| Christian Life and Doctrine | July 1950 |
“Songs in the Night”
JULY 1
Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise: be thankful unto Him, and bless His name.—Psa. 100:4
IN SOME respects the city of God is the church—not the nominal system, but the true church, whose “names are written in heaven.” According to the apostle the justified believers can enter into this city only by consecration. The apostle exhorts, “I beseech you, brethren, … present your bodies a living sacrifice.” There are some who seem to enter this gateway of sacrifice in sorrow and with a measure of regret—with a feeling that they are sacrificing too much. They either overestimate the things sacrificed or they underestimate the things which they are securing. It would have been better for such if they had sat down and counted the cost before taking the step of consecration. The proper attitude of all is to take a right view of that which now is and that which is to come and what we have contracted to do as priests, doing it, then, joyfully. And thus this lesson is learned, that we “enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise.” The appreciative child of God will be able to “count it all joy” when he falls into various difficulties, because it will be a trial of his faith that “tribulation worketh patience; and patience experience; and experience hope,” which maketh not ashamed and is a preparation for the glories of the kingdom.—Z 1908-311 (Hymn 236)
JULY 2
Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.—Prov. 4:23
THIS is true in two senses. The issues of life as respects the words and deeds of life are all guided and influenced by the heart. If our deeds and words would be pure and holy and helpful they must be backed by a loyalty of heart. Again, “Out of it are the issues of life,” in the sense that the ultimate results that we shall obtain are not according to any formula of the vow which we make, nor of any creed to which we might assent, nor of any course of study which we might undertake; but those issues would be dependent upon and determined by the real attitude of our hearts, because all the lessons of life, if they extend only to the outward man and not the inward springs, will never bring us to the life eternal, which the Lord has promised to those that love him with all their hearts, to those who are fully consecrated in heart to him and his service.—Z 1908-382 (Hymn 198)
JULY 3
And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity [love].—I Cor. 13:13
THE Apostle Paul would have the church see that faith, hope, and love, three fruits of the Spirit, are far superior to all the “gifts” of the Spirit of any kind, because these will abide all through the age. Until the millennial morning we shall need faith; we shall need hope; we shall need love. We cannot get along without them. We cannot make any progress in the footsteps of Jesus without them. But if we seek to contrast these imperfect qualities among themselves, he points out that the chiefest of these is love. Why the chiefest? Because it is the divine quality without which, with all the other qualities possessed, we should still be unsatisfactory to God. It is the quality which will persist to all eternity. We shall always need to have love, if we abide in divine favor. As for faith and hope, excellent qualities though they be, the time will come when they will be swallowed up by sight, by fruition, by the actualities of the glorious condition of fellowship with the Lord. But love will never fail. Among all the graces of the Spirit it stands supreme and eternal.—Z 1909-231 (Hymn 219)
JULY 4
And the barrel of meal wasted not, and neither did the cruse of oil fail, according to the Word of the Lord.—I Kings 17:16
NOT always, or even often, does God deal with his people after the manner of miraculous provision for their sustenance. Nevertheless, we are to recognize him as the Author of all our blessings—“Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights.” … The meal, the bread, of that time might fitly be considered as a symbol of the Bread of truth, of which we are privileged to eat, and of which our supply is continued from day to day. The olive oil, used by the ancients much as we use butter, is frequently used in the Scriptures as representing divine grace and the Holy Spirit; and so we, as the Lord’s people, are not only supplied with the Bread of truth, but also with the Spirit of truth, which helps to make it nourishing and profitable to us.—Z 1898-192 (Hymn 286)
JULY 5
And the men did the work faithfully.—II Chronicles 12:15
OUR great work is in connection with the future glorified temple of God, (a) to co-operate with God in his work of grace in our hearts, by which we are being fitted and prepared for a place in the temple of his glory, and (b) to assist others, both by precept and example, for places in the same. Like Solomon’s typical temple, this great temple will shortly come together “without the sound of a hammer,” every part fitting to its place perfectly. Then, shortly, the glory of the Lord will fill the temple; “Then the righteous shall shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father”; then in and through this glorious temple all the world of mankind shall be privileged to draw near to God for forgiveness of sins and for reconciliation through the precious blood of Christ, and the great work of the Millennium will begin—the blessing of all the families of the earth through the “elect,” the “royal priesthood.”—Z 1898-295 (Hymn Appendix V)
JULY 6
There is that scattereth, and yet increaseth; and there is that withholdeth more than is meet, but it tendeth to poverty. The liberal soul shall be made fat: and he that watereth shall be watered also himself.—Proverbs 11:24,25
THE evident lesson here is that the Lord is pleased to see his people cultivate breadth of heart as well as of mind—generosity in proportion to their knowledge of him and of his generosity. The Scriptures nowhere declare that cases of absolute privation among the Lord’s people are proofs that at some time in their past life when possessed of means, they failed to use a portion of it in charity, in the Lord’s service. But the inspired words above quoted come very close to giving this lesson. At all events it is profitable that we lay this testimony to heart and that every child of God henceforth shall be earnestly careful that out of the blessings of the Lord coining to us day by day some measure be carefully, prayerfully, lovingly laid aside as seed to be sown in the Lord’s service according to the best wisdom and judgment which he will give us.—Z 1916-218 (Hymn 226)
JULY 7
A friend loveth at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.—Prov. 17:17
WELL has the wise man said that a friend loveth at all times. He who merely loves at a time when he thinks it will be to his own advantage to love knows not love. He who loves, and is a brother in prosperity merely, and whose love and friendship wither under the heat of persecution and adversity, has never known love in its true sense, but merely a certain brand of selfishness—the love of the world. As God commended his love toward us and showed us that not through selfishness, but generosity, at a great cost to himself, he provided us release from our prison, and gave us privileges of sonship, so true love will be willing to sacrifice. Let us judge then of our love for others, for the Lord, for the brethren, for our families, for our neighbors, for our enemies even by our willingness to sacrifice in their interest and for their highest welfare. If we find ourselves sacrificing nothing in the interest of the Lord’s cause, let us not delude ourselves by saying that we love the Lord: If we find ourselves unwilling to endure, to sacrifice in the interests of the brethren and others dear to us, let us not mistake the matter and call it love. If we find ourselves unwilling to do kindness even to our enemies when they are in need, let us make no mistake; for the Lord hath declared that a course of goodness and mercy and self-denial is the only index of a loving heart. If once we can see that such a love of heart is essential to a place in the kingdom it will make us doubly earnest in the attainment of such a character. If still further than this, we see that none will ever gain eternal life in this age or that which is to come, except as he or she shall possess a heart of love, it will help to awaken us to realize that love indeed is the principal thing, the most important thing to be attained and cultivated by ourselves, yea, by all.—Z 1908-249 (Hymn 23)
JULY 8
He was seen of me also, as of one born out of due time.—I Cor. 15:8
HE WAS not thus seen by the other apostles. They saw him merely as he appeared—sometimes in one form of body and with appropriate clothing, at other times in another form, and with diverse clothing. He appeared and disappeared, but they did not see him, the new creature; they saw merely the various forms in which he appeared. But the Apostle Paul saw the Lord more nearly as all the saints shall see him when they shall be born from the dead by the glorious resurrection change.—Z 1912-177 (Hymn 265)
JULY 9
The joy of the Lord is your strength.—Neh. 8:10
WHOEVER can exercise the proper faith in the Lord and in his Word can rejoice; those who cannot exercise the faith cannot have the joy and rejoicing in this present time, but must wait for their portion by and by. The Lord is now seeking those who may firmly trust him, come what may; he is seeking those who will walk by faith, not by sight. Those who cannot walk by faith now will have the opportunity of walking by sight very shortly, when the kingdom shall be established. They indeed shall have a goodly portion, but the portion which God has specially provided for the faithful is joint-heirship with his Son in the kingdom. Let us, then, who have accepted the Lord and his Word, cast away everything of doubt and of fear, and live rejoicingly day by day while seeking to walk in the footsteps of him who loved us and bought us with his precious blood. The joy of the Lord is our strength, the joy which God gives, the joy which comes from realizing that the Lord is our fortress, and that no ill can betide us without his knowledge, and that he has promised that all things shall work together for good to them that love him—with all their heart, mind, soul, and strength.—Z 1905-365 (Hymn 57)
JULY 10
I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision.—Acts 26:19
NOTING that the Apostle Paul was so faithful a follower of the Lord Jesus, and that his enlightenment in many respects so clearly illustrates our own spiritual enlightenment in this harvest time, let us lay well to heart the words of this text. Let us, dear brethren and sisters, who have seen in the light of this harvest time the light of the Lord’s presence (parousia), shining above the brightness of all earthly light, giving a light of the knowledge of the glory of God, showing us something of the divine character and plan—let us not be disobedient unto the heavenly vision, but faithful to our privileges and opportunities in letting the light that has shined into our hearts and minds so shine out to others in our words, and in the living epistles of our lives, that men may glorify our Father which is in heaven.—Z 1901-187 (Hymn 58)
JULY 11
A cloud covered the tent of the congregation, … because the cloud abode thereon, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle.—Exod. 40:34,35
WHEN our conversion took place it meant not only the ordering of our minds in accord with the Lord, placing spirituality and veneration first—in the center of our affections—but it meant more than this. … The glory of the Lord filled us. We realized to some extent that we were accepted of the Lord, and the enlightenment of the Holy Spirit has since then been with us, an ever present help and guide: a pillar of cloud, it has blessed us day by day in shielding us from the things that would be too trying for us; a pillar of fire by night, it has granted us enlightenment in darkness, and the keeping, protecting power of him who has promised that all things shall work together for our good because we are his and love him and have placed him first in our hearts, and are thus among the called ones according to his purpose. Thus the new will ordained of God and instructed from his Word may, as the priest in each of us, have intercourse with the Father in the merit of the great atonement sacrifice.—Z 1907-218 (Hymn 332)
JULY 12
The Lord is with us; fear them not.—Num. 14:9
GOD could miraculously give us powers of mind and of body which would make us superior to every outward circumstance; but instead of so doing he merely justifies us by faith, and tells us to reckon ourselves as complete, perfect, because of the imputation of our Redeemer’s merit. From this standpoint of faith all the battles of spiritual Israel are won or lost. “According to thy faith be it unto you.” Those, therefore, who can and will exercise full faith, full confidence in all of the divine promises may go from victory to victory, from blessing to blessing, from joy to joy, from one attainment to another, and have a glorious victory in the end over the world, the flesh, and the Adversary, through the imputed merit and continued assistance of him who loved us and bought us with his precious blood.—Z 1907-252 (Hymn 333)
JULY 13
In your patience possess ye your souls.—Luke 21:19
“YE HAVE need of patience,” writes the apostle. “Let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing,” the apostle explains. Very evidently patience, therefore, includes other graces of character—implies their possession to a certain extent. Among the Lord’s people patience surely must be preceded by faith, and the degree of patience very generally measures the amount of the faith. The Christian who finds himself impatient and restless evidently is lacking in faith toward the Lord; for otherwise he would be able to rest in the Lord’s gracious promises, and wait for their fulfillment. After using reasonable diligence and energy he should be content to leave the results and the times and seasons with the Lord.—Z 1903-364 (Hymn 13)
JULY 14
Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ.—II Cor. 10:5
THE scriptural proposition is that even the most saintly of the Lord’s people, the most developed in character, will need the merit of Christ’s righteousness imputed to them until they are made perfect in the first resurrection. Only in our minds, in our wills, have the old things passed away and all things become new. Actually, this great change will be accomplished when this mortal shall have put on immortality, when this corruptible shall be raised in incorruption—raised in glory, in power, spirit beings. But meantime, in order to be counted worthy of a share in the first resurrection, it is required of us that we shall demonstrate our willingness of mind, our earnest desire to be all that the Lord would have us be; and in no way can this be better demonstrated to the Lord and to ourselves, or prove more helpful, than by keeping a strict surveillance of our hearts and of our thoughts.—Z 1904-26 (Hymn 52)
JULY 15
He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.—I Cor. 1:31
IF WE open our hearts to receive all that divine grace has in store for us, then, indeed, we may glory in the Lord. Let such a one “glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me.” To thus know the Lord is not merely to know of him, to know something of his works and ways, but it is to know by that intimate fellowship and communion which, by a living faith, seals the testimonies of his Word upon our hearts and makes us to realize that they are ours personally, that the Lord himself is our personal friend and helper and counselor and guide. We thus become acquainted with his spirit, his principles and methods of action. We understand him; we know how to interpret his providences, to mark his leadings, to observe his attitude toward us and thus daily to walk with him. Thus also we are led to a fuller appreciation of the Lord’s righteousness and of his loving-kindness, which will in due time establish justice in all the earth. Well, indeed, may we glory in the Lord and in the fact of his great condescension to us personally, when thus we come to understand and know him.—Z 1896-18 (Hymn 59)
JULY 16
O Lord, open thou my lips; and my mouth shall show forth thy praise.—Psalm 51:15
THIS expression implies that none need expect to have a proper opening of their mouths to show forth the Lord’s praises, and give the call from darkness into his marvelous light, unless the Lord shall first have opened their lips with his mercy and truth; for otherwise how could any expect to tell the glad tidings of great joy which shall be unto all people? This equally implies that all who have had forgiveness of sins should be in a condition of spirit to make a full consecration of their all to the Lord, and then all such should expect an unsealing of their lips, that the message of God’s truth and grace may flow out from them for the instruction and blessing of others—as it is written, “Grace is poured upon thy lips.” “Thou hast put a new song in my mouth, even the loving-kindness of our God.” While these are appropriate especially to our dear Redeemer, they are appropriate also to every member of the church which is his body. and all claiming to be of “the body,” who have never had their lips unsealed to confess the Lord to the extent of their opportunity. have reason to question everything pertaining to their relationship to the Lord.—Z 1903-384 (Hymn 36)
JULY 17
I am the resurrection. and the life: he that believeth in Me, though he were dead, yet shall he live.—John 11:25
WE WHO now believe in the Lord and are thereby justified through faith in his blood, and who have heard the call to glory, honor, and immortality, and who have accepted the same by a full consecration to the Lord—we are sometimes spoken of as already having a new life, the resurrection life, as already having passed from death into life. This, of course, is a figurative use of the words resurrection and life. Reckonedly, we have left the old nature and received the new nature from the Lord through the begetting of the Holy Spirit, and it is this new nature which is to be perfected in the first resurrection. And since our human natures are reckoned dead from the moment we are begotten of the Spirit, it is quite reasonable and proper that the Scriptures should speak of our present condition as a resurrected condition; that we have risen out of the old order of life and hope and aim to new conditions; that we have started on the new way to life; that the present experiences are transforming, and that the grand consummation of all this transformation will be the actual change from weakness to power, from the natural body to a spiritual body, from dishonor to glory, when we shall participate actually in the glorious change of the Lord’s resurrection.—Z 1908-106 (Hymn 156)
JULY 18
Go ye and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.—Matt. 28:19
THE spirit of Christianity is an aggressive one. The Gospel sets before the true believer an object, a motive, which inspires to an enthusiasm of the highest degree. The message becomes a burning one which must flame forth as a true light to enlighten others. Otherwise it would become extinct, smothered. “Quench not the Holy Spirit, whereby ye are sealed,” may surely be applied to a proper missionary spirit, as well as in other ways.—Z 1909-92 (Hymn 45)
JULY 19
Whoever is born [begotten] of God doth not commit sin. For his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin because he is born [begotten] of God.—I John 3:9
THE thought here is not that any of the Lord’s people become perfect in the flesh, so that they never err in thought, word, or deed. The thought is that the new will is counted the new creature, separate and distinct from the flesh, so that while the will, the heart, is fully loyal to the Lord, in opposition to sin, the flesh is reckoned dead to sin, and hence any of its weaknesses and imperfections which are unintentional, not assented to by the new will, the new creature, are not counted by the Lord, who knows us not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. Thus, as the Apostle Paul declares, The righteousness of the Law is fulfilled in us who walk not after the flesh desiring to serve it, but after the Spirit endeavoring to do the Lord’s will.—Z 1903-363 (Hymn 82)
JULY 20
My help cometh from the Lord, which made heaven and earth.—Psalm 121:2
THOSE who need help and who realize it should look to the Lord for it—not relying upon their own strength’ or wisdom nor upon the assistance of their fellows. We are not to despise assistance from any quarter, but our thief reason for receiving any assistance should be our conviction that it has come from the Lord, whether through the ear or through the eye and the printed page, or however. We are to remember that we are contending against a great Adversary and wily foe, and that we are not sufficient of ourselves to conquer, but that our only hope is abiding in the Lord’s love, by seeking to do those things which are pleasing to him, and heeding the counsel of his Word and the leadings of his providence. A little carelessness along these lines, and the Adversary might readily entrap us and ensnare us and then lead us captive at his will. Ah, yes! we have the assurance of the Lord that there is but one place of safety at this time—into which more and more deeply we penetrate day by day. This place of safety is under the shadow of the Almighty, which figuratively signifies very close to the Lord. “No harm can come nigh that dwelling place,” so far as the new creature is concerned. Trials, tribulations, slanders may be exercised against us according to the flesh, but these cannot harm us as new creatures, nor even disturb our peace of soul, while we are close to the Lord.—Z 1909-18 (Hymn 305)
JULY 21
Thy rod and Thy staff they comfort me.—Psa. 23:4
THE shepherd’s rod or club was of hard wood, sometimes open and preferably of the shape of a golf stick, except that it was shorter and much heavier. With it the shepherd was prepared to defend the flock, combating every foe. The staff was lighter and more like a cane and longer, with a crook at the end. With its point the shepherd at times prodded the sheep that were careless, and with the hook he sometimes helped out one that had stumbled into the ditch, by putting the crook under its forelegs. Our Shepherd, too, has a rod for our enemies and a staff for his sheep—the one for our protection, the other for our relief and assistance and correction. How glad we are to know that all power is committed unto him in heaven and in earth, and that under his protecting care nothing shall by any means harm us! What a comfort is here! No wonder that under such circumstances the sheep may enjoy “the peace of God which passeth all understanding,” resting themselves, comforting themselves in the assurance that all things shall be overruled for their eternal welfare!—Z 1908-348 (Hymn 284)
JULY 22
Study to show thyself approved unto God.—II Tim. 2:15
THIS text does not say, “Study the Scriptures,” but “Study to show thyself approved”—study to know what God would approve. And yet it means, first of all, to study the revelation he has made. Then, after having come to some knowledge of the Scriptures, we must meditate upon them and consider how the Word is applicable to all of life’s affairs. Thus we would study the nature of everything that we come in contact with, as to whether it is good or evil. The word “study” here is used with very much the same thought as when the apostle says, “Study to be quiet.”—Z 1911-184 (Hymn 49)
JULY 23
Ye are a chosen generation; a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should show forth the praises of Him who hath called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.—I Pet. 2:9
THE Lord is very patient toward us. and gives us repeated opportunities to accomplish the work of sacrifice; but it must be accomplished, our wills must be slain, must be submitted to the Lord’s will, else we shall never attain to joint-heirship with him in the kingdom—never become members of the overcoming royal priesthood. He graciously gives us line upon line, lesson upon lesson respecting this subject; shows it to us in his Word from different standpoints, impressing upon us the necessity of being dead to self and alive toward God through Jesus Christ our Lord—the necessity of developing the various graces of the Spirit which are implied in this sacrificing work. Every one who will be a sacrificer must of necessity be meek, humble, teachable, else very shortly he will get out of the way. He must also learn to develop the grace of the Lord along the line of patience, because it certainly requires patience to deny ourselves and to submit at times to injustice where there is no proper means of avoiding it without doing injury to the Lord’s cause or to some of his people. It also implies a cultivation of brotherly kindness and, in a word, the development of the whole will of God in our hearts and lives; namely, love, which must be attained in a large and overcoming measure ere we shall have completed our earthly work of sacrificing.—Z 1903-408 (Hymn 20)
JULY 24
By this shall all men know that ye are My disciples, if ye have love one to another.—John 13:35
THE true spirit of brotherhood among the Lord’s disciples is most necessary for them individually and collectively. By the words of our text our Lord evidently meant us to understand that the rules and customs to prevail among his dear people should not be after the standards of the world, but of a much higher, much nobler, much more generous standard. To the extent that we are able to keep this in memory and to live according to this rule will be our joy in the Lord in the present time and our prospect of being joint-heirs with him in his glorious kingdom. Let us remember his words to the disciples on the subject of self-seeking: “Except … ye become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.” (Matt. 18:3)—Z 1907-250 (Hymn 27)
JULY 25
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life.—Psa. 23:6
“SURELY goodness and mercy shall pursue me all the days of my life.” This appears to be the stricter translation, and it contains a beautiful thought. These sheep of the Lord’s “little flock”—these “new creatures” of Christ Jesus, instead of being pursued by fears and terrors and trapped and ensnared, are following the Good Shepherd and hearkening to his voice; and according to his promise, God’s goodness and mercy are pursuing them, keeping after them, watching over them, assisting them, caring for them, upholding them in trials. These are the messengers of the Lord, of which the apostle wrote, “Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister unto those who shall be heirs of salvation?” Surely this is so. Looking back we can praise the way in which goodness and mercy have pursued us, never leaving us!—Z 1908-348 (Hymn 288)
JULY 26
They that were scattered abroad went everywhere preaching the Word.—Acts 8:4
SINCE the reapers are few, how necessary it is that the Lord should provide the extraordinary agencies which are now at our disposal for the circulation of the harvest message—the gathering of the wheat. May we not well say that the Lord times the inventions of our day so as to provide for the necessity of this harvest work, that every grain of wheat the whole world around may be found and gathered into the garner of the high dispensation—the heavenly? We believe that the principle noted in our text is still applicable—that the Lord does not wish his consecrated people, when they come into the light of present truth, to congregate specially in special cities, states, etc., but rather wills that they be scattered abroad. so that everywhere the truth shall lie preached and that they shall have the inestimable privilege of proclaiming it, serving it, and thus being blessed and upbuilt themselves and prepared for a share in the glory of the kingdom.—Z 1909-57 (Hymn 237)
JULY 27
Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.—Matt. 26:41
WATCHING and praying will cultivate confidence and faith in God, and preserve us from the trepidation and fear and stumbling which will surely upset many others; because from this standpoint of faith we shall know how to apply in our own time and under our own circumstances our Lord’s words to Pilate, “Thou couldst have no power at all over me except it were permitted of my Father.” God is still at the helm, and is still working all things according to the counsel of his own will. It is for us to come close to the Lord and to wait for the development of his plan with absolute confidence and fearlessness—except in the sense that we should fear to leave undone anything directed in his Word. Thus our Lord feared in Gethsemane, and in due time received divine assurance and the strengthening of his heart, and the calm rest and peace which properly accompanied that assurance. So it will be with us “after that we have suffered awhile” and our faith has been properly tested, the Lord will give us succor and “grace to help in every time of need.”—Z 1909-300 (Hymn 71)
JULY 28
He that shall humble himself shall be exalted.—Matt. 23:12
THE way of the cross, the way of humiliation and self-abasement, is the way to the crown, to that true honor that cometh from God only. Where now is the honor of the great ones of earth who have passed away—the Caesars, the Herods, the Alexanders and Napoleons; the Jewish scribes and Pharisees and doctors of the Law and Rabbis? and where all the reverend Popes and Cardinals and Bishops and Priests of the great Apostasy who proudly flourished in their day? They have all come to naught, and in the millennial judgment they will come forth to shame and confusion of face, stripped of all their honors. But those truly great ones—“great in the sight of the Lord”—are reserved unto honor and glory and power at the appearing and kingdom of Jesus Christ.—Z 1896-11 (Hymn 261)
JULY 29
Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord, my strength, and my Redeemer.—Psa. 19:14
THAT as imperfect beings we may always be perfect in word and in deed is not possible. Despite our best endeavors we will sometimes err in word as well as in deed, yet the perfect mastery of our words and ways is the thing to be sought by vigilant and faithful effort. But nevertheless, for every idle word we must give an account in this our day of judgment. If, in the daily scrutiny of our ways, which is the duty of every Christian, we discover that in any particular our words have been dishonoring to the Lord, we should remember that “if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father. Jesus Christ the Righteous” (I John 2:1); and in the name of our Advocate we may approach the throne of grace, explain to our Heavenly Father our realization of the error, our deep regret at our failure to honor his name and his cause by a holy walk and conversation, and humbly request that the sin be not laid to our charge, but that it may be blotted out through his gracious provision for our cleansing through Christ, humbly claiming that in his precious blood is all our hope and trust.—Z 1896-32 (Hymn 218)
JULY 30
Holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus; who was faithful to Him that appointed him.—Heb. 3:1,2
CONSIDER the necessity of his (Christ Jesus) being tested before being so highly exalted, and you will not wonder that you as partakers of the same high, heavenly calling should be severely tried to prove faithfulness to God’s Word and plan, that you may be worthy to share in his glory. Consider that though your Master was perfect before he became a man, and perfect as a man, yet before being so highly exalted as he now is, it was proper that he should be tested to perfection, to the last degree (Heb. 2:10); that when he shall command obedience of all to Jehovah, it will not be possible for him to demand more of any than he would and did himself yield to the Father. Thus the already perfect; sinless, holy, “man Christ Jesus” was proved worthy of, or perfected for, the divine nature and great exaltation, upon which he entered fully at his resurrection. Rejoice, “holy brethren”: our Lord’s obedience, and his aid provided us. insure our victory, if like Paul we press along the line (marked out by our Head and Forerunner) toward the prize of our high calling which is of God, through Christ Jesus our Lord. He was tempted like as we are, and will succor us, and is not ashamed to call us “brethren.”—Z 1887-7 (Hymn 139)
JULY 31
Precious hi the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints.—Psa. 116:15
FROM this standpoint we may understand that the death of our dear Redeemer, like that of all of God’s consecrated ones who have died, and much more so, was precious in the Father’s sight, and that even though he died as the sinner, crying, “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?” nevertheless he died with the Father’s kiss. So may it be with all those consecrated to walk in the footsteps of their Redeemer. Covered with his robe of righteousness they are all precious to the Father, and their death under whatever circumstances will really not be accidental, but a kiss of divine approval and seal of the coming blessing in the first resurrection.—Z 1907-267 (Hymn 290)