‘But I counted it necessary to send to you          Epaphroditus, my brother and fellow-worker and          fellow-soldier, and your messenger and minister to          my need. 26. Since he longed after you all, and          was sore troubled, because ye had heard that he          was sick. 27. For indeed he was sick nigh unto          death: but God had mercy on him; and not on…

    ‘And the angel of God, which went before the camp of    Israel, removed and went behind them; and the pillar of    the cloud went from before their face, and stood behind    them: 20. And it came between the camp of the Egyptians    and the camp of Israel; and it was a cloud and darkness    to them, but it gave light…

    ‘And the Lord spake unto Moses and Aaron in the land    of Egypt, saying, 2. This month shall be unto you the    beginning of months: it shall be the first month of the    year to you. 3. Speak ye unto all the congregation of    Israel, saying, In the tenth day of this month they    shall take to them every man…

          ‘I bear in my body the marks of the Lord          Jesus.’–GAL. vi. 17.The reference in these words is probably to the cruel custom of brandingslaves as we do cattle, with initials or signs, to show their ownership.It is true that in old times criminals, and certain classes of Templeservants, and sometimes soldiers, were also so marked,…

          ‘Thou . . . hast professed a good profession before          many witnesses. 13. I give thee charge in the          sight of God, who quickeneth all things, and          before Christ Jesus, who before Pontius Pilate          witnessed a good confession, 14. That thou keep          this commandment. . . .’–1 TIM. vi. 12-14.You will observe that ‘a good confession,’ or rather ‘the goodconfession,’…

    ‘And they came, every one whose heart stirred him up,    and every one whom his spirit made willing, and they    brought the Lord’s offering to the work….’    –EXODUS xxxv. 21.This is the beginning of the catalogue of contributions towards theerection of the Tabernacle in the wilderness. It emphasises the purelyspontaneous and voluntary character of the gifts. There was…

    ‘Ye shall eat old store, and bring forth the old because    of the new.’    LEV. xxvi. 10.This is one of the blessings promised to obedience. No doubt it, likethe other elements of that ‘prosperity’ which ‘is the blessing of theOld Testament,’ presupposes a supernatural order of things, in whichmaterial well-being was connected with moral good far more…

          ‘I seek not yours, but you.’–2 COR. xii. 14.Men are usually quick to suspect others of the vices to which theythemselves are prone. It is very hard for one who never does anythingbut with an eye to what he can make out of it, to believe that there areother people actuated by higher motives. So…

    Aaron shall bear their names before the Lord, upon his    two shoulders, for a memorial…. And Aaron shall bear    the names of the Children of Israel in the breastplate    of judgment upon his heart, when he goeth in unto the    Holy Place.’–EXODUS xxviii. 12,29.Every part of the elaborately prescribed dress of the high priest wassignificant. But the significance of…

          ‘Other my fellow-labourers whose names are in the          book of life.’–PHIL. iv. 3.Paul was as gentle as he was strong. Winsome courtesy and delicateconsiderateness lay in his character, in beautiful union with fieryimpetuosity and undaunted tenacity of conviction. We have here aremarkable instance of his quick apprehension of the possible effects ofhis words, and of his…