To the Editor of the “Free Presbyterian Magazine.”
MY DEAR SIR,
The words “Remember therefore whence thou art fallen,” were meant for more places than Ephesus. They are words of warning which this country would do well to take heed to, ere it be too late.
Dr. Cesar Malan’s tract on Sabbath Observance, which forms the chief part of this communication, could not have been seen by many of your readers. It is a tract worth reading for several reasons, and among others, to show the place Great Britain held in the estimation of true Christians on the Continent some sixty or seventy years ago, as a Sabbath keeping nation. Such as are of Dr. Malan’s mind at this hour on the Continent, and have come to learn the real state of things as respects Sabbath keeping in this country, cannot but be filled with grief. Iniquities abound when love waxes cold. Lack of love to the Lord Jesus is doubtless the source of the disrespect of the commandments of God, which is so evident everywhere. I trust you will find space in the Magazine for Dr. Malan’s tract. Here it is:—
“REMEMBER THE SABBATH DAY.”
“If you love me, keep my commandments.”
(M. Sebastien, a draper, approaches his neighbour, M. Christian, a bookseller, who is reading “The Hope” Journal.)
Sebastien. What find you that is so good, my neighbour, in that journal, that in reading it you seem so well pleased?
Christian. It’s a Christian journal, dear sir, a thing that isn’t common in our day; and that which I read in it edifies me.
Sebastien. Edifies you? Is it then a sermon that the writer supplies you with?
Christian. No; but it tells me that if the Lord’s Day is profaned among us, it isn’t so in every country. For example, isn’t it praiseworthy of the bankers, the men of business, the merchants, and even the doctors and apothecaries, of London, Edinburgh, and Glasgow, and other large cities of England and Scotland, to unite together in hundreds, and declare in an address to Parliament, “That they are decidedly opposed to all profanation of the Lord’s Day”?
Sebastien. What mean you to say? Is it the theatre, possibly, they want to be henceforth closed on that day?
Christian. The theatre! Do you think that in that country the theatre is open on the Lord’s Day? In truth, the people there, and their leaders, have too much religion that such contempt as that should be seen among them of the commandment of God.
Sebastien. Ah! with narrow-mindedness such as that, which condemns all kinds of pleasure, they will soon find themselves confined as in monasteries.
Christian. The bankers and men of business of England are no more monks than we, and nevertheless they guard the Day of the Lord, and that because they fear God.
Sebastien. Do you mean then to tell me that, on that day, their shops and warehouses are absolutely shut?
Christian. Ah! Do you fancy that there could be anywhere so much as one banker or so much as one merchant, being a Christian, who makes up his accounts or transacts a bargain on the Lord’s Day?
Sebastien. Being a Christian, do you say? Am I not then a Christian because that on the Lord’s Day morning I settle a few accounts, or finish a journey?
Christian. No, that work isn’t Christian. No; he who does that doesn’t keep the Sabbath, that is to say, the rest of Jehovah. No, my neighbour, it isn’t to be a Christian that one should do his own works on the Lord’s Day. In that God is contemned, and no Christian contemns God.
Sebastien. What exaggeration! let me tell you. At that rate those who, on the Lord’s Day, get up a festival, or a pleasure party, or possibly even a good feast, aren’t Christians. In that case, your action will have been taken against a good few people.
Christian. My action, dear neighbour! I don’t judge or condemn anyone, but as I believe the Bible, I say that the Bible judges and condemns all profanation of the Lord’s Day. And I don’t doubt that, at the great day of the judgment of God, it will be found that the sales and the bargains, the public festivals, the pleasure parties, the theatres and the dances, the sports and the dissipations, which took place on the Lord’s Day, were all the result of irreligion and unbelief, and an open contempt of the commandment of the Lord.
Sebastien. You condemn, then, the exercises and inspections of the army which occur on that day.
Christian. Again once more, I say that I condemn no one. God alone is judge. But I assure you that God will ask an account concerning those exercises and military festivals, from those who appointed and authorised them. Yes, I believe that these things are a positive profanation of the rest of Jehovah the Eternal.
Sebastien. In that case you have all the people against you.
Christian. Against me! It’s not against me they are. As for me and my family, we keep the Lord’s Day. That day is dear to us, as well as sacred; and it is our pleasure and our greatest happiness to serve God, both publicly and in the house on that day. But as for the profane and the mockers, we don’t judge them. We pray for them, and we warn them, if they wish to listen to us. After all, they have the Bible—and they will die. It is for them, then, to think of it.
Sebastien. But, dear neighbour, if before the hour for sermon, or it may be, after it in the evening, I settle a few little cares of business, or if I take some respectable recreation, am I one that profanes, on that account?
Christian. God says, “If thou turn away thy foot from the Sabbath, from doing thy pleasure on my holy day; and call the Sabbath a delight, the holy of the Lord, honourable; and shalt honour him, not doing thine own ways, nor finding thine own pleasure, nor speaking thine own words; then shalt thou delight thyself in the Lord.” Don’t contest then with God, M. Sebastien. His commandment is before you. Keep it.
Sebastien. But—what shall I say to you? That seems to me a yoke and a burden.
Christian. Understand whence that comes, dear neighbour. Your heart is not submissive to Jesus. No, you don’t love the Saviour, and it is on that account that His commandment is a burden to you.
Sebastien. Me! I am as much a Christian as there’s any need for. I don’t wrong anyone, and I live honestly. What more would you have?
Christian. That you should love the Lord Jesus. Yes, dear neighbour, that you should love Him “with all your heart, and with all your soul,” for He is our God and Saviour, and the Holy Scriptures say that “if anyone love not the Lord Jesus, he is anathema,” that is to say, under the condemnation which comes from God.
Sebastien (with embarrassment). But—who has told you that I don’t love Him?
Christian. Heh! dear sir; it’s your works. The Lord Jesus says, “He that hath my commandments and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me”—(John xiv. 21). You don’t love Him, then, since you set aside His appointments.
Sebastien. But is it Jesus Christ who has ordained that the Lord’s Day should be sanctified?
M. Christian took up from the counter of his shop the tract called “The Two Lord’s Days,” and presented it to M. Sebastien. Take, neighbour, said he; read that, and you will see from it, I think, that it is the Lord Jesus who says to each one of His disciples, “Remember the Sabbath Day.” If your readers would, on a future occasion, like to see the tract here referred to, I may send it you.—Yours faithfully,
JOHN R. MACKAY.
August, 1899.
Outlines of Sermons
BY THE LATE REV. JOHN SINCLAIR, BRUAN, CAITHNESS.
(PREACHED ON 3rd and 10th MAY, 1840.)
(Continued from page 148.)
“Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink, thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water.”—JOHN iv. 10.
“THOU wouldest have asked of him.” We mentioned some things which they feel who ask so as to receive. 1. A sense of guilt. “Be merciful to me a sinner.” Sin incurs guilt as committed against oneself, against our fellow-creature, against God, “thee, thee only.” 2. A sense of want of righteousness. “We do not present our supplications to thee for our righteousness.” Full of guilt, and no good works. 3. A sense of helplessness. “We have no might,” &c. No price to pay for guilt; no works to make up a righteousness; nothing but filthy rags; and no power to seek as we ought. Like a helpless infant. 4. A sense of ignorance. “Neither know we what to do.” Not knowing in what way help may come. 5. A sense of imminent danger. No time to delay. Hence the cry is, “Make no tarrying,” “Come speedily,” “Make haste.”
This leads the soul to another atonement, to blood that pleads; to another righteousness, a garment that clothes; to another help, a hand stretched out to one sinking, to save from the pit of destruction; to another wisdom when the creature becomes a fool, so as not to trust in his own heart; to a point of necessity. When strength is gone and none shut up nor left, then is the time of promise. Here now is there room for a Saviour, “for the gift of God.” It is not guilt that may keep back the soul, nor the want of righteousness, nor helplessness, nor ignorance, nor necessity, but the want of feeling these. We desire, so to speak, to take the lowest ground. Now when the Holy Spirit goes thus far to humble, then He leads to the way that God “causes his ear to hear;” He discovers the one among a thousand, and though often at first there is only a sense of danger, and a cry for help, yet there is some perception of the way. We mentioned some grounds on which safety lies in pleading. Some or other of these grounds are seen; some more clearly, some more faintly. “The gift of God” is the only safe ground.
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Christ is appointed of God for the very purpose. “God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” “He sent not his Son to condemn,” etc. Therefore take Him for the end for which He sent Him. He sent Him for the very end, and with the very qualifications with which sinners do need Him. (1) God makes a solemn exhibition and offer of Him to all, as if all who hear the Word were standing in one congregation, and He says, “This is my beloved Son.” He offers Him freely to all. (2) Having shown Him, He graciously invites all to come and take Him. “Ho everyone that thirsteth . . . come.” (3) He entreats them to come. “We pray you in Christ’s stead. Be ye reconciled to God.” If He had not entreated, they had no authority to come. They can go no further than He does. While they do it with poor low desires, He does it with bowels of infinite compassion, and He goes no further than clearly authorised by the Father. (4) God gives His sovereign command to receive Him. “And this is his commandment, That we should believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ.”—(1 John iii. 23.) Similar is that of John vi. 29, “This is the work of God, that ye believe in him whom he hath sent.” These are two wonderfully gracious Scriptures. The command is given as peremptorily as any other command or work is required. The command to worship Him, to keep the Sabbath, to honour parents, etc., has no more force, nor so much now as this. (1) Because without believing none of them can be rightly kept. “Without me ye can do nothing.” (2) On believing, the creature begins to keep all. “I can do all things through Christ.” This is of great weight to urge us to seek faith without which we cannot please God. (3) On receiving Him, the union between Him and the soul gives an interest in His keeping the commandments perfectly. In prayer then respect is to be had to the Father’s appointment of Him. This gives ground for the soul to come as through the Advocate. In obeying the command to receive Him, the person keeps all the commandments; in disobeying in this one point, the person is guilty of all. This should weigh with two classes. Prayerless unbelievers. Whatever care you have to obey other commands, all is null and void without this. Rebels. So also with formalists and hypocrites, all their doings are cast away “as the dung of your solemn feasts.”—(Mal. ii. 3.) This should weigh with the people of God. When they are truly seeking, it is a prop under their heads. Thus far for the Father’s giving Him as an advocate for sinners, and the right and obligation to ask in His name, as the Father’s appointment to that very end.
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Christ came freely Himself. “This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief.” As the Father goes round to everyone “whosoever,” offering Him even to the very worst, so the Son offers Himself. He paid the debt of obedience and suffering most freely, His delight was with the children of men. His willingness appeared in His taking flesh, “the likeness of sinful flesh.” Had we clothed ourselves in the skin of the vilest animal, undressed, it would have been nothing to this. His willingness appeared in His taking sin, the thing He most hated. Now if we believe not, we, so far as we can, render all that He has done useless to Him. His willingness appeared in His taking the curse. This is greater than if we had been accursed of all creatures, and more grievous, not only in the effects, but in the cause, and in the One offended. His willingness appeared in His coming through the flames of hell, nay, worse, of His Father’s wrath. This is more than if we had known what is in fire and brimstone, and yet had been willing to go through them; and this He did just to hear and plead the causes of those who are made to come to Him. He is ready to take them up at a word, and carry them through at a look, a breathing, a cry.
Now when he takes up the case, He pleads on the ground on what He has Himself, and not what they have. They have guilt.
1. Then He has blood to wash it away. Whatever the disease, it is applicable. (1) His blood is spiritual. It is called, “Shed through the eternal Spirit.” God is a spirit. It is the blood of God. Therefore it is suitable to an unclean dead conscience, to purge it from all spiritual sin. “Cleanse from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit.” “It is blood that maketh atonement for the soul.”—(Levit. xvii. 11.) It is capable of cleansing the spiritual sores of all spirits which have flesh and blood to dwell in. Who has a bad conscience? (2) It is infinite in efficacy. It “cleanseth from all sin” the chief of sinners. It cleansed Paul, the chief of sinners, and is still pure and can do the same to any other. God is infinite. Who can find Him out? So this blood can go to whatever place where the person sinned. It went to hell in effect. It has dominion over the earth, and is sprinkled in heaven, so that wherever the person sinned, it can meet the sin. (3) It is eternal. It was offered through “the eternal Spirit.” So those who have it once applied “never come into condemnation.” However long the person has been sinning, if he is brought to this blood, it can blot out the deepest stain, and can keep it out! So once purged, for ever clean. So it seems it is an eternal inheritance that fadeth not away. All the blessings of the covenant are purchased by this. (4) It is unchangeable. “I change not.” It never changes for the worse, nor loses the efficacy when once applied. Indeed the fountain will yet be shut, but those who have got it never become guilty to death any more.
- He has righteousness to clothe; to fulfil the law. It is the righteousness of God; appointed by Him, wrought by Him, accepted by Him.
Sixteenth Outline.—There is no other ground in which a sinner can ask with acceptance than “the gift of God.” “There is salvation in no other.” There is but one mediator, but the wonder is that in His name nothing that is truly good for the divine glory and the sinner’s salvation will be refused or denied.—(Matt. vii. 21, 22; John xiv. 13; xv. 7-16).
We mentioned some things in His name.
I. The Father’s appointment of Him. He is not only worthy in Himself, but has the Father’s authority to plead; and therefore He will not reject His plea. (1) He gave Him, appointed Him, for all the elect, and therefore makes offer of Him to all. “This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased, hear ye him.”—(Matt. xvii. 5.), and the prophet Isaiah sets Him forth in chapters lii., liii., liv., as bearing their iniquities. Therefore plead, if among them, the certain fulfilment of their salvation, and the wide offer. (2) The free invitation, “Ho, everyone,” etc., is addressed to all. Plead, “Draw me.” (3) The gracious entreaty. “We pray you.”—(2 Cor. v. 20.) He is so condescending to enemies as to entreat them. Who then would oppose Him? (4) His sovereign command. This command is of more weight than all others. 1. Because without Him we can do nothing, not one thing. Without faith we cannot please Him. 2. Because interested in Him we can do all things; beginning now and perfect hereafter. 3. Because it unites the soul to Him who fulfilled all righteousness, which fulfilment would otherwise, so to speak, be lost, so as far as we could accomplish it, to His glory. 4. This gives broad ground to honour Him even as the Father is honoured. In committing all our salvation to Him, we honour Him, even as we give the honour of rightly judging and condemning to the Father. The one is as broad as the other. 5. The heavy punishment of breaking this command. There is no cloak for our sins. This is our condemnation that we do not obey the gospel.—(John xv. 22; iii. 19; 2 Thess. i. 8; 1 Peter iv. 17.) Then venture your souls upon Him.
II. The second ground of pleading is what is in the Son Himself. When a person authorises another to ask for anything in his name, this implies that the granting of the request would be the same to the person asking as to the person authorising, if he needed it. Now, see the dignity of the Son as God-man.
1. He is God. And it was just He that was given by God the Father to man. He is of more value than all angels and men put together. It is implied that as He would not destroy His own Son, so not you for His name’s sake. Now, here there is need of caution not to presume, except on His free offer to the chief of sinners.
2. He is not only God, but the Father’s beloved Son. So near to His affections and heart, He is “with the Father,” in His presence; so near that He hears Him always. He asks for His people as if He were to ask anything for Himself in heaven. Now, they are the members of His mystical body; asking for them He asks for Himself.
3. He asks for the pardon of their sin. He pleads His precious blood. Hence it is called pleading blood. “Speaking better things.” Whatever the guilt of your sin, lay all on the weight of His blood, as shed already, and as not now to be required: “For thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us.” When no outgate for weight of guilt, look here, look to the value of Christ’s blood.
4. See His righteousness. It is the righteousness of God. He fulfilled the law in His obedience. For whatsoever disobedience or omission the person is guilty of, see His fulfilment to magnify the law. All sin lies either in omitting to do what the law requires, or in doing what it forbids. “Sin is the transgression of the law.” Then, as His blood meets the transgression, so His obedience “makes many righteous.” And the clearer of his own merits the creature can go to the Lord, the freer to this source of merit.
5. See His actual pleading. He “maketh continual intercession for us.” Here notice (1) He is still in court. Many a want is before Him, but He is ever ready to take up the case. This is no encouragement to go on in sin. “But God shall wound the head of his enemies, and the hairy scalp of such an one as goeth on still in his trespasses.” But He is ready to receive a poor creature in need. He is never absent from court. “For what nation is there so great who hath God so nigh unto them as the Lord our God is in all things that we call upon him for”—(Deut. iv. 7). (2) He has a golden censer with much incense—(Rev. viii. 3, 4). Poor creatures are often very ill-savoured with the wanderings, coldness, unbelief, and other evils of their hearts, but He puts incense on them, so that in the sight of the Father as Judge they are perfect. “Ye are complete in him.” (3) He conceals all their imperfections. He says, “They have known, received my words, kept thy word.” Oh, wonderful! He speaks as if their faith and obedience and knowledge were complete. He meets all imperfections, and adds what they lack. Hence (4) He always succeeds in obtaining what they really need. He gets a hearing from the Father for them even before the answer—(1 John v. 14). “We know he heareth; we know we have.” This means either we know we shall have, or that what we get, is in answer to prayer. There are asking, hearing, giving. He deals as a father with children; He may not give the very thing asked, or, it may be, at the time; but for value He never fails. He is “able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think”—(Eph. iii. 20). Paul leaves the matter with the Lord, though many a time he might not get his own will.