1834.
YOUR last letter, in my opinion, evidences a gradual growth in grace. I suppose you will say, Indeed it is gradual; but I do assure you that in general I find a gradual growth the best, even as you see it is in plants.
In my short time, I have seen several very promising characters, who have by no means answered my expectations of them, whilst their more lowly neighbours, though far less promising, have stood. And why should they not, since God is able to make them to stand? “And to Him the weakest is dear as the strong.” Now, if there be in the flock one more weak than the rest, He carries that one in His arms, folds it in His bosom, and seems as if He never could make enough of it.
What an unspeakable mercy is it to you that God should quicken you by His Spirit, call you by His grace, bring you to His throne, and authorise you to call Him Father? To call you to Him in the time of your youth, and sweetly empower you to say, “My Father, my Father, Thou art the guide of my youth!” Surely those words belong to you. And be ye thankful for your election, redemption, vocation, and full and free salvation—thankful for a free pardon, the peace of God, justification and sanctification—thankful for providential and temporal mercies—thankful for the unspeakable gift, Christ Jesus, a throne of grace, the holy word, the blessed Spirit, and the hope of glory.
O how sweet it is to be thankful! When the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts, we hardly know where to begin, or where to make an end. O how sweet it is for Zion’s babes and sucklings to sing “Hosanna” when the King of saints rides before them! “Rejoice in the Lord alway; and again I say, Rejoice.” “Let everything that hath breath praise the Lord.”
You have requested me to give you my thoughts upon Jer. xvii. 10. I will endeavour to do so. “I the Lord search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings.” You, I have no doubt, wished for an explanation of the sentences I have marked.1
1 The sentences referred to were marked in the original letter. We have adopted the common practice of marking such sentences by italics or small capitals—ED.
The passage above cited shows how God will deal with those who die out of Christ. In eternity they shall know that God punishes the wicked for heart sins as well as for sinful actions. All who die out of Christ die under the law. The law takes cognisance of sinful thoughts and inclinations as certainly as it does of sinful actions. “To give every man”—every man out of Christ, every man at the left hand of Christ in the judgment; not to every man that is in Christ, or indeed to any man that is in Christ, for then Paul himself must be condemned, for in his flesh dwelt no good thing.
Christ took upon Himself all the sins of all God’s elect, suffered for those sins and expiated them by His blood. In behalf of every one of the elect, law and justice received at the hands of Christ full payment; and “Payment God cannot twice demand—first at My bleeding Surety’s hand, and then again at Mine.” For “who shall lay anything to the charge of God’s elect?” seeing it is God that justifieth.
If the saints stand before the judgment-seat at the last, it will only be to afford an opportunity for men and devils to witness their full, free and final justification; for as Christ is, so are they in this world; and as Christ is, so will they appear in the judgment. He must present them faultless before His Father with exceeding joy; and if so, they cannot be tried for heart sins there.
They are tried here, they are judged here, they are here brought to repentance for heart sins, as really as for outward sins. Nay, they are even chastened for heart sins. I have thought that in this life only God punishes one of His own children ten times more for heart sins than He does for outward sins, and yet there is not one drop of vindictive wrath in their cup! It is the kind hand of a kind Father that chastens them, and every stroke He gives them goes to His own heart. They are hardened here, they are justified freely by grace here. They have passed from death into life, they shall never come into condemnation, they shall never perish. Therefore, the words to which you have referred me must be understood to apply only unto such as die in their sins.
There are two “alls,” two worlds, and two distinct manner of people spoken of in the Word. If the mystery and meaning of the Scriptures were as easily understood as the letter of the Scripture is read, we should not need the Holy Ghost to teach us. The contrary, however, is the case; for no man can know the mind of God in the Holy Scriptures, but as he is taught it for himself by the blessed Spirit.
May you be favoured to seek peace and ensue it, as being in Christ freely justified by grace! Entreat the Lord by His Spirit to write in your heart the sweet precepts of the gospel, and especially the kindly law of love. Pray for an enlightened, tender conscience, and endeavour to look well to it; and should the heavenly Bridegroom, for the trial of your faith, go away for a little while, and leave His sweet peace behind Him in your soul, be very thankful for it, carefully shun whatever is calculated to remove it from you. Walk in truth, walk in love, walk in peace.
May the Lord confirm you to the end, that you may be blameless at the coming of Christ! . . .
ED. BLACKSTOCK.
Acknowledgment.
—The Treasurer of the Dingwall congregation begs to acknowledge, with thanks, the sum of 20s, received for Free Presbyterian Manse Building Fund, per Rev. Mr. M’Farlane, from Miss Helen Urquhart, Glasgow.
Corrections.
—On first page of last issue “three days of tribulation” should read “those days,” etc. We regret also a number of slight errata in the Rev. John Macleod’s sermon, such as “efficasy” for “efficacy” and “ender” for “under.”
Rev. John B. Radasi in Rhodesia.
—We have much pleasure in stating that the Rev. John B. Radasi had a safe and comfortable voyage to Cape Town, where he arrived on December 13th. He left there for Bulawayo, Rhodesia, on the 16th, and breaking his journey at Mafeking, Bechuanaland, he arrived at Bulawayo on the 21st. His first Sabbath at this town, which is to be the centre of his labours, was the last of December, when he held a public service. The audience consisted of a goodly number of men but few women. In a letter to a friend he states:—”The Matebeles are still uncivilised, but they seem to be a nice kind people, and willing to learn. They need the gospel of the grace of God and the prayers of the people of God. It is only the gospel that can take them out of the condition which they are in.” He adds that he is glad to find a number of Psalms in one of the native hymn books, which he hopes to take out and get printed separately by permission. He observes that the country round about is full of thick forests, where there are still lions, wolves and other wild beasts. We have no doubt but the prayers of God’s people among us will go up for Mr. Radasi in his new field of missionary effort, and we earnestly hope the Lord will abundantly bless his labours to the conversion of souls, and so to the extension of Christ’s kingdom in the world.