L T Nicola " Sanctity them throtigh Thy trUth : Thy Word is trUth."—John vii. 17. Vol. 13. LONDON, THURSDAY, APRIL 29, 1897. No. 17. would not save Himself,—not alone that MOST clearly is this set forth in Phil. ii. ?Ely prtstitt ruth. He unselfishly forgot Himself,— but He 7, in the rendering of the Revised Version, PUBLISHED WEEKLY BY THE could not save Himself. To have saved where we are told that when Jesus had initrnational Tract Society, Ltd., Himself would have been the destruction everything, He did not count it a thing to 59, Paternoster Row, E. C. of all others ; for if He had planned to be desired to hold it, " but emptied Him- save Himself, He would have stayed in self." The Greek word from which this Annual Subscription, By Post, 6s. 6d. Make all Orders and Cheques payable to the International heaven, and never exposed Himself to re- is translated has the sense of " to drain Tract Society, Limited, 451, Holloway Road, London, N. proach and cruelty. But such a thing out." In a sense He annihilated Himself. To be had at Messrs. W. H. Smith & Bon's Railway was impossible ; He could not thus save Threw Himself away, in order that He Bookstalls, or through any News Agent. Himself, for such a saving of self would might save those who were lost, and in danger of annihilation. He took no thought "HIMSELF HE CANNOT SAYE." have been selfishness, and there was no selfishness in Him. He absolutely could for Himself ; He did not defend Himself WHEN Jesus hung upon the cross, the not remain in heaven and leave man. to against. attacks that were made upon Him ; priests and scribes and elders said in mock- perish. But He could not save men, utterly regardless, reckless of self, He was ing contempt, " He saved others ; Himself while keeping Himself in safety apart from lost in solicitude for others. He cannot save." Matt. xxvii. 42. In these words there was a THIS neglect of self was not a truth far beyond what the Jews momentary enthusiasm, as when had apy thought of, —a truth that one under a strong impulse saves even the followers of Jesus do not another from impending death at appreciate. Whoever grasps the the expense of his own life. On full meaning of the statement, the contrary, it was a deliberate, " He saved others ; Himself He settled purpose. Calmly and de- cannot save," and who allows it to liberately, looking over the whole apply to himself, has salvation, for situation, and counting the cost, it contains the whole of the Gospel. He laid down His life, that is, He placed it from Him, gave it up to "HE saved others." The Jews ac- the service of others, and when that knowledged this, yet they crucified Him. them and their troubles. So " He gave was done, the moment of death was but an He whose only offence was that " He went Himself for us." Titus ii. 14. incident in a long career of the same about doing good," was hanged as a male- giving. His life was just as truly laid factor, and He lifted no hand in self-de- THUS we see that the Gospel has its down for the sheep before He came to fence, nor uttered a word of reproach origin and perfection in giving. " God so earth, and while He walked and talked against His persecutors. " He was op- loved the world, that He gave His only and suffered in Judea and Galilee, as when pressed, and He was afflicted, yet He begotten Son." John iii. 16. " The Son with His expiring breath He cried, " Father, opened not His mouth ; He is brought as of man came not to be ministered unto, into Thy hands I commit My Spirit." a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep but to minister,"—not to be served, but to before her shearers is dumb, so He opened serve,—" and to give His life a ransom for IN all this history of self-sacrifice there not His mouth." Isa. liii. 7. He saved many." Matt. xx. 28. " For ye know is a lesson for us. We are not simply to others, and even while hanging on the the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, admire the example of devotion, but to cross, " a reproach of men, and despiied though He was rich, yet for your sakes follow it. In it alone is there salvation. of the people," He showed His power to He became poor, that ye through His Jesus seemingly threw Himself away, yea, save, in the case of the penitent thief ; but poverty might be rich." 2 Cor. viii. 9. that is what He actually did, for He Himself He could not save. He had everything, and we had nothing ; " poured out His soul unto death " (Isa. so He gave up everything, and kept noth- liii. 12), " emptied Himself," drained the AND this was the secret of His power to ing, in order that we might have every- last drop ; " wherefore God also hath save others. It was not simply that He thing. highly exalted Him, and given Him a 258 THE PRESENT TRUTH No. 17 name that is above every name." Phil. ONE thing more. Paul said, " I am spoken ; but I will not answer : yea, twice; ii. 9. His humiliation was His exaltation; debtor both to the Greeks, and to the bar- but I will proceed no further." His casting away of self was His salvation. barians ; both to the wise, and to the un- But, again, from out the whirlwind, the And that was the only possible way of wise." . Rom". i. 14. That which was true Lord speaks to Job, and questions him salvation ; for, as before stated, to have of Paul, is equally true of us. Why was further, until at length, overcome with the sought to save Himself would have been he debtor ?—The answer is plain, when we grandeur of the view of Almighty power to deny Himself, that is, to prove false to once stop to think ; it is simply this, that and omniscient wisdom presented to him, His nature. Since God is love, unselfish- Paul had received the whole of that which Job breaks forth :— ness, the only way that He can preserve was given for the world. Christ gave His " I know that Thou canst do everything, His own existence is to give Himself life for the world. He " tasted death for and that no thought can be withholden away. every man." But Christ is not divided ; from Thee. Who is he that hideth coun- every soul gets the whole of Him. " Unto " HEREBY perceive we the love of God, sel without knowledge ? therefore have I every one of us is given grace according to because He laid down His life for us ; and uttered that I understood not ; things too we ought to lay down our lives for the the measure of the gift of Christ." Eph. wonderful for me, which I knew not. iv. 7. His life is light; and the light that brethren . " 1 John iii. 16. "The brethren" Hear, I beseech Thee, and I will speak : for whom we are to give ourselves are the shines for me, shines equally bright for all. I will demand of Thee, and declare Thou He is the " Sun of righteousness ; " but sons of Adam, for all who are children of unto me. I have heard of Thee by the the sun shines for all ; each one gets all Adam must be brethren. Of course those hearing of the ear; but now Mine eye who give themselves for their brethren in the benefit of the sun, and no one could seeth Thee. Wherefore I abhor myself, Adam, will without question give them- get any more, even if he were the only and repent in dust and ashes." person on earth. So each person gets the selves for their brethren in Christ, who Job acknowledges that his previous life of Christ, which is given Himself counts even those who do not whole of thes knowledge of God had been by hearsay, to the world. Now it is very evident that know the name of God as His brethren, but now he saw and knew Him in the saying, " I will declare Thy name unto if I get the whole of something that is wonder of His works. In his previous My brethren." Heb. ii. 12. " We ought given to all the world, then I am debtor ignorance, knowing God only by hearsay, to the world ; and the same is true of every to lay down our lives for the brethren." —•by criticism and commentary, as it were, Let no one say or think, " My life is soul. The only difference between the —he had uttered many things that he so commonplace and uneventful that I most of us and the Apostle Paul is that he understood not, and had attempted things have no occasion to lay down my life for realised that to him was the fulness of too wonderful for him, which he knew not. anybody ; no great opportunities come Christ given, and he accepted and appro- Now, however, he had determined to to me." It is not in dying on some priated the gift, while we are too often accept the word of hearsay no longer, but great occasion, that laying down one's life content with but a little of the Divine life. to go to God direct for knowledge and consists ; the laying down of life consists We selfishly think to take just enough for wisdom ; "Hear I beseech Thee, and I will in not counting it our own, reckoning our- our own use, and put a part away from us, speak : I will demand of Thee, and declare selves as dead, deliberately putting our not realising that we must have the whole; Thou unto me." Then the Lord heard life from us, and forgetting all about it in and so we fail to realise that we are Job, accepted him fully, and blessed him.