GOOD NEWS FOR THE SONS OF MEN. God's free Love.-' Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us.'-1 John iv. 10. The gift of free love. God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.'-John iii. 16. The object of this gift. To give knowledge of salvation by the remission of sins; through the tender mercy of our God, whereby the dayspring from on high hath visited us, to give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death; to guide our feet into the way of peace.'-Luke i. 78-80. The sending of this gift. Unto us a child is born; unto us a Son is given.'-Isa. ix. 6. The effect of this gift.-' Glory to God in the highest; and on earth peace, good will towards men.'-Luke ii. 14. The way in which the gift is to be received. Thanks be unto God for His unspeakable gift.' -2 Cor. ix. 15. The report concerning the gift.-This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners.'-1 Tim. i. 15. Life through the gift. This is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in His Son.'-1 John v. 11. The Just for the unjust.-' Christ hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God.'-1 Pet. iii. 18. The Bearer of sin.-' Who, His own self, bare our sins in His own body on the tree.'1 Pet. ii. 24. The Bearer of the curse.-' Christ hath redeerned us from the curse of the law, being mad e a curse for us.'-Gal. iii. 13. The shed blood. This is my blood of the New Testament, which is shed for many, for the remission of sins.'-Matt. xxvi. 28. The resurrection.- Who was delivered for our offences, and raised again for our justification.'-Rom. iv. 25. Righteousness by faith.-' Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth.'-Rom. x. 4. From whom faith comes.-' By grace are ye saved, through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God.'—Eph. ii. 8. How faith comes.- Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.'-Rom. x. 17. Present life in believing. He that heareth my word and believeth on Him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation, but is passed from death unto life.'-John v. 24. Death in not believing. He that believeth not the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abideth on him.'-John iii. 36. 'He that believeth not shall be damned.'-Matt. xvi. 16. The command.- Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved.'-Acts xvi. 31. The free love and the free blessing. I will give to him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely.'-Rev. xxi. 6. The all-prevailing argument. He that spared not His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not, with Him, also freely give us all things?'-Rom. viii. 32. The sinner's ground of perfect confidence in going to God. Having, therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus; by a new and living way, which He hath consecrated for us through the veil, that is to say, His flesh; and having an High Priest over the house of God; let us draw near, with a true heart, in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water.'-Heb. x. 19-22. THESE THINGS WRITE WE UNTO YOU THAT YOUR JOY MAY BE FULL. ROMANISM. 'HERE are the Roman Catholics. They are the successors of the apostles: but I think, if Peter and Paul were to come and see their successors, they would think there was a mighty difference between them. By way of parable, suppose the Virgin Mary, Peter, and Paul, should come down some Sunday, and go to a Cathedral. Well, when they enter, the Virgin hears them singing something to her honour, and praise, and glory: she says to Peter: "What are these people after? They are worshipping me. My Son said to me, Woman, what have I to do with thee? He never worshipped me; let us leave this place." They stopped a little longer, and heard a priest say that the Apostle Peter was the head of the Church; and his successor, the Pope, was therefore the head.' 'Peter jogged the Virgin Mary, and said: "What a lie that is; I was never at the head of the Church at all. Did I not fall into sin? I head of the Church-a pretty head I was!" Soon afterwards, Paul heard them preaching justification by works. "Come out," said he, "there is no gospel here. I preached justification by faith without works, and they are preaching justification by works." And so, upon that, all three of them went out. By and by, they came to a place where they heard them singing "Glory, honour, praise and power be unto the Lamb that sitteth on the throne;' and they heard them speak of those who were kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation. "Ah," said Peter, "this is the place for me, here I will stay." Those are the successors of the Apostles who are like the Apostles.' -Spurgeon. Words in Season. BIBLE THOUGHTS. BY THE EDITOR. loved before; and it was love to the sinner that made the Father send the Son: God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten HE first five verses of this chapter Son.' That love rested on the sinner before; give us a brief sketch of the his circumstances as a sinner, so far from apostles' life and ministry at Ico-quenching God's love to him as a creature, innium. Paul and Barnabas fleeing creased it; for they added all the amount of from Antioch, come to Iconium. misery and gloom, and exposure to eternal They go into the Jewish synagogue. A great ruin, which called up that profound and unnumber believe, both Jews and Greeks, as they utterable compassion which a father feels tolisten to the apostolic gospel. The unbeliev- wards a prodigal child that has ruined himself. ing Jews stir up the city against the apostles, Nothing in us, nothing in the world, nothing but these continue there in spite of opposition, in heaven or earth, nothing in man or angel, and speak boldly in the Lord; or more exactly, produced the love of God. It was uncreated, grew bold over the Lord,' the Lord being the unbought, undeserved, and unfathomable. God theme or subject over which they took their loved the sinner because He was God, and stand, and in reference to which they showed because the sinner was a sinner. That is the their boldness. end of the matter. In the latter part of the verse we have these three things: (1) the grace; (2) the word concerning it; (3) the divine testimony given to this word. It is on the first two points that we would meditate. The third, or the testimony, may be briefly noticed at the outset. That testimony was given by miracles, by 'signs and wonders.' The Lord went along with His apostles; He stood by their side in preaching, and He set His seal to the truth of their message by some notable work of heavenly power, so that the hearers were made to feel that the word spoken was a true word, and that it was a word from heaven, directly from the lips of God. The miracle was to establish their faith (and ours also in these last days) in the divine origin of the message, so that their faith should not stand in the wisdom of man, but in the power of God. I. The grace. This word is often used as the same with the Spirit's work in man, as that which the Spirit produces in us when He renews and transforms. This is not the primary nor the usual meaning of the word. It simply means favour, or free love to sinners as such, such free love as the Lord manifested when He was here on earth, in dealing with sinners such as the woman of Sychar, or Zaccheus, or the thief on the cross. They are representatives of sinners to whom this free love came, whom it welcomed, and whom it rescued. This free love is essential to God, as essential as His power or holiness. I might as well deny, or limit, or qualify His power and holiness, as deny, or limit, or qualify His love. It belongs to Him as God; for God is love. He cannot but be righteous and powerful, so He cannot but be love. Nay, we might as well deny His being as His love. We might as well say there is no God, as say God is not love. This free love was not produced or purchased by Christ's death. That love existed before in all its largeness and freeness. Christ's death did not increase that love: it was wide as the heart of God, and could not be increased. Christ's death did not make the sinner a more suitable object for that love. The sinner was What folly then, nay, what blasphemy, in any sinner to think to create, or to intensify, or to enlarge this love, by qualifying himself for it, by making himself less unworthy to be loved. God loves man, the sinner; let us be content to know this. The Lord's grace or free favour is not a thing to be added to or taken from. Man must just take it as it is, and as he is, or go without it. Man's attempts to propitiate God, or to fit himself for being loved, whether by works, or connections, or repentance, or feelings, or prayers, or ceremonies, or goodness, are mockery in the eyes of Him with whom we have to do. We are welcome to the whole free love of God. Let us take it at once; not trying to drive a bargain about it, or to buy it in any sense or way, but simply and at once to take it as the beggar takes the alms, as the prodigal took his father's love, when he fell upon his neck and kissed him. II. The word concerning it. For the word of his grace' means not simply His gracious word, but the word concerning His grace, the message that announced His free love. We have then a word concerning this-a word once spoken, now written; a word of truth and certainty; a word as to which there is no ambiguity and no mistake; a sure and simple word; a word such as the following: Hereby perceive we the love of God, that he laid down his life for us.' It is this word which constitutes our Gospel; God's sure word as to His own free love. That word and that love change not; He whose word and love they are changes not. Nor is there any counter word to neutralise its power and meaning. Sometimes our own dark experience overshadows it; sometimes God's sharp dealings with us seem to say, 'God is not love.' But over against all this we have ever to set the gift of the beloved Son, the great demonstration and pledge of divine love, to which we ought ever to recur when doubts arise. What are all the evils of this present evil world to compare with the unspeakable gift of God. That gift infinitely more than outweighs them all. POVERTY AND WEALTH. BY THE REV. J. J. BONAR, GREENOCK. PHILIPPIANS IV. 19. 4 ERE is a great promise, which must | Apostle's form of expression your own. My feed our souls, if we rub the cornears well. But ere we look at the promise, let us for an instant advert to Him who brings it. For at the beginning of our text, Paul describes God as my God:' and it is this which, as it gives him authority in speaking, should awaken our interest when we hearken. Had Paul sought to endear or magnify a God, whom he had only heard of, but whom he did not know; or whom he knew, but had no intimacy with; or whom he was conversant with, but who stood in no special relation to him, we might listen to his testimony with respectful attention, but it is not likely that it would leave a very deep impression. It is, however, no abstract or indefinite God; no doctrinal or shadowy God; no unknown or unfelt God, whom he introduces. It is one whom, without irreverence, presumption, or challenge, he can designate as my God.' One | with whom he is on the best terms, and to whom he is united by the closest ties. Had the Apostle said no more than, 'God' will not overlook you; 'God' will be kind to you, and then left us to make out for ourselves what there might be in God to establish our faith on, how cold would we have deemed his language, and how meagre his assurance! But Paul knows God: he has often proved Him; he has received from Him innumerable mercies: And when he bears witness to Him-when he would commend Him to others-it is simply on the ground of his experience. It is not God he sings of it is my God.' 'Because he believes, therefore he speaks.' Yea, 'He has tasted that the Lord is gracious,' and he only declares with his pen what his heart is full of. Beloved, trust this witness-and climb also to his level! It is refreshing to come upon any promise of holy writ, for it smells as a vineyard, with its grapes ready for the winepress. But how is its value enhanced, when some one hands it to me, saying, 'take that grape, for I have eaten off the same bunch, and the fruit is sweet indeed!' God,' that was the style of Paul; but not of Paul alone. 'He is my God,' said Moses, 'and my fathers' God.' David said to Solomon, 'The Lord God, even my God, will be with thee.' 'Think upon me, my God,' cried Nehemiah. 'Will ye weary my God also,' exclaimed Isaiah. My God,' witnessed Daniel, 'shut the lions' mouths.' 'I will wait for my God,' was the resolution of Micah. Thomas said, 'My Lord and my God.' And Jesus told His disciples, 'I ascend to my God.' And shall we not speak as these saints spoke, seeing that we believe as they believed-and are glad with their gladness? There is something sublime in the thought, God mine!' my friend, my possession, my inheritance! 'God mine' in all His attributes, in His providence, in His grace, in His covenant, in all that He is! But is not this too bold a claim? an ambition rather to be checked than cherished? No, for it is written, if children, then heirs, heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Jesus Christ;' and if we only abide conscious of our standing, our acceptance, our adoption in Jesus Christ, never shall we look on God without being able, ready, eager, to cry out, 'My God!' Let us advance, however, to the consideration of the promise given in our text; and which is at once vouched to us by the inspiration, and commended to us by the experience of Paul. My God shall supply all your need, according to his riches in glory, by Christ Jesus.' I. Observe first The Need. Your need.' Need,' is a word not exactly equivalent to want or craving; for it rather denotes what I have use for, and can put to use, but am without. It means here, therefore, just whatsoever we can require as creatures, and as believers, for maintaining life, for fulfilling duty, and for enjoying happiness. It embraces our common wants, and not less our spiritual necessities. It covers a wide area, and stretches on without limit, bearing reference alike to time, with its various changes, and to eternity, with its momentous issues. As a man, do I not ‘need 'food, and raiment, Nay; but rest not until you can make the and sleep, and health, and talents, and friends, 25.-49. and kindness? As a sinner, do I not 'need' forgiveness and reconciliation-conviction and a sense of guilt-faith and the sprinkling of blood? Then as a believer, do I not need' all these things and much more, even continued peace, and advancing holiness, a heart alienated | from the world, and a hope that soars within the veil, communion with God, much prayer, eminent spirituality, devoted zeal, and patient meekness? You may think that Acceptance should have terminated all need,' with the children of God. But you cannot read the sermon on the Mount, 'blessed are the poor,' 'blessed are they that mourn,' 'blessed are they which do hunger and thirst,' blessed are they which are persecuted,' 'blessed are ye when men shall revile you,' without secing how poor and empty we shall be in this valley of Achor, where we have to wade deep, yet travel on. No doubt it is chiefly spiritual wants we suffer, and spiritual blessings we long for. But what need' is to be compared to spiritual 'need,' centred in the very depths of the soul, and embracing my entire nature? and ever recurring? When I fled to Christ, assuredly all these needs were met. I was satisfied; my indigence was forgotten, and my weeping ceased. I was as one who had eaten and drank and could lie down at ease. But my need,' though gone to-day, returns to-morrow, and I am as 'needy' as before; it returns with every new duty and every new temptation; it returns with every change of circumstances, and every movement of the soul! I am pardoned, but I'need' daily pardon to remove daily sin. I am saved, but I need' constant salvation to keep me saved. I have received grace, but I need' universal grace to reign over all my powers; I possess God, but I 'need' that God should every moment 'lift upon me the light of his countenance,' and with beam after beam chase away all darkness! I am filling but I am not filled! I am sanctifying but I am not sanctified. I have shot many and sharp arrows abroad, but I do think my enemies are more numerous than ever. Often have I been at the well, but my lip is again parched with burning thirst. . Who then is needier' than the child of God in the desert? He is 'needy' as a man-full of sensibilities, and encompassed with evils. He is 'needy' as a sinner, ever tempted and often falling. He is 'needy' as a believer, who is done with earth, and presses on to heaven. In a word, the child of God is all 'need!' And he must think of this. He must believe it firmly, and realize it vividly, and ponder it much. Some of you take it for granted, and do not live under the persuasion of it; whilst others are afraid to inquire into it lest it turn out worse than they fancy. But these two things, believer, you must know, if you are to prosper. You must know, first, that you are 'needy;' and then you must know what your 'need' is. It may make you shrink, for the moment, to look in and see what a void there is to fill; to look around and see what difficulties we must pass through ere our feet reach an even place. Nevertheless, think of your need, believer, for if there be 'need' with us, there is supply' with God. He will supply every need of yours,' is the assurance given in our text by the Apostle, as based upon what he himself had found. II. Observe then, The Supply-'My God shall supply.' God had watched over His servant lovingly; He had taken strict cognisance of whatever might promote his welfare, He had fully entered into all the specialities of his case, He understood his difficulties, and had weighed his burdens, He had considered his prayers, and his sighs had come up into His ear; He had prepared him for duty, and crowned his labours with success; He had stood near him in his trials, and was ever his shield and helmet. All this, says Paul, my God' has been to me, and has done for me. God had scanned the Apostle's every 'need,' and just as it occurred He supplied it too! His God had thus acted towards Paul; His God was acting thus; and his God would continue thus to act. God's care of this believer included every thing, and it never slept, it never winked. 6 But to all believers God shows himself to be the same God; and what He did for one, He will do for each. My God shall supply every need of yours.' Our 'need' is multifarious, but every 'need' of ours shall be seen to. 'The need' of each believer is peculiar, but it is 'your' need, your own individual case, which is provided for. Present help soon fades, but as if to make the assurance embrace all that lies before us, it is said, 'God shall supply' to the end, as at the beginning. The void within-not the void created by sin only, but the void of our great capacity-is deep, and our wants are ever crying out; but these wants shall be supplied' until the void is filled up-filled even to the brimas a pitcher let down into the stream! Beloved, that is the promise, and what more could be promised? It is not said that we are to escape 'need,' but it is said that our every need shall be supplied.' It is not said that our every 'need' shall be mitigated, but of our 'every need,' that it shall be replenished'—the vessel no sooner having discharged one cargo, than it loads with another. O! surely our reproach is now turned into honour; our weakness, has it not become ་ strength? And do we not feel, as if to be 'needy' were a blessed thing? O! how my need' is forgotten in 'my God!' Does any imagine that he is not to work nor pray because he is told that God shall supply?' It is an error! for both Scripture and Providence testify that it is only when we toil with sweat for our bread; and only when we wrestle day by day for grace, that we may rest confident we shall get what we want. You think that the manna cannot fail; that there will always be oil in the cruse, seeing it is declared, 'God shall supply?' But you are wrong, my friend. 'God shall supply:' nevertheless, to check our frowardness, to rebuke our sins, to awake us out of sleep, to sink us in our own esteem, to polish us as corner-stones in the coming temple, God may empty us first, He may strip us of our children, as He did Rachel, He may strip us of our health, as He did Hezekiah, He may strip us of our freedom, as He did Paul! Yes, God may empty, deeply, severely, empty. It is only, however, to fill; and never will He forget His covenant-word-' I shall supply.' Bear this truth, believer, ever in mind, and be not unsettled when, for a moment, you feel as if both root and leaf were dead. Look in, if you choose, at times and bewail 'my need!' 'my need!' But look up too; and as one who sees the divine fulness laid over against the human emptiness, exult more loudly, my God!'' my God!' There are some here as ‘necdy' and empty as when they were born; and you think it harsh for them who are full to speak as we do. It seems as if we were glad to have got among the stores of Egypt ourselves, and that we had no pity for such as are perishing in the famine of Canaan. Ah! brother do not mistake us. With true bowels of compassion we do yearn over you, and we gladly send you our waggons to bring you down to the land where there is plenty. As yet you are seeking, we know, the living among the dead.' You are hoping to stay your hunger on the husks of swine; you are fain to slake your thirst with wormwood. It is the world you appeal to; it is money, and pleasure, and influence, and comfort, and whatsoever the flesh craves, that you pursue. And what has the world done for you? what ear of wheat have you found over its stubble fields? what pearls have you raked out of its ashes? How can you expect to get water from wells which the Philistine has choked up with rubbish? O! my brother, tear off the bandage which is on thine eyes, and see at last where lies the path of happiness! It lies here, and no where else, my God shall supply all your need.' The whole world in your heart could not extinguish a single want; but my God' will supply your every need,' 'the need' of all your lifetime, 'the need' of all your being. III. Observe next, The Riches—' According to his riches.' "The riches' of God are all that He has, and all that He can give. They include His everlasting life, His boundless wisdom, His almighty power, His creative skill, His providential arrangements, His shining hosts, His infinite empire, His glorious perfections. But, brethren, as 'the riches' of God are, so is Ilis promise; and if He undertakes to 'supply our need,' it will therefore be in a princely style, and in transcendent fulness. O! nothing shows how 'needy' we are-even though redeemedmore than this, that not only must we have God to supply our need,' but God ‘in his riches;' and if the source of our blessing lies in God himself, the standard and meaure of it are the divine fulness in all its wealth! My God shall supply every need of yours, according to his riches!' We need much, and for this we strive and wrestle much. But beyond all labour and prayer of ours, will be our satisfaction; for we are to receive' according to the riches of God!' · Ah! God is rich in grace, and 'the riches' of His grace will be poured into our soul. God is rich in truth, and the riches of His truth will sweetly illuminate us. God is rich in consolation, and He will replenish us with all the riches of His abounding consolation. At every step of our way we need mercy; but in the riches of the divine covenant we have the mercy we need. We need the Spirit more and more the longer we live; but in the riches of the divine nature we have that spirit whom we need. We need strength every hour, to assist us against enemies without and within; but in the riches of the Divine omnipotence, we have the strength we need. We need assurance to cheer us amid wind and rain; but in the riches of the divine purpose we have the assurance that we need. เ Truly, brethren, the supply for our need' is marvellous! We are poor: so poor, that in ourselves we cannot be poorer. And God comes to us in our miserable strait, and lays His riches' at our feet. We may be destitute, but let us abide in God, and we shall get all we are in want of out of His riches. We are insolvent, but let us repair to God, and our liabilities will be met by His riches. If He strip us of every comfort, still let us hang by God, and His riches will yield us an overflowing recompense. He may deprive us of friends, but God is rich, and will give us the riches of His own fellowship. He may refuse us the world, but God is rich, and He will give us the riches of heaven in the end. God may make |