ZION’S I. A N I) M A R K S
(Box S8.) OpkMka, Ala., \
March 6th,IBT'O. j
' But «»ro\v in grace and in the
knowledge onr Lord and SavioUf
Jesus Christ. ^ Pet. 3:18,
In ijion’s Landmarks of Feb.
loth, I notice a request by sister
JaneWliitc, of Jackson Co. Ga.,
for my views of the evidences of a
growth in grace. Such as I ajsi
able to write I freely give.
Tliis is a .subject about which
many an ^‘aged pilgrim” as well as
sister Whit'e, has felt deep concern,
and often no doubt have thongl)t
the evidences of their growth in
grace were all against them. The
Boleran admonition of the text is
specially addressed to the s^ibject.s
of grace, and not to those who scoff
and mock at the promise and th reat-
enings of God, as mentioned in
tlie third verse of tiiis ohapter,—
One grand object of writiKg this
and a former Epistle was to ‘'stir
up the pure minds’’of th-e beloved
brethren to he mandfuil oftho words
of the holy prophets and of tlie
commandnieuts ofthe Apostles of
the Lord and Saviour, r‘e.st being
forgetful and negligent they might
at some unguaided moment, l/eded
-4iis:as:.r^:ith. the, error' of these- wick -
ed Kco&rs vdio walked after their
own ungodly Lists, histe-ad of giv-
persons -grow in nature, they growj demriation. GrAce doeu all
in pride and in treating lightly the
■sol'onra warnings and threatenings
of God They grow in every sin
ful indulgence and take the sacred
name of God in Vain, and calling
him “Old Master’’ in a very light
and scoffing manner. They treat
his word in the same light and vain
manner. “The Lord will not hold
him guiltles.s that taketh his name
in vain.” Dent. 5 : 11. Prov.
30:5:9. “Every idle word tliat
men shall speak, they shall give ac
count thereof in the day of judg
ment. Mat. 12:3C.
If the natural development of
the natural minl is turned in a re^
ligion.s channel it leads its votaries
to follow the doctrines and com-
rrandinents of men in preference
to the doctrine of God our Saviour ;
it puffs them up with the vanity of
selfNirnportance, turns tiieir ears
away from the truth and turns them
unto fehles, it leads them to handle
tlie word of God deceitfully, pro-
this,
it is not the'Work of tiatlire to res
veal its own deformities. Has not
every “Old Pilgriht” grown and
become more and moi-^ tOAfirmed
in this truth of the utter helpless
ness of the sinner and of the all-
sufficiency of grace. Grace teaches
the denying of
ungodliness
and worldly lusts, and that we
should live soberly righteously and
godly in this jiresent world. Titus
2 : 12. Do wo heed this gracious
teaching? Faitli and works must
gn together. “Whatsoever is not.
offaith is sin.” If our work.s are
not the result of faith in Jesus
Christ as the only Saviour and Law
giver in Zion, they are works of
tlie flesh and will not glorify God.
Faith is its-elf a fruit of the Spirit
fessing great regard for it, when
iiig Irecd to tire teaching of
Grace in i-ts broadest sense embra
ces more than any other term that
we conld possibly n.se to explain it
Everything pertaining to our eter^
nal salvation is by the gi'-aee of
God. It means gift or favor freely
bestowed on those 17110 in and of
themselves deserve banishment and
deatl). Some of tlie evidences of a
iXi'owth in this doctrine of salvation
To grow
fact tliey are laboring ingeniou.sly
to mystify and pervert its plain
in ‘g^ace is
weaned from
all these errors of the wicked, an‘d
to be more steadfastly planted in the
doctrine of sovereign grace, to feel
of God, and
is called grace.
Gal.
22.
“It is of faith that it
gr^ce.” Born, i
might be
m.’ Tlie
embracing
of gospel
teachings. T.. ^
to he more and more
hafp
that in ourselves we are poor, hav-
hy grace, are to he more and more
ent loose from all trust in ourselves,
to loathe and abhor o'nessolf feeling
tliat 'we are vile and polluted, en
tirely helpless and dependant, and
that nothing but the grace of'God
can ever help or save u.s.
A growth in grace is different
from a growth in nature. As we
grow in nature, we feel inucli
.stronger in our mental and physi
cal .system, and in proportion as
wo feel this increased strength we
have increased coiafldeRce in our
own attainmeuts and abilities,
w-hich often leads to a more full de
velopment of ether traits of our na
ture, such as, ignorance, haugliti-
nc^.s, vanity, pride, boasting, scoff-
and other carnal lusts. As
ing
ing nothing tliat is good or accep
table to God only as we receive it
a.s the gift of God by grace ; to he
able by tlie teaching of grace to
see and feel our own vileness our
Ignorance, onr carnal mind, onr
.sinful lusts, our hard hearts, our
cold affections, our lightne.ss of
mind, onr conformity to the world,
and to hate and abhor all these
carnal things, to mourn over them
and feel'to be sunk very low in
consequence of them, and often led
to say like David, thatthe“sorrows
of death encompassed me about, the
pains of hell get hold upon me.—
1 found trouble and'Sorrow.” How
sister White, have you ever felt the
full force of these wmrds «of the
Ps.almlst? If you have ever been in
tliat vei-y condition that those
words describe, I know they have a
meaning to you that is unknown to
other characters. The hand of God
Is as much engaged in bringing ns
low as in lifting us up. He brings
us low’by -showing us our true
condition by nature, opening up the
blackness of our carnal hearts and
showing us the Justice of our con-
by
whole gospel system,
Christ and every point
doctrine, is sometimes called faith.
As in Jude 3. “Earnestly con
tend for the faith once delivered to
the saints,’’ and in 2d Cor, 13:5.
How in this faith or grace, Chris
tians are admonished to grow, to
become more acquainted with it by
reading the word of God, by medi
tation and prayer for light and un
derstanding. The evidences of
their growth in tliis particular are
seen by their rejecting everything
else as false and spurious and hold
ing fast tlie “form of sound words”
as received by inspiration of God.-—■
They “desire the sincere milk ofthe
word that they may grow thereby.”
1st Pet. 2 :2. This wdll greatly pros
mote their growth in grace—“sin
cere mi Hr of the word,” the pure
poses that those addressed
already some knowledge of Cffidittv
They are therefore Admortishfeci to
grow in that knowledge. But ho#
come they by that heavenly know
ledge? “God who commanded IhP
lio'ht to shine out of diU'knes.s hath
shined in onr hearts to give tliU
light of tlie knowledge of the glory
of God in the face of Jesus Christ.”
“’riii.s is life eternal, that they
might know Tliee the only true God,
and Jesus Christ whom thou hast
sent.” This knowledge theroffire
IS the gift of God. It is eternal life.
Man cannot impart it to his fellow
man. It is a revelation made by
tlie Spirit of God and every enlarge
ment in that knowledge is by the
same Spirit. This was the fervent/
desire of the Apostle, that he might
know him, and he was determined
to know nothing else as gospel but
JesMS Clirist and him crucified.—
The evidences therefore of growth
in the knowledge of our Lord are,
to he orucifled to tins wo rid with
all ids pride, its doctrine and \vays,
and to emsBt all things that we
have atfaineti unto in ■worldly
things “but less for the excellency
of the know'ledge el Christ Jesus our
Lord,” It is to know him in his
doctrine, in his ordinances; to know
him in his authority and government
ofhi.s Church; to know him as he
pre„scnts himself in liis poor and af
flicted children in this world; to know
him bv feeding the hungry, clotliing
tlie naked, and by bearing reproach
for his sake. Do wc know the Spirit
of Christ when we see it manifested
in a poor penitent sinner? Do
■we
know it in an offending brother when
doctrine of the gospel, unadultera
ted by the sleight or cunning craft
iness ofdeceitful men—the spiritual
understanding of the word, is pure
milk, that will .cause every ohiGl
of God to “grow in grace and in-
the know'led ge of our S.avionr Jesus
Christ.” Without this “sincere
milk ofthe word” there is-no growth
in theknowledge ofour Lord. Sldm-
he turns again and says I repent,
and humbly asks forgiveness ? How
if we grow in the knowledge of our
Lord and Saviour we will lie able to
discern -a marked difference between
trutli aiS'd eri’or, between the true
med milk'is not so nourisliing, after
■the cream is taken off. So if tire rich
doctrine of'God’s immutable pur
pose, election, predesti.r.at'i0ii -spe
cial redemption, effectual calling,
and the like, be skimmed off from
the gospel of salvation, there will
he hut little, if any, growth in the
knowledge ofonr Lord and Saviour,
The admonition of the text sup-
Spirit of liu-aiility and that voluntary
ImmilLty that leads only to follow the
commandments an-d d-octrines ofmeii.
But ala.s how many-of u.s ofceii say by
oirr conduct like poor Peter, “I know
not tlie Man.” “There is a know
ledge to which ehristians cannot at
tain by reading, by study, prayer,
hearing preaehi.ag ©r anything else
except by wearing tfec yoke ofChrist.
They must attain it by obedience to
our Lord. “^Add to your faith vir
tue, and t© virtue knowledge.” In
the faith of obedieiiee we obtain a
knowledge that the disobedient (can
not know,. Tims we .grow in ’.the
knowledge of our Lord '■ and, Sawiaur,