1 The wicked flee when no man pursueth: but the righteous are bold as a lion.

Christadelphian writing is "bold," because of full assurance of faith and understanding as the result of daily familiarity with the holy oracles. Your notion that a man must have a personal "commission" is a mistake and a hindrance. If it were true, no work of God could be done now, for none are personally commissioned.

All are "sent" who understand and believe the word of the water of life (Rev. 22:17), and who, being "faithful men," have apprehended the things which Timothy heard of Paul.—(2 Tim. 2:2.)

Such, being fully persuaded of the truth and the glory of the gospel, have great confidence and boldness, and no sympathy with the uncertainty and deadness that reigns among so-called Christendom.

TC 07/1870

4 They that forsake the law praise the wicked: but such as keep the law contend with them.

Here we have the case of Christ depicted, and a cue supplied for the guidance of all his brethren. Jesus was a keeper of the law. He was "made under the law" (Gal. 4:4), and was obedient in all things. And what was his relation to "the wicked" around him-the Scribes and the Pharisees, and leaders of the people, of whom he said that they outwardly appeared righteous unto men but were full of all unrighteousness? He contended with them.

He both opposed them personally and warned the people against them (Luke 20:46; Matt. 23:13-39). In this he exemplified a line of deportment greatly in contrast with what is considered the right and the Christian thing in our day. To speak well of everybody and "let other people enjoy their own opinions":

this is the modern ideal of charitableness. To die without an enemy is considered the highest pitch of moral achievement. "He died without an enemy": this is regarded as the finest thing that can be said of a dead man. What can we say but that such sentiments cannot be harmonised with the case of Christ who died in the midst and at the hand of enemies, and who, telling his disciples of the coming hatred they would experience, said,

"If the world hate you, ye know it hated me before it hated you" (John 15:18).

From a divine standpoint, the fact of a man's having no enemies is a bad sign. Jesus says,

"Woe unto you when all men speak well of you."

The reason of this is germinally contained in the verse under consideration. The wicked love to be praised, and speak well of those who praise them. They hate those who do not praise them. A man who "keeps the law" cannot praise them. His own love of the law would disincline him: the commandment itself forbids it. Only those who forsake the law praise them, and there are many such. The world is made up of them. The world lieth in wickedness.

Consequently, there is much praising of the wicked. It is to be heard all round: in the press, in public meetings, in the pulpit, in private conversation-everywhere. In this praise, it would be pleasant and advantageous to join, but the keepers of the law cannot join. Consequently, they are hated; but they are hated yet the more because of their attitude.

"Such as keep the law contend with them."

It may be said that as we are not under the law of Moses, the maxim cannot apply. This would be a short-sighted conclusion. Though we are not under that particular form of divine commandment, we are

"not without law to God, but under the law to Christ" (1 Cor. 9:21).

And the principles governing obedience to God are the same under one form of command as another. "Such as keep the law," whatever it may be, "contend with" those who are not subject to it, and who are therefore the wicked. Paul's life is an example. His life was a continual contention with evil men; and Jude lays it down that we must

"contend earnestly for the faith once delivered to the saints" (verse 3).

Of course there is such a thing as being "contentious": this is a different thing. We must carefully distinguish between the mere pugnacity of the flesh and a faithful insistence on the will of God.

Lovers of "debate, wrath, strife, seditions, malignity, deceit," are themselves the wicked, even if the subject of their debate be furnished by themes of Bible origin. The contentions of such do not come within the commendation of Prov. 28:4.

Those who are commended are "those who keep the law," and men do not keep the law who do not obey

"the first and great commandment": "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart,"

and the second which is like unto it: "and thy neighbour as thyself." Men who are proud, backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, boasters, inventors of evil things, covenant breakers, implacable, unmerciful, are not keepers of the law, however much they may contend about the law or the gospel.

The passage we are considering contemplates a quiet, loving class, whose perception of right and sense of duty impel them to a contention with those who would lead men from the way of life. They contend with the wicked; they do not praise them, yet are they good men, kind men, gentle, faithful, loving men, whom the circumstances of the present evil world force into an attitude of hostility to all around them.

Seasons 1.83

13 He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy.

Personal Sins in the Day of Recompence

Suffering the Adamic curse is a question of physical constitution, which (though we put on Christ) remains unchanged till the expiry of the whole time allowed for probation, when we shall be

"glorified together (Rom. 8:17]; they (of former days) without us not being made perfect."—(Heb. 11:40.]

The effect of personal sin unforgiven would be to exclude us from eternal life by the violent displeasure of God in the day of revenges, which shall devour the adversary. God for Christ's sake forgives these, if we make confession and forsake them.—(1 Jno.1:9; Prov. 28:13.]

Therefore, in the final sense, believers are not under the curse for personal sins, but stand accepted in the Beloved, if they fear and are obedient. They will joyfully see that the Father's displeasure is no more toward them when the Lord invites them to a portion in his kingdom and joy. They will realise the truth, that

"He hath not dealt with us after our sins, nor rewarded us according to our iniquities; for as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is His mercy towards them that fear Him; as far as the east is from the west, so far hath He removed our transgressions from us."—(Ps. 103:10–12,]

The Christadelphian, May 1874

God pardons transgressions.‭ ‬Yes,‭ ‬and heinous ones too‭! ‬If God should mark sin‭ (‬in the unqualified sense‭) ‬who could stand‭? ‬Not one,‭ ‬save Christ,‭ ‬for all have sinned,‭ ‬and,‭ ‬therefore,‭ ‬fallen short of His Glory.‭ ‬But God is very merciful.‭ ‬Provided sins be confessed and forsaken,‭ ‬He will lovingly and abundantly forgive.‭ ‬His anger remains only where sin is wilfully and persistently practised—where no effort is made to improve,‭ ‬and where every opportunity for redeeming the time is allowed to slip.‭

The forgiveness of God is fully demonstrated in the lives of those whom we are told‭ "‬died in faith.‭" ‬To cite one of them will suffice.‭ ‬David was guilty of more than one great crime,‭ ‬but for all that he was greatly beloved of God.‭ ‬He receives in the Word of Truth the highly honourable mention of being a man after God's own heart,‭ ‬and is set forth as an example for others to follow.‭ ‬Why is this‭?

There is much consolation in the answer.‭ ‬David was not an habitual worker of unrighteousness—his life generally was characterised by uprightness and the fear of God.‭ ‬His sins were exceptional slips.‭ ‬When he sinned,‭ ‬he confessed his unworthiness with deep sorrow.‭ ‬This in itself forms a matter of example to us.‭

Where David's disposition is wanting,‭ ‬there is the tendency either to falsely exalt ourselves or to pull the Bible standard down.

‭ "‬He that covereth his sins shall not prosper:‭ ‬but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy.‭" (‬Prov.‭ ‬xxviii. 13‭)‬. - ATJ

The Christadelphian, Oct 1887

It is not sufficient to repent in the popular sense of being sorry. The original word for repentance carries with it the idea of reformation. There must be an abandonment of our evil courses. Sorrow for past misconduct is more acceptably shewn in a lasting amendment of our ways than in weeping and crying out.

But the question of our correspondent is, how will God receive the petition of an enlightened transgresssor?

Well, the testimony is that God is gracious and long-suffering (Ps. 103:8–9), and He is so to all men up to a certain point. He who forgives sinners when they believe in Jesus, and put on His name in the way of his appointing, is not slow to forgive saints when they make confession and prayer to Him through the Son of His love, whom He hath appointed a mediator and a high priest for this very thing.—(Heb. 2:17–18; 1 Tim. 2:5).

"If any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ, the righteous.—(1 John 2:1).

He who, by His son, exhorts us to forgive one another, is himself willing to shew the same grace unto "seventy times seven;" (Matt. 18:22); but it depends upon how we act towards others.

"If ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.—(Matt. 6:15.)

These are Christ's words, who taught us to pray

"Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive them that trespass against us."

God will be to us what we are to others. Thus David says:

"With the merciful man thou wilt shew Thyself merciful; with an upright man Thou wilt shew Thyself upright."—(Psalm 18:25.)

If we are magnanimous and patient and forgiving with others, we have ground for confidence that God will bear with us and forgive us, even if we have fallen as far as our correspondent's question would suppose; that is, if we return with a true intent to an observance of His commandments.

For the comfort of such as desire to amend, and yet scarcely dare to hope, we point to Christ's exhortation to the seven churches of Asia, to repent, even though so far down as Laodicea and Sardis.—(Rev. 2:5, 16, 21; 3:3, 19); also to the recognition of the possibility of re-instatement implied in 2 Cor. 2:7; 12:21; James 5:15, 19–20.

The case mentioned by Peter (2 Pet. 2:20) of being "again entangled and overcome," supposes a hopeless abandonment of godliness. Heb. 6:6 and 10:20, are still more definitely of this class. At the same time, there is reason for great fear and circumspection. It is a fearful thing to trifle with God.

Those only who overcome and keep the words and works of Christ patiently during their pilgrimage, will be accepted of Christ and receive the crown; but those will, doubtless, include many who at first stumble, and recover themselves, and are forgiven.

The Christadelphian, Feb 1872

15 As a roaring lion, and a ranging bear; so is a wicked ruler over the poor people.

We know something of wicked rulers

The constitution of the world at the present time is, in fact, a constitution of wicked rulership. Here we have a simile illustrative of its character: a lion, a bear. The application in the verse is individual, but we may give it a wider scope. The same animals have been symbolically used in a larger way.

They are two of the four Beasts used in the vision shown to Daniel to represent the four great Gentile monarchies. Their employment indicates the divine estimate of the nature of Gentile government. Imagine a lion in the street-a bear at large: how different from a father and a friend of the people.

This is the difference between the kingdoms of the world and the kingdom of God-a glorious man on a throne, a lamb on the Mount Zion, a city of geometrical symmetry and dazzling brightness, having the glory of God like unto a stone most precious.

As the brethren of Christ, we belong to the latter. We are not of the Lion and the Bear and the Great Red Dragon party. We have here no continuing city. Our citizenship is in heaven, from whence we look for the Saviour to bless all the families of the earth.

Like Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, concerning the promises, we have become "persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that we are strangers and pilgrims on the earth." Those who take part in the politics of the world, confess that they belong to the wicked rulership of the present darkness, which is destined to flee away before the glorious sunrise of Christ's presence.

We, who abstain, "declare plainly that we seek a country." We do not abstain because we have no interest in mankind and their affairs; but because by the gospel, we have been called out from among them during the Lion and Bear dispensations, to prepare for a place in the Glorious Shepherd dispensation of the age to come, when God will be glorified and mankind enlightened and blessed in all the earth.

The establishment of that dispensation is connected with a country-the country promised, which in the days of the fulfilment will be a heavenly country. In preparation for a permanent place in this heavenly country in the age to come, we accept a position of obscurity during the Lion and Bear ascendancy. We do so deliberately, in patient hope, and the turn of the saints will certainly come.

"Light is sown for the righteous, and gladness for the upright in heart."

Seasons 1.83.

22 He that hasteth to be rich hath an evil eye, and considereth not that poverty shall come upon him.

A wicked man

is scripturally characterised by an "evil eye" (Prov. 28:22), an "idle soul" (Prov. 19:15), "flattering lips" (Psalm 12:2), a lying tongue (Prov. 6:17), a "seared conscience" (1 Tim. 4:2), an "hasty spirit" (Prov. 14:29), a "proud heart" (Prov. 21:1), an "high look" (Prov. 21:1), a "double soul" (James 1:8), feet that run to evil (Prov. 1:16), hands full of mischief and bribes (Psalm 26:10), a sepulchral throat (Rom. 3:13), a "carnal mind" (Rom. 8:7), a "lifted-up head" (Psalm 83:2), a churlish disposition (1 Sam. 25:3), and a "mouth full of cursing, deceit, and fraud."—(Psalm 10:7)

The Christadelphian, Oct 1875