i t WORDS OF TRUTH," Eccl, xii. 10. "THE ENTRANCE OF THY WORDS GIVETH LIGHT; ITGIVETH UNDERSTANDING UNTO THE SIMPLE."—PS, CXIX. 130. VOL. VI. LONDON: ROBERT L. ALLAN, 15 PATERNOSTER ROW; AND 73 SAUCHIEHALL STREET, GLASGOW. EDINBURGH : J. S. ROBERTSON, 52 CYOCKBURN STREET. DUBLIN TRACT DEPOT, 13 WESTLAND HOW. BOSTON, U.S.: P. G. BROWN, 3 TREMOXT ROW. MELBOURNE : J. VANCE, 51 POST OFFICE PLACE. 1871. CONTENTS. PAGE Colossians compared with Romans and Ephesians, 1 The Way we now know Christ, -------10 Notes of a Beading on the Psalms, - - - - - - 13, 36, 52 Canaan first; then the Lessons of the Wilderness, 21 Scripture Biography : Timothy, -------25 Thoughts on Sacrifices : No. 9, -------30 Thoughts on Sacrifices : No. 10, ------- 47 Occupation with Self, ----- . ... 35 The "Bunch of Hyssop," --------41 2 Cor. xii., - -----46 The Family Vault, ----------51 Hebrews x., -----------60 Matthew xiii., -----------60 Redemption, ---------- -61 " The Potter's House," -------- 66, 86 The Kohathites, ---------- 72 Righteousness and Peace, --------79 The Nail, ---- - - 79 What Characterises the Christian, and Secures his Blessing, - 81,112 Notes on 1 John iii. 4, ------- 90, 190, 206 The Preserving Power of the Word, ------ 95 "My Delights were with the Sous of Men," ----- 101 "Do the Work of an Evangelist," ------- 116 Positional and Moral Perfection, ------- 120 "What is His Name, and what is His Son's Name"? - - - 121 God's "Good Pleasure,"- - - - 127 Christian Position, Service, and Worship, ----- 133 How do you Worship ?--------- 136 Reformation is not Cure, -------- 137 David: 1 Chron. xvii.,--------- 141 David: 1 Chron. xxi., --------- Igl A Lecture on the Sprinkling of Blood, ------ 146 Faith, Hope, and Love. --------- 150 John, ------------ 154 Value of Meditation, __--__--- 157 Outline of the Book of Genesis, ------- 165 "The Coat of Many Colours,"- ------- 172 "Between the Two Evenings," ------- 178 Remarks on the Epistle of Jude, ------- 179 The Temple, -----------181 A Christian's Conformity to Christ, - 186 "The Desires of the Heart," -------- 195 "As I have Loved you," - -------- 197 The Religionist, the Sinner, and the " Man in Christ," - - - 201 The Reward of Confidence, --------205 The Unity of the Spirit, --------- 210 Effect of being in the Lord's Presence, ------ 212 "Obey your Parents in the Lord," ------- 213 WheWhaChrisSupplicatioThe Characte&c.ntt iisfos, mean ra - m Persony ran t Sinsob-dfSCRIPTUR yn PrayerChrist'theiSprinkle, anrd "Robes,Chriss --------Priesthood Ewit t NOTEfo, h"ir thnmd eRevy Snow BloodCares AN. vii; AaronicD,.? 14&c.----QUERIES, an, ,d o rxxii Melchisede. 14? - -- c -? 23225513701 IV CONTENTS. What does " Washing their Robes" signify ? ----- 55 Why are They said to doit? £c., ------- 55 Wh^tis the Precise Meaning of 2 Cor. iii. 12, 13? &c., - 55 Why the Difference in 2 Sam. xxiv. 9, and 1 Chron. xxi. 5, in the Numbering of Israel and Judah ?------ 56 Why are " Seven" Years' Famine Proposed to David, in 2 Sam. xxiv. 13, and " Three" Years, in 1 Chron. xxi. 12? - - - 56 Why is David said to give '' Fifty Shekels of Silver " to Oman, in 2 Sam. xxiv., and "Six Hundred Shekels of Gold," in 1 Chron. xxi? 57 The Expediency and Usefulness of "Brothers'Meetings,"- 5™ Is God's First Action on the Soul produced by His Word and Spirit? Is the Life then Everlasting ? &c., ------ 80 Is the Expression, "Linked with Christ," a tvue. divine thought? - 96 Has the First Half of the Seventieth Week of Dan. ix. 4-27, had any fulfilment ?- ----98 Does Phil. ii. 7 (first two clauses) apply in any way to the Lord before He became a man?- - - - - - - -118 Does the testimony of the Two Witnesses commence with the last half week ? and, if so, When do the " Three days and a half " of Rev. xi. 9-11 come in ?-------- 119 Why is the "Great multitude," &c., said to come out of "the great tribulation r&c., -------- 139 Are those described in Rev. xiv. 6, and xiii. 8, &c., the same class? &o., ------- 139 How do you reconcile Heb. ii. 17 with Heb. viii. 4 ? What is meant by " Reconciling sins'!" Is not John xvii. the High Priest's prayer? -------_--,. 153 Why was the Lord Jesus called the "Word"? - - 159 Can you prove that the "Body of Christ'' and the "Bride" are the same thing? ---------- 159 Please Explain 1 Cor. x. 31. How is this precept to be obeyed ? - 198 Is the " Cup of Wrath" a Scriptural term ? - - ~ - - - 199 When the Church is taken away, will the Holy Ghost also be taken away ? Who is the Restrainer of 2 Thess. ii. 7 ? - - - - 215 Will sin cease when the Enemy is bound ? ----- 216 What is the " Living Sacrifice" of Bom. xii. 1 ? - , - - 217 Whatisthe difference between ''the earnest of the Spirit" and "the earnest of the inheritance ?"------- 218 Angels : Elect or Fallen, ---------219 What is the difference between the mission of the "Twelve" and of the "Seventy," in Luke ix. and x. ? ----- 219 Who are the "Two Witnesses," Kev.xi.? ----- 220 la there any direct reference to the Church in the opening verses of Eph.i.? - - 232 Why is " Dan " not included in Eev. vii. ? ----- 232 Does Kev.xi. 1 suppose the people in the land? &c., - - - 233 FRAGMENTS. Fragments, &c., - - - - - - 99, 160, 231, 233, 234, 235 POETRY. Thanksgiving, -----------20 Praise, ------------34 ' I can do all things," ---------59 'He calleth Thee," -- 100 ' Mine eye seeth. Thee," -------- 140 Disappointment''Th Life'e Lors Answer,d Jesu,s " Christ,---------- "- -- - - -21231741 WOEDS OF TEUTH. COLOSSIANS COMPARED WITH ROMANS AND EPHESIANS.* IN taking up Colossians, I will begin by comparing it with the Epistles to the Ephesians and Romans, in order to help us in understanding the different ways in which the condition of souls is treated. The chapter I have read (c. i.) connects itself too, in a remarkable way, with the counsels of God, as well as containing some of the more elementary truths, such as our hope of glory and our responsibility, which makes it practi¬ cal to all our souls. You will never rightly connect the doctrines of man's responsibility and God's free grace, until you see them united in Christ. From Paradise and onwards you find these very questions proposed by God Himself in the Tree of life, and the Tree of the knowledge of good and evil. But man broke down in his responsibility, and was shut out from the Tree of life. Thus there were the two sides of the question from the very starting-point of God's ways. The same question was raised by the law. The two things were there, and by satisfy¬ ing the responsibility, man was to find the way to Kfe. Then came Christ, who did satisfy the responsibility, and is the life. Grace, which bestows the life, gave Christ, who met the responsibility. I receive eternal life through the righteous¬ ness of God when I have none, and I have to glorify Him in exhibiting this life in my body. In divine things people forget (what they see every day and which is as simple as possible in human things), that duties flow always from the relationship in which we are already placed; putting a person into a relationship, puts him as naturally as possible into the duties belonging to that rela¬ tionship. If the place is a constant one, the duty is a constant one, as with parents and children, husband and wife. The * Belfast Conference, Sept., 1870. 2 COLOSSIANS COMPARED WliS ROMANS AND EPHESIANS. statement often made, that if I am saved I may do as I like, is thus disposed of. Can my child say, that because he is my child he may do as he likes? No;the dutyflows from the relationship. If I am a child of God, duty is always there; I may fail in it, and be chastened as a naughty child—quite true; but the duty is there. That is what redemption does; on the total failure of man under responsibility, it brings me the gift of eternal life in Christ Jesus. Thus praise, service, obedience—what¬ ever belongs to the child of God—flows from it. Now the Epistle to the Ephesians gives us the counsels of God, while Romans takes up the responsibility of man, and his failure in it; then his justification from this state. These are connected with two aspects of sin; first, in its lusts and passions, in which man lives in sin; then, its aspect as to¬ wards God, in which he is dead in sin. On the one hand I find him alive in sin, away from God, seeking to gratify his lusts. Then, I ask, what is the state of this soul towards God ? He is dead. Scripture speaks of both states. In Komans man is alive in sins, in Ephesians, as towards God, he is dead. If looked at as alive in sins, it is a question of putting them away and justification. If looked at as towards God, dead, there is nothing of this; it is his being quickened out of that state—and, therefore, life, and a new creation; all that side is connected with the counsels of God. Taking man as dead, there is nothing to be got out of him, he has not a feeling or a thought towards God; evil goes out towards evil, but not a feeling stirs towards God. When Christ is brought in he sees no beauty in Him that he should desire Him; that is man. In Colossians you findbot h states : ch. iii. 7, "In the which ye also walked sometime when ye lived in them" (that is Komans); and ch. i'u 13, "You being dead in your sins"— which takes in Ephesians. This Epistle then (Col.) comes between Romans and Ephesians, and takes up both sides.