Why should we whose home, whose treasure are above, ever again seek our home 01 v»ur treasure here 1 Why should we stoop from our heavenly elevation to mingle again with the company which we have forsaken ? Have we repented of our choice ? Are we ashamed of our pilgrim-staff, and our pilgrim- weeds ? Surely not. Oh, if to be a stranger on earth be to be divided from sin and sinful appetites, — from the seducing vanities and worthless mock- eries of the world, — from the fascinating beauty and perilous splendor of this decaying scene : if to be a stranger on earth be to be a friend of God, a member of the heavenly household, an expectant of the kingdom, an heir apparent of the crown of glory, — who would not be a stranger here ?
What higher honor would we seek than to share the homelessness of Jesus, the homeless- ness of the church from the beginning ? Why should we seek to enter into nearer fellowship, and dearer relationship, with such a world as this ? If we knew of no fairer heritage, we might not be wondered at for lusting after our forsaken pleasures. But we have the pleasures
THE WARNING. 151
that are at God's right hand forever, and what are earth's allurements to us? What to us are the sights and sounds of earth, who " shall see the King in his beauty," a^id hear his voice, into whose lips grace is poured ? What to us is the green fertility of earth, who shall enter into the possession of the new earth, when " the winter is past, the rain over and gone ?" What to us is the gay glory of a city's wealth and pomp, who shall be made citizens of the New Jerusalam, where dwells the glory of God and of the Lamb, whose foundations are of precious stones, whose walls of jasper, whose gates of pearl, whose streets and pavements of transpa- rent gold?
Let us. then, "pass the time of our sojourning here in fear." Let our loins be girt about, and our lamps burning, and let us be as men ready to go forth to meet our returning Lord. If we watch not, if we reject the warning, our chas- tisement will be sharp and sore.
The present seems a time of peculiar warn- ing to the saints. Many are lying under the rebukes of the Lord. Judgment has begun at the house of God. God is dealing very closely and very solemnly with his own. On many a saint, at this moment, is his rod lying hea-
lO/i THE WARNING.
vily. For he would fain warn and arouse them ere the evil day arrive. He is dealing with them as he dealt with Lot on the night before the desolation of Sodom. Let the saints, then, be warned. Let them be zealous and repent, and do their first, works. Come out, be sepa- rate, touch not the unclean thing ! Put off the works of 'darkness ; put on the armor of light. He is calling on them to get up to a higher level in the spiritual life ; to have done with wavering, indecision, and compromise. He is calling on them to consider the Apostle and High Priest of their profession, and walk in his steps. He is calling on them to look at the cloud of witnesses, and lay aside every weight, especially that sin (of unbelief) which doth so easily beset them, and to run with patience the race set before them, — " looking unto Jesus."
Church of the living God ! Be warned. Please not thyself, even as Jesus pleased not himself. Live for him, not for thyself; for him, not for the world. Walk worthy of thy name and calling ; worthy of him who bought thee as his bride ; worthy of thine everlasting in- heritance.
Up, too, and warn the world ! The chas- tisements that are falling so thickly on thee
THE WARNING. 153
are forerunners of the fiery shower that is pre- "^) paring for the earth. Up, then, and warn them — urge and entreat them to flee from gathering wrath. They have no tirrie to lose ; neither hast thou. The last storm is on the wing. Its dark skirts are already visible in the heavens. Judgment has begun at the house of God, and if so, then, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God !
CHAPTER XIII.
THE RECOLLECTIONS.
" HE hath made his wonderful works to be remembered."* Yes, they are for " everlasting remembrance." They are not meant to be forgotten, and, therefore, they are so made as to render forgetfulness almost impossible. Still we lose sight of them. They pass away " like a tale that is told."
Amongst the most wonderful of God's works are his chastisements. They are to be specially remembered by us. In themselves they are worthy of this. In their connection with us still more so. None are so ineffaceable, fox none are written so deep upon the heart. They are entwined with all that we feared or hoped in other days. They are '-graven with an iron pen, and with lead in the rock for ever." No pen is like that of sorrow, for writing inde- libly upon the soul.
Simply as sorrow, God's dealings with us are uot likely to be soon forgotten. We take * Ps. cxi. 4.
THE RECOLLECTIONS. 155