man holds the influences which determine the personal state and character which come out in the conduct. The kingdom makes itself manifest by its powers. Heavenly in its nature, it is so in its laws and results. Paul may exhibit the strength of faith; Peter the power of zeal; John the force of love. Each believer has what the others have, but gifts are differently blended in degree and power and development. Jehovah changes not. He is of One mind, and not a man that He should lie, or the son of man, that He should repent. His purposes and His calling are without change of mind. His way is perfect, and His counsel, it shall stand. A God of holiness and without iniquity, just and right is He. They that love him hate evil. His will is our holiness. Thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose Name is holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones. Be ye holy for I am holy; also Ps. lxxxix. O teach us more of Thy blest ways, Thou holy Lamb of God! And fix and root us in Thy grace, As those redeemed by blood. O tell us often of Thy love, And let our hearts with joy confess For this O may we freely count Consistency is a characteristic of the kingdom. X. The Good Man doing Good. The good man out of the good treasure puts forth good things, and the evil man out of the evil treasure puts forth evil things. But I say to you that every useless expression which men will utter, they shall render concerning it an account in a day of judgment. For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words shalt thou be condemned. EXPOSITION. The tendency of the good treasure is to overflow and water around itself; the evil treasure also spreads itself. The subjects of the kingdom of heaven being good, they diffuse goodness all around. No one lives to himself. As the Father sent ME into the world, even so send I you into the world. Ye are the salt of the earth; ye are the light of the world. John was a burning and shining light for a season. Jesus is the eternal Light. God who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined into our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God as it shines in the face of Jesus. So important is the putting forth of words, that every useless expression will come into judgment; every look will be judged: he that looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart; every thought will be judged, for as a man thinketh in his heart, so is he-and every one shall give account of himself to God. Our words as showing what we are, that is, the general tenour of our language will show whether we are justified or condemned. Prov. xii. 5, 6. Our feelings and our actions all lie open to God, and diffuse themselves among men. Life of every kind shows itself by putting forth influences for good or evil, and all will C come up in remembrance before God. Sins of the hand: Time passeth onward with returnless wing, Through the long future of ETERNITY, Diffusiveness is a characteristic of the kingdom. XI. The Impure Spirit. When the impure spirit may go out from the man, it passes through waterless places, seeking rest. And not finding it, says, I will return into my house, whence I came out. And coming, it finds it unoccupied, swept, and decorated. Then it goes and takes along with itself seven different spirits, more evil than itself, and entering in, permanently dwells there; and the last state of that man becomes worse han the first. So will it be also with this evil generation. Matt. xii. 43-45; Luke xi. 24-26. EXPOSITION The unclean spirit, Satan, sometimes voluntarily goes out of a man, and leaving him, it is passing through waterless places. The impure spirit seeks rest and cannot find it, except in doing evil-entering into men to make them like to themselves through the indulgence of the lusts of the flesh, the lusts of the eyes, the pride of life, and the things which are not of the Father, but of the world. This voluntary going forth is not out of kindness to the man, but to make sport of him, like Samson, and bind him faster with stronger chains. Or if, as some think, the unclean spirit is driven out, it watches its opportunity to return, after wandering, going about as a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour, saying, I will return into my house, the man whence I came out; and he finds it unoccupied, swept, decorated. The house-the man, should have been occupied by Jesus and his word. "Thy word," says David, "have I hid in my heart, that I might not sin against thee. But the house being unoccupied, swept, and decorated, the unclean spirit re-enters it, and takes along with itself seven different spirits, more wicked than itself, not unclean, sensual, like itself, but more evil; decorated vices, swept-looking sins, gilded iniquities. Respectable sinners are worse, more offensively and hopelessly worse, in God's sight, because more pharisaically evil than the open transgressors amongst men. Hence publicans and harlots go into the kingdom before the chief priests, scribes, elders, rulers, Pharisees and Sadducees. They are more readily convinced of sin, and willing to repent and believe in Jesus. These seven different spirits may be covetous, decently moral, philanthropic, philosophic, rational, fanatical, and ritualistic; these entering in, permanently dwell in the man, and his last state becomes worse than the first. There is a great want about every man who is not a Christian, no matter what his gifts or attainments may be. He is restless because he is not rooted in the love of Christ. He is dissatisfied because Christ is not the portion of his soul. He has no fixedness of principle; he has no true individuality of character: he is the slave of circumstances; and, destitute of spiritual life, he cannot obtain the formative material which will develop the highest capabilities of his nature. But united to Christ, all the fulness of the Godhead is his to make him complete in Christ wanting nothing." Every man in a devil's power is its house; it knows all the passages, rooms, and closets in it. The man sweeping it with the besom of the Pharisee, and decorating it with self-righteousness, and leaving it unoccupied, gives free access to Satan, and to the seven different spirits to dwell in him instead of one, and the seven more evil than the one, the last state becomes worse than the first. Carnal Jews, lifeless Christians, covetous, worldly moral, philosophic rational, ritualistic Pharisees of every name will end thus. "Lord, Thou may'st see my fears are grounded-rise Not from a bare surmise, Of doubt or danger only: my desires Of thy Divine protection and defence To keep these vermin hence; Which, if they should not be restrained by Thee, Would grow too strong to be kept out by me. CHRIST: Thy fear is just, and I approve thy care. But yet thy comforts are Provided for, e'en in that care and fear; Whereby it doth appear |