OUR CENTRE CHARACTERISES EVERYTHING
[p. 59] OUR CENTRE CHARACTERISES EVERYTHING
The greatest object to the mind is its centre. That is the point from which every action springs, and to which all actions turn. If self be my greatest object, everything I do refers and relates to it, whether it be in physics or in ethics. This is evident enough in the unconverted man, even when he is religious, that is, answering to a natural conscience, as in the case of Cain. His centre was himself, and hence, when he would be accepted by God, he sought it in a way commendatory to himself in bringing the fruits, not only of his own labour, but of the earth which had been cursed by God on man’s account. If I myself am my greatest object, everything I do and every judgment I form must be with reference to myself. I am the central point in connection with everything. Here the natural man necessarily must be, he cannot have any object greater than himself. However affectionate he may be in the relations of life, or however attached to any object, he makes himself the centre and judges and acts with reference to himself in all his likings and services.
Now when a soul is converted, there is at least some sense of One immensely superior to oneself; and according as this true fear of God, which is the beginning of wisdom, obtains and rules in the soul, there is an entirely new centre, and things are looked at and done in relation to it. Hence we shall find in Scripture that as the relation to God is apprehended, and according to the measure of faith in that relation, so there is a new centre, and everything is necessarily characterised by it. Abel’s faith leads him to see what is due to God; and his life and ways give evidence of the new centre he has found. He finds and enjoys a new relation with God: he is accepted, and he suffers at the hand of Cain for his new position. Accepted of God, he learns that he is rejected of man. His new centre is his only cheer and support in [p. 60] his suffering path down here, but it discloses the truth and character of the centre which he had found. He dated from it and he returned to it; but he was hated here because his works were righteous, and his brother’s evil. Thus we find a great principle, that acceptance with God entails rejection from man; and this new centre imparts a characteristic singular to itself to every one possessing it. The soul simply and truly presenting and giving clear evidence of being accepted with God would be consequently marked by rejection by man. Every circle of one’s life here would be marked by the brilliancy of the one, and by the envy and darkness of the other.
Enoch’s centre was very marked, and he walked with God three hundred years; before his translation, he had this testimony, that he pleased God. He was translated that he should not see death. He had but the one object, to which he referred everything, and by which he was governed in everything. No wonder that “he was not; for God took him”. He was in his walk the sample of the Man who was entirely to retrieve the distance and alienation into which man had fallen. I need not multiply examples; once we discover a principle in Scripture we shall easily and continually find examples of it. Thus Abram, Moses, Joshua, and the prophets, all corroborate this truth, that according to their faith and apprehension of God, so, as they were faithful, they were characterised by it in everything.
It is interesting to note that to almost each of the Old Testament witnesses the Lord was revealed in a different and special way, and this was the centre or pivot on which that witness’s life afterwards revolved. The Lord appeared to Moses in the burning bush; the Man with the drawn sword in His hand appeared to Joshua, the seraphim with the live coal to Isaiah. These revelations of God in His grace gave a colour in everything to the lives of those favoured. They were bright and useful [p. 61] while they adhered and were true to their centre, whereas they were feeble and failing when they diverged from it.
Let us now carry all we have gathered as to this great principle to New Testament times, and let us endeavour to ascertain the cause for the differences in testimony by true and faithful men with regard to christianity.
There is no ground or permission now, as there was in Old Testament times, for different revelations of God. The saints then were individually blest, even though on Israel there was national blessing. Now every believer belongs to the one and selfsame structure, the church of God. There is but one Head, one chief corner stone; and though there be a different apprehension of Him by each, and consequent effect, yet it is ignorance or want of faith which limits Christ to any position less than His real one. And if this be the case, even though the heart be true to Him, the testimony is inaccurate. Christianity is not really apprehended if Christ be not seen and accepted by faith in His true place. I do not say souls are not true and sincere, but if they have an incorrect centre, every circle and effort to be practical here must be inaccurate. Must we not make allowances for growth? Certainly, but growth is properly a fuller knowledge of Christ. Of this there are endless measures; I speak now of the simple fact of one’s faith and apprehension of Christ’s own place. I am not slighting or denying the fact that there are babes as well as young men, but I submit that the testimony of each must be according to his faith respecting Christ. If a babe did not see Him in His true place, then the babe’s testimony as to the truth and walk of a babe would be inaccurate and incorrect, because the babe had not a true centre from which he started, and to which he turned, deriving all from it and referring all to it.
Now as to testimony, one is hardly fit to be a witness until he knows what he is to testify of. The Lord says of the Holy Spirit, “He shall testify of me”. Surely this was that He testified of Christ, not as He was on earth, but as He is at God’s right hand; and hence I venture to say that no one can testify of Him now or be in the leading and guidance of the Holy Spirit who does not see Him by faith sitting down at the right hand of God. There can be no question as to the differences in the mode and subject of testimony, and these differences cannot arise merely from a feeble apprehension of a truth common to all. The testimonies are too varied and conflicting for this. As I have already said, it is as necessary for a babe to have a true centre to define and determine what is good and right in a babe, as it is for a father in Christ. If this centre is wrong he cannot be right in anything however sincere he might be.
I shall now try to set forth, as well as I can, some of the testimonies in the present day, and attempt to discover the centre of each from their course of action and manner of life.
There is a very pious class, the most numerous, who really love the Saviour, and who are simple in this faith that He came into the world to die for sinners. They do not go much farther, and the prayer called the Lord’s prayer very much describes the measure and extent of their spiritual state. They believe in the Saviour and a future salvation, but they expect that now God will order and provide blessings and advantages for them on the earth, and they regard every earthly advantage or position in this light. A Saviour on earth is their centre, and all their conceptions and expectations are in keeping with this, that a Saviour has come, and they look for a reign of blessing here. There are others in advance of them, who, as it were, see Christ offered up, the blood on the lintel and doorposts. They know they are quite safe from the judgment due to sinners; they are like the rescued in a lifeboat. They are like Abel, they know they are accepted through the offering of Jesus once for all. Yet they are not really out of Egypt, though in heart turning away from it and preparing to leave it. They are exclusively occupied with their escape, and they are [p. 63] very eloquent upon it. They have never accepted the wilderness; I suppose they are not ready for it, though they have in a way turned their backs on Egypt. They can enjoy the honours and position of this world with their own christian confederates. It is easily seen what is their divine centre.
Next to these are those who see Christ risen, the triumphant One. They are set free from all fear of judgment, and they have peace with God; but they regard the resurrection of Christ only as to its effect upon themselves, as it is sometimes said, as the receipt in full for all their sins. They are so cleared by the work of Christ that they do look for the wilderness here, and for the Shepherd’s care in carrying them through it, and are often like exiles in a strange country, entirely dissociated from the politics of the country, but very glad to enjoy the naturally good things in the country; and their acceptance and use of natural means in the Lord’s service declare that they are not quite dissociated from the world.
The last are those who date and refer everything to Christ at the right hand of God. They have no home but there, and the things of this world are no solace or enjoyment to them from whom the Bridegroom has been taken away. Their one and only business and joy here is to proclaim the goodness and greatness of the only-begotten Son, full of grace and truth. When my centre is at God’s right hand I derive everything from my Lord there, and I refer everything to Him there.
May each of us learn to do so more and more!