Battle Creek Church
185
Christ’s first advent. Should Christ make His appearance among them,
reproving and rebuking selfishness, pride, and love of the friendship
of the world, as He did at His first advent, but few would recognize
Him as the Lord of glory. The picture He would present before them
of their neglect of duty they would not receive, but would tell Him
to His face: “You are entirely mistaken; we have done this good and
great thing, and performed this and that wonderful work, and we are
entitled to be highly exalted for our good works.”
The Jews did not go into darkness all at once. It was a gradual
work, until they could not discern the gift of God in sending His Son.
The church at Battle Creek have had superior advantages, and they will
be judged by the light and privileges they have had. Their deficiencies,
their unbelief, their hardness of heart, and their neglect to cherish and
follow the light are not less than those of the favored Jews, who refused
the blessings they might have accepted, and crucified the Son of God.
The Jews are now an astonishment and reproach to the world.
The church at Battle Creek are like Capernaum, which Christ
represents as being exalted unto heaven by the light and privileges
that had been given them. If the light and privileges with which they
had been blessed had been given to Sodom and Gomorrah, they might
[201]
have stood unto this day. If the light and knowledge which the church
in Battle Creek have received had been given the nations who sit in
darkness, they might have been far in advance of that church.
The Laodicean church really believed, and enjoyed the blessings
of the gospel, and thought they were rich in the favor of God, when
the True Witness called them poor, naked, blind, and miserable. This
is the case with the church at Battle Creek and with a large share of
those who profess to be God’s commandment-keeping people. The
Lord seeth not as man seeth. His thoughts and ways are not as our
ways.
The words and law of God, written in the soul, and exhibited in a
consecrated, holy life, have a powerful influence to convict the world.
Covetousness, which is idolatry, and envy, and love of the world, will
be rooted from the hearts of those who are obedient to Christ, and it
will be their pleasure to deal justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly
before God. Oh, how much is comprised in this, walking humbly
before God! The law of God, if written in the heart, will bring the
mind and will into subjection to the obedience of Christ.