T h é
K i n g ’ s
B u s i n e s s
June 1928
333
Let Jesus Alone ■ “I f w e let Hint alone, then all men will believe'. on Him’m (Jn. 11:48).
that letting Jesus alone Js . a big-brained, great-souled business.” ~ Let us not think, merely because some self-styled scholars will not have the Christ of the Scriptures who ished His blood for the remission of sins, that He will not be able to win His.;way through. He is “ the same yester r day, today and forever.” No preacher can make a worse mistake than to get to thinking more about how,his ser mon is going to “ take” than about presenting the Lord of glory just as He is revealed in the Word. Ball I Stayed Upon Jehovah “ Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace [lit. “peace, peace,” or double peace] whose M IND is stayed ‘on Thee, because he trusteth in Thee” (Isa. 26:3). “H IS HEART is fixed [able to stand its ground], trusting in the Lord” (Psa. 112:7). H ERE are two precious passages which we recommend to perplexed believers in these hectic days. The whole secret of a life ruled by divine.peace is here: the M IND " stayed upon” God, the H EART “fixed.” What more do we ask than to have this peace under all events and to be kept in possession of it at all times ? The mind o f man is too active. W e can’t “ stay upon” (lit. “ lean hard upon” ) anything of this present world’, not even our Christian friend's! All wè can expect from the world and men is confined within the limits of time and depends upon fluctuat ing conditions. Repose can be found
E were interested in reading recently a sermon by a London minister in which a rather unique use o f the above text was made. The preacher maintained that many with zeal for. ecclesiastical primacy, were guilty of presenting a distorted
Christ to the world. He charges preachers with the wrong o f not lëtting Jesus alone. He declares that Jesus would be much more winsome to men if some of those who-talk about Him would present Him simply as He is in the Scriptures., “ He is going to, win the hearts of men by ’what H e is, and not by what some men say H e is, and, certainly not by what somë represent Him to be.” “ On Monday morning,’’ says this preacher, “ multi tudes o f people say to their wretched little god— ‘Get thee behind me!” ’ In other words, the Jesus that their min ister has'presented is too little—utterly inadequate. Surely fio one could go away with such a feeling had the Christ o f thé Scriptures, in whom dwelleth the plenitude o f • deity, been presented. ' Ministers today are indeed sorely tempted not to leave'; Jesus alone. They are afraid He cannot take care of Himself. They are thinking o f that influential and well- to-do-brother who hasn’t much use for the faith o f his
fathers. They try to cut Jesus down to suit him. They remain awake at night trying to contrive a Jesus that will be acceptable to an unbeliever. They get up on Sunday and, after reading the Scripture lesson, start apologizing for Him. They make Him no more than a good man, the flower of hu manity. The people go out isaying it was an eloquent sermon, but wondering why their hearts are cold. They have had a' distorted view o f Christ. The preacher has tried to fix Him up, and in doing it has given his hear ers a stone in place of .bread. “ How o ften /’ asks the London preacher, “ d o e s Jesus hover over our assem blies saying in a whisper that will soon fade into the silence of His own dignified withdrawal if we do not listen : ‘My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways’ ? I think you see what I mean :
nowhere but in the eternal and immutable God. “ In the Lord Jehovah is everlasting strength” (Isa; 26 :4 ). Here is a rare combination of Hebrew words, the literal rendering of w h i c h is “ Rock o f Ages.” In thè Lord Jehovah is our Rock of Ages. The first thing that breaks peace is discord between the M IND and outward circumstances. A troubled M IND means a depressed spirit, and even physical ailment. 1 Distrust is sickness of the mind. The M IND must be taken away from the things that sufround, and stayed upon thè Eternal Rock— God and the words He has delivered to those who love Him. Rutherford said : “ I lay my head to rest on the b o s o m o f Omnipotence.” Dr. Cumming said : “ The tree o f peace strikes its
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