1. “ C. Β.,” Great Grimsby. A prophet, in the sense of 1 Cor. 14 is one who gives you the mind of God on any subject, or who brings your conscience into the light of God’s presence. We most surely believe that, in this sense of the term, there are prophets in the Church of God.
2. “Α. Ο. M.,” Trincomalee. We thank you, most heartily, for your kind and interesting letter; but we must beg of you to excuse our unwillingness to enter upon your question. We deem it our duty, before God, to confine ourselves, in the conducting of this Magazine, to matters bearing directly upon the salvation of perishing souls, or the edification of God’s dear people. And, judging from the excellent spirit and tone of your letter, we feel assured, dear friend, that you fully sympathize with us in this matter. Controversy may have its place and its value; but we are convinced it is not our line of things. May the Lord greatly bless you!
3. “Ε. K.,” Wallingford. We believe that in Rom. 7 the apostle gives us the exercise of a quickened soul not knowing deliverance. It is, to use a figure, a man who has got out of a morass describing his feelings when he was in it. Do you think Paul was a “wretched man” crying out for deliverance, when he penned his epistle to the Romans? Most certainly not. He was a happy man rejoicing in full deliverance. But he is describing the exercises of a quickened soul still under the law, and having no power against sin. This is not proper christian experience. Can a Christian never do right? Must he always do wrong? Can a Christian say, “How to perform that which is good, I find not?” The fact is, in all this part of the chapter, you do not get the Holy Ghost in His indwelling power. There is new life: but there is no power—no sense of full deliverance—no consciousness of victory. All this you have in chapter 8 which is proper christian experience. “ But our space forbids our going further into this profoundly interesting, though sadly misunderstood, passage of scripture. We believe that many of God’s beloved people have never got out of Rom. 7; and while we must admit that we should much prefer being honestly in chapter vii. to being falsely in chapter 8, yet we do not and cannot admit that chapter 7 is the proper place for one who ought to know the enfranchising power of these words, “There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus.” It is very good for the soul to pass through Rom. 7; but it is not for the glory of God that he should stay there. If it is right for all to remain in chapter 7, then for what end did the Holy Ghost pen chapter 8?
4. “J. B.,” Melbourne. Your letter is most encouraging. Accept our warmest thanks. Such communications are eminently calculated to stir us up to all diligence in the preparation of our little serial. You ask for an explanation of Mark 9:49. It is difficult to handle this great practical passage in our brief space. “Every one shall be salted with fire.” This refers to the judgment of man as a sinner. “Every sacrifice shall be salted with salt.” This refers to the testing, soul-subduing exercise through which every saint must pass. “It is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment.” This is the salting with fire. “If we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged”—“Let a man examine himself”—“Mortify your members”—“I keep under my body.” These and such like passages, together with the chastening, discipline, and governmental dealings of God our Father, present, as we judge, the salting with salt. If we have escaped the judgment of fire through the death of Christ, we ought to seek to be an acceptable “ sacrifice” to God, and in order to this there must be the “salt,” that great preservative from corruption. “Let your conversation be always with grace seasoned with salt.”
5. “R. Τ. Α.,” Cork. Acts 12:3 may at least teach us how little the Jews entered into the true meaning of the feast of unleavened bread, when they could take pleasure in the cruel actings of the ungodly Herod. Rom. 1:17 should be read, “Therein is the righteousness of God, on the principle of faith, revealed to faith.” Verse 18 simply refers to persons professing the truth but living in practical unrighteousness. Alas! no uncommon case.
6. “S. H.,” Blackheath. Ask your friend to read the paper on Heb. 6:1-10 in our fourth volume, page 25.
7. “A Sunday School Teacher” We can only praise the Lord, with a full heart, for your letter. May He be pleased to crown your interesting labors, yet more abundantly, with His blessing. We rejoice in the growing interest of the Lord’s people in the blessed work of Sunday school teaching. Be assured it is a good work, and one which will be rewarded in the day of Christ. As to your question, we are of opinion that it is the sweet privilege even of babes in Christ to be at the table of their Lord. It is not a question of age, but of spiritual life. Cannot the Holy Ghost give understanding to a child of eleven or fourteen years of age? Where is there any authority in scripture for excluding believing children from the Lord’s table? No doubt it is well for children to know and consider what they are doing in coming to the Lord’s table, and to take the step in faith and with an exercised conscience. But the same holds good in reference to adults. There may be circumstances in any given case calling for special vigilance and caution; but the Lord’s table is spread upon such a basis as to embrace every member of the body of Christ.
8. “A. E.,” Ealing. 1 Cor. 5:5 does not apply to your case at all. It is the case of one who had not judged his thoughts or judged himself, and therefore the assembly was called to judge him. We trust you seek grace to judge your thoughts. There is a vast difference between treating such thoughts as vile intruders, and providing them with furnished lodgings. Phil. 4 y, 9 is a fine antidote against evil thoughts.
Communications have come to hand from “E. C,” London. “A. R. B.,” Islington. “A. Z.,I London. “T. S.,” Crewe. “G. F. H.,” Faversham. “Β. Α.,” Mile-end. “A Constant Reader,” Brighton. “W. M.,” Dumfries. “W.K.,” Belfast. “P. J. K,” Stratford-on-won. “F. G. S.,” Brixton Road. “T. W.,” Bristol. “M. D.” Weston-super-Mare. “J. C,” near Stonehouse. “T. W. B.” “Enquirer,” Bradford. “E. S.,” Ramsgate. “Β. Β. B,” Barnstaple. “G. H,” Ramsgate. “Χ. Τ. M.” Brixham.