CONSIDERING the influence which Confucius and his system of morality have exerted on the multitudes that have revered his name since his death, he stands before us as the most wonderful of human teachers. Unlike Mahomet he never made any claims to divine revelation, and in that respect he deserves more honor than that arch-impostor.
Confucius is merely the Chinese name, Kung Foo Tsz, “the master Kung,” Latinized. His descent was traced down from Kwang Ti, B. C. 2,637. He was born, as near as we can calculate, June 19, 551 B. C. In his youth he was a hard student, and at the early age of twenty-two he commenced his labors as a public teacher. He taught all who came to him, no matter how much or little they were able to give him; all that he required was that the student should be anxious to learn and show some degree of ability. At this period, China was divided into a number of little principalities and duchies, as Europe was in the feudal ages; he wandered among these States teaching, followed by a little band of disciples, and at one time and another held offices. The most important office he held was that of Minister of Crime in the State of Loo, which office he held for four years. During this time, “loyalty and good faith became the characteristics of the men, and chastity and docility those of the women. Confucius became the idol of the people, and flew in songs through their mouths. So strong did Loo become by his rule, that the other States became alarmed lest Loo should become so strong as to swallow them up; so they hit on the expedient of sending eighty beautiful dancing girls and one hundred and twenty fine horses as a present to the Duke of Loo. He again gave himself up to pleasure, and the sage was neglected.”
Tired and weary, Confucius became a wandering preacher of reform for the next thirteen years, and though he was called back to Loo and spent the last years of his life there, yet “his end was melancholy. He sank beneath a cloud. The great ones of the empire had not received his teachings. Nor were the expectations of another life present with him as he passed through the dark valley. He uttered no prayer, and he betrayed no apprehensions.” Thus did the sage of China pass away in the year 478 B. C.; but, as is often the case, no sooner had the earth covered his form than men began to realize that a great teacher had been among them, though they heeded him not. Temples were erected to his honor; in the year 1, of our era, titles were conferred on him by imperial decree, and he is worshiped now on the first and fifteenth of every month in temples in every country town and in every school in the land; while the emperor pays him a solemn and particular worship twice a year, at which he is addressed by his titles as “the philosopher Kung, the ancient teacher, the perfect sage.” Truly, as Dr. Legge has said in his life of Confucius, “he was unreasonably neglected when he was alive, he is unreasonably venerated now he is dead. During his lifetime he had 3,000 disciples; hundreds of millions are his disciples now.” He was modest in his estimate of himself. One quotation will suffice; in one place he says, “The sage and the man of perfect virtue; how dare I rank myself with them? It may be said of me simply that I strive to become such without satiety, and teach others without weariness.”
His teachings are mere moral aphorisms, reaching often to the height of the philosophy of Plato and Cicero, but never touching the high-water mark of revealed truth. He went as far as man could, unaided by divine revelation, and, as already said, he was no impostor. One of the saddest of his sayings which his sincerity forced from him was this: “I have not even solved the problem of life, how then can I tell you of death?” The nearest approach he made to the teaching of the Gospel was when he said: “Do not to others what you would not have them do to you,” which, as will readily be seen, is the Golden Rule in a negative form, or, as it has been called, the Silver Rule of Confucius.—The Chinese Evangelist.
DECLINE OF MANNERS.
No ONE who is brought into contact with the young people of the present day, will deny that the manners of the rising generation do not receive that degree of attention from the rank and file, at least, of their instructors, which the importance of the subject demands. The habit of allowing children to mix on terms of practical equality with their elders, and of permitting them to take a full share in the conversation of the drawing-room, appears to be an increasing tendency, and is one which cannot be on all grounds too severely reprehended. Nothing takes the bloom off a child's thoughts more quickly than the desire to shine, and the awakening of that hunger for applause which is often fatal even to children of a larger growth. It is a grave injustice to the children themselves to thrust them forward into an atmosphere in which they are naturally at a disadvantage, and in which they can only feel at home when they have been robbed of that frank and modest unconsciousness of look and speech which ought to be their safeguard, as it undoubtedly is their charm. Even the warmest admirer of American institutions and customs will, if his opinions are based on personal knowledge, draw the line when he comes to deal with the manners of the children in transatlantic homes. There the system of forcing human sensitive plants in the hot atmosphere of the drawing-room can be studied to advantage, and no one who looks dispassionately at the results will feel any difficulty as to the nature of the verdict which truth compels him to pronounce.—London Standard.
OUR SUFFICIENCY.
MANY persons are not fully aware of the amount of good that may be accomplished through their efforts, when the conditions of successful service are observed by them. A better understanding of the divine Source of strength is the one thing that will cause them to see these wonderful possibilities. "Our sufficiency is of God"—when spoken in deep sincerity and in humble reliance upon his promises of help—changes the whole aspect of work. This one thought kindles hope and courage within our souls. Success is not only made possible—it becomes certain. Even that which seems to human sight to be only failure is, to the believer, the onward step leading to the very best achievements in the end.
We will never come to this apprehension of God, our strength, until we are willing to acknowledge our own weakness. This knowledge comes only into a "humble and contrite heart." "God knoweth the proud afar off." This confession of insufficiency is not in word only; it is a genuine, heart-felt experience. When that is seen by the Omniscient, there is nothing to prevent such a communication of himself as will make us ready to do all things in him and for him.—Selected.
WALK IN THE LIGHT.
By M. C. W.
LIGHT, in a spiritual sense, stands for righteousness and truth. Darkness is error and sin. It is said of those who have embraced the truth of the last days that they are the "children of light, and the children of the day," (1 Thess. 5:5), while those who turn from the word of God are of the darkness and night. In a passage relating to the same time—the last days—the children of evil are those who love not, and therefore receive not, the truth, but have pleasure in unrighteousness. 2 Thess. 2:9-13. The elect believe the truth. Here we have unrighteousness set opposite the truth.
In John 8:12 Jesus says that he is "the light of the world," that is, as long as he is in the world. John 9:5. He must have been, for he was the manifestation of God, and "God is light." 1 John 1:5. When he left the world, even as before he came, his word was the light of men. The prophecy is light. 1 Peter 1:19. Says the psalmist, "Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path." Ps. 119:105. "For the commandment is a lamp, and the law is light; and reproofs of instruction are the way of life." Prov. 6:23. The word reflects the character of its Giver.
The object of natural light is to reveal and give heat and life. So with God's word. It is a revealer of things within the heart and without the heart. Were it not for the law we would not know sin. "Nay, I had not known sin, but by the law; for I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet." Rom. 7:7. It shines in the deepest recesses of the heart; it reveals its base passions, its most secret sins; it manifests its hidden motives. Heb. 4:12. It is "exceeding broad;" nothing escapes its searching power. It also points out the true way. This must be so; for whatever in its own character condemns all evil must of necessity comprehend all good. And this is true of the law of God. God's commandments are righteousness, his law is the truth. Ps. 119:142, 172.
If man had never sinned, the light of the law would have given life. It would have warmed, expanded, and enlarged man's nature till he stood a child of light, with a character like God's character. But man fell into the darkness of sin. The light of the gospel of mercy reaches him, plants in his heart the little seed—enmity to Satan—warms it into life, quickens it by the Spirit, till it springs forth from the barren soil a "new creature." It is the new man, clad not in the garments of sin, but in the righteousness of God. And so he is led on by light, ever increasing as he draws near to God, till the effulgence of the perfect day bursts upon him. He walks in the light of God's law; he is warmed, nourished, and strengthened by the light of God's gospel, the only purpose of which is to bring man into harmony with God's law. Titus 2:14.
But how often men reject God's light and walk in their own light. Millions are going down to destruction led on by their own treacherous will-o'-the-wisp. Many of these profess God's name, and claim to be children of light, while they are walking in the darkness of error and sin, contrary to the law and word of God. Have such fellowship with God? are they children of light?
The Lord through his apostle answers the question. 1 John 1:5, 6. Notice the strength of the apostle's argument. "God is light, and in him is no darkness at all." This God has revealed. It is an eternal truth. It was true of God before the void of immensity was filled with shining orbs, or a single creature had come from his hand; it will ever remain true. God's law is the reflection of his character. God can only fellowship those who are in the light, who are walking in his law. He is of "purer eyes than to behold evil." Therefore, those who are not walking in obedience to him, but walk in the darkness of sin, "lie and do not the truth." "They profess that they know God [have fellowship and acquaintance with him]; but in works they deny him, being abominable and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate." Titus 1:16.
But if we walk in the light, in the footsteps of Christ, the image of God, if we turn from the darkness of error to the light of truth, if we lay hold of the strength given through our Lord Jesus Christ, "we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin." 1 John 1:7. He further gives proof of our acquaintance and fellowship with God in chapter 2:3. "And hereby do we know that we know him, if we keep his commandments."
But we must not understand this darkness to mean the heaviness of soul which often comes to Christians. The Lord permits that to come to try us. "Though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations; that the trial of your faith . . . might be found unto praise and honor and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ." 1 Peter 1:6, 7.
Sometimes the Lord will permit darkness to come upon us because of past sins, though we have truly repented. He is trying our faith. The prophet seems to allude to this in Micah 7:8, 9. The light of God's tender mercy may seem to be shut out from us, we may be perplexed as to plans, but the light of moral duty still shines. We may not know what lies before us, the enemy may shut us in on every side, but in the strength of Christ, we need not sin or depart from God. He will dwell with us in the darkness; he is trying our faith. "Who is among you that feareth the Lord, that obeyeth the voice of his servant, that walketh in darkness, and hath no light? let him trust in the name of the Lord, and stay upon his God." Isa. 50:10. Then it is not want of intellectual light or emotional warmth which shuts us away from God; it is moral darkness. Nothing but sin can deprive us of God's fellowship; for it is character and purpose which makes this fellowship. And both character and purpose can be made effectual through the grace of God.
Then "walk in the light as He is in the light" morally. This is ever the privilege of everyone who fears God. At every turn of the way that light may discover some defect of character before unseen; but the same grace which has helped hitherto will enable us to conquer. The same blood of the same mighty Redeemer will cleanse from all sin.
We may gain all the intellectual light possible; this is pleasing to God. It is also our duty to gain light from the prophetic word, light also as regards the great scheme of redemption. But we can never know all this till the finite reaches the infinite. God will not condemn us for this if we have improved opportunities. But if we fail to walk in moral light, we shall fail of eternal life. In moral duties we can "walk in the light as He is in the light." As we tread the path illuminated with the heavenly radiance, it will reveal defects; it will also reveal the remedy in Christ, till at last the perfect day is come, and we stand purified throughout "even as he is pure,"—"without fault before the throne."
THE PRINCIPLE OF THE BLAIR BILLS.
By C. P. B.
THE leading editorial in the Union Signal of June 20, is entitled "Sabbath Observance." It is a review of the work which had been accomplished in behalf of the Sunday sabbath during the past year. Regarding the opposition to the Blair Sunday-Rest bill, the Signal says:—
"We believe that most of this opposition is based upon a misapprehension of what the Sunday-Rest bill really is. By some means it has been confounded with another bill of Senator Blair's, the Secular Educational bill, and this confounding has given an utterly false meaning to both."
We think there must be some mistake about the misapprehension here referred to. It is perfectly true that the Sunday-Rest bill and the Educational Amendment resolution are two separate and distinct measures, though introduced by the same man. The Educational Amendment is a proposition to so amend the Constitution of the United States that "Each State in this Union shall establish and maintain a system of free public schools, adequate for the education of all children living therein, between the ages of six and sixteen years inclusive, in the common branches of knowledge, and in virtue, morality, and the principles of the Christian religion."
The objection to this measure is, that if the Government should require the doctrines of the Christian religion to be taught in the public schools, it would follow of necessity that the Government must define the principles of the Christian religion, and this official definition of Christianity would then be the State creed, or the State religion.
The Blair Sunday-Rest bill, though an entirely different measure, involves the same principle. It is entitled:—
"A bill to secure to the people the enjoyment of the first day of the week, commonly known as the Lord's day, as a day of rest, and to promote its observance as a day of religious worship."
The passage of such a law would certainly be religious legislation, and a step at least toward a union of Church and State. In 1828–29 Congress was asked to prohibit the carrying of mails on Sunday, and a petition to that effect was referred to the Committee on Post-offices and Post Roads. Hon. Richard M. Johnson, of Kentucky, was chairman of that committee, and submitted a report in behalf of the committee, recommending that Congress take no action in the premises. We can give in this connection but a single paragraph from this report, as follows:—
"The petitioners . . . appear to be actuated by a religious zeal, which may be commendable if confined to its proper sphere; but they assume a position better suited to an ecclesiastical than a civil institution. They appear in many instances to lay it down as an axiom, that the practice [of carrying mail on Sunday] is a violation of the law of God. Should Congress, in legislative capacity, adopt the sentiment, it would establish the principle that the Legislature is a proper tribunal to determine what are the laws of God. It would involve a legislative decision on a religious controversy, and on a point in which good citizens may honestly differ in opinion without disturbing the peace of society, or endangering its liberties. If this principle is once introduced, it will be impossible to define its bounds."
This is the whole matter in a nut-shell. The petitioners were actuated then, even as the petitioners for the Sunday-Rest bill are actuated now, by a religious zeal, or rather, by a religious regard for the first day of the week, and congressional action in the matter now would involve, even as it would have involved then, "legislative decision on a religious controversy." And it is just as true now as it was then, that "if this principle is once introduced, it will be impossible to define its bounds."
The "misapprehension" of which the Union Signal complains, does not exist. In fact, whatever471misapprehension there is, is wholly on the part of those who fail to see the same principle involved in these two measures. They both involve the principle of congressional interference in religious matters. This is why they are classed together by their opponents, and it is why they must always stand or fall together. C. P. B.
THE DAY OF THE LORD—EVENTS IN ITS BEGINNING.
By M. C. W.
IN the last paper it was shown that the day of the Lord is ushered in by the pouring out of the seven last plagues; that the time of the pouring out of these plagues is evidently one literal year; that under the last plague the great battle is fought, and the shaking of the heavens and the earth takes place; that immediately after this the Lord appears in the clouds of heaven, the wicked dead are slain by the glory of his presence, and the righteous dead are raised to immortality.
At the resurrection of the righteous dead, the righteous living are changed to immortality:—
“Behold I show you a mystery; we shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump; for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.” 1 Cor. 15:51-53.
“For our conversation [commonwealth] is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ; who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself.” Phil. 3:20, 21.
This glorified throng will then be taken from this sin-cursed earth to those mansions of light prepared for them by their Lord:—
“For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent [go before] them which are asleep. For the Lord himself shall descend from Heaven with a shout, with the voice of the Archangel, and with the trump of God; and the dead in Christ shall rise first; then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air; and so shall we ever be with the Lord.” 1 Thess. 4:15-17.
“Let not your hearts be troubled; ye belive in God, believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.” John 14:1-3.
The above are the words of our Saviour to the troubled disciples. They loved him, and therefore loved his personal presence. He assures them that he will come again, and will take them to that place to which he was then about to go. What was this place? It was Heaven, where God the Father dwelt. That this is so a brief examination of several scriptures will make plain.
Jesus had just told his disciples previous to this that he was going away, that they should seek him, but as he had told the Jews, whither he went they could not come. Chapter 13:33. This remark to the Jews is recorded in chapter 7:33-35. Jesus there plainly says, “I go unto him that sent me.” The Jews question what he can mean, and again our Saviour says, “I go my way, and ye shall seek me, and shall die in your sins; whither I go ye cannot come.” Chapter 8:21. To this Jesus refers in chapter 13:33, 36. Peter asks him, “Whither goest thou? Jesus answered him, Whither I go thou canst not follow me now; but thou shalt follow me afterwards.”
From the above scriptures we learn that our Saviour, in going away, returned to God who sent him, therefore, he ascended to Heaven; that to this place the wicked Jews could never come; that the disciples could not come now, or through death; the coming of Christ must first take place. Then, when those heavenly mansions were prepared, he would come again, and the assurance that they should follow him afterwards would be fulfilled in ascending with their Lord to the New Jerusalem. The words, “Thou shalt follow me afterwards,” though spoken to Peter, were true of all; for the promise (chapter 14:1-3) was to all. Therefore the children of God will, at the second coming of Christ, be taken to the third Heaven, the dwelling place of God.
This is confirmed by what John records in the Revelation. In chapter 15:2-4 John sees the company of those who have come off victors in the last struggle and hears their song of triumph. They stand on the crystal sea, or sea of glass; and this sea of glass is before the throne of God in Heaven. Chapter 4:1, 6.
Again; In chapter 14:1-5, John sees and hears the one hundred and fourty-four thousand. Their voice comes “from Heaven, they stand before the throne, the four living creatures, and the elders, (chapter 4:1-6), and they were redeemed from the earth.” There could be no stronger proof than this that they are in Heaven. And what is true of this company is true of all the people of God. John is carried forward to that time when the judgments of God shall have been visited upon the wicked, and all oppression of his people forever crushed, and of this he says, “I heard a great voice of much people in Heaven, saying, Alleluia; salvation, and glory, and honor, and power, unto the Lord our God; for true and righteous are his judgments.” Chapter 19:1, 2.
We have presented this evidence thus fully in order that our readers may see the strength of the position. There are those who ridicule what they are pleased to term “the Heaven-going theory,” and other terms of reproach are fixed upon it. Ridicule, reproach, and epithets are favorite arguments with those who are determined to maintain an untenable position. That the righteous do inherit the earth is true; and it is also true that they do ascend to Heaven with our Lord when he appears the second time.
The earth will be desolated at the second coming of Christ. Other events already noticed show this to be the case. The wicked are slain by the brightness and terrible glory of Christ’s presence; the righteous are taken to the heavenly mansions. This leaves the earth with no inhabitant. Says the prophet Jeremiah (4:23-27):—
“I beheld the earth, and, lo, it was without form, and void; and the heavens, and they had no light. I beheld the mountains, and, lo, they trembled, and all the hills moved lightly. I beheld, and, lo, there was no man, and all the birds of the heavens were fled. I beheld, and, lo, the fruitful place was a wilderness, and all the cities thereof were broken down at the presence of the Lord, and by his fierce anger. For thus hath the Lord said, The whole land shall be desolate; yet will I not make a full end.”
The Lord will not wholly destroy the earth, but he will make it wholly desolate and empty of all inhabitants for a time. Another prophet bears the following testimonies:—
“Behold, the Lord maketh the earth empty, and maketh it waste, and turneth it upside down, and scattereth abroad the inhabitants thereof.” “The land shall be utterly emptied, and utterly spoiled; for the Lord hath spoken this word.” Isa. 24:1, 3. “Behold, the day of the Lord cometh, cruel both with wrath and fierce anger to lay the land [earth] desolate; and he shall destroy the sinners thereof out of it.” Isa. 13:9.
The above testimonies admit of no double constructions. They are plain, unambiguous declarations which can only refer to the last great day.
One more event we will notice in connection with Christ’s coming; namely, the setting up of the everlasting kingdom of our Lord. Jesus has now gone to the far away country to receive for himself a kingdom and to return. Luke 19:12; Dan. 7:13, 14. At his coming he will begin his reign. Says Paul, “Who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and kingdom.” 2 Tim. 4:1. He now reigns a priest upon his Father’s throne, the throne of grace (Ps. 110:1; Heb. 8:1), and is gathering out of the world those who will be wholly his, fit stones for the great spiritual temple, fit subjects of his everlasting kingdom. Zech. 6:12, 13; Eph. 2:20-22. At the close of his priestly work the kingdom is given (Dan. 7:12, 13; Rev. 11:15), and the Son comes forth to execute wrath upon a guilty world. Ps. 110:5, 6; Luke 19:12, 13, 22, 27. At that time will be fulfilled the words of the Lord by the apostle, which we will paraphrase to make their meaning more obvious:—
“Then cometh the end [of probation and Christ’s rule as kingly priest], when he [the Son] shall have delivered up the kingdom [of grace] to God even the Father [Zech. 6:12, 13]; when he [the Father] shall have put down all rule and all authority and power. Ps. 110:1. For he [the Son] must reign [on his Father’s throne], till he [the Father] hath put all enemies under his [the Son’s] feet.” 1 Cor. 15:24, 25.
Having left the throne of grace, our Lord will at his coming take his rightful place on the throne of glory, the throne of his father David. “When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory.” Matt. 25:31; Luke 1:32, 34.
But he does not begin his reign upon this sin-marred earth, but in its capital city, the New Jerusalem, which is above, the mother of us all, now waiting for her children. Gal. 4:26, 27; Isa. 54:1-5. In the Paradise of God, once upon the earth in its Eden beauty, now in the city of God, untarnished by sin since guilty man first transgressed, will the Lord of glory begin his reign. The earth is not yet fitted, although subdued. A little longer the Lord waits to manifest his justice and love to those of all dispensations who have been its inhabitants, and then the earth will blossom as when it came from the hand of God, and Christ’s reign of endless peace begin. May God speed that day. M. C. W.
SEVERAL questions have of late been asked us upon 2 Cor. 3:7-11. As that is a passage which those who are striving to teach the law often find difficult to explain, and which enemies of truth use with great confidence as being opposed to the law, we will try to give a simple scriptural exposition of it. The fifth and sixth verses of the chapter read as follows:—
“Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think anything as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God; who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit; for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life.”
It will be noticed that the last clause of verse 5 is an answer to the question, “Who is sufficient for these things?” asked in verse 16 of the preceding chapter. The subject which is under consideration is the Christian ministry, as is seen by verse 6, and the first verse of chapter 4. The apostle is showing its excellence, and in so doing contrasts it with the ministry of the old covenant. The word “testament” in verse 6, means “covenant,” and the statement is that we are made ministers of the new covenant; “not of the letter, but of the spirit; for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life.” Many people seem to have the idea that in this verse Paul is contrasting the two testaments or covenants. The old covenant they call the letter, and the new covenant the spirit. But one who reads the verse carefully cannot fail to see that this is an error. The old covenant is not referred to till we reach the seventh verse. Paul’s statement is simply to the effect that he and his associates were ministers of the spirit of the new cov472enant, and not of its letter; for the new covenant has its letter as well as the old. On this point Dr. Clarke makes the following pertinent comment:—
“Every institution has its letter as well as its spirit; as every word must refer to something of which it is the sign or significator. The gospel has both its letter and its spirit, and multitudes of professing Christians, by resting in the letter, receive not the life which it is calculated to impart. Water, in baptism, is the letter that points out the purification of the soul; they who rest in this letter are without this purification; and dying in that state, they die eternally. Bread and wine in the sacrament of the Lord’s Supper, are the letter; the atoning efficacy of the death of Jesus, and the grace communicated by this to the soul of the believer, are the spirit. Multitudes rest in this letter, simply receiving these symbols without reference to the atonement or to their guilt; and thus lose the benefit of the atonement and the salvation of their souls. . . . It may be safely asserted that the Jews in no period of their history ever rested more in the letter of their law than the vast majority of Christians are doing in the letter of their gospel. Unto multitudes of Christians Christ may truly say, Ye will not come unto me that ye may have life.”
In the above quotation it is shown that the letter of the new covenant kills; but the reason why it kills will be made more plain after we have made a brief comparison of the two covenants. These two covenants with their ministrations are brought to view in contrast in verses 7 and 8, which read thus:—
“But if the ministration of death, written and engraven in stones, was glorious, so that the children of Israel could not steadfastly behold the face of Moses for the glory of his countenance; which glory was to be done away; how shall not the ministration of the Spirit be rather glorious?”
In this verse the old covenant is called the “ministration of death.” Why it was so called is very apparent to one who understands what the old covenant was. We will state it briefly. Before the Lord gave the ten commandments from Mount Sinai, he said to the Jews:—
“Ye have seen what I did unto the Egyptians, and how I bare you on eagles’ wings, and brought you unto myself. Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people; for all the earth is mine; and ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and a holy nation. These are the words which thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel.” Ex. 19:4-6.
On the third day after this, the Lord spoke the ten commandments in the hearing of all the people; “and he added no more; and he wrote them in two tables of stone.” Deut. 5:22. Then Moses went up to the Lord in the mount, and the Lord gave to him precepts growing out of the ten commandments. See Ex. 21, 22, and 23. The confirmation of the covenant, the preliminaries of which are given in Ex. 19:5-8, is related in Ex. 24:3-8. There we learn that—
“Moses came and told the people all the words of the Lord, and all the judgments; and all the people answered with one voice, and said, All the words which the Lord hath said will we do.” After this, “Moses wrote all the words of the Lord;” and after he had built an altar and offered sacrifices unto the Lord, “he took the book of the covenant, and read in the audience of the people; and they said, ‘All that the Lord hath said will we do, and be obedient.’ ” Then “Moses took the blood, and sprinkled it on the people, and said, Behold the blood of the covenant, which the Lord hath made with you concerning all these words.” Thus was the covenant confirmed. We learn from this that the old covenant was simply an agreement between God and the children of Israel, concerning the commandments of God. The people on their part promised faithfully to keep the commandments, and the Lord promised to make of them a great nation.
In connection with this covenant there were “ordinances of divine service, and a worldly sanctuary.” Heb. 9:1. This sanctuary is described in Ex. 25:26, 27, and 30, and the principal “ordinances of divine service” are described in Ex. 29:38-42, and Leviticus, chapters 4 and 16. With these facts before us, we may understand why the ministration of the first covenant was called a “ministration of death.”
(1) In this covenant the people had made an explicit agreement to keep the law of God. (2) By this law is the knowledge of sin (Rom. 3:20), “for sin is the transgression of the law.” 1 John 3:4. (3) The “ordinances of divine service” connected with the first covenant were for sin; but Paul tells us (Heb. 10:4) that “it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins.” Those “ordinances of divine service” were only “a shadow of good things to come, and not the very image of the things,” and therefore the sacrifices which the people offered had no power to make them perfect. Therefore (4) all who had to do with the old covenant alone were condemned to death; “for all have sinned and come short of the glory of God” (Rom. 3:23); “and the wages of sin is death.” Rom. 6:23. There was in the old covenant no provision for the forgiveness of sins; therefore the ministration of that old covenant, which was performed by earthly priests, was, so far as their work extended, the ministration of death. Only the perfect can have life, and their ministration made nothing perfect.
It is true that during the time of the ministration of the old covenant, sins were forgiven (Lev. 4:26, 31, 35), and this forgiveness was real, but it was obtained solely by virtue of faith in the promised sacrifice of Christ, and not because of anything in the old covenant. Paul says of Christ, in Heb. 9:15, that “he is the mediator of the new testament, that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first testament, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance.” Thus we see that when sins committed under the first covenant were forgiven, they were forgiven by virtue of the second covenant.
Some stumble over the first clause of 2 Cor. 3:7, “The ministration of death, written and engraven in stones,” but the Scriptures furnish means for the complete exposition of this. Paul cannot mean that the ministration was written and engraven in stones, for that would be impossible, because the ministration was the service of the priests. Then it must be that he means that death was written and engraven in stones. But some will say, “This makes nonsense of the text.” Let us see. It is very easy to ascertain what was written and engraven in stone. Ex. 31:18 says that the Lord “gave to Moses, when he had made an end of communing with him upon Mount Sinai, two tables of testimony, tables of stone, written with the finger of God.” “And Moses turned, and went down from the mount, and the two tables of the testimony were in his hand. The tables were written on both their sides; on the one side and on the other were they written. And the tables were the work of God, and the writing was the writing of God, graven upon the tables.” Ex. 32:15, 16. These two tables were broken, and after Moses had, by the command of the Lord, made two other tables, he said, “And he [the Lord] wrote on the tables, according to the first writing, the ten commandments, which the Lord spake unto you in the mount, out of the midst of the fire, in the day of the assembly.” Deut. 10:4. These texts show that it was the ten commandments, and the ten commandments alone, that were written and engraven in stones; and therefore by the word “death,” in 2 Cor. 3:7, Paul must refer to the ten commandments.
But is it allowable to speak of the ten commandments as “death”? Are they death to anybody? It certainly is allowable, for they are death to all men, because all have sinned, and the wages of sin is death.” The law is the cause of death to every sinner that shall perish, and so by metonymy it is called death. In like manner the sons of the prophets said of the poisonous gourds, “There is death [i. e., a cause of death] in the pot” (2 Kings 4:40); and the Lord said that “the tree of the field is man’s life” (sustainer of life). Deut. 20:19. So when Paul describes his conviction as a sinner, he says of the law, “And the commandment, which was ordained to life, I found to be unto death.” Rom. 7:10.
Thus we find that in every sense of the word, the ministration of the old covenant was “the ministration of death.” We have found, then, (1) that the law, which was the basis of the covenant, was death to all, and (2) that the ministration concerning that violated law offered no relief, but in itself tended to death.
Notwithstanding all this, there was a wonderful glory connected with the old covenant and its service. The giving of the law was attended with glory the like of which has never been seen on earth before or since, and will not be until the Lord shall come in the glory of his Father with all his angels. When Moses returned from the mount, his face was so glorified that the people could not look at it; and the glory of the Lord was present in the sanctuary to so great a degree that the priests were forced to obscure it with a cloud of incense, lest they should die. E. J. W.