"NOTHING PERFECT."

"For the law made nothing perfect, but the bringing in of a better hope did, by the which we draw nigh unto God."-Heb. vii. 19.

Most blessed it is to have our spiritual minds stirred up by way of remembrance with those words of our Lord and Master, "It is the Spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life" (John vi. 63). In these words we who are blessed with spiritual understandings, discover the secret of all Divine and heavenly instruction-the secret of that spiritual education which God imparts to all His chosen, redeemed and regenerate children, in fulfilment of His promise to the Zion of His heart, "All thy children shall be taught of the LORD" (Isa. liv. 13), quoted by Jesus in John vi. 45, "It is written in the prophets, And they shall be all taught of God. Every man, therefore, that hath heard, and hath learned of the Father, cometh unto Me." He who hears the Father's voice in covenant command must come and sit at the feet of the meek and lowly Jesus-the Brother born for adversitythe Friend who sticketh closer than any brotherthe only One commissioned by the Father to teach

and communicate His mind and will, according to His own words of mysterious import, "I thank Thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because Thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes. Even so, Father, for so it seemed good in Thy sight. All things are delivered unto Me of My Father: and no man knoweth the Son, but the Father; neither knoweth any man the Father, save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal Him" (Matt. xi. 25-27). All our approaches to the Father, and all that we know of Him, is in, by, and with the Son. I love those words, "To Whom coming" (1 Pet. ii. 4) for fresh lessons in words of grace, salvation, life and glory. "To Whom coming" for refreshing in the old lessons received and forgotten, but not to be finally lost.

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God is pleased to use the means He thinks fit and proper in bringing His children to a right understanding of His everlasting purpose of grace, of His good pleasure to bring to Himself, down here in communion, and up yonder in the consummation of bliss and blessedness, a definite number of Adam's lost race, whom He styles, "Mine elect "—" My redeemed "—" My people." These He distinguishes as His own by love, blood, and power. By love in His everlasting purpose. By blood in the sacrifice of His Own Dear Son. By power in the indwelling, witness and seal of His Blessed Spirit. You will notice in reading God's holy Word consecutively the great difference existing in the style of the writers thereof. Paul is not like John; John_differs much from Luke; Jeremiah resembles not Isaiah; Isaiah appears to cast into the shade all the rest of the prophets. Here we see marvellous diversity. In it all exists wonderful unity. This is graphically set forth by Paul in 1 Cor. xii. 4-6, "Now there are

diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are differences of administrations, but the same Lord; and there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God Which worketh all in all."

You will also notice how differently God works in one age from that of another. His works are seen in one and He teaches by His creative power. In another He works in gracious supply and teaches by His never-failing providence. In ages past He wrought by type and shadow, and then by prophetic utterances, until the more sure word of prophecy came shining clearly in the Person and work of the Son of His love. High in the heights of glory, clothed in His mediatorial and moral grandeur, the God-Man appears, while the Blessed Spirit glorifies Him in the heart's experience of His eternally loved people. He takes one of these and quickens him into spiritual life by the application of an exceeding great and precious promise, while He awakens and startles another to a sense of damnation and despair by the thunder-peals of His righteous and holy law. He opens the heart of one like Lydia gently and gradually, while the heart of another is broken open instantaneously by the power of God in the convulsions of nature and the invincible energy of His truth. Mark the contrast between Lydia and the jailer (Acts xvi. 14 and 26-30).

In all this we see our weakness and folly in attempting to measure or gauge our experience or the teaching we have received from God by that of another. Mark you, the teaching He gives to another is not mine. Yet, we are taught by the same God-saved by the same grace-washed in the same blood-clothed in the same righteousness -heirs of the same inheritance-and bound for the same glory. The same Christ embraces all the election of grace. Spiritual comforts and consolations

abound by the same Spirit. In God's garden trees of every growth are found-the stately cedarthe upright palm-" the hyssop that springeth out of the wall." In His redeemed flock both lambs and sheep appear," and to Him the weakest is dear as the strong." The weakling is upheld by the strength of God, while the giant in spiritual knowledge and experience has only the same, and can boast of no more. "He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might He increaseth strength" (Isa. xl. 29). "When I am weak, then am I strong," Paul could say, and that because his Gracious Saviour had said to him, "My grace is sufficient for thee: for My strength is made perfect in weakness" (2 Cor. xii. 9, 10).

Leaving preliminaries, let us look at the three prominent truths of the text

I. Failure." For the law made nothing perfect."

II. Success." The bringing in of a better hope.' III. Proof." By the which we draw nigh to God." I. Failure. Let us read the whole verse66 For the law made nothing perfect, but the bringing in of a better hope did, by the which we draw nigh to God." Notice that word did is in italics, and causes confusion. In fact, nonsense. What do you make of this "The bringing in of a better hope did make nothing perfect"? This is the truth of the text"The law made nothing perfect; but it is by the bringing in of a better hope that we draw nigh to God," in Whom all perfection abounds to His dear children. Now let us notice the failure of the law to produce perfection. Law! What is it? A rule of action commanded by one who has a right to demand obedience. The law of God is the assertion of His authority and sovereignty. It is the declaration of His will demanding the obedience of His

creature man. When God created man He placed him under law to test his obedience. "And the LORD God commanded the man, saying: Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die " (Gen. ii. 16, 17). Man in his creature perfection was thus put to the test of his obedience, allegiance and love to his Creator; but he loved the creature more than the Creator. He stood not the test-he fell. From that day to this it has been quite sufficient for God to say to man, "Thou shalt not," and man would do the very thing forbidden. You see this illustrated in the case of the two sons in Matt. xxi. 28-30, “A certain man had two sons, and he came to the first, and said: Son, go work to-day in my vineyard. He answered, and said I will not; but afterward he repented, and went. And he came to the second, and said likewise. And he answered, and said: I go, sir; and went not." In this we see the perversity of human nature all the world over.

But it is our delight to contemplate in striking contrast to this the glorious perfections of our Covenant Surety-His willing and unwavering obedience-His filial faithfulness-His loving delight in doing His Father's will. Mark well His affectionate reproof to His mother, "Wist ye not that I must be about My Father's business?" (Luke ii. 49). My heart often quivers with strange delight at the sight of His saying to His disciples, "My meat is to do the will of Him that sent Me, and to finish His work" (John iv. 34). It is sweet by the eye of faith to see the heart of Christ in heaven with His Father, while He was toiling for us upon earth. There is an old saying which I love, "Tis home where the heart is." I love none the less the saying of the