thousand times rather than that a hair's-breadth of the truth of God should not remain with us! To the law, then, and to the testimony. 'Go and disciple all nations, baptizing them into the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you.' 'Go into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature; he that believeth and is baptized shall be saved, but he that believeth not shall be condemned.' Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.'Repent and be baptized every one of you upon the name of Jesus Christ, for the remission of sins.' 'Arise and be baptized and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord.' Know ye not that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ, were baptized into his death; therefore, we are buried with him by baptism into death; that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life; for if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection.' 6 Else, what shall they do who are baptized for the dead, if the dead rise not at all?' 'Why are they then baptized for the dead?' 'Ye are all the children of God by the faith in Christ Jesus: for as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.' Husbands love your wives, even as Christ also loved the Church and gave himself for it, that he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word.' 'In whom ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ; buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead.' 'Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Lord; that being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.' 'The antitype-antitupon-baptism doth also now save us, not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God by the resurrection of Jesus Christ.' Space being full, we shall, without comment, for one month leave those who prefer resisting the truth to receiving it, to 'kick against the pricks,' in the hope that the hardness of the transgressors' path may dispose even them to that more excellent way which we trust to be further able to shew them. ED. THE CHURCH OF GOD. No. I. WE purpose to submit a few papers on the above subject, and will do our best to interest and instruct all who read these pages. Expect not a history of the origin of God's Church, nor of the various changes through which it has passed-nor an exhibition of the numerous persecutions it has undergone-nor a description of heroism of primitive saints and modern martyrs-nor yet a tracing of the numerous sections of the professed Church-a lauding of their virtues, or denouncing of their faults-a holding forth of one as worthy of all commendation, that the scripturalness of its doctrine and government, activity and love, may reflect dishonour on unscriptural communities which are so wide spread and deeply rooted in these latter days. No, the topics on which we wish to fix the reader's eye are neither the history, the changes, the persecutions, the sections, nor doctrines of Christendom.' Our object is to give the true, scriptural idea of the Church of God--point out the one Foundation-proclaim her living Head-enumerate the laws-mark the grand features which distinguish her as of divine constitution-analyze the purpose which she ought ever to keep steadily in view-explain her ministry, and describe her ultimate and glorious destiny. To guard against misapprehension, it is necessary to mention three things with which the Church of God is not to be confounded, viz.: First, It is not to be confounded with Places of Worship. This, though obvious to us, is nevertheless worthy of notice, because the notion that the building is the Church is very old, deep, and wide spread among the millions. Ask the question, Where is the Church and you are directed to that ancient edifice in the cld grave-yard, with massive columns-richly carved work-pointed windows-lofty spire. Another points you to the plain, unadorned building, where the genius of the artist is not seen-where the dazzling grandeur of modern architecture is unknown; still that is called the Church, famous in unadorned simplicity-beautiful in modest apparel-rendered sacred to the simple-hearted rustic by venerable antiquity, and wonderfully solemn, from the fact that his forefathers worshipped there. third points you to that magnificent and costly structure just erected in open space, or planted on elevated site, which shines conspicuous from afar'-seems to vie with Solomon's Temple, or imitate St Peter's of Rome; the foundation of which was laid with great pomp, the superstructure raised at immense cost, and is now consecrated and opened amid great display. These highly-polished stones, gorgeous pillars, rich carving, architecture of the highest order, with corresponding interior, operate upon the entrant with mystic charm; call forth feelings of veneration, self-forgetfulness, and awe, as he softly treads along the aisles, surrounded by art, skilfully designed to impress the soul with the ideas of sacredness and majesty. Surely A 'The Lord is There.' Surely this must be 'the Church of God.' No! This is not the Church. Just as the family is distinct from the building in which they live-the crew from the ship in which they sail-so is the Church from the place of meeting. The Church is the people of God assembled for worship; and such may meet with Jesus as their Lord on the shore of the Galilean sea, in the upper room at Jerusalem, with Polycarp in Smyrna, in the house of Priscilla and Aquila at Rome, in that of Nymphas in Laodicea, or any where convenient. Second, The Church of God must be distinguished from the Promiscuous Assembly. In these days of formalism, lax discipline, and corrupt membership, the Church is not distinguished from the promiscuous congregation. When the congregation is met, they all profess to sing and pray-the believer with the unbeliever-moral with the immoral; and in numerous cases the Church and the world are members of the same community, sit at the same table, and handle the same elements; all sit as God's people sit, hear his words, but obey them not. Such communities are far from the scriptural idea of the Church of God. Were the promiscuous assembly or the mixed congregation the Church, it would follow, that a congregation of Greeks in Russia-Mahommedans in Turkey-Papists in RomeLutherans in Germany-Unitarians, Episcopalians, Presbyterians, Wesleyans, &c., in Britain, might respectively be denominated 'The Church of God.' But the Church of God is a community separated from the world, called out by the Gospel, chosen by God through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth; a people singled out, justified, forgiven, adopted, sanctified, and loved, holding the doctrines and obeying the precepts of the Gospel. But more of this afterwards. In the meantime, it is sufficient to notice that we must be careful to distinguish the Church of God from the promiscuous assembly. Third, The Church is not identical with the Jewish Nation. A work on Baptism lately published, as do others which have long been before the public, declares 'The identity of the Mosaic and Christian Church.' The passages selected as proof for the idea, mostly refer to the calling of the Gentiles. They are Isa. xlix. 20-22; Ames ix. 11, 12; Acts xv. 14-17; Zech. xiii. 8, 9; Ephes. ii. 12-14, 15 to 19 is passed over; Rom. xi. 17-21; Mal. iii. 3, 4. Not one proves the point. That in the past economy God reserved for himself a people who bowed not the knee to Baal, who walked not in the Way of Cain, nor followed the multitude who wandered from God, we believe. But that the Mosaic Church, or more correctly the Jewish nation, is not identical with the Church of God or Christian Church, will appear from the following:-(1st.) The consideration that the words Nation and Church are not identical. The word Nation comes from the Latin 'Natio,' from Nasci to be born. The people born in any given country-the aggregate population, irrespective of age, rank, or sex-constitute the Nation. The word Church of the common version stands for the Greek Ecclesia. An assembly of the people, convoked by public proclamation-the people called out-the chosen people. When applied to the Christian community, it means the people called out of, and separated from the world. Thus, all born after the flesh are the Nation, all born of the Spirit are the Church. If the whole Nation constitute but one society, how can that society be called out? The Church, then, is a society called out of the Nation, and separated as a distinct spiritual community. (2nd.) The consideration that the Jewish nation had a national covenant, the Christian has a personal; theirs was made with Abram, ours with Christ Jesus by faith; they had the law written on tables of stone, Christians on the fleshly tables of the heart; they had a fallible law-giver, we have Prince Messiah; they had ordinances concerning the flesh, we have spiritual institutions; they had a carnal Priesthood, the whole Church is a Royal Priesthood;' they had a brazen altar, annual sacrifices, a worldly sanctuary, and the promise of an earthly inheritance, Christians have a spiritual altar, one perfect sacrifice, a spiritual sanctuary, and the hope of an inheritance incorruptible, undefiled, and which fadeth not away! (3rd.) From the fact that the Christian Church is described in the New Testament epistles in a manner never applied to the Jewish nation. The Apostles, in their various letters, described the communities addressed-The Called of Jesus Christ,' 'Called to be Saints, Born again,' Regenerated, 'Enlightened,' Quickened,' Forgiven,' Justified,' Adopted,' 'Sanctified,''Loved,' In Christ,' 'Holy Nation,' 'Peculiar People,' Royal Priesthood,' 'Spiritual House, or Family,' Temple of the Living God.' Holy Temple, in which the members are living stones, built together for a habitation of God through the Spirit. These terms were never applied to any nation or people on earth in the aggregate. (4.) From the fact that the house built by Moses and that built by Christ are spoken of as two, and not as one and the same. In Hebrews the distinction is noticed For every house is builded by some one.' And Moses, verily, was faithful in all his house as a servant, for a testimony of those things which were to be spoken after. But Christ, as a Son over his own house, whose house are we. Christians are the house built by Christ the Son. Thus Moses built a house-laid the foundation-gave the laws-proclaimed institutions-built the tabernaclewas the prophet and ruler of the congregation of the Hebrews. Christ has built a house, or Church, he in his person, doctrines, work, forms the foundation on which the house rests. Isa. xxviii. 16, 'Behold I lay in Zion for a foundation, a stone,' &c. Peter said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God,' Jesus replied, Upon this rock will I build (future) my Church. Now, from these we apprehend that the house of Moses and the house built by Christ are not identical. (5.) From the fact that Daniel predicted, chap. vii., That the God of heaven would set up an everlasting kingdom which shall not pass away, but survive all other kingdoms,' Now, when John Baptist and the Messiah appeared, they proclaimed, 'Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. Had the kingdom, proclaimed as at hand, been identical with the Mosaic Church in which the Jews had lived for more than fifteen centuries, would this proclamation have been proper? If that kingdom had existed, and if they already lived in it, certain it is the kingdom did not approach, it had come long ago. Jesus abolished in his flesh the enmity formerly existing between Jew and Gentile-the ceremonial rites and carnal ordinances of Judaism-that he might make in himself, of both Jews and Gentiles, one new man, not an old man renewed, not one identical with the old, but entirely and completely new man. Hence the Christian Church has a new covenant or constitution, new foundation and head, a new lawgiver, a new prophet, and a new king, a new sacrifice, a new altar, a new people, a new high priest, new ordinances, a new baptism, a new feast, a new feast-day. The Christian Church was introduced and consummated by a Mediator far superior to Moses, is established upon better promises, and fulfils what the prophet Jeremiah predicted, chap. xxxi. 31-34; and what Paul, in Heb. viii., declares to be fulfilled, For if that first covenant had been faultless, then should no place have been sought for a second,' &c. If these and other points of difference between the Jewish and Christian institutions do not annul the arguments for their identity, we know not what number of facts and passages, either in number or kind, would be sufficient for that purpose. The Church of God, then, is not the building, not the mixed multitude, nor yet the Jewish nation; but is a people called out, a separate community, a living temple, a habitation of God through the Spirit. Let no one suppose that, because he attends chapel or cathedral, has a place among the congregation, or joins in the various exercises, &c., he is a member of the Church of God. No, before any one can be a member of God's house, that house must exist, as matter of fact at hand-must be in constitution and laws according to the New Testament Scriptures. Reader, let your determination be to come out of the world at the call of God, 2 Cor. vi. 17. Seek for a Church founded on, and formed after the pattern laid down in Scriptare; resolve to obey God rather than man, and at once unite yourself to the Church of God' at To be continued. Poetry. COME UNTO ME. Just as I am-without one plea, Just as I am-and waiting not To rid my soul of one dark blot, To thee whose blood can cleanse each spot, Just as I am-though toss'd about Just as I am-poor, wretched. blind; O Lamb of God, I come! |