The Altruism of the Heavenly Life

The Lamb shall lead them.” — Rev. vii. 17,

We speak of a leading aim in life. In this world men have various leading aims. Some are led by ambition, some by pleasure, some by avarice, some by vanity, some by the thirst for knowledge. But the Seer of Patmos says that in the other world the leading aim of life will be different from any of these; it will be the good of humanity — what we call altruism. “The Lamb shall lead them.” The lamb is the symbol of sacrifice. By the leading of the Lamb I understand the Seer to mean the motive power of the sacrificial spirit. He wishes to convey the idea that in the future life of the soul every act of man will be prompted by the desire to help his brother. You will observe, the difference between heaven and earth is not the road but the leading — not the act but the motive. It is not that heaven has other fountains of water than those which are found on earth; it is that in heaven we are to be led to those fountains by the Lamb — by the motive of sacrificial love. It makes all the difference in the world whether I am led to a fountain by the spirit of selfishness or by the spirit of sacrifice. Wealth is a fountain. Is it pure or impure? That depends, not on the water, but on what has led me to it. What has been my motive for amassing wealth? Has it been covetousness, or has it been Christ? Have I been led by the lust of avarice, or have I been led by the lamb of altruism? Have I considered only how many sensations it will bring to myself — the rivers of pleasure it will send me, the weight of influence it will lend me, the multitude which, through it, will befriend me? Or, have I desired it for the good which it can do — for the feeding of the hungry, the clothing of the ragged, the enlightening of the ignorant, the healing of the sick, the beautifying of the temple, the planting of the mission-field, the providing of recreation for the sons of daily toil? This latter is the “leading of the Lamb.” It matters not though the waters be earthly. It counts not though the streams be secular. It lessens not the value, though the gold be from a human mine. If I gather for earth’s gladness, if I spend to soothe

earth’s sadness, if I climb to cleanse earth’s badness, I am led to the fountain by the Lamb.

Lamb of God, prepare me for the fashion of Thy world! The fashion of our world passeth away. Here, we are led by motives of self-interest — the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eye and the pride of being great. But in Thy world another power shall lead the fashion — Thine own sacrificial life. Prepare me for that world, O Lord! I should not like to be out of fashion in the sweet by-and-by. I should not like to be living for myself when all mankind are living for others. Save me from the loneliness of a solitary aim — an aim that none shall sympathise with! Here, I love my wealth because it enhances me. But they who shall be made rulers over ten cities will only prize their wealth for a brother’s joy; the glory of their riches will be its power to minister. I should not like to have the ten cities without their glory, to value my own possessions for the old earthly reason. There would be none to share my estimate. Nobody would gratify my thirst for admiration. Nobody would pause and say, “What magnificent fields! “Nobody would cry,” There is a man worth knowing! “They would all be running after the new fashion — the search for impoverishment —” Enter ye into the

9^ joy of your Lord!” Be that my joy, O Christ — not only then, but now! Be that my joy, O Christ — the gladness of having something to give! Be that the radiance of my riches, the prize of my possessions, the glory of my gold, the shining of my silver, the fragrance of my fields, the greatness of my granaries, the majesty of my many mansions! Then shall I be in the fashion of the future; I shall be led to my fountains by the Lamb.