2 CHRONICLES 33

8 Neither will I any more remove the foot of Israel from out of the land which I have appointed for your fathers; so that they will take heed to do all that I have commanded them, according to the whole law and the statutes and the ordinances by the hand of Moses.

The whole law

A man is likely to be a dry and sapless branch who feeds on one extracted element of the vine-juice. The kingdom alone without the God of the kingdom and the purpose of the kingdom, will generate spiritual idiocy. The signs of the time, without the two great commandments on which hang all the law and the prophets, will gender hardness of heart.

 The mortality of human nature studied by itself will produce a monster; the "state of the dead," spiritual moles and bats; earth creatures, who delight to burrow in the "dust and ashes" of this state of humiliation, insensible to the noble aspirations after the higher ways, to which Christ is the door.

God-manifestation by itself will give us a scorching glare, that will parch the ground, and spread desolation. In the spiritual, as in the natural, we must have all the elements of growth, in order to have a healthy life of the creature, or healthy fructification of the soil.

Let us have the air, earth, and sky of God's entire word; the refreshing shower, as well as the invigorating breeze; the moon that walks in her brightness, as well as the glorious orb of the day; the ploughing, and harrowing, and planting, as well as watering and garnering; the ramble on the mountain side, as well as the meditative rest at home. We must have all that goes to make up a healthy life.

We must have the glory of the promises, the beauty of holiness, the sweetness of love, the tenderness of compassion, the brightness of hope, the vigour of good sense, faith in the mysteries, intelligence in the signs, taste for the first principles, skill in strong meat. All these will combine to make a lovable, interesting, and useful man in Christ Jesus; but this can only be reached by continual presence in the word, a daily picking up over the breadth of its richly-furnished fields, neglecting no corners, giving no preference to any part, but honouring, and studying, and treasuring all alike.

Thus will the man of God be thoroughly furnished unto all good works. The labour is not great, but continuous. It is like the small economies which, steadily practised, lead to wealth; little by little, till more is in your hands than you know. The result in this case is beyond all price, and, therefore, worth all perseverance.

Seasons 1.53.