I Believe in Jesus Christ Our Lord

It was this item in the Creed that aroused the deepest hostility of the Roman Emperors. They were liberal enough in permitting all the nations they subdued to worship their gods, and to put their images in the Pantheon, but they persecuted Christianity to the death, because, with true insight, they perceived that the Founder of Christianity asserted a royalty over His followers which they acknowledged as superior to the imperial sovereignty. If He might have been relegated to a secondary position, there would have been no grounds for persecution, but it was because that other King, one Jesus, claimed to be King of Kings and Lord of Lords, that every effort was made to exterminate the new religion.

There is, therefore, no position which our Lord can take with any one of us except as Lord, and it is because so few give Him His true position, and place the government upon His shoulder, that His Kingdom is so slow in coming, and He is

so limited in His power to bless,
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There is no doubt a phase of religion which is as much richer in its experience than that which is commonly enjoyed amongst Christians, as the sky of the tropics is bluer than the leaden atmosphere of our northern climate. Take, for instance, the testimony of Billy Bray, the Cornish Miner, who said: ‘‘ The Lord made me so happy that I cannot express what I felt. JI shouted for joy; I praised God with my whole heart.... I think this was in November, 1823, but what day of the month I do not know. I remember this, that everything looked new to me — the people, the fields, the cattle, the trees. I was like a new man in anew world. I spent the greater part of time praising the Lord.”

Or take the testimony of John Bunyan, who describes his experience thus: “‘ Now could I see myself in heaven and earth at once; in heaven by my Christ, by my Head, by my Righteousness and Life, though on earth by my body and person. Christ was a precious Christ to myself that night, I could scarcely lie in my bed for joy and peace and triumph through Christ.”

Or take the experience of the wife of Jonathan Edwards in these fragrant and inspiring words: ‘“‘ When I arose on the morning of the Sabbath, I felt a love to all mankind wholly peculiar in its

5 — (2516) strength of sweetness, far beyond all that I have ever felt before. The power of that love seemed inexpressible. I thought if I were surrounded by enemies who were venting their malice and cruelty upon me, it would still be impossible that I should cherish any feelings towards them but those of love and pity, and ardent desires for their happiness.”

It is said also of Colonel Gardiner by a friend, that he was cured of impurity in a single hour: “So soon as he was enlightened from above, he felt the power of the Holy Ghost changing his nature so wonderfully that all desire and inclination were removed as entirely as if he had been a sucking child, nor did they return.”

These testimonies might be greatly multiplied, but in each case it could be shown that they arose when the soul took Christ to be not only its Saviour but its Lord. May this not have been the cause of our failure? We have looked at the wounds of Christ for cleansing, but have not remembered that the Victim of the Cross was Master and Lord. There has been no triumphal procession through the thoroughfares of our souls; no coronation in the secret fane of our hearts; no definite surrender of the keys of government, the symbols of authority, into His hands; because this has not been done — because we have been more anxious to secure our salvation than to give Him His rights; because we have not trusted Him with absolute devotion, we have missed the joy, the peace, the deliverance from the power of sin, the baptism of perfected love, and the fortitude of spirit which others enjoy. But directly we hand over the empire, and believe that He accepts it (and He does accept it so soon as we surrender it) all these will begin to be our own. There will be an illumination throughout the dark regions of the inner life, banners, acclamations, shouts of joy! “Rejoice, thy King cometh, having salvation.”

“If thou shalt confess with thy mouth Jesus as Lord, and shalt believe in thine heart that God raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.” (Rom. x. 9, R.V.) ‘‘ For this cause Christ died, and lived again, that He might be Lord” (Rom. xiv. 9). “I give you to understand that no man can say Jesus is Lord but in the Holy Spirit” (1 Cor. xii. 3).