The Man with the Book; or, The Bible Among the People.Weylland, John Matthias
History
The Man with the Book; or, The Bible Among the People.
Weylland, John Matthias
City missions; London City Mission
"And the next Sabbath day came almost the whole city together to
hear the Word of God." ACTS xiii. 44.
"They that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament:" they
who have the wisdom of God in a mystery, or the hidden wisdom,--the
knowledge not to be found by searching the works of creation, or in the
discoveries and developments of science and philosophy. This wisdom
cometh from above, and is therefore communicated by the all-wise and
eternal Jehovah. This, and this alone, can enlighten man spiritually,
invest him with power to comprehend the central and infinite in truth,
and lead him to the attainment of those graces and perfections which can
alone fit him for the reception of reflected glory, and raise him to a
place before the throne of ineffable light and purity.
This wisdom (like its counterpart in the natural world, the sun) casts
rays of light, beauty, and restoration very widely. When He, the essence
of uncreated light, stood with "the glory He had with the Father"
veiled, as the Teacher of men, He uttered a truth so mighty that
wherever it is repeated the darkness fleeth away; wherever it is sounded
forth with power, be it in the palaces of kings, in the hovels of the
poor, or in the deepest recesses of moral corruption, the blackness of
the shadow of death which surrounds the immortal soul is dispersed as by
the voice of Omnipotence. Jesus said, "I am the Light of the world: he
that followeth Me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light
of life."
The Church militant, the royal priesthood, the ransomed people, is an
assemblage of individuals called out of darkness into His marvellous
light. This community of the blessed occupies the place of the absent
Lord, and has to show forth His glory. As children of the day, they
renounce the hidden things of darkness; and as vessels of mercy
illuminated by Divine grace, they show forth "the light of the Lord."
They of necessity do this by letting men see their good works, by
reproving sin, by giving instruction in righteousness, by holy zeal in
efforts to increase the kingdom of truth and purity. Possessed
themselves of the Word of God, through which and by the Holy Spirit they
are being sanctified, they use that same word for purposes of the grace
of God which bringeth salvation. The Bible in the hand of the Christian
is as the wisdom of God in the hand of Ezra, leading them "to judge;" to
give wisdom and prudence "to all such as know the laws of their God, and
to teach them that know them not." Hence it is the duty and high
privilege of each Christian, be he minister or layman, ordained or
unordained, to communicate precious truths, to teach from the Holy
Scriptures which are able to make wise unto salvation, through faith,
which is in Christ Jesus.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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