In The Master's Service

THE OLD BAPTIST TEST

Section 3
Paul's Letter To the Galatians Affords Additional Proof

Elder John M. Watson

Whence comes the love of God? From the Holy Spirit. How? It is shed abroad in the soul by the Holy Spirit. In this divine work we have a confirmation of the Apostolic teaching, that we loved God because He first loved us. He loved us with an everlasting love, and in the person of Christ, gave Himself for us. With God, the divine love is in agreement with grace, mercy, and salvation, when shed abroad in our hearts, it is always associated with joy, peace and goodness. If we love God, we must rejoice in Him, and if we rejoice in Him, we must have peace in Him, and if peace, long suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance. What blessed fruits! Where are the people who ascribe in their doctrine all these so fully and particularly to God, as do the Old Order of Baptists?

If we love God, we must love the brethren, the Church, its government, and ordinances. This is the practical way of divine love. Do we not contend all the while, even to the great annoyance of those who are fond of human institutions, that the love of God has fellowship for the commandments of the Lord, and strives to maintain them regardless of the "commandments of men;" none of which do we teach, or feel bound to practice. The Saviour says, "He that hath my commandments and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me." "And this is love, that he walk after His commandments. None in their preaching make as plain a scriptural distinction between "the commandments and doctrines of men, and the commandments and doctrine of Christ, as do the Old Order of Baptists. Many seem to think and act as if one would do about as well as the other. To all such let the Apostle speak, "Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God." Transgresseth what? Not the commandments of men, for they have no authority. Therefore, the Apostle's meaning is, a transgression of the commandments of the Saviour.

Divine love has a holy, constraining, efficient power in the soul; a power which manifested itself in the lives of primitive Christians.

"The lamp that was lit
at the altars of love
Burning brightly they kept,
fed with oil from above."

These exercises of the soul, by the Holy Spirit, are the sources of all our practical religion, which constitute the memorials, which are regarded in heaven. Acts x, 4.

Under the power of this love, not only a new heart is formed, but a new will; a will to serve the Lord most lovingly, joyfully, and peaceably, with all long suffering, gentleness, charity, faith, and goodness. Can such a will be found among the fruits of the flesh?

The blessed spirit not only, in this way, begets a new will, but a new power; a power to love and keep the doctrine and commandments of Christ. Hence, we constantly affirm that it is God who worketh in us, both to will and to do; and that all our fruits of righteousness are by Jesus Christ, to the praise of the Father, which they must ever be, according to the doctrine just indicated.

This we preach in all its plainness, to the great astonishment and dislike of Arminians. Who, except the Old Order of Baptists, in the present day, maintain this plain Bible doctrine of good works? And are they not reproached for so doing? Some ascribe it to our ignorance, others to our indifference about good works, while others suppose that our doctrine excludes good works!

The very distinction, which the natural man makes between will, motive, and power, in a metaphysical sense, we make in a spiritual one. The Holy Spirit creates a motive, and the will acts in the power of the Divine Spirit, according to that motive. Just as if the world, the flesh, or the devil were to develop a motive, the will would act according to such a motive through any of these powers. The natural, man knows, feels, and understands these movements of the will; but he does not know, feel, and understand those of the spirit. Alas! they are foolishness unto him, because he can neither discern nor understand them, for they are spiritually, and not naturally, discerned. Hence, brethren, think none the less of the "doctrine of Christ," on that account. Were a blind man to tell you that he did not like the colors which you held up before him, would you think the less of them? Were a deaf man to express dislike of your music, would you like it any the less? And more in point, when a spiritually ignorant man - his knowledge, otherwise, however great - tells you he does not believe your doctrine, will you relinquish one grain of it for that cause?

Thus we get, through the Spirit of God, a new will, acting according to strong motives, and the heart is right willing to turn to God in the way of good works. This new will differs just as much from the old one, as do the works of the flesh from the fruits of the spirit. It is no less a new love than a new will, nor less a new will than a new joy and a new peace; in fact: if any man be in Christ Jesus, he is a new creature - with a new will, of course.

After all our Old Baptist preaching and writing on this subject, some will say that man's will is free, and his acts equally so, thus claiming for him free will and free agency, the carnal heart's vain boast! The flesh being enslaved by Satan and the world, cannot boast of any freedom or power beyond these. So that, if our religion be of what is usually termed free will and free agency, it must have come from these sources!

I will relate an anecdote strongly in point: A young dissolute, eccentric, though sprightly, young man, wishing to create a laugh at my expense, in a mixed company, accosted me a little unceremoniously, as follows: "Doctor," said he, "you believe in free will and free agency, do you not? I know you do, you can't help it." I very good-naturedly asked him if he believed a man could be free, a free agent, who was in the hands of the devil? Being such a good illustration himself of the force of my remark, the laugh fell on him, to his great mortification and confusion. In this instance, and in every other of the carnal heart, both will and agency are subordinate to earthly powers. I feel confident that we are not understood by those who misrepresent our views, ridicule, and denounce them; nor do we believe that they understand Apostolic teaching on this subject. But, brethren, go on in the rigid maintenance of this doctrine, in your pulpits, in your Churches, and above all, in your lives. Remember that Paul's preaching and teaching were evil spoken of. They said that he taught that men should sin, that grace might abound, that, according to what he said, God could find no fault with the sinner - that His will had not been resisted by the transgressor! Christ Himself was despised and rejected, and was regarded as a root out of a dry ground; and with how few did He have form and comeliness. Do not many in the present day cause the way of truth to be evil spoken of? Christ is yet without form and comeliness to the carnal professor of His religion. Neither the prophet, apostle, nor preacher, in all their teachings, can give Him form and comeliness to such.

Do your duty, brethren; let your chief answer be to all such slanders, a "blameless life." We want "brave hearts" for this work, and "true as brave."

I now take leave of the Galatians, believing that the Old Order of Baptists have full fellowship for the Apostolic doctrine taught them, and Christian sympathy for all who suffer from false teachers as they did.

[NEXT MONTH: Section 4]

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