PRECIOUS TRUTH. "WHAT SAITH THE SCRIPTURE?''-(Rom. iv. 3.) Job Caudwell, 335, Strand, London, W.C.] No. 6.] SEPTEMBER 1, 1865. A LETTER TO THE BELIEVER IN JESUS. BELOVED,-Once again I greet you in the name of our Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ. I love you for his sake. You are a sheep or a lamb of his flock. On what are you feeding just now? Is that new life which Jesus has given you through faith in his name, growing? Have you life "more abundantly"? If not, it is because you are not feeding upon his Word. Is divine life shining out from you? If not, it is because you need "the washing of water by the Word." Dear Christian, Brother or Sister you require that the Scriptures should operate in you continually. How much do you know of the mind of God? How can you please your Heavenly Father if you do not know his will? How can you follow the Good Shepherd if you do not listen to his voice? You have got a few passages of Scripture well in your memory; they have been very precious to you in times past, and you are apt to quote them. All very well. But you want fresh food, and fresh washing, every day. You do NOT want washing in the blood of Jesus every day; that has been done effectually once. It was a thorough cleansing, and you will never need blood-washing again. You may often commemorate the event, and remember it always with thankfulness, but you cannot have it repeated. We (6 are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once." (Heb. x. 10.) The Israelites kept the feast of the passover every year-but the blood was used to save them from judgment only once, and that when they were in Egypt. Doubtless, by keeping the feast of our passover-the Lord's Supper and by every faithful remembrance of the atoning work of Christ, the conscience is as it were sprinkled with the blood. But you were effectually sanctified when you were first saved by faith. Now, however, you want frequent washing by "the Word." Oh, come to it often: not turning over its pages with the thought that you can find its virtues on the face of them. But by earnest spiritual prayer, obtain the guidance of the Holy Ghost. Never open your Bible without praying in the spirit that the Comforter" may minister the Word of truth to your soul. Trust God to feed and wash you while you read his word; and he will do it. Jesus said, "The Comforter, the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance whatsoever I have said unto you." "He is faithful that promised." Trust him and he will do it. So shall you be delivered from traditions of men, which have hitherto so grievously perplexed and hindered us. [Scott & Allan, 109, Sauchiehall-street, Glasgow. [One Halfpenny. We cannot depend upon the teachings of those we may esteem as the best of men, without proving them by the word of God. How many hirelings have climbed up some other way" into the sheepfold. Dear sheep, you must get to the Good Shepherd. Let him care for you, lead you, feed you, water you. Read the Twenty-third Psalm: "The Lord is my Shepherd; I shall not want," &c. What is it that fills you so much with joy on reading that Scripture? It is the presence and acts of the Lord. You begin by placing yourself under the care of the Almighty One. The Good Shepherd is LORD of all. The LORD is my Shepherd: HE will do everything for me: He will not hand me over to hirelings. If I keep close to him all will be well with me. "I shall not want He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: HE leadeth me beside the still waters. HE restoreth my soul. He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness." Walking "through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for Thou art with me: THY rod and THY staff they comfort me. THOU preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies. THOU anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever." Why? Because the LORD is my Shepherd. I know his voice, and I follow him. Believe me, my brother, my sister-there is no safety with any other. Yours in everlasting love through Jesus Christ our Lord, THE EDITOR. THOUGHTS ON HEBREWS VI. Verses 4-6." For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, and have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come, if they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame." Verses 7-8.-"For the earth which drinketh in the rain that cometh oft upon it, and bringeth forth herbs meet for them by whom it is dressed, receiveth blessing from God: but that which beareth thorns and briars is rejected, and nigh unto cursing; whose end-to be burned." SATAN would fain persuade us that from this Scripture we may infer the possibility of a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ coming under eternal condemnation. Trusting in the guidance of the Holy Spirit, we pur ment, and confession. "If we would judge ourselves, pose to show that this is not its true bearing: such a doctrine is nowhere taught in the word of God. Christians are snared into these Christ-dishonouring thoughts by suffering the enemy to isolate a verse or two, and put his construction on the passage; whereas they should look at the context to find a correct interpretation. The Apostle's theme is, Progress in Christian walk and practice. Towards the close of the preceding chapter he says to the Hebrew believers, he has many things to tell them about Jesus-things "hard to be uttered, seeing ye are dull of hearing. For when for the time [considering how long you have been in the faith] ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again, which be the first principles of the oracles of God and have become such as have need of milk and not of strong meat. For every one that useth milk is unskilful in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe." This is the key-note to what Verses 7-8.-Here we have, in a simple figure, the follows. Let us glance over the entire chapter. righteousness of God, in thus dealing with us, exRead verses 1-3.-Herein they were taught that repen-plained. The earth which is cultivated by man, and tance from (Jewish) dead works, submission to bap- receives the rain from heaven, is expected to bring tism, and the belief in the primary doctrines of Chris- forth produce for the sustenance of those who dress it. tianity, were things past and done with. They could If instead, it produces only thorns and briars, fit for not repeat these things-nor should they stagnate in burning-such a plot of land is rejected. It is in like the consideration of them, but "go on to perfec- manner, with a heir of Salvation. The Lord has tion." bestowed labour upon him. He enlightened him, gave him to taste of the heavenly gift, made him partaker of the Holy Ghost, permitted him to taste of the good word of God and the powers of the world to come. Now, when the giver of life and all these good gifts, looks for fruit unto God,-If He finds nothing but thorns and briars, he must burn them up, but not him. The cultivator of the land burns that which it has produced contrary to his desires. He does not destroy the land; but, being unprofitable, he rejects it, and will bestow no more labour on it. Thus it is with the Christian-If he be altogether unprofitable, he is rejected as a fruit producer, and is nigh unto cursing. That is what he deserves. We have the same teaching in John xv. The unfruitful branch of the True Vine (i.e. one who does not keep himself in practical union with the Vine,)" is cast forth as a branch, and is withered Christians generally have long fallen into the same mistake as the Hebrew converts. The vast majority of believers in these days get no further than the foundation truths of Christianity. They go one Lord's day after another to hear Gospel preachers, i.e. evangelists, whom they ought to have done with long ago. Only the unregenerate require to hear the Gospel of Salvation, none but the recently converted ought to want baptism and primary doctrine; the Child of God should be growing in grace and in the knowledge and love of God. We ought to progress constantly, even to a right, spiritual, understanding of all Scripture. Verses 4-6.-Now we see the bearing of these verses specially under our consideration. The reason why believers should not continue merely in the consideration of the doctrines, which were once the only ones of vital importance to them, is here given. If they should fall away it would be impossible to renew them again to repentance, i.e. they could not be brought back to that point where they first found Salvation. This is not God's way of dealing with his people; He does not bring them back to the condition which was needful for the reception of life. They have been born again; and with respect to that new life, they cannot sin. It is the old, corrupt, carnal nature which brings into sin. Hence the need of constantly watching over and keeping it ander. If this be neglected we shall more or less fall away. What is to be done, then? God, in mercy, comes in with chastening, breaking down and consuming the fleshy will,-thus bringing us into the attitude of the prodigal son; in which condition the Father is ever ready to receive and restore us. That which is allowed in us of evil, arising from the promptings of the natural heart, must be got rid of. The divine provisions for affecting this are watchfulness, prayer, the application of the "Water of the Word," (i.e. Scripture applied by the Holy Spirit,) self-judg and men gather them and cast them into the fire and they are burned." That is what unfruitful branches are fit for, and what men do with them. The Lord does not say that HE so deals with his people, in regard to their Salvation. The purport of all such Scriptures is to show that everything we produce contrary to the mind of God, must be consumed-and if we bring forth no fruit, we must be taken out of the way. For this cause many are weak and sickly among you and many sleep," i.e. die. (1 Cor. xi. 30.) As to the ultimate issue, there ought to be no doubt left after reading 1 Cor. iii. 15. "If any man's work shall be burned he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved, yet so as by fire." Our gracious Saviour has given us abundant assurance of our safety in him. He says, "My sheep shall never perish, neither shall any pluck them out of my hand;" and then, to put an end to all douht, he adds, "My Father which gave them me is greater than all, and no one is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand." (John x. 28, 29.) Verses 9-11.-Concerning the Hebrew believers to whom he was writing, the Apostle had not only confidence in their Salvation, but was persuaded they were going on with the things properly consequent upon Salvation obtained. As an encouragement to persevere and be diligent, he says, God is not unrighteous to forget the evidences you have given of your faith. So that to suppose the Lord ever will forget the manifestations of faith, is to attribute unrighteousness to God. In these verses he adds: "We desire that every one of you do show the same diligence [as you have already shown] to the full assurance of hope unto the end." Though active service and faithful walk are not enjoined as necessary to Salvation, they are needful for our enjoyment of the full assurance of hope. Look at the words given us by Peter-"Giving all diligence, add to faith-virtue, knowledge, temperance, patience, godliness, brotherly kindness, and Charity. For if these things be in you and abound, they make you to be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins." (2 Peter i. 5.9. Alas! how many believers there are in this last-named condition. Men ac Verse 12.-"That ye be not slothful, but followers [imitators] of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises." Our present inheritance consists of promises-contemptible things, perhaps, in the estimation of the men of the world-but the very life of the Christian, for they are divine promises. cept a bank-note, which is but a promise to pay, without hesitation, and reckon it to be equal in value to the thing it represents. A person having a bank-note for a thousand pounds (i.e. a mere promise of the Bank to pay a thousand pounds), considers himself in actual possession of property to that extent. He says "I have got a thousand pounds," although in fact he has not got it, but only a written promise. If men thus regard the mere pledge of an Association, because they have confidence in it, how ought we to act who inherit the promises of God? Now read to the end of our chapter, and say then whether any soul who really believes in Jesus can ever be lost. God not only gave promises to Abraham but he sware by himself "saying, Surely, blessing I will bless thee," &c. Did God make any conditions with Abraham? Nay. "Abraham believed God"that was all on his side: God gave his promises, and then sware in confirmation of them; that is what we see on His side. The promises are absolute. Without any condition whatever. Abraham is called the father of the faithful; we are of his family and have the same present inheritance, viz., promises: And we hold them on the same security, viz., the "SURELY" of God. Mark verse 16.-If men of the world are at variance, an oath puts an end to the strife. A man swears that what he says is true, and that is deemed sufficient. See, then, what assurance God gives to our poor doubting hearts. "God willing more abundantly to show unto the heirs of promise the immutability of his counsel, confirmed it by an oath. That by two immutable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, WE might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us." Oh, the tender mercy of our God in thus dealing with us! Who can doubt any longer? This scripture well might have ended here; but the Holy Spirit has added one thing more. The hope above alluded to "we have as an anchor of the soul, both SURE AND STEDFAST, and which entereth into that within the veil; whither the forerunner is for us entered, even Jesus, made an high priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec "! Faith has cast the anchor of hope into the sure ground of the presence of JESUS within the veil, whither he has FOR us entered. Beloved, the language is full, it is perfect, it is divine! God forbid that we should seek to add to or take from. We write for those who desire to be faithful, that they may rejoice in the liberty with which Christ has made them free. We would fain remove from such the last lingering doubt. To this end there is no need to force Scripture; only let it speak for itself. With respect to Christians who are unwilling to conform themselves to the "mind which was in Christ Jesus"--who prefer to hold the world with one hand, and the Saviour (whom the world crucified) with the other, we have no wish that they should understand Heb. vi, nor any other passage of the word which brings them into fear. If they will hug Satan's chains, may they gall and fret them. Let them have sorrow to the full. Until they turn afresh to Christ in whom they have life, and give themselves up in devotedness and devotion to Him, the truth will ever perplex them -most justly so. We would not spare them a single pang. COMMENTARY ON THE GOSPEL BY ST. JOHN. (Written expressly for this publication.) CHAPTER I. VER. 28." These things were done in Bethabara beyond Jordan, where John was baptizing." Bethabara signifies These two names help us to contrast the mission of John "House of Passage;" Jordan is "The River of Judgment." the Baptist with that of the Lord Jesus. The work and teaching of John were transitional, and only came to the point of judgment. He brought his disciples to that river, and there showed them their deep need. Beyond that, he could only tell them to look to another for deliverance; whereas Jesus suffered Himself to be laid in the waters of judgment, typically in the Jordan, but afterwards in the bitter waters of retribution and death; and so delivered for ever all who are in faith baptized to Him. It is a great mistake to confound the baptism ordained by Christ with that of John. Act xix. 1-5 places this beyond question; for we there read that the first believers at Ephesus, having been baptized unto John's baptism, were afterwards, when enlightened by Paul, haptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh VER. 29. The next day, John seeth Jesus coming unto away the sin of the world." Here was the Lamb, innocent and spotless, to be sacrificed under the fire of God's righteous judgment, as a substitute for sinners. "God will provide Himself a lamb for a burnt offering," said Abraham of old, speaking prophetically; for at that time God pro vided not a lamb but a ram. Now, however, the time was come when types and shadows were to pass away, and a victim was to be offered of sufficient worth to atone for sin: one who should indeed take away the sin of the world. During this present dispensation, the efficacy of that perfect sacrifice is experienced only by those who, through faith, accept the finished work of "the Lamb slain." But in a day to come, it will be seen that the Atonement of Christ has power to take away the sin of the world. He will come and reign in righteousness, King of Kings, and Lord of Lords, having first taken away the sin of the world. Of course it is sheer folly to suppose that the sins of all mankind were put away by His death on the cross. The word is, "taketh" (or will take) away the sin (not sins) of the world: i.e., the character of the world, which is sin, He taketh, or will take away; but that in His own time. The price is paid; He bought with His blood the whole fieldthe world. But He has not yet taken possession, and therefore its sin yet rests upon it. The world must undergo the retributive judgments of God, long pronounced, but long in mercy withheld. "All power," said the risen Saviour, "is given to me in heaven and earth. Go ye, therefore, and teach all nations," &c. Why therefore? Because both the power and the will is His to extend mercy. But He will not afford it to those who continue in rebellion against Him after they have been taught by His disciples the way of salvation. So when the present course of preaching is ended, and all who are willing (or rather, those who have accepted the will of God), have been gathered out of the scene, the rebellious world which in the Lord's absence declares, We will not have this man to reign over us," shall be judged by Him; and all enemies be put under his feet. Then it shall be seen that the Lamb of God taketh away the sin of the world. Until its sin shall be taken away" the Holy One of God" could not reign over it. Notwithstanding the wrath which is to come over it, no purging of that kind could take its sin away. Nothing but the cleansing blood of the spotless Lamb could render it fit for a reign of righteousness. In the meantime Jesus is gathering to himself in glory all who in faith flee to him for refuge. All who trust in Him. VER. 30-31." This is he of whom I said, after me cometh a man which is preferred before me: for he was before me, and I knew him not, but that he should be made manifest to Israel, therefore have I come baptizing with water." We have here additional evidence of the ephemeral character of John's baptism. This sign by which he was to make manifest the Lord Jesus was for that nation and that time only, that God's chosen people Israel might know their Messiah, therefore came his forerunner baptizing with water. Yet as we have said (and it is abundantly evident in this gospel) Christ also instituted and permanently established a baptism (immersion) by water, having altogether a different significance to that brought by John to the Jews. This, too, quite independent of the other truth that Jesus himself baptized with the Holy Ghost. VER. 32-33.—" And John bare record (testimony) saying, I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it abode upon him. And I knew him not: but he that sent me to baptize with water, the same said unto me, upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending, and remaining on him, the same is he which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost." How good of our God to give this (as it should be) unmistakeable stamp of the Sonship of Jesus. John did not personally know Christ with an absolute knowledge until he saw the Son of Man sealed with the Holy Spirit. This was the sign God had given John, by which to recognise The Son. Yet, as we read in the Gospel by Matthew, when Jesus came to John to be baptized, the latter "forbad him, saying, I have need to be baptized of thee," &c., thus evidently recognising the Lord, before the sign was given. This but shows how unmistakeable, to the eye of faith, was the person of the Saviour. And the goodness of God is the more evident in giving the visible sign by which John should know the Father's well-beloved. The forerunner was not left to his own judgment, which might have faltered and failed, as indeed it afterwards did. God removed, in his own divine way, all uncertainty, and left the Jews without excuse. But not only was the Holy Spirit, thus given, the sign of the Sonship of Christ--it is the sign and seal of the sonship of all believers. Jesus has obtained for us that promise of the Father, and according to the prophetic word of John the Baptist, He baptizes all who come to him in faith, with the Holy Ghost. But to return to John's testimony, v. 34, "And I saw and bear record that this is the Son of God!" FALSE DOCTRINE. As mentioned in a recent number, we have received two pamphlets written by the Rev. W. Parks, B.A. Rector of Openshaw, Manchester, and proceed to notice one of them, entitled "Professor, Beware!" On the first page we find this startling announcement-"You may believe in Christ, and be lost"! This is a flat contradiction of the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and therefore, however much we may hope and trust that Mr Parks is himself a believer, he is a false teacher and has denied his Master. Jesus said "He that believeth in me, though he were dead yet shall he live; and whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die." "He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life," &c. We need not multiply quotations. The plain declarations in Scripture of the only way of Salvation, by belief in the Lord Jesus Christ, are abundant, and, to the truehearted, unmistakable. Mr Parks is bewildered by the system of religion to which he belongs, and rather than think that to be in fault, he has the hardihood to gainsay the immutable word of the Saviour. He goes on to say "It is wholly absurd and monstrous to suppose that they who are in the habit of repeating the formula-I believe in Jesus Christ our Lord, or who believe the fact that Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners, as they believe any other fact, will be saved by such belief." This is, indeed, true. But then arises the simple question, Who is responsible for deluding poor unbelieving sinners by inducing them to profess belief while their hearts are untouched? And the answer is-Mr Parks and all of his order, from the Archbishops down to the least of those who occupy the reading desks and pulpits of the Church of England, so-called. An awful iniquity it is, and they must answer for it! Many dear Christian men there are in that long list we have summed up so briefly; we mourn over their consciences, wounded, as they must be, while they go on with their sorrowful task of hindering souls, and deluding them into false security by the repetition of creeds and formulas. came these wretched snares, with their flowing words and mock religion, but from that well of corruption, the Romish System? Reformed they may be. From whence They were no doubt pious minds which re-modelled the "Book of Common Prayer," but they only refined upon an imposition; and it is just simply that refined imposition still, with all its religiousness and its appropriation of much truth. The whole contrivance is totally opposed to the spirit of the teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ. There is no Scripture to justify such a concoction, either wholly or in part. The pamphlet before us is mainly filled with gratuitous difficulties, in the overthrow of which much scholarship is wasted. Mr Parks desires to prove that men cannot believe. At page 12 he says expressly "Men cannot credit God's revelation." What a fearful position to take! Will Mr Parks tell us what his object is in writing and preaching? He is dreadfully indignant with those who preach the Gospel as it was preached by the Lord and his apostles; but he does not say in what these preachers offend. It is evident that their preaching can never hinder salvation, even though it were incorrect; for if the Calvinistic doctrine advocated by Mr Parks were true; viz. that none believe unto Salvation except those who have faith given to them by the Holy Ghost,-all so gifted must be saved, independent of the way in which the gospel of Salvation is proclaimed. His preaching and writing are therefore utterly vain. The evangelists who follow the commands of Jesus, at any rate do no harm. But, from this point, we turn round on the pamphlet writer, and all of his mind, and denounce them as those who "pervert the right ways of the Lord." We tell them plainly that their teaching is nothing but fatalism in disguise-that its necessary consequence is to induce the common remark, "If I am to be saved I shall be, and if I am to be lost I cannot help it." That is the only result to be rationally expected from such "damnable heresies;" and, alas! it is the effect produced. Can a more sweeping condemnation overtake any teacher, than that his doctrine cannot do good and actually accomplishes incalculable harm? We hope in our next to examine seriatim the few texts quoted by Mr Parks, upon which he, with all the wrongheaded ones of his school, base their fallacious arguments. In the meantime, we thank God that His truth is stronger than men, and utterly scorns all their presumptuous contentions. "He is no respecter of persons." His glorious gospel of Salvation in all its simplicity is now proclaimed in all lands. The house is being filled; the Master will presently "rise up, and shut to the door." But his servants are yet in the highways and hedges, and their message is "Whosoever will." "If thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved." (Rom. x. 9.) muned, and reasoned, Jesus himself drew near, and went with them. But their eyes were holden that they should not know him." The Lord then elicited from them an account of what had taken place concerning himself, and laid bare their unbelief. "Then he said unto them, O fools [foolish ones] and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken. Ought not Christ have suffered these things, and to enter into his glory? And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the Scriptures, the things concerning himself. And they said one to another, did not our heart burn within us, while he talked with us by the way, and while HE opened to us the Scriptures ?" (Luke xxiv.) What a precious Scripture Meeting was that! If we now gather in his name, over his word, in faith, Jesus, by the Holy Spirit, will open to us the Scriptures. We have the very fulness of the truth in the New Testament, which the disciples then had not. Our Lord revealed through Paul, James, Peter, John and Jude, marvellous things for us to know and enjoy as Christians-which saints who lived before the time of Christ knew nothing of. We need to be well grounded in these amazing truths, that we may be able to understand the things written before, in the Old Testament. If this is not attended to, and the distinct, peculiar character of the present dispensation apprehended, there will be no intelligent perception of the divine mind. And there will be lack of stedfastness accordingly. FAITHFUL TESTIMONY. We have perused, with heartfelt thankfulness to the Father of Mercies, three numbers of a monthly publication entitled the Spiritual Watchman, they being full of sweet tinued in the same spirit with which it has been commenced, and precious expositions of truth. May the paper be conand then we are persuaded it will be abundantly used for blesing. The Editor is Mr W. T. Turpin, recently a Clergyman in the Church of England (so-called) who has come out, giving up ALL in faithfulness to the express commands of His Master, "CHOOSING rather to suffer affliction with the people of God,* Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt." 事 Thank God, that his Word, "the Sword of Spirit," is well expect that divine weapon to be powerfully wielded thus working effectually in his true servants. We may by one who has in faith suffered its keen edge to be felt by himself-operating to cut him off from resources in which he had previously trusted. We do not know personally this dear" Brother in the Lord," but we love him dearly, because he has, otherwise than in words, declared that he loves our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity. Bless God, that we can and do believe that there are (shall we say many) more like him. "Lord is throughly purging his floor," and will soon gather There is a mighty sifting going on-the the wheat into his garner. We cordially recommend the Spiritual Watchman as another "help" from our faithful Lord. Let us, however, add one word of warning to our dear christian friends. Do not take for granted that whatever the Spiritual Watchman, or Precious Truth, or any other publication may state, is necessarily correct. "Prove Test everything all things, hold fast that which is good." you read by the Scriptures, praying God to give you the guidance of His Holy Spirit into all truth. * Glasgow, Scott and Allan: London, the Book Society, 19, Paternoster Row. Price One Penny. |