45. “D.,” Llandudno. We deeply sympathize with you. You have no Savior to trust in but the Lord Jesus Christ, and you have no ground given you for assurance of salvation but the word of God. We are not justified by feeling, nor by experience, but “by faith” The sole ground of peace and justification is the blood of the cross; and His word declares that “whosoever believeth in him [the Son of God] shall not perish, but have everlasting life.” Taking God simply at His word, you will have the certainty of your eternal salvation.
46. “H. J.,” Denmark. We must not confound the miraculous gifts of healing by the Spirit with the use of ordinary remedial measures resulting from experience and natural ability. Both have their place in scripture. As to “gifts of healing,” there is reason to conclude that they, with other sign-gifts, passed away at an early stage of the church’s history. But remedial measures were recognized in the apostles’ days, while the “gifts of healing,” and prayers, and anointing by elders, were in existence. Hence Paul enjoins Timothy to drink no longer water, but to use a little wine for his stomach’s sake and often infirmities. (1 Tim. 5:24.) In a former dispensation also the prophet Isaiah prescribed the application of a lump of figs to king Hezekiah as a curative measure. (Isa. 38:21.) Prayer does not clash with these other ways of dealing with the sick. We find Paul, who wrought miracles in healing some, also prescribed means of restoration, and tells us that he left Trophimus at Miletum sick.
The mistake with Christians, has, for a long time, seemed to us to be not at first seeking the Lord about their sickness, but rather, like unbelievers, running at once to physicians, though afterward, perhaps, asking the Lord to bless the means used. We are told that good king Asa erred in this way, for “in his disease he sought not to the Lord, but to the physicians.” (2 Chron. 16:12.) It is, no doubt, a common error in the present day with such as have man, and not the Lord, before them. We are persuaded that if saints habitually walked before the Lord, were exercised before Him in their sickness, and then used such reasonable curative means as came within their reach, calling for elders to pray over them, the Lord would be honored, and there would be more healing and soul-restoration than is commonly seen.
If the Lord be not honored by us in sickness, let us not be surprised if the ordinary remedial means, which prove successful with others, fail in benefiting us; because, being children of God, we are objects of the Father’s discipline, and He has wise and special reasons for sickness, and till the needed exercises are passed through the healing may be retarded.
47. “S. W.,” Tunbridge Wells. There can be no doubt that Antichrist is a person, and not a system, though many systems may be antichristian. He is the willful king. (Dan. 11:36, 38.) He is the man of sin, or lawless one. The terrible heading up of all that is now working amongst men. (2 Thess. 2:3, 4.) The wicked one. (Ver. 8.) The very climax of lying and deceitfulness. (Vers. 9,10.) And withal he assumes a religious character, as connected with the dragon and the beast, or restored head of the Roman earth; has great power, and doeth great wonders.
What is called Boycotting by men is one distinct mark of Antichrist. (Rev. 13:11, 17.) Thus the principles of Antichrist are already working. He will be cast into the lake of fire, and will remain alive there. (Rev. 19:20; 20:10.)
No doubt the Old Testament saints will be raised from among the dead at the coming of the Lord—“they that are Christ’s at His coming.” A multitude of the servants of God are called to the marriage-supper of the Lamb; and they are blessed, but still distinct from the bride. They rejoice because she hath made herself ready. (Rev. 19:5-9.) The promises to the one are connected with the land, the earth. (Gen. 12:3; 13:14-17, &c.) The predestined glory of the church is-heavenly in Christ. (Eph. 1; Col. 1)
When the Lord has taken away His church, those who have refused the truth will be given up to strong delusion, and there is no hope held out of their conversion. (2 Thess. 2:10-12). The Holy Spirit is not then dwelling in the church on earth, as it is no longer here. But the Holy Spirit will act on earth, as He did before He came to glorify Christ, and to form the church. An elect number of Israel will be sealed and a vast multitude of the Gentiles saved. (Rev. 7) The Holy Ghost will no longer act in thus hindering lawlessness. It is terrible to think what will be the state of this world when all restraint on man’s lawless nature is removed for a short time, and Satan, the dragon, takes the place of God, and leads his dupe, the man of sin, to do the same visibly. Strange to say, the word by which Satan is leading men on towards this awful slavery is called liberty. But we wait for the Son of God from heaven.