17 Let not thine heart envy sinners: but be thou in the fear of Yahweh all the day long.

THE Truth is for everyday use. It is not, as some people imagine, a theory of things which, once known, may be put away in an intellectual drawer or cupboard, in reserve, like a useful document or a memorandum of reference.

It is not a sensational thing, or an exceptional thing. It is a thing of sober and practical necessity. We require it every day, like our food. God lives every day, and must be thanked and supplicated every day, as the daily incense in the tabernacle typified. This is what he requests, and what we need.

Christ lives every day, and makes intercession every day, and every day we must come to the Father in his name, as the morning and evening lamb of the first year on the altar showed forth.

The need for hope is with us every day, and the need for help and the need for learning and guidance in the ways of righteousness and danger.

"Be thou in the fear of the Lord all the day long,"

is one of the standing exhortations of the Spirit, and it points to a constant actual need which the Truth alone supplies. If there are some who have no experience of this need, but on the contrary, get along the most comfortably with the Truth out of sight, it is because they are dead while nominally alive, abortions of human development while supposed to be sufficiently after the divine type to be fitted to become the sons of God.

Seasons 2.43

The value of obedience lies in that decidedness (as we might call it) which triumphs over both forgetfulness and difficulty. Eye-service is obedience, and there is a certain value in eye-service, but it is not very great. It is a far way below the kind of obedience that is to be the basis of exaltation to immortality.

The obedience that is to give us a place in creation for ever, has to be thorough. For that reason the circumstances of test are severe. It could not be tested, or even developed without them. The formation of character requires the evil that we meanwhile find so grievous.

The character that God approves is the choosing of the good in the midst of the evil. For example, in the matter of truth, we are commanded to speak every man the truth to his neighbour. How can our obedience in this matter be put to the proof except by being placed in circumstances where the truth is inconvenient and where a lie is to our advantage?

A liar will speak the truth when it is a matter of indifference. He will speak truly as to the weather or the persons he has seen in the street; but when he wants to buy, he cries down a good article; or sell, he will speak falsely as to where he got it and what is its value. It is in the latter instances that his true character is made manifest.

So we require to be placed in circumstances where the truth is against us to be proved in the matter of this command, and these circumstances must in their nature be disagreeable. But in view of what is aimed at, a wise man will hail the circumstances, and will not suffer truth to depart from his mouth.

So also with the command to be merciful. How should we ever have a chance of our character being formed on this point if all were always joyful and well with everyone? It requires evil-sore evil-and perfect liberty of choice on our part. We must be left just entirely to ourselves, face to face with suffering people, with no apparent eye to oversee.

Things must be of such a grievous complexion that it will seem of no profit to us, but the reverse-no pleasure to us but the other feeling, to exercise "the quality of mercy." The man who has God before him-who acts on the command,

"Be thou in the fear of Yahweh all the day long"

does not forget Him at such a moment, but shows mercy as he hopes to obtain mercy. The world thinks this a weakness; and, if we forget that the world is a foolish world, we may be influenced by their opinion and catch up their feeling. Let us be on our guard. The world passeth away, as John says. Its impressions are not worth a wise man's consideration.

Seasons 2.68

23 Buy the truth, and sell it not; also wisdom, and instruction, and understanding.

In this advertisement, the article offered for sale is the truth - the good things covenanted to David... that is, buy these four things; but when you have acquired them, see that you do not part with them for any consideration.

The truth, then, is the spiritual merchandise to be bought and sold without money or price. The Spirit and His agents,

"faithful men who are able to teach others" (2 Tim. 2:2),

are the sellers, and those who seek to understand it, are the buyers.

The commodities they offer for sale, under the Divine commission contained in Apoc. 22: 17, are tried gold! white raiment and eye-salve, with many gifts thrown in to induce purchase. The Apocalyptic advertisement is found in ch. 3:18, thus: "I counsel thee," saith the Spirit and the Bride,

"to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eye-salve, that thou mayest see."

Eureka 13.2.34