DISCIPLINE

DISCIPLINE

The highest intention of discipline is that we should be “partakers of his holiness” (that word is only once used). Every stone thrown at Stephen detached him more from the present life, and brought him sensibly more into the holiness of God; so that discipline is a positive, present gain to the sufferer now, and of course ^[p. 426] fits him the more for service here, as well as for the place which each one is to occupy in the holy temple in the Lord. The sound of the hammer will not be heard by-and-by. The old man has to be knocked away, and the more it is, the more the life of Jesus is manifested here. Hence, “we which live are alway delivered unto death” (2 Corinthians 4: 11). This I repeat is the highest discipline - suffering for righteousness. But secondly, there is retributive discipline - reaping what you have sown. Thirdly - if we do not judge ourselves we shall be judged, like Jacob at Shalem. This is, I think, a third order of discipline. The fourth is governmental. I might suffer on account of my ancestors, say, in having a weakly constitution. The remnant of Israel will suffer for the rejection of Christ; that is, they will suffer for the conduct of their ancestors. Discipline is a most interesting subject.