T~E
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DevotedtotheExpositionofScripturerespectingConditionalImmortality,Resurrection,
theReturnandReignofChrist,andtheFinalDestructionofallEvil.
EDITED
BY
WILLIAMLEASK,
D.D.
"TheWagesofSinisDeath;butthegiftofGodisEternalLifethroughJesusChristourLord."
No.10.
VOt.
Ill.
PriceOnePenny.
ULV,1880.
TABLEOFCONTENTS.HavewevaluedtheLight?
TheOriginofMan...
TheCentre...
Dispensations...
BeckoningtoPartners...
"ExustusnonConvictus"...
TheologicalReform
NewsfromtheUnseen...
CanonRyleonScepticism...
ReviewsNewsoftheWork...
PAGE
10D110111111112115
l1fl
117118118118
[Fo!'
Prelimituun]
AnnouncementofForthcomingConference,seepage
117.]
HAVEWEVALUEDTHELIGHT?WEputindeepseriousnessaseriousquestiontoallwhom
itconcerns.Atthismomentthereisaburdenuponthe
heartofthewriter,someoftheweightofwhichhewishes
tofallupontheheartofeveryreader,notofcourseto
relievehimfromresponsibilityinthemutterpresentlytobe
named,forhehasnevershrunkfromthat,andneverwill,
buttoelicithonestself-questionings,andtosecure,incon-
sequence,practicalsympathyinourwork.
Arewereallydoinganythingworthyofourprofession?
anythingtoconvinceourbrethrenoftheso-calledorthodox
creedsthatweareconstrainedbyChristianlovetodeliver
themfromtwoorthreedelusionswhichwe,aswellasthey,
weretaughttobelieveasdivinetruths?anythingatall
commensuratewithourprivilegestotelltheworldthatthe
ChurchhasliedinthenameofGod?anythingworth
namingtoshewthattheredemptionofourFather's
eharact=rfromthedreadfulchargeofbeingthescourgeand
terrorofHisownUniverse,hasbeenandistheabsorbing
careofourlives;toeffectwhichtherichamongushave
freely,gladly,eagerlygiventheirthousands,whilstthose
whohavenogoldhavewithequalzealgiventheirheadsand
hearts?Isthefactthatwehavevaluedthedivinelightso
graciouslygiventous,sopatenttotheworldbyournoble
sacrifice,thatspectatorssay,"TheseChristiansareterribly
inearnest!"Nay,canwewithoutablushofshamespeak
ofwhatwehavedone?
Reader,kindlylisten!Weshallnotdetainyoulong,but
weimploreyoutoponderthefewwordsthatfollow,and
takecounselwithyourheartandunderstandingconcerning
them.
TherearegrandthingsdoingamongtheChurches;
zealousandcomprehensiveschemespropoundedandadopted
-architectural,benevolent,educational,missionary;and
splendidsumsputdownforthemall.Arewejealous?
No!werejoiceandprayHimwhosearethesilverandthe
gold,toblessHisservants,theprincelydonors.But,
mark!
notoneofthoseschemesforbuildingchurchesand
manses,andforsustainingschoolmastersandmissionaries,
andnotallthoseschemesputtogether,canequalinimport-
ancetheworkofrescuingthecharacterofourGodfromthe
infamywhichthefatheroflieshasthrownuponitformany
ages!Thealienationofcountlessthousandsthroughout
EuropefromeverythingconnectedwithChristianity,the
avowedatheismofmanyandthescepticismofmore,and
theheavinessofheartunderwhichthousandsofreal
Christiansgroaneverydayoftheirlives,areallthedirect
resultsofflagranterrorsrespectingthenatureofmanand
thegovernmentofGod.Hadthetruth,unmixedbythe
falsehoodsofpaganism,beenproclaimedthroughtheages
thatChristianityhasbeenthenominalreligionofEurope,
itisimpossibletodoubtthatinfidelityandatheismwould
havebeenunknown.AtruerepresentationoftheGodof
theBiblemusthavewonmen.Atruerepresentationof
thenatureofmanmusthaveconvincedallthatadivinely
offeredgiftofimmortalitytomortalswasaboon
too
splendidtoberefusedbyanyonewhowishedtolayclaimtothepos-
sessionofreason.Asecondlifetoanyman,andthatnot
ofprobationbutofperfection,isapurelysupernaturalidea
i
110
THEBIBLESTANDARD.
it
is
broughttolightbythegospel;itisitself
the
gospel;anditisinChristJesus.
Now,whatarewedoing-wewhoseeyeshavebeen
opened,bygrace,tothetruth-whatarewedoingtopurge
thetheologyofChristendomfromthefalsehoodswhich
havemadeItalyandFrancenationsofinfidels,andwhich
havehadsuchadisastrouseffect,inthesamedirection,upon
hundredsofthousandsintheseBritishislands
?
People
uponwhomourdoctrinecomeswiththesurpriseofnovelty
andtheshockofheterodoxywillnotbuyourliterature
whichprovesthatdoctrinetrue.Itshould,therefore,be
given,sentbypostinalldirections,from10,000copies
monthlyupwardstomenofinfluence.Tenthousandcopies
ofthe
BibleStandard,
sentouteverymonthto
different
ad-dresses,wouldtellpowerfullyinthedirectionofthat
DoctrinalReformationwhichisthewantoftheage..Of
course,subscribersandpurchasersofbooksonthegreat
questionwouldmultiplyrapidly,whenitthusbecame
widelyknownthatourobjectisnothinglessthanthere-
coveryofApostolicdoctrinetotheChurches.Thepractical
questionnowis,Howisthegreatcostofsuchgratuitous
circulationofliteraturetobemet?Theansweris,Easily.
Thecreationofafundforthispurposebywealthy
01'
well-
to-domenwhoareinearnestshouldbeesteemedahigh
privilege.Severalprosperoustradesmenwouldgive£100
each,andtherearerichmenwhocouldgive£1,000each.
Acapitalof£10,000thussecured,andlodgedinthehands
ofaresponsiblecommittee,wouldenablethemtoenlighten
thecommunityonthegrandtruthwehaverecoveredfrom
thegloomofthedarkages.OursissimplyaMissionary
Societyof
theveryhighestkind,
and£10,000foritsglorious
objectwouldprovethatweVALUETHELIGHT!
•
THEORIGINOFMAN.
INthefirstplaceletitbeobservedthattheorigin,andnot
theconstitution,ofmanisthepresenttheme;andthatin
theMosaicaccountoftheoriginandformationofthefirst
man,thetermsareusedwiththeirprimarysignificance.
"SoGodcreatedmaninHisownimage,intheimageof
GodcreatedHehim;maleandfemalecreatedHethem.
AndGodblessedthem,andGodsaiduntothem,Befruitful
andmultiply,andreplenishtheearth,andsubdueit:and
havedominionoverthefishofthesea,andoverthefowlof
theair,andovereverylivingthingthatmovethuponthe
earth."Inthispassage,theHebrewterm,
tzehiem,
translated
"image,"signifiesashadow,acorporealimage,arepre
sentationofanunseenobject.Andbymeansoftheentire
passage,itisshewnthatmanwascreatedinthe
guve1'1l1nental
imageofGod,tobelordoveralltheotherordersofter-
restrialcreatures.Thisgovernmentalideahasbeenper-
petuatedintheassumptionofAsianmonarchs,eachof
whomcallshimself"TheshadowofGod."
"AndtheLordGodformedmanofthedustoftheground,
andbreathedintohisnostrilsthebreathoflife;andman
becamealivingsoul."
Thispassagerecordsthephysicalformationandinvigora-
tionofthefirstman.Theoriginalwordtranslated"dust,"
signifiesminuteatoms,andashereuseditmeansthe
elementalatomsofwhichallorganicbodiesareformed.
Theword"breathed,"representstheHebrew
nali-phaqh.,
whichmeanstoblow,tobreathe,toputairinmotion;that
is,bytheoperationofnaturallaws,byartificalmeans,
01'-
asinthepresentpassage-bytheimmediatewillofthe
Creator.
The"breathoflife"
-nish-math-ghah-yeem-is
theatmosphericair,asinhaledinthewayofrespiration.This
isclearlyshownintherecordoftheNoachiandeluge:
"AndtheywentinuntoNoahintotheark,twoandtwoof
allflesh,whereinisthebreathoflife."Andagain:"All
inwhosenostrilswasthebreathoflife,ofallthatwason
thedryland,died."
Itshouldbeobservedthatthewordtranslated"life,"in
thepresentpassage,andalsointherecordofthedeluge,is
plural;andtheseinstancesofanidiomaticusage,arein-
tendedtodenotethelivesofallrespiringcreatureson
earth,incommonwithmen.
Theword"soul"representstheHebrewterm,
neli-phesh,
whichliterallymeansa
breather-a
creaturefurnishedwith
organsofrespiration;andtheword"living"represents
ghah'y,
or
ghah-yah,
theidealmeaningofwhichistobestrong
orvigorous.Thephrase
neh-phesh-ghah-yah,."
livingsoul,"
isusedbyMosestodescribeallcreaturesthatli-vebymeans
ofrespiration.Inthepresentpassageitistranslated
"livingsoul;"ineveryotherinstanceitisrendered
"livingcreature."
Theinformationnowderivedistotheeffectthatthe
LordGodformedthemanofelementalatoms,withinthe
ground("foroutofitwashetaken")asina
matrix,
whereinthemanwasorganizedthroughtheoperationof
thelawsofacreatedprincipleofvitality;andwhenhe
(the
man,notcm'inanimatebody)
wastakenoutoftheground,
Godcausedthebreathoflifetoenterintohisnostrilsand
inflatehislungs,andthnsestablishrespiration;sothatthe
manbecameuntoaliving
01'
vigorousbeing.Andinthe
processdescribed,anintelligentpersonmaydiscernthe
prototypeofprocreationandgestation,andofinfantbirth
andinvigoration.-From"WhatisTruth?"by
TVilliam
Morris,M.D.
[Anadmirablehand-book.London:Elliot
Stock.]
THEBIBLESTANDARD.
111
THECENTRE."EVERYmanforhimself,andGodforusall."
That
isthe
religionoftheworld-theacceptedandpopularformulain
whichitexpressesitsfaith.Doubtlessitisaveryhonest
creed,thatistosay,themenwhousethisbriefsummary
reallymeanit;althoughtherearesomebenevolentpersons
whothinkthefirstpartofthephrasesomewhatselfish.
Itfeelsratherchillytotheirnotionsofbrotherhood.It
doesnotsoundlikeafamilysentiment;itseffectisnot
union;butseparationandcoldindividualism.Theglowof
charityisnotinit,butthefrostofselfishness.Itmakes
everymanacentreforhimself,towhichalleventsmust
contribute.Hemustnotthinkofothersexceptsofaras
theyministertohisgreatness.
Andeventhesecondhalfoftheformula,whichseemsat
firstsighttohaveaflavourofpietyaboutit,turnsoutafter
alittlecriticismtobeabitofimpudenthypocrisy.It
meanssimplythattheselfishmanexpectsGodtominister
tohisselfishness.'Thatisthelogicofit,saywhatyou
will.Thelightofrevelationisaconsumingfiretothis
miserablecreedoftheworld.Itsays,"Everymanfor
others,andallmenforGod."Thisisaninexpressibly
grandersentiment,andliftsusuptoaregionofglorious
thought,whereourFatheristhecentreofhomageand
worshipandlove."Inlowlinessofmindleteachesteem
otherbetterthanthemselves.Looknoteverymanonhis
ownthings,buteverymanalsoonthethingsofothers.
LetthismindbeinyouwhichwasalsoinChristJesus"-
themindofself-denyingserviceforthegoodofmenandthe
gloryofGodtheFather.Whenwerealizethisidea,we
feelthedignityofbeing,andcatchsomethingofthedivine
beneficence,somethingofthesunlight
of-love
thatwemayshedituponothers.ForGodwantsusalltocomearound
Him,notbecauseHeisselfish,butbecauseHeislove,and
wishestowarmuswithHisownnature,that,beinghappy
ourselves,wemaydosomethingtocheerthelotofothers.
Ourcupfilledtooverflowingfromtheriveroflife,letothers
sharethevitalisingdraught.
BelieversaremadealoneuntoGodinJesusChrist.They
learnthattheyarenottheirown,butboughtwithaprice
,
and,therefore,theyaretoglorifyGodintheirbodyand
theirspirit,lovingoneanotherwithapureheartfervently.
Diametricallyopposedtothemaximofworldlyselfishness
isthedoctrineofChristianlove.Thus:"Givetohim
thatneedeth,"outoftheresultsofyourhonestlabour.
"Behindonetoanother,tender-hearted,forgivingone
another,evenasGodforChrist'ssakehathforgivenyou."
Andthus:"HereinperceiveweHislove,inthatHelaid
downHislifeforus;andweoughttolaydownourlives
forthebrethren.Butwhosohaththisworld'sgcods,and
seethhisbrotherhaveneed,andshuttethuphisheartfrom
him,howdwelleththeloveofGodinhim?"
LetusmakeGod,andnotourselves,thecentre,andall
willbewell.Hewillacceptourhomageandgiveusback
unmeasurablymorethanthemostgraspingworldlyselfish-
nesseversecured,andcrownHisrichgiftswitheternal
blessing!
•
DISPENSATIONS.THEfollowingshowshoweachdispensationbeginsin
mercybutendsinjudgment:-Bytheterm"dispensation;'
wesimplyshowGod'smethodofdealingwiththeworld,
forthepromulgationofHistruth,andtheestablishmentofHisworship.Foul'dispensationshavealreadypassedaway;thefifthisdrawingtoaclose,whiletworemainto
beaccomplished.First,"Adamic."Thedawnofcreation,wasoneofun-cloudedbeautyandblessing.Goddweltandtalkedwith
man,whomHemadeafterHisownimage,andAdam's
fellowshipandcommunionwaswithGod.BytheFall,
deathanddisorderreigned.Thechildwasatonce