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T h e
K i n g ’ s
B u s i n e s s
December 1929
to apply to the use of any faculty in a way which shall turn it into a stumbling block. ENTER INTO THE LIFE—i.e., the eternal life^ of heaven. (We must remember that these words are addressed, not to the unconverted worldling, but to dis ciples.) The grave danger is that if these things are not cast away they will lead to apostasy and so rob the victim of eternal life. UNQUENCHABLE FIRE—i.e., that prepared for the devil and his angels (cf. Matt. 25:41) and into which no man ought to go, or need go. WHERE THEIR WORM DOES NOT END (or die)—i.e., the continual gnawing of bitter re morse, intensified by the memory of what they had lost by their folly, and their sin. Hence they are in danger of sharing the fate of all transgressors against God (cf. Isa. 66:24, of which the imagery here is a repetition). In view of these declarations of our Lord there can be no doubt as to the existence of a place called hell where, whatever may be the exact meaning of the fire and the worm, those who fail to enter heaven will suffer the consequences of their sin; it is at once foolish and useless to attempt to deny or to overlook this truth. INTO THE KING DOM OF GOD—i.e. (here), the final triumphant kingdom, when every enemy shall have been destroyed (cf. 1 Cor. 15:24). A participation in the glory of that kingdom is one of the brightest hopes of God’s people and should not be bartered or endangered by the gratification of anything that might cause us to stumble. 49— EVERYONE SHALL BE SALTED WITH FIRE— Either purified by the Holy Ghost, of whom fire is an emblem (cf. Acts 2:3; Heb. 12:29), or destroyed in the unquenchable fire before mentioned, for salt is in some cases purifying and in others destructive. One of these things must happen to every one; he therefore who refuses to be purified must ultimately be destroyed. AND EVERY SACRIFICE SHALL BE SALTED WITH SALT—Salt here is an emblem of divine grace and faithfulness. Those who yield themselves as living sacrifices shall not only be purified by fire, but sweetened and preserved by grace; for salt is preservative as well as purifying. This is the salt of the covenant of God (cf. Lev. 2:13), for salt in the East is a sign of fidelity. “When a man eats another’s salt there is a covenant established by that very act; a covenant of protec tion and fidelity between the host and his guest. Let the bit terest enemy come to the sheik and eat his salt, and the sheik would be ashamed to take vengeance on him so long as the cov enant remains. We are to enter into a covenant of salt with God: on our side we are to give ourselves up to Him that we may be His servants for ever; on His side He pledges us that He will be our protection.” (*). 50— SALT IS GOOD, etc.—This is a reminder of what He said to them at the commencement of their discipleship (cf. Matt. 5:13). They were to remember that they were the salt of the earth (i.e., its purifying and preserving force). But if they and their religion lost their pungency and power what was there left with which the sanitary energy might be restored? If in any man the Christian religion has become not a life, but a mere profession, by what means can his influence for good be renewed? (Note that He says “wherewith will YE season it?” He does not say that it cannot be seasoned, for He can restore even the lost seasoning). HAVE SALT. IN YOURSELVES AND BE AT PEACE WITH ONE ANOTHER—On the one hand let there be fidelity to God with whom you are in covenant relation; on the other let there be amity towards your brethren. (We must remember that the whole discourse arose out of their jealous disputation and rivalry.) Grace, if it has not become saltless, should ensure this relationship to God and to our fellow Christians. (*) See under “Meal Offering” in “The Tabernacle And Its Teaching” by the same author.
The Ageing Year B y W illiam O lney And so thou art nearing thine end, poor Year! Nearing thine end! What hopes thou didst stir when arriving here — Thou would’st befriend ' The life, to which thou would’st add thy length, Increasing its holiness, service and strength. We may almost fear too closely to pry Thy gifts among; To see if boons promised so lavishly To us belong: Or if, Old Year, the hopes o f thy youth Have not yet matured in deed and in truth. My Soul! I t is not the Year to blame; Accuse not its hours: On thyself be the weight o f the sinful shame For wasted powers: A s the fleeting months went quickly past, Did’st thou act as i f Time would for ever last? Recall thy resolves; there are days still left; Use the friendly weeks Before thou art all o f the Year bereft: Be as one who seeks To carefully use in the days still lent Opportunities lost in the months now spent. Then e’er the Year dies thou mayest obtain The hope it brought — More knowledge o f God; from sins to refrain; His service sought: That when the farewell to this Year you say, With such boons you may greet the New Year’s Day. GOOD IT IS FOR HIM) j T P AT AN ASS . . . . MILL STONE, etc., (i.e., a millstone turned by an ass; much heavier than those of the hand-mills)—This is not intended to be punitive, but preventative; the tenses point to something already accomplished; it were better that this should have happened already than that he should live to offend. One may say this is always true; the loss of physical life were better in any case than falling into sin; both the remorse of bitter penitence and the danger of ultimate destruction would be avoided. There is no suggestion here of a necessary resulting damnation. 43-48—Christ now passes from things that offend others to those which cause the man himself to stumble, or hinder and prevent his progress in the Christian life. Such things are to be voluntarily cast away, since it is better to enter into life with out them than with them to be cast into hell. [Gehenna, i.e., the Valley of Hinnom, or Tophet, which is used as a type of hell, must be distinguished from hades, which is simply the grave or place of departed spirits. The “hell” mentioned in the Christian Creed is the latter, not the former.] The hand, the foot, and the eye, with which we (a) do amiss; (b) wander from the paths of righteousness, walk in the counsel of the ungodly, or wander into the company of sinners; (c) feed our sinful pas sions by looking at that which is unholy and unclean, are picked out foi reference; but there is no doubt the‘words are intended
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