"I will go in the strength of the Lord God." a cheque at any moment. This is, Rags II. Faith's transformation. It is good exchange for a poverty-stricken sinner to go in the strength of the Lord God. What a transformation! arrayed in righteousness; a pauper endued with kingly power. It is just like travelling by train, with all our weakness and encumbrances, only far more secure. Put yourself into the Lord Jesus and gotravel on. As in the train, we rest as we go, and go as we rest; so in Him it is no passive idleness, but Divine going, as Divine as the rest. Will you go with such a Man, who will secure your safe arrival, and your perpetual communion? "I will go in the strength of the Lord God." How did the Lord Jesus go? He went in the strength of the written Word. You have His Presence with you, but for all that don't make little of the written Word. He Himself whom we follow went in the strength of the written Word. Our weapons are not carnal. He fought the devil with the Word. Will you do that with your enemies? That is the way to resist the devil until he departs from you. But observe the close of His ministry-He went to Gethsemane, not so much in the strength of the Word, as in the strength of prayer. In His great dark sorrow, in His abyss of sorrow, He prayed three times the simplest prayer. He is realising the nearness of God; He is turning to the near Person of His Father; He is realising who is with Him. “O My Father, if it be possible let this cup pass from Me." This is my Lord's prayer. Have you any Cross before you; any dark shadow upon you? Go into your chamber, and claim Him as your own. Say "My Father." It does me good to say to one I love "my," even if they are not there; how much more when I say it to " my Father" who is there? In the dark shadow it doesn't do to have mere forms of words; it doesn't do to pray anything in sorrow without claiming first your near relationship. The secret of many a fall in private and in Church life, is the little acquaintance with the Word of God. Pray every day with care; make a little enclosure of stillness, and kneel down on the promises of God. So shall you be girded with strength for the battle. There is the Presence of the Lord for us. Go in the strength of that Presence. He keeps the cheque-book. It is wondrous to have such a Lord with one, My Lord can draw me out I don't find so many who can dare to kneel down and ask God for actual hard cash, and say, "Lord, I want so much money," although He says, "The silver and the gold is Mine." Dear Mr. Pennefather was one who was often thus talking with God, and asking for great sums, which he always received. We know something of the victories of faith; for years I have known them. I have often turned into my secret chamber with a blank wall before me, not knowing how to go, or what to do, and I have cast myself on the Lord, and demanded in the power of faith that He should supply my need. "What owest thou unto thy Lord?" I owe Thee all, O Lord, but straightway I turn and say to Him, "What owest Thou unto Thy child?" All! Heaven, the Throne, Angels, the Father! "All things are yours." Wondrous Lord Jesus! There was once a Friend, or Quaker, living in New England. The Indians were round about their village. There was great danger. All put This man, bolts and bars upon their houses. with some reluctance, put these protections upon. his house. He went to bed, but woke up, saying, "Surely I am trusting these bolts and bars, and not in God. He got up and undid them, saying, "I trust God to keep me." Soon after, he heard the footsteps of the Indians. They tried the latch, and to their surprise, they entered almost before they were aware. They held a council of war, and suddenly they went out, and he was left alone. He knew nothing more; but He believed that it was the protection of God. Some time after there white man to look after their concerns. They was a dispute in their tribe, and they wanted a chose this man, saying to him, "We found you were a man who trusted God when you said you did, and so you are the man whom we will trust with the affairs of our tribe, and we trust you now." What are you trusting in? Can you leave yourself unguarded and unprotected in the presence of God? That is the faith we want-unprotected, unsupported faith. What will you do, then? "I will make mention of Thy righteousness, even of Thine only." You must mention; you can't keep it in. "Of Thy righteousness, even of Thine only." This is the crown and blessed consummation of all! III. Self-obliteration. This is the most manifest mark of the Spirit, that you make mention of His power, of His grace only; that you are hiding yourself in the mercy of God, and leaving yourself at His disposal. Will you go? Blessed Lord, we will go with Thee, and we shall find a Heaven upon earth. "They follow the Lamb whithersoever He goeth." THE RIVER OF GOD.* (EZEKIEL XLVII. 1–12.) BY REV. HUBERT BROOKE. THERE are four places in God's Word where we find this river flowing out-the river of the water of life-Gen. ii. 10, Ps. xlvi. 4, Rev. xxii. 1, and here in Ezek. xlvii. Look at Gen. ii. 10, "A river went out of Eden to water the garden, and from thence it was parted and became into four heads." There the river is flowing through the garden, and out of the garden to the world beyond. In Ps. xlvi. 4, we read, "There is a river, the streams whereof shall make glad the city of God." In Ezek. xlvii. we have seen the river flowing out of the temple of God, and in Rev. xxii. 1 we see it proceeding out of the throne of God. So we may trace this river from the second chapter of Genesis to the last chapter in the Bible, right up to its secret source, the very throne of God. First you see it flowing through and out of the garden to the world beyond; then you see it making glad the city of God; and here, coming out of the temple within the city. You remember the Levitical cities had, every one of them, garden-suburbs, therefore the first thing you would see in coming to them would be the suburbs, then the city itself, then the buildings within the city. So we may trace this river, first flowing through the garden outside the city, then through the city itself, then from the temple within the city, tracing it closer and closer towards its secret source. You cannot see into the temple in the Old Testament, because the veil had not been rent; but in the New Testament we can see within the veil, and there you behold the river flowing from the throne, the mercy seat, within the Holy of Holies (Rev. xxii. 1). Let us look at these four places, and we may learn a different lesson from each of them. The first is the garden of the Lord (Cant. iv. 12), “A garden enclosed is my sister, my spouse;" and the spouse answers, "Blow upon my garden that the spices thereof may flow out." Here we see that the garden of the Lord is the Church of Christ. Those who know anything of Eastern lands will see the reason why there is a garden here. In the East there can be no garden without water; so that the living water flowing through it is the very means that makes it a garden. So that which makes the Church the garden of the Lord is the Holy * Address delivered at the Keswick Convention, Spirit flowing through it. give him shall be in him a "The water that I shall well of water springing We are only gardens up into everlasting life." because of the living water which springs up within; the secret of all fruitfulness is the river of the water of life. Now you come inside the garden, and there "There is a river the you see the city of God! streams whereof make glad the city of God" (Ps. xlvi). When does the river make glad the city of God is our refuge and strength, a very present help God? You see the answer in the previous verses, in trouble. Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be waters thereof roar and be troubled, though the carried into the midst of the sea. Though the in tribulation," in the midst of trouble, because mountains shake with the swelling thereof." "Joyful "the Lord of Hosts is with us, the God of Jacob is our refuge." The river of life flows through the city, the Spirit of God dwells in His people. We are the city of God, where He dwells, the Holy City, New Jerusalem, and in that city of God the secret of gladness and quiet rest is this-"There is God." But you cannot shut that river up in the a river, the streams whereof make glad the city of midst of the city; if you tried to do it, it would overflow its banks, and there would be a flood. four heads;" you cannot keep it either within "From thence it was parted, and became into the garden or the city. And God never told us to be filled with the Spirit, in order that we might keep Him there, but that He might flow out in four streams or in four hundred streams. The river must flow out wherever we are in peace and joy, just because it is a river. It is within the city, but remember it cannot stop there, it must go out: "Out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water" (John vii. 38). Following the course of further and further into the heart of the city, and the river through the garden into the city, you get there you see the temple. "Know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost"; and again, "Ye are the temple of the living God" Cor. vi. 19; 2 Cor. vi. 16). You do not see xlvii., you only see it flowing out from the temple. anything of the river inside the temple in Ezek. So as you look at this temple of God it sets before you the river of living water flowing out of the Church of Christ. "Go and live it," that is what the temple tells you. What is the purpose for which God fills us? That we may go forth as a temple, from which living waters issue. People need not see inside, but let them see the waters flowing outside. "Ye are the temple of God." Now what does that temple mean? For what purpose is it set up here? That the waters may flow out to the end of the world. This is the purpose of the joy which the Lord gives His people. Now look at this river, and see what God tells us about it. What is it all for? May God keep us from seeking to be filled for the mere purpose of being full, and stopping there; may He teach us that we are to be filled, in order that we may overflow to others, that they too may be filled. In Revelation xxii., we see the waters flowing out from the throne, from the throne of God and the Lamb, to be a blessing to all the ends of the earth; and if we are to carry out and convey blessing to others, the living water must be flowing forth from the throne of God set up in our hearts. Returning now to Ezek. xlvii. and the river flowing from the temple, remember that in the New Testament the Temple is a description of the Lord Jesus Himself, then of His whole Church, and lastly of each believer. It is in the last two applications that we will study the chapter before us, and seek for the Word which it speaks to the Church and to the Christian. We shall find here, not the lesson of John iv. 14, the river springing up; but that of John vii. 37-39, the river flowing out. "The tide reached in the past, and say to ourselves, "He II. Now what is the result to be to the world outside, of this temple of the living God being set in the midst of the world? What is the effect of the river? In verses 6-12 we have God's ideal of what His people should be to the world. You see (ver. 8) that the waters shall flow out, going to "the east country," that is, to rocky hill country-stubborn, hard hearts, as it were; I. First, then, we notice the kind of progress which the river makes "Behold there ran out waters" (ver. 2). Here is an idea of eager haste and holy zeal in the Lord's work. The waters are not dropping, or trickling out, but running. Within-"to the desert," that is, to barren, parched souls; in the secret place—they are running in so fast that they must needs overflow in haste and run out. Then as they run they increase: ankle-deep, knee deep, loin-deep,-and, at last, "waters to swim in; a river that could not be passed over" (vers. 3, 4, 5). We should not rest satisfied with being little blessings. If you are a little blessing to-day, be bigger blessing to-morrow, and bigger still next year and the following. "We beseech you and exhort you by the Lord Jesus that as ye have received of us how ye ought to walk and to please God, so ye would abound more and more;" "always abounding in the work of the Lord;" "being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God." We so often look back at the point we have a and "into the sea," that is, to bitter, salt and sour lives; and "being brought forth into the sea, the waters shall be healed." Your words may be words of healing; you shall be health-bearers, because you are Christ-bearers and Spirit-bearers; wherever these waters come, there the waters shall be healed. The men of Jericho said to Elisha (2 Kings ii. 19), "The situation of this city is pleasant, but the water is naught, and the ground barren ;" and Elisha went to the spring and cast salt in ("Ye are the salt of the earth "), and the waters were healed, there was no more thence death or barren land. So, under the figure of this river, to us doth the Lord say, "Where you come, the bitter waters shall be healed, hard hearts melted, parched lives quickened by My Spirit." Oh, shall we believe that? God has proclaimed it. Then He gives us another figure (ver. 9), "Everything that liveth, which moveth, whithersoever the rivers shall come, shall live; " they shall bring life. "The words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.” As you carry out these words, they are to bring life wherever they come. We are What are we to understand by this? What are these fens and marshes? Places that have a certain moisture of their own, and are content with it, not seeking or receiving the living water. Satisfied with stagnant water, that enables them to grows reeds and rushes; but having no trees of fruitfulness to glorify God. Self-satisfied, unwilling to confess that they are barren and dry, refusing the streams of life. Souls that are marshes and fens, no use to God or man, and "they shall not be healed." Marshes and fens; just a drop or two of water to make them look green, plenty of leaves,-plenty of profession, to be, not only bearers of healing, but bearers of life for the dead. Never mind past experience. "Whithersoever the waters come, there shall be life."--but no fruit for the Lord. Oh! let us tell Him God call us to be His witnesses to men, to give them His words, and as they hear, they believe and live. And there shall be increase (ver. 10): "Their fish shall be according to their kinds, as the fish of the great sea, exceeding many." We cannot help thinking here about the Lord's word to His "Come ye after Me, and I will make you disciples, to become fishers of men." Big fish, and little fish, the Lords wants us to bring in; he tells us to go out bearers of the Spirit of God, and where these waters come there shall be exceeding many fish, where we thought there were none. Oh, if every one of you went out to be a gatherer in of "exceeding many" fish,—that cannot be less than a hundred apiece, what a gathering in for the Lord would that be! There shall also be beauty, sustenance, and fruitfulness, as well as life-" trees for meat, whose leaf shall not fade, neither shall the fruit thereof be consumed" (ver. 12). We see a double light here. Christians are the trees that are to grow by this river (Isa. lxi. 3); and Christ Himself is the tree of life, but we are to be as He is "in this world." Therefore it is the Lord's intention that where we go, where we carry these waters, there trees shall grow. What kind of trees? Trees always bearing fruit, trees of beauty, trees for food, trees which bring forth abiding fruit. "I have chosen you and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain." But between verses 10 and 12 there is a solemn verse of warning, "The miry places thereof and the marshes thereof shall not be healed, they shall be given to salt." This river went out of the east country, and the barren hills were made fruitful; down to the desert, and it blossomed as the rose; to the sea, and the salt waters were healed; "but the miry places and the marshes shall not be healed." *Salt. The symbolic meaning of salt in this verse will be seen from Ps. cvii. 34 margin, and Zeph. ii. 9, to be "barren. ness and desolation." that we are barren and dry, and let Him come in, and see it all, and make us living and fruitful for His glory! III. And now, what shall we do with this? Here is the purpose for which we are filled, God's ideal of us. It is a humbling thing to have a loving friend's ideal of ourselves put before us, and to know the Lord's ideal of us; the picture the Lord draws how far the reality has come short of it. There is of you and me if we are His temple. Are we like this? We must go out from this Convention either to be like this, or to be something very unlike it. If out of this temple in its fulness,—that is, the flows to the world, every one of you must be either a helper or a hinderer, increasing or impeding, strengthening or stemming the flow. Which shall it be? God has set before us His glorious purpose. How shall we prove it? Only by presenting ourclosing lesson in two verses from Ezek. xliii. 10, 11, selves living sacrifices to the Lord. Will you take a "Show the house to the house of Israel, that they may be ashamed of their iniquities; and let them measure the pattern. And if they be ashamed of all that they have done, show them the form of the house, and the comings in thereof, and all the forms thereof, the fashion thereof, and the goings out thereof, and and all the ordinances thereof, and all the forms thereof, and all the laws thereof, and write it in their sight that they may keep the whole form thereof." Hold up God's ideal of yourself, and be ashamed of your iniquities. "Show the house . . . that they may be ashamed." Oh God, make us ashamed that we have so often impeded, instead of increasing, the flow of this river; make us ashamed of what we have been, ashamed that we have not known and proved the power of Thy word and of Thy Spirit! What then, when He has made us ashamed? "And if they be ashamed show them the form of the house, &c, that they may keep the whole form thereof and all the ordinances thereof and do them." Has He made us ashamed? May He now fulfil the rest of His word; fulfil the promise that He will heal where He has wounded (Deut. xxxii. 39), and make us henceforth channels for rivers of living water, flowing out of the perfect temple of God. Church of Christ-the river of the water of life LOVE'S PRE-EMINENCE. (1 COR. XIII. 13.) BY REV. CHARLES GRAHAM. PHILOSOPHY tells us that the two pillars on which love rests are kindred and resemblance. On this showing it is clear that no man can love God until he is brought into new relationship to God, and until the image of God is restored to him. To love God, we must be born of God, and regenerated by His Holy Spirit. As an affection in exercise toward God, the components of love are esteem and desire. The measure of our love to God will, therefore, be the degree in which we know Him. In Him is all that can draw out the admiration of the holy soul; for in Him is all moral beauty and perfection. Apart from His moral perfections, even toward God Himself, love would be an impossibility. It is His benevolence chiefly which draws out our love. Apart from love even the natural perfections of God could not command our admiration. Power without love would be tyrannous and destructive. Wisdom without love would be a mischievous cunning. A being possessed of infinite knowledge without love would make all others his prey and be the terror of the entire creation. The love of God inspires us with confidence, and makes all His other perfections precious to us, because they are exerted on our behalf. We thus love Him, not only for what He is in Himself, but also for what His love makes Him to us. "I love the Lord," says David, "because He hath heard my voice and my supplications. Because He hath inclined His ear unto me, therefore will I call upon Him as long as I live." LOVE IN RELATION TO MAN. The lowest form of love in relation to man is a love of pity. I exercise pity toward human misery. I exercise it on the ground of sympathy, putting myself in thought in the place of the sufferer. As there is pain in pity, it has been asked why we do not avoid, rather than take pleasure in, listening to a tale of distress, or beholding a spectacle of woe. The answer is simple. Sympathy attracts us to the sorrow, while the pain we experience makes us hasten to relieve it. Mercy is a higher order of love than pity; it does more than compassionate misery, for it pardons offences. I only exercise mercy, where I have it in my power to avenge a wrong. The love of benevolence desires the good of all, and wherever it has the power actively promotes it. In doing good, benevolence finds its highest enjoyment. There is nothing makes us more like to God than the exercise of benevolence. He makes His sun to shine upon the evil and the good, and sends His rain upon the just and the unjust. The love of gratitude is the response of the heart to pity, mercy, or benevolence, which have been exercised toward us. In its highest form, and greatest fulness, this love is due to God, from whom we are ever receiving all the benefits which should evoke it. The highest character of love which we can exercise toward any being is the love of approbation. This can only be exercised toward the upright and the good. I may be grateful to a man for favours, whose character or conduct, in other respects, I may not be able to approve. Such a man I can love with a love of gratitude, but not with a love of approbation. On God alone, without diminution or drawback, can our love of approbation rest. In our domestic love the element of kindred is a main factor. The love of kindred is an instinct of our nature, rising up and exerting itself spontaneously. But even as an instinct it is capable of cultivation. It may be either cherished or depressed, developed or held in abeyance. In our earthly associations, there will be, in most instances, a blending and commingling of these different kinds of love. While it may be only to the few we shall need to exercise mercy, the most of all known to us will need our sympathy or pity. And though few may deserve our gratitude, to all we can exercise benevolence. In almost every man we will find something to esteem. Jesus, looking on the young ruler, loved him. And while he preferred the riches of earth to the glories of heaven, Jesus saw in him qualities and endowments which drew out His regard. Thus, too, may we, while hating his sin, find something to admire in the sinner. Sin is the soul's disease; but while I dread and avoid the disease, I may feel much pity for him who labours under it. SOME OF THE FRUITS OF LOVE. It has been truly said that "God is kinder to the worst of men than the best of men deserve." Creation is the proof of His love. He created the universe for the happiness of man. His providence is a great machine, kept in motion for maintaining |