THE GOSPEL MESSENGER--May 1889

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. Wherefore do you spend money for that which is not bread? and your labor for that which satisfieth not? hearken diligently unto me, and eat ye that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness.—Isa. lv. 1-2.

The absolute sovereignty of God is set forth in all his works. He is the King of kings and Lord of lords. And where the word of a king is, there is power according to the dignity and dominion of the king. The life giving and creative word of God is like himself, omnipotent and irresistible. He speaks, and it is done; he commandest and it stands fast. When he speaks the life-giving word to the dead they live, and by the effect of that life they see, hear and feel. They see their own condition as sinners under the wrath of God. They see the holy demands of Justice, and feel indeed that they are under the curse of God's law. They feel the necessity of something being done speedily for their relief, and, thinking it rests mostly with themselves, their best efforts are put forth. But how sad to know that all is a failure. Their best performances and reformations are polluted like themselves; their righteousness, in which they trust for acceptance with God, is as filthy rags, and all their works are as weak and easily consumed before the blazing purity of God's righteous law as a spider's web in a flame of fire. They thirst for righteousness, and thirst for that Which will satisfy their hungry, longing soul. Nothing that this world affords can give them relief or hove of salvation, They are spending time, money and labor for that which is not bread to the spiritual hungering within, and for that which satisfieth not.

But hark! the command of God, whose voice shakes not only the earth, but heaven also, comes to them with power and love. It comes with astonishment and with great comfort. It comes from his sovereign throne above, saying, "Ho! every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money." These poor, hungry souls are astonished to be so fully identified in this heavenly command of God. "Every one that thirsteth," and "he that hath no money;" poor beggars and outcasts, helpless and penniless, having, like the poor woman, spent all their resources on many quack doctors, and grew nothing better, but rather worse. Here is help for you---there is hope for you---and here you flee for refuge to lay hold by faith of the hope set before you in the word and promise of God, and in the blood and righteousness of Christ. Come, for thy Father says come. Its law is in your heart already. He has given you a new heart, in which he has written his law of love. The commands these poor and needy souls to do precisely what they inwardly crave and desire to do. He has given that desire, and commands them to come to him as the Fountain of living Waters. There is no disease or sin which these waters cannot cure. They are living waters, and there is neither condemnation or death in them. Every drop of these waters is health, peace, joy and life. They proceed from the throne of God and the Lamb, and to mark their unsullied purity they are described as being "clear as crystal." There is no spot or blemish in the righteousness of God in Christ, and God hath made him to be sin, for a sin offering, for us that we might be "made the righteousness of God in him." There is no blemish in this righteousness, and God the Father is well pleased with these thirsty souls for his own righteousness sake. No weapon formed against them shall prosper, and "their righteousness is of me, saith the Lord."--Isa. liv. 17.

We further notice in this proclamation of God, that not one that thirsteth is left out. It comprehends and embraces them all in the heavenly gift and in the heavenly calling. "Every one that thirsteth," whether rich or poor in this world, whether wise or ignorant, learned or unlearned, come to the waters of salvation, come in the strength of God--in the strength of that faith which he has given you, and of which Jesus is both the Author and Finisher--come and buy wine and milk that will cheer your .heart and nourish and strengthen thy soul, and you will grow thereby in spiritual strength and knowledge, even as a new-born babe that desires the sincere milk of God's word. There is nothing under the whole heaven that suits the appetite and satisfies the cravings of these thirsty souls so well as the sincere, unadulterated milk of the word of truth. And there is nothing else in earth or heaven by which, and upon which, they will grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

But let the dear children of promise remember that the holy apostle says "sincere milk of the word."---1Pet. ii. 2. It is not polluted or adulterated with the works of the flesh, nor with the traditions of men. Nor is it skimmed milk, but pure, sincere milk of the pure and holy word of God, the very essence and spirit of love, holiness and truth. It is the doctrine of God our Saviour, and the spiritual understanding and reception of it. But remember that when milk is skimmed of its cream, the strongest, the richest and most nourishing part of it is gone. It is less in quantity and far inferior in quality. And so will the doctrine of God our Saviour. We want it complete and pure. We cannot agree to skim off the strong doctrine of God's sovereignty, his eternal purpose, his predestination, election, irresistible call, or the final and eternal salvation of all the chosen vessels of mercy. All these our Heavenly Father hath provided and freely given when he gave his own beloved Son to die for our sins. All other blessings and gifts, whether of present or eternal salvation, are included in the gift of Jesus as a Saviour. He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us things."--Rom, viii. 32. All the riches of heaven's love, wisdom, power and glory are given the people of God in and with Jesus. No gift is bestowed separately from him; but with him God the Father freely giveth all things, without money and without price. The gift of God to these poor, thirsty souls is so rich, so grand and glorious that no price can be set upon it. It cannot be computed in dollars and cents, and there is nothing in all the heights of heaven above us or of the earth beneath, with which to compare with it. And it is because of this transcendent excellency beyond all comparison or computation that the Holy Ghost moved an inspired writer to say of this heavenly gift that, "All the things that may be desired are not to be compared to it.--Prov, viii. 11. "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." O what a strange way of buying is this! He that hath nothing save his necessities, nothing but hungering and thirsting for the water of life; he alone, to the exclusion of all others, can come to these living waters; he alone can eat of the Bread of Life that cometh down from God to him; he alone can buy and eat freely without money and without price!!

But some one will say, "Yes, but these thirsty souls must buy; there is something they must do, something they must render unto the Lord as an equivalent for what they receive." This may be true in ordinary business affairs among men of this world, but it is not true in tile matter of salvation, nor in the reception of that which is without money and without price. No equivalent can be rendered, because "all the things that may be desired is not to be compared to it." It far exceeds in value, not only all for which we might ask, but all that we can desire. It is the riches of God's mercy to hungry, perishing souls.

We have heard it indicated by some that this buying of wine and milk without money and without price refers to what our Lord Jesus Christ done or purchased for these needy ones; and some have went so for as to say that "He hath purchased heaven for sinners." But we cannot as yet so understand this, neither is there any Scripture that now occurs to mind that will justify this view of the text. That Christ purchased sinners for heaven, instead of heaven for sinners, seems more reasonable, and not only reasonable, but scriptural, for it is written: "Ye are not your own; ye are bought with a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God's."--1 Cor. vi. 20. Christ Jesus is evidently embraced in the everlasting love of God, and all his chosen and redeemed people are embraced in the same love with him. But he did not buy or purchase this love of God, either for himself or for his people. God hath made them acceptable in the Beloved Son.

But it may be proper here to say that for these poor, hungry, perishing souls to buy the wine and milk of gospel truth and gospel promises without money and without price, there is one constituent element of buying that might very properly come into the application. It is true they have nothing to render unto the Lord as an equivalent for any of the mercies or blessings of salvation, nor for any of the comforts which flow from it; but, as one in buying anything usually parts with some portion of his possessions, and, it may be, "with all that he hath," so in this ease all is given up, not as an equivalent for the wine and milk of the kingdom, neither does the Lord so accept or regard it; but it is given up as loss and dross, and the poor, perishing soul feels to "count all things" he ever relied upon or trusted in for salvation "but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus his Lord, for whom he suffers the loss of all things."---Phil., iii. 8.---M.