But this is not my point in this lecture. I am anxious rather that we should look on the whole subject as an encouragement to faith. Surely some amongst us are too fainthearted about the truth. It really seems as if they could trust the Lord Jesus for their own souls, but not for His church, or for His truth: as if they had forgotten the text, ‘Are not thine eyes upon the truth?’ They value their Bible, and are ready to contend for it even unto the death; but still, they do not above half believe it. They are ready to go forth to battle, but they are not ready to begin, like Jehoshaphat, with the hymn, ‘Praise the Lord!’ They would rather chant some plaintive lament, and go into the battle with the doleful expectation of defeat. But this is not faith. This is not trust in the Lord Jesus. Ah! but one says he cannot rely on government, and another that he does not trust in bishops. But what has this to do with it? No one asks you to trust in rulers either in Church or State, for the Scripture says, ‘Put not your trust in princes.’ What we ask you to do is to trust the Lord Jesus Christ at the right hand of God. Trust Him, and all will be right, though all other objects of trust fail you.
Now take this great subject as a help to your trust. See how it exhibits Him in His own time, and His own way, working out His own predicted purpose. It was utterly impossible for any man by private interpretation to calculate the course that things would take. But He foresaw all, and more than two thousand years ago He actually foretold what He would do. And now, after all these centuries have passed, after great empires have risen and fallen according to His prophecy, after every species of effort has been made in vain to silence God’s Word, after every available means have been employed,—political influence, religious influence, priestly assumption, and fiery persecution—to stamp out God’s truth, we see the Lord Jesus with a mighty hand fulfilling His word, carrying out His purpose, and preparing the way for victory. And is that the time to distrust Him? If we are so fainthearted now what should we have been before the Reformation? What should we have been after John Huss was burned, and when the Lord’s own people were like the seven thousand hidden ones in the days of Elijah? If we cannot trust Him now, that we have experienced that ‘His counsels of old are faithfulness and truth,’ what should we have done if we had lived before any prophecies had been fulfilled; if we had had to trust to His bare naked word before it was confirmed by history? But now that we have this great confirmation, and now that we see the putting forth of His hand, this is not the time for faintheartedness or misgiving; this is not the time to distrust Him whom God has made the ‘head over all things to His Church.’ It is true that
‘God moves in a mysterious way
His wonders to perform;’
but it is certain that He is riding on the storm and will perform His own wonders, so that we may add, as in the next verse of the same hymn,
‘Ye fearful saints, fresh courage take,
The cloud ye so much dread
Is big with mercies, and will break
In blessings on your head.’
And not only so, but we may reverently hope that it will not be long before we behold His triumph. When the disciples were on the lake the night was dark, and the winds were contrary, but He came to them in His own good time, and all was rest. So we may meet with rough weather, but there will be a great calm when He comes, and I cannot but hope He will soon be here. We have long since known of Him on the mountain-top, but now we can almost see Him walking on the waves. It is high time, therefore, that we act on His own words: ‘When these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads, for your redemption draweth nigh.’ He does not say, ‘Wait till they have all come to pass,’ but ‘look up as soon as they begin.’ Now they most undoubtedly have begun, and for a long time have been in progress. It is high time, therefore, that we begin to look up in faith and hope, waiting for Christ, looking for Christ, longing for Christ, and meanwhile trusting in Christ; so that when He comes we may be found pardoned through His blood, accepted in His covenant, clothed in His righteousness, and with loving hearts waiting for His appearing.
TURKEY.
III.
THE EUPHRATES.
The condition of the Turkish Empire is one of the greatest interests of the day, and is engaging more than any other public subject the grave thoughts of thinking men. The capitalists of England are deploring the loss of not less than 50,000,000l. through its bankruptcy. Those who rejoice in religious liberty are watching with the deepest interest the noble struggles of the men of Herzegovina to free themselves from the fearful yoke of Mahommedan oppression. And the politicians of all the great states of Europe are at their wits’ end to know what is to become of Turkey. Nor is this a state of things that has come on suddenly. It is not the transitory effect of any sudden calamity, but the result of a steady decay that has been going forward with irresistible power for certainly not less than fifty years. France and England combined in the Crimean war to endeavour to maintain the Turkish power, but it was all in vain. That power has been steadily on the wane ever since, till now the crisis of bankruptcy has arrived, and ‘the Sick Man,’ as the Turkish empire has been called, appears on the very point of his dissolution.
Now I am quite aware of the difficulty of preaching on such subjects, and I have no doubt that in your mind as well as my own there is a preference for those portions of the Word of God which bear directly on our spiritual experience; but still ‘all Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness;’ and, moreover, there is a special blessing on the congregational study of this Revelation of St. John, for it is said, chap. i. 3, ‘Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy.’ I propose, therefore, to consider three questions: (1.) Has the present state of Turkey been foretold in prophecy? (2.) Does it teach us any lessons respecting our spiritual position? (3.) Does it throw any light on our hope of the coming of our Lord? I pray God that He may fulfil to us the promise attached to this wonderful book, and that both they that hear and he that readeth may alike enjoy His blessing.