JERUSALEM. In looking back upon the past history of the world; in contemplating the rise and fall of nations, the setting up and casting down of empires, the exaltation of great and mighty princes, who have been famed for deeds of arms, or for the vast extent of their dominions; the mind feels sad while it considers the destructions that have come upon them; where are they now? They are gone, and of many it may be said, the place that knew them once, knows them now no more. It is, however, a pleasing theme, while dwelling upon these matters, to remember that city, which may well be called "the most wonderful city," that has stood, and still stands, amid the wreck of ages; and is so often made use of in the scriptures, as a type or figure of the whole of the worshipping family of God: under this idea I would offer a few remarks concerning Jerusalem. First, it is the most wonderful city in the world because it is the most ancient. Of other cities or kingdoms their records may be traced, and we can tell, or pretty nearly so, when or by whom they were founded; from the days of Cain who built Enoch, (Gen. iv. 17,) or of Asshur who built Nineveh, Rehoboth, Caleb, and Resen, (Gen. x. 11, 12,) down to the latest period. But of Jerusalem who can tell when its foundations were first laid? The earliest record we have is in Gen. xiv. 18, but it was a city then, and Melchisedek its king, and we read that he was without father or mother, without descent, having neither beginning of days nor end of life. (Heb. vii. 3.) Surely we have here a beautiful type of the church of God: there are no records among the annals of time, to tell the date of its origin, but in the scriptures it is written, it was before the world began. (Eph. i. 4; 2 Tim. i. 9; and John xvii. 23.) If we write of Paganism, Romanism, Mahometanism, or any other ism, we can trace their origin and pretty accurately fix their date, in all their varied forms; but the church of God goes far beyond the limits of time, for as Moses says, "from everlasting to everlasting thou art God." (Psa. xc. 2.) 66 Second, it is so, because though this city is so old, and has had many foes, and many conflicts, many times it has been a battle field, its walls have been destroyed, its beautiful buildings have been rased to the ground; fire and sword have made sad desolation, its people have been slaughtered, and carried into captivity; yet there never was a period since its first founding when Jerusalem was not. Other cities that once were great, where are they now? Even the exact spot where some of them stood is matter of dispute with the learned even to this day. We have here again a beautiful type of the church of God: of foes who would annihilate it, it has had many, their name is legion; their power has been great, and they have not failed to use it; the people of God, have always by the ungodly world been "accounted as sheep for the slaughter," (Psalm xliv. 22)" for he that was born after the flesh, hath always persecuted him that is born after the Spirit, and it is even so now," (Gal. iv. 29) she has been cast down but never destroyed,' (2 Cor. iv. 8, 9) "for God is in the midst of her, she shall not be moved, he will help her and that right early." (Psa. xlvi. 5.) Her enemies have assailed her from within with pernicious errors, and from without with fanatic fury and violence; but, blessed be God, she stands "the joy of the whole earth." (Psa. xlviii, 2.) "A strong city with salvation for walls, and for bulwarks." (Is. xxvi. 1.) "Go round about her, (ye adversaries of our God) tell her towers, mark well her bulwarks, consider her palaces, this God is our God for ever and ever." (Psa. xlviii. 12, 13, 14.) "Our God hath founded Zion." (Is. xiv. 32.) The Lord loveth Zion." (Psa. lxxxvii. 2.) "The Lord dwelleth in Zion." (Joel iii. 21.) "The name of the city is, the Lord is there." (Ez. xlviii. 35.) "And the people shall inherit it for ever." (Is. lx. 21.) Yea, while time shall last it shall stand, for there always have been, and there always shall be, a people unto whom "the Lord shall turn a pure language, that they shall call upon his name, to serve him with one consent.” (Zeph. iii. 9.) "And when that great and terrible day shall come," (2 Peter iii. 10., &c.) even then shall the church of God stand, and its blessed inhabitants clothed in white, with harps, and golden vials full of odours, singing with heart and voice, without a jarring note, "that new song, thou art worthy," &c. (see Rev. v, 8, 9, 10, &c.) Dear reader, shall you and I be there? 66 Thirdly, I observe, notwithstanding all the desolations that have taken place, the persecutions by the hosts of barbarians who have overran the country, the massacres of OCTOBER, 1866. 10 218 THE PRECIOUS BLOOD OF CHRIST. the people, the carrying away into captivity, or the dispersion of them throughout the whole world; yet there never was a time when it could be said of Jerusalem that none of her inhabitants could be found there. Here, again, we have a beautiful type of the church of God; for there never was a period since time began, when there was not a people of God; it was sad time indeed when the prophet complained, "Lord they have killed thy prophets, and digged down thy altars; and I am left alone, and they seek my life;" (as though he said, and then there will be none left to call upon thy name,) but what saith the answer of God to him, "I have reserved to myself seven thousand men, who have not bowed the knee to Baal." (1 Kings xix. 10-18, and Rom. xi. 3, 4.) "The daughter of Zion has been left as a cottage in a vineyard, but there has always been a remnant, according to the election of grace." (Is. i. 8, 9.) Fourthly, Jerusalem has always been a city of the greatest interest to the whole world, and she still continues to be so. Idolatrous nations have regarded it with jealousy; the followers of Mahomet never rested till they obtained possession of it; and who shall tell the feelings of the Jew concerning it? And so with the church of God; it is of special interest to all classes; the Pagan, the Papist, and worldly professors of all sorts have ever regarded it with bitter enmity; great and terrible have been the results, torrents of blood have flowed, which now cry unto God. (Rev. vi. 9, 10, and xx. 4.) Many a time the Edomite has said, “rase it, rase it," and Babylon has lent a helping hand, (Psa. cxxxvii. 7, 8.) but the Lord God omnipotent reigneth (Rev. xix. 6), and he hath compassed her about with delivering mercy. And what shall I say of the christian? Why, he regards it as the place of the Lord's delights (Is. lxii. 4, 5); the purchase of the Redeemer's blood, (Eph. v. 25, 26, 27); the city of the living God (Heb. xii. 22); the church which is in God the Father, and in the Lord Jesus Christ (1 Thes. i. 1). And the anxious desire of his soul is that he may be a lively stone in that heavenly place (1 Peter ii. 5), builded together for a habitation of God through the Spirit. (Eph. ii. 22.) Yes, the christian sings with holy rapture, "Jerusalem, my glorious home, Name ever dear to me." "There happier bowers than Eden's bloom, Blest seats, through rude and stormy scenes, E. DOWNES. THE PRECIOUS BLOOD OF CHRIST.-I.. BY J. BRUNT. Sacred Fount of life, Of Jesu's blood, more rare, more bright, more rich "WHAT is dark in me, illume," may well power of the Holy Ghost must, and does love the Son of God, of divine necessity. And By the Blood of Jesus atonement is made for sin, therefore we conclude that what sin is, is known to God. What sin requires for its atonement is also known to God; also, the persons for whom atonement is made are known to God. The word of God instructs us that sin is the transgression of the Law; that if one sin be committed, the whole law is broken. again, that one offence renders the offender obnoxious to the curse of the law. It is, therefore, true that by the offence of one judgment came upon all to condemnation. Now, therefore, all are condemned, seeing that all were represented by Adam, the one who sinned. All have thus sinned and have come short of the Glory of God. Being thus under condemnation, all that THE PRECIOUS BLOOD OF CHRIST. mankind may do is sin in the sight of a Holy God. Sin must indeed be a serious, a solemn reality, inasmuch as by one sin men were separated from God, even as by one blow a bough may be separated from its parent tree. This is sin in fact. But when Sinai's trumpet blows; when Sinai's thunder roars; when Sinai's lightning flashes; and when God's clear voice in justice is heard, then the soul exceedingly fears and quakes,-prays that it may hear that voice no more, and cries, "God be merciful to me a sinner." The unconvinced sinner endeavours to cast blame upon the Serpent, upon Eve, upon Adam, but the truly convinced of sin cries out, "Woe is me, I perish, what must I do to be saved: This is sin in feeling. Sin separates the soul from God, just as sinning Adam was separated from his original standing of innocency and uprightness. If anything can add to the enormity of the first sin, it is the truth "that he was a perfect man who committed the first transgression." And hereby hangs a gospel truth,-that only a perfect man can win for lost man a real salvation. There is also another phase of sin that the child of God becomes acquainted with under the teaching of God's Spirit; namely, that without Christ he can do nothing. I am a fallen man-an infirm man, and can of my own self do nothing to retrieve the past, redeem myself, or raise my soul to the solemn position of righteousness for the future. And now, my reader, there is yet one more truth that all God's people are taught, in order that they may know that salvation is beyond their power and their province, it is "That now unto him that worketh not but believeth on him that justifieth, his faith is counted for righteousness." That is, not what man can do, but rather what the Spirit does for him and in him, that Jehovah will accept, that salvation may indeed be all of grace,-even of the grace of God. It was well for Jonah to be sent even to the belly of hell to learn this lesson. It is a law of sacrifices, "That the sacrifice must be superior to the offerer." (Levit. xxii. 20.) It must be perfect, physically and morally. Physical perfection was sought for in the Jewish sacrifices; but moral perfection could only be found in that better sacrifice which was offered under the sanction of the Eternal Spirit. Our Second remark is "That what was required for sin's atonement was well known to our God." Man says, "Wherewithal shall I come before the Lord ?" But 219 Jesus says, "A Body hast thou prepared for me." "I come to do thy will, O God." In the consecration of the Priests (see Exodus xxix.), a portion of the sacrifice was to be eaten by Aaron and his sons; but in the continual sacrifice (see Exodus xxix. from the 38th verse), there is this difference, "The whole was to be burned up," to teach us this great truth, that in the matter of salvation "all praise as well as all provision belongs to Jehovah." I don't know that I can illustrate my subject more aptly, than by referring to Exodus xxiv. 42, 43, where the Lord says that by the blood of the Continual Sacrifice, "I will meet you-at the door of the tabernacle-to speak unto you." Without blood there could be no Sacrifice-there might be an offering;-without blood there could be no remission; without blood no peace, no pardon. In the command given to Abraham, "Take now thy son," &c. (see Gen. xxii. 2.), we are taught that man deserves to die for sin. In the ordination of animal sacrifices (see Gen: iii. 21.) we learn that man shall be preserved by the sacrifices offered. But, in the sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ, in the offering of his body once for all, we see that PERFECTION Without which the offering of a first-born would be murder and the offering of a bullock would be a folly. In a word, "FOR JESUS CHRIST'S SAKE" sanctifies both the giver and the gift. Surely, except there be a reference to Jesus, all sacrifices, be they ever so costly, are but as a cloud that obscures, rather than as a dew which blesses. Lightfoot says, "The rite of sacrifices had these several ends. First, to represent and to be a memorial of the great sacrifice of Christ, who should once be offered up in behalf of sinners. Second, to lecture unto them the desert of sin and sinners; DEATH AND FIRE, in the death and firing of the sacrifice before their eyes. Third, to acknowledge their goods received from God, in offering up to him something of all they had. Fourth, to be a matter of worship and religion in those times of ceremoniousness; wherein all did acknowledge their homage to God, and true believers acted their faith on Christ's sufferings. Fifth, to be signs of repentance and pledges of expiation." We have already said "That what sin requires in order to its removal Jehovah knows;" we now add, "and has provided in the LORD JESUS CHRIST." First, we notice what the Holy Ghost saith in 220 THE SATISFYING VISION OF GOD. Heb. ix. 26. "But now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself." I beg of you to observe, my reader, that not only is sin put away, but that Jesus Christ has put away sin. You will remember also, that on one occasion Jesus said (John x. 17), "Therefore doth my Father love me because I lay down my life that I might take it again." Thus you will be prepared to hear that without Jesus, or separate from Jesus, Jehovah the Father never has acted, never will act. Happy is that soul who has been taught by the Holy Ghost; "For whosoever hath heard and learned of my Father, cometh unto me.' Again we ask attention to the witness of the Spirit in Heb. x. 9-14. Jesus in offering himself hath put away sin, and draws the sinner to himself [Eph. ii. 13], accomplishes the will of God, and perfects the saint for ever. "Oh, for this love let rocks and hills Secondly. "To lecture unto them the desert of sin and sinners; death and fire in the death and firing of the sacrifice before their eyes." So Christ, preached in the Gospel by the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven, is a continuous lesson of sin and sinners, of Saviour and saints, of a salvation which effectually saves all the sanctified. Thirdly. "To acknowledge their goods received from God, in offering up to him something of all they had." And thus saints are taught that they are not their own, that what they possess belongs to God; and are instructed to present them selves a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God. Fourthly. "To be a matter of religion and worship," &c. All our religion is summed up in this, "Simply to His cross I cling." Fifthly. "To be signs of repentance and pledges of expiation." Therefore he who cometh unto God bearing precious seed-even Jesus the one corn of wheatgives sign of true repentance, and is truly cleansed from all his sin,-is accepted in the beloved, and blameless before God in love. Thirdly, we said that the persons of those whose sins are atoned for are known to God. This must be so, or otherwise salvation is a matter of speculation and uncertainty. But salvation is certain. First, the Father saith, this people have I formed for myself; they shall shew forth my praise. Again, Jesus saith, I lay down my life for the sheep: I know my sheep. And again, the Holy Ghost witnesseth by giving life to those for whom Christ died. In Heb. xii. 24, we read that the Blood of Jesus Christ speaketh. When does it utter its voice? And what does it say? First it spoke on the cross,—“It is finished." Again it spoke within the Vail, "It is finished." Now it speaks in the gospel,-"It is finished." It speaks in the conscience,-"It is finished." Again it shall speak at the Great Judgment Day, and shall say, while millions listen, "It is finished." Then shall commence the new song which shall never be finished, “Unto him that loved us and washed us in his own blood." May you and I be there to hear it and to join therein. 'I shall be satisfied, when I awake, with thy likeness."-PSA, xvii. 15. SUCH is the christian's pleasing prospect. This reconciles him to his present state of sorrow and suffering, and produces in him a longing desire for the realization of that state of blessedness thus set before him. None but the christian can cherish such a hope. This hope is by the grace of God, by the sacrifice of Christ, by the Spirit, the Comforter. Such was the hope of a now deceased friend, and who chose this text to express it. I. The text anticipates the christian's awaking. "When I awake." This will apply to the christian's first entrance into heaven. Compared with heaven, earth is a place of night, and the present life is one of sleep. Death is the time of awaking-death is the time of life. Death ends our life on earth, but begins our life in heaven. Our first birth is the beginning of a life; conversion is the beginning of a new life; death is the beginning of another new life; and the resurrection will be the beginning of a still higher new life. Death is a being born into heavenheaven is life-is day; a happy life, a glorious day! The soul will then be awake, and be all life, all love, all joy! THE CHURCH IN THE MARTYR-AGE. But the awaking of the text will more fully apply to the christian's final entrance upon the heavenly state after the resurrection. The awaking of the body, and its reunion with the soul, and, being both glorified, will be so capacitated for the final blissful vision of God. II. The christian, by the text, anticipates the vision of the Divine presence. Thy likeness." (1.) Admission to the Divine presence. A sinner cannot go to heaven but by Jesus Christ. The Saviour must take the sinner there. A sinner in heaven is a saint-a sinner saved, a saint, is a holy person, and is eligible to a holy place. Personal holiness is essential to the heavenly state. All our meetness is by the Saviour, and by the Spirit; by the Saviour's cleansing blood, and by the Spirit's sanctifying grace. Who among our readers are thus made meet for the inheritance of the saints in light? (2.) Realization of the Divine presence. "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God." The presence of God is heaven; our realization of his presence is heaven to us. It is true that heaven is a place, but as a state it is heaven to us rather than as a place. It is the presence of God that makes it a happy state; and holiness it is that capacitates us to realize his presence as the source of our heavenly happiness. God's "face, likeness, light of his countenance, presence," as 221 now seen by us make, us happy, and as finally seen will make our heaven. III. The christian, by the text, anticipates satisfaction from the vision of the Divine presence. (1.) Satisfied that all our sorrows and sufferings, as well as our mercies, all tended to meeten us for this final vision. The Father's wise and loving design in all these is to make us partakers of his holiness; to wean our hearts from earth, and to give us a longing and a meetness for his presence. (2.) Satisfied with the joy springing from the Divine presence. With its nature, as being spiritual, and so suited to the renewed soul; with its degree, as filling the capacities of she soul; with its ceaselessness, as springing from God's eternal love, and as commensurate with the soul's eternal existence as making the soul full of happiness, and that happiness enduring for evermore. (3.) Satisfied with the vision of the Divine presence as enjoyed in company with saints and angels. The social principle, natural to man, is refined by sanctifying grace, and is congenial with the heavenly existence. There is nothing on earth satisfying, but heaven is all and for ever satisfying. There shall I see his face, And never, never sin; THE CHURCH IN THE MARTYR-AGE. No. V. (Continued from page 199.) IV. The fourth great persecution broke out after an interval of comparative quietude in the year 161, under the Emperor Marcus Aurelius, and lasted at least 19 long years. This Emperor was one of the most virulent and ardent of all the heathen persecutors. He persecuted, not only as a statesman but as a religious partisan. He it was who introduced systematic torture as a means of compelling christians to recant. Unless they offer to the Gods," so runs his edict, "let them be punished with divers tortures." But the courage of the christians of those days was proof even against torments. Some were transfixed upon spears; some were flayed by scourging; some exposed to slow fires; but all, as far as we have any account, stood firm. The venerable Polycarp, now in his 86th year, who were had drank in the words of the venerable apostle John, was now sought for by the populace of Smyrna where he was bishop. He nobly refused to fly, although he had more than once previously avowed his conviction that he should live to be burnt alive. When he was taken, his venerable appearance, his prayer for his persecutors and concern for his bereaved flock, drew forth the admiration of his enemies. At length, being brought before the Proconsular tribunal, he was called upon to " curse Christ or die." "Eighty and six years,' the aged martyr replied, "have I served him and he has never once wronged me ; how then can I blaspheme my King, my Saviour!" The following conversation next ensued: Pro-Consul." Swear by the fortunes of Cæsar." |