Personality

By Oswald Chambers


'That they may be one, even as we are one.'
John 17:22

Personality is that peculiar, incalculable thing that is meant when we speak of ourselves as distinct from everyone else. Our personality is always too big for us to grasp. An island in the sea may be but the top of a great mountain. Personality is like an island, we know nothing about the great depths underneath, consequently we cannot estimate ourselves. We begin by thinking that we can, but we come to realize that there is only one Being Who understands us, and that is our Creator.

Personality is the characteristic of the spiritual man as individuality is the characteristic of the natural man. Our Lord can never be defined in terms of individuality and independence, but only in terms of personality, "I and My Father are one." 

Personality merges, and you only reach your real identity when you are merged with an other person. When love, or the Spirit of God strikes a man, he is transformed, he no longer insists upon his separate individuality. Our Lord never spoke in terms of individuality, of a man's "elbows" or his isolated position, but in terms of personality - "that they may be one, even as We are one." If you give up your right to yourself to God, the real true nature of your personality answers to God straight away. 

Jesus Christ emancipates the personality, and the individuality is transfigured; the transfiguring element is love, personal devotion to Jesus. Love is the outpouring of one personality in fellowship with another personality.

Christianity

Christianity

By Soren Kierkegaard


When Christianity entered into the world, people were not Christians, and the difficulty was to become a Christian. Nowadays the difficulty in becoming a Christian is that one must cease to become a Christian. One best becomes a Christian without "Christianity." Not until a person has become so wretched that his only wish, his only consolation, is to die--not until then does Christianity truly begin.

Could you grasp the world like an orange

Could you grasp the world like an orange    (Edward Payson, 1783-1827) "You have made known to me the path of life; You  will fill me with joy in Your presence, with eternal  pleasures at Your right hand." Psalm 16:11 Could you grasp the world like an orange, and squeeze all the happiness it gives into a single cup, it would be as nothing compared to one drop of  God's eternal pleasures!

What is Your Hope? By J.C. Ryle

What is Your Hope?

By J.C. Ryle


Reader, what is your hope about your soul? Have you any, or have you none? Can you tell me in what way you expect to be accounted righteousness before God?:

Depend upon it, these are very serious questions. You and I are dying men. After death comes the judgment. What is your hope of acquittal in that solemn day? What are we going to plead on our behalf before God?

Shall we say that we have done our duty to God? Shall we say that we have done our duty to our neighbor? Shall we bring forward our prayers, our good works, our morality, our church going, our amendments? Shall we ask to be accepted by God for any of these things?

Which of these things will stand God's eye? Which of them will actually justify you and me? Which of them will carry us clear through judgment, and land us safe in glory?

Absolutely none! Take any commandment of the ten, and let us examine ourselves by it. We have broken it repeatedly. We cannot answer God. Take any of us, and look narrowly into our ways--and we are nothing but sinners. There is but one verdict. We are all guilty--we all ought to die--we all deserve hell. How then can we come before God?

We must come in the Name of Jesus, standing on no other ground, pleading no other plea than this, "Christ died on the cross for the ungodly--and I trust in Him."

Oh, believe me, Christ must be all the hope of everyone who would be justified and saved. You must be content to go to heaven as a beggar--saved by free grace alone--simply as a believer in Jesus--or you will never be saved at all. "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God-- not by works, so that no one can boast!" Ephesians 2:8-9

THE HUMBLE PLACE

By A.W. Tozer

I have met two classes of Christians; the proud who imagine they are humble, and the humble who are afraid they are proud! There should be another class: the self-forgetful men and women who leave the whole thing in the hands of Christ and refuse to waste any time trying to make themselves good. They will reach the goal far ahead of the rest. The truly humble person does not expect to find virtue in himself, and when he finds none he is not disappointed. He knows that any good deed he may do is the result of God's working within him. 

When this belief becomes so much a part of any man or woman that it operates as a kind of unconscious reflex, he or she is released from the burden of trying to live up to the opinion they hold of themselves. They can relax and count upon the Holy Spirit to fulfill the moral law within them. Let us never forget that the promises of God are made to the humble: the proud man by his pride forfeits every blessing promised to the lowly heart, and from the hand of God he need expect only justice!

Exposition of Psalm 119 By Charles Bridges

Exposition of Psalm 119

By Charles Bridges

Table of Contents

› Preface - A considerable portion of the Sacred Volume (as the Book of Psalms and Canticles in the Old Testament, and a large part of the several Epistles in the ...read

› Verses 1 - 15 - Verse 1. Blessed are the undefiled in the way, who walk in the law of the Lord. This most interesting and instructive Psalm, like the Psalter its ...read

› Verses 16 - 30 - Verse 16. I will delight myself in Your statutes: I will not forget Your word. As delight quickens to meditation, so does the practical habit of ...read

› Verses 31 - 45 - Verse 31. I have stuck to Your testimonies; O Lord, put me not to shame. We have just seen the choice of the man of God, and the rule by which he ...read

› Verses 45 - 60 - Verse 46. I will speak of Your testimonies also before kings, and will not be ashamed. "Liberty in walking" in the Lord's ways will naturally pro ...read

› Verses 61 - 75 - Verse 61. The bands of the wicked have robbed me; but I have not forgotten Your law. Are we not too apt to cull out the easy work of the Gospel, ...read

› Verses 76 - 90 - Verse 76. Let, I pray You, Your merciful kindness be for my comfort: according to Your word unto Your servant. What! does the Psalmist then seek ...read

› Verses 91 - 105 - Verse 91. They continue this day according to Your ordinances, for all are Your servants. The Christian extends his survey far beyond the limits ...read

› Verses 106 - 120 - Verse 106. I have sworn, and I will perform it, that I will keep Your righteous judgments. The blessing of the guidance of the Lord's word natura ...read

› Verses 121 - 135 - Verse 121. I have done judgment and justice: leave me not to my oppressors. Verse 122. Be surety for Your servant for good: let not the proud o ...read

› Verses 136 - 150 - Verse 136. Rivers of waters run down my eyes, because they keep not Your law. (Comp. Jer. 9:1; 14:17; Lam. 2:18) If the Lord teaches us the privi ...read

› Verses 151 - 165 - Verse 151. You are near, O Lord: and all Your commandments are truth. The imminent danger in which David was living quickened his cries to his Go ...read

› Verses 166 - 176 - Verse 166. Lord, I have hoped for Your salvation, and done Your commandments. The great peace connected with the love of God's law, is at once th ...read

Have nothing to do with them.

Have nothing to do with them. (J. C. Philpot, "New Years' Addresses") "They mingled among the pagans and adopted  their evil customs. They worshiped their idols,  and this led to their downfall." Ps. 106:35-36 The 'carnal professors' of the day see nothing wrong, nothing amiss, nothing inconsistent in their conduct or spirit, though they are sunk in . . .   worldliness,   carnality, or   covetousness. But where there is divine life, where the blessed Spirit moves upon the heart with His sacred operations and secret influences, there will be light to see, and a conscience to feel, what is . . .   wrong,   sinful,   inconsistent,   and improper. It its but too evident that we cannot be mixed up with the professors of the day without drinking, in some measure, into their spirit and being more or less influenced by their example. We can scarcely escape the influence of those with whom we come much and frequently into contact. If they are dead, they will often benumb us with their corpse-like coldness. If they are light and trifling, they will often entangle us in their carnal levity. If they are worldly and covetous, they may afford us a shelter and an excuse for our own worldliness and covetousness. Abhor that loose profession, that ready compliance with everything which feeds the . . .   pride,   worldliness,   covetousness,   and lusts of our depraved nature, which so stamps the present day with some of its most perilous and dreadful characters. "Having a form of godliness but denying its power.  Have nothing to do with them." 2 Timothy 3:5

Then the worm became a splendid butterfly

Then the worm became a splendid butterfly

(J. R. Miller, "The Wider Life" 1908)

"Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your hearts on things above! Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things!" Colossians 3:1-2

Paul reminds us that those who believe on Christ—should live a risen life.

We live on the earth at present. We walk on earth's streets. We live in material houses, built of stones, bricks, or wood. We eat earth's fruits, gathering our food from earth's fields, orchards and gardens. We wear clothes woven of earthly fabrics. We adorn our homes with works of art that human hands make. We engage in the business of earth. We find our happiness in the things of this life.

But there will be a life after this! We call it heaven. We cannot see it. There is never a rift in the sky, through which we can get even a glimpse of it. We have in the Scriptures hints of its beauty, its happiness, its blessedness. We know it is a world without sorrow, without sin, without death. Paul's teaching is that the Christian, while living on the earth—ought to begin to live this heavenly life.

One day a friend sent me a splendid butterfly, artistically mounted, known as the Lima Moth. This little creature is said to be the most beautiful of North American insects. Its color is light green with variegated spots. In its caterpillar state, it was only a worm. It died and entered its other or higher state, as we would say—and then the worm became a splendid butterfly. 

This illustrates the two stages of a Christian's life. Here we are in our earthly state. After this will come the heavenly condition. "The things that are above" belong to this higher, spiritual life. But the Christian is exhorted to seek these higher things—while living in this lower world. We belong to heaven, although we are not yet living in heaven. 

Paul presents the same truth in another form, when he says, "Our citizenship is in heaven." Though we are in this earthly world—but we do not belong here. We are only strangers and pilgrims.

January 2005 Reflections

By George H. Warnock


It certainly appears to me that we are close to the Day of the Lord. - A 'Day' that is described in scripture as a time of gross darkness in the world about us...yet holds forth the promise of a glorious Light that will shine upon His people. The prophets spoke much of this "Great" yet "Terrible" Day - when great darkness shall engulf the earth, while His people walk in the Light of the Lord Jesus. God wants us to "walk in the Light" now lest we presumptuously think all is well because we have good doctrine, and attend a good church. We must have true faith, lest in our presumption we find that Day to be one of darkness... and we "stumble on the dark mountains", and look for the light that is not there. No matter how dark the night may be surrounding us, "the children of the Light" will walk in the Light of God. When gross darkness covered the whole land of Egypt...there was "Light" in the homes of the people of God.

As God's wrath is poured out on a world of iniquity, God has made every provision for the children of Light - and that provision is nothing less than the "whole Armor of God". (Eph. 6), described in Romans as "the Armor of Light" (Rom.13:12). The climatic battle of the ages is closing in upon us, and God will have a Gideon army whose only weapons were - a trumpet and a pitcher...with a lamp inside the pitcher. Right now they seem to be doing nothing for God--as they sit in the darkness on the hillside. But in that Day they will break their pitchers and hold their lamps high; and with trumpet blast (a sure, clear voice from God) they will declare their victory- with no other weapons than the Armor of God. Gideon's army shouted aloud, "The Sword of the Lord and of Gideon...!" -- and panic and fear griped the hearts of the enemy until they fled in terror. There were many volunteers in Gideon's army at first...32,000 of them... But God sent most of them home, choosing to use only 300, whom He knew would give Him all the glory.

I emphasize these things because it seems to me that God's people for the most part do not care to become involved with God's battle plan...but choosing to be mobilized by some outstanding church leader rather than knowing the voice of the Lord God for themselves. Some do not even want to be around on the Day of the Lord...because they read of the terror of that Day...and fail to see the Light that will engulf the darkness. They talk about God 'sparing' them from His wrath - yet fail to understand that God "spares" His people, by clothing them with "the whole Armor of God".

We have ample teaching from the Lord Jesus and His apostles, admonishing us concerning that Day. Be alert! Be awake! "Let us not sleep"...said the apostle, but "Let us watch and be sober"... Put on the whole Armor! This is God's provision for us in that Day: "The breastplate of faith and love." ..."and for an helmet the hope of salvation, for God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ." (See 1 Thessalonians 5:1-8)

Many just brush aside this teaching of the Day of the Lord, or view it as something too controversial to meddle with. Then there are many who remember the stories they heard from their parents or grandparents of how they anticipated the 'end-times'...60 -70 or 80 years ago. "But we're still here!" they say. True enough, but we are 60 - 70 - 80 years closer to it now that we were then.

Let's consider a possible scenario in the days of Noah. Here's a group of people taunting Noah for his folly. "Noah, you have been talking about God's judgments for 119 years. When are you going to forget that wild dream you had?" But the next year it happened! We are farther along in God's program that we were 80 years ago... and as Jesus predicted because of this lapse of time, there is now a generation in the "church" ...that has become careless, indifferent, insensitive to the times...and are saying (not verbally but with their actions), "My Lord delayed His coming".

Evening And Morning

Evening And Morning By George H. Warnock Table of Contents    › Preface - In this time of spiritual visitation God would remind His people over and over again that He is consistently seeking to draw them into direct, unhinde ...read    › 1 - Unfolding Revelation - To men of foresight and understanding it is quite evident that the Church of Jesus Christ is about to enter into a new phase of life and truth in this ...read    › 2 - Another Generation Cometh - "One generation passeth away, and another generation cometh: but the earth abideth for ever." The casual observer sees nothing but history repeating i ...read    › 3 - The Day Is At Hand - Now let us go on to the next illustration of the circle of God's purpose. "The sun also ariseth, and the sun goeth down, and hasteth to his place wher ...read    › 4 - Come O South Wind - "The wind goeth toward the south, and turneth about unto the north; it whirleth about continually, and the wind returneth again according to his circu ...read    › 5 - The River Of God - "All the rivers run into the sea; yet the sea is not full: unto the place from whence the rivers come, thither they return again." The sea does not ov ...read

An Ark of Gopher Wood for Noah

An Ark of Gopher Wood for Noah

By George H. Warnock


God told Noah to prepare an ark for the saving of His house; and by this act he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith. God could have directed him and his family to proceed to some secret mountain peak, and sustained them there... and then controlled the floodwaters so that they would not reach such heights. But instead He gives direction for the preparation of an ark, confounding the wise men of his age, and confounding the wise men of every age since then who continue to scoff at this story as a mere fairy tale.

Scientifically it would seem just impossible to house so many animals, and to store enough food to sustain them for so long a time. Of course they do not realize that God may well have performed ten thousand miracles to accomplish this task. One armful of hay could have fed every grass-eating animal on that boat for a whole year. One jar of grain could have fed Noah and all his family for a year, or ten years if need be. But God tells us nothing of all this, one way or the other. Men of faith continue to believe the story; for they know that the God who preserved Noah and his family was the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, who fed the five thousand with a mere handful of bread and fish; and who taught us, by word and deed, that His God is our God, and the God of the impossible.

Feed My Sheep

Feed My Sheep

By George H. Warnock

Table of Contents

› Preface - As the title of this booklet would suggest, it is an appeal especially to those who are called of God to minister to the "sheep of His pasture." But w ...read

› 1 - The Call Of The Shepherd - "So when they had dined, Jesus saith to Simon Peter, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me more than these? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest t ...read

› 2 - Delegated Authority - The True Shepherd Appears When Jesus came forth from the heart of God He was God's answer to the needs of the scattered sheep of God... the One tha ...read

› 3 - The Authority Of The Son Of God - The principle of delegated authority is not too difficult for us to comprehend as it relates to us in the realm of earthly governments. We send ambass ...read

› 4 - Bethesda, The House Of Mercy - "Now there is at Jerusalem by the sheep market (or, sheepgate) a pool, which is called in the Hebrew tongue Bethesda, having five porches. In these la ...read

› 5 - The Corporate Relationship - God Is Building A Temple God is building a Temple in the earth, not made of hands, a Temple whose glory shall radiate throughout the whole earth. I ...read

› 6 - New Wine In New Wineskins - There are a lot of songs and a lot of teaching today about the new thing that God is doing... and the new wine that God is bringing forth to His peopl ...read

› 7 - The Lamb-Shepherd - "For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed (shepherd) them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters: And God shall wipe ...read

"Uzzah... Died by the Ark of God"

"Uzzah... Died by the Ark of God" 
by T. Austin-Sparks

"And when they came to Nachon's threshing floor, Uzzah put forth his hand to the ark of God, and took hold of it; for the oxen shook it. And the anger of the Lord was kindled against Uzzah; and God smote him there for his error; and there he died by the ark of God" 2 Sam. 6:6-7.

There is undoubtedly a word or weight upon my heart, but it is one of those words which naturally one would rather not speak. To be perfectly honest, I have been wriggling with regard to this word, for I know the kind of word that I would like to say. But I am quite sure that the Lord has held me to this, and has a purpose to fulfill, and all His purposes are good and all His ends are right, and so we will just seek to let Him have His way, say what He wants to say to our hearts, believing that receiving the Word with meekness it is able to save our souls.

There are few more terrible things in the whole of the Word of God than this statement which we have just read "Uzzah... died there by the Ark of God". If you think about it for a moment quietly, it is a terrible thing to die by the Ark of God. You can think of people dying far away from the Ark of God, separated from all that speaks of the Lord, dying in spiritual distance, alienation; dying out of touch with the Lord, but when you think of people dying there by the Ark of God, there is something about that which is very terrible, and which comes back at us and surely says that ought never to be. 

There is something very wrong when, right in touch with the centre and fulness of the Lord, people die; when that which embodies all the goodness, grace, love, power and glory of God is right there and people die by it. That surely is a very challenging thought, "Uzzah... died there by the Ark"! To think that that is possible, that you and I should be so intimately and closely associated with all that which we understand to be meant by the Ark of God, should have such proximity to it and die, and die there by the Ark of God. That is not the Lord's thought for us; that represents something wrong, something out of right relationship, even though in close proximity.

It is not our thought to go over the ground again of what the Ark stands for; we gather it up into a very few words. We must remember that the Lord has very jealously expressed His will concerning that Ark, as to its nature and its place, and its transit and its content, and that what was in it spoke of this wonderful Divine interposition for the sake of His people; the interposing or intervening that is in His revealed will for their lives, to save them from sin, as in the tables of the law; His interposing to save them from death in their spiritual journey through the wilderness, providing the manna; His interposing for their special priestly relationship to Him on the ground of Life victorious over death, represented by the rod of Aaron that budded. These are grand, great, interpositions of the Lord for His people. The Ark testifies to these great, these magnificent comings in of the Lord for His people, and all inclusively it speaks, of course, of the Lord Jesus, God's great intervention, God's great interposition for man's full salvation, preservation and fellowship - salvation, preservation, fellowship in Christ.

As we know, the blood was sprinkled upon the Mercy Seat on the Ark. That Blood gathers up the whole testimony of the Lord Jesus, to bring us into complete oneness and fellowship with the Lord. The wonder of that Blood! The pillar of cloud and of fire rested upon the Ark as they journeyed, and when it was in the Most Holy Place, while they tarried, the Shekinah glory hovered over the Ark, the glory of the testimony of the Holy Spirit with His people as its focal point in the Ark. It is, "Christ in you the hope of glory" - the full testimony of the Lord Jesus. Uzzah came into touch with that; Uzzah had an association with that, and that spoke of the Divine interposition and intervention for His people, for their complete salvation, their complete preservation and sustenance, and their complete fellowship with Him in Life, where death is destroyed. That spelled death for Uzzah, that brought the judgment of God upon Uzzah, and that is a very solemn matter to contemplate. It is something which you and I will have to lay to our own hearts quite solemnly, for we are in touch with that Ark.

You and I are constantly in touch with that Ark; we are in touch with it today and every day, we are in touch with the testimony of Jesus, we are in touch with God's Christ. We want to be quite sure that ours is a right relationship to the Lord Jesus, an adjusted relationship. While there are multitudes dying, perishing, far away spiritually and literally from the testimony of Jesus, and we have great pity for them and our hearts are stirred that they might know the Lord Jesus and we are constantly speaking of them dying without God and without Christ, it is possible for us to die with God and with Christ. Just as solemnly true it is that we may die there by the Ark of God, and I think, really a far more terrible death, if there is any difference.

Well now, what was the matter with Uzzah, and what is it that may have the same result in our own case? It is just gathered up, I think, in one sentence: the infinite peril of familiarity with holy things. The Ark had been in the household of Uzzah for a great many years, probably seventy years. He had been brought up with it, he had grown accustomed to it, it was commonplace in his life, it was an accepted thing, it was taken for granted. Uzzah was a Levite; he and his brother had charge of the Ark, and it had become a bit of their profession, a bit of their business. It had become an ecclesiastical matter, and so they performed the thing from day to day until it truly became a performance, a matter of course, a business affair. And when this movement of David was set on foot to bring the Ark nearer to himself in Jerusalem, the cart was made and the Ark was put on the cart, Uzzah and his brother took charge, Uzzah stood by and his brother drove the cart, and it came to the threshing floor of Nachor. The oxen became a bit restive, and without any second thought Uzzah put forth his hand and took hold of the Ark.

Prayer Tips

Prayer Tips

By George Mueller


Two "Prayer Tips" from George Müller:

1. Open Bible Before Him, and His Finger Upon That Promise, He would Plead That Promise, and So He Received What He Asked

2. Müller's Discovery Was That After Meditating On Scripture He Was More Able to Experience a Meaningful Prayertime

* * * * *

1. Open Bible Before Him, and His Finger Upon That Promise, He would Plead That Promise, and So He Received What He Asked

One of the mightiest men of prayer of the last generation was George Mueller of Bristol, England, who in the last sixty years of his life (he lived to be ninety-two or ninety-three) obtained the English equivalent of $7,200,000.00 by prayer. But George Mueller never prayed for a thing just because he wanted it, or even just because he felt it was greatly needed for God's work. When it was laid upon George Mueller's heart to pray for anything, he would search the Scriptures to find if there was some promise that covered the case. Sometimes he would search the scriptures for days before he presented his petition to God. And then when he found the promise, with his open Bible before him, and his finger upon that promise, he would plead that promise, and so he received what he asked. He always prayed with an open Bible before him.

-R. A. Torrey on George Müller; "The Power of Prayer," 1924 (P. 81)

* * * * *

Note: R. A. Torrey was selected by Dwight L. Moody be in charge of his Chicago Bible Institute (now known as The Moody Bible Institute). When Dwight Moody died during an evangelistic campaign, R. A. Torrey was chosen to be his replacement, and thereafter had a ministry of Evangelism.

* * * * *

Note: In German, when you cannot write an "umlaut" letter "ü" (for instance, on many of the old-style typewriters), you write "ue" instead. So you may see the name spelled either "Müller," "Mueller," or "Muller" (the latter is an incorrect spelling from the German standpoint, but often English writers use it)."

* * * * *

2. Müller's Discovery Was That After Meditating On Scripture He Was More Able to Experience a Meaningful Prayertime

"Reading without meditation is unfruitful; meditation without reading is hurtful; to meditate and to read without prayer upon both is without blessing."

-William Bridge, Puritan Writer

Christian meditation (thinking deeply on Scripture) is "the missing link between Bible intake and prayer." If there was a "secret" to George Müller's prayer life, it was his discovery of the connection between meditation and prayer. Müller's discovery was that after meditating on Scripture he was more able to experience a meaningful prayertime.

-Donald S. Whitney, "Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life" (partial quote and partial paraphrase).

Discovering Divine Designs

Discovering Divine Designs

By Oswald Chambers


'I being in the way, the Lord led me...'
Genesis 24:27

We have to be so one with God that we do not continually need to ask for guidance. Sanctification means that we are made the children of God, and the natural life of a child is obedience - until he wishes to be disobedient, then instantly there is the intuitive jar. In the spiritual domain the intuitive jar is the monition of the Spirit of God. When He gives the check, we have to stop at once and be renewed in the spirit of our mind in order to make out what God's will is. If we are born again of the Spirit of God, it is the abortion of piety to ask God to guide us here and there. "The Lord led me," and on looking back we see the presence of an amazing design, which, if we are born of God, we will credit to God.

We can all see God in exceptional things, but it requires the culture of spiritual discipline to see God in every detail. Never allow that the haphazard is anything less than God's appointed order, and be ready to discover the Divine designs any where.

Beware of making a fetish of consistency to your convictions instead of being devoted to God. I shall never do that - in all probability you will have to, if you are a saint. There never was a more inconsistent Being on this earth than Our Lord, but He was never inconsistent to His Father. The one consistency of the saint is not to a principle, but to the Divine life. It is the Divine life which continually makes more and more discoveries about the Divine mind. It is easier to be a fanatic than a faithful soul, because there is something amazingly humbling, particularly to our religious conceit, in being loyal to God.

Daniel Found Faithful

Daniel Found Faithful

By J.C. Ryle


"Then said these men--We shall not find any occasion against this Daniel except we find it against him concerning the law of his God." Daniel 6:5

It would be impossible, I think, to imagine a higher testimony to a man's character than you have heard in these words. You know how ready the world is to find fault with a Christian--how closely his conduct is watched, how eagerly his shortcomings are proclaimed--and happy indeed are those who by grace are so enabled to live, that the godless and profane can find no occasion against them.

In order, however, that you may fully understand the peculiar value of the testimony in my text, you ought to know something of the time and circumstances in which it was given.

Daniel, who was a prince of the royal family of Judah, and descended directly from David, had been carried to Babylon as a prisoner, with many other Jews, when Jerusalem was destroyed. While there, it pleased God to bring him into favor with the heathen kings of Babylon, and he was advanced to great dignity and honor. Nor was his honor ever taken from him; for when Belshazzar was overthrown, and the kingdom of Babylon was taken by the Medes and Persians, the Lord inclined the heart of Darius the Mede to make Daniel the first among his counselors, who ordered all things under the king. But the wicked followers of Darius became jealous of Daniel. They made a conspiracy against him, and for a while they succeeded; for they obtained a decree that Daniel should be cast into the den of lions. But God, whom he served, here came to his assistance: he was miraculously preserved; his enemies were condemned, and perished in his stead; and King Darius gave glory to God.

Such is a short account of the interesting history which you will find in the chapter from which my text is taken--a chapter which I take occasion to recommend to your particular attention.

I purpose this afternoon to speak on two points only in this history. One is the character of Daniel, which here came out like gold from the fire, as an example for your imitation. The other is the mysterious dealings of God with him, as a ground for our instruction and comfort. May God the Holy Spirit apply the subject to all your consciences; may none of you be content with admiring the faith and patience of the godly--but may you be led to pray for the grace of God, that you may follow in their steps.

I. First, then, with respect to Daniel's character, I would observe there are three points to be especially noticed.

(a) There is his steady walk with God. He was now ninety years of age; he had spent more than the ordinary life of man in the very heart of a wicked city and a corrupt court. He had riches and honors and everything to make this world enjoyable--but he never turned aside from the narrow way, either to the right hand or the left. The eyes of all were fixed upon him; many envied and hated him. They examined his public conduct; they inquired into his private character; they sifted his words and actions--but they sought in vain for any ground of accusation. He was so steady, so upright, so conscientious, that they could find no occasion of fault in him--they could not find any charge against him, except as concerning the law of his God.

Oh, what an unanswerable argument is a believer's life! Oh, what an epistle of Christ is the daily conduct of a child of God! Men cannot see your hearts, nor understand your principles--but they can see your lives! And if they find that pious masters, servants, brothers, friends, sisters, husbands, wives, do far exceed all others in their several positions, then you are bringing glory to God and honor to your Redeemer. Think not that your profession is worth anything, if it is not known of others by its godly fruit; without this it is little better than sounding brass and a tinkling cymbal. We do not find that Daniel blew his trumpet before him, and talked everywhere about his own experience--but he walked close to God, and his life spoke for him, and his character became known in Babylon, and even his enemies were obliged to confess--The hand of God is here, the Lord is truly with this man!




(b) Another point which I would have you notice is Daniel's habit of private prayer. This was the hidden cause of all his steadiness, and it was discovered accidentally on this occasion. It seems that his enemies had obtained a decree of the king, that whoever should ask a petition of any God for thirty days should be cast into the den of lions. And having laid this snare for this holy man, we read that they assembled and found Daniel praying and making supplication before God.

We are also told that he was in the habit of kneeling upon his knees and praying three times a day; this was the practice of holy David, as we read in the Psalms, and this was the spirit of the centurion in the Acts, who prayed to God always. So Paul exhorts the Ephesians to pray always with all prayer and supplications, and the Thessalonians to pray without ceasing. And such has been the habit of all the most eminent saints of God: they have not been content with a few cold heartless words every morning and every night, they have lived in the spirit of prayer, and sent up many a short earnest petition throughout the day.

Moreover, we are told that Daniel prayed with his windows open towards Jerusalem, and this is a most important circumstance. He did this, and so did every pious Jew, not only because it was the land of his fathers and the land of promise, not simply because God would be worshiped there and there only--but chiefly because all the types and emblems of the Messiah, the one way of salvation, the altar, the sacrifice, and the high priest, were to be found there. And so also we, if we would have our prayers heard, must pray towards the Lord Jesus Christ, the true Temple, our Altar, our High Priest and our Sacrifice. These are the prayers which God will answer; this is the only way by which we can draw near with confidence, and find grace to help in time of need. Mark well, beloved, the habit of private prayer: here is the secret of that steadiness which Daniel showed in Babylon--here was the staff which preserved him upright in the middle of temptations.

We know that he had all the cares of government upon his shoulders; he must have been surrounded with the business and affairs of nations--but none of these things prevented him from drawing near to God.

Nor was he a man to say "I am a chosen servant of God, I need not be so anxious about means"; he knew that God would keep him--but not unless he showed anxiety to have protection, not without diligence in using all the means of grace. Oh, he will rise in judgment and condemn many a one, who dares to think that he will find mercy while he lives in the neglect of regular heartfelt private devotion!

(c) The last point to be observed in Daniel's character is his faith, his confidence in God. The decree appeared, forbidding all sorts of worship for thirty days on pain of death; and oh, how many professors of our generation would have held their peace! how many would have said, "It is but a short time, we need not give offence; the Lord does not require us to lose our lives in His service"? But look at Daniel: he knew that the writing was signed--he knew that he was watched--he knew that his life was at stake--and yet he went to his house and kneeled on his knees and prayed as he did aforetime. He did not on the one hand run into danger, nor did he on the other flinch from it. Here was no carnal policy, no time-serving, no crooked contrivance, no love of expediency. He made a straight path for his feet; he did as usual, neither more nor less; and why? Look at the twenty-third verse: he believed in his God. Mark here the fruits of daily communion with God; see how a habit of prayer will produce quietness and assurance in the hour of trial and difficulty.

There never have been lacking lewd men of the baser sort, who say, Where is the use of your praying? what good will it do you? But wait until the days of affliction come upon you, and the Lord will provide you with an answer. A habit of prayer will impart special reliance upon God in time of danger; it will give a special boldness; it will secure a special deliverance, for those who honor God He will honor. Happy indeed are those who, like Daniel, pray without ceasing: they will find within them the same spirit of faith, they never need fear being surprised, they are like him, always the same and always ready.

II. Let us now consider the other branch of our subject: I mean the mysterious dealings of God with His faithful and holy servant.

(a) Observe, then, there was first a season of darkness. Who would have supposed that God would have allowed iniquity so far to triumph as to leave Daniel in the hands of enemies! Who would have thought that this pious old man would be cast into the den of lions. But God's ways are not as our ways; and wonderful as it may appear, the wicked were permitted to work their will for a season. Daniel was accused of breaking the laws; he was pronounced guilty; he was condemned to death; the king labored to deliver him--but he could not; the decree could not be altered--Daniel must die! He was let down into this pit--the den of savage beasts, and a stone was laid upon the mouth of the den. And then, no doubt, he was looked upon as a dead man. Sin appeared to have prevailed, the wicked rejoiced at their success, and the righteous, the little flock at Babylon, wept and mourned to think that a brother, a faithful witness, had been taken from the earth.

Pause here, beloved, for an instant. This hour of darkness seems to you a mystery. But is it not agreeable to all the dealings of God with man? Do you not often see things hard to be understood in the world around you? How often the wicked prosper, and have all that man could desire; how often iniquity abounds and the love of God waxes cold--and the righteous are oppressed and silenced and afraid. How often it seems as if the Lord has forgotten this earth, and cares not though His servants are persecuted and His name blasphemed. How often we feel disposed to cry--how long, O Lord, holy and true, will You not judge and avenge Yourself on the ungodly!

And does not the Christian often see things hard to be explained in his own heart? Is he not often tried with seasons of darkness and sorrow? Yes! Many a believer can testify that sometimes he has felt like Paul before his shipwreck; neither sun nor stars have appeared for many days, and almost every hope of being saved has been taken away--many a one could tell you that the enemy has sometimes come in upon him like a flood, he has been overwhelmed with afflictions and temptations, he has been ready to cry out of the depths, as it were, "Lord I am sinking--my soul is among lions, I am destitute, afflicted, tormented, deserted, forlorn, forsaken!"

Yes: God's ways are often difficult and mysterious to His people; we cannot see the meaning of many things which happen around us, we think them hard, we almost quarrel with the Lord's arrangements, but those who are really wise will be patient, they will wait to see the end, and lay to heart the words of the Lord Jesus. "What I am doing, you don't understand now--but you shall know hereafter."

Enoch Walking with God

Enoch Walking with God

By J.C. Ryle


"Enoch walked with God, and he was not--for God took him." Gen. 5:24.

You all wish to go to heaven. I know it. I am fully persuaded of it. I am certain of it. There is not one of you, however false may be his views of what he must believe and what he must do, however unscriptural the ground of his hope, however worldly-minded he may be, however careless when he gets outside that church door--there is not one of you, I say, who does not wish to go to heaven when he dies. But I do sadly fear that many of you, without a mighty change, will never get there! You would like the crown--but you do not like the cross! You would like the glory--but not the grace! You would like the happiness--but not the holiness! You would like the peace--but not the truth! You would like the victory--but not the fight! You would like the reward--but not the labor! You would like the harvest--but not the ploughing! You would like the reaping--but not the sowing! And so I fear that many of you will never get to heaven!

Well, you may say--"These are sharp words, this is hard teaching! We would like to know what sort of people they are, who will be saved." I shall give you a short and very general answer. Those who have the same faith as those holy men whose names are recorded in the Bible--those who walk in that same narrow path which all the saints of God have trodden--such people, and only such--shall have eternal life and never enter into condemnation.

Indeed, beloved, there is but one way to heaven; and in this way every redeemed soul that is now in Paradise has walked. This is the way you must yourselves be content to follow; and if you are really wise, if you really love life, as you profess to do, you will take every opportunity of examining the characters of those who have gone before you, you will mark the principles on which they acted, you will note the end they had in view, you will try to profit by their experience, you will follow them so far as they followed Christ.

Now, I purpose this morning to speak to you about the history of Enoch, who was one of the first among those who by faith and patience have inherited the promises; and I shall divide what I have to say upon the subject into four parts.

I. What was the character of the age in which he lived?

II. What was his own character?

III. What was the leading motive or principle which influenced him?

IV. What was his end?

God grant that you may all be stirred up to a diligent inquiry into your own state; may many of you, hearing how Enoch walked with God, be led to pray, "Lord, I would walk with You (I have sinned--but I repent in dust and ashes), Lord Jesus, I would be Yours, create in me a clean heart, guide me with Your counsel, and afterward bring me unto glory."

I. What was the character of the age in which Enoch lived? Now, respecting the age when Enoch lived, we know little--but that little is very bad. He was the seventh from Adam, and lived in the time before the flood. In those days, we are told, the earth was corrupt before God, and filled with violence. Every sort of wickedness seems to have prevailed; men walked after the vile lusts of their hearts, and did that which appeared good to them without fear and without shame. The children of Cain, after he murdered Abel, as far as we can learn, made no attempt whatever to keep God in their thoughts--like the prodigal son, they went afar off from Him and gave themselves up to worldly employments, as if they would keep the Lord out of their minds as much as possible. They got fame as founders of cities, like men who looked upon this earth as their home, and set all their affection on things below and had no desire after the new Jerusalem above, the city of the Lord God and of the Lamb. They became famous and skillful in all the works of this life: one was called the father of shepherds, and another the father of musicians--but we read of none that was a father of faithful lambs in Christ's flock, of none that was a father of children who made God's statutes their song in the house of their pilgrimage. And another was a teacher of artificers in brass and iron--but we do not hear of any who taught the good knowledge of the Lord. In short, they were all clever in finding out how to be rich and how to be merry and how to be powerful--but they were not wise unto salvation, there was nothing of God and His fear and His service among them.

Such were the children of Cain; and they seem to have been such pleasant company, so little disposed to trouble other people by talking about the soul and heaven and hell, that nearly everybody took after them, and the world was tainted and infected with their manners; insomuch that the few who still clung to the true God became separated from the rest by a line of distinction: they began to be called by the name of the Lord.

But even this separation did not last long. We are next told, that they who professed to be the sons of God began to think there was no harm in marrying people who cared nothing about true religion; they chose wives who were unbelievers--beautiful and agreeable, no doubt--but still enemies of God--and (as it has almost always proved when a Christian has been united to one that is not a Christian), the bad soon corrupted the good--or else the good did not convert the bad, and the families that were born of these unions proved earthly, sensual, and devilish; and in a short time the whole world was full of sin.

Consider, beloved, what a fearful proof you have here of the natural bent of man's heart towards wickedness! They had the recollection of God's anger against transgression fresh upon their minds; they had Paradise before their eyes, they had the angels of God keeping the way of the tree of life with flaming swords; and yet, in spite of all this, they sinned with a high hand. They went on much as the world likes to do now: they ate, they drank, they planted, they built, they bought, they sold, they made light of warnings. "What have we to do with the Lord?" they thought; "let us enjoy ourselves while we can." But God will not be mocked, and though He bore with them long and exhorted them by His servants, He dealt with them at last according to their works. And just as He will one day send the fire upon this earth, so did He send the waters of the deep: the flood came and cut them off in the middle of their revellings, and drowned the whole world--except for eight people.

Such was the character of the men before the flood; and in the middle of this age of wickedness Enoch lived, and Enoch walked with God. There were no Bibles then, no Prayer-books, no religious tracts, no churches, no ministers, no sacraments. Christ had never been seen; the way of salvation had never been clearly made known; the gospel was only seen dimly in the distance; it was not fashionable to think about religion, it was not fashionable to worship God at all, there was nothing to encourage people to make a profession. Yet in the middle of this wicked and adulterous generation this saint of the Most High did live! Enoch walked with God. It is almost impossible to imagine a more splendid proof of what grace can do for a weak, sinful man than is to be found in these words; in the world before the flood "Enoch walked with God."

II. I promised in the second place to tell you something about Enoch's character. You have heard he walked with God, and you know, perhaps, it is an expression of great praise--but I may not leave you here without trying to give you a clear notion of its meaning. People often get a habit of using words without exactly knowing what they mean, and a very bad habit it is. Now, I say that this walking with God has many different senses; it is an expression full of matter.

A man that walks with God is one of God's friends. That unhappy enmity and dislike which men naturally feel towards their Maker has been removed; he feels perfectly reconciled and at peace. How indeed can two walk together except they be agreed? He does not hide himself from the Lord, like Adam in the trees of the garden--but he seeks to be in constant communion with Him; he is not as many who are uncomfortable at the idea of being alone with God--for he is never perfectly happy excepting in His company; he feels that he cannot be too much with Him, because he desires to be of the same mind, to think like Him, to act like Him, to be conformed to His image. Such a one was Enoch.

Again, he who walks with God is one of God's dear children. He looks upon Him as his Father, and as such he loves Him, he reveres Him, he rejoices in Him, he trusts Him in everything. He makes it his constant study to please Him, and whenever he has offended, he sorrows over his offence with a true childlike sorrow. He thinks that God knows better than himself what is good for him, and so in everything that happens--sickness or health, sorrow or joy, riches or poverty--he says to himself, "It is well: my Father sends this." Such a one was Enoch.

Again, he who walks with God is one of God's witnesses. He never hesitates to stand forward on the Lord's side. He is not content with giving his own heart to God--but he is also ready and willing to bear his testimony in public on behalf of the cause of righteousness and truth. He is not ashamed to let men know whose servant he is; he will not be turned aside from raising his voice against sin for fear of giving offence. Such a one was Enoch. His lot was cast in evil days--but did he join the multitude? Did he walk in the way of sinners? Did he hold his peace and say, I can do nothing? Far from it! He thought not what his neighbors liked--but what his Lord required. He sought not to please the world--but to please God; and therefore, living in the midst of sin and corruption, he was separate from it. He was a witness against it; he was as the salt of the earth; he was as a light shining in a dark place.

Ay, and he was a plain speaker, too. He made no excuse about youth and temptation; he did not let men go to hell for fear of being thought uncharitable--but he told them openly of their danger; and when they were living wickedly and carelessly, as if there was no God and no devil, he said, as the apostle Jude relates, "The Lord is coming with ten thousand of His saints, to execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly of their ungodly deeds." No doubt he was thought a troubler of the people, and a disagreeable man--but he was a witness, and so he declared continually: "The Lord is coming"; whether you will hear or whether you will forbear, there shall be a day of judgment, sin shall not always go unpunished--repent, for the Lord is coming! This was the theme of his testimony. He walked with God, and so he was a faithful witness.

But I say further, to walk with God is to walk in God's ways, to follow the laws He has given for our guidance, to look on His precepts as our rule and our counselor, to esteem all His commandments concerning all things to be right; to fear turning aside from the narrow path He has set before us for one single instant; to go straightforward, though all things seem against us, remembering the word on which He has caused us to hope.

The Gospel of Luke

The Gospel of Luke

By J.C. Ryle

Table of Contents

› Preface - PREFACE The volume now in the reader's hands, is a continuation of the "Expository Thoughts on the Gospels," of which two volumes have been already ...read

› Chapter 1 - Luke 1:1-4 LUKE'S INTRODUCTION The Gospel of Luke, which we now begin, contains many precious things which are not recorded in the other three G ...read

› Chapter 2 - Luke 2:1-7 THE BIRTH OF JESUS We have, in these verses, the story of a birth--the birth of the incarnate Son of God, the Lord Jesus Christ. Ever ...read

› Chapter 3 - Luke 3:1-6 THE MINISTRY OF JOHN THE BAPTIST These verses describe the beginning of the Gospel of Christ. It began with the preaching of John the ...read

› Chapter 4 - Luke 4:1-13 THE TEMPTATION OF JESUS The first event recorded in our Lord's history, after His baptism, is His temptation by the devil. From a se ...read

› Chapter 5 - Luke 5:1-11 THE MIRACULOUS CATCH OF FISH We have, in these verses, the history of what is commonly called the miraculous catch of fish. It is a ...read

› Chapter 6 - Luke 6:1-5 JESUS AND THE SABBATH We should notice, in this passage, what excessive importance hypocrites attach to trifles. We are told that, "O ...read

› Chapter 7 - Luke 7:1-10 THE FAITH OF THE CENTURION These verses describe the miraculous cure of a sick man. A centurion, or officer in the Roman army, appli ...read

› Chapter 8 - Luke 8:1-3 Let us mark, in these verses, our Lord Jesus Christ's unwearied diligence in doing good. We read that "He went throughout every city and ...read

› Chapter 9 - Luke 9:1-6 JESUS SENDS OUT THE 12 APOSTLES These verses contain our Lord's instructions to His twelve apostles, when He sent them forth the firs ...read

› Chapter 10 - Luke 10:1-7 JESUS SENDS OUT THE SEVENTY-TWO The verses before us relate a circumstance which is not recorded by any Gospel writer except Luke. T ...read

› Chapter 11 - Luke 11:1-4 JESUS' TEACHING ON PRAYER These verses contain the prayer commonly called the Lord's Prayer. Few passages of Scripture perhaps are s ...read

› Chapter 12 - Luke 12:1-7 WARNINGS AND ENCOURAGEMENTS The words which begin this chapter are very striking when we consider its contents. We are told that "a ...read

› Chapter 13 - Luke 13:1-5 REPENT OR PERISH The murder of the Galileans, mentioned in the first verse of this passage, is an event of which we know nothing cer ...read

› Chapter 14 - Luke 14:1-6 JESUS AT A PHARISEE'S HOUSE Let us mark in this passage, how our Lord Jesus Christ accepted the hospitality of those who were not Hi ...read

› Chapter 15 - Luke 15:1-10 THE PARABLES OF THE LOST SHEEP, AND THE LOST COIN The chapter which begins with these verses is well known to Bible readers if any ...read

› Chapter 16 - Luke 16:1-12 THE PARABLE OF THE SHREWD MANAGER The passage we have now read is a difficult one. There are knots in it which perhaps will never b ...read

› Chapter 17 - Luke 17:1-4 STUMBLING BLOCKS We are taught for one thing in these verses, the great sinfulness of putting stumbling-blocks in the way of other m ...read

› Chapter 18 - Luke 18:1-8 THE PARABLE OF THE PERSISTENT WIDOW The object of the parable before us, is explained by Christ Himself. To use the words of an old ...read

› Chapter 19 - Luke 19:1-10 THE CONVERSION OF ZACCHAEUS These verses describe the conversion of a soul. Like the stories of Nicodemus, and the Samaritan woman, ...read

› Chapter 20 - Luke 20:1-8 THE AUTHORITY OF JESUS QUESTIONED Let us notice, firstly, in this passage, the demand which the chief Priests and scribes made upon ...read

› Chapter 21 - Luke 21:1-4 THE WIDOW'S OFFERING We learn, for one thing, from these verses, how keenly our Lord Jesus Christ observes the things that are done ...read

› Chapter 22 - Luke 22:1-13 THE LAST SUPPER The chapter which opens with these verses, begins Luke's account of our Lord's sufferings and death. No part of the ...read

› Chapter 23 - Luke 23:1-12 Let us observe, for one thing, in this passage, what false accusations were laid to our Lord Jesus Christ's charge. We are told that t ...read

› Chapter 24 - Luke 24:1-12 THE RESURRECTION The resurrection of Christ is one of the great foundation-stones of the Christian religion. In practical importanc ...read

The Increase of Spiritual Capacity

The Increase of Spiritual Capacity

By T. Austin-Sparks

      "I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now. Howbeit..." (John 16:12).

      "I could not speak unto you as spiritual... I fed you with milk, not with meat... not even now are ye able" (1 Corinthians 3:1-2).

      "Ye are straitened in your own affections... Be ye enlarged" (2 Corinthians 6:12-13).

      "...we have many things to say, and hard of interpretation, seeing ye are become dull of hearing... Ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you the rudiments" (Hebrews 5:11,12).

      In the light of a wide and long knowledge, from far East to far West, of Christians and Christian work, were I asked what I most strongly feel to be the greatest - or one of the greatest - needs of our time, I should not hesitate to say: An increase of spiritual capacity. Note - I say SPIRITUAL. Not intellectual. The desire, pursuit of, and provision for education and knowledge outbounds all that has ever been. The range of the intellectual and scientific was never so great. Nor is there lacking anything in the realm of the emotional. This is an excessively emotional and passionate age, both in quest and provision. The world is living on its emotions and passions, and in Christianity everything is done and provided to gratify the emotional senses.

      Further, there is no straitness and limitation in the area of activity, of doing. The programme of Christian works, movements, enterprises, occupations, is so full as to leave no time for quiet thought and meditation. All of these three realms make up the soul, the ego - mind, emotion, will - and this is an age of the immense and intense assertion of the ego, the soul of man; Christians not excepted.

      But in all this, and what an all it is, we repeat our conviction that a paramount need is of the increase of spiritual capacity. The shallowness and superficiality of spiritual capacity is nothing less than tragic and pathetic. The cheap, the easy, the quick, the glamorous, the popular; these are the features of our time which characterize so much of Christianity. It is the way of the world, and it has invaded the Church and organized Christianity. Depth and stamina, painstaking endurance, are a lost dimension. The passages of Scripture with which we introduce this consideration indicate that this lack of spiritual capacity has been a problem from the time when Jesus was on earth. He was handicapped and limited by it. It was necessary for Him to keep in reserve "many things" that He had, and wanted to say. The lack of spiritual capacity imposed a "cannot" upon His ministry. At another time He expressed this sense of frustration in a spontaneous ejaculation: "And, oh, how am I straitened!" (Luke 12:50). The Scriptures mentioned also show that the same problem distressed the Apostles. Said Paul: "I could not speak unto you as unto spiritual", implying that he longed for a breakthrough into the realm of the "eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither hath it entered into the heart of man... but God hath revealed unto us..." What great and potent things were withheld because of lack of capacity! Whoever wrote the Letter to the Hebrews was deeply troubled because of that arrested or retarded development which made him say with a touch of bitterness: "We have many things to say, but...", and then explained that he could not go beyond the "rudiments". The fact that this was a malady even in apostolic times surely does not condone or excuse it in our days. The most that such a reflection can do is to relieve us of some of the surprise. But we shall feel the same limitation and frustration if we know that the Lord has given us something which has no free way because of limited capacity on the part of God's people. It makes the going so hard and wearing! It will not do, however, to sit down with the fact, whether it be then or now. We have to uncover

The Causes of Limited Capacity

      Of course, when children are children, and rightly so, we have no greater requirement than to speak to them as such, and not to expect more of them than is right and proper. But our Scriptures relate to an un-normal, sub-normal, or even abnormal state. Behind them is an expectation that creates an element of shame, reproach, and even scandal. There OUGHT to be capacity, and there is not. The greater fullnesses are available, but the channel is blocked, or the vessel is not empty or open. Do our Scriptures throw any light on the causes of this limitation, which is spiritual tragedy? In both our Lord's case and in the Letter to the Hebrews the cause is similar. It is