June 6

That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ. - 1 John 1:3.

REAL godliness shows itself not only personally but socially; and professors of religion should study to be cheerful. It will do good to themselves; for the joy of the Lord is their strength, and it will have a happy influence over others. It will be likely to allure them in the way everlasting, and to preserve the way of truth from being evil spoken of. It is not the individual who is walking mournfully before the Lord that will be likely to adorn the doctrine of God our Saviour; and this we should ever be concerned to do.

The way of truth may be evil spoken of by unlovely tempers, by sullenness, by mopishness and gloom and fear. Our regard for the honour of the gospel should lead us to attend to the command of our Lord:-“Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” And if, under the pressure of grief, we are unable to suppress our feelings, we should at least make some effort to conceal them. “I was ashamed,” said Ezra, “to require of the king a band of soldiers and horsemen to help us against the enemy in the way, because we had spoken unto the king, saying, The hand of our God is upon all them that seek him.” Now, confidence in God was not incompatible with his asking for such assistance, but it was likely to operate unfavourably on the mind of this heathen potentate, and, because it would be like distrusting the Lord, he avoided the very appearance of evil; and, as Christians are to be greatly concerned to bring others in the way of peace, we should be equally concerned to show that we have something suitable and valuable to recommend. Having ourselves tasted that God is gracious, we can say to others, “Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good.”

It is this which gives confidence to Christians in all their attempts to recommend the blessings of salvation to others. They speak not from conjecture or from opinion, but from experience; and they can say, “That which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the word of life,-that which we have seen and heard,-declare we unto you.” It is this which gives earnestness to our invitations. Knowing that others are still in the same state of spiritual destitution as we ourselves once were, we are to resemble the lepers in Samaria, who said, “This day is a day of good tidings, and we hold our peace; if we tarry till the morning light, some mischief will come upon us. Now, therefore, come, that we may go and tell the king’s household.”

This also adds conviction and force to our testimony and commendation: when we call upon others to rejoice in the Lord, they, seeing our cheerfulness, and knowing what religion has done for us, may be encouraged to try what it can do for them. Also, when they see Christians content with such things as they have,-troubled, yet not distressed; sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; having nothing, yet possessing all things,-they may be induced to say, “This is the seed which the Lord hath blessed.” And when we say to them, “We are journeying to the place of which the Lord said, I will give it you,” they may respond to the invitation, saying, “We will go with you, for we have heard that God is with you.”