37. “Evangelist” London. The life of faith, in its every stage, its every step, is, and must be, intensely individual. No one can act faith for another; and no one ought to dare to intrude upon another’s path. We may and ought to encourage one another to trust God—to strengthen each other’s hands in God; but for anyone to counsel another to do this or that, unless there be distinct faith for it, is, in our judgment, a very grave mistake indeed. Hence, dear friend, if you are not thoroughly clear in your own soul as to whether it would be, as you say, “faith or folly” to abandon your present position, we should strongly recommend you to pause. It is a serious thing to go beyond your depth—to feel the surgings of the tide of circumstances, if your feet are not on the rock. We have no fears on God’s side of the question. He never fails a trusting heart. But, from the style and tone of your letter, we should have great fears for you. Could you imagine Abraham asking anyone if it would be “ faith or folly” for him to leave Ur of the Chaldees? Could you conceive Moses asking if it would be “faith or folly” for him to leave the court of Pharaoh? Of course, we most fully believe that your position would be a false one for us; and that to abandon it would be true wisdom; but you must see this for yourself. You must have it from God, and act before Him, else it will all end in confusion and disaster. “Never go before your faith and never lag behind your conscience.” This is a most excellent maxim. May we all be enabled to act upon it! The Lord bless, guide, and keep you!
38. “W. B.,” Notting Hill. We conclude, from what you say, that your own mind is ill at ease in reference to the matter about which you ask counsel; and we would therefore recommend you not to do anything with a doubtful mind. “Whatsoever is not of faith is sin.” Look to the Lord for guidance in this thing. See if you can do it to His glory; and if not, lay it aside. It must be between your own soul and the Lord. Oh, nothing with a doubtful mind. How precious to be able to bring everything, great or small, to Him!
89. “A Young Learner,” London. 1 John 1:77But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. (1 John 1:7) teaches us that the proper sphere of the “life” which we possess is “the light.” It is there we are to walk. It is our privilege to be always in the light as God is in the light; and it is only as believers walk in the light that they have fellowship one with another. If one Christian is walking in the light and another is not, they may have intercourse, but they have no fellowship. The new man can only live in the light. It is his proper element. To take him out of it is like taking a fish out of water. Our true place is in the light, and the more we dwell there, the more clearly and fully we enter into the precious truth that “The blood of Jesus Christ, God’s Son, cleanseth us from all sin.” The light of God’s presence makes manifest that there is not a single speck of sin upon us. We have sin in us; but none on us, because Christ who had no sin in Him had all ours on Him, on the cross; but He has, by His precious death, put all away and brought us into the divine presence without a single stain. And then, when we fail, as alas! we do—when we sin in thought, word, or deed, the blessed Advocate, “Jesus Christ the righteous,” goes to the Father about it; and the other Advocate, the Holy Ghost in us, causes us to feel the sin and confess it to God who is “faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” Thus our communion is restored. Thank God there is no need why we should sin. “These things write we unto you that ye sin not.” But alas! we are liable to sin; and “If any man sin we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous; and he is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for the whole world.” God be praised for all this marvelous grace, and rich provision for our every need!
40. “A reader of “Things New and Old” Exeter. In the reply as to woman’s preaching, there is not the most remote reference to the blessed work of Sunday-school teaching. God forbid that any one should think for a moment that we could pen a line calculated to discourage a christian woman from such an interesting service, provided she be fitted for it, and can engage in it without interfering with necessary home duties. We cannot but think that if you will only read the answer again, with any measure of care, you will see that your letter was quite uncalled for. We consider Sunday-school teaching to be just one of the very things in which “women can labor in the gospel.” It is not speaking in assembly. It is not teaching or usurping authority over a man; but teaching children the word of God. It is not assuming the place of a public speaker—so unseemly for a woman. In short, it is a work in which she can most suitably and blessedly engage; and we can say, with a full heart, may God’s richest blessing rest on all who are so engaged!
41. “C. H.,” Dorchester. We heartily thank you for your kind and encouraging letter, and for your faithfulness in calling our attention to the very questionable expression in the poetry for May, 24 “Thy robe of innocence.” No doubt, the writer considered the child irresponsible. This, together with strong affection and poetic license, must account for the mistake. But it by no means excuses us for allowing it to pass. We fully own failure in editorial faithfulness, and we shall have the entire stanza omitted in our next edition.
Note. —We have, once more, to request our Correspondents not to send us stamped envelopes, as we cannot undertake to send direct replies. And, further, many of our friends are in the habit of looking for answers “in next month’s number.” This is often impossible. We received a letter dated April 25, requesting an answer in our May issue. The fact is, our copy for May was in the printer’s hands three weeks before the date of our Correspondent’s letter.