In The Master's Service

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The Old Baptist Test

Elder John M. Watson  From the book, The Old Baptist Test

The Doctrine Taught By Paul Agrees With That Of The Old Order Of Baptists

"Other Sheep I have which are not of this fold, them also I must bring; and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold and one Shepherd." John 10:15.

SECTION I. [Part 4]

A gospel without exhortation; without a call on the sinner to repent and believe; a gospel which does not in word address itself to all; is not the gospel which Christ ordained subordinately for the bringing in of His "other sheep." And for the benefit of the Arminian I will also add, nor is a gospel without the power of God, without predestination, without election, without spiritual blessings, the gospel ordained of God for the bringing in of those "other sheep." So that we are bold to affirm that the gospel embraces all these things.

Let us take a practical example. We have it on record in the 13th chapter of the Acts of the Apostles. When Paul and Barnabas preached at Antioch of Pisidia, had any of our ultra brethren been there and heard their zealous appeal to all those present, they would have called them Arminians, And Arminians in their objection to the revealed history, that "as many as were ordained to eternal life believed," contradict it by saying that all might have believed, one as well as another. Thus we perceive that the notions of each are wrong.

While we combat this ministerial deviation of ours on the part of some, which affects to find Arminianism where there is none, let us carefully guard against those tenets which do really involve it. For instance, when we in our doctrine maintain that by means of our own devising, we can extend the spititual blessings of the gospel beyond the ordination or election of God, and employ such means for such a purpose, we then deviate both from the principles and practical course of the gospel, and thereby plainly indicate that we are Arminians in the proper sense of that term, so justly opprobrious to the Old Order of Baptists. But as long as we call on all men to repent every where, believing that God only can give repentance, and that He will give it to as many as are ordained unto eternal life, even if He does not to as many as we may address, we may escape all Arminianism, and more especially if our practical course in preaching does not involve any unscriptural methods.

Let us see: The zealous preacher calls on all to repent, earnestly, faithfully and I may add, gospelly, but alas! the old brother whose head has got wrong, whose heart has grown cold, says all cannot repent, some have not the power to do so. How does he know? Peradventure the Lord has given the power to repent to the very ones whom he has in his feelings excluded. The secret power, and merciful grace of repentance may have pervaded their souls hidden and unseen by him, and be moving their hearts in the sure way of repentance towards dod and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Forgetting thast He who gives repentance and faith, also gave the word; and that He who is exalted a Prince and Saviour to give repentance unto the elect, also commanded that His gospel should be preached in the letter to all - to every creature. But the objector here repeats that all men will not receive its blessings, and why call on all to receive them! But how dare any to say when the faithful preacher is calling on a congregation to receive these blessings, that some of them may not be at that time receiving them. The gospel may be going forth to them not in word only as they suppose, but "in power, in much assurance and in the Holy Ghost."

The gospel must be preached in all of its fullness in the word, for that which goes forth in word only is the same gospel in the letter, which goes forth in power through the Spirit. Then it is God who makes one hearer differ from another, and not the preacher. While it is foolishness and a stumbling block to some after the best efforts of the preacher; through a demonstration of the Spirit it becomes to others the wisdom and power of God. So, it is the same gospel all the while, which Christ has commanded His ministerial servants to preach, with all its merciful promises, and exhortations, warnings, doctrinal teachings, glad tidings, ordained ordinances, etc., to every creature, not allowing them to make any kind of exceptions in that respect.

How mortifying to the feelings of a faithful preacher to be called an Arminian on account of preaching according to the very commission which Christ gave for the rule and government of His ministry. Brethren preachers, it is high time that we strive to please God in this affair rather than men. It is high time indeed that some of us were waking up on this subject; let us rather exhort our opposing brethren to pray the Lord that He would open the hearts of our hearers to attend to the truths which we may preach, knowing that none will heed to profit without this blessing, to the great end that the "other sheep" of our day may be brought in. Here again the objector says, why pray for that which is sure? This, verily is the very reason why we should pray for it; for we can only have hope in prayer which seeks the things which God has ordained for us, and which may accord with His will to grant. Christ said in His day, that He must bring them; and did that declaration hinder the prayers of His primitive ministers?

Before closeing the subject of preaching I will state that the word of God must also be rightly divided. Both the sheep and the lambs must be fed; they must be directed to the "Plant of Renown." The man of full stature in Christ, and the babe of his bosom, must be fed. Strong meats must be dealt out for one, and the sincere milk of the word for the other. These specialties were plainly commanded by Christ, for He said to His servant, Feed my sheep, Feed my lambs; and after the general commission had been given by Him, it was again enjoined by His apostle: "Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the Church of God, which He hath purchased with His own blood." The Old Order of Baptists have been more mindful of these specialties than any other people, and although some have deviated in their preaching from the general commission, all have not. There are yet a few who contend for the general outward call of the Gospel, but we doctrinize it too much, lest some ultra brother should conclude that we are Arminians.

To be continued ...