Depend upon divine power-Different effects.

2 Cor. 10: 4 (The weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds.) 5 Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ.

Heb. 4: 12 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. [See 47.]

434. Use of means made effectual by divine power.

Ps. 51: 12 Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free Spirit. 13 Then will I teach transgressors thy ways; and sinners shall be converted unto thee.

Zec. 4: 6 He answered and spake unto me, saying, This is the word of the LORD unto Zerubbabel, saying, Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, saith the LORD of hosts.

2 Tim. 2: 25 In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth. [See 594-6.]

10

435. The means of grace have different and sometimes destructive effects. Is. 6: 9 He said, Go, and tell this people, Hear ye indeed, but understand not; and see ye indeed, but perceive not. Make the heart of this people fat, and make their ears heavy, and shut their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and convert, and be healed. 11 Then said I, LORD, how long? And he answered, Until the cities be wasted without inhabitant, and the houses without man, and the land be utterly desolate; 12 And the LORD have removed men far away, and there be a great forsaking in the midst of the land. 28: 13 The word of the LORD was unto them, precept upon precept, precept upon precept: line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little; that they might go, and fall backward, and be broken, and snared, and taken.

Jer. 5: 14 Wherefore thus saith the LORD God of hosts, Because ye speak this word, behold, I will make my words in thy mouth fire, and this people wood, and it shall devour them.

Mk. 4: 3 Hearken; Behold, there went out a sower to sow. 4 And it came to pass as he sowed, some fell by the way-side, and the fowls of the air came and devoured it up. 5 And some fell on stony ground, where it had not much earth; and immediately it sprang up, because it had no depth of earth:

Discouraging cases- Meekness required.

6 But when the sun was up, it was scorched; and because it had no root, it withered away. 7 And some fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up, and choked it, and it yielded no fruit. 8 And other fell on good ground, and did yield fruit that sprang up, and increased, and brought forth, some thirty, and some sixty, and some an hundred.

2 Cor. 2: 15 We are unto God a sweet savor of Christ, in them that are saved, and in them that perish: 16 To the one we are the savor of death unto death; and to the other the savor of life unto life. And who is sufficient for these things?

Heb. 4: 2 Unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it. [Mic. 2: 7.]

[See 242.]

436. Cases of discouragement in using means.

Pr. 9:7 He that reproveth a scorner getteth to himself shame: and he that rebuketh a wicked man, getteth himself a blot. 8 Reprove not a scorner, lest he hate thee: rebuke a wise man, and he will love thee-13;1 A wise son heareth his father's instruction: but a scorner heareth not rebuke. — 14: 7 Go from the presence of a foolish man, when thou perceivest not in him the lips of knowledge.-23: 9 Speak not in the ears of a fool: for he will despise the wisdom of thy words.

Mat. 7: 6 Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you.

1 Jn. 5: 16 If any man see his brother sin a sin which is not unto death, he shall ask, and he shall give him life for them that sin not unto death. There is a sin unto death: I do not say that he shall pray for it. [See 256, 562.]

MEEKNESS.

437. Meekness required.

Zep. 2:3 Seek ye the LORD, all ye meek of the earth, which have wrought his judgment; seek righteousness, seek meekness: it may be ye shall be hid in the day of the LORD'S

anger.

Mat. 10: 16 Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves.

Gal. 6: 1 Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which

Encouraged and exemplified.

are spiritual, restore such a one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted.

Ep. 4: 1 I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called, 2 With all lowliness and meekness, with long-suffering, forbearing one another in love; 3 Endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

Col. 3: 12 Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, long-suffering; 13 Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any : even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye.

1 Tim. 6: 11 Thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness.

2. Tim. 2: 25 In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves.

1 Pet. 3: 3 Whose adorning let it not be that outward adorning of plaiting the hair, and of wearing of gold, or of putting on of apparel; 4 But let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price. [See 201, 482, 498–9, 737.]

438. Meekness encouraged.

Ps. 25: 9 The meek will he guide in judgment: and the meek will he teach his way. -37: 11 The meek shall inherit the earth, and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace.-76: 8 Thou didst cause judgment to be heard from heaven; the earth feared, and was still, 9 When God arose to judgment, to save all the meek of the earth. 147: 6 The LORD lifted up the meek: he casteth the wicked down to the ground. 149: 4 The LORD taketh pleasure in his people: he will beautify the meek with salvation.

Ec. 7: 8 Better is the end of a thing than the beginning thereof: and the patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit.

Mat. 5: 5 Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.

439. Meekness exemplified.

Ac. 7: 59 They stoned Stephen, calling upon God, and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit. [See 62, 660.]

Predicted.

MILLENNIUM.

440. A millennium of holiness and happiness upon this earth predicted.

Ps. 22: 27 All the ends of the world shall remember and turn unto the LORD: and all the kindreds of the nations shall worship before thee.-37: 11 The meek shall inherit the earth, and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace.72: 6 He shall come down like rain upon the mown grass: as showers that water the earth. 7 In his days shall the righteous flourish: 11 Yea, all kings shall fall down before him: all nations shall serve him.-86: 9 All nations whom thou hast made shall come and worship before thee, O LORD; and shall glorify thy name.

Is. 2: 2 It shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the LORD's house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it. 4 And he shall judge among the nations, and shall rebuke many people: and they shall beat their swords into plough-shares, and their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more. 17 And the loftiness of man shall be bowed down, and the haughtiness of men shall be made low: and the LORD alone shall be exalted in that day. 20 In that day a man shall cast his idols of silver, and his idols of gold, which they made each one for himself to worship, to the moles and to the bats. 25: 6 In this mountain shall the LORD of hosts make unto all people a feast of fat things, a feast of wines on the lees; of fat things full of marrow, of wines on the lees well refined. 7 And he will destroy in this mountain the face of the covering cast over all people, and the vail that is spread over all nations. 8 He will swallow up death in victory; and the Lord GOD will wipe away tears from off all faces; and the rebuke of his people shall he take away from off all the earth: for the LORD hath spoken it. 32: 15 Until the Spirit be poured upon us from on high, and the wilderness be a fruitful field, and the fruitful field be counted for a forest. 16 Then judgment shall dwell in the wilderness, and righteousness remain in the fruitful field. — 45: 22 Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else. 23 I have sworn by myself, the word is gone out of my mouth in righteousness, and shall not return, That unto me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear. -49: 6 I will also give thee for a light to the Gentiles, that thou mayest be my salvation unto the end

Predicted.

of the earth.· 60: 18 Violence shall no more be heard in thy land, wasting nor destruction within thy borders; but thou shalt call thy walls Salvation, and thy gates Praise. [See the whole chapter.]· 65: 17 Behold, I create new heavens and a new earth: and the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind. 18 But be ye glad and rejoice for ever in that which I create: for behold, I create Jerusalem a rejoicing, and her people a joy. 19 And I will rejoice in Jerusalem, and joy in my people: and the voice of weeping shall be no more heard in her, nor the voice of crying. 20 There shall be no more thence an infant of days, nor an old man that hath not filled his days: for the child shall die an hundred years old: but the sinner being an hundred years old shall be accursed. 21 And they shall build houses and inhabit them; and they shall plant vineyards, and eat the fruit of them. 22 They shall not build, and another inhabit; they shall not plant, and another eat: for as the days of a tree are the days of my people, and mine elect shall long enjoy the work of their hands.-66: 23 It shall come to pass, that from one new moon to another, and from one Sabbath to another, shall all flesh come to worship before me, saith the LORD.

Dan. 7: 27 The kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people of the saints of the Most High, whose kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey him.

Mic. 4: 1 In the last days it shall come to pass, that the mountain of the house of the LORD shall be established in the top of the mountains, and it shall be exalted above the hills; and people shall flow unto it. 2 And many nations shall come, and say, Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, and to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for the law shall go forth of Zion, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.

Hab. 2: 14 The earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea.

Mal. 1: 11 From the rising of the sun even unto the going down of the same, my name shall be great among the Gentiles; and in every place incense shall be offered unto my name, and a pure offering: for my name shall be great among the heathen, saith the LORD of hosts.

Rom. 11:25 I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, (lest ye should be wise in your own conceits) that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in. 26 And so all Israel shall be saved: