SIGNS OF THE TIMES.

DEVOTED TO THE OLD SCHOOL BAPTIST CAUSE.

"THE SWORD OF THE LORD AND OF GIDEON,"

VOL. 65.

MIDDLETOWN, N. Y., JUNE 1, 1897.

CORRESPONDENCE.

STATE ROAD, Delaware, May, 1897.

NO. 11.

set forth, in dealing with men, and making known to them his salvation, not only presents the subject in an interesting light, but leads us up to a contemplation of the attributes and perfections of the

BRETHREN EDITORS:-I will attempt to write for the consideration of your readers some reflections that I have been holy One. No one knoweth the Father, earnestly requested to reproduce for the save the Son, and he to whom the Son SIGNS, otherwise I might not have written will reveal him. So he to whomsoever just at this time, or just upon this par- he is revealed, will have such knowledge ticular subject. It has for a long time of him as can be obtained in no other been interesting to me to contemplate, as way. No man hath seen God at any I think I see the wisdom of the divine time. As nothing of anger or wrath ever government, and the harmony of the appeared in the life and character of the divine attributes as exemplified therein. Redeemer, we are led naturally to inquire There is no clash or contradiction in the in what sense these terms are to be unrevelation that God has made of his derstood, when used in reference to the government, if rightly understood. divine government, as we can know nothing of God only what is revealed in Christ.

Among the different portions of Scripture that might be considered as covering about the same ground, I will cite one in the prophecy of Zephaniah iii. 8, 9, “For my determination is to gather the nations, that I may assemble the kingdoms, to pour upon them mine indignation, even all my fierce anger: for all the earth shall be devoured with the fire of my jealousy. For then will I turn to. the people a pure language, that they may all call upon the name of the Lord, to serve him with one consent." The Lord's methods, as here

"Not one revengeful, angry word,

The dear Redeemer spoke." That these terms are not to be understood when applied to Jehovah, and his dealings with men, as they are used and understood as expressing human depravity, is evident, for in that sense they belong to the works of the flesh, and not to the fruits of the Spirit. The fruits of the Spirit are all carefully named, and there is no wrath or anger or hatred among

them. Among the old Jewish traditions language that Israel speaks is the result we may find, "Thou shall love thy neigh- of divine teaching, and has no mixture of bor and hate thine enemy;" but Christ Ashdod in it. It is the language that never taught to hate anybody, and his faith inspires, and recognizes salvation Spirit does not produce hatred nor envy- entirely of the Lord, and gives all the ing, wrath or ill will, toward anybody. praise and glory to him. The song of How then are we to understand these the redeemed is made up of this pure terms as they occasionally occur in the language that the psalmist learned when divine record? Shall we not understand he was brought up out of the horrible them to be in harmony, and not in con- pit, and his feet set upon a rock. flict with all gracious dealings of the just even praise to the name of the Lord. Lord with his people? In the first The high praises of God are inspired conawakenings of the sinner, he, I presume, tinually by the knowledge given us of always feels that God is angry with him, him. If grace and truth is what comes and fears that destruction from the to us through Jesus Christ, and all we divine presence awaits him. Like Israel have known, or can know of God, is what at Sinai, they could see nothing, and is made known in Christ; then the divine hear nothing, but threatenings, and government is all a ministration of grace thunderings, and wrath; but it was and truth. If I say that God is love, and through teaching of this kind, that the that the words hatred, and anger and revelation of mercy was to be made, and wrath, as they are used to express the instead of wrath, it had been mercy all basest passions of wicked men, do not the while. The prophet Isaiah says, "O have a place among the perfections of Lord, I will praise thee: though thou Deity, I am only saying what the apostle wast angry with me, thine anger is turned said before me. "Love is of God; and away, and thou comfortedst me." Has every one that loveth is born of God, and there been a change with Jehovah? If knoweth God. He that loveth not knowso, what is it that has turned his anger eth not God; for God is love." Those away? Is it not rather that it was a who are born of his Spirit do not possess mistaken view of him, that led to the use evil passions as the result of that birth. of the expression, angry? Did not Isaiah If men in their first awakenings regard see afterward that the Lord had not been God as angry with them, and about to angry with him at all, but was only deal- destroy them, I think they would not, and ing with him to show him the sinfulness could not, love such a being. If it was of sin, and his just condemnation as a not hatred, it would be a fearful appresinner? If there had not been such a hension and dread. Nobody loves God view of himself in Jehovah's sight, he until he reveals himself in the charms of would not have needed the comfort, or his salvation. He is, and has been of have been in condition to receive the one mind, but he was not so revealed as comfort that came to him when all ap- he is now. Now he is the chief among pearance of anger was turned away. In the text which I first cited, after the declaration of fierce anger and indignation follows, "For then will I turn to the people a pure language," &c. The pure

ten thousand, and altogether lovely. God has never been revealed to anybody but what they loved him, and loved the work of his Spirit, and the experience of his grace, whenever they were seen.

We

monishes them that "destruction and misery are in their way." Men, in whose hearts is the love and fear of God, may detest the wickedness of the world, while they pity the wrong doer. If that Being to whom reverence belongeth, ever revealed himself to me, love to him was enkindled in my heart to such an extent that no room was left for idolatrous reverence for anything else. He is a crown of glory, and a diadem of beauty, to the

ment he had forsaken them, but with great mercies he will gather them. It is said that the wicked are driven away in their wickedness. And who is it, or what is it, that drives them away from the

know that it is, and has been true, that the subjects of divine teaching do all call upon the name of the Lord, and that it is a necessity with them, as everything else is taken from them. To show perhaps a little more clearly the use of these terms, even when the Lord is dealing in love and in mercy, I will quote from the prophet: "Behold, I will gather them out of all countries whither I have driven them in mine anger, and in my fury, and in great wrath; and I will bring them residue of his people. For a small moagain unto this place, and I will cause them to dwell safely and they shall be my people, and I will be their God: and I will give them one heart, and one way, that they may fear me forever, for the good of them, and of their children after sanctuary, and from the companionship them."-Jer. xxxii. 37-39. The point of the saints? Why do they go to the that I am making is, that the Lord dens of debauchery and vice, and indulge changes not, and that he is of one mind in all the mad passions that well up from all the time. What appeared to be anger the pit? Does anybody disturb them, or and wrath, and. great fury, was just as debar them, from any spiritual or submuch for the good of them, and of their stantial good? The Lord governs; and children after them, as any of the after his government authorizes us to say to dealings. Where the glory of God was the righteous, It shall be well with him, shown to Moses, the Lord caused all his for he shall eat of the fruit of his doings; goodness to pass before him, and he saw but woe unto the wicked, for it shall be nothing else. But how with regard to ill with him, for the reward of his hands the wicked? Is the Lord angry with shall be given him. It was in accordance them? and does he hate them, and blind with the righteous judgment of God, that their minds, and harden their hearts, and the adherents of the Romish power, who lay a necessity upon them to do evi!? had shed the blood of a multitude of the The Lord Jesus said he was kind to the saints, should be given blood to drink.unthankful, and to the evil. Did the Rev. xvi. 6. So when skepticism and inMessiah ever teach to hate people because fidelity triumphed in France, and broke they did evil? Did he not rather teach through all legal restraints, the dogs of if we would be the children of our Father war were let loose upon the nations of in heaven, to bless them that would curse Europe, to that extent that prophecy us, do good to them that hate us, and said, their rivers were turned to blood. pray for them that despitefully use us, But who did it? Was it not their own and persecute us? A holy and pure spirit bloodthirsty passions, and lust for power? is averse to evil, but God does not hate The reward of their own cruel bloodhis creatures. He warns them of the thirstiness was given them. They had consequences of wrong doing, and ad-been forewarned. When the Lord Jesus

announced the calamities that awaited ture in mind, "Covet earnestly the best the Jews, as in their phrensy they were gifts," and have frequently asked others' rushing on to their own overthrow, views concerning it, but thus far no ex"When Jesus drew nigh unto the city he planation has been satisfactory to me. wept over it." The consequences of sin While I willingly admit the truth of are terrible enough, and there is punish- every explanation thus far given, yet it ment enough in them, without any ad- seems to me the apostle had a special and dition from the righteous judgment of distinct meaning in mind, when he God. "He shall bring upon them their thus exhorted, the fullness of which I fail own iniquity, and shall cut them off in to grasp. What I may write, therefore, their own wickedness; yea, the Lord our concerning gifts, is not in explanation of God shall cut them off."-Psalm xciv. 23. the apostle's meaning, but is, I believe, My understanding is limited, and the embraced in whatever his exact meaning purpose and counsel of Jehovah is far was. above our highest thoughts, but he has revealed enough to us to inspire love and reverence in our hearts. Yours to serve in the gospel,

E. RITTENHOUSE.

"Covet," in this text is synonymous with desire, longing, hungering and thirsting. In fact, any word expressive of these (in a good sense) can be legitimately used. All Scripture is written for our learning, and is only profitable to PHILADELPHIA, Pa., April 30, 1897. us when we realize experimentally its DEAR BROTHER BEEBE:-I have ob- import, and in walking after the Spirit tained the consent of both brother Me the saints do covet earnestly the best Connell, and sister Hannah Jenkins, to gifts, otherwise Paul was not an apostle send the inclosed letter to you for publi- of the Lord Jesus; for if he preached anycation. If in your judgment it should be thing which was not the life, the experipublished, please do so, as I feel it con-ence of the saints, just that much of it tains food for thought and meditation, in was an unknown tongue. As we know which the saints of God delight.

Your brother in fellowship,

B. F. COULTER.

NEW YORK, N. Y., Dec. 14, 1896.

only just what we can bear witness to, we must look to our own experience as to what constitutes the best gifts. Let us try it. If there is such a thing as arranging the gifts, what is the best gift to MISS HANNAH JENKINS-DEAR SISTER: Which our experience gives first place? -I received your letter in due time, and Is it not faith? We live by faith, we wanted to reply at once, but various hin- walk by faith. He that believeth not is drances have been in the way, and a condemned. By faith, which is the gift month has passed before an evening of of God, we receive and rest upon the Son leisure has come. And with the oppor- of God alone for salvation. "By faith

tunity to write has come darkness of Abraham, when he was called to go out mind that is felt, and the Scripture you into a place which he should after receive inquire about is almost meaningless to for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went Brother Coulter once asked me out, not knowing whither he went. By what I understood the best gifts to be, faith he sojourned in the land of promise, and since then I have often had the Scrip- as in a strange country." Has not this

me.

spirit of Abraham been manifest in our I might go on at some length noting how experience? and if so, then it was by that the gift of repentance was manifestfaith we walked when we came out from ed in our turning away from the things a country which once yielded us all the we once delighted in, as well as how comfort we then desired, but which, every other gift given unto men was emwhen the call came, was no more our braced in the gift of faith, but time and home; no more a place of comfort and space forbid. Faith, it seems to me, rest. Could we explain why we were stands pre-eminently the best gift, for it dissatisfied? No more than Abraham is the substance of all things hoped for; could. Could we explain just what we it is the evidence of the life begotten of sought, or where we were going, or what God. As all gifts are embraced in the would satisfy us? No more than Abra-gift of faith, so all are best gifts. The ham could. We realized we could no order of their manifestation is, however, longer live there, and we came out, not in every man according as God hath knowing whither we went, but seeking a dealt the measure of faith. What gift better country-a city wherein to dwell, was it that you most desired after receivwhich hath foundations of satisfaction ing a hope, and still do desire? Is not for all our needs. And we wandered in your prayer, "Give me understanding, a solitary way, perhaps for a long time, and I shall keep thy law; yea, I shall obfinding no city to dwell in; but when our serve it with my whole heart. Make me to soul fainted in us, when we concluded go in the path of thy commandments; for there was no eye to pity, no arm to save, therein do I delight?" This same gift then deliverance came; the word, "In me was sought and desired by the prophets ye shall find rest," was made flesh, the of old, when they prophesied of the grace waves were still, the desired haven which should come unto us; and if this reached, and we were inhabitants of that same spirit wrought in them, then our city, the name of which is, "The Lord is fellowship with them is in the spirit of there." So in looking back over the way prophecy: "The spirit of prophecy is the we have come, must we not date in our testimony of Jesus." Now faith without experience as first and best gift, the gift works is dead. What works are shown of faith in that call, "Come out from her where the desire for this gift reigns? and be ye separate?" But, says one, No evil can proceed from a holy source, Having received the gift of faith, why and if this desire for understanding is the should we covet it? It is not usual for testimony of Jesus, the never failing reone to covet what they already have. sulting works in them who are thus exNo, it is not reasonable, but then our ercised, is purity in doctrine and worship, faith does not stand in the wisdom of for they are pure as he is pure. "These men, but in the power of God, and he are. they which were not defiled with has declared he will be inquired of by the women; for they are virgins." Idolatry, house of Israel. If we have that which will-worship and superstition, have alwe ask for, then the evidence of our ways been represented as spiritual adulthaving faith is in our coveting or asking ery. Truth is spiritual light, and it is for its increase; and is not the unceasing only with open eyes of understanding prayer of every heaven-born soul, "Lord, that we can receive the truth. To open increase our faith: help thou our unbelief?" the eyes of our understanding, to turn us