The Lord did that. He sent His hosts, and all that Judah needed to do
was to gather the spoil. When shall we spoil our foes? When shall we
loot the devil? How one's fingers itch to take his goods! The time is
coming when we shall gather the wealth and power he now possesses, when
the hosts of darkness shall come against the people of God only to be
slain; and when there shall be no difficulty in raising money for good
objects, for the devil's coffers shall be at our service. Let us not
lose sight of the fact that the same week the great multitude came
against the Lord's inheritance, there were more precious jewels than
could be carried away, and the place where the foe was encamped came to
be called
"THE VALLEY OF BLESSING."
POVERTY IS HARD,
BUT IT MAKES
A GOOD GRINDSTONE.
XVI. "BE PERFECT."
2 COR. XIII. 11.
Why not? What possible objection can there be to perfect Christianity?
You like perfection in other things. You like your watch to keep
"perfect time." If you are measured for a coat, you like "a perfect
fit." You like other people to be perfect in their actions, so far as
you are concerned. You wish your children to obey you; your wife to love
you without ever wavering; those who owe you money to pay up twenty
shillings to the pound; your servants to do their work according to
order; in a word, if you served God as you wish everybody to serve you,
you would be a perfect man. Is that so? Then why object to "Christian
Perfection?" You say,
"I DON'T BELIEVE IN SINLESS PERFECTION."
Well, we wish to be practical and to do you good, and so we will take
lower ground. Do you believe that it is possible for God to make you a
very much better man than you are? O yes! Then why not allow Him to
have His own way? Is this not the reason why some men are not striving
after "Perfection?" They like to be as they are. Going forward means
suffering, self-denial, a struggle,--"There are giants in the land."
Some other time we will try to encourage those who are really anxious to
possess the good land, by shewing that Joshua and Caleb were right in
saying of the sons of Anak, "They are bread for us." "The bigger they
are the more there is for us to eat;" but just now, we are anxious to
shew these non-believers in perfection, that, till they are all God is
prepared to make them, they must not say a word against our doctrine.
May you not be speaking against God's power to heal, to make whole? Is
it not a reflection on the Divine Workman, to say that he cannot restore
man to be so that He can say once more, "It is very good?" It behoves us
to speak with bated breath here, but we may venture to say that the grace
which made an Enoch, can make a nineteenth century saint, so lovely in
his character, that all men shall say, "This is God's own work, and is
like all things which come from His hand."
"BUT MANY OF THESE WHO PROFESS TO HAVE OBTAINED THIS BLESSING ARE SO
MANIFESTLY MISTAKEN."
Yes, we agree with you there. Before long we shall have something to say
to those who believe in "Christian Perfection," but we are dealing now
with those who do not. We think that those who are "perfect," will often
be the last to profess it. Any way, they will have very little to say
about themselves, though their mouths will be filled with the praise of
God, who has done great things for them. We almost always suspect those
who have too much to say, and wish we could make them to see how their
loud talk and small deeds tell against the doctrine. One proof that a
man is not perfect, is his censoriousness concerning those who do not see
things as he does, or call them by the same name. But of these we will
speak at another time. What we are now concerned about is that we should
strive to be all that God has promised to make us, and thus become living
expositions of the ability of the Lord to answer Paul's petition:--
"I PRAY GOD, YOUR WHOLE SPIRIT AND SOUL AND BODY BE PRESERVED BLAMELESS."
XVII. "MAKE THIS VALLEY FULL OF DITCHES."
2 KINGS, iii., 16.
What for? To receive that without which they must perish. We read in
verse 9 "There was no water." Application was made to the prophet
Elisha, who declared that there should soon be plenty, but that the army
must at once make channels for it to flow in. This was done, and during
the offering of the morning sacrifice, water came in abundance, and
filled the ditches.
Let us be ready for great blessing. We need an outpouring of the Spirit,
but are we ready for it? Would not a great revival surprise many
Christians? In London, Messrs. Moody and Sankey will soon begin their
work, and the Christians of that city should be on the look-out for great
results. Doubtless there are committee meetings, and much organization
is going on, but the work must not be left to organizations. Let every
Christian in London make a ditch to bring the living water to his own
home.
We hope to hear that in Liverpool, where Mr. Hughes is so soon to begin
work, and in the places where the other connexional evangelists are
preaching, the gospel channels will be dug by Methodists' hands. All
three of these devoted men wish that our people should prepare the way,
and thus have the stream of blessing flow to their hearts and homes. The
District Missionaries also are needing help. Let us make it easier work
for them, by opening the way. We know digging means work, and some
Christians are so very respectable, they would feel insulted if God asked
them to become one of His navvies. On the other hand, there are
thousands of our people who would be glad to help if only some one would
show them the way.
But what is laid upon our hearts most of all is, that something more
should be done to assist Circuit Ministers and Local Preachers to
evangelize. If nothing is effected besides what is done by the men set
apart as evangelists, we shall have a large portion of the country
unwatered. "Make the valley full of ditches." Let every Methodist feel,
that till every impediment is taken out of the way, and every thing done
to help on a revival in his own circuit, and in his own chapel, his work
is not finished. If each does his best, there will soon be a flowing of
water. Do we hear some say, "There are so many among us who will not
dig?" Just so, and therefore some of us must dig night and day. Get the
spade called "Prayer," and keep it bright. Let the prayer meeting become