At the close of our last paper, we were occupied with the position of the king of Judah, in 2 Chron. 20 There is something in his attitude and utterance, on that memorable occasion, well worthy of the reader’s profound attention. His feet were firmly fixed on God’s ground, and his eyes as firmly fixed on God Himself; and, in addition to this, there was the deep sense of his own thorough nothingness. He had not so much as a shadow of a doubt as to the fact of his being in possession of the very inheritance which God had given him. He knew that he was in his right place. He did not hope it; still less did he doubt it; no, he knew it. He could say, “I believe and am sure.”
This is all-important. It is impossible to stand against the enemy, if there is anything equivocal in our position. If there be any secret misgiving as to our being in our right place—if we cannot give a “Thus saith the Lord” for the position which we occupy, the path we tread, the associations in which we stand, the work in which we are engaged, there will, most assuredly, be weakness in the hour of conflict. Satan is sure to avail himself of the smallest misgiving in the soul. All must be settled as to our positive standing, if we would make any headway against the enemy. There must be an unclouded confidence as to our real position before God, else the foe will have an easy victory.
Now, it is precisely here that there is so much weakness apparent among the children of God. Very few, comparatively, are clear, sound, and settled as to their foundation—very few are able, without any reserve, to take the blessed ground of being washed in the blood of Jesus, and sealed with the Holy Spirit. At times they hope it. When things go well with them; when they have had a good time in the closet; when they have enjoyed nearness to God in prayer, or over the word; while they are sitting under a clear, fervent, forcible ministry—at such moments, perhaps, they can venture to speak hopefully about themselves. But, very soon, dark clouds gather; they feel the workings of indwelling sin; they are afflicted with wandering thoughts; or it may be, they have been betrayed into some levity of spirit, or irritability of temper; then they begin to reason about themselves, and to question whether they are, in reality, the children of God. And from reasonings and questionings, they very speedily slip into positive unbelief, and then plunge into the thick gloom of a despondency bordering on despair.
All this is most sad. It is, at once, dishonoring to God, and destructive of the soul’s peace; and as to progress, in such a condition, it is wholly out of the question. How can any one run a race, if he has not cleared the starting post? How can he erect a building, if he has not laid the foundation? And, on the same principle, how can a soul grow in the divine life, if he is always liable to doubt whether he has that life or not?
But it may be that some of our readers are disposed to put such a question as the following, “How can I be sure that I am on God’s ground? —that I am washed in the blood of Jesus and sealed with the Holy Spirit?” We reply, How do you know that you are a lost sinner? Is it because you feel it? Is mere feeling the ground of your faith. If so, it is not a divine faith at all. True faith rests only on the testimony of holy scripture. No doubt, it is by the gracious energy of the Holy Ghost that anyone can exercise this living faith; but we are speaking now of the true ground of faith—the authority—the basis on which it rests, and that is simply the holy scriptures which, as the inspired apostle tells us, are able to make us wise unto salvation, and which even a child could know, without the aid of the church, the clergy, the fathers, the doctors, the councils, the colleges, or any other human intervention whatsoever.
“Abraham believed God.” Here was divine faith. It was not a question of feeling. Indeed, if Abraham had been influenced by his feelings, he would have been a doubter instead of a believer. For what had he to build upon in himself? “His own body now dead.” A poor ground surely on which to build his faith in the promise of an innumerable seed. But, we are told, “He considered not his own body now dead.” (Rom. 4) What, then, did he consider? He considered the word of the living God, and on that he rested. Now this is faith. And mark what the apostle says: “He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief”—for unbelief is always a staggerer—“but was strong in faith, giving glory to God; and being fully persuaded that what he had promised, he was able also to perform. And therefore it was imputed to him for righteousness.”
“Ah! but,” the anxious reader may say, “what has all this to say to my case? I am not an Abraham—I cannot expect a special revelation from God. How am I to know that God has spoken to me? How can I possess this precious faith?” Well, dear friend, mark the apostle’s further statement, “Now,” he adds, “ it was not written for his [Abraham’s] sake alone, that it was imputed to Mm; but for us also, to whom it shall be imputed, if” —if what?—if we feel, realize, or experience aught in ourselves? Nay, but “if we believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead; who was delivered for our offenses, and was raised again for our justification.”
All this is full of solid comfort and richest consolation. It assures the anxious enquirer that he has the selfsame ground and authority to rest upon that Abraham had, with an immensely higher measure of light thrown on that ground, inasmuch as Abraham was called to believe in a promise whereas we are privileged to believe in an accomplished fact. He was called to look forward to something which was to be done; we look back at something that is done, even an accomplished redemption, attested by the fact of a risen and glorified Savior, at the right hand of the Majesty in the heavens.
But as to the ground or authority on which we are called to rest our souls, it is the same in our case as in Abraham’s and all true believers in all ages—it is the word of God—the holy scriptures. There is no other foundation of faith but this; and the faith that rests on any other is not true faith at all. A faith resting on human tradition—on the authority of the church—on the authority of so-called general councils—on the clergy—or on learned men, is not divine faith, but mere superstition: it is a faith which “stands in the wisdom of men,” and not “in the power of God.” (1 Corinthians 2:55That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God. (1 Corinthians 2:5).)
Now, it is utterly impossible for any human pen or mortal tongue to overstate the value or importance of this grand principle—this principle of a living faith. Its value at the present moment is positively unspeakable. We believe it to be the divine antidote against most, if not all, the leading errors, evils, and hostile influences of the day in which our lot is cast. There is a tremendous shaking going on around us. Minds are agitated. Disturbing forces are abroad. There is a loosening of the foundations. Old institutions, to which the human mind clings, as the ivy to the oak, are tottering on every side; and many are actually fallen: and thousands of souls that have been finding shelter in them are dislodged and scared, and know not whither to turn. Some are saying, “The bricks are thrown down, but we will build with hewn stone.” Many are at their wits’ end, and most are ill at ease.
Nor is this all; there is a numerous class which we may say we have constantly before us in preparing our papers for “Things New and Old”—a class made up, for the most part, of those who are not so much concerned about the condition and destiny of religious institutions and ecclesiastical systems, as about the condition and destiny of their own precious immortal souls—of those who are not so much agitated by questions about “Broad Church,” “High Church,” “Low Church,” “State Church,” or “Free Church,” as about this one great question, “What must I do to be saved?” What have we to say to these latter? What is the real want of their souls? Simply this, “A living faith in the living God.” This is what is needed for all who are disturbed by what they see without, or feel within. Our unfailing resource is in the living God and in His Son Jesus Christ, as revealed by the Eternal Spirit in the holy scriptures.
Here is the true resting place of faith, and to this we do, most earnestly, most urgently and solemnly, invite the anxious reader. In one word, we entreat him to stay his whole soul on the word of God—the holy scriptures. Here we have authority for all that we need to know, to believe, and to do.
Is it a question of anxiety about my eternal salvation? Hear the following words, “Therefore, thus saith the Lord God, Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner stone, a sure foundation: he that believeth shall not make haste.” (Isa. 28:1616Therefore thus saith the Lord God, Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner stone, a sure foundation: he that believeth shall not make haste. (Isaiah 28:16).) These precious words, so pregnant with tranquillizing power, are quoted by the inspired apostle, in the New Testament scripture; “Wherefore also it is contained in the scripture, Behold, I lay in Sion a chief corner stone, elect, precious: and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded.” 1 Pet. 2:66Wherefore also it is contained in the scripture, Behold, I lay in Sion a chief corner stone, elect, precious: and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded. (1 Peter 2:6).
What solid comfort—what deep and settled repose for the anxious soul is here! God has laid the foundation, and that foundation is nothing less than His own eternal and co-equal Son, the Son who had dwelt from all eternity in His bosom. This foundation is, in every respect, adequate to sustain the whole weight of the counsels and purposes of the eternal Three in One—to meet all the claims of the nature, the character, and the throne of God.
Being all this, it must needs be fully adequate to meet all the need of the anxious soul, of what kind soever that need may be. If Christ is enough for God, He must, of necessity, be enough for man—for any man—for the reader; and that He is enough is proved by the very passage just quoted. He is God’s own foundation, laid by His own hand, the foundation and center of that glorious system of royal and victorious grace set forth in the word “Zion.” (See Heb. 12:22-2422But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels, 23To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect, 24And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel. (Hebrews 12:22‑24).) He is God’s own precious, tried, chief corner stone—that blessed One who went down into death’s dark waters—bore the heavy judgment and wrath of God against sin—robbed death of its sting, and the grave of its victory—destroyed him that had the power of death—wrested from the enemy’s grasp that terrible weapon with which sin had armed him, and made it the very instrument of his eternal defeat and confusion. Having done all this, He was received up into glory, and seated at the right hand of the Majesty in the heavens.
Such is God’s foundation, to which He graciously calls the attention of every one who really feels the need of something divinely solid on which to build, in view of the hollow and shadowy scenes of this world, and in prospect of the stern realities of eternity. Dear reader, you are now invited to build upon this foundation. Be assured it is for you as positively and distinctively as though you heard a voice from heaven speaking to your own very self. The word of the living God is addressed “to every creature under heaven”— “Whosoever will” is invited to come. The inspired volume has been placed in your hand and laid open before your eyes; and for what, think you? Is it to mock or to tantalize you by presenting before you what was never intended for you? Ah! no, reader; such is not God’s way. Does He send His sunlight and His showers to mock and to tantalize, or to gladden and refresh? Do you ever think of calling in question your own very personal welcome to study the book of Creation? Never; and yet there might be some show of foundation for such a question, inasmuch as, since that wondrous volume was thrown open, sin has entered and flung its dark blots over the pages thereof. But, spite of sin in all its forms and all its consequences, spite of Satan’s power and malice, God has spoken. He has caused His voice to be heard in this dark and sinful world. And what has He said? “Behold, I lay in Zion a foundation.” This is something entirely new. It is as though our blessed, loving, and ever gracious God had said to us, “Here, I have begun on the new. I have laid a foundation, on the ground of redemption, which nothing can ever touch, neither sin, nor Satan, nor aught else. I lay the foundation, and pledge my word that whosoever believes—whosoever commits himself, in childlike, unquestioning confidence, to my foundation—whosoever rests in my Christ—whosoever is satisfied with my precious, tried, chief corner stone, shall never—no never—no never be confounded—never be put to shame—never be disappointed—shall never perish, world without end.”
Beloved reader, dost thou still hesitate? We solemnly avow we cannot see even the shadow of a foundation of a reason why thou shouldest. If there were any question raised, or any condition proposed, or any barrier erected, reason would that thou mightest hesitate. If there were so much as a single preliminary to be settled by thee—if it were made a question of feeling or of experience, or of aught else that thou couldest do, or feel, or be, then verily thou mightest justly pause. But there is absolutely nothing of the sort. There is the Christ of God and the word of God, and—what then? “He that believeth shall not be confounded.” In short it is simply “A living faith in the living God.” It is taking God at His word. It is believing what He says because He says it. It is committing your soul to the word of Him who cannot lie. It is doing what Abraham did when he believed God and was counted righteous. It is doing what Jehoshaphat did when he planted his foot firmly on those immortal words, “Thou gavest it to the seed of Abraham thy friend forever.” It is doing what the patriarchs, the prophets, the apostles, the saints in all ages have done, when they rested their souls for time and eternity upon that word which “is settled forever in heaven,” and thus lived in peace and died in hope of a glorious resurrection. It is resting calmly and sweetly on the immovable rock of holy scripture, and thus proving the divine and sustaining virtue of that which has never failed any who trusted it, and never will, and never can.
Oh! the unspeakable blessedness of having such a foundation, in a world like this, where death, decay, and change are stamped upon all; where friendship’s fondest links are snapped in the twinkling of an eye by death’s rude hand; where all that seems, to nature’s view, most stable, is liable to be swept away in a moment by the rushing tide of popular revolution; where there is absolutely nothing on which the heart can lean, and say, “I have now found permanent repose.” What a mercy, in such a scene, to have “A living faith in the living God!”
(To be continued, if the Lord will)