63. Ashford. You must not expect to have correct thoughts of many portions of the Epistle to the Hebrews, unless you remember that the persons addressed had been practically and educationally Jews, before they professed Christianity. Their danger was to abandon Christianity, and to return to Judaism. Strictly speaking, therefore, the former part of chapter 6 could not be fully applied to Gentile professors. Observe, their description does not include faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Tasting the good word of God, is not tasting that the Lord is gracious; and being made a partaker of the Holy Ghost as Balaam was, and thus empowered to utter such sublime prophecies, is not being sealed with the Holy Ghost, consequent on believing on our Lord Jesus. A person may have everything short of faith on our Lord Jesus Christ, and not be a child of God. There are many serious warnings in scripture, but we have not yet read of a child of God ever ceasing to be God’s child. How could he?
64. “A Learner.” No doubt Melchisedec was a, man, one of Adam’s posterity, of like passions with ourselves. But, in the inspired account, there is no mention of his descent, or death. Hence, as the account stands in scripture, he is, by its silence on these and other details, a remarkable type of Christ, the priest forever after the order of Melchisedec. He is therefore described in Heb. 7 as a type of Christ as priest. Moreover, he was not a priest to offer sacrifice as was Aaron, but a blessing priest, and as such, had no successor. Thus Jesus, the Son of God is, and will be forever, a blessing Priest. Thanks be to God forever for such a High Priest!
65. “H.,” Tottenham. It is always painful to find that christian parents neglect to care for the souls of their children; but to hear of parents, who have taken their place with others in the Lord’s name, as having gone forth unto Him without the camp to bear His reproach, sending their children to Ritualistic schools where they receive “holy crosses” (so called) on their little brows, really shocks us. We can only sigh and groan before the Lord over such appalling cases. Where can conscience be? We earnestly and affectionately entreat all christian parents who send their children to such places, and to other places where they themselves could not go, to judge themselves before the Lord, and confess their sin to Him, who has said by the Holy Ghost, “ Bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.” Is it not clear that modern Ritualism undermines the finished work of the cross, subverts the gospel, puts up again the veil which has been rent, deceives the sinner, and places the believer with an earthly order of priesthood at a distance from God?
66. “J. B.,” Kingstown. Thanks for your kind suggestion. May the Lord guide for His own glory!
67. “B.,” Peckham Rye. Received.
68. Newton Abbot. Worship in spirit and in truth is not a question of expediency, but of obedience to the word of God, and subjection to the Holy Ghost. There will then surely be both reverence and godly fear. It seems to us that those who sit as you describe during united prayer, can have little sense in their souls of what becomes those who are really praying, unless bodily disease, or infirmity, prevent the reverent posture of kneeling. Above all, God looks for “the prayer of faith,” and “praying in the Holy Ghost.”
69. “J. W.,” Plumstead. We cannot accept your paper. Controversy is not the object of our little serial.
70. “J.,” Manchester. Thanks for your encouraging letter. We will consider your kind suggestion.
71. “Α.,” Market Harbro’. 1 John 3:7-9 teaches, 1St, that righteous actings, according to Him who is righteous, show the person to be born of God, and “in Christ” who is made unto him “righteousness.” 2nd, That he who practices sin is not of God, but of the devil. 3rdly, That he who is born of God does not practice sin, that his new nature cannot sin. This subject has been more fully gone into in our issue for April last.
Jas. 1:12-15 shows that the path of trial is the path of blessing. (Ver. 12.) God can and does try us in circumstances, bodily health, and the like, in order to bless us; but God cannot tempt to the drawing forth of lust. (Vers. 13-15)
72. “Naomi,” Gosport. The divine order in scripture is “spirit and soul and body.’ (1 Thess. 5:23.) It comprises man’s whole being. Soul is used often for man as a whole, both in the Old Testament and the New. “The sons of Joseph which were born him in Egypt were two souls; all the souls of the house of Jacob which came into Egypt were threescore and ten.” (Gen. 46:27.) In the ship with Paul, there were “two hundred, threescore, and sixteen souls” (Acts 27:37.) The word “spirit” is used of a beast, but only in one place, though not apparently distinguishing it from its soul, which perishes in death. (Eccl. 3:21)
Man’s soul and spirit are from God’s in-breathing, as distinct from the body which He formed from the dust of the ground, and it is therefore immortal, or exists forever. “The Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.” (Gen. 2:7.) We never read of a mortal soul, but we do of a “mortal body.” Scripture clearly distinguishes between soul and spirit; the word as the sharp sword of the Spirit, only can separate them. “For the word of God is quick and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” (Heb. 4:12.) Spirit and soul in man are alike undying. “The spirit shall return unto God that gave it;” and “fear not them which kill the body, and are not able to kill the soul” Beasts have life, or souls of an inferior order, but they are part of their organization. (See Gen. 1:30 marg., 7:22) The soul is generally spoken of as the seat of the affections, but this faculty is possessed by brutes in measure, and in an inferior character. “The spirit” as another has said, “is that which is most excellent in our moral being, that by which we are placed in relationship with God, and distinguished from the brutes.” “What man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him?” “The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God.” (1 Cor. 2:11; Rom. 8:16.)
By “conscience” we understand the inward moral sense of good and evil. To know good and evil, is God’s way of describing the acquisition of conscience when man fell. Man naturally therefore has a conscience, and when merely knowing that he has done what is evil, he has a defiled conscience. (Titus 1:15.) When he judges himself to be guilty in the sight of God, he has an evil conscience. (Heb. 10:22.) When, however, through believing God’s testimony concerning the blood of His Son, he is assured by God’s word that he has remission of sins, he has a purged conscience— “How much more shall the blood of Christ purge your conscience.” (Heb. 9:14.) After this, in walking obediently to the word of God, he has a good conscience, he has the intuitive perception that he is doing God’s will, has the testimony that he pleases God. Happy are those who exercise themselves in keeping a conscience void of offense both toward God and toward men. (Acts 24:16.)
With regard to “thoughts” the Christian needs both watchfulness and decision, lest the dreadful sin of unbelief be allowed, or Satan’s fiery darts admitted. The spiritual Christian disallows evil thoughts, judges them in the presence of God, and thus great evils are often nipped in the bud. One of faith’s activities is “casting down imaginations [reasonings], and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity even thought to the obedience of Christ.” (2 Cor. 10:5; Phil. 4:8.)
73. “K,” Kingstown. Your kind letter and pieces of poetry have been received. May the Lord be with you in your daily work of faith, and labor of love, and bless souls greatly, for the glory of our Lord Jesus! It is well when we can precede and follow, the spread of the truth, with earnest prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving.