union of which, alas! amongst those who are called Christians, we now
see so little. There is too much of the party spirit which cries, "I
am of Paul—I of Apollos," with believers who should be one in Christ.
Should mere form and ceremonies, the colour of a garment, a posture,
or a name, have power to separate those whom God Himself hath joined
together? We need larger Christian charity. The higher we rise towards
Heaven, the wider spreads the horizon around. Not but that purity of
doctrine must ever be jealously guarded, we must earnestly contend for
the faith once given to the saints; but as regards those non-essentials
by means of which the enemy would divide us, and bring discord into the
Church, well may we say,—
Judge not thy differing brother, nor in aught
Condemn; his prayer and thine may rise above,
Though blending not in "unison of thought,"
Yet mingling in the "harmony of love."
ISSACHAR, "price, reward." A touching allusion may here be contained
to the truth that we are not our own, but "bought with a price;" that
the salvation of the Church is the "reward" of a Saviour's merits,
the purchase of a Saviour's blood. To the spiritual Israel comes the
message, "Fear not, for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy
name, thou art Mine."
ZABULON, "dwelling." Under another figure we find the Church
represented as the temple of an indwelling God. "If a man love Me,"
said the Lord, speaking of each individual believer, "he will keep My
words: and My Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make
our abode with him." St. Paul reminded the early Christians of this
high privilege granted to them. "Know ye not your own selves, how that
Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates? Know ye not that ye
are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?"
JOSEPH, "increase." Here we have in the name of Israel's best beloved
son the description of one of the essential attributes both of the
Church and of each of her members; "growth" in grace, "increase" in
knowledge and brotherly love. The Church is not only a temple but a
living body, that must be nourished and exercised, till "it come in
the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a
perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ."
It is the Spirit of God whose effectual working "maketh increase of the
body unto the edifying of itself in love."
BENJAMIN, "the son of the right hand." The impression conveyed by
such a name as this is that of power, honour, and strength. It is the
name which Jacob substituted for that bestowed on his youngest son by
a dying mother, BENONI, "the son of my sorrow." By birth every child
of Eve "is born unto trouble, as the sparks fly upward;" as Benonis
we enter into the world, and as Benonis we must have left it, had not
the Father of mercies and God of all comfort changed the nature of His
child, as Jacob with his changed the name; so that the worm * should
"thresh the mountains," and to the feeble be given "power over the
nations." †
* Isaiah xli. 14. † Rev. ii. 26.
This very slight sketch of the features of the Church as drawn in the
names of the tribes of Israel must be considered as little more than
suggestive; an abler hand than mine may fill up the outlines, and so
give us a glimpse of the spiritual beauty of the Queen when she shall
be presented to her Lord "without spot or wrinkle, or any such thing,"
robed in His righteousness, bright with His glory, and blessed in His
love!
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