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Zion’s Landmarks
»Sf«fS» fHS BS¥SIS8 «F TBS PflIMITIIS BiPTISTS.
“TO THE LAW AND TO THE TESTIMONY.”
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1
A ol. ix-No. 4.
Wilson, N. C., Januarj 1, 1876.
Whole No. 196,
Zion’s Landmarks,
l\ D. GOLD, Editor.
PUnUSHKD SEMI-MONTHI/Y
-( at )-
'^ILSON, JIIap^OLINA.
Two Dollars Per Annum.
JANUARY" 1st, 187G.
NOTICE!
SSF“C'IuI)3 of eight sutwcribers, or a larger
number, can have the Landmarks at $1.50
each, and the clubs need net be at the same
Poet Office or even in the same State, and
f>ei‘sons renewing can make clubs in same
way.
Our brethren and friends are all authorized
to act a.s Agents in obtaining sul>scriber,s.—
Their names need not be published in the
List of Agent-s. We jiope they will generally
make an effort to extend the circulation of the
Landmarks.
Money can be sent by expre.sa or oth
erwise at my e^)ensc. In .siun.s of a few dol
lars it can I'/B .sent at my ri.sk by ordinary let
ters. When 4^iiey is not receipted plea.se
alw'ay.s infornjtee.
When convenient aiavays send
Money by Exbre.ss ok Money Orders at
MY EXPENSE, IE PREB'KRED.“@a
For a good reason ple.a.se direct letters to
me as follows:
F. D. Gold, Wilson, N. C.
~' ^ lily" re.que.st.]
The SuB.sTANCE of a Sermon De-
TAVERED AT BrOOKSVIeLE, CoOSA
County, Aeabama, on the 4th
Sabbath in September, 1875:
BY Elder J. E. W. Henderson.
Text.—“ Let that therefore abide in you
which ye have heard from the beginning. If
that which ye have heard from the beginning
shall remain in you, ye also shall continue
in the Son, and in the Father,” 1st John 2:
lA.
Brethren and Friends:—
^#HE small portion of the word
IK which I have read in your
hearing involves a vast deal
of important subject matter—
more indeed than I shall be able to
bring to notice in one short discas-
slon. I desire, however, to show' its
true meaning; and its in.separable re
lation to, and harmony with, the gen
eral chain and connection of the writ
ten word: and in order to do so I
propose to examine, briefly, the im
mediate connection in which it stands.
The .seventh and eighth verse.s of the
chapter read thus, “Brethren, I write
no new commandment unto you, but
an old commandment which ye had
from the beginning. The old com-
inanduiexit is the word which ye have
heard from the beginning. Again a
Dew commandment I write unto you,
which thing is true in liim, and in
you, because the darkness is past, and
the true light now shineth.” The
inspired writer here presents a very
peculiar fotm of expression, and one,
which at a mere glance might seem
contradictory in itself. The old com
mandment referred to-, which the
chosen people of God had from the
beginning, was doubtleas one of the
commandments of the ritual law,
which enjoined upon them to love
God with all their heart, &c., and
their neis'hbo'i’ as themselves. This
original commandment has never been
abrogated, yet, it is fulfilled only in
those who are spiritual—“ who love
God because he first loved them ”—
to whom the spiritual love of God
has been manifested. It should be
observed that this commandment was
delivered to Israel on tables of stonc;
not on fleshly tables of the heart: also
bear in mind that the carnal mind is
enmity against God, not subject to
his law, &c. Nevertheless, God, the
all-wise law-giver has provided am
ple means by which his holy law can
be, and is fulfilled, magnified and
made honorable. This provision is
in Christ—as in the new, or gospel
dispensation, so was it in the old, or
law dispensation fulfilled in the re
generate children of God by his grace,
and a manifestation of his special
love to them by which they were
made to love him. Mark the ex
pression, “ which thing is true in
him, and in you.” Now to be short,
the old commandment, from the be-
ness even until mow. He that lov-
\
eth his brolher abideth in the light,
and there is none occasion of stumb
ling in him.” Verses 9 and 10 con
firm the position that the command
ment is to love one another; and oh !
my dear brethren, how easy it was
for us to do this in the beginning of
our Christian life—when this com
mandment became new to us in the
divine element of gospel grace—in
deed, so complete was the translation
that the very soul was full of love to
God and to his people, and the very
essence of the doctrine of free grace
took pos.session of the mind—the
song burst from the joyful lips,
“ Amazing grace how sweet the sound,
That saved a wretch like me.”
This is the doctrine which God’s
children have heard from the begin
ning, and this is the manner of its
fulfillment in them : hence the text;
Let that therefore abide in you
which ye have heard from the begin
ning.” The word let seems to im
ply the power to hinder, and some
take the lattitude to argue the doctrine
of final ajHistacy from this toxt. Now,
ginning_(the delivery of the law to- b while 1 a?in free to admit that there is
the national Israel)| was to love G^d^muchjTc-ncnding upon oui Mbedience
and tiacii other: iNit the people divine injunction, I propose
to show froni the scriptures that, the
other; 0ut the people
that nation, who \represented the
Church of God, in unregeneraic
.state did not possess ihe truth ofthi4
commandment in themselves, yet it
was as true in God then as it evei
had been, or ever will be. It is a
glorious truth that God has never
placed his chosen people under a law,
nor suffered them to incur the just
penalty of any law for which he has
provided no means of satisfaction, if
he had, his children could not love
him and love each other as he has
commanded—it would not be true in
him. “The old commandment is
the word which ye have heard from
the beginning.”—The word in the
law, the letter. “Again a new com
mandment I write unto you.”—The
same commandment givin from God
the Father to his chosen people under
the Jaw dispensation, which in him
was a fixed and unalterable truth, is
now renewed, or repca ed under the
gospel, and applied only to the man
ifested children of God, and is now a
truth in them as it was before a truth
in him, becau.se the very love which
this, once old, but now new command
ment enjoined is “shed abroad in
their hearts by the Holy Gho.st which
is given unto them,” (Rom.) “Be
cause the darkness is past, and the
true light now shineth ”—the dark-
neas—the shadowy dispensation is
past, and the true light of gospel
grace now “ shines in their hearts to
■give the light of the knowledge of the
glory of God in the face of Jesus
Christ.” «
“ He that .saith he i.? in the light,
and hateth his bretliren is in dark-
doeti'inc of aj
minians’
truth. It sTloTW
little word if is used in the tS
that which ye have heard from the
beginning shall remain in yon, ye
also shall continne in the Son, and in
the Father.” It is argued from the
form of this expre.ssion that the prom
ise of eternal life is conditional, for
the next verse reads, “and this is the
promise which he promised us, even
eternal life.” We will notice, there
fore, briefly, the clause, “in the Son,
and in the Father.” It will be re
membered that the commandment be
fore referred to was given by God the
Father before the coming of the Son
into the world, and when obeyed by
the Christian under the gospel dispen
sation it comprehends obedience to
Christ the Son, as King in Zion, and
also covers the ground of obpdienc to
the Father before the gospel king
dom was visibly established on the
earth. Now, brethren, I wish to be
understood here if possible. I do
not mean that this is the abstract or
voluntary obedience of the creature,
but it is their obedience in Christ,
and through and by him. I under
stand the words, in the So.i, and in
the Father, to mean in obedience to
them. Paul, the Apostle, after show
ing that sinners are justified by faith
without the deeds of the law, and
that boasting is excluded, not by the
law of works, but by the law of faith,
concludes with these words: “Do we
then make void the law through faith?
God forbid: yea, we establish the
law.” Rom. 3 : 31 This is In per
fect harmony with tlie words of Jesus:
“Think not that I am come to de
stroy the law, or the Prophets : I am
not come to destroy, but to fulfill.”—
Hence it is clear that the law of God,
which “is spiritual,” is not destroyed,
but fulfilled, by Q|icist,^nd the right
eousness of the laW i'is fulfilled in ns,
“who walk iwjt aftordhe flesh, but af
ter the spirit.” Now, if that which
we heard from the beginning sliall
remain in us, whi(^ is love to Goc,
and love to one another, it is an nn-
mistakable evidence’that we shall con-
tinue in the Son, ^nd our faith em
brace him as our obedience to the
law of God—“He in us, and we in
him, and he in the Father,” which
comprehends obedience to the origin
al commandment, and hence we con
tinue also in the Father.
Now, that the text docs not imply
the possibility of finally falling away
is evident, from the connection which
is as follows : “These things have I
written unto yon, concerning them
that seduce you. But the anoinBug
which you have received of him abid-
j 'cth in you, and ye need not That any
^ man teach you: but as the saxnc
anointing teacheth you of all things;,
and is truth, and is no lie, and even
as it hath taught you, ye shall abide
'j h,lm.”;^6th a^AiI7th verses.
10 further argu-
part to dis
prove the doctrine of final apostacy
from this text, for the inspired writer
here most positively teaches us that
he had no such meaning. The anoint
ing which we have received of him,
which is the washing of r^cneration
and renewing of the Holy Ghost,
abideth in us; and it hath taught us
that we shall abide him. It
teaches us of all things, all necessary
things, and nothing spiritual can be
added to it by us, but it is well that
our pure minds be^^rred up by
way of remembranc^,* It te&cheth
us of all things—it teaches us that
salvation is by grace, and that it is
based upon the immutable choice and
predestination of God, it teaches as
to love the doctrine of free grace, to
love its author, and to love one anoth
er. This doctrine, in the beginning
—in our first love, was distilled into
the soul—no fear of final apostacy
presented to the mind then—no co:a -
ditional plan of salvation—no fear oi
death, but all was joy and peace in
the Holy Ghost while under the
teaching of the eternal Spirit. Hew
important then, that these glorious
principles abide in ns, and we abhie
in them. The good work of regen
eration cannot be undone, but There
arc some who would seduce you, and
divert your minds from the doctrine
of Christ, and lead you to erabra,c>e
the doctrine of devils. The anoini-
ing which you received ofhiin taught