Christ the Rock

“And that Rock was Christ.” — 1 CoRiNTinAxs, x. 4.

It is a fact which we have on record in the sacred Scriptures, that there were two rocks, both of which gave forth water in the wilderness to supply the needs of the multitudes who were passing through the desert. Some have supposed that the Apostle Paul stated that there was only one rock; whereas, on carefully reading what he says, you will see that he merely observed, they “did all drink the same spiritual drink; for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them; and that Rock was Christ.” Whatever that rock might be of which the tribes of Israel drank, they all drank the same; there were not two rocks at one time; they all drank of the same rock which followed them, whichever of the two rocks it might be; and that rock, referring to either as you please, was Christ. Whether you regard the first rock of Horeb, or the second rock of Kadesh, both were types of Jesus Christ. Some may hint, that if there were two rocks there may be two Christs. By no means, my friends. There was a fresh scape-goat every day of atonement, but that does not imply that there is to be a new Christ every year. A lamb was to be offered every morning and every evening, but who would infer from this that there were as many Christs as lambs. So, if there have been two rocks, there have been two types of Christ in as many different characters. We may say, both of the rock Rephidim and the rock Kadesh, “And that Rock was Christ.” Understand, there luere tioo rocTcs but not two rocks at a time; and, therefore, they did all drink of the same spiritual drink, which flowed from the same spiritual Rock, “and that Rock was Christ.”

Our object will be to show you that both the rocks were most eminent types of our blessed Lord Jesus Christ, who, being smitten, gives forth water for the refreshing of his people, and who follows them all the desert through with his refreshing floods. Let me trouble you to turn to the first passage, which we will endeavor to explain, in the 17th of Exodus. I shall not tarry even for a moment to hint at the various views of Jesus Christ in which he might be regarded as a rock, as being immutable, remaining constantly in the same position, as being a refuge from the stormy wind and tempest, or as being the place where all those who love him are hidden from the storms of avenging justice. That does not happen to be the subject to which I invite yom* attention. The subject is not Christ as a rock, but Christ as a rock in the wilderness, from which the water gushes out.

Permit me now” to request an attentive perusal of the following Scripture:

“And all the congregation of the children of Israel journeyed from the wilderness of Sin, after their journeys, according to the commandment of the Lord, and pitched in Rephidim; and there was no water for the people to drink. Wherefore the people did chide with Moses, and said, Give us water that we may drink. And Moses said unto them, Why chide ye with me? wherefore do ye tempt the Lord? And the people thirsted there for water; and the people murmured against Moses and said, Wherefore is this that thou hast brought us up out of Egypt, to kill us, and our children, and our cattle with thirst? And Moses cried unto the Lord, saying, What shall I do unto this people? they be almost ready to stone me. And the Lord said unto Moses, Go on before the people, and take with thee of the elders of Israel, and thy rod, wherewith thou smotest the river, take in thine hand, and go. Behold, I will stand before thee there upon the rock in Horeb: and thou shalt smite the rock, and there shall come water out of it, that the people may drink. And Moses did so in the sight of the elders of Israel. And he called the name of the place Massah, and Meribah, because of the chiding of the children of Israel, and because they tempted the Lord, saying, Is the Lord among us or not?” — Exodus, xvii. 1-7.

THIS FIRST ROCK WAS CHRIST PERSONAL.

In the first place, we remark, that the rock of Rephidim, or Horeb, was a remarkable type of Christ frosl the fact of its NAME. It is called Horeb; and on referring to the dictionary of names you will find that the word “Horeb” signifies “barrenness;” it is also called Kephidim, which signifies “beds of rest,” Now, it is remarkable that these two names should belong to one rock; but both titles may be well applied to our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.

First, he was the Rock of Iloreh: that is to say, he was a rock in a barren and dry land. Isaiah prophesied of him, that he should be a “root out of a dry ground,” and so he was. He came out of a family which, although once royal, was then almost extinct. His father and his mother were but common people, of the tradesmen class; the glories of the royal line of David had been forgotten among the people; nevertheless, out of it came Jesus Christ, the man “chosen out of the people,” that he might be exalted to be ruler over God’s chosen Israel. Isaiah said, “When we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him.” If any one had looked upon the steep and rugged sides of Horeb, covered with thorn-brakes and bushes, he would never have dreamed that there could be concealed within so stubborn a rock a flood of water suflicient to supply the wants of multitudes. He would have held up his hands in astonishment, and exclaimed: “Is it possible? You may dig water out of barren sand, but I can not suppose it possible that even God himself could fetch water out of that adamantine rock.” So, looking on Jesus, the Jews said; “Can he be the Saviour long foretold to usher in the age of gold? Can he be the Messiah? He, the carpenter’s son? Can this be he who comes to redeem us from our oppressors, and to found a kingdom which shall never have an end? Is this the Jesus who is to come down like rain upon the mown grass, and as showers that water the earth?” They could not expect salvation from him: he seemed to be a rock of barrenness, and they would not allow that he could become the Saviour of a mighty nation; that he could be one from whose riven side should flow healing streams of blood and water to wash and purify his children.

Mark, also, the other name — i?epA/c?m, or the beds of rest. Doth not this title sweetly apply to the Lord? Although he be indeed as Horeb to his enemies, yet is he not a very

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Repliidim to his fi-iends? He said himself, “Come unto me all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest;” and he does give us rest. We should little expect to find rest upon a rock, but there is no rest elsewhere. We may rest upon the soft down of earth, but we shall find it to be hard for our heads at the day of judgment. We may pile up for ourselves stately mansions of our own works, and hope there to find rest; but there is no rest save that which remaineth for the people of God. Jesus to us is our only rest — the only one needed, and the only one possible. My dear friends, are you now regarding Christ as Iloreb, that is, waste and barren; or can you look upon him as your Rephidim — your rest? Can you say, “Lord, thou hast been our dwelling-place in all generations?” Canst thou, like John, put thy head upon the bosom of the Lord Jesus? Canst thou say that thou hast believed and hast entered into rest? If so, then thou art a true child of God, and thou may est rejoice that he who had no comeliness, is comely to thee; and he who seemed to be every thing save what men expected, is to thee all thy salvation, and all thy desire.

It may be fanciful, perhaps, to refer to these names, but I had rather discover too much in God’s word than find too little in it. The names seem to me extremely significant, and, therefore, I have mentioned them both as appUcable to Jesus Christ.

Notice, in the next place, that this rock, like our Saviour,

GAVE FORTH NO WATER TILL IT WAS SMITTEN. Our Lord JcSUS

was no Saviour except as he was smitten; for he could not save man unless by his death. It is true that patriarchs ascended to heaven before our Saviour died, but it was by the foresight of his death. If any of us shall be privileged to behold the city of the Most High in glory, we can only enter there through his agonies. I can have no trust for my eternal salvation m the simple man Christ Jesus, or even in the God over all blessed forever. It is not Christ who is my salvation, unless I put with it his cross; it is Christ on Calvary who redeems my soul. Had he still abode in heaven, sitting on his lofty throne, he could never have been the ransom of the human race. With all the mighty love of his heart, he could never have redeemed unless he had been “smitten of God and afiiicted.” He was our Saviour from before all worlds, viewed so in the eternal covenant; but it was because he was looked upon as the smitten Saviour, slain before the foundation of the world. - There is no hope for thee, my friend, anywhere but in the smitten Jesus. Thou mayest bow down to worship his exalted head, but that exalted head can not save thee apart from the thorn-crowned brow. Thou mayest go to the Chi-ist who grasps the scepter, but remember, Christ with the scepter could not be thy Saviour unless he had been first Christ with the nail. Thou mayest approach Christ whose robes are clouds of glory, but remember, he who is clothed in splendor could not have been thy Redeemer unless he had first of all been clothed in the scarlet of mockery, and brought forth with the infamous ecce Tiomo “Behold the man.” It is Christ the sufferer who redeems us. The rock yields no water till it is smitten, and so the Saviour yields no salvation until he is slain. Learn, then, believer, in all thy contemplations of thy Saviour, to consider him as the Smitten One, for it is thus, despised and afiiicted, with the scars of vengeance on him — it is thus he becomes thy Redeemer, and the giver of salvation to the ends of the earth.

Notice, again, this rock must be smitten in a peculiar manner; it must be smtttes- with the eod of the lawgivek, or else no water will come forth. So our Saviour Jesus Christ was smitten with the sword of the lawgiver on earth, and by the rod of his great Father, the lawgiver in heaven. None but Moses might smite the rock, for he was king in Jeshurun, and as God in the midst of the people. So with our Saviour. It is true the Roman nailed him to the tree; it is true the Jew dragged him to death; but it is equally true that it was Ms Father who did it all. It is a gi’eat fact that man slew the Saviour, but it is a great fact that God slew him too. ‘Who was it said, “Awake, O sword, against my shepherd, and against che man that is my fellow?-’ The prophet tells us, when he adds,” saith the Lord.” It was God who delivered up his Son for us all, and who will now also with him freely give us all things. Christ had been no Redeemer imless Ids Father had smitten him. There would have been no acceptable sacrifice, even if the Jevr had dragged him to death, or the Roman pierced his side, miless the Father’s scourge had fallen on his shoulders — unless the Father’s sword had found a sheath in his blessed heart. It was the sword of the lawgiver that smote Jesus Christ, and made him our acceptable sacrifice. Believer, take a view of this great fact; it will help thee to adore God the Father and the Son most solemnly. Remember, it was the Father who smote the Saviour; remember, it was the Son who bore the Father’s smart. It was not the cruel whip; it was not the crown of thorns; it was not the nail alone that made Christ the Saviour: it was the saying, “J/y God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me ?-’ It was not Pilate, it was not Herod that put him to death as our Saviour; they put him to death as a reputed malefactor; but it was God who gave him up to die for us. His Father said, “Take him, let him die.” It was from heaven that the execution warrant came; it was from God that the blow was struck; and if it had not been from the Father, we had all been damned, even though a Saviour died. It was necessary that the rod of the lawgiver should smite this Rock of Ages, to bring out from it plenteous streams of water, which should bring pardon and peace to dying souls.

Note, in the next place, that wi en the rock was smitten it was SMrrTES” publicly. You read in the 5th verse, “Go on before the people and take with thee of the elders of Israel, and thy rod.” It was not done in secret, in a dark place of the earth; but it was done before the elders. Even so our Saviour, when he was put to death, was not executed in private; but he was taken to the summit of the hill of Golgotha, and there, amid the assembled multitude, amid ribaldry and jeers, contempt and mockery, he died. The elders of the people were there; the rich man was there, in his pride and pomp, looking up to a dying Saviour, and scornmg him, because he was of mean origin. Poor men were there, shouting with wicked voices, “Crucify him, crucify him,“” and pointing with their fingers, and rudely wagging their heads at the mighty Prince who was then expiring. The icise man was there, the man of the Sanhedrim, the representative of earth’s philosophy and wisdom, and he said, “If he be the Christ, let him come down from the cross.” The unlettered man was there; he also laughed hhn to scorn, and thrust out his tongue in ignorant and vulgar jest. The righteous man was there; righteous in his own esteem, with the phylactery between his eyes — with the broad border to his garment. The chief of smners was there, for there hung the thief expiring on the tree. All kinds of men beheld the smitten Lord. The Jeics were assembled in multitudes; the Homans too, taking a prominent part as the representatives of the Gentile race. In fact, being near the time of the passover, there were gathered together Greeks, Parthians, and Medes, and Elamites, and the dwellers in Mesopotamia. Persons out of all nations, standing as the representatives of the whole earth, saw the Saviour die, even as the elders stood as the representatives of all the tribes of Israel.

There is another thing which we can not pass by. This rock, which was smitten, and thus represented the humanity of our Saviour offered up for our sins, had divinity above it; for you will notice in the Gth verse, “Behold, 7” will stand before thee there upon the rock in Horeb.” Although it was a barren rock, and so represented Christ’s condition of dishonor; although it was a smitten rock, and so represented his suffering humanity; yet over that rock the bright light of the Shechinah shone. Gjd, with outstretched wings of cherubim, stood over the rock, and the people saw him; there was a manifestation of deity upon the rock of Horeb. And so at Calvary. Albeit that it was Christ who died, very man of very man, yet there was enough of deity about Calvary’s smitten rock to show that God was there. There was the midday-midnight; there was the swathing of the sun in clouds of darkness; there was the rending of the rocks, the tearing in sunder of the vail, the waking of the dead, the terrifying of the multitudes. God was there: there was deity there as well as humanity. “7”, behold even I^ will stand before thee there upon the rock in Horeb.” I think God thus revealed himself to show us that Christ the Rock was divine as well as human. O! how sweet it is to contemplate the complex person of our dear Redeemer; to behold him as very man suffering for us, and yet to behold him as very God, sitting unsuffering in the highest heaven. I remember what Harrington Evans s’»’eetly says, that we make a great mistake when we deify the humanity of Christ, and we make an equal mistake when we bring down the divinity of Christ to the level of his humanity. We should remember Christ’s human person was a human person as much as ours; that it did suffer, was tempted, and was tried, even as ours. We must not suppose that the divinity of Christ has taken away in the least degree from his humanity; yet, while we behold him as the wayfaring man, full of sorrows and acquainted with grief,- we must not forget that he was very God of very God at the same time that he was very man. Though his manhood stood most apparent, suffering for the sin of man, yet there was also a sufficiently bright light in the cloud to let men see that God was there; and, though death had grasped the man, yet the God stood mightiest of the mighty, conquering for us. God was at that first rock to teach ns that Christ was divine as well as human.

I need scarcely hint at the other reason why this rock is like Jesus, viz., that whex smittex the water did gush FORTH most freely, sufficient for all the children of Israel, and follonng them through all the journeys, until it pleased God to stop it in order to open another fountain, to give us another exhibition of Christ in another fashion.

Christ smitten, my beloved, gives out water for all thirsty souls; affording enough for every child of Israel. Christ smitten gives forth a stream which doth not flow to-day, nor to-morrow, but which flows forever; and as this stream availed the Israelites wherever they went, so does Jesus Christ, by virtue of his atonement and his grace, follow his children wheresoever they journey. If they are brought to the wilderness of Zin, or the realms of Kadesh, Christ shall follow them; the eflicacy of his blood, the light of his grace, the power of his gospel, shall attend them in all their ten thousand wanderings, however tortuous may be their paths, however winding the track in which the cloudy pillar shall lead them. O! blessed Jesus, thou art indeed a sweet antitype of the rock. Once my thirsty soul clamored for something to satisfy its wants; I hungered and I thirsted for righteousness; I looked to the heavens, but they were as brass, for an angry God seemed frowning on me; I looked to the earth, but it was as arid sand, and my good works had failed me. I had no righteousness of my own; all my wells were stopped up, and when the rulers dug the well with their staves, and sung, “Spring up, O well,” still no water came. But well shall I remember, when thirsty my soul fainted within me, and God said, “Come hither, sinner, I will show thee where thou mayest drink,” and he showed me Christ on his cross, with his side pierced and his hands nailed. I thought I heard the expiring death shriek, “It is finished,” and when I heard it, lo! I saw a stream of water, at which I slaked ray burning thirst; and here I am —

“A monument of grace,

A sinner saved by blood;
The streams of love I trace

Up to that fountain — God;
And in his mighty breast I see
Eternal thoughts of love for me.”

But this I know, had I never seen the open fountain, I had never lived; had I not beheld that mighty stream flowing there, I had never washed away my thirst. And now that water ever attracts my soul, and when I want to slake my returning thirst, still to that fountain, like the panting hart, I hasten. To the incarnate God I flee: here I may quench my raging thirst, and drink and never die. O! sinners, do you want the living water? Christ gives it to you. O! wonder of wonders, he who said, “I thirst,” says also, “If any man thirst, let him come unto me and drink:” he who had not a drop of water to moisten his lips, yet saith, “He that believeth on me, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.” — John, vii. 38. Come ye unto Christ, ye thirsty souls; come ye unto Jesus who are thirsty, for it is written, “Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.”

You see, then, beloved, that this rock is a type of Christ personally, it is a type of him as dying, smitten for our sins.

I have been brief on these iarticulars because I w ant to show you how both the rocks were t3’pes of Christ, and it may be somewhat instructive if I do so.

II. I must now request your attention to another scene in Numbers, xx. ]-13.

“Then came the children of Israel, even the whole congregation, into the desert of Zin in the first month: and the people abode in Kadesh; and ilhiam died there, and was buried there. And there was no water for the congregation: and they gathered themselves together against Moses and against Aaron. And the people chode with Moses, and spake, saying, would God that we had died when our brethi’en died before the Lord I And why have ye brought up the congregation of the Lord into the wilderness, that we and our cattle should die there? And wherefore have ye made us to come up out of Egypt, to bring us in unto this evil place? it is no place of seed, or of figs, or of vines, or of pomegranates; neither is there any water to drink. And Moses and Aaron went from the presence ofHhe assembly unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, and they fell upon their faces: and the glory of the Lord appeared unto them. And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, Take the rod, and gather thou the assembly together, thou, and Aaron thy brother, and speak ye unto the rock before their eyes; and it shall give forth his water, and thou shalt bring forth to them water out of the rock: so thou shalt give the congregation and then- beasts drink. And Moses took the rod from before the Lord, as he commanded Mm. And Moses and Aaron gathered the congregation together before the rock, and he said unto them. Hear now, ye rebels; must we fetch you water out of this rock? And Moses lifted up his hand, and with his rod ho smote the rock twice: and the water came out abundantly, and the congregation drank, and their beasts also. And the Lord spake unto Moses and Aaron, Because ye believed me not, to sanctify me in the eyes of the children of Israel, therefore ye shall not bring this congregation into the land which I have given them. This is the water of Meribah; because the children of Israel strove with the Lord, and he was sanctified in them.”

Of this second rock it m.ay bo said, “And that rock wag Christ.” ISTow I believe that the first rock was Christ personal; I believe

THE SECOND ROCK WAS CHRIST MYSTICAL.

You know what I mean by Christ mystically. You are aware that in Scripture the word Christ often stands for Christ’s church, for the whole body of Christ’s people, for

Christ the head, and for all the members. The first rock waa Christ himself, the Man-God, smitten for ns; the second rock is Christ the church, Christ the head and all the members together; and out of the church, and out of the chm-ch only, must always flow all that the world requires. There will never be any blessings given to the world except through the mystical body of Jesus Christ. As pardon and peace alone flow through the person of Christ crucified and smitten, even so the blessings given to the world can only flow through Christ the great head, and his body, the church. Now, I am going to show you the parallels here.

First, you will notice the place where this rock was situated. Two names are mentioned at the commencement of the chapter, just at the first. “Then came the children of Israel, even the whole congregation, into the desert of Zin, in the first month, and the people abode in Kadesh?’’ Now this was called the rock of Kadesh. Kadesh signifies holiness, and that is just where Christ mystically dwells. Christ mystically may always be known by his holiness. We can tell Christ’s church by its being separated from the world. It dwells at Kadesh. It appears that it was in the wilderness of “Z^V^,” which means “a buckler,” and “coldness.” It is true the church of God does stand in a double position. It stands in coldness and indifierence with regard to the world, and it stands also secure, as in a buckler, with regard to its blessed God. Observe the name, for it is significant; the second rock was not Horeb — barrenness — as Christ was personally, but it was holiness — Kadesh, as Christ is now in his church; for the church is a holy church, justified through the righteousness of its blessed Lord; a holy church, sanctified by the influence of the Holy Spirit, and made free from sin. You may know the church of God, although it dwelleth in the tents of Kedar, and abideth among sinners, for it is always distinct, and pitches its tent at Kadesh, being holy, sanctified unto the Lord.

Now, beloved, having only hinted at the name, I want to show you the parallel here. You will notice the way in which the water was to be got out of the second rock; it was not BY SMITING, BUT BY SPEAKING I that was God’s rcvcalcd will. He would have this rock bless the people, not by being smitten again, but by speaking. So, beloved, it is God’s revealed will that Christ mystically should bless the world by speaking. Christ’s church sends forth rivers of living water every day by speaking. It is by the foolishness of preaching that God saves them that believe; he makes the church a stream, pouring floods of life and verdure upon all the barren lands of this world, which had else been, like the deserts of Sahara, given up to barrenness. He makes, or intends to make, the church a blessing by speaking. How can I bless the world? By speaking, and by speaking only. How can every Christian bless the world, and the church at large be made a blessing to the universe? Only by speaking. God has ordained the simple means of testifying the gospel of the grace of God to make the living floods of divine grace pour out upon the world. If any man wanteth life from Christ, he must get it by hearing the word of God; and if any of us desire to confer a blessing upon our fellow-creatures, it must be by speaking to them the blessed word, of Jesus Christ.

But now notice, while it was God’s revealed will that Christ mystically should ^Icss the world by speaking, yet through the sin of Moses the eock did not produce water by SPEAKING, BUT BY SMITING. The Tock was siiiittcn twice. Now here is a significant parallel. Christ’s church was designed by God in his revealed will to bless the world simply by speaking; but the wicked men of this world have smitten Christ again in his church; they have persecuted God’s people, and the main benefit which the church now confers upon the world, generally speaking, comes through the smiting of persecution. Moses smote that rock not once, but twice, to show that if possible Christ’s people should be even more persecuted, tormented, and plagued than their leader. He smote iL twice; the water did not gush out at first: to show that protracted persecution would be necessary to bless the world; and that the wicked world would be sure to smite the church over and over again, before the world would be wholly blest.

But although the smiting was a sinful act, the water came FORTH, to show by persecution the church has been made a blessing to the world. The funeral piles of Smithfield have scattered sparks over this land, which have lit up a thousand fires. The smiting of God’s gospel rock, the church, has scattered drops of precious water to lands where else it would never have flowed. It has been by persecution that the seeds of life have been scattered, like the seeds which are blown about by the winds from plants which else might have died childless. Persecution takes up the words of God’s children, and scatters them abroad everywhere. Never was there a more significant act performed than when the ashes of Wickliffe were dug up and cast into the river, from whence they were carried to the sea, and then to the shores of every land. So it is with Christ now mystically; he must be scattered abroad, his ashes must be cast to the winds of heaven, that he may give life to distant nations, and that men may all hear the truth.

You see what I have intended; I hope I have made myself understood. This second rock is a type, not of Christ personally, but of Christ in his church; the Saviour of the world instrumcntally, not mediatorially. It was not God’s revealed will that his church should be the Saviour of the world by smiting, but by speaking; wicked men have run counter to the divine will, and have smitten the church, but, nevertheless, it has been found that the smiting of the church produces the best efiects. The water gushes out. The more persecution — the more trouble the church has to endure, so much the more mighty those streams of living water from it, to the wide, wide world. I believe, my brethren, there is nothing in the world better for a man, or for a church, than a little persecution. Where had we been now, had it not been for slander, abuse, and contumely continually heaped upon our head? We believe our prosperity is in no small degree owing to our enemies. We had not been known, unless they charged us falsely; we had not been heard of, unless they had attempted to put us down — but they can not put us down by all they may say. The more they try to oppress us, the more do we multiply; and like the children of God in Egypt, the more they try to put them under the task, the more doth God our Father multiply and increase us. O! my brethren, never be ashamed of persecution. Remember you must be smitten. It is true God did not intend — he did intend secretly, but not according to his revealed will — that you should be smitten; he is never pleased with those who smite you; he said you were to bless the world by speaking. Moses erred, and a wicked world has erred. Doubtless God decreed that Moses should smite that rock, though he did it sinfully. So God hath decreed that you should be smitten, that you may be of some use to the people. The fig will not ripen unless it be bruised; and thou wouldst not have ripened if thou hadst not felt the rod. The fountains of the deep earth would never send up their waters unless they were bored to the very bottom; so the Christian must be bored with trouble to make him give forth living water. It is said that the oyster hath no pearls unless it be sick; so it is true of the Christian that he will have no pearl unless he be persecuted. There will be little good done by any of us, unless we have some trials and troubles. The rock must be smitten; if it hath a double blow do not be afraid, for the rock was smitten twice, and the waters gushed out.

But I want you to notice that the rock, although smitten wrongly, was smittex with the kod of the lawgiver. This delighted me when I first thought of it, that the second rock, that is Christ mystically, was smitten with the very same rod which smote the first rock, Christ himself. If I suffer for Christ, my sufferings are the sufferings of Christ; and, although they are occasioned by man as the second cause, yet they do really spring from God. “The rod of the wicked shall not rest upon the lot of the righteous;” and when the wicked smite us, unwittingly to themselves, they do not smite with their owti rod, but with the rod of God. God measures out our trials and our troubles, and let the enemy do what he may against me, he can not smite me wdth any thing except my Father’s rod. My Father makes even Rab-shakeh the rod of justice to Hezekiah, but Rab-shakeh can not smite with his own rod. It is God’s rod that fills on his children. Ko child of God is ever smitten with any rod but God’s. It may be that we think it comes from hell, but, in truth, it comes from heaven. Even though Judas betrayed his Master, we read, “whereunto he was appointed.” And if our most intimate friend lift up his heel against us, even then God has given the dog leave to b’^’-lr no dp.vonrinj? lion roars asjainst God’s children until God unchains his lips. No fierce leopard comes out of his den against an heir of heaven until God bids him. Even the devil himself becomes the servant of God: he can not smite God’s child with any thing but God’s rod. He had to go and ask God’s leave to oppress one of his children; he had to ask whether he might afflict Job, and even then Satan could not afflict Job himself, but he besought God, saying, “Put out thine hand.” It was God’s hand that had to smite Job, even though Satan seemed to be the instrument. So, beloved, though thou art smitten by a rod, it is the same rod wiich fell upon the back of Christ.

Once more you will observe, you who are wont to persecute God’s children, that although great results flowed from the smiting of the rock, yet Moses was punished for doing it. Moses never entered the promised land, because he smote that rock. It was the emblem of Christ mystically, and even the smiting of the emblem had significance in it. Moses was commanded to speak, and not to smite; he rashly and wickedly did smite, and therefore was punished. Mai-k that, persecutor! Thou shalt be punished for thy persecution, whether it be by word or by deed. Whatsoever thou doest against a child of God shall be fearfully returned into thine own bosom. “Whosoever shall ofiend one of these little ones that believe m me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he were cast into the sea.” I tell you’ men and women, there is pardon for all kinds of sin against the Son of God, even persecution; but if there be any thing which, when God doth punish, he visiteth Avdth severe vengeance, it is this. Do you not remember how Herod, the proud persecutor, was eaten of worms? Have you never read of the fate of Antiochus Epiphanes, who put to death the glorious Maccabees, the testifiers of the truth? Have you never heard how Bishop Bonner died, who persecuted the Lord’s children? Do you not know that persecutors seldom die in their beds, or if they do, they die as if the flames of hell were kindled about them, before they entered there? To be a persecutor is indeed a horrible thing; a sinner of any kind must be damned, if unsaved, but a persecutor must be sunk into the lowermost depths of the pit that is bottomless. Tremble, ye who slander, and jeer, and ridicule, and oppress the children of God; remember, their Maker is mighty. They can not avenge themselves; they do not wish to; but remember, “Vengeance is mine, and I will repay, saith the Lord.” It may be with some of you who are persecutors of God’s children, that the word has gone out, and if so, O man, thou shalt never enter into the promised land, because thou hast smitten that rock. Yet if thou art a persecutor, hear God’s truth: Paul says, “I was a persecutor and blasphemer, yet I obtained mercy, because I did it ignorantly in unbelief.” Have you done it ignorantly? Have any of you been persecuting God’s children, not believing them to be his, but supposing them to be hypocrites? Hear this! Return, ye persecutors, return, ye who have sinned willfully against God; with him is plenteous redemption; he is able to blot out your transgressions, and wash you from your sins; yea, he will pass by all your iniquities, receive you graciously, and love you freely, if yoxi will cry unto him with your whole heart. O! believe me, there is no sin which can damn a man if he have faith in Christ; there is no crime, however black, which can exclude a man from heaven, if he doth but believe in Jesus Christ; but if thou goest still on to thy grave a hoary-headed sinner against God, how awful will be thy fate when the fierce lions of his vengeance shall grind thy bones, or ever thou readiest the bottom of the den where thou hopedst to have destroyed Daniel. Thou shalt see him delivered, and thou shalt thyself be cast into the midst of demons fiercer than thou hast ever guessed, and flames more terrible than thou hast ever dreamed; ay, tremble; “Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and ye perish f?om the way, when his wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all they that put their trust in him.”

May God bless what I have said, to your souls, for Jesus Christ’s sake!