FAITH BEGOTTEN AND SUSTAINED BY MANIFESTATIONS OF SUPERNATURALISM

This chapter is not intended to antagonize any purely Divine supernatural manifestations of miraculous power, such a course would be suicidal; but rather as a warning to investigate the source and prove the claims of the orgy of preternatural manifestations among us; and to remind God's children of Christ's own prophetic words about the multiplicity of signs and wonders which would be revealed in the last times from a source not Divine, but diabolical and Satanic, with the prominent motive back of all the wonders, the deception of God's elect, if it were possible.

Multitudes heard Christ preach. Thousands and tens of thousands saw, or heard, authentic reports of His miracles of healing. Besides the numerous miracles which He wrought through the Father He commissioned and sent forth eighty-two disciples to tour Palestine with authority and power to perform miracles such as He wrought. Many hundreds were supernaturally healed of all manner of diseases. There were well authenticated instances of the dead being raised. Crowds made pilgrimages to interview those who had been called back to life by Him and His disciples.

Rebellious winds and forces of nature were conquered by Him. Men marveled at the remarkable man who spoke the wonderful Word which even the wind and waves Obeyed. Demons came forth at His command and the word of His disciples. Dumb devils were exorcised, epileptics were cured so that they frothed and foamed no more. Lepers were cleansed, the lame, walked, the blind, saw, the deaf, heard, withered hands were restored whole, every disease in the catalog was cured by His Miracle-power. Nine thousand were fed through the miracle of multiplying a few loaves and fishes.

These miracles were witnessed by large companies and must have been given great publicity. Public characters like blind beggars, known to all, were healed. Sons and servants of distinguished rulers were delivered from the door of death. The son of a well known widow was called to life by Him as the sad funeral procession wended its way to the burying ground. The land fairly teemed with the accounts of the Wonder Man and His mighty acts of supernaturalism, wrought by the finger, power and authority, of His Father. Climaxing all was the miracle of His own life and resurrection; the latter thoroughly authenticated by the open and empty tomb and confirmed by hundreds of witnesses, some of whom saw, walked, ate, touched or talked with Him, after He burst the gates of death by the Spirit of holiness which, dwelt in Him.

But all of these demonstrations and manifestations of supernatural power were not sufficient, in themselves, to interest, out of the tens of thousands conversant with them, or who had received personal healing from Him, more than one hundred and twenty who really laid to heart the propagation of His Cause, and tarried in obedience to His command, for the essential induement of power to carry forward His work. As one aptly wrote: "Mere miracles, even His miracles, which only cured the flesh -- were not enough to stand the final test." And, slightly digressing from the continuity of the thought, yet germane to the general subject, it could be added that Noah witnessed supernaturalism of a remarkable kind in the deluge and He was doubtless awed and deeply solemnized in his heart at such shocking exhibitions of Divine power in judgment, and doubtless earnestly resolved to ever fear and obey the awful being Who sent the flood upon the ungodly. How could Noah ever forget an experience so vivid and impressive. But there needs be something deeper than judgment to secure our obedience, and that is love and devotion to a Person. If we are scared into obedience when the scare wears off we shall be found with insufficient motive to hold us. Noah so soon forgets that he gets drunk. Similar was the experience of Lot in witnessing the fearful tokens of supernatural power in the judgment of Sodom and Gomorrah, only the medium is fire and not water. Lot doubtless had similar feelings of awe, as Noah, and made high resolves never to forget the terrible sight. But how soon after his deliverance is he guilty, with his rescued daughters, of incest! Similar, in ineffectiveness to produce obedience, was the miracle of confounding the language at the tower of Babel, on the plains of Shinar. The dispersion only accelerates sin -- spreading it over a wider area, like futile modern attempts to segregate vice. Likewise futile were the judgments on Pharoah and Egypt. While they are often essential, in the economy of God, yet the highest type of righteousness is never begotten by them. The tribulation judgments, in Revelation, will have a similar effect. They are to be the greatest judgments ever sent of God to afflict sinners, and yet after the death of possibly four hundred millions, the rest of mankind harden their hearts and curse God. And finally after the unspeakably glorious manifestations of the power of Christ through the reign of the thousand years on earth there are those who in the land of the righteous still persist in wickedness, serve Him feignedly, and deflect to the ranks of Satan when he ascends from the bottomless pit for the final conflict with the Son of God.

The Master had an acquaintance with the supernatural power,of God, in, and out-flowing, in a degree never equaled. By the finger of God, He cast out devils; by the Father's power, He healed the sick, raised the dead, spoke wonderful words and performed all of His mighty acts. But they were not the source nor the secret of His miracle-life. He does not magnify them when giving His testimony for the reason of His life. He ignores utterly as a basis of faith, or its perpetuity, all manifestations of supernaturalism; whether in omniscience or omnipotence. Hear Him: "I live by a Person." I live because of Some One! I live by the Father or because of the Father!" (John 6:57, R. V.). By a Person I live, not by miracle working power from a Person, but by a Person Himself. He then added, that too is the way for my followers to have victory: "He that eateth Me even he shall live by (or because of) Me" -- a Person.

Christ was tried and grieved when the Pharisees asked a sign and replied that a curious, wicked, and adulterous generation sought signs. He did not perform miracles to show off power. Herod's idle curiosity to see Christ and have Him perform for him, as the magicians, was not gratified though he importuned Him in many Words, Christ answered him nothing.

His grief at the Jews' request for signs was doubtless because of His omniscience. He knew all men and the futility of mere faith in miracles; He sought men who would place in Himself a higher, purer faith, begotten by His own excellency and not because of His works. It is not said: "Trust in the manifestations of miracles within one's own self, or observed in others, for in their Observation is security." But, "Trust ye in the Lord forever: in the Lord Jehovah (Personal, Himself, apart from all His works) is everlasting strength." Isaiah, 26:4.

John, the beloved, adds His testimony to the insufficiency of miracles as a basis for the deeper faith. "But though He had done so many miracles before them, yet they believed not on Him." John 12:37. This was in confirmation of Isaiah's prophecy: "Who hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed?" Isaiah, 53:1. That report was about His being Wounded for our transgressions and bruised for our iniquities and His Father laying upon Him the iniquity of us all; about His being a sacrifice led to the slaughter for the transgression of His people and His soul, an offering for sin. To these facts of His atonement for sin they who saw so many signs were blinded.

The narrative continues: "Nevertheless among the chief rulers also many believed on Him (that is, they believed on Him in the lower sense of faith in Him as a miracle worker and not in Him as a Saviour and a sacrifice for sin) but because of the Pharisees (they had a faith which did not save from the fear of man) they did not confess Him, (that is as Messiah, Saviour) lest they should be put out of the synagogue: (their faith was not deep enough to suffer for) for they (with faith in signs, still) loved the praise of men more than the praise of God." John, 6:42. Their faith was not deep enough to purify the heart from cowardice, and the fear of man, and the loss of reputation.

That the Master did not regard faith which was begotten or sustained by signs and wonders as the highest type of faith is seen from His method with the Nobleman of Capernaum. When he besought Jesus to come down and heal his son who was at the point of death, He replied that, "Except ye signs and wonders (or have a faith thereby sustained) ye will not believe." The Nobleman utterly ignored the Master's reflection on his faith and replied that all his faith needed was the presence of Jesus Himself. "Sir, come down, ere my child die." Jesus rewarded His pure faith with a word of promise, only. "Go thy way: thy son liveth." John 4:45-53.

That the Master highly prizes faith which is sustained only by His Word, unsupported by signs and wonders is seen in that the moment the Nobleman believed His word the suffering son was healed.

Again in the case of the Centurion whose servant was sick, recorded in Matthew eighth chapter, the Master finds, rejoices in, and rewards, pure faith in His Word. The Centurion confessed his unworthiness to have the Master come under his roof, requested a word only from Jesus and his servant should be healed. This is one of two instances on record where Jesus marveled; not finding so great faith, no, not in all Israel. (Again where "He marveled that there was no intercessor"). There is no record that He ever marveled at the faith of those who believed because they witnessed a sign of His power... His benediction is pronounced on those who have not seen and yet have believed. He does not gratify the cry of unbelief, when on the cross, "If He be the King of Israel, let Him now come down from the cross, and we will believe Him." Matt. 27:42. He reverses not God's order, faith first, land then sight. "Believest thou, (note the order of the words), thou shalt see greater things than these," He said to Nathaniel. The disciples who said to Him, "We believe, and are sure," are commended.

That He did not place dependability in those whose faith was in His miracle working power merely, is seen further: "When He was in Jerusalem at the Passover, in the feast day, many believed in His Name when they saw the miracles which he did." The inference is that they would have had no faith in Him apart from beholding the miracles or, R. V. "signs." In their eagerness to see miracles wrought, in their enthusiasm for the wonderful, they overlooked the greatest of all miracles, His Personality! It is immediately stated, as though He would have them get the distinction between faith in Him because of witnessing miracles performed by Him and faith in Himself apart from them -- "But Jesus did not commit Himself to them, (who only believed in Him because of His miracle-working power, as they would believe in a magician), because He knew all men, and needed not that any should testify of man; for He knew what was in man." John 2:23-25. He especially knew what was in the man whose faith in Him was begotten by beholding miracles. He knew that there must be the constant manifestation of the supernatural to sustain it; and that this type of man would consider the symmetrical, comprehensive Word of God, which is not limited to one phase of life and manifestations, which covers every phase of life, commonplace and ordinary, in its righteousness producing power, if unaccompanied by supernatural signs and wonders. He seeks in men the deeper faith in Himself alone, in what He is apart from what He does, He performed many miracles but miracles with Him were incidental not paramount. Faith in Himself, the Miracle Worker is greater than faith in Him because He is a Worker of Miracles. In the economy of God miracles have their place. But they are insufficient. They are at best but a work of omnipotence. The Omnipotent Worker is greater than any omnipotent work He performs. He is to be loved for what He Himself intrinsically is; the vulgar crowd has ever and will ever more readily follow after supernaturalism than it will follow the Supernatural One!

Nicodemus was imbued with an exaggerated conception of the importance of the miracles. He thought, apparently, that by recognition of Christ as the miracle worker he would have a common ground of fellowship with him. So he introduces the conversation with the subject of miracles, conceding what all of his time conceded, that Christ was a great miracle worker. "Rabbi, we know that Thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that Thou doest, except God be with Him." Jesus utterly ignores the compliment and proceeds to talk of higher things than faith in a miracle worker and miracles, which only heal the body, to the greater miracle Which heals the soul. "Jesus answered and said unto him, "Verily, verily (solemn affirmation of truth) I (the miracle worker) say unto you, except a man be born again, (anew) he cannot see the kingdom of God." Nicodemus had greater faith and interest in beholding miracles and conversing with the miracle worker than he had for the birth of the Spirit, just as there seems today under a revived Montanism a greater interest in seeing signs and wonders than in the rugged righteousness and holiness of heart and life God demands as essential to the enjoyments and employments of the real kingdom of heaven: whose fruit is righteousness and joy and peace in the Holy Ghost. And there is more desire for the supernatural evidences of the Spirit than those fruits of the Spirit which are described as "all goodness and righteousness and truth, proving what is acceptable to the Lord."

That faith in manifestations of Omniscience, is not as great as faith in the Omniscient One, is seen in His conversation with the woman at the well. She confessed faith in the Messiah's omniscience: "When Messiah cometh, which is called Christ; when He is come, He will tell us all things." John 4:25. Jesus ignored the compliment to His omniscience and gave her credit for faith in the Person of the Omniscient One apart from signs, or having all knowledge. "Jesus saith unto her, I that speak unto thee am He." He did not say, "He, the Omniscient One, or miracle worker," but He, just He, Messiah, Saviour. And while many of the city of Samaria believed, on the testimony of the woman, as to His Omniscience, revealed in telling her all the things she ever did (though He did not do this but only told her she had had too many husbands and was then living with the wrong husband; but when she saw Him she saw all her sins and thought that He told her of them all), many more believed because of His own Word and they gave a nobler testimony of purer faith, unsustained by the omniscience at which the woman so marveled. "We have heard Him ourselves and know that this is indeed the Christ, the Saviour of the world?" John 4:42. Faith in Himself as Saviour, faith in His own Word, apart from all supports, is the faith He seeks it, us.

Again, that faith in Him because of miraculous manifestations, or examples of omniscience, is insufficient to sustain in the hour of testing, is seen in the confession of the disciples of faith in Him based on another example He gave them of His omniscience, and His comment on such faith, just prior to His going to the cross: "Now we are sure that Thou knowest all things, and needest not that any man should ask Thee." John 16:30. "By this we believe that Thou camest forth from God."

"Jesus answered them, do ye now believe?" Because you see I know all things past and future, and believe in Me because of this is not enough to preserve you from failure in the dark hour of trial just ahead. He immediately adds those solemn Words, that, placing faith, in Him merely because of a demonstration of omniscience will not sustain them, yea, they will all, deceived by such surface faith, desert Him in His hour of sorest need. "Behold the hour cometh, yea and now is (while ye say ye now believe because I am Omniscient) that ye shall be scattered, every man to his own, and shall leave me alone." And foreshadowing those words illustrative of highest and purest faith, uttered on the cross when the Father was not consciously present, when the fearful cry in agony is wrung from his lips: "My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken me," -- but faith triumphing witnesses: "Into thy hands I commend my spirit."

John, the Baptist, gives us an illustration of pure faith unsustained by signs. On hearing of the resurrection of the widow's of Nain son, he was not satisfied with the miracle alone as evidence, but sends immediately to the supernatural Worker and through chosen messengers asks, "Art Thou He, that should come, or look we for Another?" Jesus allowing supernaturalism its place, but not the highest place, recites to the messengers of John the miracles He had performed anti tells them to go to John and tell him what He had done in healing the sick and raising the dead. But lest undue importance should be attached to the signs, or a greater deference paid to them than to the Sign Worker He says, "And blessed is He whosoever shall not be offended in Me," as though He would call especial attention to the greatness of His Person as worthy of more honor than all miracles. Luke 7:12-23.

When Jesus refers to the giving of His great commission to the disciples, with the authority it included, and the power to tread on serpents and scorpions and over all the power of the enemy; and its protection from all forms of injury, He gives a strong caution about the danger of over-rating supernaturalism: "Notwithstanding in this rejoice not that the spirits are subject to you; but rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven." Luke 10:17-20.

He also calls their attention to the fact that in the desire for the possession and exercise of a greater supernaturalism, Satan fell as lightning from heaven. In other words, regeneration and sanctification the prerequisites to the full enrollment of the name in heaven are greater than to have power to work signs and wonders of healing or the exorcising or casting out of devils, even when done in His Name.

"Yea rather, (double emphasis) blessed are they that hear the Word of God and keep it." Luke 11:27-29, was spoken in response to the woman's reference to the supernaturalism connected with His miraculous conception birth and sustenance, (impliedly,) and in rebuke of an evil and adulterous generation which sought a sign or supernaturalism.

The Master looks for a faith in His people which is not sustained by miracles -- a faith, a mighty faith, which sees His promise and looks to that alone.

A man may be more enthusiastic about miracles he has witnessed than about rugged righteousness of life-than holiness in all manner of living. The Spirit has many manifestations and none are more essential than all "goodness, righteousness and truth."

The disappearance of a goiter through the prayer of faith for healing is truly wonderful but more important is it to give up him who is not the right husband, or her who is not the right wife, John 4:18. To marvel so much at the goiter's disappearance while keeping the wrong wife or husband, is deception of the enemy who ever clouds the issue of righteousness, with his Christ prophesied signs and wonders to deceive.

We must ever be on the alert against the tendency of enthusiasm for supernaturalism, even of the purely Divine origin, and its manifestations, to obscure our enthusiasm for righteousness: for Our Lord is not only the mighty miracle Worker, but He is also and especially, "The Lord our righteousness," He makes us wise to the right, imparting to. us a righteousness like His own and a reverence for all the Word of God; and a propriety which avoids the very appearance: of evil.

When men speak in tongues and chew tobacco at the same time and refuse to speak to a neighbor, or knock a fellow-being down in a fit of anger, there is a question from what origin the tongues come.

It may be easier to speak in another tongue than to speak to our neighbor in his native tongue, who is alienated from us and refuses to speak.

Tongues operate on the organs of articulation, holiness on the heart. It is not said except a man Speak in another tongue he can not see the Lord, but it is said that "without holiness no man shall see the Lord."

It must be remembered Satan is a supernatural being with supernatural powers and has subjects through whom he manifests these powers in counterfeit illuminations, healings, raptures, levitations, ecstasies, revelations, inspirations and speaking in tongues, as the Mormons, Mohammedans, fanatics and Spiritists. It is easier, with Satan's aid, to be preternatural than to be natural.

God's miracles are benevolent and frequently lead to saving faith and righteousness; Satan's miracles ever to deception and all deceivableness of unrighteousness.

Magnetism, mesmerism, hypnotism, mob-psychology, psychology, telepathy, thought transference, communications with the departed, are everyday facts, but what concerns our eternal welfare is to know their source not the signs and wonders, but their source; not the revelations, but who gives them; not the heavenly choirs, but who are the singers; not the speaking in tongues, but who inspires the speaking; Oh, for that heavenly wisdom and discernment to try the spirits and to know which are of God.

It is not said, unless one speak in other tongues, he cannot see the Lord, but unless he have a pure heart, and holiness of life its output, no man shall see the Lord. Matt. 5:8, Hebrews 12:14.

Jesus did not encourage the sentiment that the raising of the beggar, Lazarus, from the dead, and the sending him to the five brothers of the rich man in hell, with his testimony of resurrection would benefit them while they neglected to hear Moses and the prophets-for, "if they hear not Moses and the prophets neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead." That is, when one rejects the Word of God, given by the prophets of God, as a sufficient basis of faith, a faith acceptable to God, cannot be produced any other way-not even by the miracle of raising one from the dead, for faith, pure faith, comes by hearing, not by beholding miracles, and hearing, by the Word of God.

Summing up: The Highest Type of Faith is not: Faith in a special place of worship, like this Mount Gerizim; for wherever two or three are met in His Name He is there.

It is not faith in a special form or ritual of worship, for the Father seeks those to worship Him who worship in Spirit and truth.

The highest faith is not faith in a changed social order eliminating toil in labor as the woman of Samaria sought: "That I come not hither again to draw water." Salvation from toil while persisting in sin, its cause.

Nor is it faith in a mere prophet forth telling events: "I perceive that Thou are a prophet." Christ saves us not by His prophetic function but by His sacrifice. The Jews would accept Him as a great prophet, but reject Him as a Saviour atoning for sin.

Not faith in the happiness of salvation from physical labor, but joy in it, working heartily as unto the Lord.

It is not faith in Omniscience: "When Messiah comes He will tell us all things," but faith in Him without manifestations of all knowledge.

Nor is the highest faith, faith in God with a man, but in God apart from the man. Nor in miracles, signs and wonders: Jesus rebuked placing faith in them, said an evil and adulterous generation sought them, and, reproachfully, "Except ye see signs and wonders ye will not believe."

Nor faith merely in this man who could raise the dead, but faith in His Word apart from, or without the confirmation of raising the dead.

It is conceded, that often it is said, that seeing the miracles He performed, men and women believed on Him, but we think we have abundantly proven our theses from the words of the Master, that this type of faith begotten by witnessing miracles was the lowest type of faith -- a faith not purely in Jesus Himself, but in His miracles, a faith which starts and must be fed on miracles, is the lowest form of faith. And, doubtless from the great enthusiastic company who loved to see the miracles performed came many of those surface hearers, who had not much root in themselves of a deep abiding faith in the Person of Christ, who, anon, with joy, received the word, under the tense atmosphere of beholding the supernatural, but by and by when affliction or persecution arose because of the Word, and when away from the atmosphere they were easily offended, and lacking the proper footage in Christ, withered. Faith in Christ which is the result of getting a first seat where the miracles are performed, which gratifies curiosity, most prominent in the Fall of Man, cannot please God. Man cannot feed on the supernatural, nor continually follow up the reports of the most striking demonstrations, as that is costly. Jesus himself is the bread of life, not His miracles. He alone satisfies. Curiosity may be gratified, stimulated, fed, and the soul still be lean and empty. Jesus Himself must draw near. We must be content with Himself alone. Like the Greeks, "We would see Jesus." It is significant that Jesus then said: "Now is the Son of Man glorified," we have glorified all else. God, give us to look up and see no man save Jesus only.

Miracles, used by Christ, have their place in the plan of God, but they are not the agency of the salvation of the soul; the Word of God has been given for that. "The law of the Lord is perfect converting the soul." We are born again by the Word of God which liveth and abideth forever. We are cleansed by the Word... "Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you." "Sanctify them through thy truth." We grow by the Word of God. "Desire the sincere milk of the Word that ye may grow thereby." We are sanctified by the Word: "Now I commend you to God and to the word of His grace which is able to build you up and give you a place among them which are sanctified." The witnessing of supernaturalism will never take the place of the Word of God, which, when received with meekness, is able to save the soul; or the Gospel which is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth.

In answering the question concerning the signs of His coming Jesus told the disciples:

"Take heed lest any man deceive (R. V. 'lead astray') you. For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ, and shall deceive many (R. V. 'lead many astray')... And then if any man shall say to you, lo, here is Christ; or, lo, He is there; believe them not: for false Christs and false prophets shall rise, and shall shew signs and wonders, to seduce, if it were possible, even the elect." Mark 13, 5, 6, and 21st verses.

All purely Divine miracles are performed with a benevolent motive and often lead to a changed heart and life of righteousness, with love and reverence for God, Christ, His blood and Word.

All Satanic miracles, as the Master warns, have the underlying motive to deceive -- to blind the mind to Christ; they confuse and mystify the soul. Performers of Satanic miracles deny and make light of sin and the atonement, and they repudiate eternal punishment of the wicked, the doctrine of hell being especially repulsive to them. They magnify the body over the soul, and miracles over grace, they antagonize Christ as a Saviour through sacrifice. Deception is the actuating motive of the numerous Satanic miracles Christ warned His followers would appear in the last days. The land today teems with the miraculous and this writer rejoices in all that which is purely divine but sounds a note of warning against the numerous false Satanic miracles prevalent which invariably have the ear mark, to deceive the soul by miracles from pure faith in Christ, substituting faith in miracles.

Satanic miracles are evident. They are easily explained. Satan afflicts the body. He can also remove the affliction he imposes. He does this in Christian Science, more accurately, Eddyism, and all false Satanic healing. But He always leaves the soul in sin and the heart unchanged and the spirit filled with bitterness to Christ as an Atonement for sin. The poor dupe is introduced into the preternatural realm and not able to discriminate sources, thinks he is highly favored of God with a superior revelation to that of his less favored fellows. Hence the healing of the body is the great theme of thought and conversation, while the soul and the only remedy of its healing, the blood of Christ, is despised.

Never did Satan so fill the world with all power of deceivableness and with lying wonders as today and never did the children of God so need that unction of the Holy Ghost which John says gives particular discernment of what is of God and that which is of AntiChrist.

Today, it is not a matter of work, everywhere there is the busy bustling of work, but the burning question for the Christian is, for Whom are you working?

It is not a question whether you have been illuminated or converted or animated but who is the source of the illumination, the conversion, and animation?

It is not the why of impressions but from whence come the impressions? Nor of guidance, but by whom are we guided?

The question is not worship, the world is full of worship, but whom do we worship? Satan, in whom the whole world is reposing, or Jehovah? Forget not that Satan offered Christ the kingdoms of the world, with all their glory, for a single act of homage or worship from Christ. Satan is God's great competitor for worship!!He is the god of this world.

It is not a matter of religion, but what kind of religion have we, false or true?

Nor, even of a God, but which God is ours; the god of this world, that old serpent, the devil, or the God of our Lord Jesus Christ?

Nor is it a question of having power and influence over men, for all have that in some degree, and men of the world in an exceptional degree in all walks and professions, but the question is through whom do we have the power? Satan has power to give power.

Finally the question is not of bodily healing, but who is the source of the healing?

The Master gives the premium of blessing to those who saw not and yet believed: "Thomas, because thou hast seen me thou hast believed; blessed are they who have not seen and yet have believed."

He commends the Syrophoenecian woman for great faith in the absence of all supernaturalism to encourage it, and in the presence of positive discouragements and divinely imposed tests to hinder it, but which her pure faith transcended and won His commendation: "Oh, woman, great is thy faith, be it unto thee the according to thy faith;" or, literally, "help yourself."

The exercise of supernatural gifts is no evidence of sanctification, but an evidence that the recipient has those gifts which may or may not imply the salvation of the possessor, but holiness is definitely given in response to definite consecration and definite faith and it is absolutely essential, for without it no man shall see the Lord. Many are speaking in tongues and professing holiness too, who still live in sin.

In the seventh chapter of Isaiah the Lord is represented as asking King Ahaz to ask of Him a sign: "Ask thee a sign of the Lord thy God; ask it either in the depth, or in the height above." But Ahaz said, "I will not ask, neither will I tempt the Lord." Thus we find asking signs tempts God, wearies Him, grieves Him, and those asking them are said to be an evil and adulterous generation seeking signs; Satan is also thereby given ground to enter in with counterfeit signs.

The writer is far from believing that the day of miracles is past but he is solemnly warned by His Lord not to receive everything that breaks out from the upper air, the realm of Satan and all the Hosts with the prince of the power of the air, as of God.

After all our fads and fancies have run their course, religious and otherwise, Christ remains ever, we return to Him for abiding rest.

"Then those men (who had witnessed the miraculous feeding of the five thousand) when they had seen the miracle that Jesus did, said, this is of a truth that prophet that should come into the world. When Jesus therefore perceived that they would come and take him by force, to make him a king, He departed again into a mountain Himself alone." John, 6:14-15.

Jesus was not seeking the leadership of the rabble! He preached not to gain a following from the motley throng! He was manifestly disappointed with the result of the great feeding miracles; for when they would make Him their leader He steals away to the mountain alone. The great lesson lie wished to convey is lost. He had in mind to teach them that there is a more essential bread than they had eaten. The outburst of popular enthusiasm to crown Him "king of feeders" necessitates His withdrawal and the postponement of the deeper lesson. The multitude was quick to see the advantage of a leader who could make bread at will! They had visions of bread without work! Salvation from toil rather than from sin looked good to them! The world will qui.ckly vote any one king who can get them easy bread! Who can reverse the Almighty's fiat "in the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread." Hence they quickly trace Him to the next feeding station, only to hear His withering rebuke for their low motives in following Him: "Jesus answered them and said, Verily, verily, I say unto you, ye seek me, not because ye saw the miracles, (their faith was not as high as the low faith which is begotten by miracles) but because ye did eat of the loaves and were filled."

How appalling is the spiritual blindness of the natural heart! After He imperatively commands them not to labor for the meat which perishes and tells them the only work God requires of them is to believe on Him whom He had sent; after they had seen the marvelous miracle of feeding five thousand with a few loaves and fishes, they ask Him to, show them a sign that they may see and believe! Witnessing miracles had not changed the stony heart! Feeding the stomach had not!

The great multitude who were so willing to follow Him for literal bread were unable to see how He could give them His flesh to eat -- true bread. How they could by faith appropriate the saving merits of His atonement? They could believe the manna story of Moses but could not see how there could be spiritual manna for the soul -- 28,000,000,000 pounds of manna given the Jews was not enough to enable them to see that it was typical of a more widely diffused spiritual manna which was to feed not only Jews but to give life unto the world. That manna they knew about only fed the body which died. His manna would feed the soul and anyone eating it would live for ever. This was too much -- a hard saying who can bear it? And from that time many of His disciples went back and walked no more with Him. Jesus is winnowing the five thousand multitude! Turning to the twelve who are left, one of whom He said was a devil, He asked, "Will ye also go away?" Will ye follow the departing loaf and fish disciples, or will ye love me for what I am rather than what you can get from me? Simon Peter nobly replied, "Lord to whom shall we go? Thou hast the words of eternal life. And we believe (note the order) and are sure that thou art that Christ, the Son of the living God." Humanity has not changed! the multitude will still follow the cheap demagog! They like to be faked! anyone coming in his own name will be warmly welcomed! To come in the name of Christ is to share His fate! Men will respond to the call which offers loaves and fishes! they like the appeal which promises health for the body but says little in burning words of the sin of the soul, too often the cause of the body's ills.