mates that when the time draws nigh, scoffers shall say, "Where is the promise of His coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation." And Christ himself asked, "Christ, when He cometh, shall He find faith on the earth?” Such unbelief is no new thing. The antediluvian world was warned, yet they set at nought the warning; "they did eat, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, and the flood came, and destroyed them all." The sons-in-law of Lot were admonished of the judgment impending over Sodom, yet they despised the warning; yea, Lot seemed unto them as one that mocked. Such unbelief, therefore, is no new thing; it drowned the old world, and burned Sodom; it will in like manner bring destruction on men in the latter days. Take warning then, dear readers. Things may seem to continue as they were, and men may harden their hearts; but God changes not; and when persons are saying to themselves, "Peace and safety," then sudden destruction shall come upon them. And though there may be a rush to the stronghold, as there was in all probability a rush to the door of the ark, or to the tops of the ragged rocks, yet there will then be no opportunity of escape from the wrath to come-no place of repentance; for the door of mercy will be then closed; the Lord will have sworn in His wrath that they shall not enter into His rest; and all will be constrained to exclaim with bitter but unavailing tears, "The harvest is past, the summer is ended, and we are not saved."

The

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Let me add-2. A few words of exhortation. Lord will come; be ye prepared to meet Him. enemies and rebels you cannot stand before Him, for He is a consuming fire; but as suppliants and penitents you may meet Him; for "if we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." Yea, if we come to Him seeking "redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins according to the riches of His grace," He promises to receive us graciously, and to love us freely. Embrace, then, the outstretched sceptre, acquaint yourselves with Him and be at peace; so shall good come to you. When other faces gather blackness, you may look up, for your redemption draweth nigh; yea, when the Lord is revealed from heaven with His mighty angels, in flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ; you, clothed in the garments of salvation, may say, "Lo, this is our God; we have waited for Him and He will save us!" Be ready then, for "happy is that servant, whom his Lord when He cometh shall find watching."

248

THE WORD OF CHRIST, AND THE DUTY OF MANKIND WITH REFERENCE TO IT.

COLOSSIANS iii. 16.

"Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom."

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HE word of God is highly spoken of by the sacred penmen, and many significant metaphors are employed by them to set forth its uses and excellence. David, for example, likens it to a light or lamp: "Thy word," says he, "is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path." And, indeed, of this there can be no doubt, for that word makes known the mind of God to men -it teaches them what is "that good, and perfect, and acceptable will of God;" and men would never walk in darkness if they would only follow out its directions, for it would ever say to them, when disposed to turn either to the right hand or to the left, "This is the way, walk ye in it." Unhappily, however, some set no store by this lamp, and hence they will not possess themselves of it, whilst others carelessly cast it aside, and, therefore, are as though they had it not. Can we wonder then that so many walk in a way that is not good, and involve their souls in destruction and perdition? Can we wonder that so many fall into the snares of the Papist or of the infidel? No, it is a natural consequence of their neglect of the

light; they reject or despise God's word, and He gives them up to a strong delusion to believe a lie.

St. Paul, in like manner, likens God's word to a sword, for he exhorts all the soldiers of Christ to "take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God." This comparison is an appropriate one, for the word cuts down all the vain excuses of carnal and sinful men, and shows them that their deeds are evil, and that indignation and wrath, tribulation and anguish, will be their portion in the eternal world. It also cuts down the refuges of the self-righteous and self-justifying; for whilst they are pure in their own eyes, and trust that as touching the righteousness of the law they are blameless, it declares that they are "all as an unclean thing, and that their righteousnesses are as filthy rags." Equally efficient is the Word in repelling the temptations of the evil one. He may urge men to distrust, or to tempt, or to forsake their heavenly Father; but the Word fills their mouths with arguments, and enables them to see and to avoid the snare prepared for them. Persons that have not the Word may rush into evil, and yet suppose that the Lord will keep them; but those who know that it is written, "Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God," will walk circumspectly, and will keep themselves, knowing that to their own safety their own sedulity is required.

St. Peter likens the Word to seed, for he says of believers that they are "born, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever." The Word is indeed for the most part the seed of that spiritual life which all must have before they can see or enter into the

kingdom of God. Men may despise God's word— they may prefer human traditions to it-they may look for the new birth anywhere save in the preaching of the Word. But God's purpose will stand: with the Word of truth He will beget us, "that we may be a kind of firstfruits of His creatures." Well, then, may the apostle say, "Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom."

Let us direct our attention first of all to the description here given of the Scriptures. They are called the word of Christ: "Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly."

The Scriptures may be so called because they were dictated by the Spirit of Christ. They were indeed delivered at many different periods by many different individuals, but all were given by inspiration of God, and all who spake them were moved by one and the selfsame Spirit, and that Spirit the Spirit of Christ. St. Peter distinctly affirms this of the prophets; for speaking of the salvation set forth in the Scriptures, he says, "Of which salvation the prophets have inquired and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you : searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow;" from which declaration we learn that it was the Spirit of Christ who was in them, and moved them to deliver the various prophecies which have come down to us. And, indeed, there can be no doubt that this was the case from the beginning; for though the Word was not made flesh until 4,000 years