NOTES ON BIBLE CLASS LESSONS.

THE CHARACTER OF CHRIST.

WITH what deep reverence should this subject be treated! How humbly should we think and speak of Him who indeed was perfect man! But the Word of God tself, in setting Christ before us as an example, does thereby direct us to " consider" his character. Let us pray for divine assistance and wisdom in tracing it.

In studying the character of even the best of God's servants, we know beforehand that we shall meet with infirmity and imperfection. Each has his besetting sin, though each has also the signs of divine grace working in his heart. Thus we need discrimination, and we need charity.

His perfect holiness is directly

But in the Lord Jesus we see PERFECTION. stated in the Bible-Isaiah xlii. 19, 1 Peter i. 19, ii. 22, Isaiah liii, 9—and the statement is confirmed by the testimony of Judas, Matt. xxvii. 4, and of Pilate, Matt. xxvii. 23, 24, Luke xxiii. 4, 14, 22, and by the fact that malice itself could find no true witness against Him, Mark xiv. 55-59, and that at a time when any plausible charge would have been welcome. See also Mark i. 24.

NESS.

Let us trace a few features in this perfect character. And first there was HOLIThis has already been proved by references, but we should also notice, in further confirmation, his hatred of sin. This is seen in the way in which He repelled Satan's temptations to DISTRUST, AMBITION, and PRESUMPTION, Matt. iv. It is seen in the frequent warnings against sin which accompanied his miracles of mercy; see John v. 14, viii. 11. Sin in his own disciples grieved Him, John xiii. 21, Matt. xvii. 17. Sin in his chosen but unfaithful people aroused at last his anger, and brought down the fierce denunciations recorded in Matt. xxiii. 13—36. He came to save sinners, but the very depth of his agony proved how He hated the sin.

The tender LOVE OF CHRIST shines out as one of his brightest graces. Like his Father, He Is Love. That brought Him down on earth, and led Him through all the deep trials of his earthly life. There was the Love of COMPASSION, as when He wept over Jerusalem, Luke xix. 41; sighed over human infirmities, Mark vii. 34; or human perversity, Mark viii. 12; mourned over human destitution, Mark ix. 36; and shared in human bereavement, John xi. 33, 35. There was the Love of FRIENDSHIP, shown also in the last reference, and in v. 3, 5; also John xiii. 1, xv. 9, 14. In his dying agony He could think of his Mother, John xix. 25-27. In his risen glory He could remember and comfort the fallen Peter, Mark xvi. 7.

That Love is the comfort of his people in all times and places. Romans viii. 35-39.

The WISDOM OF CHRIST should be well studied. As a child He astonished the learned Doctors in the Temple, Luke ii. 46, 47; then growing in wisdom (Luke ii. 52) He made his very foes allow that none could speak like Him, John vii. 46; again and again He silenced his enemies in argument, Luke xiv. 6, xx. 26, Matt. xxii. 46, Mark xii, 28, and baffled their designs, Matt. xxii. 15-22.

The HUMILITY OF CHRIST is also one of his most wonderful characteristics. See this fully set forth in Philip. ii. 5-8, Heb. ii. 9—18. To take our nature on Him-to be poor, despised, forsaken, denied, persecuted, and all of His own free will-who can estimate such humility in One who had shared the Father's glory? (John xvii. 5.)

How can we sufficiently adore such a Saviour?

THE INTERCESSION OF CHRIST.

WE have studied the work and the character of the Lord Jesus. Both of these have a close connection with the present lesson.

For-IS HIS WORK COMPLETED? In one sense it was already so when He Himself said, "It is finished," John xix. 30; see also John xvii. 4. His atoning work was done; and by his resurrection He proved that it was a SUFFICIENT WORK. But, atonement was not all; man, reconciled to God (Rom. v. 10), needs To BE PRESERVED, kept from falling, and it is still part of the Lord's work to accomplish this; and for this purpose He ever MAKETH INTERCESSION for them. He will not leave his work half done.

Again, it belongs to His character still to care for them for whom He died. Is He faithful, patient, compassionate, wise, watchful? All these qualities lead Him to care for his people, and to show that care by pleading for them with his Heavenly Father, who can keep them.

WHO IS IT that thus INTERCEDES?

We may offer up intercessory prayers for each other, as we are bidden to do, 1 Tim. ii. 1; it is the noblest work of Christian love. But our prayers, at the best, are feeble, imperfect, and even often mistaken (Matt. xx. 20-22), limited by our ignorance of what is best for our friends, and by our inability to enter thoroughly into their feelings and necessities. How different with our great Intercessor! All human feelings, dangers, sorrows, temptations even, are known to Him-for He is ONE OF US, having taken our nature on Him, Heb. ii. 14-18; iv. 14—16. He can neither fail in his knowledge, nor err in his petitions.

And He is not like us, who are but weak and imperfect pleaders and advocates. In Him is no infirmity to weaken his intercessions, Heb. vii. 26. He is the pure, the perfect, the ACCEPTED, the BELOVED One, who by his own blood purchased the right to make his intercessions in God's presence; see, for instance, John xi. 42. As if to show how that right is remembered, the Revelation speaks of Him even in glory as "a lamb that had been slain." And nothing stops his intercession-"He ever liveth."

WITH WHOM DOES JESUS PLEAD? With One who is as ready to listen and to grant. That intercession is well-pleasing to the Father, even when uttered by human lips (Gen. xvii. 18-20; xviii.), how much more from the beloved Son! See, for instance, John xiv. 23; xvi. 26, 27. And He intercedes with One who is ABLE to save. As much as this is said in its fullest extent of the Lord Jesus Heb. vii. 25. And they who are thus commended to the care of the Father are indeed safe for ever, John x. 28, 29.

FOR WHOM DOES JESUS PLEAD? HIS OWN. He died for all, that any might come ("Whosoever will," Rev. xxii. 17, " any man," John vii. 37). If any will not come, they lose that precious blessing, John xvii. 6, 9. How fearful the result.

But they that come find in Him all they need. Are they weak, imperfect, ignorant, even wayward? He knew, and He knows all that; they could never earn his intercession; but it is just to such that it is like LIFE and PEACE to know that they have in heaven a Saviour and an Intercessor who will never forget them. Are those blessings ours?

THE SECOND COMING OF CHRIST.

ST. PAUL'S strong expression in 1 Cor. xv. 19 justly describes what would be the result, IF THIS LIFE WERE ALL. The guilt and misery of the world around, and the weakness and inconsistency within us, would be unbearable if no bright future lay before us. But blessed be God, the Scriptures clearly reveal a widely different state of things, that shall yet bless his waiting people.

In Rev. xx. a period of a thousand years is foretold, during which the power of Satan shall be removed, and the Earth be full of peace and holiness and to that period are generally applied such passages as Isaiah xxxv ; xlix; lx; lxv. But the chapter in Revelation referred to, clearly states that this period will not be the one of final and perfect blessedness, for it will be followed by a great rebellion and struggle. Whether the Lord Jesus will personally reign on Earth, during the thousand years, has been much discussed. His own words in Matt. xxv. 31-46, seem to reserve that coming to THE FINAL SEPARATION; (called also the Harvest in Matt. xiii. 31-50), and such will be the sense in which the words will now be used. The reign of the Saviour is spiritual, and can (if He pleases) be complete without his bodily presence.

What passages then foretel THE SECOND COMING OF CHRIST? One in which He comforted his sorrowful disciples; John xiv. 1-3. Another in which the same mourners are encouraged by Angels to trust in Christ's return; Acts i. 11. See also Acts iii. 19-21; Heb. ix. 28; Rev. i. 7; and compare Daniel vii. 13. 14; Rev. xxii. 7, 12. And in Matt. xxiv. mingled with many figurative expressions that foretold the destruction of Jerusalem, and the fall of the Jewish Dispensation, are many that undoubtedly refer to the yet future appearing of Christ. See also the lofty predictions in 1 Cor. xv. 51-54.

WHEN WILL THE LORD COME? On this point Scripture gives us two opposite warnings, each needful: one against presumption in fixing dates, Matt. xxiv. 36 44; xxv. 13.—the other and in the same passages, against carelessness: see also Rev. i. 3; xxii. 7—10. It is clear that whilst we are not to fix specific dates, we are to watch the progress of events, and above all, to be ready. The words in Matt. xxiv. 27, 36-41, warn us of the SUDDENNESS of that coming, and the fearful danger of being unprepared. God does not measure time, as men do—a thousand years are nothing to Him, or He can in a day, accomplish events that seem to us to need a thousand years. Christ MAY come SOON.

How will He come? In Heavenly glory surrounded by Angels. No longer the poor despised, humble carpenter's son-but in such glory, that his foes will not bear to look at Him: (comp. Rev. vi. 11—17). But He will come also in Human Nature, still perfect man, and his people will behold IIim with joy unspeakable: Isaiah xxv. 9.

FOR WHAT PURPOSE will He come? To Judge the quick and dead at his appearing, 2 Tim. iv. 1; Rev. xx. 11-15, and to cast out of his kingdom every pollution, Matt. xiii. 41; Rev. xxi. 27; xxii. 14-15. The separation will be complete, and final: Matt. xxv. 33-46; Rev. xxii. 11. Now the wicked and the good grow together, and human eyes cannot always discern between them-but He who searcheth the hearts, will then cast out the unconverted, and take his ransomed people to be for ever with Him: 1 Thess. iv. 13-18. WHO IS READY?

CHRIST OUR EXAMPLE.

WE have been considering the perfect character of our Lord, the Lamb without blemish and without spot, not only the Son of God, but the PERFECT MAN. AS we are reminded in the Collect for the 2nd Sunday after Easter, He came to be both an Atonement and an EXAMPLE. Is this language justified by Scripture? Clearly.-see 1 Peter ii. 21; and our Lord's own words, John xiii. 15; xv. 12. But for this, how could we dare to look up to such an example? How could we even try to follow Him who knew no guile? we that must feel how fearfully weak, ignorant, and unworthy we are! and who EVER COULD reach the standard set before us?

WHY should we follow the example of Christ? The answer is clearly given in the Bible; if we do not follow Him, if we have not in us the Spirit that dwelt in Him, WE ARE NONE OF HIS, Rom. viii. 9. It is impossible for any one to believe on Christ and love Him, without striving so to live as to please Him, which the unconverted cannot do, Rom. viii. 8. When we do strive to please Him, we, in that very effort, are trying to be like Him, to follow his example. The will of God is that we should be holy, as He is holy, Lev. xx. 7; 1 Thess. iv. 3, and just in proportion as we grow in this, and all other graces of the Spirit (Gal. v. 22-24,) we are growing like our Lord.

Without this likeness, also, we cannot enter Heaven, Rev. xxii. 14, 15. The Lord takes pity on us in our sinful state, but that He may save us from, and turn us away from, all iniquity, Acts iii. 26. He has mercy for sinners, but He hates sin, Ps. lxvi. 18; lxxxv. 8.

Therefore the daily endeavour to follow the example of Christ, is the sign and seal of the reality of our profession, John xiv. 15.

IN WHAT POINTS shall we try to follow Christ? In his Divine nature there was a majesty and dignity that we can only humbly adore; but the graces of his character on earth are set forth as for us to imitate. Let us take only three, having already referred to his holiness.

1st. His humility. This is expressly set forth as our model in Phil. ii. 5, and together with his holiness, in 1 Pet. ii. 21-23. He Himself enforced the lesson in a most remarkable manner, John xiii. 12-15; see also Matt. xi. 29. How strongly we need the lesson! Of all sins, there is perhaps no one more dangerous, because no one more subtle than pride.

2nd. His compassion. His own words, "I have compassion," are like a motto for his whole life, displayed in his miracles, his teaching, his prayers, his tears, (Luke xix. 41). And the like spirit must be seen in us, if we would follow Him.

His devotedness. It was his settled purpose and delight to do his Father's will, John iv. 32, 34; Ps. xl. 8. His life was spent in doing good. And in this too must we resemble Him, for a selfish, unfeeling heart, unwilling to strive to save others, can never be His dwelling place.

How can we follow Him? The older we grow, the more we shall feel our own unlikeness to that glorious image. But let us not despair; God will help us by his Spirit, if we look at Christ steadily, follow Him humbly but lovingly, and watch and pray. We always shall be far short on earth; but in heaven, we shall be indeed like Him, 1 John iii. 2, 3.

REGENERATION.

When Nicodemus, a Pharisee and a ruler, "a master of Israel," (John iii. 10,) came to our Lord, afraid to be seen with Him, yet evidently anxious to learn more of One who had already proved Himself to be a Divine Teacher, Jesus at once laid before him the doctrine of REGENERATION, or the new-birth. He Himself described it as a vital doctrine, not merely important but NECESSARY— not as one truth amongst equal ones, but as the FIRST, the entrance as it were into a state of salvation.

"BORN AGAIN." The marginal reading "born from above," need not be read as different in its sense: each phrase means the same, a divine gift of new life in the soul: "if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature," (2 Cor. v. 17) expresses the same truth; the man's soul has a new life, and it comes to him through Christ.

Was it a new DOCTRINE, when stated by our Lord? No, his words imply the contrary, John iii. 7, 10, Nicodemus could have learnt it from the Scriptures that he received. David prayed for a RENEWED spirit; and God, by the mouth of Ezekiel, promised "a new heart," to his people: Ps. li. 10; Ezekiel xi. 19; xxxvi. 26. That the greater part of the nation overlooked the truth can be too truly said of the present times. The doctrine of human corruption is too humbling to be acknowledged by any but those who feel it.

For what is implied by the necessity for a NEW heart given from above? Certainly that THE OLD ONE, OUR NATURAL STATE, is fatally corrupt. The natural man neither understands God's truth, nor lives so as to please Him: Rom. viii. 8; 1 Cor. ii. 14. How can such an one hope, or even desire, and much less deserve to enter into the kingdom of God? If we could suppose an unconverted man, such as Saul, Ahab, Herod, or Demas, admitted there, it would be no Heaven to him! Such men have no love, no faith, no true-hearted obedience, no holiness! They more or less LOVE SIN, of one kind or another, and such a love leaves no room for the Spirit of God. In Ps. liii. we have a melancholy but faithful picture of unconverted human nature: see also Rom. vii. 19, 21—24 Gal. v. 17.

WHAT IS THE CHANGE? Like a new life, a new creation, A NEW Nature. In the words of a text already referred to," old things are passed away,"-old tastes, old habits, old feelings, old principles, all are gone, and the man has all these new. Not that the old nature does not struggle, but IT DOES NOT REIGN: Rom. vi. 14; vii. 25; 1 Cor. xv. 57. The stream runs hard, but the man pulls AGAINST it, not with it. Take an illustration from Nicodemus himself, of whom nothing is recorded that the world would call guilt: yet he needed the new heart, and when he had it, he owned the crucified One, of whom he was once ashamed. Note also, such a wonderful change in multitudes, as that recorded in Acts ii.. WHO WORKS THE CHANGE? The Spirit that gave Adam's lifeless form its living soul, Gen. ii. 7, is the Divine worker that breathes on dead souls, and bids them live again. The necessity of that Divine agency is again and again declared: John i. 13; iii. 5; Rom. viii. 2; 1 Cor. ii. 12; Titus iii. 1; 1 Peter i. 23. And blessed be God, for that precious gift WE NEED ONLY ASK and have. Luke xi 13.