PUBLIC-DOMAIN CHRISTIAN BOOK
The Great Commission. Miscellaneous Writings of C. H. Mackintosh, vol. IV
Mackintosh, Charles Henry, 1820-1896 · 116,580 words · 166 reading sections
PERFECTION AS TO THE STATE OF THE CONSCIENCE.
"Which was a figure for the time then present, in which were offered both gifts and sacrifices, that could not make him that did the service _perfect_ (τελειωσαι) as pertaining to the conscience." The apostle, in this passage, is drawing a contrast between the sacrifices under the Mosaic economy, and the sacrifice of C…
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It makes the heart bleed to think of the thousands of precious souls kept in darkness and bondage when they ought to be walking in the light and liberty which flow from a perfectly purged conscience. So many things are mixed up with the simple testimony of the Word and Spirit of God as to the value of Christ's work tha…
690 wordsSECTION 63PERFECTION AS TO THE OBJECT OF THE HEART.
Here, again, we are ushered into the new creation. Christ died to give me a perfect conscience. He lives to give me a perfect object. But it is very clear that until I have tasted the deep blessedness of the former, I can never be properly occupied with the latter. I must have a perfect conscience ere my heart can be a…
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Reader, remember, this is the only true idea of Christianity. It is one thing to be a religious man, it is quite another to be a Christian. Paul was a religious man before his conversion; but he was a Christian afterwards. It is well to see this. There is plenty of religion in the world, but, alas, how little Christian…
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In considering the subject of Christian perfection, it might seem sufficient to say that the believer is perfect in a risen Christ: "Complete in Him which is the head of all principality and power." This, surely, comprehends everything. Nothing can be added to the completeness which we have in Christ. All this is bless…
223 wordsSECTION 66PERFECTION IN THE PRINCIPLE OF OUR WALK.
This is unfolded to us in Matt. v. 48: "Be ye therefore perfect (τελειοι), even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect." "How," it may be asked, "can we be perfect as our Father which is in heaven? How can we reach to such an elevated point as this? How can we attain to so lofty a standard? We can understand our …
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But, it may be said by some, "How ever could we carry out such a principle? We should be robbed and ruined. How could business be carried on if we are not to enforce our rights? We should be imposed upon and plundered by the unprincipled and the designing." This is not the mode in which to arrive at a just conclusion o…
506 wordsSECTION 68PERFECTION IN THE CHARACTER OF OUR SERVICE.
"I have not found thy works perfect (πεπληρωμενα) before God" (Rev. iii. 2). The English reader should be informed that the word here rendered "perfect" is not the same as that used in the three passages already referred to. It is usually translated "fulfilled"-- "finished"--"accomplished." Its use in reference to the …
539 wordsSECTION 69PERFECTION IN OUR EQUIPMENT FOR SERVICE.
"All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: that the man of God may be _perfect_ (αρτιος) thoroughly furnished unto all good works" (2 Tim. iii. 16, 17). Here, again, we have a different word, and one which only occurs in …
254 wordsSECTION 70THE TRIBE OF LEVI ARRANGED ACCORDING TO THEIR FAMILIES.
First Class. GERSHON, meaning, _A stranger, or exile_. LAEL " _Dedicated, or belonging to God_. ELIASAPH " _God hath added_. SHIMEI " _Renowned_. LIBNI " _White_. Second Class. KOHATH " _Assembly_. HEBRON " _…
63 wordsSECTION 71THE HISTORY OF THE TRIBE OF LEVI CONSIDERED
There are few exercises more profitable for the Christian than that of reflecting upon the character of God as unfolded in the history of the saints and fathers of ancient times recorded in the scriptures of the Old Testament: and indeed this might be expected from the very nature of the subject, which is such that, wh…
577 wordsSECTION 72HIS BIRTH,
As recorded in GENESIS xxix. 34. "And she (Leah) conceived again, and bare a son: and said, Now this time will my husband be _joined_ unto me, because I have borne him three sons: therefore was his name called Levi" (that is, 'joined;' see margin). Here, then, we are presented with the birth and name of this most rem…
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Reader, if you have not as yet got the question of sin settled between your conscience and God, ponder, I do beseech you, what I have now stated; for to know this principle in spirit is life eternal. Christ has, _once for all_, borne sin's deepest curse in His own body on the tree, and now even _Levi_ can lift up his h…
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It would, of course, be quite foreign to our subject to dwell upon the sad and humbling scene that called out the above act of service on the part of Levi. Suffice it to say that it was, as we know, on the part of Aaron and the camp, a ceasing to exercise faith in the fact that Moses was _alive_ in the presence of God …
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But let us carefully observe the blessed consequences of this decision of character on the part of Levi. These are, first, "They shall _teach Jacob_ Thy judgments, and Israel Thy law." Secondly, "They shall put incense before Thee, and whole burnt sacrifice upon _Thine altar_." Thirdly, "Bless his substance." Fourthly,…
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We now come to speak of the third point, namely, "Bless, Lord, his substance." This is just what we might have expected; an _increase_ of blessing will ever be the result of real true-hearted devotedness to Christ. "Every branch in Me that beareth fruit He purgeth, that it may bring forth more fruit;" "The diligent sou…
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A father may have two children, the one obedient, the other the very reverse; now, they are both his children; neither the obedience of the one nor the disobedience of the other can interfere in the least with the relationship existing between them; but can we have a question as to which of them would enjoy most of the…
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However, there is much of practical value in this point in the connection in which it stands here, i.e., as _a consequence_ of obedience; there is nothing that gives the soul such marvelous power over enemies as an obedient, holy walk. Every step we take in real obedience to Christ is, so far, a victory gained over the…
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"And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, Take the Levites from among the children of Israel, and cleanse them. And thus shalt thou do unto them, to cleanse them: Sprinkle water of purifying upon them, and let them shave all their flesh, and let them wash their clothes, and so make themselves clean. Then let them take a …
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The Lord passed through the land of Egypt with the sword of justice unsheathed, to smite _all_ the first-born, nor would Israel's first-born have escaped, had not the sword fallen upon the neck of the spotless victim; and thus, as some one has beautifully observed, "There was death in every house, not only in the house…
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But further, this unblemished offering presents Himself voluntarily at the door of the tabernacle. "No man," says the Lord Jesus, speaking of His life, "taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself: I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again: this commandment have I received of My Father." And tru…
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However, we must not enter too minutely into the detail of this burnt offering, and there are just two points further to which I will refer. The first is presented to us in ver. 6: "And he shall flay the burnt offering, and cut it into his pieces." Here we see at once to what a process of strict, jealous and uncompromi…
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All, therefore, having been found pure, and fit for God's altar, it becomes the happy place of _Aaron's sons_ to send up before God the sweet savor of this most acceptable offering, as we read: "And the _sons_ _of Aaron_ the priest shall put fire upon the altar, and lay the wood in order upon the fire. And _the priests…
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The reader will, no doubt, observe a marked difference between the above passage and that in which the burnt offering was referred to; and the difference so far mainly consists in this, that in the last cited passage the words "_voluntary will_" are not found, and this was quite to be looked for. In the burnt offering …
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And all this, be it observed, is conveyed to us in the action of "the laying on of hands." This action was performed in both cases; i.e., Levi laid his hands on the head of the burnt-offering, and Levi laid his hands on the head of the sin offering. As to the _act_, it was the same in each case; but oh, how different t…
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The measure of our realization will be in proportion to the measure of our communion with God. If we are satisfied to move at a cold and heartless distance from God, our consciousness of the power and value of any truth will, as a consequence, be meagre and shallow: while, therefore, it is not to be forgotten that the …
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And now, dear reader, if _you_ have not as yet made these wondrous fruits your own; if you have not as yet cast the whole burden of your sins on God's eternal love as seen in the cross, I ask you, Why do you stand aloof? Why do you doubt? Perhaps you feel the hardness of your heart, perhaps you are ready to say that yo…
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Looking at Levi by nature, there could not be any point farther removed from God than that at which he stood; but _grace_ in exercise, through the blood, could _lift him up_ out of that ruin in which he stood, and "bring him nigh," yea, bring him into association with the great head of the priestly family, there to ser…
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[10] It is worthy the serious attention of the Christian reader who may desire the unity of the Church, that the tribe of Levi in the desert was a truly striking example of what may be termed "unity in diversity." Gershon was in one sense totally different from Merari, and Merari was totally different from Kohath; and …
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And how could there be a _rest_ in the desert? There were no rivers and brooks _there_--no old corn _there_--no milk and honey _there_. True, the smitten rock sent forth its refreshing streams to meet their need, and heaven sent down their _daily bread_; but all this was not Canaan. They were still in the desert, eatin…
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Could anything be more opposed to another than the nature of all that Merari had to set up was to the waste and howling wilderness around? What could be more unlike than silver and barren sand? But Merari might not shrink from all this; no, his language was, when he had arrived at a spot in the desert at which the clou…
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Here we see that the service of Gershon and Merari was that which met the rich and blessed ministrations of their brethren. Grace had filled the hearts and affections of the princes, and not only filled but overflowed them, and in its overflow it was designed to refresh the spirits of the homeless Gershonite and sorrow…
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2d. Sorrow in the world. "_In the world_ ye shall have tribulation." "If they have _persecuted Me_, they will also _persecute you_." "I RECKON that _the sufferings of this present_ time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us." "After that _ye have suffered awhile_, make you perfect"-…
876 wordsSECTION 94GLAD TIDINGS
"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only-begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life" (John iii. 16). There are some passages of holy Scripture which seem to contain, in a line or two, an entire volume of most precious truth. The verse which we have just penned …
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This is life and peace. It is far more than mere theology or systematic divinity. These things have their value, but, be it remembered, a man may be a profound theologian, an able divine, and yet live and die without God and perish eternally. Solemn, awful, overwhelming thought! A man may go down to hell, into the blac…
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But where is He to be known? This is, in very deed, a grave question. Many a one has had to cry out, with Job, "Oh, that I knew where I might find Him." Where is God to be found? Am I to look for Him in creation? Doubtless, His hand is visible there; but ah! that will not do for me. A Creator-God will not suit a lost s…
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Here are two things; namely, the god of this world blinding the mind, and seeking to hinder the in-shining of the precious life-giving beams of the light of God's glory; and, on the other hand, God, in His marvelous grace, shining in the heart, to give the light of the knowledge of His glory in the face of Jesus Christ…
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Here is life and rest for the soul. Here is salvation, full, free, and everlasting, for the poor, needy, guilty, lost one;--salvation resting not upon anything in man or of man, upon aught that he is or can be, aught that he has done or can do, but simply upon what God is and has done. God _loves_ and _gives_, and the …
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Precious record! May many an anxious sinner read and believe it! Such was the amazing love of God, that He spared not His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all. His love cost Him nothing less than the Son of His bosom. When it was a question of creating worlds, it cost Him but the word of His mouth: but when it was …
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In all the above-cited passages we have two terms used, one general, the other particular, and both together so presenting the message of salvation as to leave no room whatever for anyone to refuse its application. If "all the world" is the scope, and "every creature" is the object of the precious gospel of Christ, the…
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This puts election in its right place. If the reader will turn for a moment to Acts xvii., he will there see how Paul discharged his business as an evangelist amongst the Thessalonians: "Now when they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where was a synagogue of the Jews. And Paul, as…
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And to the anxious inquirer we would say with equal earnestness, Let nothing stand in your way in coming this moment to Jesus. Let theology speak as it may, you are to listen to the voice of Jesus, who says, "_Come unto Me_." Be assured there is no hindrance, no difficulty, no hitch, no question, no condition. You are …
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Here, then, we have the result in the case of every one who believes in Jesus. He shall never perish, but possesses everlasting life. But who can attempt to unfold all that is included in this word "perish"? What mortal tongue can set forth the horrors of the lake that burneth with fire and brimstone, "where their worm…
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Now, we ask any candid, thoughtful person, upon what principle can a word be said to mean _eternal_ when applied to the Holy Ghost or to God, and only _temporary_ when applied to hell-fire or the punishment of the wicked? If it means eternal in the one case, why not also in the other? We have just glanced at a Greek Co…
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Ah, reader, you must see that God alone can estimate sin and its just deserts, and He alone can tell us all about it. And has He not done so? Yes, verily, He has measured sin in the cross of His Son; and there, too, He has set forth in the most impressive manner what it deserves. What, think you, must that be that caus…
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There is in the minds of many a very imperfect sense of what we get by faith in Christ. Some seem to view the atoning work of Christ merely as a remedial measure for the sins of our old nature--the payment of debts contracted in our old condition. That it is all this we need not say; blessed be God for the precious tru…
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And it is just here, we doubt not, that so many sincere souls are perplexed and troubled. They are looking at themselves, and _reasoning_ upon what they see and feel, instead of resting in the truth of God, and _reckoning_ themselves to be what God tells them they are. They find it difficult, if not impossible, to reco…
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Hence, therefore, if you will just bow to God's word, if you will reason not about what you see in yourself, and feel in yourself, and think of yourself, but simply _believe_ what God says, you will enter into the blessed peace and holy liberty flowing from the fact that you are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit; not…
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All this is fully unfolded in John xvii. There we read on the one hand, "The glory which Thou gavest Me I have given them; that they may be one, even as We are one: I in them, and Thou in Me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that Thou hast sent Me, and _hast loved them as Thou hast love…
237 wordsSECTION 110THE MINISTRY OF RECONCILIATION
"And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to Himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; to wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto Himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation. Now then we are ambassad…
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True, it is only by the gracious ministry of the Holy Ghost that we can properly grasp and ever hold fast to the word of God; but still it is His Word, and that Word _alone_, that forms the ground of Christian certainty and the true basis and authority for the Christian in the entire range of practical life and action.…
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Christian reader, we earnestly invite your attention to this point. We do indeed feel its importance at the present moment. The enemy is seeking diligently to lead souls away from God, away from Christ, away from the holy Scriptures. He is seeking to get them to build on something short of _the truth_. He does not care…
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This makes all the difference. Scripture never contemplates such a thing as a Christian groaning under sin, guilt, doubt, or fear; or sighing after the riches, honors or pleasures of this vain, sin-stricken world. Alas, alas, they do thus groan through ignorance of their true position in a risen Christ and their proper…
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Thus, then, beloved reader, we have before us a very distinct answer to the question, "Why does the believer groan?" He groans, being burdened. He groans in sympathy with a groaning creation, with which he is linked by means of a body of sin and death--a body of humiliation. He sees around him, day by day, the sad frui…
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How deeply affecting is all this! But we cannot pursue this subject here. We have merely touched upon it in connection with the question, "Why does the believer groan?" We trust that the reader will see clearly the true answer to this inquiry; and that it will be most evident to his mind that the groans of a Christian …
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Now, it must be perfectly clear to the reader, that if our Lord Jesus Christ be, in very deed "the _beginning_" of God's creation, then we must begin at the beginning, else we have done absolutely nothing at all. We may labor and toil--we may do our very utmost, and be perfectly sincere in our doing--we may vow and res…
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Can aught be more solemn than this? Only to think of how far a person may go in all that is deemed excellent among men, and yet not be in Christ, but in his sins--in the flesh--in the old creation--in the condemned house. And be it noted that it is not a question of gross sins, of scandalous living, in all its varied, …
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But this leads us to another point. How is anyone to get into this marvellous position? How can any soul take up such language? How can anyone whose eyes have been opened to see his utter and hopeless ruin, as connected with the first man, as standing in the old creation, as a stone in the old edifice--how can such an …
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And, now, if it be asked, "How is all this to be attained?" Scripture replies, "BY FAITH." "Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth My word, and believeth on Him that sent Me, _hath_ everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment; but is passed from death unto life" (John v. 24). The reader who has travele…
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We would press this serious matter upon the attention of the unconverted reader. It imperatively demands his immediate and earnest consideration. There is a day rapidly approaching when every idle word, and every foolish thought, and every sinful act, will be brought to light, and he will have to answer for it. Christ,…
886 wordsSource & rights
Public domain in the USA; original historical text digitized by Project Gutenberg.
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Historical Christian writing; not Scripture.