Jesus Fulfils the Law Part 4

He should "enter Jerusalem riding on an a.s.s's colt" (Zech. ix. 9).

He should "be higher than the kings of the earth." His throne should "endure as the sun" (Ps. lx.x.xix. 27, 36).

He should "open His mouth in a parable, and utter dark sayings of old"

(Ps. lxxviii. 2; Isa. vi. 9, 10, compared with Matt. xiii. 14).

The rulers should "take counsel together against Him" (Ps. ii. 2).

His "own familiar friend, who did eat of His bread," should "lift up his heel against Him" (Ps. xli. 9).

"They weighed for my price thirty pieces of silver, and cast them to the potter in the House of the Lord" (Zech. xi. 12, 13). "They gave me gall for my meat, and in my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink" (Ps. lxix.

21).

"Not a bone of Him should be broken" (Ex. xii. 46; Ps. x.x.xiv. 20). "He should give His back to the smitters, and His cheeks to them that plucked off the hair." "He hid not His face from shame and spitting" (Isa. l.

6).

The a.s.sembly of the wicked should enclose Him-"they pierced my hands and my feet" (Ps. xxii. 16). "They part my garments among them, and cast lots upon my vesture" (Ps. xxii. 18). "All they that see me laugh me to scorn; they shoot out the lip; they shake the head, saying, He trusted on the Lord that He would deliver Him; let Him deliver Him, seeing He delighted in Him" (Ps. xxii. 7, 8).

He should "make His grave with the wicked, and with the rich in His death, because He had done no violence, neither was any deceit in His mouth" (Isa. liii. 9).

He should "make intercession for the transgressors" (Isa. liii. 12).

"Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do."

He should rise from the dead (Ps. xvi. 10), ascend into heaven, and receive gifts for men, even "for the rebellious also, that the Lord G.o.d might dwell among them" (Ps. lxviii. 18).

He should "pour out His Spirit on all flesh, so that their sons and daughters should prophesy," &c. (Joel ii. 28).

To "one like unto the Son of Man" was to be given "dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages, should serve Him; His dominion is an everlasting dominion which shall not pa.s.s away, and His kingdom that which shall not be destroyed" (Dan. vii. 13, 14).

With what justice could the Lord say, "Search the Scriptures, for in them ye think ye have Eternal Life, and they are they which testify of Me?"

(John v. 39). "And if I had not done among them the works which none other man did, they had not had sin, but now they have no cloke for their sin" (John xv. 24, 22) {66}

If such were the evidences furnished to _the Jews_, the _Gentile_ who rests his hope on Christ as the Rock of Ages can equally enter into and appreciate these proofs of our Lord's mission, and unite in the triumphant song of David, "Go round about Zion, tell the towers thereof; mark ye well her bulwarks; consider her palaces, that ye may tell it to the generation following; for this G.o.d is our G.o.d for ever and ever, He will be our guide even unto death" (Ps. xlviii. 13, 14). As Gentiles we can also look back to the fall of the peculiar inst.i.tutions designed to point out the Messiah to mankind,-to the present state of His chosen people, scattered throughout the Gentile world in fulfilment of their own prophecies,-to the triumphs of the faith in Christ,-and to the mult.i.tudes who have already been admitted to realise the mansions in the heaven which He went to prepare for them.

As Christianity is itself built on the foundation of the _Law_, the _Prophets_, and the _Psalms_, in fact upon whatever of Divine revelation had preceded it, and is the crowning development of the whole, we may not disregard or lightly esteem any portion of that outward work of Christ, of which our blessings are the direct result, and without which we could have no right or t.i.tle to them.

The new Covenant of Grace was declared by Christ and His Apostles. The seal of that Covenant was the Blood of Jesus, the voluntary offering of Himself for the sins of men, as typified by the patriarchal and Mosaic inst.i.tutions. It was the purchase of our redemption, and of all those gifts and graces of the Holy Spirit which the Lord Jesus after His resurrection gave to men (Eph. iv. 8, 11; Rom. xii. 6, 8; 1 Cor. xii. 4; &c.). Thus He is the "foundation stone," the "tried stone," the "chief corner-stone," and "only hope of glory." By Himself He "_purges_ our sins." By His _death_ He delivers "them who through fear of death, are all their life time subject to bondage" (Heb. ii. 14, 15). And does not the continual daily sacrifice, morning by morning, and evening by evening, prescribed by the Law, point to the constant bearing on our minds before G.o.d, of the sacrifice of Christ, as the foundation of all our hopes, and pet.i.tions for mercy and grace? the true propitiatory, or mercy seat, where G.o.d will meet with us and dwell with us (see page 16, and Ex. xxix. 42, 45).

"Whatsoever things were written aforetime, were written for our learning, that we, through patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope"

(Rom. xv. 4).

"All Scripture is given by inspiration of G.o.d, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of G.o.d may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works" (2 Tim. iii. 16, 17).

Nor need any be discouraged; the Bible is G.o.d's revelation addressed alike to all men, rich or poor, learned or unlearned, intellectual or of small powers. G.o.d is no respecter of persons, and to every one alike who can read for themselves, or hear from others, the Bible, without note or comment, may prove under the influence of G.o.d's Spirit, "a lamp unto their feet, a light to their path." The less educated will escape some of the difficulties which beset the minds of others, and more easily fulfil the conditions imposed by our Lord, "Except ye receive the kingdom of G.o.d as little children, ye cannot enter therein;" and many are the instances in which persons of comparatively small intellectual power enjoy, appreciate, and bring forth the evident fruits of faith; so that, with the Bible in their hands and the Holy Spirit to apply it, none need despair of finding the way that leads to everlasting life.

The Psalmist asks, "Wherewithall shall a young man cleanse his way?" and replies, "By taking heed thereto according to Thy word" (Ps. cxix. 9), so that he may come to say, "O, how I love Thy law, it is my meditation all the day" (ver. 97). "Thou through Thy commandments hast made me wiser than mine enemies; for they are ever with me" (ver. 98).

"Thy testimonies have I taken as an heritage for ever; they are the rejoicing of my heart" (ver. 111).

"The entrance of Thy words giveth light; it giveth understanding to the simple" (ver. 130).

The 19th Psalm also says, "The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul; the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple. The statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes. The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring for ever; the judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether. . . . By them is Thy servant warned, and in keeping of them there is great reward" (Ps. xix. 7, 8, 911).

The Lord Jesus also said of the Father, "for I know that His commandment is life everlasting" (John xii. 50).

CHAPTER V.

THE GOSPEL OF CHRIST.

Having in the former pages noticed the manner in which the inst.i.tutions of previous revelation have pointed to and been completed by the Gospel of Christ, let us now set forth some of the leading characteristics of that religion which Jesus, so long foretold and typified, came to introduce amongst men.

We must bear in mind that it was a _New Covenant_ with men, which He came to establish. The former Covenant had grown old, and was about to decay; and it had been declared in prophecy, "This shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; after those days, saith the Lord, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their G.o.d, and they shall be my people. And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for they shall all know Me from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the Lord: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more" (Jer. x.x.xi. 33 and 34).

He who came to establish this new Covenant, and teach it to men, was none other than the Word who was in the beginning with G.o.d and was G.o.d. All things were made by Him; and without Him was not anything made that was made (John i. 13); who was the brightness of the Father's glory, and "the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power" (Heb. i. 3).

It is no marvel therefore that the New Testament should teach us that the first and cardinal point of this new faith was that we should believe on the "Messenger of the Covenant"-the Lord Jesus Christ bearing glad tidings of salvation to all men.

This is done in the clearest and most precise manner.

"G.o.d so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that _whosoever believeth_ in Him should not perish, but _have everlasting life_."

"For G.o.d sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world _through Him might be saved_" (John iii. 16, 17).

"This is the work of G.o.d, that _ye believe on Him_ whom He hath sent"

(John vi. 29).

"This is life eternal, that they might know Thee the only true G.o.d, and _Jesus Christ whom Thou hast sent_" (John xvii. 3).

"He that believeth on the Son _hath __everlasting life_: and he that believeth not the Son _shall not see life_; but the wrath of _G.o.d abideth on him_" (John iii. 36).

"He that heareth My word, and believeth on Him that sent Me, hath everlasting life" (John v. 24).

"He _that believeth on Him is not condemned_: but _he that believeth not is condemned already_, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of G.o.d" (John iii. 18).

"But as many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of G.o.d, even _to them that believe on His name_" (John i. 12).

"I am the resurrection and the life: _he that believeth in Me_, though he were dead, yet shall he live" (John xi. 25).

"_Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ_, _and thou shalt be saved_" (Acts xvi. 31).

In the two verses quoted above, John iii. 16, 17, G.o.d is declared to send His Son not to condemn, but to save the world.

Verse 18 divides mankind into two cla.s.ses-those who _believe in Christ_, and those who _do not believe_. The former are _not condemned_, and if they abide in Him will go on to everlasting life. The latter "are _condemned already_" for their not believing. This condemnation is not necessarily a final state, for if they "abide not in unbelief," but turn to Christ in repentance and faith, they will be brought into His covenant of grace and salvation. But if otherwise, when G.o.d's longsuffering patience has exhausted the pleadings, warnings, and wooings of the Spirit without response, a time must come when the word will go forth, "My Spirit shall not always strive with man;" and that state of condemnation become an abiding one, agreeably to Rom. ii. 410.

"Or despisest thou the riches of His goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of G.o.d leadeth thee to repentance? But after thy hardness and impenitent heart, treasurest up unto thyself wrath, against the day of wrath, and revelation of the righteous judgment of G.o.d; who will render to every man according to his deeds:-To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour and immortality, eternal life: but unto them that are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath, tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that doeth evil . . . but glory, honour, and peace to every man that worketh good" (Rom. ii. 410).