before you this perfect law, in its adaptation to the nature, frailties and necessities of mankind. You will mark the fact, that this expression which forms the text, was predicated of the Old Testament Scriptures; for at the time this was uttered, the Old Testament was the only law, that God had revealed to man. But, if this be true of the Old Testament, "which was a shadow of things to come"; is it not true, with even greater force of the New Testament--the verity, of which, the old was a shadow? This, we think, no one will deny.

      Paul says, in Galatians iii:24, "wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ."

      It was a very severe teacher--imperfect, weak through the flesh, exacting conditions that none but Christ ever did fulfill; but notwithstanding this, it served its mission and then was abolished.

      If there be any lingering doubt in any mind, of the correctness of the above statement, a careful reading of the third chapter of the Second Corinthian letter in connection with the Epistle to Galatians, will, at once, remove it.

      As we, at present, are "not under the law, but under grace," a discussion of the Old Testament is not necessary. However pleasant it. might be to study it, as the will of God to the Jews; or to linger with David, as in the Psalms, he tells the experience of all sinners; or to look into the prophetic utterances, concerning the Messiah; yet, as Gentiles, it is [462] not unto us, "the law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus."

      Passing then, the Old Testament, we come to a notice of the new, as this "perfect law of the Lord, converting the soul."

      Did you ever take the time to carefully analyze this wonderful book of God? If so, you have been struck with beauties that are not observed by the surface reader. You take it into your hands and as you linger over its sacred pages, you see at once it is not the work of any one man. It is not a biography, nor a history, but it is both and much more.

      By studying it closely, you will observe, at its very beginning, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, which are very much alike, written to introduce the Hero of the book. They give the plain, unvarnished facts of His life, trying to insinuate no prejudice of their own, to prove no doctrine, nor to warp anything he did out of its place in simple biography. Their only object is to tell us who He was and what He did. They take us back to Bethlehem of Judea, where denied room in the inn, He was born in the manger, wrapped in swaddling bands and warmed by the breath of oxen.. The ignorant shepherd of Judea, and philosopher of the East, stand upon a level before Him, who is no respector of persons, while the angels sing and the star sparkles with joy over the birth of the world's Redeemer. Our sweetest of American poets has most beautifully described the scene in his "Christmas Carol": [463]

      They take us into Egypt with Him as He flees the wrath of an envious king. They bring us again [464] to His humble Nazarene home, and give us an occasional glimpse of the unfoldings of His wonderful life. They take us to the wilderness of the Jordan where His cousin John, having taken up the prophetic harp of David, that had been hanging so long on the willows, and attuned it rightly, is firing the hearts of "Jerusalem, Judea and all the regions round about Jordan" with the living, burning words of God's message. We see Him bowing in obedience to the righteous institution of baptism, whereby He receives the Holy Spirit, and the word of God bears testimony that He is the Son of God. If God did not acknowledge Him as His Son nor bestow on Him His Holy Spirit till He had learned obedience, think you that He will do more for you than He did for your Saviour?

      They take us then, through a three years ministry as He goes "about doing good" unto the sons of men. Placing His finger on the eye of the blind, it opens to the beautiful handiwork of God--on the ear of the deaf, it answers to the calls of nature's sweet harmonies--on the withered limb of the paralytic, it fills with the rushing blood of life. He startles the vaults of death with the cry: "Lazarus come forth," and death yields his icy hold, and the sleeper comes forth to life and friends.

      They take us again to the lonely garden of Gethsemane, where He wrestles with temptation in its most powerful form; Jerusalem, with its awful [465] fate and load of sins hovering darkly over it, sleeps calmly and pleasantly in the still moonlight scene. His disciples, earthly, sensual and ignorant as yet, can sleep. But no sleep ministers to His drooping frame. Wrestling with His baptism of suffering, He crys in agony of soul, "O Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass." With foreseeing eye He beheld the storm-cloud approaching, that was soon to burst in all its fury upon Him. The thunders are charging in heavy squadrons along the mountain clouds that soon are to roll in relentless fury over His head. The air is luminous with quivering bolts of God's justice, that soon shall sink into His bursting heart. Before all this the affrighted humanity in His nature shrinks in dismay. But over this the God-man rules, and soon He bows His head, and the beautiful prayer of submission to the Divine will is heard ascending to God: "Nevertheless, Father, not as I will, but as thou wilt."

      They take us to the rugged cross-tree of Calvary, where the closing scenes in the "Divine Tragedy" are to be enacted. Deserted of God and man, He cries, "My God! why hast thou forsaken me?" He could stand it for a Judas to betray, for a Peter to deny and blaspheme; but the smile of Heaven is now withdrawn. He bowed His head and yielded the spirit.

      We are next taken to the new sepulchre of the Arimathean Councillor, where, wrapped in the vestments of the dead, He waits the rising of the blessed [466] day that shall declare His glorious power over the grave. How calmly He sleeps ! He has kept the last Sabbath, endured the last temptation, submitted to the last humiliation, now there awaits only "the glory that shall follow."

      As the morning sun rises proudly up the heavens, rolling back the dark curtains of night, suddenly the air is filled with quivering pinions, and the sky is brilliant with their sheen of glory. They hover joyfully over His sleeping place, and while the guards fall back as dead men, before the heavenly vision, two of the brightest and strongest step forth, and breaking the seal of Roman power, He calmly rises as from refreshing sleep, and showing no haste, He deliberately folds the white cerements in which He had been enshrouded and steps out a risen Lord.

      They take us still further through forty days of earthly sojourn, in which He confirms by unmistakable testimony, the hopes, and calms the fears of His disciples, till at last, His earthly mission done, He leads them to the summit of Olivet, and is received up into glory, after having promised the Spirit in His place. These four books end here. Beginning as they do, with Jesus, and ending with Jesus, He is in them truly, "the first and the last; the beginning and the end."

      A concise analysis of these four books has been presented to us in previous discussions of this subject which, for its clearness, we will re-present. It [467] clusters all the principal points of interest in these four books around five missions viz.:

      1. John the Baptist.
      2. Christ's personal mission.
      3. The seventy.
      4. The Holy Spirit.
      5. The apostles.

      A correct understanding of these five missions will give us a clear understanding of these books. Let us then, in the language of some good people, "catechise" each one of these missions, and let the scriptures reply.

      1. THE MISSION OF JOHN. A. Who sent you? Answer: There was a "man sent from God, whose name was John." John i:6. B. To whom were you sent? Answer: "Behold I will send you (the Jews) Elijah, the prophet." Mal. iv:5. "This is Elias, which was for to come." Matt. xi:14. C. For what purpose did you come? Answer: "The voice of one, crying in the wilderness, saying, prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight." Thus we see that John was sent from God to the Jews for a certain purpose. His mission therefore was a Jewish mission, and did not embrace Gentiles, such as we.

      2. CHRIST'S PERSONAL MISSION. A. Who sent you? Answer: "The Father hath sent me." John v:36. B. To whom were you sent? Answer: "I am not come, but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel." Matt. xv:24. C. For what purpose? [468] Answer: "I am come a light into the world, that whosoever believeth on me should not abide in darkness." John xi:46. We learn from the above that Christ, in his personal ministry, was sent by the Father to the Jews. Thus, two of the missions have passed, and there are not even crumbs for the Gentiles. This brings us to notice

      3. THE MISSION OF THE SEVENTY. By reading Matthew x:5-7, we find: A. They are sent by Christ. B. Forbidden to go to either Gentile or Samaritan, but confined in their preaching to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. C. They were sent to preach the gospel of the coming kingdom.

      4. THE MISSION OF THE HOLY SPIRIT. A. Who sent Him? Answer: "I will send Him." John xvi:7. B. To whom sent? Answer: "To you" (the Apostles). John xvi. C. For what purpose? Answer: "He will guide you into all truth." John xvi:13. "He shall glorify me." John xvi:14.

      From the above we see clearly that the Holy Spirit was promised to the apostles to guide them in their proclaiming the Gospel, that they might glorify Christ through the Spirit.

      Thus, four out of the five missions mentioned in these four books, have passed away and nothing yet for the world outside of Judaism. Let us approach this last one with prayerful hearts and attentive minds, for if we are not embraced in it, there is nothing that does embrace us in the Living Oracles.

      5. THE MISSION OF THE TWELVE APOSTLES. [469] The history of this mission is found in the closing chapters of Matthew, Mark and Luke. Pause now and read those chapters before reading further.

      Trusting that you have complied with the above request, I will now state: A. The Apostles were sent by the authority of Christ. B. They were sent to "all nations," "every creature," down to the "ends of the world." C. They were sent, not to preach lifeless dogmas over which men should wrangle and divide. In short, they were not to preach dogmas of any kind; but a loving, living PERSON, in whom the world might find rest through faith in His divinity, and obedience to His commands.

      We now leave the first four books of the New Testament with you, trusting that you have some accurate idea of their purpose and use.

      The next book before us is "Acts of Apostles," not "The Acts of the Apostles," as some writers say. It was written by Luke, not to give all the acts of all the apostles, but simply some acts of some apostles. Every book has some central idea which may be called the key to it. If this idea is clearly fixed in our minds we will have no great difficulty in understanding it. If it is not, however, all our attempts to understand it will be in vain. We may catch an occasional gleam of light; but it will be as "through a glass darkly." With this idea impressed upon us, we ask what is the key to "Acts of Apostles?" The answer is plain: Simply to furnish the [470] world models of "Apostolic conversions," for imitation in all future ages of the Church. The Pentecostal revival, with the one happening a few days after in Solomon's Porch, are models to which Moody and Sankey, Whittle and Bliss, and all the shilly shally, namby pamby sentimentalists of this age, would do well to give heed.

      They could by closely studying these, draw from them lessons of wisdom more precious than gold. The conversions of Cornelius, Saul, the Eunuch of Ethiopia, the Jailor of Philippi and Lydia, are models of what is required of every man in this age. We live in the same age, are governed by the same mental and moral laws. We are fellow heirs of the same promises, on precisely the same conditions. What it took to make them children of God, it will take in your case. Do as they did and your life will be happy, your death triumphant, and your eternity never ending' immortal bliss.

      But pass briefly over the book of Acts, we come to notice that part of the New Testament known commonly as the "Pastoral Epistles." Beginning with Romans and ending with Jude, their main purpose is to set forth to the new converts the "Highway of Holiness"--the straight and narrow path that leads unto life--in which there are many beautiful figures setting forth the Christian's life and walk. We have time for a brief notice of only a few of these metaphors.

      1. A Disciple. The Christian is often set forth [471] under the idea of a pupil, scholar, or learner of Christ.

      As the scholar, in the schools of this world gives up all other teachers but one, and sits reverently at his feet, listening only to his instructions, obeying only his commands, so we should go to our Teacher, and, disregarding all the babel of tongues around us, sit at His feet, and say as one of old, "speak, Lord, for thy servant heareth."

      2. A Runner. "Let us . . . run with patience the race set before us." Heb. xii:1.

      The allusion here is to the ancient games, in which the contestants would subject themselves to a very severe disciplinary preparation, often living on the simplest of fare, and going around with heavy weights attached to the feet and other portions of the body. When the day of racing came they would lay aside the weight and enter into the race with bounding zeal. But alas! while the struggle was for all, there was a crown, only for one. By this figure, the Apostle would teach us that we would lay aside all the clogs that hang around us, and run the Christian race, which differs from others, in that, there is a crown for every one that "endureth to the end."

      3. A Soldier. But the most beautiful figure of [472] all is that of a soldier. The iron-clad soldiers of Rome stood sentinel at every gate and portal in the whole world.

      There were none who were unacquainted with the soldiers of Rome, their modes of life and implements of warfare. The Apostle, in the sixth chapter of the Ephesian letter, sets forth the armor of the Christian soldier as typified by the armor of a Roman. He says: "Having your loins girt about with truth." In their long marches, the soldiers would likely weary, and as a protection, they girt their loins about with a belt. So my brethren we will have long marches and sandy deserts of temptation. Are your loins girded with truth? Do you speak, act, LIVE the truth? "If the truth shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed."

      Again: "Having on the breastplate of righteousness." The Roman soldier was given a plate, made sometimes of brass, sometimes of hard wood, covered with the tough. hide of an animal, as a covering for his breast. They never gave him any back plate. They considered that if he should turn his back upon the enemy, he was unworthy of Roman protection. In furnishing the Christian armor we are given righteousness as a breastplate. In other words, we are to live so righteously in the sight of man, as to disarm all the envenomed shafts of the evil one.

      We should live so high that no one can throw dirt and filth into our homes. In olden times, in [473] England, they hunted birds with a falcon or hunting hawk. The hawk had a crown buckled on the top of his head to which was. fastened a keen blade. He was trained to fly up above the bird, and coming swiftly down, would drive the blade through its prey. The little birds at last learned its method of attack, and when they saw a hawk, would always fly up and keep above the hawk. So brethren, we should always keep above the hawks of envy, slander, etc. Christ, like the Roman government, furnishes no back plate.

      Again: "Your feet shod with a preparation of the gospel of peace." They often formed their ambuscades then, as have been done in later times. Their manner of procedure was as follows: Proceeding to what they supposed the battle ground would be, they would drive down stakes, sharpen them, and cover them with grass, leaves, etc. Then making roads through it, with which their own troops would be made acquainted, they would advance in front of this prepared place and give battle. As soon as they had brought on a general engagement they would fall back, through the paths known to themselves, and the enemy flushed with what they supposed to be victory, would rush on and stumbling over the sharp pegs would be surrounded and either captured or destroyed. In order to prevent this, the Romans supplied their soldiers with greaves or boots, with brazen soles. Being shod in this manner they could walk among these dangers and receive no harm. [474]

      Brethren and sisters, we are fighting an enemy that has ambuscades spread all round our pathway. He knows us better than we know ourselves. He has been fighting with humanity for six thousand years and he knows how easy it is for the feet to wander. How often do I fear, when I see my young brother or sister wending their way to the house of dancing, where God, Christ, and religion never go, that Satan is leading them into an ambush. Or, when I see my brother going down behind the green blinds, on the sanded floor, where I hear the clinking of glasses, the blasphemies of the profane and the driveling song of the inebriate, I feel like I must sound in his ear the warning cry: "Beware, my brother; for thy soul is in danger." You are stepping into Satan's ambush. Now the remedy for this is to have our "feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace." Then they will lead us in wisdom ways, whose ways are pleasantness, and whose paths are peace.

      Again: "Above all (or over all) taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked."

      The soldiers' shield was a large piece of brass worn on the left arm, that could be interposed between the body and any missile that might be hurled at it, thus "quenching" it. We are surrounded by fiery darts of temptation in all the battle of life, and we need hope to come out of the battle unscathed, only by a constant use of the shield of faith. The [475] great defect of the church today, is the lack of faith. We have plenty of faith, but it is not exercised on the proper objects. We do not feel as deeply as we should that God is in us, through us, and above us, in all that we do.

      "And take the helmet of Salvation." The helmet in those days, was an iron cap, with a large crest waving above it. If in their hand to hand conflicts, with a sword or battle axe, a blow be aimed at the head, it would glance off and the head would suffer no danger of being cleft by the blow. As Christians, we are to take as our helmet, "the hope of salvation," for so it is expressed in another place. I Thess. x:8. A well grounded hope is the firmest rock upon which we can build.

      In another part of the Scripture, it is likened to an anchor--sure and steadfast. Any one who has. been tossed on an angry sea, in danger of being wrecked, knows the feeling of security experienced when the Captain gives the command, the capstain creaks, and you hear the clanking of the chain, and feel the huge anchor grapple with the rock, and know that the vessel is riding the waves at anchor. So with us in life's tempest; driven up and down by sin and persecution, how sweet to think we have an anchor which has grappled the everlasting hills; and though storms may rage and clouds may gather, yet

      "And the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God." Hitherto you will perceive that Paul has been furnishing the Christian with only defensive weapons. With that, by means of which to repel the assaults of the enemy. But the Christian life is not all defensive, but it is also offensive. "The weapons of our warfare are mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds."

      Christianity is represented by Daniel as a little stone, which smote the great image and scattered its fragments, "as the chaff of the summer threshing floor." This could not be accomplished without offensive weapons; hence the last thing committed to us is the sword of God's word. This is the only weapon that has ever been successful in really building up the Church and pulling down the strongholds of Satan. But alas!--it is becoming so rusty in the hands of many Christians that it is hardly of any value.

      When the "current Reformation" started, fifty years ago, to restore the neglected and broken altars of Apostolic Christianity, it was their boast that they were a Bible people. They carried their Bibles with them and read them forsooth ! But we have become rich and strong and "orthodox," and are clamoring in many places for our gods, "as do the heathen," and the Bible is becoming more and more neglected. Do you remember the downfall of Samson? As long as he kept his Nazarite locks, they were to him an arm of strength. But so soon as shorn of them, he was [477] captured and made the sport of his enemies. What his locks were to him, the Word of God is to the Christian. So long as he wields it aright he is unconquerable; but the moment he is shorn of its power, that moment he is led captive at the will of his enemies. There is a little legend of the olden time, of a warrior, who received a sword of supernatural power, a gift of the gods. He was told that if he always honored it he should at death be carried to the Elysium of his faith. He made it his bosom companion all the life journey, and many a doughty knight bit the dust under its powerful stroke.

      At last it came his time to die. His life flowed out with the evening tide. And as the western sun was setting, he bade one of his aids to take the sword and return it to the gods, as they had directed. He took it to a huge beetling cliff, that overhung the foaming sea, and, holding it aloft a moment, threw it far out over the waves. Higher and higher it went, whirling round and round, reflecting the sunlight from its bright sides, and then it began to sink lower and lower, and just as it reached the crested waters, a huge brawny arm reached up, grasped it, and waved it three times and drew it down. The news was conveyed to the dying warrior, and, knowing by the signal that he had been faithful to his trust, he sweetly slept the sleep that knows no waking.

      The moral is plain. God has given to us the sword of the Spirit, and with the gift, a solemn [478] responsibility to use it aright: Shall we not learn a lesson from the dying warrior, and so keep the faith that we may have his consolation in the dying hour? Or, shall it be said of us, as it was of the servant who hid his talent, "bind him and cast him into outer darkness?"

      "Praying always with all prayer and supplication." By this the Apostle would remind that all our sufficiency is of God. While to us is committed these weapons, and of us it is expected that we should use them, we should never go forth to battle without asking the God of our fathers to be with us and bless us.

      Let us, my brethren and sisters, fight on and pray on, and may we, if we should live till then, be found praying, when the angel shall stand on the land and deep, and swear by Him that liveth for ever and ever, that time shall be no longer.

      But we must hasten to the last part of this law of the Lord. We would say in passing, that there is one book (Acts of Apostles) telling us how to become Christians, and twenty-one written to inform us how to live Christians. We should feel that in becoming Christians we have only entered the low water mark of salvation. That it is now our duty as disciples to learn, as racers to run, and as soldiers to fight. [479]

      We now come to the last division of this law of the Lord. It is the book of Revelation. An old author has likened it to a great river, in which there are deep and mighty pools in which the monsters of the sea may dive and revel to their heart's content, and find no bottom; but it gently meanders down to a little ripple, in which the lambs and children may play and find no harm nor danger.

      I think it is one of the most beautiful metaphors I ever saw. In this book we find deep pools of mystery, in which the most gifted intellects and philanthropic hearts that have ever adorned our common humanity, may dive to their heart's content, and find no bottom. It is fathomless to any human soundings. And yet it gently meanders down to the beautiful ripple of "Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have a right to the Tree of Life, and may enter in through the gates, into the city."

      And if faithful to what I can know of it here, and am permitted to rest beneath the Tree of Life, and pluck from its emerald branches the food of immortal spirits; perhaps I shall have explained to me the wonderful imagery of which I now know so little. Thus we have walked along the course of the New Testament, and have endeavored to explain its meaning. We have found Matthew, Mark, Luke and John were written to tell us of the Saviour; Acts of Apostles to present the way to the Saviour; the Epistles to keep us in the company of the Saviour, [480] while on earth, and Revelation to assure us of eternal society with the Saviour

      And in conclusion, we wish to show you how beautifully this "law of the Lord" is adapted to the nature of man. For illustration, take a little boy whose mind is beginning to put forth the buds of thought, concerning the great problems of life, duty and destiny. Place the New Testament into his hands and what is of most interest to him? Does he turn to Revelation, or bother his brains about Christian casuistry as developed in the Epistles? Certainly not. But turning to the histories of our Saviour's life, he drinks in eagerly the facts of the New Testament, and when by reading them, he has become versed in these facts, like honest young Saul, he cries aloud, "Lord, what wilt thou have me to do." Then follows immediately the book of Acts answering the questions of his heart. Now, having found peace of conscience through faith and obedience, he asks again, "How shall I live so that God may be honored, Christ glorified and humanity benefited by my life? That I may say with Paul, 'For me to live is Christ.'"

      Then following the book of Acts come the Epistles, answering this question; bidding him "walk worthy of his vocation," "run with patience," "continue instant in season," "examine himself," [481] prove himself, etc. At last, when he shall have done all this, and life is nearly over, standing by the lichens that border death's cold river, trembling with the burden of years, he asks, "Oh, what is there for me in yonder world, to which I am rapidly passing." Then comes the book of Revelation, and wreathing around the grave the beautiful Rainbow of Hope, points through the Gates of Pearl, to the singers of the Heavenly Choir that are "singing the song of Moses and the Lamb."

      May God grant, that we may so live, as to honor Him here, and when death's clouds are driving over our souls, and life's shadows are growing dimmer and dimmer--

[NTC3 461-482]