Time will only permit us to speak of one other aspect which the profession of Moses involved. We refer to the triumphant and glorious overthrow of the flower of Egypt at the Red Sea. Grace deals with the resurgence of old enemies from within and without, and we need to learn, that the Spirit of God convinces, not only of sin and of righteousness, but of judgment too, for now is the prince of this world cast out. Whatever the unbelieving fears of Israel were, as they saw their deadly oppressors more determined than ever to devour their prey, Israel’s former victories were not to be nullified by this terrifying sight. God opened up a way of escape for them by His miraculous power, “By faith they passed through the Red Sea as by dry land: which the Egyptians assaying to do were drowned” (Hebrews 11:29). There was no contrition in Pharaoh’s repentance, nor had he profited by past experience of divine power. The wise are thus taken in their own craftiness, and the Lord has his enemies in derision. Lured by the passage of the chosen of God through the Red Sea, they pursue, without warrant into that very path, only to be swallowed up in the jaws of death. Now, if we read carefully the holy song that celebrated that victory, we can surely trace the significance of that fact, that the song of the redeemed in glory is designated as “The song of Moses the servant of God and of the Lamb” (Revelation 15:3). This triumphant song exalts God, while it describes graphically and poetically what took place. “Thy right hand, O Lord hath dashed in pieces the enemy. And in the greatness of thy excellency thou hast overthrown them that rose up against thee: thou sentest forth thy wrath which consumed them as stubble” (Exodus 15:6,7).
Read the triumphal ode and see if you can find in it, the least trace of sorrow for the slain, the most meagre compliment to those who fell. No such note can you detect, as in battles between man and man, for this is a song of redemption, in which we read, “The Lord shall reign for ever and ever.” (Exodus 15:18). Their joy was not tinged with sadness, nor will that holy rapturous song of the redeemed in glory be affected in any such way by the final and eternal destruction of Satan and the impenitent. Carnally minded dignitaries of the church tell us that the very idea of hell is incompatible with that of heaven. Ah, how little they know! How ill disposed are they to hear, let alone consider, the words of John in Revelation chapter 19 verses 1 to 3: “And after those things I heard a great voice of much people in heaven saying, Alleluia; salvation and glory and honour and power unto the Lord our God: for true and righteous are his judgments; for he hath judged the great whore which did corrupt the earth with her fornication, and hath avenged the blood of his servants at her hand. And again they said Alleluia. And her smoke rose up for ever and ever.” Swallowed up in the will and enjoyment of God, and sweetly supported by a sense of acquiescence in the justice of God, the sighs of the lost will increase, rather than diminish the joy of the ransomed of the Lord.
Fathers and Brethren, by this same grace, we are gathered here tonight, for “By grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God” (Ephesians 2:8). The magnitude, the marvel, and the mystery of that grace may be gauged (if I may use that term), by considering that the very contemplation of its exhibition and execution afforded ineffable, mutual and boundless joy between the persons of the everlasting Trinity from eternity. This truth we think is indicated in that sublime passage in the Book of Proverbs, chapter 8, verse 23, where Christ speaks under the figure of wisdom. There we read: “The Lord possessed me in the beginning of his way, before his works of old. I was set up from everlasting, from the beginning, ere ever the earth was. When he gave to the sea his decree that the waters should not pass his commandment; when he appointed the foundations of the earth: Then I was with him, as one brought up with him and I was daily his delight rejoicing always before him, rejoicing in the habitable parts of the earth, and my delights were with the sons of men.” So much then for the confession of Moses — Oh, may it be yours in truth, and may it be mine.
Let us turn now to consider the nature of that separation, by which it is best manifested that the church has found grace in the sight of God. It evidently lies in the fact of the continued presence of God among them. If He does not go with them, if He does not abide with them, then neither they, nor Moses shall be separated from all the people that are upon the face of the earth. Was it not Moses’ very understanding of this, that made him exclaim so fervently, “If thy presence go not with me, carry us not up hence” (Exodus 33:15). The measure of this spiritual separation is proportionate to that of the gracious presence of Jehovah among them. Well Moses knew that it could not be accomplished in any other way. Now, without His presence the boundaries between Israel and the world of other nations would soon be broken down, and they would no longer dwell in safety alone. The world is ever seeking to entice the church of God to join with her or, at least, to narrow the gap which ought to exist between them. Spurred on by success in many quarters, she speaks persistently to prevail upon the people of God to compromise. Prompted by Satan, the god of this world, she endeavours to persuade the church that she is not the enemy of God. Little by little, the church too often succumbs to the temptation, and begins to tolerate what God hates. The spirit of the world invades the church, until it becomes a place where worldly men can enjoy her services, and use their association with her for their own carnal ends. The church’s witness is thus blurred, and her strength for good withdrawn, in the measure with which worldliness gains a footing. The church may thus fondly think that she is successfully attracting and overcoming the world, but vast accessions from the ranks of the unregenerate exert no influence for good, nor can they compensate for the loss of the Divine presence. The highest service therefore, that the true people of God can render to this world, is that of separation. That may sound paradoxical, but it is true, for carnal ‘unsaved believers’ make no spiritual or saving impact on the world. Indeed, all too frequently they only help to confirm the ungodly in their conviction, that the gulf between themselves and the truly penitent is not so great after all; that it is merely a matter of degree, and not of nature, and that they and the church have so much in common, that they should unite and agree, rather than be suspicious of one another. Brethren, as the iron and the clay do not mix, neither does even the ‘respectable’ world, and the true church of God. Having stated categorically that a policy of separation is not only the best service, but the best witness, to the reality and power of grace received, we must in all fairness offer a word of explanation as to the nature of that separation — which is the work of grace.
I. It is not Pharisaical separation which grace produces.
There is such a thing, a ‘holier than thou’ attitude, and the race of Pharisees is not extinct! We read of them in Isaiah’s time. After speaking of their rebellious and unholy activities, over against the outstretched hands of Jehovah, the prophet refers to their language — “Which say, Stand by thyself, come not near to me; for I am holier than thou.” “These,” says God, “are as smoke in my nose, a fire that burneth all the day” (Isaiah 65:5). This fearful attitude is born of pride and ignorance, a very evil, but very common combination. Pride, spiritual pride, is its ailment and element. It is an abomination and a curse in the sight of God, and leads to the grievous sin of despising others. Beware, my friends, of self conceit, of a self-styled, self-originated authority to judge others. This blind proud posture of hypocritical and hypercritical separation from all others, is epitomised in the words of the poor Pharisee, who worshipped God in the temple. Instead of spending more time in extolling himself, under pretext of giving thanks to God, he cuts short his prayer by saying, summarily, “I am not even as this publican” (Luke 18:11). The Saviour declared most clearly the design of the parable, where this Pharisee and his sin are portrayed, by saying, “And he spake this parable unto certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous and despised others:” (Luke 18:9). Cursed separation it is, that magnifies, and sees with lynx eye the sins of others, while blind to their own corrupt and more deadly sins of the spirit, such as envy, pride, malice, guile, evil-speaking and self sufficiency. It is surely a most unenviable attitude which breeds contempt for our fellow men. Are we guilty brethren? Let your own consciences answer.
This much we know, that such is the hypocrisy of our hearts, that we can make ourselves believe that we have the prayer of the publican, and even take comfort from it, while we manifest most clearly the conduct and spirit of the Pharisee. A separation of this nature should never be attributed to grace, which is calculated above all else to beget within us a deep and deepening sense of our own utter sinfulness and corruption, and a growing distrust of ourselves in the sight of an infinitely holy God. The language of grace is ‘O what a sinner I am — I am not worthy of the least of all thy mercies; O, my need of the precious cleansing efficacy of the Blood of Jesus. The sight of the outcast makes me cry, ‘There, but for the grace of God go I’.
II. Further, separation from the world on the part of the believer does not mean lack of concern for the spiritual, moral, social, physical needs of the world.
We may not, like the Pharisee, despise the publican, but we may feel no guilt at all on account of our lack of genuine concern for the salvation of our fellow men. If we have received grace from God, it has altered radically our relationship to God, to the godly, and to the ungodly. Possession of grace effects a new and special care for the ungodly. The benevolent love begotten in the soul by the Spirit of God is not inoperative. By its exercise, the ungodly have a place hitherto unknown in heart and prayer, and there is a desire to do what we can to reach such, with the claims of Law and Gospel. A selfish, indifferent, careless attitude is replaced by a deep concern for their salvation. The appeal of monasticism is seen to be but an escape from reality, and the Christian seeks rather to discharge all his duties towards the careless and ungodly in a spirit of tenderness, loyalty and forbearance, praying that his presence and witness in the world may be blessed to them. The ungodly may think it strange that we do not run with them to the same excess of riot, but let them not be able to point to neglect of duty on our part. A conscientious involvement with the affairs of this life, a steady and cheerful discharge of the various tasks and duties common to all, is quite consistent with the separation we speak of. If a man is too holy to labour honestly among his fellow-citizens, his claim to holiness is suspect.
If believers allow the agnostic, the humanist, the sceptic, to take over all positions of influence in the varied realms of life, his prided separation may be nothing more than a disguised form of indifference and selfishness, or an indication that he is ashamed to own his Lord in the presence of the ungodly. Perhaps the most telling condemnation of sin comes from those who, though working among the ungodly, are seen to be so different from them. Their gracious convictions regarding the sanctity of the ordinances of work and marriage, their unselfish and conscientious fulfilment of duty, their refusal to stoop to anything sordid, fraudulent or questionable, their readiness to suffer loss, rather than gain money by desecrating the Lord’s day, and above all, their holy contentment with a life that appears as dull as it is simple, to this pleasure mad generation: these are the things that indicate a true and gracious separation from the world that lieth in the wicked one.
III. More positively then, the true separation of the Israel of God cuts much deeper than any mere external separation or witness.
By the grace of God, the redeemed of the Lord are under peculiar obligations to their merciful and holy Deliverer, and feel separated in heart, life, spirit and interest. Like Israel of old, they are under the law of One to whom they are incalculably indebted, and by loving, sincere, and universal obedience to His law, they are separated from others. The Christian is a new creature in Christ Jesus; his nature as well as his state is changed; his citizenship is in heaven, he is but a pilgrim here. The secret of true spiritual separation lies in the hidden man of the heart. Faith is the root, as can be seen from Hebrews, chapter 11, verse 13: “These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. For they that say such things declare that they seek a country.” Having been translated from the kingdom of darkness to that of God’s dear Son, they are still in the world, but not of it. They therefore should seek to have no complicity with evil, and no desire for intimate association with unregenerate men. Now in God’s family, they love the brethren, they are joined together in Christ, and should be known by their new associates, interests, desires and pursuits.
IV. In the idea of separation there is also that of devotion.
The godly are not just separate from sin and sinners, but separated unto God. Like the vessels of the sanctuary they are consecrated to Him, they belong to Him, they are His in a special way. Therefore, their lives, energies, talents, and all that they have and are ought to be spent in His service. Such service properly estimated, is regarded as an honour. In general terms, this same principle of separation, as the fruit of grace, is declared in Paul’s Epistle to Titus, where we read in chapter 2, verses 12, 13, 14: “For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, teaching us that denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present world; looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour, Jesus Christ; Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people zealous of good works.”
V. Ecclesiastical separation
Finally, we come to this vexed subject. In our view, it should be obvious to all who are true believers in the Lord Jesus, that they should sever their connection from openly erroneous, profane, frivolous, lax idolatrous teaching within the church, as surely as from the spirit of iniquity outwith its bounds. If a child of God finds himself in a denomination where the Word of God is not believed, loved, and honoured in its totality, we believe that God’s call to such is “Come out from among them and be ye separate, saith the Lord, Touch not the unclean thing, and I will receive you, and will be a Father unto you and ye shall be my sons and daughters saith the Lord Almighty.” (2nd Cor. 6:17, 18).
With regard to the formation of our beloved church, we may state that that call was heard, and acted upon, by the late Rev. Donald MacFarlane. By the passing of the Declaratory Act in the Free Church Assembly of 1892, he saw and appreciated what was at stake. Those who set themselves against the inspiration and inerrancy of Scripture, set themselves against no solitary article of the faith. It is the Gospel in its integrity and totality that is in danger. It is all that is God-honouring, saving, comforting, and edifying that is imperilled. Good and valid were our reasons then for our separation from the old Free Church. A mutilated Bible, and a mutilated Confession of Faith were substituted for the whole Word of God, and the entire unreserved acceptance of the doctrines of the Confession of Faith.
Fathers, and Brethren, we owe it to the generation now inheriting the premises, and to posterity, to conserve and propagate the precious deposit, which, by the grace of God was given to us. Woe then to us, if we despise our God given heritage, and woe to any one of us if we shelter in our privileges, rather than in Christ, who is the only and glorious Head of His body, the Church, ‘for in all things He must have the pre-eminence’.