Discouraging cases- Meekness required.

6 But when the sun was up, it was scorched; and because it had no root, it withered away. 7 And some fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up, and choked it, and it yielded no fruit. 8 And other fell on good ground, and did yield fruit that sprang up, and increased, and brought forth, some thirty, and some sixty, and some an hundred.

2 Cor. 2: 15 We are unto God a sweet savor of Christ, in them that are saved, and in them that perish: 16 To the one we are the savor of death unto death; and to the other the savor of life unto life. And who is sufficient for these things?

Heb. 4: 2 Unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it. [Mic. 2: 7.]

[See 242.]

436. Cases of discouragement in using means.

Pr. 9:7 He that reproveth a scorner getteth to himself shame: and he that rebuketh a wicked man, getteth himself a blot. 8 Reprove not a scorner, lest he hate thee: rebuke a wise man, and he will love thee-13: 1 A wise son heareth his father's instruction: but a scorner heareth not rebuke. - 14: 7 Go from the presence of a foolish man, when thou perceivest not in him the lips of knowledge.-23: 9 Speak not in the ears of a fool: for he will despise the wisdom of thy words.

Mat. 7: 6 Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you.

1 Jn. 5: 16 If any man see his brother sin a sin which is not unto death, he shall ask, and he shall give him life for them that sin not unto death. There is a sin unto death: I do not say that he shall pray for it. [See 256, 562.]

MEEKNESS.

437. Meekness required.

Zep. 2:3 Seek ye the LORD, all ye meek of the earth, which have wrought his judgment; seek righteousness, seek meekness: it may be ye shall be hid in the day of the LORD'S anger.

Mat. 10: 16 Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves.

Gal. 6: 1 Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which

Encouraged and exemplified.

are spiritual, restore such a one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted.

Ep. 4: 1 I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called, 2 With all lowliness and meekness, with long-suffering, forbearing one another in love; 3 Endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

Col. 3: 12 Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, long-suffering; 13 Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye.

1 Tim. 6: 11 Thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness.

2. Tim. 2: 25 In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves.

1 Pet. 3: 3 Whose adorning let it not be that outward adorning of plaiting the hair, and of wearing of gold, or of putting on of apparel; 4 But let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price. [See 201, 482, 498-9, 737.]

438. Meekness encouraged.

Ps. 25: 9 The meek will he guide in judgment: and the meek will he teach his way. -37: 11 The meek shall inherit the earth, and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace. 76: 8 Thou didst cause judgment to be heard from heaven; the earth feared, and was still, 9 When God arose to judgment, to save all the meek of the earth. - 147: 6 The LORD lifted up the meek: he casteth the wicked down to the ground.-149: 4 The LORD taketh pleasure in his people: he will beautify the meek with salvation.

Ec. 7: 8 Better is the end of a thing than the beginning thereof: and the patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit.

Mat. 5: 5 Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.

439. Meekness exemplified.

Ac. 7: 59 They stoned Stephen, calling upon God, and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit. [See 62, 660.]

Predicted.

MILLENNIUM.

440. A millennium of holiness and happiness upon this earth predicted.

Ps. 22: 27 All the ends of the world shall remember and turn unto the LORD: and all the kindreds of the nations shall worship before thee.-37: 11 The meek shall inherit the earth, and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace.72: 6 He shall come down like rain upon the mown grass: as showers that water the earth. 7 In his days shall the righteous flourish : 11 Yea, all kings shall fall down before him all nations shall serve him.-86: 9 All nations whom thou hast made shall come and worship before thee, O LORD; and shall glorify thy name.

:

Is. 2: 2 It shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the LORD's house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it. 4 And he shall judge among the nations, and shall rebuke many people: and they shall beat their swords into plough-shares, and their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more. 17 And the loftiness of man shall be bowed down, and the haughtiness of men shall be made low and the LORD alone shall be exalted in that day. 20 In that day a man shall cast his idols of silver, and his idols of gold, which they made each one for himself to worship, to the moles and to the bats. 25: 6 In this mountain shall the LORD of hosts make unto all people a feast of fat things, a feast of wines on the lees; of fat things full of marrow, of wines on the lees well refined. 7 And he will destroy in this mountain the face of the covering cast over all people, and the vail that is spread over all nations. 8 He will swallow death in victory; and the Lord GOD will wipe away tears from off all faces; and the rebuke of his people shall he take away from off all the earth: for the LORD hath spoken it.32: 15 Until the Spirit be poured upon us from on high, and the wilderness be a fruitful field, and the fruitful field be counted for a forest. 16 Then judgment shall dwell in the wilderness, and righteousness remain in the fruitful field. — 45: 22 Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else. 23 I have sworn by myself, the word is gone out of my mouth in righteousness, and shall not return, That unto me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear.- 49: 6 I will also give thee for a light to the Gentiles, that thou mayest be my salvation unto the end

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Predicted.

of the earth. 60: 18 Violence shall no more be heard in thy land, wasting nor destruction within thy borders; but thou shalt call thy walls Salvation, and thy gates Praise. [See the whole chapter.]-65: 17 Behold, I create new heavens and a new earth: and the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind. 18 But be ye glad and rejoice for ever in that which I create: for behold, I create Jerusalem a rejoicing, and her people a joy. 19 And I will rejoice in Jerusalem, and joy in my people: and the voice of weeping shall be no more heard in her, nor the voice of crying. 20 There shall be no more thence an infant of days, nor an old man that hath not filled his days: for the child shall die an hundred years old: but the sinner being an hundred years old shall be accursed. 21 And they shall build houses and inhabit them; and they shall plant vineyards, and eat the fruit of them. 22 They shall not build, and another inhabit; they shall not plant, and another eat for as the days of a tree are the days of my people, and mine elect shall long enjoy the work of their hands.-66: 23 It shall come to pass, that from one new moon to another, and from one Sabbath to another, shall all flesh come to worship before me, saith the LORD.

Dan. 7: 27 The kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people of the saints of the Most High, whose kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey him.

Mic. 4: 1 In the last days it shall come to pass, that the mountain of the house of the LORD shall be established in the top of the mountains, and it shall be exalted above the hills; and people shall flow unto it. 2 And many nations shall come, and say, Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, and to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for the law shall go forth of Zion, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.

Hab. 2: 14 The earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea.

Mal. 1: 11 From the rising of the sun even unto the going down of the same, my name shall be great among the Gentiles; and in every place incense shall be offered unto my name, and a pure offering: for my name shall be great among the heathen, saith the LORD of hosts.

Rom. 11: 25 I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, (lest ye should be wise in your own conceits) that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in. 26 And so all Israel shall be saved:

A Time of Holiness.

441

as it is written, There shall come out of Zion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob: 27 For this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins.

2 Pet. 3: 13 We, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.

Rev. 20: 1 I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. 3 2 And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years, And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled; and after that Ac. 3: 20-23. he must be loosed a little season. [Num. 14: 21. Ps. 67: 4-7, Is. 49: 8, 9, and 65: 17-23. and 82: 8.

Rev. 15: 4.] [See 90.]

441 Millennium a time of general holiness.

Is. 60: 21 Thy people also shall be all righteous: they shall inherit the land for ever, the branch of my planting, the work 65: 25 They shall of my hands, that I may be glorified. not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain, saith the LORD. Jer. 31: 33 This shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the LORD, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people. 34 And they shall teach no more every man his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, Know the LORD: for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the LORD: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.

Ezk. 36: 25 Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean: from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you. 26 A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. 27 And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them. 28 And ye shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers; and ye shall be my people, and I will be your God. 29 I will also save you from all your uncleannesses: and I will call for the corn, and will increase it, and lay no famine upon you.-37: 23 Neither shall they defile themselves any more with their idols, nor with their detestable things, nor with any of their transgressions: but I will save 301 them out of all their dwelling-places, wherein they have sin

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