| Christian Life and Doctrine | March 1950 |
“Songs in the Night”
MARCH 1
Let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us.—Heb. 12:1
EACH one on this racecourse should examine himself, rather than examine others, in respect to progress in this narrow way; for each knows his own heart condition and the weaknesses of his own flesh better than any other knows these, the Lord alone excepted. Let us each note just where he is in the racecourse, rejoicing that he is in the race at all; considering it a great privilege to be thus called and privileged to enter in this race. If we find that we have passed the first quarter mark, let us rejoice and press on. If we find that we have passed the second also, let us rejoice so much the more, but not slack our running. If we find that we have passed the third quarter we may properly rejoice so much the more, and press with vigor on; and if we have attained to the fourth mark of perfect love, which includes even enemies, we have indeed cause for great rejoicing. The prize is ours if we but remain faithful. But, as the apostle says, “Having done all, stand”—with all the armor on; stand in various testings which will then, as much as ever along the racecourse, be brought to bear against us to divert us away from the mark, before the great Inspector and Giver of rewards shall say, “Well done, thou good and faithful servant: enter thou into the joy of thy Lord.”—Z 1901-13 (Hymn 164)
MARCH 2
Whosoever believeth in Him shall receive remission of sins.—Acts 10:43
THERE is no other means of approach to God than through the remission, the covering, of our sins; and there is no other means of covering than through faith in the precious blood of Christ, All suggestions, therefore, of salvation without a belief in Jesus—all suggestions of salvation of the heathen in ignorance, all suggestions of there being no necessity for a knowledge of the historic Christ—all suggestions that a recognition of the Christ spirit of righteousness is sufficient, all suggestions of harmony with God through any other than the One appointed “Mediator of the New Covenant,” receive a thorough condemnation in the words of this text. The entire plan of God sets forth and honors not only divine justice, wisdom, love, and power, but it likewise sets forth and honors the Lord Jesus as the only way by which access may be had to the Father, and by which everlasting life may be attained by any. In view of these limitations, how comforting are the assurances of the Scriptures that for the vast majority of our race the time of knowledge, and hence, the time of probation for everlasting life is future, during the Millennium.—Z 1902-122 (Hymn 103)
MARCH 3
If any man serve Me, let him follow Me.—John 12:26
IT IS time for the establishment of the true kingdom—it is just at hand. It is time for the gathering of the elect out of every quarter, every district of this figurative Babylon in which the Lord’s people are captives to these devices of Satan; it is time for a reassertion of the liberty wherewith Christ has made us free; it is time that the Lord’s people should recognize him as their only King and Director; it is time for them to hear the words, “Cease ye from man: whose breath is in his nostrils, for wherein is he to be accounted of?” (Isa. 2:22) It is time for the Lord’s people to realize that the Lord is entirely competent to conduct his own work in the way most pleasing to himself, and most advantageous to those who are truly his; it is time for them to look to the Lord to see what agents, what channels of truth, what ministries of service in spiritual Israel he has provided or is providing. When we come to realize the situation, we find that all this matter of recognizing popes, cardinals, bishops, doctors of divinity, etc., is contrary to the divine arrangement—in direct antagonism to the same; but that, nevertheless, it has not hindered and will not be permitted to hinder, the accomplishment of the Lord’s work and the gathering of the true Israelites, the elect, the precious, the Lord’s jewels, out of nominal Israel. This work of the Lord is going gradually on, regardless of what the people in general may do.—Z 1903-204 (Hymn 312)
MARCH 4
He that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.—Heb. 11:6
OUR faith will be in proportion to our knowledge of the character of God. We shall find, upon observation, that in proportion to our faith we can endure hardness as good soldiers of Jesus Christ. Since our test is for so brief a time—a few years—it must of necessity be a very severe, a crucial one. God is subjecting our faith to a great heat in order to separate the dross. If we had not the faith we might fear to take the steps which would bring us into this crucial position. Fear would lead us to decline to take the course that God indicates to be his will. Without faith we would shrink from the fiery trials, the heated furnace. If we have not the faith to stand the trials, then we are not of the kind for whom God is at the present time looking.—Z 1912-322 (Hymn 93)
MARCH 5
He maketh the storm a calm.—Psa. 107:29
HOW suddenly the Adversary may at times bring against us a whirlwind of temptation or of opposition or of persecution! How at such time our sky seems overcast, dark, foreboding; how the waves of adversity or affliction have almost overwhelmed us, and how the Lord seemed asleep and heedless of our distress and indifferent to our necessities! Such experiences are tests of our faith, as this one was a test to the faith of the apostles. If our faith be strong enough under such circumstances, we would keep on with our proper endeavors to adjust matters corresponding to the bailing of the boat and the working of the oars; but meantime, with an implicit faith in the Lord’s promise that all things shall work together for our good, we would be able to sing as did the Apostle Paul and Silas after being beaten while in the stocks for their faithfulness to the Lord. They rejoiced that they were accounted worthy to suffer for the name of Christ. So according to our faith will we be able to rejoice even in tribulation. We cannot enjoy the sufferings; we can enjoy the thought which faith attaches to them, namely, that these are but light afflictions working out for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory.—Z 1904-60 (Hymn 226)
MARCH 6
Ye are the light of the world.—Matt. 5:14
IN ORDER to have the Holy Spirit in large measure, we must keep near to the Lord, for if we get away from him, the light will go out. If we neglect the privilege of prayer or of study of the Scriptures or of fellowship with the Lord through failure to think of him, the illumination of the Spirit will grow dim. On the other hand, it will become brighter in proportion to our realization of our own imperfections and to the degree of our consecration to the Lord. This we manifest by the zeal with which we study his will as expressed in his Word, and with which we practice that will in the affairs of life. These are the means by which we may supply the oil to keep our light burning brightly.—Z 1912-344 (Hymn 230)
MARCH 7
Thou lovest righteousness, and hatest wickedness: therefore God, Thy God, hath anointed Thee with the oil of gladness above Thy fellows.—Psalm 45:7
ALL who are cultivating character pleasing to God, all who are endeavoring to become exact copies of his dear Son, should put away every impurity, everything not right. Whatever is wrong should always be opposed by our new minds. On the other hand, if we have love as the Lord has it, we shall hate the wrong, but not the individual who does wrong. In proportion as love controls our minds and hearts, we shall feel sympathy for those who are in iniquity, for we remember that the race of mankind are fallen from their original perfection. We should think that to do evil is not their intention, their will, but that they are suffering from an iniquitous disease. Love is patient and tries to find extenuating circumstances and conditions. It seeks to help the evildoer and is not easily provoked to anger.—Z 1912-338 (Hymn 198)
MARCH 8
Grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.—II Peter 3:18
TO GROW in grace and not grow in knowledge is impossible; for the very object of such communion is to build us up in a more perfect knowledge of and acquaintance with the Lord—to bring us into closer fellowship with the divine plan, and to give us the privilege of being “workers together with him” in executing that plan. If, therefore, we love and obey the Lord and desire to grow in his favor, his written Word is our daily meditation and study; and thus we grow in knowledge; not, however, by finding out each year that what we learned last year was false, but by adding to what we learned last year, by putting on more and more of the armor of God until we realize its glorious completeness in the full discernment of the divine plan of the ages. We are then ready to do valiant service for the cause of truth in withstanding the encroachment of error, being established, strengthened, and settled in the faith. But even to those thus established in the faith there is abundant opportunity to grow in knowledge; for while they will see nothing new or different in outline or design, they will be continually charmed and cheered with newly discovered lines of harmony and beauty in the divine drawings of the wonderful plan of the ages. As pupils we may ever study the master workmanship of the divine Architect.—Z 1903-200
MARCH 9
Sanctify them through Thy truth: Thy Word is truth.—John 17:17
IF WE be sanctified to God by the truth, if our wills be dead and the Lord’s will be fully accepted as ours, in thought, word, and deed, then we have attained the will of God and shall win the prize as overcomers, even if we have never had opportunity to preach, to give to the poor, or to suffer as martyrs for the truth’s sake. Let us all note well this point: “This is the will of God [concerning you], even your sanctification.” Let nothing obscure this truth; but let it dominate our course in life. Then if God’s will is really our will, we have a clearly marked pathway before us. But without doubt, before all such God will open opportunities to serve the truth to others, to let their light shine to the glory of the Father and the blessing of fellow-creatures; for this is his command to us, and we may be sure he gives us no commands impossible to be obeyed.—Z 1912-341 (Hymn 333)
MARCH 10
God is love.—I John 4:8
GOD is love, our Lord Jesus is love, and when the church is perfect, each member of the body will also be love. This great principle will have full control of all that we do and say, even as now it has control in the hearts of the Lord’s people, despite the weaknesses of the flesh, which prevent its full expression. When all the imperfection is taken away, those who attain the prize of our glorious high calling will have the image of God, the image of the Lord. The hope of attaining the likeness of the divine character is the great ambition which inspires us to faithfulness of endeavor.—Z 1912-337 (Hymn 55)
MARCH 11
Be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.—Eph. 6:10
Here we have an exhortation applicable to the people of God at all times and under all conditions and under all circumstances. It would have applied to Samson in his day as a natural man, a servant, and it applies to us of today who are new creatures in Christ Jesus, servant-sons of the most High. If we look back to Samson and all the ancient worthies recounted by the apostle, we note that the secret of their strength of character, by which they endured and overcame, resided in their faith in God and in the promises. And so it must be with us. But there is a difference between faith and credulity; the latter may give a spirit of energy, but will not endure. The former is the power of God which enables us to endure all things as good soldiers of the Lord Jesus Christ, soldiers of the truth, soldiers of righteousness, fighting against sin and error and all ungodliness, including the artful wiles of the Adversary, by which he would deceive us and the whole world, misrepresenting the divine character by the “doctrines of devils” foisted upon the Lord’s people during the Dark Ages, to the blinding of the eyes of their understanding. Now in the Lord’s providence our eyes are becoming more and more opened in harmony with the apostle’s prayer, I pray God for you that you “may be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; and to know the love of Christ which passeth knowledge.”—Z 1907-344 (Hymn 200)
MARCH 12
Every one that loveth Him that begat, loveth Him also that is begotten of Him.—I John 5:1
HE WHO loveth the Father must love the Son also, who is the Father’s express image and who has manifested to us in his own flesh the glorious character of the Father. As the Son loved the Father, prayed to the Father, and felt that he must be about the Father’s business, and finally died in the accomplishment of the Father’s will—the work unto which the Father had sent him—so with us, imbued with the Spirit of our dear Redeemer, our Head. We as his members must have such a reverence for the Father and for his will as is here specified. The nation of Israel could not love the Lord with all its heart, with its soul, with its might; this exhortation must be understood to be of an individual kind. Similarly the church, spiritual Israel, is not called upon to love the Lord with heart, soul, being, strength, but the individuals who are the Lord’s and who are seeking to please him, to serve him, to lay down their lives in obedience to his will and in the forwarding of the divine purposes, are called upon so to do.—Z 1907-263 (Hymn 240)
MARCH 13
The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord: and he delighteth in his way. Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down: for the Lord upholdeth him with his hand.—Psalm 37:23,24
OUR text presupposes that in the class described the human will has been transformed—that the divine will has been accepted as instead of the human; and that the child of God is seeking to walk in the ways of righteousness, in which he has already started; and the proper thought to be gathered is that thus seeking to walk in the Lord’s ways, God will not permit his imperfections of judgment to work him any injury, but will supervise his affairs; will overrule so that every step he may take, although it be taken of his own will, his own volition—his consecrated will, however—shall be overruled for his good; for his development as a new creature in Christ. If he shall err in judgment, and bring upon himself the consequences of his error, the Lord’s wisdom and power are such that he can fulfill all the provisions of this promise, and make even his blunders and weaknesses to so react as to strengthen his character and establish him in righteousness, developing in him by these and other experiences the fruits and graces of the Spirit, which will eventually fit and prepare him for joint-heirship in the kingdom.—Z 1903-70 (Hymn 145)
MARCH 14
He is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by Him, seeing He ever liveth to make intercession for them.—Heb. 7:25
THROUGHOUT the Gospel age, the Lord’s people by the eye of faith beheld the great High Priest as their Advocate, who ever liveth to make intercession for us, while he awaited the Father’s time for his coming forth a second time to make good his exceeding great and precious spiritual promises and blessings upon his church, and to grant the promised restitution blessings to the world, foretold “by all the holy prophets since the world began.” But in advance of the actual blessings, by faith, all who are his brethren, his disciples, walking in his footsteps, seeking to fulfill their sacrifice as he fulfilled his, and under his assistance and direction, may realize that they are not aliens and strangers and foreigners from God, but that they are accepted with the Father—not directly but indirectly, “accepted in the Beloved,” who is our Intercessor, our Advocate, and in whom alone we have a standing before the Father and may ask or expect any favors.—Z 1901-182 (Hymn 258)
MARCH 15
I was glad when they said unto me, Let us go into the house of the Lord.—Psalm 122:1
THOSE who hear the invitation to become members of the house of God, the house of sons, the antitypical Temple, and who receive the invitation into good and honest hearts, are indeed made glad: “Blessed are the people who know the joyful sound.” We couple with this a similar expression by the same poet prophet, who declares, “I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.” Not in earthly houses, not in earthly temples, do we hope to dwell forever, but those who become members, living stones in the spiritual house, the heavenly Temple now under construction, will indeed dwell in the house of the Lord forever. For them to go out would mean the destruction of the house, for of it they will be members in particular; as the Lord declares they will be pillars in the house of the Lord, and the ministers of his grace and truth to all the people. This text will be true also of the world during the millennial age. All mankind will then be invited to approach the Lord in worship, to approach the spiritual Temple, The Christ, and through The Christ to approach the Father; and all who shall hear that message and who shall obey it will be glad indeed, even as the message brought by the angels at the birth of Jesus intimated that eventually the tidings of great joy shall be unto all people.—Z 1903-444 (Hymn 54)
MARCH 16
The Lord is our King; he will save us.—Isa. 33:22
OUR text is one the sentiments of which should be deeply impressed upon the hearts of all the Lord’s people. The world may cry out, saying, “We have no king but Caesar,” but the Lord’s people, the Israelites indeed, will feel the reverse of this—that “the Lord is our King.” In harmony with his command we will honor earthly kings and obey earthly laws in every particular in which they do not conflict with the divine law; but nevertheless, above earthly kings, our esteem, homage, and obedience must be to him whom the Lord hath appointed, King Immanuel. If he be enthroned in our hearts it will be comparatively easy for us to be loyal to him in our conduct and in our words, wherever we may be. If we deny him, he will also deny us; but if we confess him he will also confess us before the Father and the holy angels—he will save us ultimately. Through us as his church, his body, he will, according to the original promise, bless all the families of the earth which we, with him, will then inherit.—Z 1903-206 (Hymn 290)
MARCH 17
Speak; for Thy servant heareth.—I Sam. 3:10
THE Lord speaks in our day in a different manner from that in which he spoke in olden times. As the Scriptures declare, “God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son.” (Heb. 1:1,2) The Word of the Lord is still precious and scarce in that it is not, at the present time, given to all, but only to a certain class; as it is written, “He that hath an ear to hear, let him hear.” The majority of mankind hath no ear to hear at the present time, no eye to see the glorious beauty of God’s plan. As the apostle explains, “The god of this world hath blinded” their minds—earthly things, earthly ambitions, earthly hopes, earthly calls and voices, distract their attention, fill their capacity; but blessed are our eyes, for they see, and our ears, for they hear, and blessed shall we be if, like Samuel, when we hear the Lord’s message we respond promptly, “Speak; for Thy servant heareth.” Such as thus respond shall be taught of God—by the Word of his grace—the words of the Lord Jesus, and the words of his inspired apostles—instructed and guided in the understanding of these through the Holy Spirit, through various helps and channels and agents which the Lord is pleased to use—perhaps a tract, perhaps a book, perhaps a letter, perhaps a conversation, perhaps a sermon.—Z 1907-349 (Hymn 49)
MARCH 18
There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.—Proverbs 14:12
THIS text is worthy of being committed to memory by all. Its lesson is that we are not competent to guide and direct our own affairs; that we need divine counsel. Human judgment would be unreliable even if supported by absolute knowledge; but in view of our deficiency in knowledge as well as in judgment, very evidently to man many ways seem right and wise and advantageous and desirable which, pursued, lead to disappointment and chagrin and ultimately would lead to death—second death. The wise, proper course for all, therefore, is to realize and acknowledge our own insufficiency, unwisdom, and to look to our great Creator for guidance. Happy are those who heed the scriptural injunction, “Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth.” The earlier this right course is begun the better will be the results every way, the easier will it be for us to bend our wills to the will of the Lord; and the lessons and satisfaction and peace coming to us through the Lord’s guidance will be the more precious. A full consecration of the heart and life and all our interests to the Lord, that his will may be done in us in all things, is the consecration necessary to the bringing of every justified believer into fellowship in the body of Christ, which is the church.—Z 1903-352 (Hymn 12)
MARCH 19
I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who hath enabled me, for that he counted me faithful.—I Tim. 1:12
AH, YES, what a blessed satisfaction it is to us to know that while the Lord knows of our every word and every deed he is pleased to count us something different, even from our words and our deeds—something better! Our words do not always represent the full sentiments of our hearts; our conduct does not come up to the standard: after the words have been spoken and after the deeds have been done—perhaps to the very best of our ability—we realize that they have come short of the glory of God, and short of our own ideals, desire, and efforts. How consoling it is to us, then, to know that our imperfect work shall be acceptable through Christ to God; that the Lord counts us according to our intentions, according to our wills. Praise his name! We would have no hope of coming up to any standard of perfection which he would approve, were it not for his gracious arrangement by which our imperfections are covered by our Redeemer’s perfection and sacrifice, and our works accepted according to the intentions and desires of our hearts.—Z 1902-134 (Hymn 125)
MARCH 20
And I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the Word of God, … and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.—Rev. 20:4
DEARLY beloved, the time is short, the great prize we seek is near, the “mark” or standard of character to be attained is plainly set before us, and the Scriptures are luminous with illustrations of the necessity for complete consecration to the Lord, showing us that it means deadness to self. Shall we not each see to it that by the grace of God every other head and authority is completely cut off and cast aside, and that henceforth, as the apostle expressed it, “For me to live is Christ”—as a member of the body of Christ, guided by his will as discerned through his Word and providence and example? This is another picture of full completion of character likeness to our Lord. Did he not fully give up his own headship, his own will, to the Father’s will? He surely did; and as that full consecration was rewarded by the Father, so we have the assurance that our full consecration (and nothing less than this) will be fully rewarded by our Lord and Head in the kingdom.—Z 1901-229 (Hymn 326)
MARCH 21
Blessed is that man that maketh the Lord his trust.—Psa. 40:4
IF WE leave the world to become the Lord’s people, and receive the lessons of experience at his hand with proper faith in him, the outcome will surely be a readiness and promptness to make a full consecration, a full submission of ourselves to do the Lord’s will; to follow his leadings; to inherit whatsoever he has for us. And if the faith be of the proper kind we will say with the prophet, “I will fear no evil: for Thou art with me; Thy rod and Thy staff they comfort me.” Such, and such alone, can be led of the Lord in this present Gospel age, in which we must walk by faith, not by sight. Such alone will have the confidence to go forward encountering the various oppositions within and without in the present time. Such will eventually be God’s representatives and leaders in the blessing of the world in the millennial age. Let us learn well the lesson of faith, of trust, as God informs us of his appreciation of this quality, and that he can deal with us only in proportion as we possess it, so in our own experiences we find that we love most to assist and encourage those who manifest an abiding confidence in us.—Z 1902-259 (Hymn 174)
MARCH 22
Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when He shall appear, we shall be like Him; for we shall see Him as He is.—I John 3:2
HAVING confessed this relationship before man, it is for us to show and for them and the Lord to see whether it has been in vain or with a sincere heart. If the latter, we will to the extent of our ability be showing forth the praises of him who hath called us out of darkness into his marvelous light, and this thought will help to hold us firm and loyal to our obligations to the Lord and his truth, and to all the members of the household of faith, to each of whom we have become related through this Spirit of adoption. In line with this the apostle exhorts, See “that ye receive not the grace of God in vain.” Our adoption into the Lord’s family in the present life is merely on probation. If faithful, the matter will be confirmed, and we will be granted our perfect bodies in the first resurrection and a share with our Redeemer in his glory, honor, and immortality.—Z 1907-189 (Hymn 21)
MARCH 23
Where sin abounded, grace did much more abound.—Rom. 5:20
OUR text is the key to all of our hopes. Sin abounded against not only our first parents, but all of their posterity, unto sentence of death. But God’s grace abounded still more, and toward all, in that he provided, through Christ, not only a recovery of all who will of mankind from the penalty of sin and death, but also that the restored and perfected race shall have all that was lost in Eden, full and complete, and that everlastingly. Additionally God’s grace abounded to the extent of taking out of the world of sinners a little flock to be heirs of God and joint-heirs with Jesus Christ, whose nature is to be changed, so that they, instead of longer being of the human nature, will become partakers of the divine nature, sharers of the divine glory and honor and office with their Lord Jesus—far above angels, principalities and powers, and every name that is named. O, for such loving-kindness and tender mercy which abounded toward us while we were yet sinners, and which much more abounds toward us in Christ, now that we are accepted in the Beloved One—for this let the Lord’s people give thanks continually, and let the thankfulness of heart extend and manifest itself in words and conduct, in all that we do and say, that all may be to the praise of his glory who has called us out of darkness into his marvelous light!—Z 1901-220 (Hymn 68)
MARCH 24
If a man therefore purge himself … he shall be a vessel unto honor, sanctified, and meet for the Master’s use, and prepared unto every good work.—II Tim. 2:21
THE Lord can honor such vessels because they honor him; they fairly represent him and his cause. If they are meek and humble-minded, not inclined to think of themselves more highly than they ought to think, but to think soberly, the Lord can exalt them to positions of trust and honor without injury either to themselves or to the cause; and thus they are more and more sanctified and prepared for every good work. Let as many, therefore, as would be honored and used by the Master now and hereafter—as many as have this hope in them—seek to purify themselves, to purge out the old leaven of sin. In the language of another forceful illustration, let us endeavor to war a good warfare against the world, the flesh, and the devil. And be assured that in these duties we have the work of a lifetime; and even at its close we will still find the necessity for the robe of Christ’s righteousness to cover the remaining deformities of our character.—Z 1902-318 (Hymn 333)
MARCH 25
When he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth.—John 16:13
THE Holy Spirit, in harmony with our Lord’s promise, was sent only to the consecrated class, and was to abide in the true church class, “the body of Christ,” and we, and all others who since have come into fellowship and union with our Lord, “the Head of the body which is his church,” have thus come into and under the influence of the Holy Spirit, our rightful portion and privilege. By this Spirit we were begotten to the spiritual nature, and became heirs of all the exceeding great and precious promises which belong to the “body of Christ”—Z 1901-175 (Hymn 91)
MARCH 26
They cry unto the Lord in their trouble, and he saveth them out of their distresses.—Psa. 107:19
WHEN fleshly Israel learned one lesson after another, and as fast as each was learned sent a cry of loyalty up to God, his power was exercised on their behalf and their deliverance was effected. So with the spiritual Israelite when he recognizes the true situation and with thorough repentance turns unto the Lord and cries for deliverance from his own weaknesses and imperfections according to the flesh—his prayer is heard and his deliverance is provided for with the assurance that the Lord’s grace is sufficient. The condition of the spiritual Israelite is represented in our text. Such a cry to the Lord, however, implies that the sins and weaknesses of the flesh were contrary to the transgressor’s will; it implies that in some manner he was seduced or entangled by the world, the flesh, or the Adversary, and that his heart is still loyal to the Lord and to the truth. All such who cry unto the Lord in sincerity and faith shall be heard, shall be delivered—his grace is sufficient for us.—Z 1902-331 (Hymn 257)
MARCH 27
Who is worthy?—Rev. 5:2
THE Lord is seeking his precious jewels. Many of them are indeed diamonds in the rough. The real diamond is a noble, loyal, faithful character, devoted and uncompromising in its allegiance to God. Sometimes the circumstances of life have deprived such of education or culture and have left them only sufficient means for the barest necessities of life. But no matter, God’s eye is on them; character is what he is looking for, and in due time, when that character is sufficiently developed, confirmed, tested, and proved worthy of exaltation, he can and will add to it all the glories of knowledge and wisdom and grace and beauty. But first he will subject it to all the necessary tests. If it is a true diamond it will receive and it will also transmit to others the light of divine truth. Nothing so gloriously reflects the truth as the worthy character of the true and faithful saint. Another way of testing a diamond is to put it under pressure. If it is a real diamond it will stand the pressure, for the diamond is the hardest substance known; but if it is not a real diamond it will go to pieces and thus prove itself spurious. So God allows us to come under the constant pressure of years of toil and care and self-sacrifice to see how we will endure; and blessed is that diamond-proved character that endures to the end.—Z 1902-333 (Hymn 279)
MARCH 28
The blessing of the Lord, it maketh rich, and he addeth no sorrow with it.—Prov. 10:22
WHEN we see a noble example like that of our Lord, who was rich in everything, and who gave all, we rejoice in it, and realize that as his sacrifice was so great his reward also is proportionately great. When we see the noble example of the Apostle Paul, who possessing some considerable wealth of ability, talent, and influence, and possibly of financial means also, laid these all, a willing, a glad sacrifice, at the feet of the Lord, laying them all down with joy in God’s service, in the service of the truth, in the service of the brethren, it causes our hearts to rejoice, and we feel sure that one so rich, and who spent his riches so faithfully, will be one to shine very brightly in the kingdom when it is set up and manifested. And so, undoubtedly, it will be with all the royal priesthood—in proportion as they have sacrificed their possessions. Those who joyfully endure for the Lord’s sake, the truth’s sake, the greatest shame, the greatest ignominy, the greatest trials, the greatest persecutions in this present life, and thus have experiences most like those of the Master and pattern, we may be sure will in proportion to their faithfulness manifested in such sacrifices, have a future great reward—as the apostle has declared, “Star differeth from star in glory.”—Z 1901-55 (Hymn 277)
MARCH 29
Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us: therefore let us keep the feast.—I Cor. 5:7,8
WHAT a meaning is in these words when seen in connection with the Memorial Supper as the remembrancer of the Jewish Passover! How the light of the type illuminates the antitype! As the firstborn of Israel were exposed to death, so “the church of the first-born whose names are written in heaven” are now on trial for life or death everlasting. As then all the typical firstborn were safe so long as they remained in the house and ate of the lamb whose blood was sprinkled upon the doorposts and lintel, so we who abide in the household of faith under the better “blood of sprinkling” and who eat of our Passover Lamb, Jesus, are safe from death—sure of life everlasting under God’s providence. We do not now recognize the typical lamb, but instead Jesus, “the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.” On him we feed; not eating his flesh literally, but by faith partaking of the merit of his sacrifice and appropriating it to ourselves. All through this night of the Gospel age do we thus feast on our Lamb—until the morning of the Millennium, when we shall be delivered. The annual Memorial Supper is not our feast, but an illustration or archetype of it—a remembrancer—most beautiful, most solemn, helpful. Let us keep the feast of faith and also the Memorial Supper.—Z 1908-38 (Hymn 190)
MARCH 30
Jesus took bread, and blessed it, and brake it, and gave it to the disciples, and said, Take, eat; this is my body.—Matt. 26:26
AS BREAD stands for and symbolizes all food, so the teaching of this symbol is that whoever would have the life which Christ has to give must accept it as the result of his sacrifice. He died that we might live. The rights and privileges which he surrendered voluntarily may be eaten, applied, appropriated by all who have faith in him and who accept him and his instructions—such are reckoned as having imputed to them the perfect human. nature, with all its rights and privileges lost by Adam, redeemed by Christ. None can have eternal life except by the eating of this Bread from heaven.. This applies not only to believers of this present time, but also to those of the future age. Their life rights and privileges must all be recognized as coming to them through his sacrifice. In a word, the bread representing our Lord’s body teaches our justification through the acceptance of his sacrifice.—Z 1906-334 (Hymn 2)
MARCH 31
And He took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all of it.—Matt. 26:27
OUR Lord distinctly declares that the cup, the fruit of the vine, represents blood, hence life; not life retained, but life shed or given, yielded up, sacrificed life. He tells us that it was for the remission of sins, and that all who would be his must drink of it—must accept his sacrifice and appropriate it by faith. All who would be justified through faith must accept life from this one source. It will not do to claim that faith in and obedience to any great teacher will amount to the same thing, and bring eternal life. There is no other way to attain eternal life except through accepting the blood once shed as the ransom-price for the sins of the whole world. There is no other name given under heaven or among men whereby we must be saved. Likewise there is no other way that we can attain to the new nature than by accepting the Lord’s invitation to drink of his cup, and be broken with him as members of the one loaf, and to be buried with him in baptism into his death, and thus to be with him in his resurrection to glory, honor, and immortality.
Let us, when we celebrate this grand memorial, not forget to give thanks to the Lord for our justification, and also for the grand privilege we enjoy of being fellow sacrificers with our Redeemer, and filling up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ. And while sorrowful and thoughtful, meditative and full of heart searchings on this occasion, let us, as did the Lord, triumph through faith and go forth singing praise to him who called us out of darkness into his marvelous light, and who has privileged us thus to have fellowship in the great transaction now in progress.—Z 1901-76 (Hymn 122)