DOUBLE TRUTHS OF SCRIPTURE.

BY William Lincoln (1859)

1. Cheist is God. He is also man. Avoid the peril of steering, in your view of the truth here, and steer between the two extremes. He is God, being of the same substance as the Father, in one nature; He is man — perfect man — much more perfectly man than you or I; for we are fallen and imperfect men. We resemble a mirror smashed to atoms. He, as a man, is like the mirror whole. Or, rather, we by nature have been broken up by sin that was without, obtaining entrance into us. But He was bruised on the cross through the love that was erst pent up in Him, at length flowing out.

2. There are two advents of Christ ; keep your eye on each. Each advent will be found to be comprised in two stages — the first at Bethlehem and Calvary, the second into the clouds for His saints., and to the world, to judge and reign

3. Christ crucified is both the burnt-offering in which God shall ever find exquisite delight, and the sin-offering from which he turned away his face (Lev. i and iv).

4. He that believes in Christ is clean every whit (John xiii). Yet is there need of a daily cleansing by Christ's priestly aplication unto us of the water of the Word (Eph. v, 12, and 1 John i, 8). Salvation is a present gift (John v, 24). It is also a process (Phil. ii, 12). Yet it is future (Rom. xiii, 11; Heb. ix, 28). Our sanctification is complete, for Christ is it (1 Cor. i, 30). Yet it is progressive as to our apprehension (1 Thess. v, 23).

5. Scripture speaks not only of peace with God, but also of the peace of God. All Christians have the former ; many have not the latter. The one is for my conscience; the other is for my heart. Having peace with God, I can look up to him boldly, and know that he has no anger toward me; yea, and that He beholds me in Christ with delight. In possession of the peace of God, I am then unmoved by any circumstances around me, however appalling.

6. In each believer the Holy Ghost intercedes with groanings which cannot be uttered; for each believer Christ intercedes with God. Each Christian has the Holy Ghost as his paraclete, comforter, or advocate; but Christ also is our advocate with the Father. Thus the Holy Ghost and Christ are both our intercessors as to God; both our advocates as to the Father.

7. Two attitudes as to us does the Lord Jesus take: he is both in the ship of the church with us here, and he is on yon mountain's brow, watching it as tossed with the waves and billows (Mark iv, 38, and vi, 48).

8. Two attitudes or characters does the Holy Ghost take : he is the seal, marking God's claim on us ; he, as the earnest, marking our claims, through grace and blood.

9. And if we follow Christ, we will find that He has a second rest to which He can bring us. If we give Him the burden of our sin, He will give us rest. If we take His yoke and His burden on us, we shall enjoy a found rest. Thus there are two burdens and two rests in Matthew xi, 28-30.