speedy execution, remorseless slaughter; there must be no peace, no sitting at rest, no accumulation of wealth for self, no pursuit of pleasure, no luxurious ease, no pensive enjoyment.' And see how this exhortation is enforced by the strongest of all arguments, example. As Jehu said, "Turn thee behind me," so our Lord says, "Follow Me. I endured hardness; I fought and was wounded; I watched and was weary. Follow Me. There is no other way to victory-nay, no other way to escape defeat, shame, death. I must lead, thou must follow; thy place is ever behind Me." Is not this exhortation necessary? Is not the soul tempted often to sit down and rest, to make a disgraceful peace, when it ought to be prosecuting a daring, ceaseless, successful war. It was so with Israel of old; they were commanded to make no covenant with the doomed nations; there was to be no peace, but war to the death. But they were idle, cowardly, compromising; they allowed their enemies to dwell side by side with them, to their own continual disgrace, incessant misery, and disquiet, and at last to their contamination and ruin. Alas, that there should be a parallel to all this in the new and wider Israel, the Christian Church! The land is ours, and we do not go up and possess it; the heathen are not converted; even our own people at home are not Christians; they are ground down by most horrible tyrants, vice, intemperance, ignorance; and yet we are at peace, and do not fight for them that they may be set free. A disgraceful slavery crushes the people, and they are almost too far gone in degradation to desire freedom; like the Israelites in Egypt they say, "Let us alone, that we may serve our masters." If we would listen to the voice of Christ we should lead on a rebellion; we should "preach deliverance to the captives; we should raise the standard of liberty, and then the Stronger than the strong man armed would set these oppressed free.* "What hast thou to do with peace? turn thee behind Me;" so our Lord seems to say to Christians to-day in remonstrance and in command. How many are there who do nothing for the good of others! all they desire is to be let alone, to be at peace. Others may suffer, be degraded and miserable; it is nothing to them. They profess to hope to be with Christ hereafter, but they care nothing for His honour, His kingdom; they pass by on the other side, and leave the ignorant and vicious, * "A religion that is not waiting for a revival is only waiting to be swept away."-R. Bosworth Smith. "A prudent regard to our future prospects and interests, an abstinence from unlawful pleasures because they will entail the loss of greater pleasure by-and-by, or perhaps be paid for with pain; this is called virtue now. If Christianity had never borne itself more loftily than this, do you suppose that those fierce Norsemen would have fashioned their sword-hilts into crosses, and themselves into crusading chivalry? The first preachers of Christianity went forth on their warfare with evil, preaching not enlightened prudence but purity, justice, and goodness, holding out no promises except of suffering as their great Master had suffered."-Froude's "Short Studies." who have been robbed and wounded and lie half dead, without help, without sympathy; they will not even strengthen the hands of those who are the good Samaritans of the day, and who ask merely for money to help on their work. The work of Christ is not yet done in the world; it cannot be done without our aid. The general cannot act without an army; our Lord needs us to fight His battles. The world would soon be Christian if we were true to our Lord, true to our religion, true to our baptismal vow. If every one did something to save the lost, to bring some to Christ who know Him not; if every one who prays, "Thy kingdom come," made his life and work agree with his prayer, the kingdom of Christ would soon be established in the world upon the ruins of the empire of tyrants far worse than Ahab. The voice of Christ is heard crying, "Who is on my side-who?" and there look out to Him but one or two; here and there an earnest man or woman really doing something to carry on Christ's work in the world, with personal labour, or persevering prayer, or self-pinching almsgiving. But Christ's standard is to be set up not only in the world, but in each soul. To each soul He cries, "What hast thou to do with peace ?" Look at the Pharisee in the Temple, at peace with himself, at peace (as he fancied) with God, at peace with his fellow-men, leaving their burdens untouched with one of his fingers. He came up to the Temple to pray, and returned at peace. Like him are some who come now to God's house; they desire to hear only smooth things, to let the strong man hold rule in their souls, and leave all their goods in his hands, and they are at peace. But the Searcher of hearts is saying of them, "What hast thou to do with peace?" or worse, "If thou hadst known the things that belong to thy peace! but now they are hid from thine eyes." Better, wiser are they who in the house of God are like the publican. That downcast look, that smiting upon the breast, that deep consciousness of sin, all show that the penitent is not at peace; there are rebellion and conflict within. And it is well. This is no time for peace; there must be daily warfare, for the enemy is not vanquished at one blow. And if the soul be thus now, there is good hope of victory at last; victory with Christ; reigning with Him in His kingdom, which will most surely come. Then foes that seem now so strong shall be put under His feet; then the words of those who are now esteemed "mad fellows " will have come true, and the Lord's Anointed shall be King for ever and ever. |