Daily Verse
“ I give thanks to my God always for you because of the grace of God that was given you in Christ Jesus, that in every way you were enriched in him in all speech and all knowledge—” ( 1 Corinthians 1:4-5)
|
|
INQUIRE OF THE FORMER AGE
by G. H. Lang
Hero worship is
dangerous. Subjection of mind to one teacher, acceptance of a scheme of thought
without searching into its principles and details, contention for a school of
interpretation, are barriers to progress in knowledge.
A good hen will find scraps on even a waste-heap. A keen-eyed spiritual
botanist will detect a fair flower of truth among rank weeds of error. The true
student gleans in all fields and gathers a large sheaf. Careful scrutiny of the
differing lines of teaching here reviewed discerns truth in each and mistakes
in all. Each looked from a different standpoint and saw features of the
landscape others missed, and none saw the whole prospect. Had they patiently
and quietly continued their joint survey their maps might presently have been made to correspond, instead of
showing divergent features and roads.
As mentioned above, Darby was
right in holding the parousia to be a period, but wrong in placing its
beginning before Antichrist. Newton
was right in placing it at the close of the Tribulation, wrong in
not seeing it to be a period. Darby was close to truth in expecting a rapture
before the end days, but wrong in associating with it the descent of the Lord
and the resurrection of the godly, and in connecting it with 1 Thess. 4 and 1
Cor. 15. For there is to be a removal before the end days, only not of all
believers, but of such as watch and pray, keep the word of Christ's patience,
and so prevail to escape all those things that will then be about to come on the earth. That day will come
suddenly as a snare upon unwatchful Christians, and they shall in no wise
escape the then fast approaching end days (Luke 21:34-46; Rev. 3:10; 12:5;
14:1-5). But that escape and catching away will not be come about by a descent
of the Lord from heaven, nor will it be accompanied by a resurrection. Those
affected will simply be taken alive to heaven in order that they may not have
to endure the Tribulation, seeing that they will not need its purifying fire.
There are passages in Baxter's Narrative which suggest that he and Edward
Irving, in spite of the confusion of thought in and around them, had glimpses
of the part that faithfulness and worthiness have in being raptured. This
aspect was strongly emphasized in an anonymous Irvingite book of 1868 entitled
The Purpose of God in Creation and Redemption.
Therefore they were right
(and Irving was among these) who regarded the rapture as prefigured by those of
Enoch and Elijah, but wrong in regarding those events as types of
the rapture of 1 Thess. 4 only. For, as Heb. 11:5 expressly states, Enoch was
translated because "before his translation he hath had witness borne to him
that he had been well-pleasing to God," which cowardly-minded and carnal
Christians are not (Heb. 10:38; 1 Cor. 10:5,6). And Elijah was taken alive to
heaven as the crown of a strenuous life of faithful testimony amid hardships
and perils. And at the last, those believers who steadfastly endure the
Tribulation will thereby become qualified for rapture, though they might have escaped the end days had they
walked formerly in faith and obedience as did Enoch and Elijah.
The key to the perplexities
that baffled those earlier inquirers, and over which, alas, they separated and
fought, is a moral key. The hope of our Lord's return is intended to
sanctify us and so to fit us for the inheritance by faith in Him (Acts 26:18). "Every
one that has this hope set on him purifies himself, even as He is pure" (1 John
3:3). "Therefore girding up the lines of your mind, be sober, and set your hope
perfectly [undividedly] upon the favour that is being given to you at the
apocalypse [unveiling, not a secret affair] of Jesus Christ...[and] like as He
who has called you is holy, you yourselves also be holy in all manner of living: because it is written, You shall be
holy; for I am holy" (1 Pet. 1:13-16).
Therefore teaching may be
tested by its moral tendency and effect. This rules out such opinions as that
the claims and commands of the Lord, as given in the Gospels, do not
apply to Christians; or that the warnings addressed to disciples by Him or the
apostles do not apply to regenerate persons. Such views do not serve to
sanctify but tend rather to carelessness of heart and ways. By their fruits
they are known. Many who have held those views have, indeed, acted as if they
denied them, and have lived in fact according to scriptures they in theory held
to be "Jewish." God be praised for this inconsistency. But it is not to be
denied that many of those who most vigorously contended for such opinions have brought forth the bitter
fruits of a controversial spirit, of opposition to any views but their own
being taught, and of schism among the people of God. If "true humiliation of
soul before God" is found in us, then we shall be patient and forbearing with
those who differ from us; and then, as to matters in which such humble souls
may be otherwise minded, this also shall God reveal to us (Phil. 3:15). And
this He is even now doing among the lowly in heart.
In the enthusiasm engendered
at that time by the great hope of our beloved Lord's return, it was suggested
that the intense renewed interest in that period was the fulfillment of the cry
to the Ten Virgins "Behold, the Bridegroom! Come forth to meet Him" (Mat.
25:6). The only comment needed is that, in that case, the foolish virgins have
had a sufficiently long time, a century and a half, in which to buy the oil
needed! Yet the unwarranted notion is still maintained by people who do not
reflect for themselves, but merely repeat accepted assertions.
11
Another vital feature of
those early searchers for truth was that they were prepared to pay whatever
price was involved in securing and using it. Many of them were in a position to
pay what the natural man regards as a high price. Some of
them could forego high prospects in the academic world. Others could surrender
social position, style, and comfort. It was a common feature that their houses
were furnished and ordered in a style that would not deter the poorer brethren
from visiting them happily. Maybe sometimes they went to an extreme in this,
but the principle was of love.
A. N. Groves gave up a dental
practice with an income of $1500 a year, as then valued. He and his wife gave
away a fortune of $10,000 which came to them, and went to Persia
with the gospel in dependence upon the Lord to meet all needs. He was the
pioneer of modern faith enterprise in the gospel.
R. C. Chapman knew at his
conversion that pride would be his besetting sin, so he abandoned his London practice as a barrister, gave away his
means, went to Barnstaple, where formerly he
used to drive in a carriage, and took as his home a workman's cottage in a side
street. His quaint, but very instructive comment was, "My pride never got over
it." This was not the step of the aged and mature saint that a few of us
remember. At the time he was under thirty and had been a man of fashion moving
in good society, with the world at his feet. He was tall and powerful, in full
vigour of mind and body. This was the man who turned wholly from the world to join the family of
Caleb and follow the Lord wholly.
Darby was trained for the
bar, where he had excellent prospects, his sister's husband being Chief Justice
of Ireland. It is said that he had such a high opinion of the powers
and learning of his younger kinsman that he hoped that he would be the one to
codify Irish law. But Darby feared to sear his conscience by possibly using his
talents to defeat justice, so he abandoned law and became a clergyman. When
light came upon the thoughts of God as to His church he walked in that light
and abandoned that profession also. A well-informed elderly friend, who had
moved in Darby's religious circle in Darby's time, told me that his father was
so incensed at his son's course that he disinherited him. But I do not know in just what
sense or to what extent this was the case.
Such examples show that those
men were prepared to "buy" the "wine and milk" of Immanuel's land (Isa. 55:1).
On this diet they became "nourished in the words of the faith,"
even the "healthful words, the words of the Lord Jesus, and the teaching which
is according to godliness" (1 Tim. 4:6; 6:3; 2 Tim.1:13). Being healthy and
strong they could toil and endure. They gave heed to the words of the Lord from
heaven: "I counsel thee to buy of Me gold refined by fire, that you may become
rich" (Rev. 3:18). They became rich, so rich that they had abundance to give to
the needy in soul, and through them the whole church of God
was enriched.
This could not have been had
they
been unwilling to pay the price. The law rules still. There are today brethren
of talents and learning who yet are not rich and do not enrich others. They
discover in the treasury of the Word nothing fresh. Why is this? Is it for the
reason that they are like some of whom Wesley wrote, that they had sundry
excellent qualities, but "most unfortunately they know everything and therefore
they learn nothing"? or is it that they are not willing to pay the price?
Yet those earlier leaders,
whatever the price they had paid, would have said with a still earlier man of
social position, learning, and leisure, Paul the apostle of Jesus Christ, "What
things were gains to me, these have I counted loss for Christ. Yes, and I count
all things to be loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my
Lord: for whom I suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but refuse"
(Phil. 3:7, 8). A woman throws away lightly the household refuse, nor thinks
she has done anything noteworthy. The disciple's earthly price is nothing; the heavenly gain is
infinite, enjoyed now and hereafter.
An English clergyman told me
that he had been on holiday in the Hebrides.
Not having seen a newspaper for two weeks, on leaving Church on Sunday morning
he bought one in the street. An elder of the church saw its
title, and said, as he passed, "News of the World: which world?" The question
is: For which world am I living? Is it for the seen or the unseen, for flesh or
spirit, earth or heaven, time or eternity, self or Christ? Oh, to heed the
words of Paul, "For me to live is Christ" Brethren, be imitators of me, and
mark them who so walk even as you have us for an example" (Phil. 1:21; 3:17).
In spite of their failures, those whose affairs are here considered did seek so
to live, therefore in goodly
measure they inherited the blessing of their father Abraham, and were blessed
and made a blessing.
After Israel's return
from Babylon God gave them instructed teachers of His law like Ezra, with whose
word there was authority over conscience and heart. Such God-sent
teachers gradually ceased and by the time of our Lord there was a class of
scribes who merely peddled the wares of famous rabbis but had no message from
God. Hence when Jesus began to teach, men "were astonished at His teaching: for
He taught them as having authority and not as their scribes" (Mat. 7:28,29). He
threw light upon the old truths and added new truth. His word fitted the times,
searched consciences, demanded advance; and He paid the price of a prophet by
being hated by the scribes,
persecuted, and killed. But He served the will of God in His generation and
furthered His cause on earth.
At the Reformation God gave
to faithful men the message needed for that period. They brought out of the
treasury of the Word things new and fitted to that time. They,
too, endured a great fight of afflictions but were good soldiers of Jesus
Christ. Presently they enshrined and limited their message by entombing it in
Creeds and Confessions. They have been followed by a race of scribes mostly
content to repeat what their first leaders taught, peddling their wares, but
seldom one who had a message direct from God.
The teachers of a century ago
likewise were shown in the Word things new to that generation, things which
disturbed the Ecclesiastical mind. Those truths were the message needed
to meet the then state of the church. They spread them fearlessly and
vigorously, paying the regular price for being men with a message from God for
their times. They too, in this respect, were good soldiers of Christ Jesus.
Today their followers are
mostly scribes, peddling their wares, repeating the same ideas in much the same
phrases, but without a fresh message from God to meet present needs. They bring
forth nothing new out of the Word, and commonly they
resist and persecute any one who does so. History repeats itself. What is now
greatly needed from God is teachers with some message or messages for the
present times; men who can throw fresh light on the truths already held and can
bring to light truths or phases of truth not yet recognized. The need is for
teachers who can search the conscience of the comfortable and worldly-minded,
and lead the people of God forward. These also will be hated and opposed by
their carnally-minded brethren and will need the courage of the good soldier of Jesus Christ. They, too,
must pay the price, make the sacrifices, incur the losses incidental to
soldiering.
The Lord has many servants,
few soldiers. Seven thousand still worship Him; few Elijah's fight for Him. True
are the words: "Jesus has now many lovers of His heavenly kingdom but few
bearers of His cross. He finds many companions of His table but few of His
fasts. Many follow Jesus as far as the breaking of bread, but few to the
drinking of the chalice of His passion."
May the Lord in His mercy
give again to His church messengers with a message, soldiers with stamina,
warriors who will lead others to victory, conquerors who, even though they die
in His battles, shall sit down with Him in His throne. Are you prepared to be
one of them?
|
|
|