Chapter III: Part 3

Numerous other bewildered people are seeking an evidence of pardon and acceptance with God directly from heaven. They are trying to find this evidence in their feelings, impressions, emotions, impulses, sensations, dreams, some sound or voice, and not in the promise of God. This direct or immediate evidence, in their view of it, is from the Spirit of God and perfectly reliable. The promise of God, with them, is the _mere word_, the _bare word_, the _mere letter_ of Scripture. They are thus completely turned aside from the testimony of the Spirit of God, as confirmed by the most grand and awful displays of supernatural power, to their own imaginations, their own spirits, and as completely perverted as if they never had received any revelation from God.

There is no teaching of the Spirit of God among men only that found upon the pages of the Bible. Those led by the teaching of the Spirit of God spread on the pages of the Bible are led by the Spirit of God, but those not led by that teaching are not led by the Spirit of God at all. They may be led by their own spirits, desires, feelings, emotions, impressions, sensations; by men, or even the adversary, “captive at his will;” but they are not led by the Spirit nor under his influence at all. When they turn away from the teaching of the Spirit of God recorded in the Bible, it matters not much to what they turn, whether they profess to be led by the “light of nature,” so called, “the light of reason,” “the light of conscience,” the “light within,” impressions, feelings, emotions, sensations, by men, or the adversary, they turn away from God, from Christ and from the Holy Spirit. They are perfectly deluded, and, if they thus continue, they must come to ruin. God will eventually overthrow all who turn away from him, no matter to what they turn.

Men may claim to have the Spirit, to be led by the Spirit, talk about the Spirit, pray about the Spirit, sing about the Spirit, and at the same time despise the things of the Spirit, the things commanded by the Spirit, and do despite to the work of the Spirit. Such men manifestly have not the Spirit. All their claim to having the Spirit is an empty and idle pretense. They are not led by the Spirit at all, but are led in opposition to all the Spirit ever taught. Those led by the Spirit receive what the Spirit teaches, as _found in Scripture_, believe it and delight to follow it. It is idle for those who will not do this to be talking about the Spirit, or the influence of the Spirit.

If any man gets an immediate evidence of pardon, it is an evidence that comes not through the Mediator, for what comes through him is not _immediate_, but through him as a _Medium_, or Mediator. It is a direct revelation, not through Christ at all, and it is a _new_ revelation. Are men receiving any _new_ revelations now? The Mormons and Spiritualists think they are. Do others think so? We do not believe any _new_ revelations are now being made from God. On this ground we reject all Mormon pretensions, as well as Romish pretensions and those of Spiritualists. Since the apostles died, and those on whom they laid their hands died, not a miracle has been done or a revelation from God been made. Every pretense to miracle or revelation from then till now is an empty and idle pretense—an imposition. Since John, the Apostle, closed the book of Revelation, with the declaration that, if any man shall add to it, the plagues of that book shall be added to him, there is an end of all revelation till time shall be no more.

Through Christ, God made a _final_ revelation, to which nothing is to be added, and from which nothing is to be taken. The will of God is in that concerning man, and if we desire to know the mind of God we must consult that revelation. The restlessness of man is wonderful. He is not willing to be limited even to the revelation God has made, the testimony God has given concerning his Son, and the unfailing promise of God for assurance of acceptance with him. But this is the highest and the only assurance we have or can have, in this world. When God made the promise, that we might have strong consolation, he confirmed it by an oath. We come to God by _faith_ and not by _sight_; we walk by _faith_ and not by _sight_; enjoy God, and Christ and the Holy Spirit by _faith_ and not by _sight_. So we enjoy the remission of sins and acceptance with God by _faith_ and not by _sight_. “He that believeth and is baptized _shall be saved_,” said the Lord, among the last words he uttered before he ascended to heaven. Men who will not rely on that promise—on the words _shall be saved_, or _shall be pardoned_—would not believe though one would rise from the dead. It is not baptism such need; it is _faith_. They are not fit subjects for baptism. They must remember the condition, “He that _believeth_.” They can not come to God without _faith_. “Without faith it is impossible to please him.”

BE FIRM IN THE RIGHT.

If it is wiser to obey God than man, if an infallible law is better than a fallible, if a perfect law is better than an imperfect one, if a divine law is better than a human, if the authority of God is better than the authority of man, if the word of the Living God is better than a human creed, if the infallible teachings of inspiration are better than uninspired human creeds, if the teachings of the Holy Spirit of God are a safer guide to heaven than the teachings of erring men, if God should govern in preference to man, we are right, and our opposers wrong, on this transcendent point, and it is our duty to God and our fellow-creatures, that we maintain with manly zeal and fortitude that which is so manifestly and self-evidently the will of God. We never can falter. We have no ground to doubt or fear; but if we shrink or hesitate, it must be manifest indifference. While we hope, then, for the blessing of God upon us, and call upon God for his mercy, let us remember our fealty to him, and maintain our integrity to the day of his coming.

THE BIBLE WILL SAVE THE WORLD.

The Bible contains the true religion, or there is none. There is light in the Bible to save the world, or the world is lost. Our only choice is between the Bible and nothing. Judaism is abolished. Mohammedanism has no claims in internal merit or external evidence. The fruits of all Paganism show that it is evil, and only evil, continually. Infidelity has nothing for the world. While it would take Christianity from us, it has nothing to propose. It is no system—no doctrine—teaches nothing and defends nothing. Its only province is to stand and deny. It finds fault with everything, starts doubts, destroys confidence, fills the world with fears, and spreads an eternal gloom over the prospects and hopes of all nations. Reason and the light of nature have been tried longer and more effectually than any system in the world. At least four thousand years have the pagan nations been trying what they could do for our race without a revelation from God. In all the experiments yet made, with no guide but reason and the light of nature, the tendency has been downward. Deterioration has been the universal result, without the light of the Bible. We then, cling to the Bible, and the religion it reveals, as the only hope of the world. If it fails, all must fail, and all must be lost. But it is folly of the most stupid order to speak of the Bible failing. Its Author is emphatically _the friend of man_. Its holy lessons are all for our good. All who have been led by it, are thankful they ever knew it. It has never deceived one or misled one. No one has ever lamented being led by it. The more solemn and affecting the circumstances around us, and the greater the trials in which we are placed, the more comforting and precious are its holy consolations to the soul. It encourages all that is good; discourages and condemns all that is evil. It is our guide and comfort through the journey of life; nor does it fail when we are sinking in death. No one who believed it before, in a dying hour denies and repudiates the Bible. But many determined infidels have recanted and repudiated their infidelity when sinking into the eternal state. That which they talked in health, that which dwelt upon their tongues in their mad career through life, they themselves condemned, in the most awful and solemn moments of life, and with their dying lips repudiated. How shameful and preposterous, that a man should live such a life of folly and inconsistency as to be compelled in his dying moments to condemn all his past life, with all the sentiments he had cherished and inculcated, and warn all men against them!

NOT RECEIVING THE REFORMATION, BUT CHRIST.

The question is not whether men will receive us, our doctrines, our views, our church, or “the Reformation,” or “Reformation doctrines” but whether they will receive him whom the Father hath sent, love him, follow him, place themselves under him, obey him, and trust in him forever. He is the center of all union, all love, and all piety. Upon him, all who love him, have received him and desire to follow him, being led by his voice, may unite. Having received him, been identified with him, as a matter of course, we receive all who have been received by him, are united with and love them, as members of the same family. When we speak of union, the question is not about receiving men, nor their views, but whether we can agree upon a leader, head, lawgiver or king. Jesus is the true Light that enlightens every man that comes into the world. He is the only divinely authorized head, lawgiver and leader. The question we have to urge upon men, is whether they will come under him. If they will, they should proceed, like young Saul, to ascertain of him, what he requires of them, before they can be received, pardoned and saved by him. When they learn this of him, and come to him, in the way he has appointed, or by doing what he requires, they are received by him, united with him and with all that belong to him, and, as long as they continue to love and obey him, no adverse power can separate them from him. He is our rock, the rock of our salvation—the foundation which God has laid—for union in “one _new_ man,” or one new church, one “building of God,” one “house of God,” in which dwells the “one spirit,” given by the “one Lord.”

Here upon the one rock—one foundation, which is Christ—in the one building or temple, in Christ, where all spiritual blessings are found, all the good, the pure and holy, may strike hands, unite, live in holy fellowship, while they continue in this world of sorrow and affliction, and after, be received up into glory, to dwell with their Lord and the holy society of the redeemed forever. Brethren, look at the vast numbers we have gathered into the one fold, and take fresh courage, and let us enter upon the work with spirit and might for another year.

LIFTED ABOVE SECTS AND PARTIES.

The men who are meditating on union are now on trial, being put to the test, and will be compelled to show where they stand. Those who love union among christians more than denominationalism will sacrifice the denomination for union, but those who love denominationalism more than union will sacrifice union for the denomination. The union of the people of God is from heaven; the denomination is from man. The denomination is the party, sect, faction. The body of Christ, or kingdom of God, is no sect, party or denomination. It is as broad as the dominion of King Jesus. It is above all sects, parties and denominations. The man that rises so as to grasp the kingdom of God in his mind, ascends far above all sects, parties and denominations; up to the throne and Him who sits on the throne; to the Supreme Majesty of heaven and earth. He loves the King above all kings and potentates, and loves the kingdom of God above all the kingdoms and empires of the world, and supremely above all parties, sects or denominations. We love no denomination, nor denominationalism, but love the people involved in the denomination; and while we desire to see the denomination literally abolished, wiped out, we desire to save the kingdom of God, the union of the people of God, and the people themselves. This can be done if the people will have it so. But if they love the sect, party or denomination more than the Church of God, or the body of Christ, they will keep an eye to the sect, party or denomination; to their little side institutions of human device; every one of which originated with _men_, and without one scrap of _divine authority_; instead of rising to the grand and glorious institution ordained of God, with the Lord for its head, and the law of God for the rule of its faith and practice.

MAKING THE BIBLE SUPPORT HUMAN SYSTEMS.

There can be no apology for a man who knows what the truth is, what the doctrine of Christ is, what christianity is, who will use it merely as a proof to sustain, prove, and impose something else upon himself and others, for he might just as easily have received the truth, the doctrine of Christ, christianity itself, enjoyed it, and been saved by it, as to have trifled with it, in trying to prove something else by it. But if a man does not know what the truth is, the doctrine of Christ, christianity is, and adopts something else, he is simply guessing at it, and is not to be relied upon. He has no foundation.

We are as well convinced, as we are that there is a glorious heaven for the righteous, and a hell for the wicked, that no man now living, who knows what the Lord’s truth is, what the gospel of Christ is, what christianity is, and what the Bible is, and has appealed to it to sustain something else, and now continues so to appeal to it, could, if his life were at stake, give a good reason why he did not receive the truth itself, the gospel, christianity, the Bible itself, rely upon it as his only hope for life, his only guide, as the only divine system, the only divine institution, in the place of perverting its glorious influence and power to sustain and prop up something else. And we are equally certain, that no man can answer to God, when the actions of all men shall be spread out in the last judgment, for such a course. If christianity is a system, if it is a divine institution, if it is the religion of Jesus Christ, if it is from God, and now binding upon the human family, as almost all the religious parties of these times admit, and as can not be denied, the sin of departing from it is great enough; but to have the assurance to try to make it sanction any other system, to testify in support of any other, to try to divert its influence, power, and authority from its own work, to sustain and prop up some human system not mentioned in it, when it has expressly, under the most fearful and awful penalty, forbidden any perversion, addition, or subtraction, is a species of daring and aggression upon the institution of heaven and government of God, such as one would suppose no believer in the Bible would risk. Still it is done—almost daily done, in the pulpits all over the land; and those who will not do it, who condemn it, who receive the Bible, christianity, the gospel, the religion of Jesus Christ, all that God has revealed to man—all that has the name of God upon it, keep it distinct from every thing else, and will have nothing more, are opposed everywhere, sneered at and branded as _heretics_. Be it so. We look not to man for reward. We look not to sectarian parties to honor God, our Lord Jesus Christ, the Bible, christianity, or the gospel. We do not expect them, as parties, to come to the Bible, unless to draw support for their own schemes. But we regard not this; we know we are right; and it is not the great number that will stand, but those who are right. “Truth is mighty above all things, and will prevail.” Brethren, push on the war, on this great question. The Bible will prevail in the end. Its enemies will all fail.

PIONEERS, SUPPORT, ETC.

The pioneer men in this country felled the trees, cleared away the forests, built their houses and barns, and made a living. Many of their sons can not make a living with the farm and all the balance fitted to their hand. In the same way, the first preachers went out at their own expense, turned the people to God and built up churches, and now the preachers, with their fine salaries, houses in which to meet, and everything prepared to hand, are not accomplishing as much, in proportion to their number and ability. Why is this? Is it because they _can not_? Not at all. It is because they are not as _devoted_. They are not as _enterprising_. They are not as _industrious_. They are not as _self-sacrificing_.

Those old preachers needed no “innocent amusements,” “innocent games,” “healthful exercises,” “pastime,” “social dance,” “croquet,” etc., etc. They knew nothing of _torpid liver_, _indigestion_, _nervous prostration_, etc., etc. Those afflictions were left for a later class. They obtained plenty of healthful exercise in clearing off, breaking and cultivating their new land, in their long rides on horseback, or trips on foot, and faithfully preaching, and the Lord blessed them. The results of their labor and sacrifices are seen all over this country. They looked after the children of God and _cared for them_; not with this new kind of _care for money_; not only the money of the _living_, but arranging to get the money of the _dead_; but they cared for _men_; watched for _their souls_, as those who shall give an account.

We do not want to say one word in this connection, nor any other, that shall be the means of cutting off one penny of support received by any good preacher who is faithfully doing the work of an evangelist, but would add to the support of many such men whose support is inadequate; and as to mercenary and avaricious men in the ministry, and we trust there are but few of them, we have learned better than to waste our ink on them. We are writing for the good of the cause, and we rejoice to believe that we have the men, an extended body of them, able ministers of the gospel, who are devoted to the work, and willing to do anything in their power to advance the cause. These are reading, studying, and ready to listen to anything that will advance the cause. To these men we must look, and on them, as the agents under God, we must depend; we must encourage their hearts, strengthen their hands and give them support. To these men we appeal and entreat them, in view of all that is dear to humanity; in view of the suffering Savior, and lost man; in view of their own children and the children of others, as well as the good of the world at large, to go into the field with a determination to preach the gospel of the grace of God; go everywhere, in the name of the Lord, where the people will listen to a discourse concerning Jesus and the resurrection, and preach the unsearchable riches of Christ; make all men see and turn them to God. Do not wait for a _call_, but _go_; do not wait for some certain promise of support, but trust to the promises of God; go in faith; trust in God; sow the good seed of the kingdom, the word of God, that it may fall into good and honest hearts and bring forth much fruit. Put in every sermon possible; preach to every one who will hear; preach because you love God and man, and desire to save man from ruin, and because you love to preach; because the Lord commands it, and the God of peace will be with you, care and provide for you.

UNIVERSALISM.

We heard of a man who had heard Universalists occasionally, and gave them something when they were making contributions for their preachers. A preacher, who made one of his finest efforts to prove that all will be saved, inquired of him how he liked his argument. The man replied, “I did not like it at all.” The preacher, disappointed, said: “You believe our doctrine?” The man replied: “I do; but you tried to prove it by the Bible, and all intelligent people know that the Bible is against us from one side to the other. The way I prove it is this: _I deny the Bible, and then prove it by reason_.” This is certainly the more rational way. We care not who he is, nor where he comes from, nor what his attainments may be; but the man who attempts to prove Universalism _by the Bible_ opposes the common sense of mankind and the clearest language ever written. The man who rejects the Bible out and out, and is wandering in the darkness of unbelief, in the vagaries of those who reject the wisdom of God, might, in his philosophical speculations, try to show that all men would be saved, with at least some show of plausibility possibly; but there is not only no plausibility in anything that can be adduced from the Bible to show that all men will be saved, but clear statements of the Bible can not be true and all men be saved. It cannot be true that those “who believe not the Son shall _not see life_,” and that all men shall be saved. It can not be true, as stated in Scripture, that “these” (the wicked) “shall go away into everlasting punishment,” and _all men be saved_.

The man who affirms that those _who die in their sins_ shall be wholly and happy in heaven contradicts the clearest utterances of Scripture. When time shall end and God shall exclaim, “He that is filthy, let him be filthy still,” there will be no more repentance; yet some will be _filthy_—_unsound_.

Universalism had its day in this country; has run its course and is going by. There is not one-tenth as much of it in this country as there was thirty years ago. There is no argument of consequence about it any more. The only thing wanting to show what it is, will appear anywhere when they undertake to form churches, keep up Sunday-schools, keep up prayer-meetings, meet regularly on the first day of the week and worship. Let them undertake to enforce the clear requirements of Scripture on their people, and they will soon get a lesson. They will soon explain that _all will be saved_, and they will find that they will have no use for baptism, the Lord’s Supper, prayer-meetings, nor any regular worship.

It will not do to read, “He who believes not _shall be saved_;” “He who believes not the Son _shall see life_;” “The wrath of God _shall not abide on him_;” “If you believe not that I am he, you _shall not die in your sins_;” “Where I am _you shall come_;” “These” (the wicked) “_shall not_ go away into everlasting punishment;” “The beast and the false prophets _shall not_ be tormented day and night forever and ever;” “He who shall sin against the Holy Spirit shall not be in danger of eternal damnation,” etc., etc. The man who denies his Bible first, and then starts out to prove that all will be saved from some other source, is a much more sensible man than the man that undertakes to prove it from the Bible. Whatever the Bible may mean besides, it does not mean Universalism. The man who holds and undertakes to prove Universalism has no use for a Bible, unless it be to show his skill in getting round the clearest things ever written.

SUPPORT WORKERS.

The brethren know that men cannot devote their lives to the work of evangelizing without support, and they will give the support, and do it much more freely where they can see the work done, than where they can _see no work done_. The preachers in the field doing the work are receiving the main support given, and ought to receive it. The men not in the field, and that will not go into the field, ought not to receive the support. The brethren are not in the way of sending it to them.

We hope the preachers generally will see what is being done by those in the work, go out and participate in the heavenly work, that they, too, when the Chief Shepherd shall appear, may have a crown of glory that fades not away. How can men with the love of God in them see their fellow-creatures perishing, and not be inspired with a zeal to go forth and gather them into the kingdom of God? Look at the tremendous cloud of darkness over the minds of the people, and then inquire can a man who has the light be excusable unless he uses the means the Lord has put in his power for the enlightenment of the world. No, we can not be excusable; the love of Christ constrains us; the value of the souls of men urges, and the example of all the ancient worthies impels us to go into the great harvest and help to reap it down.

RECKLESS TWADDLE.

The following purports to be taken from one of Moody’s sermons, and is reported in the _Baptist Union_:

If I thought that baptism was God’s way of saving men, I’d give up preaching, borrow a pail and go round the streets baptizing every one I met, and if they wouldn’t let me do it, I’d catch them asleep and baptize any way. He says, “Ye must be born again.”

It is a wonderful humiliation to be compelled to admit that this undignified, irreverent and reckless language is from the lips of a man probably at this time attracting as much attention as any man in the world, as a preacher, or it may be more. It is mortifying in a high degree to be convinced that the state of the public mind is such that a man like this is caressed, lauded and admired by the multitude.

It is no small work to enlighten the people of the world. We have gained the right of private judgment, private interpretation of the Scriptures, the liberty of speech and of the press; and we have the Bible, translated into our own language, in almost every house; and we have our system of free schools and universal education. But still there is a premium for ignorance.

Moody with his commonplace talks, and Sankey with his songs, call out greater crowds and have more admirers than the most profound Bible instructor in the world. What reverence has he for the Lord, who ordained baptism and submitted to it himself, “was baptized of John in Jordan,” after saying, “Thus it becomes us to fulfill all righteousness,” and over whom the heavens parted as he rose from his baptism, and on whom the Spirit descended, and to whom the Almighty Father said, “Thou art my Son, the beloved in whom I am well pleased?” What appreciation has he, or what respect for our Lord’s commission, in which he has the preaching of the gospel, the belief of it, the repentance, the baptism and salvation all connected together, when he talks of giving up preaching and borrowing a pail and going round the streets baptizing every one he met? What does he know or care about what baptism is? He may find the untaught multitudes who will gaze at him and admire such irreverent manifestations of ignorance, want of piety and dignity, mingled with such low slang as we find in the language quoted above, and he may find plenty of thoughtless people who will be pleased with such unworthy flings at things which he does not understand, and which he perverts and misapplies. But there are many people in this country who can not be gulled in any such style. Low slang is not preaching Jesus nor his gospel, nor is misrepresentation or perverting Scripture preaching Jesus.

If he has our Lord’s commission, and ever reads it, he knows or ought to know, that the same commission has in it the preaching of the gospel, the believing, repenting, baptism and salvation. The preaching, believing, repentance, baptism and salvation all go together; and if he has intelligence enough to preach at all acceptably to the Lord, he knows that no people in this country think that baptizing is of any value, without being preceded by the preaching of the gospel and the faith, unless among those who profess to baptize infants. They did not understand him to make this fling at them, or they would soon have depleted his audience.

Moody and Sankey have the clear Scriptures before them, giving an account of inquiring persons coming to the apostles inquiring the way of salvation, and the plain answers giving the apostolic way, and they ignore these instructions—keep them out of sight. They have the answers of the apostles showing them the way, and they have refused to even read these Scriptures, or to let the people know what the way was, as set forth by the apostles. For this they will give an account. They ignored it, evaded it, and avoided it. They neither enter the kingdom themselves nor will they permit those who would enter.

Before we lay down our pen, we must refer Moody and Sankey, with some others, to a lesson Paul once taught a man, in view of a transaction no worse than the uttering the words quoted from Moody, at the beginning of this article. The man with whom Paul dealt, was simply trying to turn the deputy away from the faith. The deputy was by name, Sergius Paulus. When he did this, Saul (who is called Paul) filled with the Holy Spirit, set his eyes on him, and said, “O full of all subtlety and all mischief, you child of the devil, you enemy of all righteousness, will you not cease to pervert the right ways of the Lord? And now behold, the hand of the Lord is upon you, and you shall be blind, not seeing the sun for a season. And immediately there fell on him a mist and a darkness; and he went about seeking some one to lead him by the hand. Then the deputy, when he saw what was done, believed, being astonished at the doctrine of the Lord”. Acts xiii. 9-12.

It is a most fearful thing to pervert the right ways of the Lord—to try to turn any one away from the faith, or to put asunder that which God has joined together, and which he forbids man to put asunder.

In the last commission, the only authority for all gospel preaching, the Lord has joined together, preaching the gospel, believing the gospel, repentance, baptism and salvation, or pardon of sins, and no man can part these asunder, except at the peril of his soul. Is it possible that any man can fail to see that no man can be, in the true sense, a preacher of Jesus and ignore any part of this commission, or any part of the way of salvation, as set forth by the apostles under this commission?

THE KIND OF PREACHING REQUIRED.

In the same way, insipid preaching about sweet birds and sweet flowers, plants and stars, etc., etc., appears to have streaks of light in it, but after it is over, the darkness appears greater than before. No gospel light is shed forth, no truth of weight and importance in the salvation of man brought forth or enforced; no obedience is enjoined and no hope is inspired. No Felix trembles. Nothing is said about the preaching, unless it be that “it was splendid,” and “I do love to hear him so much;” “It was very fine,” etc. But, put the question, What did you learn? and silence would reign. This kind of thing may please people who do not intend to hear the gospel, or who, in the language of Scripture, “Turn away their ears from the truth;” but we must have something different from this, something more tangible, intelligible and impressive to save men. We must have something more than mere vaporing.

We must have “first principles,” as they are now styling _the gospel_, and have them in profusion. We must have them for the instruction of the vast numbers who have been brought in without understanding them, and who must understand them before they can be intelligent christians, and we must have them for the multitudes who have never been brought to God. Somehow, from some source, we have a few among us who are styling the gospel “first principles,” and then insist that we must leave the first principles. Those who are in the world must be converted, brought to God, and to this end they must have the gospel, no matter if men and the adversary do call it “first principles.” The right way for those who have never begun, is to begin, and there is no right way to begin only to begin _at the beginning_, no matter if sectarian faces do scowl, or some worldly member of the church grumble. We must walk into the gospel, not as if we were afraid some one would hit us in the face, but “in full assurance of faith,” under a sense of the truth of the gospel, and the conviction that it is good enough for anybody, and that no excuse need be made for preaching it; the certainty that men must hear the gospel and learn the way to God before they start at all. We must show the people that the Bible contains a revelation from God, the only revelation from God; that it is _complete_, _perfect_ and _final_, so far as relates to time; that Jesus is divine; that he is all that he is represented to be in the Bible; that he is sustained by all the testimony necessary to convince candid people; that no man comes to the Father but by him; that no man comes by Moses now or any other; that the Lord Jesus is the way, the truth and the life; that the way set forth by him is the only way to the Father.

We must not preach _about_ faith, or repentance, or baptism; but preach _the truth_ concerning the Lord Jesus, the Christ, which, when heard, and received into good and honest hearts, _produces_ faith that leads to repentance, and immersion. Preaching _faith_ never made a believer, and preaching repentance, never leads to repentance, _of itself_. In the same way, preaching on baptism, of itself never led any man to baptism. The great truth of all truth, that “Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God,” lies at the bottom and puts all the balance in motion. Jesus, the Anointed, full of grace and truth, is the supreme authority. The first thing, first in order and first in importance, is the work of bringing the Lord before men and preparing them to regard him; to recognize his authority and become willing to follow him—be led by him. Till this is done, it is useless to tell men what he says, or what he commands. Men must be convinced that he has authority to command, and that they are bound to submit to him or be rejected by him forever.

In presenting the claims of the Lord Messiah, we must clear the way of all rubbish, all written and unwritten traditions of men, all doctrines and commandments of men, all rule and authority lording it over the heritage of God; all creeds and councils of men, all religious bodies and establishments having no divine authority; all usurpations and encroachments on the prerogatives of the Lord Jesus; all religious names and titles, forms and ceremonies, having no precept or example in Scripture; all sects and sectarianism—all these must be swept away; and the supreme and absolute authority of the Lord restored. The law of God itself, as found on the pages of the inspired Scriptures, must be restored to the people of God. There must be no compromise of truth with error, the kingdom of God with any thing else, the law of God with any other law. The law of God must be maintained as _the law_, the supreme and absolute law, and all other religious law must be set aside as law and repudiated. The union of the people of God must be maintained, defended and continually advocated, as right in itself and divinely required.

As a religious body, the work we have undertaken has not changed, but is the same now as it was forty years ago, as manifestly right as ever. We have undertaken to restore the gospel to the people; the ancient order of things; the religion of Christ itself, as it came from the Lord. We have gone up to primitive ground, apostolic ground, where the first followers of the Lord stood, and aim to practice in all things, as they did; have all things as they did; have all things as they had—the faith, the practice, and the worship, without anything added or taken away. The Lord has blessed the undertaking with most wonderful success. From five to six hundred thousand have heard, believed and been called together, and united on apostolic ground—made unspeakably happy in the Lord. We have been made free, in the highest sense, from all the trammels and fetters of men, from sins, from all error and superstition, and are servants of the Lord.

We have now a plain work—simply the work of the Lord and no other. We have nothing to preach but the gospel, nothing to believe but the truth of God, nothing to do but the will of God, and nothing to hope for only what is promised in the word of God. Our work is not new and untried, but old, well tried, and nothing can stand before us. We have truth and righteousness to maintain—sin and the world to oppose. We can make no change only at our peril—no departure without losing all. We started simply to be the people of God, and to give ourselves unreservedly to the Lord. We can not turn away from God, from Christ, from the gospel, from the law of God, from the Church of God and the people of God, without utter ruin. We can not turn away from the religion of Christ itself and not be lost. We have nothing else. Shall we, then, hold on to our God, to our Lord Jesus the Christ, to our Bible, the gospel and the law of God for the saints? Shall we hold on to the entire revelation from God to man in all its parts and as a whole? Most unequivocally the great masses among us intend, by the grace of God, to do this.

We need not stop to count members, to see whether it will be popular or unpopular, whether a majority are going on, or going back. Every true man is going on, and is intending to stand with every other true man and fight the good fight of faith. We stop not to see how many or how few are going ahead, nor how many are turning back. We would rather have been saved with the _few_ in the ark than lost with the _many_ who were drowned in the flood; to have been with the _few_ who crossed Jordan than with the _many_ who fell in the wilderness, and would rather be with the _few_ that shall find the narrow way and pass the straight gate to the enjoyment of life, than to be with the _many_ who tread the broad way that leads to destruction. We are now making the record on which these great matters will turn. Let us enter the field this year in the faith, with more determination than ever, and push the cause at every point; stand up all along the lines of the King’s army, every man in his place, presenting an unbroken front to the enemy, and unitedly move forward on the opposing ranks before us with a persistence, decision and determination that will command respect. Encourage the true and valiant, strengthen the weak and feeble-minded, stand by the faint-hearted and comfort them. Let there be no sympathizers with the enemy, none scheming mutiny, none demoralizing the forces, no deserters and no cowards. All stand firm and true, and move on in faith, “the full assurance of faith,” with power and courage, and the Lord of hosts will be our Lord—the King of saints will be our King. Let all men see that we have a right cause, and that we know _it is right_, and that we never intend to give it up, but that we intend to fill the world with the doctrine of the cross, make the Bible the power in this country. It is the book, the one book, the only book, setting forth the one religion for all peoples on all the face of the earth, and for all time. We can admit no rival to that book, nor any other that subverts or sets it aside, but are the settled and determined enemies to all others as _divine authority_. It is the _supreme_ and the _absolute authority_. Rally to the book, men of God, and stand by it. You have the book that all admit to be right. Be true to it and show yourselves worthy of it, and the God of peace will be with you.

WE ARE A MISSIONARY PEOPLE.

It will not do to conclude that we are not a “missionary people.” It is useless to reason against facts. That we have risen, and, in opposition to the established bodies of people in the different parties in this country, successfully planted the cause in the best parts of the country and among the most effective and intelligent people, and, in less than two-thirds of a century, made it one of the most formidable and powerful bodies in the land, and swelled the numbers above that of any Protestant parties in the United States, excepting the Baptists and Methodists, is now a _matter of fact_. This has been done and is now in history. A people “not a missionary people,” and not an _evangelizing people_, have never done the like of this. We are to-day going ahead and spreading more rapidly than any people in this country that depend on turning people to the Lord to augment their numbers. We say nothing about a people that count their infants as members of the church, and exclude nobody for disorder.

RESURRECTION OF LAZARUS.

The resurrection of Lazarus was like the healing of the sick, giving sight to the blind, and other miraculous benefits, only _temporary_. They were only restored to health in their mortal state, and liable to be afflicted again. The resurrection of Lazarus was only his recovery from death for the time being, and he was liable to die again. No doubt he did die again. But Jesus rose to die no more. Death has no more dominion over him. Those thus raised up _temporarily_, or simply raised up to what they were before they died, were not counted where Christ is spoken of as “the first-fruits of them that slept,” “the first-born from the dead,” etc. They were raised to immortality and died no more. The body was sown a mortal body, but raised immortal, or raised to die no more.

This, we presume, is the solution of the matter, though but little can be said, with any point, for or against it. It is, however, the ground on which we satisfy our own mind. It is one of the matters left a little obscure, and but one on which nothing of importance depends. The view we take of it obviates any apparent discrepancy between the passages above referred to. The word “begotten,” in “the first-begotten from the dead,” should have been _born_, as the same original word is elsewhere. A bare resurrection only raised a man to what he was before he died, and left him as liable to death as he was before he died; but the resurrection of Christ and those who rose after he rose was more than this. The body was sown a mortal body, but raised immortal, or to die no more. It was a complete and final deliverance from the grave and from death—the final triumph over death and him who has the power of death.

FINE CLOTHES.

A preacher pays a poor compliment to his brain when he tries to attract public attention, as a _preacher_, with fine clothes. A dancing master can vie with him in that line, whether the fine clothes are paid for or not. In the same way the preacher that must have a gorgeous temple, like Romanists and pagans, to attract the people and draw them out, and his choir of singers and organ, to discourse music for the saints, pays a poor compliment to his brain and his ability as a preacher, and a poorer compliment to the worshippers who have to be thus _drawn out_. It is virtually a surrender to the world, and an acknowledgement on the part of the preacher, that he has no confidence in the gospel, or his ability to preach to attract the attention of the people, draw them out, or turn them to God when they are drawn out. The church that resorts to such artifices to draw the people out, virtually acknowledges that she has no influence to _draw_ the people out; that the preacher has no influence to _draw_ them out; that _their_ gospel and worship have no power to _draw_ them out; but they have found out what will _draw_ them out. A fine temple of show, extravagance and folly; a popular choir, an organ, ice cream, strawberry festivals, musical concerts, church fairs, etc., etc. These will draw. Certainly they will. But what becomes of the preacher, the gospel, the worship and the church? What becomes of Christ, the Holy Spirit, the Bible, and all that is divine?

Christ had not “where to lay his head.” What does that prove? Not that his followers should not have where to lay their heads, or that preachers should not; but, if following him and serving him should reduce them to such destitution that they would not have where to lay their heads, they should bear it patiently and not murmur, remembering that their Lord and Master had not where to lay his head.

“Christ traveled on foot and preached.” What does that prove—that preachers must _always_ travel on foot? Not at all. The Lord did not always travel on foot. What then? That a preacher should travel on foot if need be. We have traveled on foot to preach and would do it again before we would give up preaching. We, therefore, take the cars, steamboat, stage, private conveyance, any means most convenient.

SUBTLETIES ABOUT IMMERSION.

But, now, why this constant higgling over _immersion_? Why this continual getting up some kind of smoke about it, mist or confusion? It is the right thing—the precise thing the Lord commanded. Why, then, try to get up confusion about where it was obtained? Why not condemn faith because we did not obtain it from the right people? It is the _right thing_, but then a man obtained it in a _sectarian church_. Ought he not to throw it aside, and obtain faith from the right source? Then, where did a man get the gospel? Did he get it in a sectarian church? Must he therefore throw it aside? Where did he get his Bible? Must he throw it away because he got it from sectarians. There is but one safe rule in all this, and that is to hold on to that which came from the Lord, the right things, no matter where we found them.

We have not set out merely to see how radical we can be; to see how far we can differ from all men, but to separate the human from the divine—that which did not come from God from that which did; and when we find a man with the right book—the Bible—we accept it without inquiring where he obtained it. When we find a man with the gospel of Christ, we accept it, no matter where he obtained it. If he has the right repentance we accept it without any regard to where he obtained it. In the same way in regard to the immersion and everything else. Has he the right things—the things of God?

Why start these subtleties about immersion, and confuse the public mind in regard to it? Why not get up difficulties about the prayers, the communion, the repentance, the faith, or something else? We are not trying how many difficulties we can find, but trying to clear the way, and show all men that there is a safe and practical way to union, to oneness and happiness, both here and hereafter. We desire to emerge out of the darkness, confusion and misunderstandings of our times, and walk in the clear light of heaven. Whatever is right we accept, and whatever is not right we aim to set it right. That which has gone before our time is beyond our reach, and we leave that to the Judge of all the earth, who will do right. We desire to open the way for the living and those yet to come. Let us study the things that are practical and that work for peace, and the Lord will open our way to the highest usefulness and happiness in this life, and to all he has for the redeemed in the life to come.

ALL THINGS COMMON.

The community of goods or common stock was a _voluntary thing_ and not _required_, as is clear from the language of Peter to Ananias and Sapphira. Alluding to the possession he sold and the proceeds of the sale he said: “While it remained was it not thine own? and after it was sold was it not in thine own power?” Acts v. 4. There was no compulsion to do what he pretended he was doing—that is, _giving the whole_—no law requiring it. This case appears to have ended the whole affair. We find no more account of it, but clear allusions to liberality, to the rich and poor, etc., showing that it was not continued. There is no question but that some of the first Christians received the impression that the coming of the Lord, the resurrection of the dead and the end of the world were at hand; and the unbounded love of the gospel inspired in their hearts for God and man led them to regard their possessions as nothing. They did not believe they would need them, nor did they see the state of things that would result from their course.

Not only so, but there may have been a providence in it, as their city was soon to be destroyed and they “led away captive among all nations.” The main thing we need is the fact that it is not required of us. It ended at once and was not enjoined nor continued.

DELUDED.

We can not conceive how people could be more completely deluded, than to be so turned away from the promise of God, than when the Lord says, “He who believes and is immersed _shall be saved_,” he can not rely on the words, “_shall be saved_,” but can rely on an uncertain class of feelings reached in an exciting meeting without a promise of the Lord. The apostle commands inquirers, “Repent, and be baptized every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ, for the remission of sins, and _you shall receive_ the gift of the Holy Spirit.” Here is a sure promise from God: “_You shall receive_ the gift of the Holy Spirit.” These people can not or _will not_ rely on _this promise_, but will rely on a peculiar state of feelings without one shadow of evidence that the feelings are from the Lord, or intended to assure any of pardon.