by George Matheson
George Matheson wrote two other books on Bible Men and another book on Bible Women. I picked up his third series on Bible Men at a used book store. Mr. Matheson was born in Scotland in 1842 and lost most of his sight early on in his life. He earned two degrees from the University of Glasco and was a powerful minister, attracting crowds who longed to hear his portrayal of Biblical truths. He wrote the hymn, 'O Love that Wilt Not Let Me Go,' and died in 1906.
I won't pretend that I grasped even 75 per cent of what Mr. Matheson wrote about. It was beyond me, but I loved the poetry and the passion with which he wrote. I think he probably saw more spiritually than most because he was nearly blind. I've noticed that about Fanny Crosby as well.
I did learn more about John the Baptist, John the Beloved, Nathanael, Peter, Nicodemus, Thomas, Philip, Matthew, Zaccheus, James, Barnabas, Mark, Cornelius, Timothy, and Paul.
After each chapter on a particular man, Matheson would write his own prayer in regards to what he learned from that man. This is what I liked the most.
I am going to type an excerpt from his writing on Timothy, followed by his prayer, to give you a sample of his writing. Don't bypass this. Read it outloud if you can. It could be life-changing. He is referring to the passage in the book of Timothy about correcting others with humility.
...."There is one little point to which I should like to direct attention. Did you ever ask yourself why it is that before administering this discipline to Timothy Paul himself assumes such a humble attitude? Instead of opening with a tone of authority, he begins his letter by telling Timothy what a miserable creature he himself had been-a blasphemer, a persecutor, an injurer of men, a man who for his present position was entirely indebted to the mercy of God. And can you fail to see why Paul begins by taking the lowest room? It was in accordance with his own sublime exhortation, 'If a man be overtaken in a fault, restore such a one in the spirit of meekness.'' He means, in other words, 'Do not address him from a lordly height; let him see that you too have tripped in your day.' That is what Paul wanted Timothy to see. He did not wish the pupil to look upon him as a demi-god. He knew that the basis of all teaching is sympathy, and that sympathy demands a common experience. He comes to Timothy, not in his latest robes, but in his original rags. He speaks to him, not from the top of the ladder, but from its base. He pleads with him, not as one who was born to angelic purity and has never breathed the air of evil, but as one who has known corruption, who has felt temptation, who has touched sin, who has learned the pain of struggle, and who even now is unable to ascribe his salvation to any merit of his own. The discipline from such a man has strength, but no sting."
And then, his prayer-"Lord, when I go to discipline my brother-man, let me remember his environment! Let me remember Timothy's youth, and that the passions of youth are strong! Let me remember his Greek blood that cries for novelty in every form-that flies today on the wings of fancy, tomorrow on the pinions of pleasure! Let me remember his Pagan influences, and how many voices in the Garden urge him to climb the tree! Let me remember, above all, my own youth, my own heredity, my own first surroundings! When I visit my erring brother, let me put on my garment of yesterday! Let me not go to him wearing that best robe which Thou has brought forth for me, and displaying that bright ring which claims me as Thy child! Let me fold Thy fair garment and lay it by; Let me take off Thy bright ring and put it aside! Bring me the mean attire of my morning! Bring me the squalid garb in which first I met Thee! Bring me the tattered rags in which of old I stood before Thy door! I will go to my brother, clothed in the likeness of sinful flesh. I will go to him with ringless hands, with shoeless feet, with prideless gait. I will go to him and say, 'I come to thee from thine own valley-from humiliation kindred to thine. I too have been among the swine. I too have been a child of the famine. I too have been content to feed on the husks for a time. By no merit of mine am I saved' while I was yet afar off my Father saw me. Receive thy hope from me, thy comfort from me, thine example from me! learn from my rags thy possible riches! See in my meanness thy possible majesty! Behold in my lowliness thy possible ladder! Read in my corruption thy possible crown! So, on the stepping-stones of my dead self, may'st thou rise to higher things.''
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Oh, I hope you read it.
I need to read it again and again
until I understand it's life changing words.
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