Earlier text: General ArticlesFacts about the Sabbath and First Day in the New Testament.
By S. N. Haskell
To investigate the Sabbath question in the New Testament does not require that amount of learning and talent one might suppose. The perplexity that hangs over the subject to many minds is not in the Bible testimony, but in the condition of the human heart. Doubt and darkness and unbelief are natural productions of the carnal mind. Error and unbelief are like weeds in the garden—they grow themselves, while truth and righteousness must be cultivated. A few facts concerning the Sabbath and first day, clearly illustrate this:— 2. Three times repeated we are taught that the Sabbath comes the day before it: "In the end of the Sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week." Matt. 28:1; Mark 16:1, 2; Luke 23:53-56 and 24:1. Thus showing, 1st. That the Sabbath is not the first day; and 2d. That the Sabbath always comes the day before the first day. 3. The remaining two instances of its mention are merely incidental. The one in 1 Cor. 16:1, 2, refers to a business transaction performed at their own houses. Justin Edwards in his notes on the New Testament translates the original, "Lay by him in store," "Lay by him in store at home," thus contradicting his exposition in the Sabbath Manual. See page 116. 4. The other, and last instance of its occurrence, refers to an evening meeting. Acts 20:7. This is shown by there being lights in the upper chamber where they were gathered together. Verse 8. The Sabbath is not even mentioned in all this connection. 5. The Saviour acknowledges a law for the Sabbath in the expression, "Wherefore it is lawful to do well on the Sabbath-day." Matt. 12:12. 6. He instructs the disciples to remember the Sabbath-day in all their prayers, as late as the destruction of Jerusalem, A. D. 70. Matt. 24:24. 7. On the Sabbath-day in A. D. 53, the disciples went out by the river-side where prayer was wont to be made, showing it to be their custom. 8. But no custom is spoken of concerning the first day. No instance of its ever being observed as a Sabbath, but expressly it is said that "when the Sabbath was past," "very early in the morning the first day of the week." Yet in view of all these facts, the majority of people believe that the first day is the Christian Sabbath, and that the Bible teaches it. It would seem that men love darkness rather than light. S. N. HASKELL. Is the Promised Kingdom Real?
By R. F. Cottrell
It is promised in prophecy that in the days of certain earthly kingdoms, the God of heaven shall set up a kingdom, that shall not be destroyed, but stand forever. Dan. 2:44. Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is to be the king, and the uttermost parts of the earth are to be his possession. Ps. 2:6–8. It is said that he shall have dominion from sea to sea, and from the river to the ends of the earth. Ps. 72:8. This kingdom is promised to those who love God, and believe on Jesus Christ. James 2:5. The time will come when it will be said to them, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. Matt. 25:31–34. And the kingdom and dominion under the whole heavens, i. e., over all the earth, is to be given to the saints of God. Dan. 7:25–27. But we are told of a spiritual kingdom, set up in the hearts of believers, and we are cited to the text that says, The kingdom of God is not meat and drink, but righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit; and it is confidently set forth that there is sufficient evidence that the kingdom of God is not a real kingdom, consisting of a king, subjects, territory, and laws, as taught in the texts already referred to, and many more; but is merely a something invisible and intangible in the hearts of Christians; that this kingdom is already come to the Christian, and hence he has no interest in those prophecies that point out some future time of its coming. Now I have no objection to the idea of the Christian having the kingdom of God in his heart, in the sense that Paul had his brethren in his heart, i. e., in his affections; 2 Cor. 7:3; neither that he should have Christ within him by the Holy Spirit, reigning supreme in his affections and guiding the acts of his life. I humbly trust that I have the kingdom of God in my heart in both these senses; and this leads me to pray, Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is done in heaven. But where is the text of Scripture that says that the kingdom of God is within Christians? It is not. The text which is supposed to prove this was addressed to the enemies of Christ, the unbelieving, captious Pharisees. Luke 17:20, 21. When they demanded when the kingdom should come, Jesus replied in substance that when it did come it would be without ostentatious parade, with the people saying, Lo, here, or there, but it would be suddenly within or among them, i. e., the people then living, the King appearing from heaven like the lightning. Matt. 24:27. But to evade the present truth, and to close the eyes to the signs of the times, Paul's language in Roman 14 is quoted with as much gravity as Romanists quote "This is my body" to prove the doctrine of transubstantiation. "The kingdom of God is not meat and drink, but righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost." Therefore it is inferred that no real kingdom is to be expected; because Christians are in possession of it already. But should it be affirmed that the kingdom of Great Britain did not consist in beef and bread, coffee and ale, but in the righteousness of its laws and the consequent peace and happiness of its subjects, who would conclude from this that there was in reality no such kingdom as Great Britain? that the abstract principles, or emotions of righteousness, peace and happiness were the sum and substance, the beginning and end, and all that there is of any such kingdom? Who would assert in the face of history and geography that the British kingdom was a mere myth, having no real, tangible existence, but that whenever peace and joy are found in the heart of an Arab or a Hottentot, there is the kingdom of Great Britain? How is it that men of mind can, with such flimsy perversions as these, close their eyes, and deceive themselves in regard to the signs of the times and the near approach of that kingdom that shall break in pieces and consume all earthly kingdoms, and stand forever? Why should they desire to remain in darkness, so that the day of the coming King shall come upon them as a thief in the night? Why not rather choose to be children of the light? 1 Thess. 1:1–5. Sins of Omission.
By J. A. Wood
THEOLOGICAL writers usually classify sin into those of commission and those of omission; meaning, by the former, overt acts of transgression, or the doing of what ought not to be done; and by the latter, the not doing what we ought to do, and the not being what we ought to be. This distinction stands related to a corresponding distinction in the moral law; since this both enjoins and forbids—requires some things to be done, and forbids the doing of certain other things. Neglect to fulfill its requisitions is a sin of omission; the doing what it prohibits is a sin of commission. Each of these classes of sin includes an internal state of mind, even when it results in no corresponding conduct, as well as our external doings or failures to do. Indeed, the only real sin is in the mind; and it may be manifested externally in natural development, or it may not be. In the latter case, it is none the less sin. Most, if not all men, commit more sins of omission than of commission; and in many cases the sins of omission are the more aggravated. There cannot be a more grievous sin than not loving God, and there cannot be one more certainly, terribly and justly damning than not to accept Christ as a Saviour. In Matt. 25, Christ represents the wicked at the final judgment as doomed to hell because they had not ministered to him in the person of the hungry, the thirsty, the stranger, the naked, and the sick, and the imprisoned. It was not what they had done that had made and evinced their character, but what they had not done. They had not shown love to him, nor to his loving, suffering friends. They evinced that they neither loved God nor man. Hence their righteous doom among the enemies of all good. What a lesson the Saviour here presents by his heart-searching representation! Oh! let us examine, and see how our account stands of things not done—the hungry not fed, the naked not clothed, the sick not visited, and the poor and needy not ministered unto. There is a vast amount of self-deception among sinners and many professed Christians, the result in a great measure of not considering this aspect of sin. Multitudes all about us have no just sense of their moral turpitude. Why? Because they make no account of sins of omission. They do not look at the law of God requiring them to love God supremely, and their fellow-men as themselves; and hence they see not their chief guilt. As to sins of commission, they find themselves by no means among the most scandalous sinners of the race. Hence the ruinous estimate of themselves, which deludes their guilty souls. Then, what a dense throng of merely nominal Christians, whose outward Christianity is at least so fair as to subject them to no church discipline or censure; but oh! the things not done—the fervent prayers not offered; the crosses not borne; the self-denial and sacrifice for Christ not made; the daily efforts to save souls not put forth; the thousand nameless testimonies of love to Christ, which bursts forth at countless points where that love really burns within, which are not seen. How will these deeds and duties not done rise up at last and testify against these professors in that day when God shall judge the world in righteousness by Jesus Christ, and put an end to every hope that is not eternal! The precious doctrine of entire sanctification by no means overlooks sins of omission. On the contrary, it seeks to set the heart right, and bring it into the permanent attitude of loving God supremely and our fellow-beings impartially. Perfect love, as required in the Bible, is that very state in which the inner spirit worships God, and loves its neighbor as itself. Such are the principles and such its aims.—Rev. J. A. Wood. Doubting disciple, read these lines and take courage. Trust God, and take him into every-day life. "For whether is easier to say, Thy sins be forgiven thee, or to say, Arise and walk?" This question of Jesus was put to those who thought him guilty of blasphemy when he proffered forgiveness of sins, with its attendant blessings, to a man sick of the palsy. As they doubted his divine ability, Jesus gave a token of it by saying to the palsied one: "Arise, take up thy bed, and go into thine own house." Those who had questioned his power to forgive sins could no longer question his power to give strength to a helpless body, for the man "arose and departed to his house;" and many who saw it "glorified God which had given such power unto men." At that time men seemed more ready to admit that Jesus Christ could heal the sick than that he could forgive sins. To-day the case seems reversed. Many who concede that he is a Saviour, are unwilling to concede that he can heal disease, or give temporal blessings according to the needs of his children. Some, even, who can trust their souls in his hands, and who expect heaven as a gift from him, would not think of asking him to straighten out their crooked tempers, to restore the vigor of their paralyzed wills, to loosen the hold of their grosser appetite and desires; far less to aid them in choosing a wife or husband, or in selecting a school for their children. The question of Jesus ought to come home pungently to such disciples as these. "Whether is easier to say, Thy sins be forgiven thee, or to say, Arise and walk?" If he is able and willing to be our Saviour, is there any lack of ours that Jesus is unable or unwilling to supply? If he is to take us into heaven by-and-by, cannot he take care of us on earth in the meantime? If he can "forgive our debts," cannot he "give us this day our daily bread?" There are unbelieving scribes—not disciples—who are deferential, if not patronizing, toward Jesus Christ as a recognized Saviour of men, who count it hardly less than "blasphemy" to suppose that God has given to him, or through him to his disciples, any of those powers which are supposed to be given over irrevocably to "Nature." There is said, by these scribes, to be no harm in trusting Jesus Christ as a Saviour; but he must not be asked to heal the sick, to send rain when it is needed, to give unusual efficacy to any human agency or mechanical appliances when God's children are in a strait and only he can help them. To these scribes, also, the question of Jesus has its old pertinency. "Whether is easier to say, Thy sins be forgiven thee, or to say, Arise and walk?" If the forces of "Nature" stand in the way of Christ's help of his trusting ones, why are not the powers of evil too much for him? If he cannot heal a sick body now, how can he be trusted to give eternal life to an otherwise lost soul? Deny his power as a Saviour or admit it as a helper. He may not cure every palsied one. As to that, his disciples can trust him. "Not my will, but thine, be done," is ever the prayer of faith; but it is just as easy for him to say to any stricken one, "Arise and walk," as to say to another, "Thy sins be forgiven thee." Jesus can be trusted for now as well as for hereafter. "No good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly." He that spared not his own son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?"—Sel. RELIGION IN COMMON THINGS.
As the same sunlight tints the flower and colors the rock—as it alternately sparkles in the dew-drop and shines in the broad ocean—so the true religious spirit is present in the humblest bargain, the smallest act, and the lowliest word of kindness, as much as in the grand songs of Hebrew bards and the profound teachings of St. Paul, those ancient headlands of Christian thought. A TRUE Christian living in the world is like a ship sailing on the ocean. It is not the ship being in the water which will sink it, but the water getting into the ship. So the world, with its love of pleasure getting into the hearts of Christians, has ruined its millions Ambassadors for Christ.
By James White
A sermon delivered before the church at Battle Creek, Mich., Sabbath morning, October 26, 1878. TEXT: "Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us; we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God." 2 Cor. 5 : 20. THE apostle uses a figure in this text which has been understood by all nations, at least since his day. Ambassadors are sent from one king, emperor, or government to another, to treat with them on important matters of state. But the apostle here no doubt refers to the special ambassadors who are sent in times of war to treat on terms of peace. This well illustrates the rebellion of man, the ruin of the race, and the great plan of reconciliation and redemption through Jesus Christ. Once man walked and talked with God, Christ and angels, in happy Eden! The happy pair were honored with a beautiful home, with everything "pleasant to the sight and good for food." But man transgressed the law of God, and the race has since been in rebellion against the government of heaven. An angel once honored in heaven rebelled and fell from his high estate, and has since led his fallen fellow-angels, and the fallen sons of Adam, to take up arms against the government of the God of high heaven. The question was brought before the court of heaven, What can be done to reconcile man to God and God to man? Feeble man had raised his puny arm in rebellion against the government of the Almighty, and must perish in his rebellion and folly unless means could be instituted for an atonement which would bring repentance, pardon, reconciliation and peace. The character of God's moral government is such as to require an atoning sacrifice superior to law. Angels are amenable to the holy law of God and are inferior to it, and therefore the Lawgiver could not accept the death of even one of the sinless angels as an atoning sacrifice for man. But Christ, who thought it not robbery to be equal with God, and was therefore equal with him, laid aside the glory of the law-making and law-administering power and authority, and became a sacrifice and mediator for a race of rebels in arms. And thus our adorable Redeemer became God's ambassador to offer terms of reconciliation, redemption, and eternal life to those who are justly condemned to death. "Ambassador is a title by which the highest order of diplomatic ministers is distinguished, and the person holding such a high commission may be defined to be an officer sent by one sovereign power to another to treat on affairs of state. The credentials, or letters of credence, of an ambassador are addressed directly by his own sovereign to the sovereign to whom he is sent, and with whom he has the privilege of personal communication. In the performance of all his diplomatic duties, an ambassador is understood to represent, not only the affairs, but the dignity and the power of his Master; and by the law of nations he has many important rights and privileges."—Chambers' Encyclopedia, Vol. 1, p. 189. Christ, God's ambassador, came to those in rebellion to disarm and subdue them by his love. He proclaimed to a lost world the conditions of reconciliation, died an atoning sacrifice for his enemies, rose from the dead for their justification, and to enjoy that last interview with his first apostles, the Master led them up the mount of ascension. Mark well his words addressed to them, to be perpetuated, and alike applicable to the ministry to the end of the Christian age: "All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye, therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost." Matt. 28 : 18, 19. It is God's ambassador, in whom was invested the authority of administering the law of the Ruler of the universe and treating in matters of peace with the party in rebellion, who thus speaks. He did not come to legislate, but as a teacher of the divine law and minister from the court of heaven. He kept his Father's commandments. He magnified the law and made it honorable. All his teachings and acts were in strict conformity to the moral code, the great constitution of the government of heaven. Ambassadors are not sent to Russia, Great Britain, or to France to make laws. The work of legislating is left to Congress. Christ came not to give a code of laws to his church, but to do the will of his Father in heaven. When Ross Brown went from Oakland, California, as our minister to China, his mission was not to make laws for the government he represented, but to do the will of the law-making power of this great republic. And as the acts of the ministers of our government are conformable to its laws, so the teachings of Christ, God's ambassador, are in harmony with the moral code. So jealous was he of the government he came to represent that he warned his disciples against heretical views which would limit the perpetuity of the moral code. He speaks in these words:— "Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets; I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill. For verily I say unto you, till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled." When one inquired of Christ, "What good thing shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?" he answered, "If thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments." And the great Teacher immediately quoted five of the precepts of the moral code, which shows what he meant by "the commandments." Again we hear from him by way of Patmos, in that last benediction upon the loyal subjects of the kingdom of grace, who are waiting for the coming and kingdom of their Lord: "And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his works shall be. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last. Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city." Rev. 22 : 12–14. The great commission continues: "And these signs shall follow them that believe: In my name shall they cast out devils. They shall speak with tongues. They shall take up serpents. And if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them. They shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover." Mark 16 : 17, 18. Christ's first apostles did not then comprehend these words in all their gracious fullness. They did not understand the nature of his kingdom, and inquired, "Lord wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel? And he said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power. But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you. And ye shall be witnesses unto me, both in Jerusalem and all Judea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth." Acts 1 : 7, 8. Again he says, "Behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you; but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high." Luke 24 : 49. In obedience to this injunction they did tarry, and they continued their prayers for the period of ten days, for the seal of their ministry. "And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing, mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance." Acts 2 : 1–4. This endowment from heaven was necessary to that inspiration which would bring his teaching during his ministry to their minds, and that there might be manifested in them all that was promised in the fulfillment of their mission. "But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance whatsoever I have said unto you." John 14 : 26. With the divine anointing, they went out in the name of their Master, God's first ambassadors, and, in the words of the evangelist, "They went forth, and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following." Mark 16 : 20. The apostle declares that "all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation, to wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them, and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation." 2 Cor. 5 : 18, 19. "What unparalleled condescension and divinely tender mercies are displayed in these words. Did the judge ever beseech a condemned criminal to accept of pardon? Does the creditor ever beseech a ruined debtor to receive an acquittance in full? Yet our Almighty Lord, our eternal Judge, not only vouchsafes to offer these blessings, but invites us, entreats us, and with the most tender importunity solicits us not to reject them."—John Wesley, as quoted by Dr. Clarke. Says the gifted Charles Wesley:— "God, the offended God, most high,
Ambassadors to rebels sends;
His messengers his place supply,
And Jesus begs us to be friends. "Us, in the stead of Christ, they pray,
Us, in the stead of Christ, entreat
To cast our arms, our sins, away,
And find forgiveness at his feet. "Our God in Christ, our embassy,
And proffered mercy, we embrace,
And gladly reconciled to thee,
Thy condescending mercy praise. "Poor debtors, by our Lord's request
A full acquittance we receive;
And criminals with pardon blest,
We at our Judge's instance live." "An ambassador is a person sent from one sovereign power to another, and is supposed to represent the person of the sovereign by whom he is deputed. Christ, while on earth, represented the person of the Sovereign of the world; his apostles and their successors represent the person of Christ. Christ declared the will of the Father to mankind; apostles declare the will of God to the world. We are ambassadors for Christ."—Clark's Commentary, Vol. 6, p. 338. "Reconciliation is spoken of as our indispensable duty. As God is willing to be reconciled to us, we ought to be reconciled, and it is the great end and design of the gospel, that word of reconciliation, to prevail upon sinners to lay aside their enmity against God. Faithful ministers are Christ's ambassadors sent to treat with sinners on peace and reconciliation. They come in God's name with his entreaties and act in Christ's stead, doing the very thing he did when he was upon this earth, and what he wills to be done, now that he is in heaven. Wonderful condescension! Though God is no loser by the quarrel, nor gainer by the peace, yet by his ministers he beseeches sinners to lay aside their enmity and accept of the terms he offers, that they would be reconciled to him, to all his attributes, to all his laws."—Henry's Exposition, Vol. 6, p. 488. God's ambassadors, Christ's true ministers, by the authority of their great commission, baptize "in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost." This not only shows the importance of baptism, but that both the Father and the Son, and also the Holy Spirit, have a part in the conversion of sinners. The Father is our lawgiver, Christ our mediator, and the Holy Spirit our reprover, comforter and sanctifier. God pity those who are converted by a gospel that has only the Son in it, leaving the Father out altogether, and immersion supplying the place of the Holy Spirit. It is no marvel that ministers of this sort should depart from the language found in the original commission, and baptize their converts in "the name of the Lord Jesus." Happy thought, indeed, to those who keep the commandments of God, the commandments of Christ, and the commandments of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ, and who enjoy the sanctifying peace of the Holy Spirit, that they have been buried with their divine Lord in baptism, "in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost." The indignity shown to the terms of peace which have been offered to ruined men is illustrated by the parable of the householder who "planted a vineyard, and hedged it round about, and digged a wine press in it, and built a tower, and let it out to husbandmen, and went into a far country. And when the time of the fruit drew near, he sent his servants to the husbandmen, that they might receive the fruits of it. And the husbandmen took his servants, and beat one, and killed another, and stoned another. Again, he sent other servants more than the first, and they did unto them likewise." Matt. 21 : 33–36. This part of the parable shows the manner in which the prophets of God have been treated. God has sent them with messages of warning to his people, and reproofs of threatened wrath upon the ungodly, for which they have suffered death in the most cruel manner men and demons could invent. "But last of all he sent unto them his son, saying, They will reverence my son. But when the husbandmen saw the son, they said among themselves, This is the heir, come let us kill him, and let us seize on his inheritance. And they caught him and cast him out of the vineyard, and slew him. When the Lord therefore of the vineyard cometh, what will he do unto these husbandmen? They say unto him, He will miserably destroy those wicked men, and will let out his vineyard unto other husbandmen, which shall render him the fruits in their seasons." In this last portion of the parable the enmity against Christ, and his death and the rejection of the Jews, are illustrated. In this cruel manner was God's ambassador treated, and the sin of the Jewish people has not gone unpunished. The ambassadors of Christ who have, instead of their Master, offered to sinners the terms of reconciliation, beseeching them to be reconciled to God, have been treated in a similar manner. Even the great apostle uses these words, "Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints. And for me, that utterance may be given unto me that I may open my mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in bonds, that therein I may speak boldly as I ought to speak." Eph. 6 : 18–20. Here we find God's ambassador in bonds, while offering terms of peace to his persecutors. What an indignity! What an insult to the God of heaven! As if one of our ministers to a foreign court negotiating matters of state, while conducting himself in the most lawful manner, should be seized and put in irons. No greater insult could be offered to this great nation than such an act. "This enmity to God began wholly on man's part; but the reconciliation was entirely devised, revealed, and effected by his offended Sovereign. In the person of Emmanuel, in his mediation and atonement, who 'was made sin for us, though he knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in him,' the foundation of this blessed reconciliation was laid; for 'God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself.' When the kings of the earth appoint ambassadors, they generally send them to those who are of their own rank in society; nor would they deign to send a solemn embassy to their own rebellious subjects, when vanquished, disarmed, and condemned. But 'the King of kings and Lord of lords' appoint ambassadors from himself to us poor apostate worms, and helpless, perishing sinners! "Earthly princes select persons of dignity and eminence to represent their persons and act by their authority on these important occasions; but the Lord of glory deputes pardoned rebels and reconciled enemies to go to their former associates in rebellion on this embassy of peace! The gracious proposals which they are instructed to make, and the encouraging terms which they are commanded to use, are equally expressive of condescension, compassion, and good will to men; for the Lord himself, who might justly and could easily destroy them forever, is pleased to 'beseech them to be reconciled to him!' "This language of our God and Saviour, by his ministers, to his feeble but haughty enemies, must appear wonderful beyond conception to the holy inhabitants of heaven; yet the reception with which it often meets, and the contempt and disdain which it excites, must exceedingly increase their astonishment; and it will assuredly satisfy them concerning the propriety and equity of punishing the irreconcilable haters of God, 'with everlasting destruction from his presence.' "The 'ambassadors for Christ,' however, must adhere to their instructions, with whatever reception they may meet. They should 'magnify their office,' and endeavor to represent their Lord, by exhibiting his image in their own example, as well as 'declaring his whole counsel.' They must conform to the laws and customs of his kingdom, and not to those of this evil world; neither fearing the contempt or rage of men, while 'in Christ's stead they pray them to be reconciled to God,' nor yet seeking to please men, or expecting any recompense, save from their gracious Lord. "On the other hand, let all who hear the gospel remember that the faithful minister is the ambassador of Christ to them, sent to treat with them concerning 'reconciliation to God;' and that his Lord will surely punish every insult and injury offered to him, as if done to himself in person. The refusal of this proffered peace will leave men 'the enemies of God' forever; the removal of faithful ministers from such as have slighted his message is the recall of an ambassador of peace, and the forerunner of a declaration of war. Let sinners then hear the voice of God, 'beseeching them to be reconciled to him;' let the trembling penitent rejoice in the assurance that his application for 'peace with God will not be rejected.' "Let professed Christians examine their supposed interest in Christ, the great Reconciler, by inquiring whether they are become the friends of God, his cause, and his people; let ministers not only 'warn men by the terror of the Lord,' but beseech them by his abundant mercies, to repent and turn unto him; and let believers consider whether God can now withhold any good thing from them, or whether they can venture, lose, labor, or suffer too much for Him who gave his beloved Son to be the sacrifice for their sins, that they might be 'made the righteousness of God in him.'"—Scott's Bible, Vol. 6, p. 231.