Food for the Lambs Part 6

A fourth sign of a state of declension in spirituality is an unwillingness to receive Christian counsel or reproof. The Spirit of Christ is a tender, gentle, docile Spirit. When the heart of the disciple is full of holy affection he feels that he is frail and insufficient. He seeks wisdom and strength from above and is thankful for the kind suggestions of those whose experience and opportunities have been greater than his own. If he errs and is admonished by some faithful Christian brother, he receives it meekly and with a thankful spirit. "Let the righteous smite me; it shall be a kindness," is the language of his heart. Even though reproof in itself be painful, he would not that it should be omitted when he has been in fault, for he dreads nothing so much as doing wrong--as sinning against G.o.d and his own soul.

But the spirit that departs from G.o.d and duty is a self-willed spirit.

It is impatient of restraint. It is irritable and captious instead of meek and willing to be taught. It can not brook any crossing of its views, but esteems advice impertinent and meets admonition with resentment. When he exhibits such a temper of mind; when he disregards the opinions and feelings of fellow Christians; when he affects independence and prides himself on doing as he pleases; when he keeps out of the reach of Christian counsel, and justifies himself when affectionately reproved; when he comes to regard the watchfulness of others over him as an unwelcome and irksome thing; [when he charges you with having a spirit of faultfinding, of having no charity, but that you only discourage and press him down when you try to show him his lack of spiritual life],--it is clear that he exhibits no more the fruits of the Holy Spirit's influence on his soul. His piety has declined; he no longer lives in intimacy with G.o.d and in the atmosphere of heaven. His light is dim. His glory has departed.

The last indication of religious declension that we shall now speak of is a careless indifference to the danger arising from temptation. A Christian whose piety is warm and vigorous has great tenderness of conscience. He dreads the least approach of evil. Even the suggestions of sin to the mind are painful. He therefore prays earnestly and daily, "Lead me not into temptation," and carefully avoids placing himself in dangerous circ.u.mstances. Sometimes, however, you will see professing Christians who seem to want this instinctive sense of danger. They often place themselves in circ.u.mstances when they might easily have foreseen their strength of principle would be liable to be put to the severest test. They keep company in which it is nearly impossible that their moral feelings should not be defiled. They allow themselves to a.s.sort with the idle, the frivolous, with those who are given to foolish talking and jesting; they indulge idle thoughts, repeat amusing stories, read hooks and papers that do not gender to piety, etc. But he who is willing to go as far toward evil as he can with safety, has lost one of the greatest safe-guards of virtue. He who is ready to tamper with temptation is on dangerous ground and in a sad state of declension. O reader, turn ye about, shake loose from the world, draw nigh to G.o.d, let the deep breathings waft your soul upward and upward to greater heights in G.o.d's joy and love, and this world will only be a dim specter in the distance.

DILIGENCE.

"O for a closer walk with G.o.d!" This is the inward pleading of many a precious blood-washed soul. I beg leave to tell you that that fulness of G.o.d, that deep and perfect satisfaction of soul, that sweet feeling of deep reverence, that hushed and sacred feeling of awe, that close walk with G.o.d, is _obtained_ and _retained_ only by the _utmost_ diligence.

Slothfulness in the Christian life is a sure source of degeneration.

Too frequently when saints reach "fair Canaan's happy land" they think they have nothing now to do but to sing and shout and praise G.o.d and go to heaven "on flowery beds of ease." To every newly arrived Christian in Canaan is given the command, "Go forward and possess the land." To do this battles must be fought, giant foes must be defeated, and the greatest diligence must be practised. G.o.d promised ancient Israel to drive out all the nations of Canaan from before them, and that every place whereon the soles of their feet should tread should be theirs, if they would diligently keep all the commandments that the Lord commanded them, to love the Lord, to walk in his ways, and to cleave unto him. See Deut. 11:22-24.

If we will diligently obey G.o.d and go forward at his command he will lead us where the milk and honey flow, and where the pastures are green.

Our walk with him will be sweet and our souls perfectly satisfied. Since the term _diligence_ is so frequently used in Scripture and such emphasis placed upon it, it is well worth our time to learn its meaning.

We often, among the saints, hear testimonies like these: "I am living up to all the Word of G.o.d"; or, "All the Bible requires of me, I am doing"; "I love G.o.d and find delight in doing all his will," etc. Such expressions are very full of meaning and may sometimes mean more than the witness comprehends. Let me ask you, Are you as diligent in every respect as the Bible commands you to be?

Diligence implies an earnest and constant effort to accomplish a desired end--a carefulness, a heedfulness, an industry, a close and fixed attention.

Many a heart has been robbed of the love of G.o.d because it was not kept by diligence. Many a beloved saint can look back to a few years ago when his soul was more fully satisfied and his heart abounded more in the love of G.o.d, and all because diligence was not given to "keep the heart." In Josh. 22:5 the commandment is to take diligent heed to love G.o.d, to walk in his ways, to keep his commandments, to cleave unto him, and to serve him with all the heart and with all the soul. May the Lord help the reader to comprehend the strength of this commandment. O how precious! To take diligent heed to love G.o.d, implies a careful avoidance of everything that would have a tendency to suppress his love in our hearts and to eagerly seek all possible means of increasing that love.

All company whose spirit and conversation have a tendency to destroy love is avoided as far as possible without violating the command, "Be courteous." Reading amusing stories; telling amusing, worldly incidents, the happenings of bygone days; fondness for the general news of the day; gossiping; admiration for the pomp and show of the world; careless, idle thoughts; fondness for society,--all serve to extinguish the love of G.o.d in our hearts. Talking with others about G.o.d and his works, reading his Word, meditating upon him, praying, attending meetings, doing good to all men, giving of our means to advance his cause,--all these increase the love in our hearts toward him. To be diligent, to serve the Lord with all the heart and with all the soul, is to be industrious in doing all we can for him; seeking opportunities of doing good, carefulness in obeying all his commands, testifying to the works of G.o.d, and showing forth his praises continually.

Your soul may long for a closer walk with G.o.d, and well that it does; but if you do not keep your heart with all diligence from the world, you will never enjoy the blessed experience. But by giving diligence you can have such a walk with G.o.d as to fully satisfy your soul.

LOWLINESS.

But few traits of Christian character are more lovely than lowliness.

Humility, meekness, and lowliness are terms nearly synonymous, but not wholly so. It is somewhat difficult for the mind to grasp the shades of difference in their meaning. It appears, however, that lowliness is the deepest depth of humility and meekness. Meekness is the opposite of impatience, harshness, or irritability, and has for its fruit gentleness and kindness. Humility is the opposite of pride, and has for its fruits modesty, unforwardness, etc. Lowliness is simply the opposite of highness in self in any respect, and has for its fruits meekness and humility with their fruits.

To us this command is given: 'Walk worthy of your vocation with all lowliness.' If you have the experience of "all lowliness," you will go on in your vocation without discouragement and disappointment, though you are unnoticed and wholly ignored. And though G.o.d promotes others and honors them and they are loved and praised by men, you are glad for them and rejoice. If you have the experience of "all lowliness" in your soul, you will not have the least disposition to lift up self. All you do and say will be in G.o.dly sincerity. Now look closely.

If G.o.d heals some one through your prayers, be careful when you tell of the healing that it is to lift up the Lord only. If you have composed a song, and sing it to a company who do not know that it is your song, then you tell them the Lord gave you the song, what is your motive? Do you want them to know how good and great the Lord is, and nothing more?

or do you want them to know that you are the author? I say, look closely into your motive. If, from the lowliness of your heart, you desire in all you do and say, only to exalt the Lord, it will be felt in the depth of your speech, and G.o.d will be honored; but if there is the least inclination or feeling to exalt self, it will be felt in the gracelessness of your speech, and G.o.d will be dishonored. Go humbly on in life attending to the work G.o.d has a.s.signed to you, doing it well and in all lowliness of heart before him, and be content.

ON DRESS.

If you could be as humble when you choose rich apparel (which I flatly deny), yet you could not be as beneficent, as plenteous in good works.

Therefore every s.h.i.+lling that you needlessly spend on your apparel is in effect _stolen from the poor_! For what end do you want these ornaments?

To please G.o.d? No!--but to please your own fancy or to gain the admiration and applause of those who are no wiser than yourself. If so, what you wear you are in effect tearing from the back of the naked; and the costly and delicate food you eat, you are s.n.a.t.c.hing from the mouth of the hungry. For mercy, for pity, for Christ's sake, for the honor of his gospel, stay your hand! Do not throw this money away. Do not lay out on nothing, yea worse than nothing, what may clothe your poor, naked, s.h.i.+vering fellow creatures.

Many years ago, when I was at Oxford, on a cold winter's day, a young maid (one of those we keep at school) called on me. I said, "You seem half starved. Have you nothing to cover you but that thin gown?" She said, "Sir, this is all I have." I put my hand in my pocket, but found no money left, having just paid away all that I had. It struck me, "Will thy Master say, 'Well done, good and faithful steward. Thou hast adorned thy wall with the money which might have screened this poor creature from the cold'? O justice! O mercy! Are not these pictures the blood of the poor maid? See thy expensive apparel in the same light; thy gown, hat, head-dress!"

Everything about thee which costs more than Christian duty required thee to lay on, is the blood of the poor! Oh, be wise for the time to come!

Be more merciful; more faithful to G.o.d and man; more abundantly clad (like men and women professing G.o.dliness) _with good works_.

It is _stark, staring nonsense_ to say, "Oh, I can _afford_ this or that!" If you have regard to common sense, let that silly word never come into your mouth. No man living can _afford_ to throw away any part of that food or raiment into the sea which was lodged with him on purpose to feed the hungry and clothe the naked. And it is far worse than waste to spend any part of it in gay and costly apparel. For this is no less than to turn wholesome food into deadly poison. It is giving so much money to poison both yourself and others as far as your example spreads, with pride, vanity, anger, l.u.s.t, love of the world, and a thousand "foolish and hurtful desires" which tend to "pierce them through with many sorrows." O G.o.d, arise and maintain thy own cause! Let not men and devils any longer put out our eyes and lead as blindfolded into the pit of destruction.

G.o.d demands of his people that they dress modestly as becomes people who profess holiness. The putting on of apparel for adornment and the wearing of jewelry are not consistent with Christian modesty. The nude and lewd art of dressing which is becoming so prevalent among professors of Christ is an abomination in the sight of G.o.d, and a practise which no virtuous man or woman can countenance. If professors would stop and consider the character of women who invent popular fas.h.i.+ons of the age they might well blush with shame at their eager attempts to follow the modern styles of dress invented by the wicked leaders of fas.h.i.+on in London and Paris, whence the latest styles of this country generally emanate. It is indeed sad to behold the young of to-day making themselves unfit to fulfil the sacred functions of wife and mother by the use of the modern corset, as well as laying a foundation for years of misery, dragged out in this life by diseases brought upon them by catering to the creed of millions who wors.h.i.+p at the shrine of Fas.h.i.+on.

The pride of their hearts, pampered and fed by the foolish practises of the age, blinds them to their obligations to G.o.d as a Creator and Savior; and amid the whirl of earthly vanity they hasten to the awful doom that awaits all who fail to obey the gospel of Christ.

The Word of G.o.d gives plain directions to Christians as to how they should dress. In olden times G.o.d permitted his people to wear some jewelry; that is, there was no law against it; but there came a time when he promised that he would cleanse the hearts of his people from all pride and vanity, and they should find no pleasure in putting on ornamental dress and jewelry, and costly array. In Isa. 3:16-23 we have a clear prophecy of the gospel age, and how G.o.d was going to have his people dress modestly in accordance with their profession. We shall quote from the LXX: "Thus saith the Lord, because the daughters of Sion are haughty, and have walked with an outstretched neck, and with winking of the eyes, and motion of the feet: ... therefore the Lord will humble the chief daughters of Sion, and the Lord will expose their form in that day; and the Lord will take away the glory of their raiment, the curls and the fringes, and the crescents, and the chains, and the ornaments of their faces, and the array of glorious ornaments, and the armlets, and the bracelets, and the wreathed work, and the finger-rings, and the ornaments for the right hand, and the earrings, and the garments with scarlet borders, and the garments with purple grounds, and the shawls to be worn in the house, and the Spartan transparent dresses, and those made of fine linen, and the purple ones, and the scarlet ones, and the fine linen, interwoven with gold and purple, and the light coverings for couches."

We shall now quote from the New Testament: "In like manner also, that women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with shamefacedness and sobriety; not with broided hair, or gold, or pearls, or costly array; but (which becometh women professing G.o.dliness) with good works." 1 Tim.

2:9,10.

"Likewise, ye wives, be in subjection to your own husbands; that, if any obey not the word, they also may without the word be won by the conversation of the wives; while they behold your chaste conversation coupled with fear, whose adorning let it not be that outward adorning of plaiting the hair, and of wearing of gold, or of putting on of apparel; but let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of G.o.d of great price." 1 Pet. 3:1-4.

The wearing of feathers, artificial flowers, frills, flounces, unnecessary tucks and tr.i.m.m.i.n.gs, is not in harmony with the gospel standard of modest apparel. Queer-shaped hats, such as we see worn by the people who follow the fas.h.i.+ons of the world, should be avoided by the saints as they would every other thing unbecoming to a Christian; not fas.h.i.+oning themselves according to their former l.u.s.ts in their ignorance. "But as he which hath called you is holy, so he ye holy in all manner of conversation." 1 Pet. 1:15.

The all-wise G.o.d who gave these commands knows what is for the good of his people, and if we love him, we will obey. When the heart is cleansed from all pride there will be no difficulty in measuring up to the gospel on the matter of modest apparel. We trust all who read this may realize it is truth.

THE ELIXIR OF LIFE.

I have seen patent medicines bearing the above t.i.tle. By the word _elixir_ is meant length of days and happiness. The medical man by labeling his cordial with this t.i.tle offers to give to all who will take it a long life of happiness. Such things have their sad failures; but I will offer to you a prescription, which, if you will carefully follow, will prove an unfailing elixir of life. "For he that will love life, and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips that they speak no guile: let him eschew evil, and do good; let him seek peace, and ensue it." 1 Pet. 3:10,11. If the reader will follow these directions strictly, making them practical in every-day life, we can upon the authority G.o.d has given insure him a long and happy life.

RULES FOR EVERY-DAY LIFE.

"Let your speech be alway with grace, seasoned with salt." Col. 4:6.

"Withhold not good from them to whom it is due, when it is in the power of thine hand to do it." Prov. 3:27.

"Walk in wisdom toward them that are without." Col. 4:5.

"Do all things without murmurings and disputings." Phil. 2:14.

"Let another man praise thee, and not thine own mouth." Prov. 27:2.

"Be thou diligent to know the state of thy flocks." Prov. 27:23.