Designed to assist the Labour of Missionaries and other Instructors of the Ignorant.
BY THE LATE REV. JOHN LOVE, D.D.
(Continued from page 423.)
TWELFTH ADDRESS.
BRETHREN and friends, inhabitants of Otaheite, Jesus, the Man who is God, sat down after His sufferings at the right hand of the Majesty in the heavens. There He now sits; and it is in consequence of His reigning on high that we, His unworthy servants, now stand on these shores proclaiming His salvation. We are very far from our beloved native island; we no longer behold the faces of our friends. But Jesus is equally near us, as in our own country, for the whole earth is His footstool. And when you become the friends of Jesus we will embrace you, and delight in you, as though you were our fathers and mothers, our brethren and sisters, our sons and daughters.
We have told you many wonderful things concerning Jesus the Great Saviour. And the things which we have told you are true: but we are not able to declare the thousandth part of His excellency. And there are other wonderful things, without knowing which you cannot be saved.
We informed you some time ago that there are Three Persons, each one of whom is Jehovah. They are equally great and glorious, and equally full of love towards sinful men and women. We have declared to you what things were done for the salvation of sinners by the Father, the First, who is Jehovah, and by the Son Jesus Christ, who is also Jehovah. Now we call you to consider the Holy Spirit, the Third, who is likewise Jehovah. He comes forth from the Father and the Son to finish the work, and to make men happy in the enjoyment of salvation. He dwells within us in our souls, and He now desires to enter into these precious souls which are within your bodies. He is able, this very hour, to make you all inexpressibly glad in the love of Jehovah.
When Jesus sat down on the throne of glory in the heavens, the Eternal Father spake to Him thus: “Thou art my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Sit thou at my right hand, till I make thine enemies thy footstool. In thee my soul delighteth. I have seen, I have seen thy pure obedience, and thy direful sufferings. I will never forget the sweet saviour of thy glorious sacrifice. Once have I sworn by my holiness that thy kingdom on earth shall flourish throughout all ages. For thy sake the windows of heaven shall be ever open to pour down blessings, and its gates to receive the expiring souls of thy people. They shall be willing in the day of thy power. Thou knowest, as God, the counsel of love which was between us from eternity, sealed with the sweet concurrence of the Almighty Spirit. To thee as man I deliver this book, which describes the ancient purposes of our love. Ask of me to the utmost extent thereof, and I will send the Spirit of power to draw perishing sinners to thee their Saviour, and to bless in thee all the families of the earth.”
Then Jesus, full of holy joy and compassion, began thus to intercede with His Eternal Father:—”Thou art Holy, O thou who inhabitest the praises of Israel! Thou wast faithful to me in the whole awful period of my suffering and sorrow. I felt the mighty energy of thy Holy Spirit. And now I long for his descent to my followers, and to my enemies upon earth. Remember, Holy Father, my trembling, fainting, disciples. Let them be endued with power from on high. And, according to the lines of mercy which this book contains, let my blood prevail for the salvation of my murderers. Father, forgive them, and send the Spirit to open their eyes, to soften their rugged, bloody, hearts!”
Immediately, the Third Divine Person, who is Jehovah, and is present in every place, began to appear in His mighty operations at Jerusalem, where Jesus was crucified. His disciples, having continued in earnest prayer for a number of days, were met together in one place. “Suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared to them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.” The power of Jehovah the Holy Spirit, which created the universe, works unseen, in a manner which no man or angel can fully explain; but it is known, and manifestly perceived, by its great effects. This glorious power was then strongly felt in the souls of the disciples of Jesus. They found the strength of their Creator coming near them, and like a rushing mighty wind, overturning their former ignorance, unbelief, and carnality, and bearing them forward, with an irresistible force, in the faith of Jesus, and in the resolute purpose of declaring His glory amidst His enemies. At the same time, a sweet fire of love was kindled in their breasts towards God and man, which melted down their whole hearts within them. They who a little before were dejected with grief, fearful, and faint-hearted, were now in a moment filled with triumphant gladness, and willing to encounter dangers and sufferings of the most terrifying kind, from love to Jesus and to the souls of men. They were also furnished, in an instant, with the power of speaking plainly and distinctly, languages of which till that hour they were entirely ignorant.
Nor did they speak in vain. Some thousands of the murderers of Jesus were gathered round them. These wicked people at first derided the disciples of Jesus. But one of the disciples, being full of the light and fire of Jehovah the Holy Spirit, lifted up his voice and addressed them. And while he was speaking, Jehovah the Holy Spirit began secretly to move upon the souls of these wicked men, who till then had been full of the hatred of Jesus, and who had cried out, Crucify Him, crucify Him. They were not able to resist that light which now entered their minds, any more than a man can stop the sun when rising in the morning. And now they began to see the Divine excellency of Jesus, whom they had murdered; and the thoughts of their having hated so glorious a Person, and having shed His blood, filled them with horror. The terror of the just indignation of Jehovah took hold of them, and they felt themselves ready to sink into everlasting flames as the vilest of wretches. But behold, ye people of Otaheite, the love of Jesus to His murderers! Behold the mighty power of the Holy Spirit, who is Jehovah! In a little while, these men were enlightened to see the glory of the obedience and blood of Jesus as sufficient to take away their dreadful guilt, and to make them, vile as they were, acceptable to Jehovah. They saw Jesus, whom they had murdered, looking down sweetly upon them, stretching out those hands which they had nailed to the cross, and saying to them, “Come to me, I am willing to save you.” They came to Him in their minds, and immediately their terrors were removed; they became the friends of Jesus, and were made joyful with His love. Such was the mighty working of Jehovah the Holy Spirit within the souls of these wicked men.
Observe attentively, dear brethren and sisters, the things which we now declare to you. All men are, in the sight of God, wicked. Those who seem less wicked than others are not truly good; secret desires of evil things lodge within them. Therefore a great change must take place in every soul that is saved, by the operation of the Holy Spirit, the Third Person, who is Jehovah. When the murderers of Jesus were made to love Him and became His friends, the change was manifest, the operation of infinite power was astonishing. But there is in every one who becomes truly good the same great change, though often in a more secret and less conspicuous manner. It is a new creation; it is a second birth. You cannot be saved, ye people of Otaheite, you cannot meet with Jehovah in this world, you cannot go into His glorious heaven when you die, unless you are thus new-created, unless you pass through this inward new birth of the immortal soul. Jesus, the Man who is Jehovah, hath declared this: “Verily, verily, except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”
We, who now stand before you, are living witnesses of this great inward work of Jehovah the Holy Spirit. Once we were wicked like others: we were darkness, we knew not Jehovah, though we had often heard men talk of Him in our own country: yea, we must with shame acknowledge before you, we were the enemies of Jehovah; we despised and hated Him who created us. We were more wicked than any of you are: for though Jehovah instructed us from our infancy and invited us to be saved, we would not regard Him. But, when we were not at all desiring it, Jehovah came upon us, and took hold of us by His mighty power. Then we were brought forth as into a new world; and we will tell the manner in which the great change was accomplished, though even the angels of heaven cannot fully explain it.
Having tried for a while to make ourselves happy by worldly and wicked pleasures, and having vainly imagined that we were able to make ourselves good, at length we became very uneasy and restless, so that nothing could please or comfort us. Thoughts of our immortal souls within us, of Jehovah whom we had despised, of death which we knew is coming upon us, and of eternity, vast awful eternity, of heaven and hell; thoughts of all these objects came often into our minds, and followed us night and day. Now we were much alone, and often mourned and wept in secret places, and began to fear that we must be lost for ever. We tried to make ourselves good, but we could not. The wickedness in which formerly we had delighted, now rose to our view in its horrible blackness: we felt wickedness still working in our nature, we could not come near to Jehovah, and the dread of His everlasting wrath took hold of us. But we heard of Jesus the Saviour, who suffered the punishment due to the wickedness of sinners; and we continued to cry to Jehovah, night and day, that He would have mercy on us, and receive us to His favour, and shew us His love for the sake of His beloved Son. At length the glorious day came, when Jehovah looked down upon us from His throne in the heavens. A light, far sweeter and brighter than that of the morning sun when he gently gilds your mountains, shone within us. We saw Jehovah embracing us through the blood of Jesus, we rejoiced in Him as our Father, we gave ourselves up willingly to love, serve, and glorify Him. “He brought us up out of an horrible pit, and out of the miry clay, and set our feet upon a rock, and established our goings. And he put a new song in our mouth, even praise to our God.”
We have told you, beloved brethren and sisters, of the great work of Jehovah the Holy Spirit which we felt in our souls. Thus we were born again—thus we entered into the family of Jehovah, the God of love. And we say to you, “You must be born again.” You are not so wicked as we once were. You are not so wicked as the murderers of Jesus were. But you are sinful creatures. You cannot understand the words of Jehovah, you cannot see Him with your minds, you cannot joyfully love Him, you cannot enter His heaven when you die, unless you pass through this second birth. And why should you not desire thus to be born again, and created anew by the Spirit of Jehovah? Why should you not long to see this marvellous light in your minds, and to feel this Divine sweetness and purity within you? There is pain, anxiety, and struggling in this second birth. But soon the pain will be over. Oh that you knew the glorious power and sweetness of this inward creation! Cry for it to heaven. Let each one of you say, “Come, thou Holy Spirit of Jehovah, breathe on this dead, corrupted soul within me. Create in me a clean heart, renew in me a right spirit. Bring me now, even now, into the kingdom of Jesus, and shew me the glorious love of Jehovah.” We will be ready to die for gladness as soon as we behold any of you made new creatures by the Almighty Spirit. We will embrace you as our brethren and sisters in Christ Jesus. Yea, all heaven will rejoice: the very trees will sing out at the presence of Jehovah: this ocean will smile as it hath not done for thousands of years: these floods will clap their hands, and these hills will be joyful together!
THIRTEENTH ADDRESS.
“HEAR, all ye people; hearken, O earth, and all that is therein: and let the Lord God be witness against you, the Lord from his holy temple! For behold Jehovah cometh forth out of his place, and will come down, and tread upon the high places of the earth! And the mountains shall be molten under him, and the vallies shall be cleft, as wax before the fire, and as the waters that are poured down a steep place!”
Beloved friends, you are the children of our affection and care, of whom we travail in birth until Christ be formed in you. We have declared to you the name of Jesus Christ the Son of God, His sufferings and glory, and the sweetness of that great salvation which Jehovah the Holy Spirit brings into the miserable soul. While we have been speaking in your ears, the eyes of the holy angels of God, and the eyes of Jehovah Himself, have been upon you. We behold your outward appearance, but He looks within upon your hearts. If any of you should harden his heart, and despise the words of Jehovah, He will immediately see it. And we are afraid lest you should only wonder for a little, and then turn away from the pleasant paths of the true and living God. But you say to us, what then shall we do?
We have told you of the second birth, the new creation of the soul by the mighty power of Jehovah the Holy Spirit. We know you cannot give yourselves this second birth; and till it takes place, you can never feel the sweetness of the name of Jesus. Therefore, we advise you to long and to seek after it, that you may see in your minds the great light of Jehovah, and may feel the operation of that power which created you in the beginning.
Brethren and sisters, you are not like the beasts of the field: you stand upright, looking to the heavens, and there is an immortal spirit within you. Therefore you can consider the words and wonders of Jehovah. And it is while men are hearing His word, and thinking of it, and endeavouring to follow it, and yet find they cannot understand or obey it, because of darkness and wickedness within; it is then that Jehovah the Holy Spirit comes, causing them to pass through the second birth. We will therefore shew you the way wherein you are to seek Jehovah, and the power of His sovereign grace. “Come, ye fathers and children, hearken unto us, and we will teach you the fear of Jehovah.” The great change in the heart of man is affected by the almighty power of Jehovah the Holy Spirit. But that same Holy Spirit hath prepared an instrument whereby He operates on the soul. This instrument is the word of God. We have therefore brought with us the book of Jehovah, which contains all His words. If you desire to be created anew, you must give the most sacred attention to this great book. We wish you were able to read it, we will endeavour to teach you to read it for yourselves; and in the meanwhile, we will frequently read it, and declare it to you.
We have told you many wonderful and glorious things. And while we were speaking, you have wondered how we have obtained the knowledge of such things. It was from the book of Jehovah that we learned them; therefore we are sure the things we told you are truth, for it is impossible for God to lie. You say to us, how did this great book come? how was it written? It was a long time in preparing, even many hundreds of years. There were a great many holy men, who lived in different places, and at far distant times from each other. Jehovah the Holy Spirit came upon these holy men, filled them with wonderful light that they could not err, and caused them to write every word of this book. The first of these holy men was Moses, who was in the mount with God, as we formerly told you. He wrote the first part of the book of Jehovah. After him there were many prophets, some of them very wise and powerful kings, who were moved by Jehovah the Holy Spirit to write other parts of the Divine book. At last when Jesus, the Man who is Jehovah, had come into the world, and ascended into heaven, He sent the Holy Spirit, and caused His friends and apostles to finish this great writing. Behold, ye people of Otaheite, a book all Divine, all wisdom, all purity and love!
But still you say, how do you know that this book is indeed the writing of Jehovah? We answer, the men who wrote this book were well known to be very holy, wise, and humble men. They declared that the Spirit of Jehovah came mightily upon them, causing them to write this book. Many of them did, at the same time, perform such wonderful works, as manifestly shewed that Jehovah Himself was with them. They foretold things many hundreds of years before they happened, when no human sagacity could possibly foresee them. And this book was sealed with the blood of some of those who wrote it. You ask us, how we know that this book is Jehovah’s book? We ask you, how do you know that the sun now shines in the heavens? How do you know that the fruit of these trees is pleasant, and wholesome, and suited to strengthen and to nourish you? You wonder that we should ask such questions, because the matter is so plain. It is equally plain to us that this writing is Divine: we look into it, we see God shining throughout every part of it; we feed upon these words daily, they strengthen and cheer our souls.
It is only, however, by passing through the second birth, that men fully know and perceive the Divine glories of this book. Then we wander up and down in it with great delight, as in a pleasant garden. But even before you pass through that second birth, your spirits within you may in some degree understand, if you attentively consider it, that this book is Divine. Hearken to the words of this book. You will perceive the voice of God in them; you will find them as different from other words, as the thunder of the heavens is different from the voice of a man. And while you are attentively considering the words of this book, Jehovah the Holy Spirit will come upon you, causing you to pass through the second birth. Then it will not be necessary that we should say to you, this is the book of God: you will feel its Divine light and sweetness in your hearts.
Beloved brethren and sisters, come forth into the light of Jehovah, come into His delightful garden. Do you not long to feel this second birth, and to become the children of the Most High? You remember the things which we have declared to you concerning the laws of Jehovah, concerning the wickedness of man, and concerning Jesus the glorious Saviour. These things you must very often think of, while you walk among the trees and sit under their shadow. And you must never give over crying to Jehovah, till He show you these things in your minds, and till by His power your souls within you are enlightened, melted down, and created anew.
Through many difficulties and dangers we have come from afar, dear friends, to prevent your falling into the gulf of eternal darkness and fire, and that, escaping from the wicked spirits, you may shine and rejoice in heaven for ever and ever. This is our design; but we shall not be able to accomplish it, unless you seek after this second birth of the soul. And we are greatly afraid lest you should turn aside from its first beginnings. If you desire to be saved, you must be willing to lay aside all proud thoughts of your present goodness and happiness. If you refuse to be awakened, and to feel your wickedness and misery, Jesus the great Saviour will keep at a distance from you. The wicked spirits will say to you, you are already good, and righteous, and happy. But believe them not, believe the book of Jehovah who cannot lie, and who is infinitely kind and gracious. Submit to the uneasiness of seeing yourselves lost creatures, and worthy of the wrath of Jehovah. Soon He will show you His love, and lift you up to heaven by His sweet consolations. When this is done, you will seek after all the ways of Jehovah: He will put His laws into your hearts, and we will joyfully lead you in the paths of wisdom, which are all pleasantness and peace. In the meanwhile, even before you are created again, you must try to accustom yourselves to the ways and commandments of Jehovah. We know not when and in what service you may meet with Him.
He commands us often to go into retired places, there to speak to Him in prayer. He commands us to sing to Him songs of praise and thankfulness. He encourages us to converse with one another concerning Him, and His words and ways. He requires us to assemble together to worship Him in public, and to declare His word. He has appointed the first day of each seven to be devoted entirely to His service. Then we forget this world, and rise in our souls to the enjoyments and pleasures of eternity. In obeying these commandments we find great advantage and inward joy, so that we are never weary of them. In the book of Jehovah one of the ancient kings, who was inspired by the Spirit of Jehovah, speaks in this manner of the delight which he found in worshipping and serving our God: “How amiable are thy tabernacles, O Jehovah, God of the armies of heaven! My soul longeth, yea even fainteth for the courts of Jehovah: my heart and my flesh crieth out for the living God; to see thy power and thy glory, so as I have seen thee in the sanctuary. Because thy loving kindness is better than life, my lips shall praise thee. I will bless thee while I live. My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness; and my mouth shall praise thee with joyful lips. For a day in thy courts is better than a thousand: I had rather be a doot-keeper in the house of my God, than to dwell in the tents of wickedness.” These are the words of that holy king. We have often felt that these words are true: and you, ye people of Otaheite, when you have passed through the second birth, shall feel that there is life and sweetness in the service of Jehovah, very different from the dead, gloomy, bloody, and impure service of false gods.
We wish you to join with us in praying, and singing to Jehovah, and in considering His word; for He can come upon you in a moment, while you are endeavouring to worship Him, and cause you to be born of His Spirit. But there are two peculiarly solemn institutions of Jehovah, to which you cannot be admitted, until you are already created anew in Christ Jesus. The first of these is called Baptism. It is a solemn washing with water in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. While water is applied to the body, the Holy Spirit within fills the person with joy, in knowing that all his sins are washed away by the blood of Jesus, and that, having been born again, he is now devoted to the service of Jehovah. This is done only once. The other solemn institution, called the Lord’s Supper, is often repeated. We receive a little bread and wine, remembering that the body of Jesus was broken and wounded, and His blood poured out upon the cross for our sins. Then the Holy Spirit comes mightily into our souls, shewing us the dying love of Jesus, which strengthens and cheers our immortal spirits, as bread and wine give strength and comfort to our bodies.
But we are afraid, dear brethren and sisters, lest you should be offended at the first beginnings of the new and heavenly birth. We are afraid lest you should imagine yourselves to be already good enough and happy enough; and lest, when you begin to feel uneasiness for your sins and the wrath of Jehovah, you should become angry and turn away from us, and not wait for the power and love of Jesus the Saviour. Still, however, we will not be discouraged, for our God hath loved many poor sinners before He created the world, and those whom He hath so loved He will visit with His power. We hope He hath loved some of you, perhaps many, perhaps all of you, who are now present, before the creation of the world. And if He hath loved you, though you should be at first exceedingly unwilling, and even full of anger against His word, yet He will take hold of you, and His power will overcome your hearts. Then you will be astonished, you will cast yourselves down at the feet of Jesus, you will embrace Him as your Saviour and your King, and you will wonder every day that Jehovah should now love you in such a manner, and that He should have so loved you before you were born, before the creation of the world.
(To be Continued.)