BIBLE BRIEFS. Our Ground of Confidence.
itself. "The words that I speak unli you they are Spirit and they are lifl (John). Third, the Word is seed. " The Sed is the Wo r d" (Luke 8:11). Now v e know that seeds are alive; they a e vitalized matter, the spirit of life* is a them and God's Word is vitalizi d speech, the Spirit of God is with it ai d in it. Fourth, the Word increases, it grow s. " Bu t the Word of.God grew and mul- tiplied" (Acts 12:24). Herod " g a ve up the ghost," but the Holy Ghost, tlie Eternal Spirit, was with the Word. W e know that only that which has liie grows. • ' . .'?„< Fifth, the Word imparts life. "QuicK- en—make alive—me," said the Psalm- ist, ''according to thy wo r d" (Psa. llfi; 25). So Peter says that we are " b om of . . incorruptible seed by tlie Word of God.'' But life is from tlie living only—life from life. ( Sixth, the Word is sustaining, it is food. "Man shall not live by break alone, but by every word that procee^ eth out of the mouth of God" (Matt, f : 4). Life is maintained only by orga ized, vitalized substance. Seventh, the life of the Word is Ete nal Life. " The Word of the Lord e i- dureth forever" (1 Pet. 1:24). There- fore no weapon that is formed again; it it can prosper, nor can they who receh it perish. WATER FROM OLD WELLS. " The death of Christ is a historic fact universally admitted, but the do< trine of the cross of Christ is purely matter of revelation to be received wit] uncavilling humility and rested in vm peaceful assurance, because it is tlie Word of God.''—James Inglis. • The Agony of Christ. " H e filled tt silent night with His crying, and wate 1 ed the cold earth with His tears, moi precious than the dew of Hermon, any moisture, next unto His own blood, that ever fell on God's earth since th creation (See Heb. 5:7).—Traill. Amen. " The Rabbins say that ou 'Amen' in the close of our prayers must not be said, first, 'hastily,' but wit consideration (1 Cor. 14:16); second!j nor 'maimed' or 'defective;' we mus stretch out our hearts after it, and b swallowed up in God; thirdly, no ' alone' nor ' an orphan,' that is, witfc out faith, love and holy confidence.''- • Trapp. The Love of Christ. " I t is a peculia kind of expression (Eph. 3:19) whi<$ i the apostle prays that they migh)t
Logically the most miserable of men should be those who believe in the Word of God, but not in the assurance of sal- vation. To hold thai; some shall rise to everlasting life and ¿ome to shame and everlasting contempt and to remain in doubt as to which company one belongs to, would be hell on earth to such a soul. There is ground enough for our consolation in the Gospels. First, God certainly is able to keep us. " I f God is for us. who can be against u s " (Bom. 8:31)? Who? Not man (Isa. 40:17); not angels (Heb. 1: 14); not Satan (Heb. 2:14); not any- thing (Rom. 8:38-39). Second, God is our keeper, not we our- selves. "Who are kept by the power of God, through faith, unto salvation" (1 Pet. 1:5). Thus we are specifically taught that God keeps us. Third, we depend neither on our abil- ity, nor stability, since it is written " B y grace are ye saved through faith, and that not of yourselves" (Eph. 2:8). If grace is grace, and we are saved by it, how can we be lost ? Otherwise grace would not be grace. Fourth, it is particularly taught that God is not an "Indian giver," for " t h e gifts and calling of God are without repentance" (Rom. 11:29). Fifth, why should God begin this sav- ing work in us, and like the man who is " n ot able to finish," leave the foun- dation without superstructure or cap- stone? "Being confident," says Paul, " t h a t He that hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ" (Phil. 1:6). Sixth, which of the saints that trusted in Him, that called on Him, did He ever abandon? "These all died in faith, not having received the prom- ises, but having seen them afar o f f" (Heb. 11:13). Why should He bitterly disappoint us? Seventh, what is His testimony about His Son? " H e that believeth on the Son HATH everlasting l i f e " (Jno. 3: 36). Are we going to tell God that He lies (1 John 5:9-13)? The Bible Alive. The quotations on our cover declare that the Word of God lives. This mar- velous fact alone accounts for its power and imperishable vigor. The Bible has life because: First, it afiSrms it. " The Word of God is alive" (Heb. 12:4). It is there- fore a living Word. Second, our Lord Himself calls it life
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