THE WEAPONS ()F SAINTS.
".l[a»,j that areJ'st shall be last, and the last shall beJrst."
HESE words are fidfillcd un(let the Gospcl in lnany ways. Our Saviour in ont place applics thcln fo the rejection o the Jews and the calling" of the Gentiles; but in the context, in which they stand ns I have cited them, they seem to have a flmher meaniug, and to embody a g'reat principle, which we all indeed acknowledge, but are deficient in masterin ". Under the dispensation of the Spirit ail thins were fo beeome new and fo be reversed. Strength, numbers, wealth, philosophy, eloqucncc, craie., expcrience of lifb, knowledg'e of lmman nature, these are the memis by which worldly lnen have ever g'ained thc world. But in that kinglom whieh Christ has set up, all is eontrariwise. "The weapons of out warfare are hot earnal, but lnig'hty throug'h God fo the pulling down of strong'holds." What was belote in honour, has been dishonoured; what
3 4 T/zc 1I "««lolzs of letore was in dishoour, has corne fo honour; xhat belote x'as sueeessflfl, fifils; vha£ belbre failed, sueeeeds. What belote was reat, has beeome little; what belote vas little, bas ber.orne g'reat. 'eakness has eontluered streg'th, fir Ihe hidden streng'th of God "is ruade pêrtbe in wealçness." Death has eonquered li[ç., for in lhat death is a m,re gh,rious resur'eetiou. Spirit bas con, ltcred Ilesh; fir that spirit is an inspirati,m t'rom above. k new king'dom has ],con cstablished, hot mcrelv dillbrcnt fl'onl all ling'doms bcÇore if, but cont'ar" to tht.m; a paradox in the ees of man,the 'isible rtfle,,t" the invisible Saviour. This 'reat. change in the history of the orld is lbrett, ld or dest.ribcd in er" manv passades of Seriptttre. Take, fi,r instance, St. Mary's IIymn, vhich we read cve" evcning; she was no voman of hig'h cstttc, thc mlrsling of palaces and the pride or a people, yet she was chosen fo an illustrious place in the Kin'dom ot" heaven. XYhat God bcg'an in her was a sort,f type of tIis dealings with IIis Churcb. So she spoke of ]Iis "scatterig" the proud," "puttig down the might.y,'" "exalting the humble nnd meek," "fillin the hun'ry with g'ood this," and "sendi the rieh empty awa-." This was a shadow or out]ine ot' that Kingdom of the Spirit, which w:ts then comilg on the earth. Again; when our Lord, in the beg'inning of His ministry, would declare the great prineiples and ]aws of His Kingdom, ai'ter what mamier did Ho express Himself? Turn to thc Sermon on the Mount. "He opened His moath and said, Blessed are the poor in
Thc lIZccqons of S«bzls. 3 5 spirit., blessed are thev that. mourn, blessed are the meek, blessed are they which are perseeuted tbr rig'hteonsness' sakel. '' Povert.y was fo brin into the Church the riches of the Gentiles; meekncss was fo eOllqUcr the etrtl; suffering" was "fo bind their kings in chains, and their nobles with links of irou." On another occasion I le addcd the comtcrpart; "Voe unt, o you tha are rich tbr ye have reeeived y,)ur eonsolat.ion; wounto you that are fldll tbr ye shall hunger; woe unto you that. laug'h now tbv ye shall mourn and weep; woe unto vou when ail mon shall speak well of you for so did their fithers to the thlse prophetsL" St. Paul addresses the Corinthians in the saine tone: " Ye sec y«,ur eallin., blthren, how that hot many wise men aller the flesh, hot many mighty, hot many noble, are ealled: but God hath ehosen the foolish thing's of the world to eonfound the wise; and God hath ehosen the weak things of flw world fo eonfonnd the things which are mlghty; and base thins of the world, and things whieh are despised, hath Goal chosen, yea, and things whieh are hot, fo bring fo nouht things that are: that no flesh should glory in His 1)reSellee o.- Once more; eonsider the Book of Psalms, whieh, if any part of the Old Ïestament, belongs immediately Lo Gospel rimes, and is the voiee of the Christian Chureh; what is the one idea in tha saered book of devotion from beginning to end? This: that the weak, file oppressed, the detneeless shall be raised fo rule t Iatt. v. 2—10. Luke ri. 2—26. 1 Cor. i. 26—29.
3 6 T/« II'c«]5ous of tl,e worhI in spire of ifs array of might, ifs threats, and ifs terrors; thaL " the firsL shall be last, and tl, e last rsL." Sueh is the kindom of tire son of God; and while if endures, flere is ever n supernatural work goin on by whieh ail that man thinks great is overeome, and what he despises prevails. Yes, so it is; sinee Christ sent down gifts front ou high, the Saints are ever taking l*ossession of the kildOln, and with the weapons of Saints. The invisible powers of file heavens, truth, meeknesg, and rig'hteousness, are ever eomingin ni»on the earth, ever pouring in, g'athering, thronging', warrin, triumphing, under the guidanee ,f Ilim who "'is alive and was dead, and is nlive tbr evermore." The beloved diseiple saw tlim mmmted on a wllite ]lOi'Se, and g'oing forth " eonquering and fo eonqner." " And the armies whieh were in lleaven tblhm'ed Ilim npon white horses, elothed in fine linen, white and elean. And out of His mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with if tic should smite the nations, and ]le shall rule them with rod of Nmv let us apply this great, truth to ourselves; for be if ever reeolleeted, «'e are the sons of God,,ce are the soldiers of Christ. Ïhe king'dom is within us, and alnOng us, and nround us. Ye are apt fo speak of il as a marrer of history; we speak of it as af a. distance; but reallv we are a part of if, or ought to be; Olld, as we wish fo be a living portion of it, whieh is out onlv hope of salvation, we must learn what ils 1 Rer. xix. 14, eharacters are in order fo imitate them. It is the eha.raeteristie of Christ's Church, tiret the llrst shouhl be last, and the last firs; are we realizing" iu ourselves and takiug" part in this wonderfid appoiutmen of God? Let me explain what I mean:Ve have most of us by nature loning's more or ]ess, and aspirati.ns, afler something" greater than this worhl ean give. Youth, espeeially, bas a natural love of what is uoble and heroie. We like fo hear mavvell,us tales, whieh thr-w us ont of thins as they are, and introduee us fo thing's that. are n-t. We so love fle idea. of the invisible, that we even build fabries in the air for ourselves, if heavenly truth he hot vonehsafed us. We love to fimey ourselves involved in eircumstances of daug'er or tri:d, and aeqnitfing ourselves well under them. Or we imagiue some perfection, sueh as earth bas hot, whieh we follow, and reuder i onr homaffe and our heart. Sueh is the state more or less of young" persous beçore the world alters them, bebre the world cornes upon them, as i often d«es very soon, with ris pollutin withering', debasin, deadenin influence, belote if breathes on them, and blihts and parehes, and strips off their g'reen foliag'e, and leaves them, as dry and wintry trees without sap or sweetness. But in earlyyouth we stand with out leavesand blossoms on whieh promise ri'uit; we stand by the side of the still waters, with our hearts beating hig.h, with longinffs ater our unknowu good, and with sort of eontemp for fle fishions of the world; with a eontempt fi.r the world, even though we engae in if.. Even fllouffh we allow ourselves in our degree fo listen fo if, and to take part in ifs mere.a'aieties and amusements, yet we feel the while tiret our happiness is hot there; and we bave hot ver eome to think, flouR'h we are in the wav to flink, that all that is beyond this world is after all an idle dream. We are on out way to think if, fir no «,ne stands where he was; his desires al'ter what he has hot, his earnest thou'hs after thing's nnseen, if hot lixed on their true ol,ieets, catch at something, whieh he does see, somt.thing earthly and perMml,le, and scduce him ri-oto Goal. But I ara speakiu, of mou 5ç/br« tiret time, l,efore thev have x'iven their hearts o the world, whk'h promises them true good, then eheats them, and then makes them 1,elieve tiret there is no truth any where, and that they were ibols for thinking it. But. befi, re that time, they have dcsires after things above this world, whieh thev embody in some form of this world, beeause they have no other wav af. all of realizing" them. If they are in humble litb, they dream of becoming their own masters, rising in the worhl, and securing au independenee; if in a hiR'her tank, thev have amhitious thou'hts of gaining a mme and exereising" power. While their hearts are thus unsettled, Crist cornes to them, if they will reeeive IIim, and promises to satisfv their R'reat need, this hung'er and thirst whleh wearies them. He does hot wait till they have learned fo ridicule high feelings as mere romantic dreams: Ho cornes to the young; He has them baptized berlines, and then promises them, and in a. higher way, those unknown blessings which thev yearn ai'ter. He seems to say, in the words of the Apostle, "What ye
T/z« ll:ca2bos of Sac?c/c. 319 ignorantly worship, that. deelnre I are seekin" wlmt, vin, sec hot, I g'ive it v«u; vou. dcsire fo he 'reat, I will nmke)cm s,»; but observe how,just, in the reverse way fo war fo real g']ory is fo bceome unknowu and despised. IIe says, fiw in,tance, t- the aspiring', Apostles, " Whoseover will le g.rea amon Sou, le him be vour miniter; mul wh,»s-ever will ho chier mn,mg" you, let him 1e vour servant; even as the Son came hot. fo be ministered unto, but t« minister ." Ilere is rmr rule. The wav fo m.mt up is fo,,o down. Everv step we take downward, nmkes us higqer in the king'dom of heaven. Do vou desire fo be great? nmkt. vourselves little. There is a mvsterious connexion tween real advaneement md seltLalmsement. minister fo the humlde md despised, if you feed the hungry, tend the sick, sueeour the distressed; if vou bear with the froward, submit fo insult, endure ing'ratirude, tender g'ood for evil, you are, as l»y a divine eharm, g'etting" power over the wnrld and rising" mnong' the ereatures. Goal has established this law. Ïhus I[e does His wonderfld works. His instrmnents are poor md despised; the world hardly knows their nmnes, or n«t at all. Thev" are busied about what the world thinks petty actions, and no one minds them. Thev are apparently set on no g'reat works; nothing" is seen fo eome of what thev do: they seem fo fiil. Nay, even as reR'ards religious objeets whieh thev thêmselves profess to desire, there is no natural and visilde connexion betweeu their doiu.s and sufferings and these desirable ends; but therc is an uuseen connexion in the kinffdom of God. ïhey fise by fillin. Plainly so, fir no eoudeseension ceca be so 'reat as that. of otu" Lord lli»se(/ Now thc mot'e they abase themsclves the more like they are fo llim; and the more like they are to Ilim, the ffreater must be their power with I[im. Wheu we (,nec reco'nize this law of God'8 providence we shall understand bétter, and l,e more desirous fo imitate, «,ur Lord's preeepts, such as the follow- "Yc call 3le 3[aster:nd Lm-d: so I ara. I[" 1 then, your L(»rd:md 3Iaster, lmve washl Sour feet; yc also oug'ht fo wash one mothêr's feet. For ] have given vt,u an example, that ye should do as have dt, ne fo Sou. Vêrily, verily, ] sa- uuto Sou, The servant is uot greater than lais lord; ncither he that sent greater than he that sent him." Aud then ouv Lord adds, "If ve know these things, happy are 3-e if ye do them ." As if ]le shouhl s;y to us of this dy, You know well tlmt the Gospel was af the first prêached and pro)agated by the poor and lowly ag'ainst the world's power; you kuov that fishermeu and publieaus overeame the world. You kuow it; you are fond of tbrward as au evideuec of the truth of the Gospel, and of enlarging on it as something" striking, and a topie for many words; hap1)y are ye if yê yourselves fldfil if; happy are 3"e if fie earry on the wovk _t" those fishermen; if ye in your generation follow them as the" followed
Me, and triumph over the world and ascend above it by a likc self-abasement. Ag'ain, "Vhen thou art bidden of any man fo a. wedding, sit hot clown in thc highest room;... but whcn thou art biddcn, go and sit clown in the lowest room, tiret when he that bade thce comcth, he may say unto thce, Friend, go up higher: l;hen shalt thou bave worship in the prescnce of thcm that sit at meat with thee; for whosocver exaltcth himsclf shall be abased, and he that humblcth himself shall be exalted ." IIcre is a rulc which exteuds fo whatever wc do. It is plain that the spirit of l;his command lcads us, as:r condition of being exalted hcrcaffcr, fo cultivate here all kinds of little humiliations; instead of loving display, putting ourselves forward, seeking fo be noticed, bcing loud or eager in speeeh, and bent Oll having our o.vn way, fo be content, nay, to rejoice in being ruade little of, to perform what fo the flesh are servile onces, to think it enough fo be barely suffered among" men, to be patient under calumny; lmt to argue, hot fo judge, hot to pronounce censures, unless a plain duty cornes in; and ail this because our Lord has said that such conduct is the very way to be exalfed in His presence. Again, "I sa)" unto you, That ye resist not evil; but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right check, tutu fo him the other also "." What a. preeept is this? whv is this vohmtary degradation? what g'ood tan corne fo il;? is it not an extrawgance? Not fo re«i«t evil is g'oing" far; but fo court if, fo tnrn the left eheek to the agg'ressor
3 OE OE Tle lVeapons of Sails. and to offer o be insuRed! vhag wonderful eommand Wha? mus we take pleasure in indignifies? Surely we mus; however dieul i be Lo undersfand it, hovever arduous and ttTing to praetise it. Hcar St. Paul's words, which are a comment on Christ's: "Thcrefore I take2»leasure in infirmities, in rcl)roaches, in necessities, in 1)ersccutions, in distresses for Christ's sake;" he adds thc rcason; "Jbr whet I alit weak, teIt tllll I strong .'" As health and exorcise and l'Cgtfla.r diet are neecssary fo strength of the body, so an entebling and affiieting of the natural man, a chastising and affiicting of soul and body,;, nccessa to thc exaltation of the soal. Ag.ain, St. Paul says, "Avcnge hOt yourselves, but rather g'ive place unto wrath: for it is written, rengeanee is Mine; I will repay, saith the Lord. Therefore if thine cnemy hunger, fecd him; if he thirst, give him drink: for lu so doing thou shalt he 1) eoals of tire on his head. '' As if he said, is is 5risliat's revenge; lis is how Christiat heaps puuishment and suffcring on thc head of his enemy; riz. by returning good for evil. Is there pleasurc in seeing" an injurer and oppressor af your feet? bas a man vronged you, slandercd you, tyrannized over you, abused your confidence, l)een ungrateflfl to you? or to take what is more coinmon, has nan been insolent to you, shown eontemp of you, thvarted you, outwitt.ed you, been cruel fo you, and you feel resetment,—ud your feeling is this, " wish him no ill, but I should like him just fo be broug'ht down for this, and fo make amends to me;" rather say, hard though it be, " I will overcome him with love exeept, severity be a duty, I will say nothing, do nothing I vi]l keep quiet., I will seek to do him a service; I owc him a service, hot a grudgc; and I will bc kind, and sweet., and g'entle, and eomposed; and while I cannot. disguise ff'oto hiln that I know well where he stands, and whcre I, still this shall be with ail peaeeab]eness and purity of affection." 0 hard duty, but most bh,sscd for evcn fo talle into aeeount the pl««so'e of rcvcnge, sueh as if is, is flmre hot greater g'ratifieation in thus melting the proud and injurious heart, thau in triumlhing over if outwardly, without subduin if within? Is there hot more of tme enjoyment, in looking" up fo God, and calling Him (so fo speak), as a witncss of what is donc, and having His Ang'els as eonseious spectators of your triumph, thoug'h hot a soul on earth lnows any thing" of if, t.han fo h,'tve your merc carnal retaliation of evil tbr evil known and talked of, in the prescrite of all, and more than all, who saw the insult or heard of the wrong'? The case is the saine as regards poverty, whieh if is the fashion of the world to reg'ard not only.'ts the greatest, of evils, but as the g'reatest disyraee. [en count, if a disgraee, because if certainly does oflen arise ff'oto carelessness, sloth, imprudence, and other fimlts. But, in many cases, if is nothin, else but the very state of life in which God has p]aced a man; but stil], even flen, it is equally desl)ised by the world. Now if there is one thing clearly set forth in the Bible it is this, that " Blessed,re the poor." Our Saviour was the great. examlole of lOovcrty; He was a looor lnmt St. Paul says, "Ye know the g,race of out Lord Jesus Christ, that, though He was rich,)'et tbr vour sakes IIe became poor, that yc through IIis povcrty mig'ht bc rich ." Or eonsider St. Paul's very s«lemn language al,out the dang'er of wealth: "The love of money is the roof of all evil, whieh while some eoveted after, they have erred from the fifith, and piereed themselves through qtll many sorrows." Can we doubt that poverty is under the Gospel etter th:m riches? ] sar «»¢ler the Gospel, and i,» the regenerate, and i» the truc servants of God. Of course out of the Gospel, amon the uuregenerate, amoug lhe loyers of this world, it matters not whether one is rieh or poor; a m:m is:mv how unjustified, and there is no better or worse in his outward eireumstanees. But, I say, it ri«t the poor is in a more blessed lot than the wealthv. Ever sinee lhe Eenml Son of God was born in a stable, md had hot a place fo lay Ilis head, and died an outeast and as a malefietor, heaven has been won by poverly, by disg-raee, and bv suflbring. Not by these thing's in themselves, but by faith working in and through them. These are a f«w out of many thing's whieh might be said on this most deep and serious subjeet. If. is strange lo say, but if is a trnth whieh out own observation and experience will eonfirm, that when a man diseerns in himself nost sin and humbles himself most, when his eomeliness seems fo him to vanish awav and all his gmees fo wither, when he feels disgust at himself, and revolts af the thoug'ht of himself,seems fo himself all
Thc lVe«iozs f S«izt«. 3 5 dus and ashes, all foulness md odiousness, then i is tha he is really rising in the kin..lom of God: as i is said of Dauiel, "From the firsL dill" th[i.t t]loll didsL se thine hea.rt to understand and to chasten thyself before thy God, thy words were heard, and I ara corne for thy vords 1 — Le us lhen, my brethren, nnderstand ont place, as the redeemed ehildren of God. Some »n.t be great in this world, but woe fo those who make themselves grea; woe to any who take one step on of their way with this oldec bcçore thcm. Of course no one is sa ri'oto the intrusion of corrup motives; but I speak of persons «llowiz9 themselves in such motive, and aeting mainly ri'oto such a. motive. Let, this be the settled view of all who would promote Chris's cause upon earth. If we are truc to ourselves, nothing can really hwar us. Oto" warfa is no with carntfl weapons, bu with heavenly. The world does hot understand wha oui real power is, and where i lies. And until we pu ourselves iuto its hands of oui own ac, i cn do nohing agains us. Till we lcave off 1,atience, meekness, purity, resignation, and peace, i eau do aothing against tha Truth whic is out birthrigh, la Cause which is ours, as i has been the cause oç all saints belote us. Bu let all who would labour for God in a dark rime beware of any thing whieh ruffies, excites, and in any way withdraws them ri'oto the love of God and Christ, and simple obedience fo Him. This be out duty in the dark night, while we wait for the day; while we wai for Him who is ou Day, Dan, x. 12.
3 6 Thc ll/capons of Sai«ts. while we wait for His eoming', who is gone, who 11 return, and belote whom all the tribes of the earth will mourn, but the sons of God will rcjoice. "I doth hot yet apl,êar what we shall l,c: bu we know that, when lIc slmll ppem5 wc shall lc like Itim; for we shall sec IIim as IIe is. And cverv man that hath this hope in llim purifieth himself, even as IIcis pure. '' If is out bh.sscdness fo l»c ruade likc thc all-holy, nllgracions, h,nsuffcring, and mereiful (}od; who ruade and who redeemed us; in whose presence is perfect test, and pertbct peace; whom the Seraphiln are harmoliouslv praisin, and thc Cherubilt tnmquilly contemplating, and Angels silcntly oervin', and the Church thankfully worshipping. Ail is order, repose, love, and holiness in heaven. There is no anxiety, no alnbition, no resentment, no diseonteut, no bitterness, no remorse, no tumult. " Thou wilt keep him in perfeet peace, whose mind is stayed on Thee: beeause Ite trusteth in Thee. Trust ve in the Lord for ever: for in the Lord Jehovah is everlasting streng'th. ''