THE Moderators of the Established and United Free Churches have issued a call to the members of their denominations to rededicate themselves to God and His service. They also appeal for the sympathy and co-operation of other Churches in the movement, so as to make it widespread and national. Knowing, as we do, how far the Established and United Free Churches have departed from “the faith once delivered unto the saints,” in doctrine, worship, and general practice, we cannot join with them in this movement, or the meetings connected therewith. We must not do what we consider to be evil, that good may come. There is, nevertheless, undoubtedly an aspect of the case that appeals to us as strongly as to the leaders of these larger denominations—we venture to say, more strongly—namely, the renewed obligation upon the people of this country, as the result of the sorrows and deliverances connected with the Great War, to turn from all false and evil ways unto God by Jesus Christ. “The Lord’s voice crieth unto the city; and the man of wisdom shall see thy name; hear ye the rod, and who hath appointed it.” And again: “The goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance.” These are the messages that multitudes require to hear at the present time, but messages to which they are exceedingly deaf and indifferent. It is to be feared that the War has not been blessed to the vast majority of people, but has left them morally and spiritually worse than it found them. The Lord is still angry with us.
We allow that there are some right notes struck in the address by these Moderators, but they are mixed up with statements of a very superficial and doubtful kind. Some of the right notes are the following:—”This is a corporate movement towards repentance and faith, and for fresh applications of Christian principle to our organised life as members of one body. But there is also a very clear call in these days to every individual to search his own way with God and man, and to realise his
responsibility as a member of the Church and as a citizen in the nation. The regeneration and self-dedication of the individual are fundamental and imperative, if this movement is to have permanent value.” The last sentence quoted is, in our judgment, the best in the whole address, and the truths stated in it are among those we feel most lacking in the general thought and teaching of these large Presbyterian bodies. Their leaders, as far as we can see, fail to recognise how widespread a mere nominal profession exists among them, and how little evidence there is among the vast proportion of their members of the regeneration referred to. What is the use, then, of exhorting unrenewed and unconverted people to take a pledge on Sabbath, the 13th April, “to obey Christ’s law in all things, and to seek the furtherance of His kingdom throughout the world,” although they do direct them to say, “in humble reliance upon the support and guidance of the Holy Spirit”? Many of their members might say—if they had the honesty to say it—that, so far as inward saving experience is concerned, they know not there is such a person as the Holy Ghost. It is absurd, also, to speak of the “rededication of persons to God or to His service who never once dedicated themselves to Him as the result of a definite experience of saving grace. Rededication in such cases is only the building of the house upon a sandy foundation that will succumb in the day of the storm and the tempest, and great will be the fall of the house. It would be infinitely better, as a result of the War, if the leaders of these Churches would send forth faithful messengers, should they have them, who would blow the trumpet of alarm and call the people, members and others, to examine themselves as to whether they were right in heart with God or not, applying to them the touchstone of God’s Word, and warning them that, unless they were born of the Spirit and united to Christ, they could not serve God in this world or enjoy Him hereafter. Such is the kind of message that is really needed, and there will be no dedication of any value without it. But personally we despair of any steps of this character being taken, until a great change comes over the Established and United Free Churches, bodies where Ritualism and Rationalism eat as doth a canker. The Word of God in the power of the Spirit must return to them, and they must return to the Word, before any effectual revival will take place. We believe there are a few scattered among them who recognise to some extent the truth of what we write, and deplore the degeneracy, but they are not sufficiently clear and decided on these matters as to make their influence powerfully felt. The Spirit must descend from on high before a new era will dawn.
In conclusion, let us observe that, while we cannot join in the “Rededication” movement, we feel that there is a call to the people of our own Church and of orthodox creed everywhere, in the present time, to examine themselves whether they be in the
faith and are right for eternity or not. Are we bringing forth the fruits suitable to the solemn times we have passed through and are still passing through? It is not enough to have an outward connection with a sound Church: we may continue in sin and go to hell at last notwithstanding. It is deplorable to observe how many in our congregations are still manifestly unconcerned about their souls, and how little impression the War or the Word of the gospel has made upon them. The Lord is certainly unseen examining the vineyard to see if “the fig tree” is bringing forth fruit, and the result will be awful in the extreme, if sinners, possessing sound privileges, continue hard and impenitent to the end. It will be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment than for such persons. And they who truly fear God would do well to examine themselves as to what progress they are making in “the narrow way that leadeth unto life.” We are living in an evil time. There are many slumber-producing mists from hell going abroad over the land. “The wise,” as well as “the foolish virgins” are apt to slumber and sleep. “Watch and pray, lest ye enter into temptation.” There is need of the loins being girt and the lamps burning. There is need of fruitfulness in humility, self-denial, spiritual-mindedness, devotion to the interests of Christ’s cause, every man looking not merely on “his own things, but also on the things of others,” seeking with wholehearted earnestness the good of his neighbour and the glory of God.
British and Foreign Bible Society Anniversary.—The British and Foreign Bible Society celebrated its 115th “birthday” at a meeting in the Guildhall, London, on Saturday afternoon, 8th March. The Lord Mayor, who presided, said that, as people grew older, they found in the Bible wonderful sources of wisdom and comfort, and appreciated more and more the work of the Society. During the war the Society had printed over 8,000,000 volumes of the Scriptures for men engaged in the struggle. They were in 75 different languages, and were distributed to friend and foe alike. Great though that number was, it was only a quarter of the Society’s total output during the same period. Altogether it had translated the Bible, or portions of it, into more than 500 languages. Every few weeks a new translation in some strange tongue was issued from the office. The whole story of the Society was a great romance. It was a marvellous adventure in doing good. All the guests present were presented with a copy of “The Gospel in many Tongues,” containing a passage of Scripture in 498 varieties of language or character.
AH, poor creatures, what a sad change have they made, to leave the Word which can never deceive, to trust the guidance of themselves to themselves! “He that is his own teacher,” saith Bernard, “is sure to have a fool for his master.”