"Bring in the t.i.thes and offerings, that G.o.d may be pleased with you, and bless your labors that they be profitable. Before we proceed further, let us notice what offerings are accepted with G.o.d. 'But to do good and to communicate [share] forget not: for with such sacrifices G.o.d is well pleased.' Heb. 13:16. To whom shall we communicate, or with whom shall we share? 'Let him that is taught in the Word communicate unto him that teacheth in all good things.... And let us not be weary in well-doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.' Gal. 6:6-9. Here is one cla.s.s. Share with those who teach you in the Word. 'Distributing to the necessity of saints: given to hospitality.' Rom. 12:13. Distribute to needy saints, and G.o.d will never let you come to want for so doing. There is yet another cla.s.s. 'As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith.'

Gal. 6:10.

"We will now look into the New Testament Scriptures to see what G.o.d has promised there. These are Jesus' own words: 'Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.' Luke 6:38. Surely if any one is needy, he had better begin giving and receive the hundredfold. No danger of coming to want with such a promise from the great G.o.d hanging over you.

Move out and no longer fear; for 'my G.o.d shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.' Phil. 4:19. 'Yes,' says some one, 'you ministers and gospel workers can depend upon G.o.d for what you need, but we must work for what we get.' Will you please turn to Phil.

4:9 and read on down very carefully. You will see that Paul was writing to them concerning giving; telling them how once and again he had received their gifts, and how he is still encouraging them to give more. He says, 'Not because I desire a gift: but I desire fruit that may abound to your account.' Ver. 17. And that he had received 'the things which were sent from you, an odor of a sweet smell, a sacrifice acceptable, well-pleasing to G.o.d.' [Giving to the poor and needy, or sending the gospel to those who sit in darkness, is an odorous sacrifice to G.o.d. How beautiful! The remembrance of our deeds of charity and hospitality being a sweet odor unto G.o.d must make such offerings a delight-_Auth._] Then he gives them this great promise that G.o.d would supply all their needs. He was not talking to preachers at all, although we can rest upon this promise, but to the church at Philippi. And the same Lord is rich unto all who call upon him. Praise his name!

"Now, you who are at home laboring in temporal things, and can not go yourselves to minister the Word of G.o.d to others, just let go of everything and get down before G.o.d and ask him how much you can give to help this work along. Here is an opportunity to do good to all men. And 'as ye have therefore opportunity, do good unto all men,' then you can take these promises for your own and depend upon G.o.d to supply all your needs. You can and need to be just as much given up to G.o.d, and just as dependent upon him as the ministry is. Who will help now, by means and prayers, to send the gospel to every creature and every land?"

Good works do not cease with giving. There are many opportunities for all to do good that G.o.d might be glorified. Even the poor will find many opportunities for doing something that will benefit some fellow creature, exalt the name of Jesus and bring a blessing to their own soul. There are the sick and the discouraged to be visited and prayed with. There are kind and sympathetic words that need to be spoken to lighten the burden of some weary heart. All around us are opportunities for loving deeds and good works that can be done as unto Jesus, which are precious treasures being laid up for us in the glory world.

Eating Of Meats.

Many are the arguments on this subject from the pulpit and the press, from the wise and not wise; and many have been deceived and led to believe that to eat or refuse to eat certain kinds of meat is a duty they either owe to themselves or to G.o.d. Many professed gospel preachers spend much time in discussing this subject of meats, and would have their followers believe that the eating of certain kinds of meat is an offense against G.o.d, and through their selfishness and ignorance endeavor to prove their arguments from the law of Moses, which was absolutely done away with when Christ died on the cross as a sacrifice for the sins of the world. I have no more to do with the law of Moses than I have with any law that has been repealed by the last act of Congress. It is disannulled and taken away by the one that succeeds it. Paul says, "Christ the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth." Rom. 10:4.

The law was merely a temporary form of government until Christ should come, to whom the promise was made. It served as a schoolmaster to bring us to Christ, but when Christ came we were no longer under a schoolmaster.

Gal. 3:19, 24.

"Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace." Gal. 5:4. "That no man is justified by the law in the sight of G.o.d, it is evident: for, The just shall live by faith." Gal. 3:11. "Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law."

Gal. 3:13. These scriptures show plainly that the law of Moses can not be taken as proof of the righteousness which Jesus Christ established; for, says the apostle, "The law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ." John 1:17. So then the law was neither grace nor truth as regards matters pertaining to you and me.

The New Testament Scriptures settle most questions beyond all doubts, and leave no room for discussion. Paul speaks very lightly of this matter of eating meats, and his language shows it to be of no importance whatever.

He says, "Meats for the belly, and the belly for meats: but G.o.d shall destroy both it and them." 1 Cor 6:13. "For the kingdom of G.o.d is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost." Rom.

14:17. The apostle means to set forth the idea that the kingdom of G.o.d has nothing to do with meat and drink, and such trifling things as dieting ourselves is not taken into consideration. But the kingdom of G.o.d is righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost; it is a spiritual, not a physical existence. I may eat all kinds of meat and be in the kingdom of G.o.d or I may eat no meat and be in the kingdom of G.o.d.

Christ said, "There is nothing from without a man, that entering into him can defile him; but the things which come out of him.... Are ye so without understanding also? do ye not perceive that whatsoever thing from without entereth into the man it can not defile him; ... because it entereth not into his heart, but into the belly, and goeth out into the draught, purging all meats." Mark 7:15, 19. "That which cometh out of the man, that defileth the man. For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness: all these evil things come from within and defile the man."

Mark 7:20-23.

Paul says, "Let not him that eateth despise him that eateth not; and let not him which eateth not judge him that eateth: for G.o.d hath received him." Rom. 14:3. "I know and am persuaded by the Lord Jesus that there is nothing unclean of itself: but to him that esteemeth anything to be unclean, to him it is unclean." Rom. 14:14. And again, "Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holy day, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days." Col. 2:16. Paul says, "The Spirit speaketh expressly [notice he says the Spirit speaketh _expressly_], that in the latter time some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils: speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron; forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats which G.o.d hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth. For every creature of G.o.d is good, and nothing to be refused, if it be received with thanksgiving: for it is sanctified by the Word of G.o.d and prayer." 1 Tim. 4:1-5.

Now note carefully the apostles language. Those who forbid to marry and command to abstain from meats are cla.s.sed with those who hold forth the doctrine of devils, and speak lies in hypocrisy. It is the doctrine of devils to say that any meat is unclean; for said he, G.o.d created them and they are his creatures. Then he goes on to say to Timothy, "If thou put the brethren in remembrance of these things, thou shalt be a good minister of Jesus Christ, nourished up in the words of faith and of good doctrine, whereunto thou hast attained." 1 Tim. 4:6. If any kind of meat is offensive to me, there is no law either natural or divine that says I must eat. I have a right to abstain from it if I choose. It is no sin for me to do that, but I have no right to say to others, It is a sin for you to eat pork or any other kind of meat.

The Sin Against The Holy Ghost.

"Wherefore I say unto you. All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men: but the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men. And whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, neither in the world to come." Mat. 12:31, 32.

"Verily I say unto you. All sins shall be forgiven unto the sons of men, and blasphemies wherewith soever they shall blaspheme: but he that shall blaspheme against the Holy Ghost hath never forgiveness, but is in danger of eternal d.a.m.nation: because they said, He hath an unclean spirit." Mark 3:28-30.

"And whosoever shall speak a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but unto him that blasphemeth against the Holy Ghost it shall not be forgiven." Luke 12:10.

From these texts of Scripture we learn that all manner of sin is pardonable, save one, the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost. There is no crime too great, or sin too deeply dyed to be forgiven, except the one designated in these scriptures. Well might it be asked, What is that sin?

It is evident that the Holy Spirit (which is the same as the Holy Ghost) is no more supreme or important than others of the trinity; so therefore why should all blasphemy against the Father or Son be pardonable, and the blasphemy of the Holy Spirit be unpardonable. The answer will be found to lie in the nature and office work of the Holy Spirit, as being different from that of the Father or Son. Of course the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are all one; yet they might well be considered as three, when we speak of their respective offices. The Father, the grand author of all good, the Creator of the world, the one who holdeth all things in his control, the designer of the glorious plan of redemption of fallen man. The Son, the one on whom that redemption depended, who only was found worthy to open the book and loose the seals of the divine plan, and thus make salvation possible. The Holy Spirit, the one who, after the Father and Son had perfected their work, was sent to reprove the world of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment. He it is that strives with men by way of a kind of inherent knowledge, testifying to them of salvation's waters flowing free, and that they should forsake sin and plunge therein. By the Holy Spirit is G.o.d's way of manifesting himself to men, convicting them of sin, righteousness, and judgment. True, as Paul says, G.o.d "hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son;" but notice, it is "_hath spoken_."

The Son has done his part, we have his words on record, and he is at the right hand of the Father; and he has himself said that he would go away, that the Comforter (Holy Spirit) might come. And now we are living in the special dispensation of the Holy Spirit.

The sin against the Holy Ghost, as it is commonly called, is also known as the "unpardonable sin," and the "sin unto death." See 1 John 5:16. As we before said, the answer to the question, Why is it unpardonable, lies in the very nature of the Holy Spirit's relationship to man. Are we to suppose that it is some sin too heinous to be forgiven? or that G.o.d has decided that this sin is one that bears too heavily against his willingness to forgive? or, in other words, that his great love is not sufficient, were it weighed in the balance with this sin? Nay; that is not the light in which it is to be regarded. This is a sin that is different in its effects from other sins. It is one by which man unprivileges himself to be saved. He disconnects himself, so to speak, from all possible operations or strivings of the Spirit of G.o.d with him. He might blaspheme G.o.d, or the Son, and it would be the same as any other sin. But he blasphemes the Spirit whenever he takes action against (and casts out, so to speak) that inherent principle in him which tends to draw him to G.o.d. By so doing he places himself outside the realm of possibilities, as regards his own salvation: for he severs all possible communication from G.o.d to him, unless it be what is manifest by the presentation of awful fear of approaching d.a.m.nation.

It will be seen that in committing this sin a man by choice wilfully places himself in such a position, in reference to the inner dictations of the Spirit, that the latter is killed or destroyed. He can blaspheme G.o.d, and the convictions of the Spirit in him be unaffected, save that continual so doing might lessen them; but when he blasphemes the Spirit-it being so interwoven as to be, in a sense, a part of himself-he involves his own soul, by taking a stand against himself, as it were, thereby unfitting and unqualifying himself to be further affected by the Spirit.

He drowns, dissolves, annihilates the inner strivings of the Spirit.

If we examine carefully the quotation from Mark, we see by verse thirty that the reason Christ said what he did about blasphemy against the Holy Ghost was because certain scribes said he had an unclean spirit, and cast out devils by Beelzebub, the prince of devils. Now whether they thereby committed the blasphemy of the Spirit, we do not know; but from Christ's words that followed, a strong inference could be drawn that they did. It was at least a close step to it, and depended on the degree of inherent knowledge they had that Jesus was the Christ. If they did it ignorantly, it was not blasphemy.

In the sixth chapter of the Hebrews, verses four to eight, the apostle speaks of such as have been partakers of the Holy Ghost, and were enlightened, etc., who, if they shall "fall away," directly disinherit themselves of the privilege of being renewed unto repentance, and "crucify _to themselves_ the Son of G.o.d afresh, and put him to an open shame." By so doing they virtually do violence to the Spirit's convictions to such an extent that they blaspheme the Spirit. We are persuaded that Paul here had no reference to a person being overcome of the devil in some great temptation so as to commit sin, while at the same time the soul protests against sin. That would not be _falling away_ (as here meant) from the love, neither the faith of G.o.d. Indeed, it is the very love of G.o.d, as well as the Spirit's convictions, that causes such a one to have immediate sorrow for the sin committed, and causes the soul to quickly flee to G.o.d again. But what the apostle meant by "falling away" was to forsake the Lord, give up the faith, walk no more in the truth or with G.o.d's children, and be content to live in sin. But take notice of the standard which he gives, from which "falling away" may be considered. He says, "those who were once enlightened," had "tasted of the heavenly gift," were "partakers of the Holy Ghost," had "tasted the good word of G.o.d, and the powers of the world to come;" if such fall away-forsake the Lord and choose to live in sin-they soon become incapable of being affected by any manifestation of the Spirit or any inducement held out to them-a deplorable, lost condition! bearing only thorns and briers! whose end is to be burned! Now we ask, Who ever saw any one come back to G.o.d who was content to remain away from G.o.d, after having had the experience described in Heb. 6:4, 5?

We have seen some who exactly correspond to the description Paul gives here, but we have never known any such to come back to the truth. May we use this, as the apostle intended it, as a warning against unfaithfulness to G.o.d.

In Heb. 10:26-29 the apostle makes mention of the same conditions, only in a different way. Here he speaks of _sinning wilfully_ "after that we have received the knowledge of the truth." Of course, all sin, to be sin, is done more or less wilfully; but the apostle can not have reference to a sin committed on account of a spiritual lack, while the soul meaningly presses on in the race for G.o.d. We know that such a sin does not unfit one to become pardoned again, the Holy Spirit is not blasphemed, and therefore the sacrifice (Christ) still remains, to which the soul may flee. To "sin wilfully" here means more, as is unmistakably implied in verses twenty-eight and twenty-nine. He ill.u.s.trates by one who despised Moses'

law, as though he now means one who is despising the law of Christ; and he explains himself in verse twenty-nine, where we see he has reference to one "who hath trodden under foot the Son of G.o.d, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace." Here "sin wilfully"

comprehends the blasphemy of the Spirit, and he evidently means, by the term, a wilful turning again to a life of sin, a deliberate giving up of the faith, and choosing sin instead. This is also used as a stimulus to the saints to exhort one another, and neglect not the a.s.sembling of themselves together, or the provoking unto love and good works, etc.

From these two places in the Hebrews it might be supposed that to be in an unpardonable condition a person must have once been saved. But the apostle in both places is necessarily addressing saved people, and holds up such a condition as a warning against unfaithfulness. He deals in what is applicable to them. But this does not prove that a man who has never known the way of truth may not also place himself where he is unpardonable.

It is safe and Scriptural to take the stand that a person is pardonable so long as he is capable of being sorry for his sin, for G.o.d's sake, or of having a real desire to love and serve G.o.d. The promise and privilege is to "whosoever will." This is as broad as broad can be, and whoever wills can know a.s.suredly that salvation is for him, not withstanding the disputations of the devil to the contrary. In Heb. 12:16, 17 one would infer from the apostle's ill.u.s.tration of Esau that a person can be in a condition where repentance may be earnestly desired, even with tears, yet impossible to be found. But genuine repentance is not implied here. The margin has it, "He [Esau] found no place to change his mind," instead of "no place for repentance." A person may commit the unpardonable sin and still desire to change his condition or lot; he may through fear of eternal d.a.m.nation desire rather the position of a Christian: but he never repents, he can not repent, it is not "in him" to repent, he will not meet the conditions for salvation, and no one can get him to do so. He may bewail his condition and stand in dread of the judgment, from a feeling of selfish protection; he may be sorry for his sins as a criminal may be sorry for his crime when he is sentenced to be punished: but he has no inclination to G.o.dly sorrow; in fact, the spirit of the man and the Spirit of G.o.d are incompatible; he has placed himself where the Spirit of G.o.d can in no way bring itself to bear upon him. Oh, how awful is such a state!

But he is not conscious of any awfulness from having offended G.o.d; his awfulness proceeds from a sense of his being eternally lost. The only impulses that might draw such a one to seek the Christian state are those of the selfish kind, just as a man may desire salvation from a belief that it would be conducive to his selfish interest. A person will never get an experience of salvation through such motives; and in the case of the one who has committed the blasphemy of the Spirit, he may have such motives, but he can never have the genuine kind, or in other words, be drawn of the Spirit. Such a sin need not be prayed for. 1 John 5:16. It is certainly a sin unto death.

In conclusion we would say that the unpardonable sin is not to be regarded as some particular sin, singled out from all others, as though it were some form of murder, lying, or stealing, more heinous than the rest. But it lies in the nature of the sin committed, as affecting the relationship with the Holy Spirit. A person may have committed a whole list of the blackest crimes, and yet not have committed the unpardonable sin; or vice versa, a person may have a good standing in point of morality, and yet have blasphemed the Spirit, and severed himself from all possibility of repentance. We would say to every despairing soul seeking salvation, that if you are capable of having the least G.o.dly sorrow on account of your sin, or a real, inward desire to serve G.o.d, you can rest a.s.sured that you have not committed the unpardonable sin. If you feel the Spirit of G.o.d telling you that you ought to be saved, then salvation is for you. The unpardonable sin deprives a person of the desire to will to love and serve G.o.d and obey the truth. So in the language of Scripture we continue to hold out the blessed invitation-"Whosoever _will_, let him take the water of life freely." Amen.

The Conscience.

When we behold the mechanism of man, we are made to exclaim with the Psalmist, "I am fearfully and wonderfully made; marvelous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well." Man is so const.i.tuted as to experience a feeling of joy when a desired object is obtained, or a feeling of disappointment if it is not obtained. When danger approaches he intuitively seeks to avert it, and experiences a feeling of gladness if he succeeds. Among the elements of man's moral nature the highest and most important, perhaps, is the conscience. Conscience is a principle which G.o.d has placed in man's moral being to teach him what is right and what is wrong. Some have said that conscience is the "voice of G.o.d in the soul."

It is a voice that is inaudible to the ear, but we feel it speaking in us, saying, "This action is right," or, "That action is wrong." We believe that Solomon was referring to the conscience when he said, "The spirit of man is the candle of the Lord, searching all the inward parts of the belly." Prov. 20:27.

Where there is no known law, conscience becomes our guide and the standard by which we are judged. For proof of this we will quote Rom. 2:14, 15: "For when the Gentiles, which have not a law, do by nature [a kind of intuitive knowledge of right] the things contained in the law, these, having not the law, are a law unto themselves; which shew the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the meanwhile accusing or else excusing one another." In many circ.u.mstances of life we have no written law of G.o.d to guide our actions, consequently must be directed by reason and conscience, which are highly a.n.a.logous. To be perfectly and properly directed by the conscience necessitates a close walk with G.o.d. "Keeping in touch with G.o.d" is G.o.d in our conscious being, impressing us with proper actions, and leading us in the right way, and showing us the relationship existing between the pure soul and the Deity. Where there is no written law of G.o.d to direct the actions in a certain circ.u.mstance, those who experience a close connection with G.o.d will always act the most wisely; because the "candle of the Lord"

(the conscience) is a light in them, impressing them with feelings of right in the matter.

The conscious principle in the moral nature suffered greatly in the fall of man, and is seriously impaired by violation of the known laws of G.o.d, or laws of conscience. There is a beautiful harmony between truth and a correct conscience. Obedience to the truth is always approved by an unimpaired conscience. When a known truth is violated, a searing influence is introduced upon the conscience, which grows with every violation, until the conscience becomes seared as with a hot iron. Dangers of delusion lie in the fact that after a succession of violations, the conscience becomes so morbid that it fails to be a correct judge of action. After a time a man can violate a plain truth without experiencing any sting of conscience; therefore he concludes his actions are right, because he experiences no condemnation, though they are in opposition to the truth.

There is great beauty in the thought, and gratification in the knowledge, that by obedience to the truth we can obtain a sound moral condition, whose conscientious principles are so acute that there is a timely warning at every approach of error.

To possess a purged, pure, and undefiled conscience is our privilege in the economy of grace. See Heb. 9:14; 1 Tim. 3:9; t.i.tus 1:15. To possess an unimpaired conscience and then so meet all our obligations to G.o.d and man is to have a conscience void of offense. What implicit confidence we can have in G.o.d when in a normal moral condition, and have an uncondemned heart. Enoch walked with G.o.d and had the witness (consciousness) that he pleased the Lord. What can bring greater happiness to the heart of man?

The man who, having an undefiled moral being has a conscience void of offense toward G.o.d and man, experiences a satisfaction and a happiness unsurpa.s.sed by any mortal being.

The Two Families.

The Scriptures talk of two cla.s.ses of people on the earth. The inhabitants of this globe are by the Word of G.o.d divided into two great families. One family is termed the righteous, and the other the unrighteous. One is the G.o.dly, the other the unG.o.dly. One is the holy, the other the unholy. The righteous family is likened unto or called sheep, the unrighteous family, goats. Mat. 25:32, 33. They are interspersed throughout the earth. When the Son of man is come they shall be separated. One family shall be admitted into an eternity of bliss, the other into an eternity of punishment. One family is represented by a good tree, the other by an evil tree. In the parable of the sower the Savior likens one family unto wheat, and the other unto tares.

Since there are two families there are, of course, two fathers. G.o.d is the Father of one of these families (2 Cor. 6:18), and Satan is the father of the other, John 8:44. These fathers are sometimes called masters. "One is your Master, even G.o.d." Now every individual on the globe is either in servitude to one or the other of these masters-never to both. "No man can serve two masters." "His servants ye are to whom ye obey, whether of sin unto death or of obedience unto righteousness."

The Scriptures so plainly locate the dividing line between these two families that all can very well know to which family they belong. Those who are born into G.o.d's family do not commit sin. 1 John 3:9; 1 John 5:18.

Those belong to the devil's family who do commit sin. 1 John 3:8. This is very plain. None need be mistaken. Those who do not commit sin are the wheat or good seed, and are children of the kingdom. Those who do commit sin are the tares or children of the wicked one. Mat. 13. Those who do not commit sin have their names written in heaven. But those who sin do not have their names written there (Ex. 32:33), therefore are not members in the family of G.o.d.