The Four Places in Which a Good Male Keeps God's Truth
The Preacher's Lantern. Deuteronomy 11:18 Therefore shall you lay up these my words in your heart and in your soul, and bind them for a sign on your hand… The four places are here: heart, soul, hand, head; or put it another way: there are two departments of the religious life — first, the truth of God, the reality of religion revealed in us, that is in the heart and soul; and second, the truth of God revealed by us, that is, by the hand and by the head. Even as it is said there were four rivers flowing from paradise, so also there are four rivers which flow through the paradise of a good man's life. They, are love, truth, use, beauty. I. THE FIRST PLACE IS THE HEART. 1. Lay up God's words like treasure in a chest; they are the family plate of believers, the heirlooms of the household of faith. 2. Like books in a library, ready for reference. We cannot read all books at once; we cannot read the whole Bible at one time, it is neither necessary nor desirable. In a very large library well selected, it may be thought there are no books useless, every book has its place and worth, and may be referred to again and again; but it is laid up on the shelf against the time. 3. Like clothes in a wardrobe, ready for all weathers: for summer's sunshine, and for winter's storms. The truth of God should be the garment of the soul. 4. Like conserves of precious fruit, gathered in the time of plenty to be eaten in the snow time of winter scarcity; as of Mary, the mother of our Lord, we read, "She kept all these sayings and pondered them," she laid them up for love to brood over. 5. Like knowledge hidden but not lost. It does not follow always that what does not appear does not exist. A capable captain on shore is not always telling you how he would manage a ship in difficulties; an accomplished musician may be sitting quite still, and saying nothing of the art he loves and of which he knows so much; but in both of these, and many such men, the knowledge only needs the occasion; it is there. 6. Lay them up in the heart as guides. We are not always studying the map, but if we desire to know a country, it is useful to have it; and these words are for use, meditation, and memory. 7. In the heart: not like misers' hoards, but like bankers' gold, which turns into capital, and is not only wealth itself, but a means of creating more. II. THE SECOND PLACE IS THE SOUL. 1. The soul is the seat of thought or understanding. 2. The soul is the seat and place of mind-life. 3. The soul is the scat of conviction, and conviction is mental activity and independence. III. And now the relations of the text change; and this third head brings us to the second department. I said at the first, those two places to which I have referred speak of the truth of God revealed in your heart and soul — refer to the moral and mental power of man. Now in this third particular religion is brought into notice; it is the truth of God revealed by us, "THEREFORE SHALL YE BIND THESE WORDS FOR A SIGN UPON YOUR HAND." I suppose, that is as much as to say, realise them in your life. Religion is for use, fuel is for fire, wood cut down is to be used, bricks are to build, cloth is for clothes, religion is for life. If you have any religion, use it. Some years ago there was a sect of people called the Rosicrucians; they were a very remarkable people. It was said of them that they had discovered the principle of an ever-burning flame; but then nobody was able to see it; the singularity of the lamp was, that it only shed its lustre in vaults, in closely sealed and concealed tombs. I do not so much doubt the discovery, as I deny the use of such a flame; open the door, it was said, and instantly the light was extinguished. Why, whatever is the use of such a light as that — a light that nobody ever sees? And so it is with the religion of some people; if they have got any, they keep it all to themselves as in a vault or a tomb. "Therefore bind these words as a sign upon the hand." 1. Like a glove, on the hand for defence. The hedger and ditcher tears up many a weed, and encounters fearlessly many a prickly thorn with his rough glove, which he would be fearful to grapple with his ungloved hand. 2. Like a gauntlet, as a sign of challenge. 3. Like a tool, an implement of labour, something to work with, to build with. 4. Like a sword. IV. THE HEAD. "Lay up these words in the heart, that they may be a frontlet to the eye," that is, before you; what you possess you will profess; in a word, avow the Word; do not be ashamed of it. On the other hand, do not make profession of it before you possess it. Thus — 1. These words are to be a source of pride; for what is worn on the head, or between the eyes, is usually a source of pride, or a manifestation of it. Be proud then, not of yourself, of your attainments, but of that which has been conferred upon you in the possession of these words. 2. As frontlets between the eyes, for this implies dignity, giving ornament, rank, elevation; so it ought to be if these words are laid up in heart and soul and are manifested in the life; they will be like an ornament of grace to the head, and chains about the neck; they will be wreathed into a coronet, diadem, a tiara, a crown — all these are worn on the head; and I cannot imagine religion really possessed without its giving beauty, some royalty and elevation to character, something that alike dignifies person and speech. 3. That they may be as frontiers between your eyes, that they may be a source of protection. Wear them as helmets are worn, like that of which we read, "for a helmet the hope of salvation." And is not this also in the words of God? for they constitute not only the ornament or character, but its defence too, as it is written, "Thou through Thy commandments hast made me wiser than my enemies, for they are ever with me." These are the principles of a religious, life — these, are the principles which the great Hebrew lawgiver beheld as lying at the foundation of all prosperous states, and all truly noble personal character. (The Preacher's Lantern.) Parallel Verses KJV: Therefore shall ye lay up these my words in your heart and in your soul, and bind them for a sign upon your hand, that they may be as frontlets between your eyes. WEB: Therefore you shall lay up these my words in your heart and in your soul; and you shall bind them for a sign on your hand, and they shall be for symbols between your eyes.