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The following
correspondence appeared in the Herald of
the Kingdom and Age to Come for 1854, and
is reproduced for the benefit of our readers:
Dear Sir:- by the
perusal of your writings, I am happy in
being able to testify, myself and wife have
been enlightened in the gospel of the kingdom
of God. As the result of this, trouble came
upon us about baptism; not in regard to
the mode, for concerning that we were satisfied;
but as to whether the immersion we had been
before subjected to in our ignorance of
the gospel of the kingdom, would be accepted
by the Father as the "One Baptism"
of His appointment. We had been immersed
on the usual profession by the Baptist church
of this city, under the preaching of Edwards,
"the converted sailor," as he
is styled. Our convictions, as far as they
went, were honest. A few months afterwards,
we became acquainted with the views of the
Adventists, and finally we obtained your
Elpis Israel - a book that has been the
means of opening our understanding to the
Scriptures, so that the Bible appears like
a new book to us. For this cause we rejoice
and give thanks to God, seeing that he has
yet some honest and faithful witnesses,
who are "rightly dividing the Word
of Truth." Are not these of the "Olive
Trees" furnishing oil for the lamps
or candlesticks that they may see the darkness
which surrounds?
The light we had
thus obtained made our former darkness visible,
and a conviction was produced that our immersion
in our ignorance did not introduce us into
Christ. Our feelings were therefore troubled
until we were baptised into him, confessing
faith in the Hope of Israel, or the Kingdom
of God, and the things concerning the Name
of Jesus as Lord and Christ. Because of
this second immersion, and of the breaking
of bread at my house by a few, who, like
myself, are waiting for the consolation
of Israel, I was excluded from a little
church here also professing to be looking
for the Kingdom of God. It now comports
with their views of Christian propriety
to laugh at me, and to bestow upon me the
contemptuous and reproachful epithets usually
conferred on those who reject the stereotyped
opinions of the day. But I am not to be
moved or troubled by nicknames and hard
speeches. There is a glorious triumph near
for those who prove faithful to the end.
Being poor in this
world's goods, I am unable to gratify my
desire to do something extra for the support
of the cause which ought to lie nearest
to the heart. Accept of our thanks for the
benefit we have received for your studies,
pursued closely though many years of reproach
and self-denial, and which your readers
obtain for the inconsiderable amount of
two dollars a year.
Yours in the Hope
of Israel,
Benjamin G Chase
BUT
ONE TRUE GOSPEL IN THE BIBLE
There is no conviction
more reasonable or scriptural that the immersion
of an individual ignorant of "the gospel
of the kingdom" cannot unite him to
the name of the Lord Jesus. Some reason
as though there were two gospels - one the
Gospel of the Kingdom; and the other, the
Gospel of the Name of Jesus. The former,
though true, they regard as a non-essential,
vainly supposing that a man may be saved
by faith in the personal history of Jesus,
though he may never have heard of the Kingdom
of God! These non-essenitalists can never
get beyond the scene of the crucifixion,
and the "eternal sonship" of Jesus,
where they lose themselves in the maze of
Athanasian perplexities. All that is essential
with them is, that Jesus is the Son of God;
that he died to make satisfaction for the
sins of the whole world; was raised from
the dead, and ascended to heaven, where
he will remain until he returns to destroy
the earth. These are the principles of the
faith-alone system - all-sufficient for
the salvation from sin and it's punishment
- eternal agony and liquid fire - of those
who believe them! With some, the number
of these principles may be still further
reduced without jeopardy of soul. Repent
of your sins, and believe that Jesus died
for you, and thou shalt be saved. This is
called "believing in Jesus!" Only
believe this in the popular sense of belief
- that is, "feel like it's so"
- and you have the theological minimum of
"salvation by grace!"
Such is the molecule
to which the Apostasy has reduced "the
gospel of God which he hath promised before
by his prophets in the Holy Scriptures,"
(Rom 1:1,2) under the morbid excitation
of cautiousness feeling like it's true!
Interpreting the creed of the Non-essentialists
by their practice and its practical results,
the understanding of the prophets in which
the gospel is promised (a promise still
unfulfilled) is of no importance, being,
in their view, unnecessary to salvation.
How many of those whom they despatch to
glory on angels wings through their "consolations
of religion," know anything about the
gospel of God exhibited in the word of prophecy,
"to which," Peter says, "men
do well to take heed, as to a light shining
in a dark place?" Nay, where are the
preachers who can define the gospel of God
which he hath promised in Daniel, or in
Ezekiel, or in Isaiah? But what is the use
of further question? They know nothing about
it, for their systems ignore the prophets
in the case: and being themselves ignorant
and blind, they who are led of them can
only repeat the foolishness they hear.
There is but one
gospel. There never has been more than one
true gospel from the pronouncing of the
sentence upon the Serpent to the present
time, in which the Serpent is rising to
great pre-eminence preparatory to his being
bound by the Woman's Seed. Hence, the gospel
promised in the prophets is the gospel Jesus
preached; and the same that was preached
by his apostles in his name after his ascension;
and the same that has been confessed by
all true believers for the past 1800 years.
It comprehends what the Scriptures teach
concerning the Sonship of Christ, the death
of Christ, the blood of Christ, the burial
of Christ, the resurrection of Christ, and
the ascension of Christ; and concerning
Jesus of Nazareth, as the Christ discoursed
of by Moses and the Prophets. These are
important and essential incidents, and necessary
constituents of a justifying faith; but
a person may believe them, and yet be ignorant,
and consequently faithless, of the gospel.
Gospel is glad tidings of great joy, which
shall be to all the people" - i.e.
To all Israel's tribes; "for there
is born to you this day in the city of David
(Bethlehem) a Saviour, who is Christ, the
Lord" (Is 9:6, Luke 2:10,11). Now take
this angelic definition of the heavenly
message indicated in the word "gospel,"
and say, What glad tidings of great joy
were there to all Israel in the death, burial,
resurrection, and sonship of Jesus, as now
exhibited by "converted sailors,"
and other oratorical thumpers of velvet
cushions and "sacred desks?" A
disputant would reply, that, "as the
eternal divine Son of God, he died to propitiate
the Father's wrath against all mankind,
and so to procure for them who believe this,
forgiveness of sins, and a consequent escape
from endless torment in fire and brimstone,
which is glad tidings of great joy enough."
But, granting that this is the salvation
procured, what glad tidings is there in
this "to all the people," seeing
that so infinitesimal a portion of Israel
have accepted Jesus?
This is question
the disputers of this world cannot answer.
Remission of past sins, and a hope of eternal
life, as the line of a man's spiritual horizon,
is but a meagre gospel, as is everywhere
proved by the meagre effects the belief
of it produces. What does God propose to
raise righteous men to eternal life for?
In what sense was the birth of Jesus glad
tidings of great joy to all the people of
Israel? Bible answers to these questions
will bring out from the prophets, like the
action of light, a daguerreotype image,
the subject-matter of the gospel of the
kingdom of God, promised in the sacred writings
of the Hebrews. In answer to the latter
inquiry, read what Micah says the man born
in Bethlehem is to do for Israel (Mic 5:2-7),
Also in Isaiah (Is 60:1,2), and see the
answer on record in Daniel, and repeated
by Jesus in Matthew (Mat 25:34). The righteous
are raised to eternal life, to posses, in
all the Age, the Kingdom of God restored
again to Israel, with the government of
all nations thereunto annexed. The possession
of this universal dominion implies also
the possession of the world, with all it's
riches and glory (1Cor 3:21-23). This inherited
for 1000 years is a foretaste of what is
to come when the 1000 years shall have passed
away. This is a great inheritance for earthborns;
and he that is not satisfied with this in
conjunction with the Lord Jesus, does not
deserve to be considered. It will be a noble
inheritance, and all that shall be honoured
to share in it are required to believe what
God has promised concerning it - i.e. The
Gospel of the Kingdom - and to obey it;
for "though Jesus were a Son, yet learned
he obedience by the things that he suffered;
and being made perfect, he became the author
of eternal salvation unto all them that
obey him (6:8,9). Yea, verily; for to obey
is better than sacrifice, and to hearken
than the fat of rams: for rebellion (disobedience)
is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness
as iniquity and idolatry," (1Sam 15:22),
which are all punishable with death by the
law of God. Men impose upon themselves,
with their sacrifices of prayer, and praise,
and pious talks, as a substitute for obeying
the truth. Thus, like Saul, they reject
the word of the Lord; therefore he will
reject them from being kings over his realm
in the age to come.
Brother Chase has
done well in obeying the gospel of the Kingdom;
let him now continue in well-doing, fearing
nothing. The Lord's people are known to
him by their childlike obedience to his
word. All is mere talk that falls short
of this. The obedience of faith is God's
test by which he tries the professions of
the children of men, who are generally so
perverse that, like Naaman, the Syrian,
they are ready to do any great things he
does not require, but stubbornly refuse
to submit to the simple action he prescribes.
John
Thomas (1854)
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