A Brighter Day Begins with His Word.

Ryle, J. C. (John Charles), 1816–1900 • SECTION 170

178 EXPOSITORY THOUGHTS.

← Expository Thoughts on the Gospels — St. Mark

as the master of the house is above the servants, and that they must in all things believe, follow, -obey, trust, and hear Him.

Finally, the last words of the voice from heaven, are words that should be ever before the minds of all true Christians. They should w hear Christ" He is the great Teacher ; they that would be wise must learn of Him. He is the light of the world : they that would not err must follow Him. He is the Head of the Church : they that would be living members of His mystical body must ever look to Him. The grand ques- tion that concerns us all is not so much what man says, or ministers say — what the Church says, or what councils say — but what says Christ ? — Him let us hear. In Him let us abide. On him let us lean. To Him let us look. He and He only will never fail us, never dis- appoint us, and never lead us astray. Happy are they who know experimen tally the meaning of the text, " my sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me : and I give unto them eternal life ; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand." (John x. 27, 28.)*

* The coming of Elias, or Elijah, which forms the topic of con- versation between our Lord and His disciples in the latter part of the passage now expounded, is a deep and mysterious subject.

1. According to one class of interpreters, the ministry of John the Baptist was the coming of Elias. They consider that the prophecy of Malachi (Mai. iv. 5, 6) that Elijah the prophet should be sent be- fore the great and dreadful day of the Lord, was completely accom- plished in John the Baptist, and that no other coming of Elias is to be expected. This is the view maintained by the great majority of Protestant commentators, both English and foreign, from the time of the Reformation to the present day.

2. According to another class of interpreters, a literal coming of

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Public-domain historical edition (1857). Text from OCR of an original Internet Archive scan; OCR may contain recognition errors.

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