Earlier text: General ArticlesTHE LAW AND THE SABBATH BEFORE THE EXODE.
By C. P. Bollman
It has been clearly shown in former articles upon this subject, that the Sabbath was set apart in the Garden of Eden as a memorial of God's rest, and as a day of rest for man, i. e., for the race (Mark 2:27); and that it was known to all the nations of antiquity. This we know because the fact is inscribed in the languages of all those nations. (For full information upon this subject the reader is referred to "The Chart of the Week," Rev. W. M. Jones, 56 Mildmay Park, London, N., price 75 cents.) We have seen also from the "Britannica" that even the ancient Babylonians called the seventh day the sulum or rest; and according to Geikie, the Sabbath was one of the few truths known to the Chaldeans in the time of Abraham. And now it will appear from the Scriptures themselves that even though the children of Israel had for four hundred years sojourned among a most idolatrous and wicked people, the Sabbath of the fourth commandment was by no means new to them; but that they would, at the instance of Moses and Aaron, have kept it in Egypt if the Egyptians had permitted them to do so; and that they did keep it in the wilderness thirty days before the giving of the law at Sinai. From a simple reading of the fifth chapter of Exodus we learn that, in obedience to the word of God, Moses and Aaron went and told "Pharaoh, Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, Let my people go, that they may hold a feast unto me in the wilderness. And Pharaoh said, Who is the Lord, that I should obey his voice to let Israel go? I know not the Lord, neither will I let Israel go." But Moses and Aaron urged the matter, refusing to take no for an answer, and finally "the king of Egypt said unto them, Wherefore do ye, Moses and Aaron, let [hinder, see Webster] the people from their works? get you unto your burdens. And Pharaoh said, Behold, the people of the land now are many, and ye make them rest from their burdens." The following comment upon this text, published some three years since in an Eastern paper, is to the point:— "The word here translated 'rest' is in Hebrew shabath, and in every other place where the word is translated rest, it is in connection with the rest of the seventh-day Sabbath, except in Lev. 26:34, 35, where it refers to the land resting while it should be desolate. But when we turn to 2 Chron. 36:21, to the fulfillment of the words in Leviticus, there we have the word translated plainly, 'As long as she lay desolate, she kept sabbath.'" The following complete list of the texts in which the word shabath is translated "rest" or "rested," is also given:— "Gen. 2:2, 'And he rested on the seventh day;' Gen. 2:3, 'Because that in it he had rested;' Ex. 5:5, 'Ye make them rest from their burdens;' Ex. 16:30, 'So the people rested on the seventh day;' Ex. 23:12, 'On the seventh day thou shalt rest;' Ex. 31:17, 'The seventh day he rested;' Ex. 34:21, 'On the seventh day thou shalt rest;' Ex. 34:21, 'In caring time and in harvest thou shalt rest;' Lev. 26:34, 'Then shall the land rest and enjoy her sabbaths;' Lev. 26:35, 'It shall rest because it did not rest.'" The same writer continues: 'As before stated, in 2 Chron. 36:21 the same word is translated plainly, 'sabbath,' in fulfillment of Lev. 26:34, 35, 'As long as she lay desolate, she kept sabbath.' So, therefore, with the exception in Leviticus, in every place in the Bible where the word is translated 'rest,' it refers to the rest of the seventh day, the Sabbath of the Lord, unless we make a further exception of these words of Pharaoh in Ex. 5:5.357 But why should this be made an exception when there is nothing in the text nor context which demands it as an exception? and when besides we have all these instances of the use of the word to justify the use of it in that same sense in this place? "Further: the context appears to justify this meaning; for Pharaoh said also (Ex. 5: 8), 'For they be idle.' Now what good reason could he have for saying they were idle, unless it be in view of what he had said to Moses and Aaron that they made them rest, and in view of that rest being the Sabbath in which they should 'not do any work.' Consequently, there was a conflict of authority. Moses and Aaron came to the people with the authority of God, teaching the people to rest. Pharaoh refused to recognize the authority, and made their burdens heavier and their tasks harder, and would not let them serve God. Then (Ex. 8: 1) 'the Lord spake unto Moses, Go unto Pharaoh, and say unto him, Thus saith the Lord, Let my people go, that they may serve me.' And this is further confirmed by the fact that the very first service that the Lord demanded of them, after Pharaoh had finally let them go, was to keep the Sabbath—to rest on the seventh day." The closing words of the last paragraph bring us at once to the proposition that the Sabbath was observed in the wilderness thirty days before the giving of the law at Mount Sinai. Turning to Ex. 16 we find that "the children of Israel came unto the wilderness of Sin, on the fifteenth day of the second month after their departing out of the land of Egypt." Verse 1. And in Ex. 19: 1 we read: "In the third month, when the children of Israel were gone forth out of the land of Egypt, the same day came they into the wilderness of Sinai." "The same day;" that is, upon the same day of the month in which they left Egypt, which was the fifteenth; for the Passover was killed upon the fourteenth day of the first month, and they left the next day. It was, therefore, sixty days from the time the children of Israel left Egypt till they came to the mount, which was three days before the giving of the law. Returning again to Ex. 16, and recalling the fact that the children of Israel came into the wilderness of Sin only thirty days after they left Egypt, we find that there they murmured because they had no bread. "Then said the Lord unto Moses, Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you; and the people shall go out and gather a certain rate every day, that I may prove them, whether they will walk in my law, or no." Verse 4. Just how they were to be proved appears from verse 5: "And it shall come to pass, that on the sixth day they shall prepare that which they bring in; and it shall be twice as much as they gather daily." The conditions in Egypt were such that they could not keep the Sabbath; or at least they could not without subjecting themselves to sore punishment for disobedience to their taskmasters. But now all this was changed, and they were not only free to keep the Sabbath, but the Lord proposed to provide them with food so that they could have no possible excuse for not keeping it; and in this way he would prove whether they really desired to keep it or not. It does not appear from the record that the people were informed that they were not to gather manna on the Sabbath just the same as on other days. And not only so, but we must conclude that while the Lord told Moses what his purpose was, he purposely kept it from the people in order that they might show just what was in their hearts. And so we read (verse 22): "And it came to pass, that on the sixth day they gathered twice as much bread, two omers for one man; and all the rulers of the congregation came and told Moses." It appears from this verse that the elders felt somewhat uncertain about the propriety of gathering a double quantity and attempting to keep it over the Sabbath, and yet they knew that the next day was the Sabbath, and that the people could not observe it properly unless the manna would keep over; and so in their perplexity they came and told Moses. "And he said unto them, This is that which the Lord hath said, To-morrow is the rest of the holy Sabbath unto the Lord; bake that which ye will bake to-day, and seethe that ye will seethe; and that which remaineth over lay up for you to be kept until the morning." From verses 24–26 we learn that the manna gathered on the sixth day did keep over till the next day; and that Moses then explained to the people what God had before told him. We read: "And Moses said, Eat that to-day; for to-day is a Sabbath unto the Lord; to-day ye shall not find it in the field. Six days ye shall gather it; but on the seventh day, which is the Sabbath, in it there shall be none." But notwithstanding this, "there went out some of the people on the seventh day for to gather, and they found none. And the Lord said unto Moses, How long refuse ye to keep my commandments and my laws?" Verses 27, 28. "How long refuse ye," etc., implies that they had before knowingly neglected this duty; they had, no doubt, excused themselves on the ground that they could not keep the Sabbath in Egypt, but their disobedience in the wilderness after the manna was given, showed that they did not really desire to honor God by keeping holy the memorial of his creative work. And in this they were not unlike many in our own day, who are willing to adopt almost any sort of a subterfuge if it only promises to free them from the feeling of obligation to keep the Sabbath of the Lord in obedience to his law. THERE is an old hymn, coined in the mint of a soul often distressed to the point of hopeless despondency, and once sung oftener than it is now in our social meetings and in our great congregations, which begins:— "Oh! for a closer walk with God!" And has for one of its searching stanzas:— "The dearest idol I have known,
Whate'er that idol be,
Help me to tear it from thy throne,
And worship only thee." The later and more familiar hymn in which we voice the same cry is:— "Nearer, my God, to thee,
Nearer to thee!
E'en though it be a cross
That raiseth me!
Still all my song shall be
Nearer, my God, to thee,
Nearer to thee!" It would be interesting to analyze these hymns in connection with the story of the writers, and see from what standpoint of differing experiences they came into the expression of a common desire. For at heart these hymns are not two but one. They utter one longing. They are the records of an identical desire to come into a deeper and more abiding intimacy with God; and they show a willingness—both of them alike—to pay whatever price may be necessary to secure this intimacy: "The dearest idol I have known"—"E'en though it be a cross." It is a desire to be cultivated and cherished—this of living near to God. There is comfort and strength and joy in it, Sorrows, calamities, losses, defeats, the hard stress and pressure of the world, never seem so sore when the soul has sure hiding in God, and there is the compensation of his blessed fellowship.—Selected. ONE thing at a time is all that any man can do to advantage. Indeed, no man is of any special worth in behalf of any cause or interest which does not so absorb his energies, for the time being, that he would be loath to turn away from it in order to attend to anything else whatsoever. "This one thing I do," said Paul, for himself; and when Paul was counseling Timothy as to his duties, he said to him: "Give thyself wholly to them, that thy progress may be manifest unto all." He who would work as efficiently as Paul, or as Timothy, or who would have his progress made manifest to others, must do one thing at a time, and must give himself wholly to that thing. A divided mind is not even half a mind, in any direction.—Sel. OFTEN when it appears to be of the least use to do a good act or speak a kind word, God is ready to make the attempt a very sunburst to the soul.—Golden Censer. PRAYING WHILE PREACHING.
By John Bunyan
WHEN I have been preaching, I thank God, my heart hath often—all the time of this and the other exercise—with great earnestness cried to God that he would make the word effectual to the salvation of the soul; still being grieved lest the enemy should take the word away from the conscience, and so it should become unfruitful; wherefore I have labored so to speak the word as that thereby, if it were possible, the sin and person guilty might be particularized by it. I have observed that a word, cast in by the by, hath done more execution in a sermon than all that was spoken besides. And when I have done the exercise, it hath gone to my heart to think the words should now fall as rain on stony places, still wishing from my heart, oh that they who have heard me speak this day did but see, as I do, what sin, death, hell, and the curse of God are; and also what the grace and love and mercy of God are, through Christ, to men in such a case as they are who are yet estranged from him. And, indeed, I did often say in my heart before the Lord that if I should be hanged up presently before their eyes, and it would be a means to awaken them and confirm them in the truth, I gladly should be contented. I have been in my preaching, especially when I have been engaged in the doctrine of life, by Christ, without works, as if an angel of God had stood at my back to encourage me. Oh, it hath been with such power and heavenly evidence upon my own soul, while I have been laboring to unfold it, to demonstrate it, and to fasten it upon the consciences of others, that I could not be contented with saying, I believe, and am sure. Methought I was more than sure—if it be lawful thus to express myself—that those things which then I asserted were true.—John Bunyan. Kind Hearts and Kind Deeds
Kind hearts are the gardens,
Kind thoughts are the roots,
Kind words are the blossoms,
Kind deeds are the fruits.
Love is the sweet sunshine
That warms into life;
For only in darkness
Grow hatred and strife.
—Selected. THE words of Christ are spirit and life. A little grain of musk hidden in one corner of a large drawer filled with garments will soon pour its pungent odor through the whole drawer, saturating every thread. So does the word of God, truly hidden in a human heart, touch and saturate with its holy sweetness the whole life. In a German tale a wonderful lamp set in a fisherman’s hut changes the rude hovel and all its poor furniture to silver. The divine word is a heavenly lamp which, when set in a sinful human life, transforms it all from glory to glory, until it stands at last in transfigured beauty before God. One invariable effect of this indwelling will be the cleansing of the life. We must be clean to be “polished shafts” in God’s hands for his use. An old writer said: “Be thyself blameless of that which thou rebukest. He that cleanses a blot with blotted fingers makes a greater blot.” And no earthly word will cleanse us, because in the purest human word there is sin, which will leave stain on the life our hand touches. But the word of God is cleansing. It keeps us from sin and purifies the heart’s fountains. Another effect of this indwelling is transformation into the likeness of Christ. Every fragment of divine truth which comes to us we should instantly turn into life. Every divine word that we ponder deeply opens to us a vision of beauty or excellence, something very lovely, a little of Christ’s own image; and we should at once strive to paint the vision on our own life, to realize the beauty in ourselves. The Bible is not rightly used if we do not thus try to get every word of it which we learn transmuted into life and character. To do this requires the closest vigilance over ourselves and the most loyal fidelity to divine truth.—Selected. CHARACTER shows itself in love more than in study or in labor. And love has more to do in shaping character than have study and labor combined. What we love shows what we are. And what we love makes us what we are to be. The truest force in our character and the truest test of our character, find their center in the affections rather than in the intellect, or than in the activities of our daily living and striving. It is in the lower sphere of life, as in the higher, that love is the fulfilling of the law. Hence we are to guard well the directings and impellings of our heart; for out of it are the issues of life.—Selected. The Detractor Never Elevates Himself
THE detractor may, and often does, pull down others, but he never, as he seems to suppose, elevates himself to their position. The most he can do is maliciously to tear from them the blessings which he cannot enjoy himself. The Christian’s Three Morning Thoughts
THREE things should be thought of by the Christian every morning—his daily cross, his duty, and his privilege, how shall he bear the one, perform the other, and enjoy the third. WHAT IS THE RESURRECTION?
By E. J. Waggoner
In answer to a question upon the resurrection, the Christian Union says: "Resurrection, or 'rising up' (as the word means) is the entrance of the spirit into the embodied life of the world to come." This is Spiritualist doctrine, but it is held by very many who profess to be orthodox. There seems to be a sort of fascination about it, although we cannot conceive wherein the fascination consists, unless it is in the fact that the doctrine contradicts the Bible. Let the reader who is inclined to accept the Christian Union's definition of the resurrection, but who has a regard for the Bible, notice the following scriptures:— 1. Matt. 20:17-19: "And Jesus going up to Jerusalem took the twelve disciples apart in the way, and said unto them, Behold, we go up to Jerusalem; and the Son of man shall be betrayed unto the chief priests and unto the scribes, and they shall condemn him to death, and shall deliver him to the Gentiles to mock, and to scourge, and to crucify him; and the third day he shall rise again." Paul also says that "Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures; and that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the Scriptures." 1 Cor. 15:3, 4. And he also states that this was "the resurrection from the dead." Rom. 1:4. The Spiritualist theory says that the resurrection is the rising of the soul from the body, at death; the Bible says that the resurrection of Christ was not till three days after his crucifixion. Which is more worthy of belief? 2. Matt. 27:62-64: "Now the next day, that followed the day of the preparation, the chief priests and Pharisees came together unto Pilate, saying, Sir, we remember that that deceiver said, while he was yet alive, After three days I will rise again. Command therefore that the sepulcher be made sure until the third day, lest his disciples come by night, and steal him away, and say unto the people, He is risen from the dead." Notice the direct contrast between the Spiritualist theory of the resurrection and the Bible teaching. According to the Spiritualist theory, the resurrection of Jesus took place as soon as he breathed his last breath upon the cross. But here we find that the next day after the crucifixion the Jews desired a guard so that the disciples might not steal his body away and so claim that he had been raised from the dead according to his prediction. From this we learn that when Jesus, his disciples, and the Pharisees spoke of the resurrection from the dead, they all had no other idea but that some time after death the body should be restored to life. And the Bible nowhere recognizes anything as resurrection, except the restoration of the body to life. Just imagine the Pharisees asking for a guard to prevent the spirit of Christ from leaving the body! The Spiritualist theory makes nonsense of the Bible. 3. John 6:40: "And this is the will of him that sent me, that everyone which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life; and I will raise him up at the last day." These are the words of Christ. The Spiritualist teaching is that everyone is raised at what is called death; Christ says that believers shall be raised at the last day. No "advanced thinker" would be so wild as to claim that the spirit does not leave the body of any man until the last day, yet Christ says that that is when the resurrection will take place. And lest some should claim that the "last day" refers to the last day of a man's earthly life, we quote the words of Christ in John 5:28, 29: "The hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, and shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation." This shows that the resurrection is a coming forth from the grave. 4. 1 Cor. 15:51-54: "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. So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory." No comment could make it plainer that the resurrection takes place at the last trump, and that it consists in the raising of the body to life. We might cite additional texts by the score, showing the same thing. Shall we not believe the Bible doctrine of the resurrection, rather than the Spiritualist theory? Reason alone would say that we ought, since it is the Bible alone that reveals the fact that there will be a resurrection. And does it not seem strange that Spiritualists, and those who follow their teaching without taking their name, will prate loftily about the resurrection from the dead, while all the time they deny that there is any such thing as death? Surely "the legs of the lame are not equal," and all who depart from the simplicity of Bible doctrine are deplorably lame. W. THERE are few texts that have been the subject of more anxious inquiry than 1 John 3:9: "Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him; and he cannot sin, because he is born of God." This is made much of by the self-styled "holiness" people, who use it to bolster up their own claims to perfection. They seem to take it for granted that they are specially referred to in the text, and think that all one has to do to be beyond the reach of sin is to profess to be born again. On the other hand, there are some who think that such a condition as the text describes is impossible in this life, and that it refers to the life to come, claiming that the new birth is at the resurrection. A question having been asked as to the meaning of the text, we take space for a brief exposition of it. In the first place we would say that being "born of God" is a change that takes place in this life, and not at the resurrection. John says in this same chapter (verses 1, 2): "Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God; therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not. Beloved, now are we the sons of God." Men are not by nature children of God. Paul says that the "children of disobedience," who walk according to the lusts of the flesh, "fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind," are "by nature the children of wrath." Eph. 2:2, 3. To the unbelieving Jews, who sought to murder Christ because he reproved their wicked deeds, the Saviour said, "Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do." John 8:44. Now since "all have sinned" and are consequently by nature the "children of wrath," children of the devil, it follows that those who are now the sons of God have become so by the new birth. Again, being born again is a prerequisite to obtaining the life to come. Jesus said to Nicodemus: "Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." John 3:3. And he repeated the statement in these words: "Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God." Verse 5. These texts not only show that the new birth takes place before the resurrection, but they also set us on the track of what the new birth is. We learn that in the new birth both water and the Spirit have a part. This reminds us of what Paul says in Rom. 8:14-16: "For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God." The possession of the Spirit shows that we are sons of God, and that we are Christ's. Rom. 8:9. It is called "the Spirit of adoption."359 The first work of the Spirit upon the hearts of men, is to "reprove the world of sin." John 16:8. Conviction of sin, if not stifled, will necessarily drive the soul to Christ (see Rom. 7:24, 25; 8:1); and Paul says that "if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature." 2 Cor. 5:17. But if a man in Christ is a new creature, it must be that he has had a new birth; therefore we know that one who is born of God is one who is in Christ. Now read Rom. 6:1-3: "What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein? Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?" And also Gal. 3:26, 27: "For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ." Here we learn, what has already been stated, that sons of God are they who are in Christ; and we learn also that we put on Christ, or are ushered into Christ, by baptism. Now connect with these texts 1 Cor. 12:12, 13, where baptism and the Spirit are coupled together, as in John 3:5. It reads: "For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body, so also is Christ. For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have all been made to drink into one Spirit." Thus the Spirit convicts of sin; the convicted sinner repents and flies to Christ for cleansing from sin; he shows his acceptance of Christ by being baptized, and rises to walk in newness of life, a new creature in Christ, if he abides in Christ. This is the new birth, or, as it is commonly called, conversion. But what has this to do with the statement in 1 John 3:9 that whosoever is born of God sinneth not? We shall see, when we have examined one or two texts more which relate to the new birth. We have already seen that the Spirit of God is the prime factor in effecting the new birth. It first works upon the heart, to convict of sin. But how does the Spirit convict of sin? Through what does it operate? In Eph. 6:17 we are told that the sword of the Spirit is the word of God. Then since the word of God is the Spirit's sword, it must be by means of the word that the Spirit convicts of sin. In support of this conclusion we read Heb. 4:12, 13: "For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight; but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of Him with whom we have to do." Then the word of God,—and by this the law is specially referred to,—has much to do in the work of conversion, or the new birth. Without it, the Spirit could make no impression on the heart; and so the psalmist ascribes to it a leading place in the work of conversion, saying, "The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul." Ps. 19:7. Now we are prepared for a text which will bring us right back to the one with which we started. We quote 1 Peter 1:22, 23: "Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit [note the union of the Spirit and the word of truth in the work of conversion] unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently; being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth forever." In these texts last quoted we find the word of God brought to view as the seed by which men are begotten sons of God. Now read once more the text which we are studying: "Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him; and he cannot sin, because he is born of God." Why does not such an one commit sin? Because the seed by which he was begotten remains in him. And what is that seed? The word of God and the Spirit of God. That the possession of the word of God in the heart is a guard against sin, is shown by the psalmist, who, speaking of the righteous man, says: "The law of his God is in his heart; none of his steps shall slide." Ps. 37:31. And again he says: "Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee." Ps. 119:11. This statement about the law of God being in a man's heart, reminds us of what the Lord Jesus said, through the psalmist, of himself: "Then said I, Lo, I come; in the volume of the book it is written of me, I delight to do thy will, O my God; yea, thy law is within my heart." Ps. 40:7, 8. Now since David says that the law in the heart keeps a man's feet from slipping, we will examine a notable instance in the life of our Saviour, to see how it works. After Jesus was baptized, he was led into the wilderness to be tempted. After he had fasted forty days and forty nights, the devil said to him: "If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread." Matt. 4:3. How did Jesus meet this temptation? Not with parleying, but with the words, "It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God." That settled the question once for all. Then the devil took Jesus up and placed him on a pinnacle of the temple, and said, "If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down." Again the prompt reply came: "It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God." Here again, from the fullness of the word which was hidden in his heart, Jesus drew a weapon which foiled this attack of the enemy. Once more the devil plied his temptation. Taking Jesus into a high mountain, he showed him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them, promising them all to him if he would but for one moment worship Satan as God. Quick as thought came the words from the lips of Jesus, "Get thee hence, Satan; for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve." Notice that Jesus met every temptation with a text of Scripture. But these temptations were suffered and recorded for our benefit, that we might learn how to resist. Again: Faith is said to be the Christian's shield. Eph. 6:16: "Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked." But faith cannot be separated from the word, for "faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God." Rom. 10:17. One's faith is just equal to the amount of the word that he has—not committed to memory, simply—but hidden in the heart. Now we can understand 1 John 5:18: "We know that whosoever is born of God sinneth not; but he that is begotten of God keepeth himself, and that wicked one toucheth him not." The object of a shield is to protect the person from flying missiles. In ancient times, when men fought with swords and bows, the man who received all the blows on his shield kept himself, so that he was not touched. So in the Christian warfare, the one who receives the assaults of Satan upon the shield of that faith which is the outgrowth of God's own word, will keep himself untouched. Thus it was that Christ came off unscathed in his contest with Satan. Once more: In John 15:7 we read: "If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you." That is a comprehensive promise. "Ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you." What will be the constant request of the one who abides in Christ? It will evidently be for more of a likeness to him. David expressed it when he said: "One thing have I desired of the Lord, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to inquire in his temple." Ps. 27:4. Dare anyone say that such desires will not be gratified. They must be, for Jesus said: "Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they shall be filled." Matt. 5:6. Not filled with a good, happy feeling; not filled with complacency; not filled with self-conceit; but filled with righteousness—right doing—obedience to God's commandments; as righteousness is inseparably connected with meekness. Zeph. 2:3; Ps. 25:9. From this brief study it will be seen that 1 John 3:9 does call for perfect obedience. So does the whole Bible. That book makes no provision for a little sin to be retained. Christ died that he might present to himself, that is, find when he comes for it, "a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish." Eph. 5:27. This is the requirement. And surely if one abides in Christ, and if the word of truth by which he was turned from sin, still remains in him, it will continue to have the same effect that it had at first, and will keep him from sin. This does not mean that the individual will necessarily be perfect in knowledge, nor that he will be in a position where there is nothing more to gain; but it does mean that so far as he has knowledge of the law of God he will walk in it. He will be one of the "undefiled in the way." Ps. 119:1. Such an one will never boast of his goodness. He will be too much occupied in keeping from falling, to boast, and how will he keep from falling? "Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith." The more he beholds Christ, the more will he feel his own nothingness in comparison; this will beget humility; humility will beget trustfulness; and trustfulness will bring strength. Thus he will be "strong in the Lord and in the power of his might," and, going on from strength to strength, will at last appear in Zion before God.