Newspapers / Zion’s Landmarks (Wilson, N.C.) / Oct. 15, 1871, edition 1 / Page 2
Part of Zion’s Landmarks (Wilson, N.C.) / About this page
This page has errors
The date, title, or page description is wrong
This page has harmful content
This page contains sensitive or offensive material
1 i { 170 Z I 0 N ’ S LANDMARKS. %ion Association for. perhaps, about twenty-five years, if I have ever made any departure, the Association fia.s never intimated such a thing, and I have not been able to deti^ct it myself. I feel to-day as much confirmed and established in the doctrine of the Bajitists as I ever did. Brethren, it has been necessary for me to mahe statements I would not have made, only in vindication (if my characfer. Dear brethren and sisters in Christ, I, a poor, weak, dependent creature, wlios'e lot it has been to sutfer much, being bereaved of my gentle com- [lanion and dear children, yet I live and am ready to exclaim with Job : ‘■The Lord giyoth, and the Lord i aketh away, blessed be the name of Lie Lord.” Yours, in the bonds of peace, MARTIN PUTMAN. li. I. BODENHAMER, EDITOR. 1\ D. GOLD, ASSOCIATE EDITOR. -Ml Commimicatious and Subscriptions mus bo directed to Editob Zion’s Ladmarks, 'Wil- Hon. N. C. -iViLSON, N. C., O JTUBeIi', 15, fSTl.' For tliereare tlireo th.at bear record in heav en, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one. And there are three that bear witness in earth, tlie Spirit, and the water, and the blood: and these three agree in one, 1st John 5 : 7, 8. “For there are three tTiat bear record in heaven.” A record is a register, or official copy of any writ ing, or an account of any facts en tered in a book for preservation, or the book containing such copy or .account. Therefore a record of a contract, in court, is the strongest evidence that can be introduced from the fact of its immutability under any and every circumstance. A record n;,‘ither forgets nor adds anything to its contents, but eyery time it is consulted it speaks jher same thing; and, if paper and i|.k were in the habit of changing tlipir contents and language, whenevef times and cir- -so that cumstances change- in d anuary a record w uid speak one thing, and in Marcliit would speal another, and June i diet the whole, no would contra- rational mind \V()uld trust in nor (.11 it a record. sb'Ut if it stood immi El me thiiiR, it A able and sjioke uld then be a ’ Dud'Ll Dow if iipycontnct was recordeeP m tlu-em^^ooks, jus; alike, and the made on t\e sAth day of the creation of the world, and all the books were presevered until the last day (if time, and were then read, they would all speak the same thing and no more nor anji less, and this oneness and immutability would con stitute them the record of the entry made on the sixth day of the crea tion of God.‘ Did we say them, in the plural, and yet these three books are one, in the singular number, one their report, one record.; hence,*there are three that bear record in heaven. Of these three, the Father is one, and is as his name purports—first ; that is, the name Father sets him forth as the progenetor of all crea tion—before all in all and over all ; so in respect to authorship and re lationship, he in his creative charac ter is set forth as Father, that is, that all things proceeded and (iame out from him, both of things in heaven and things in earth, making him in creatorship Father of all— and a very suitable character to be, or bear record in heaven of all, and of the time, season, duration, ter mination and destiny of all. And by his infinite mind and immutable character. He in his creative and providential character is the Fathei* and his iramutibility and infinity is the record. Thus being the Father of all. He was the law of all that gave beauty, vitality, order and har mony to all. So that moving in the sphere of existence, in which they were created, a perfect harmony ex isted, not a pain, angry. look, nor frown was known in all his work, so that, truly all his work was n.par adise. Any deviation from him, was an outrage agaiust the law of har mony and peace, that governed all his work; and this outrage of un belief and disobedience being against the rostl-ictions given by the Father as a rule of life, or action for the harmony of all his works, could not but produce a collision. So soon as man touched his hand to that part of the machinery of wliieh the Fa ther forbid him, the world was elec trified by death, and with the veloc ity of lightning was the ‘paradisd^ of creation lost " forever. But the Word, that is the second record in heaven, or .second person in office in the adorable trinity, had, befotc all worlds, in the Father’s purpose pro ceeded from the Father, full of grace and trutli, and stood as a lamb slain from the foundation of the world. So tb.at tins Word of rcdemjition pi’oceeded from the autlioritv against whom the outrage was committed. constituting the Word, very man and very God., , So that the Word was able to live' ihe life of God for man, and die the death of man for God, and by this mysterious char acter the word was made mighty and able to save all that come unto God by him, anil to be the record (^f eternal salvation. .^The outrage committed by man, was against the law, and hence, against God the Father.; therefore He alone had the right to damn man for the offence. But the Father equally had the right to propose the means of satis faction, and no other had any such authority ; for every law’ provides the means for it own satisfaction. Hence it is said of the TFord', that He was made of a woman, made under the la-w, to redeem them that were under the law.” That is the law offended, proposed by the Fa ther in his law character, in the counsel of peace that nothing but the Word that proceeded from the Father would be accepted, and that the Word w’as to be “made flesh and dwell among us.” To this proposi tion the Word replied, “Lo, I come, as it is wultten of me in the volume of Book, (or record) to do thy will, 0 God.” Hence the. Word was made under the law, that is at the de mand of the law in every respect, just as a piece or job of work is made under a superintendent; it is not made by the superintendent, but under his order, according to his directions and liking—made to order to satisfy himself in every re spect. So the Word w’as not made by, the lawq .but under the law, as a superintendent for divine justice.— He w’as made' to the full satisfaction of the law; qualified to render full satisfaction for all offences of his chosen. Therefore, in office, we have briefly noticed the Father in his law character, and in his Father hood, sfs being the God of all grace and the Father of all mercy,, in that the B 'ord that proceeded from the Father,, was the first mercy shown to lost, sinners. So wc have shown the Father to be the record of jus tice and Fatlier-of mercy, and tlie Word, to be the record of redemption. AYe-will , now consider the Holy Gliost, in respect to office, as the tliird that boars record in heaven; for it is oiily in office that there are seen three persons in the Trinity, bearing record in heaven; for the Holy Hhost stands equal with and is expressly called God. The record borne by the Holy Ghost, in office, is tli^t of revealing to the “Lawful captive,” the Word as a redeemer in all his saving benefits, and to take of the things of the Word., such as righteousness, pardon, peace, justi fication and redemption, and apply them to the soul by imputation, so as to ease a guilty conscience,, be calm a troubled heart and give ait assurance of eternal life to all the heirs of promise; also to hear record to men, of the full, final and ever lasting satisfaction, rendered to di vine justice in the person of the Word, saying, “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am w’ell pleased, hear ye him.” In this (juotatioix the record of redemption, as the sat isfaction rendered, is clearly ac knowledged and beautifully harmo nized with Isaiah’s report of a Tri une God, for saith ho unm us, “Lm- to us a child is born, unto us a son is given, the govenment shall be upon, his shoulders, his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, the mighty God, the everlasting Father, the Prince of peace.” In the last quotation, He is set forth as three in office, and only one everlasting Father: “And these three are one.” We will now’ consider briefly the 8th verse: “And there are three that bear vyitness in earth, the Sjiirit, and the v/ater, and the blood, and these three agree in one.’’ The three in heaven bear record. and the three in earth bear witness. We view the record in heaven as being the plan of redemjition, stip ulation in covenant contract betw’cen Father and Son; engraved in the. immutable mind of Father, Son and Holy Ghost. The witness borne in earth by the Spirit, vre regaril as the office wmrk of the Spirit or Holy Ghost, revealing the record in heaven to the soul, and testifying or bear ing witness that there is none'other name given among men whereby we ■ must be saved, but the ' name of Jesus. Hence it is the witness of the Spirit that produces faith, with out which it is impossible to please ' God, or to believe, and if we believe not we are to be damned. It is the witness of the Spirit in tlie lawq that convicts sinners. Paul saith, ‘‘For I w’as alive once without tlie law, but wdien tf.e commandment came, sin revived and I died.” That is wdien the Spirit bore witness t> your soul of the spirituality of the law, sin revived, not entered, but
Zion’s Landmarks (Wilson, N.C.)
Standardized title groups preceding, succeeding, and alternate titles together.
Oct. 15, 1871, edition 1
2
Click "Submit" to request a review of this page. NCDHC staff will check .
0 / 75