A FATHER’S TESTAMENT TO HIS SON*
[*
“This actual Testament bequeathed by a father to his
son- an only child who was about thirteen years of age when his father died -
is so tender, so true, so spiritually simple, that –without naturally,
endorsing every sentence- we count it a privilege to help fulfil his heart’s
desire that his spiritual legacy might reach some now in the twilight in which
he once was. His son, who permits us to
print it, has fulfilled the Testament at heavy cost.” –D.M.Panton.]
By way of preface I briefly state I was brought up
in the Church of England, being the youngest son of an Evangelical Clergyman,
who, unfortunately for me, passed away at the early age of 48, just when I most
needed his loving care ane guidance. I
have evidence that I was Baptized in infancy, and Confirmed in that Church when
15 years of age, and while still a lad at school. Of our
so-called preparation for that, ceremony by a learned and well-known “D.D.” the less said the better. I served that Church in all some 35 years,
chiefly as a Chorister and Organist in various places Ritualistic and
Evangelical, High and Low, as they are spoken of. I carried out my duties carefully and
diligently, as I have testimony from those in authority to prove, but regret to
say that at the end of that long time I knew very little more about Christ and
the Way of Salvation than when I started.
This, we will assume, was my own fault, but such is the sad fact.
I was even invited and more than once persuaded to
join the Ministry myself. The idea,
however, never commended itself to me, and it is fortunate I did not do so,
both for the Church and myself, as I was wholly unconverted at the time, and
there are certain matters referred to elsewhere which I could not now in the light
of fuller knowledge accept. It is also
hopeless to teach and preach to others doctrines which you do not yourself
believe.
I had noticed on two or three occasions a striking
passage in the lesson read at the Burial of the Dead, as follows:- “Some have not the knowledge of God: I speak this to your shame”
(1 Corinthians
15: 34). Then I thought the
matter over, and found I had practically no saving knowledge of Him at all, for
it is one thing to know about God, but quite another thing to know Him by personal
contact and daily experience. Also about
this time I was much struck by reading a sermon by C. H. Spurgeon on “Are you prepared to die?”
which is a very leading question, and I came to the conclusion I was quite
unprepared for such an event, and unsaved.
It was then brought home to me that I was living in a terribly perilous
position,and that I must at once bestir myself (see 2
Samuel 5: 24). I take it the Holy
Spirit was at work in my heart, and my Conversation commenced in that way. Thank God, He thus sought me out in a dark
world of sin, and brought me back to the Light of His Countenance.
In recent years I have been laid aside with severe
bodily affliction, but I have no doubt the Saviour has chastened and corrected
me in Love, and in full confidence I commit myself to His gracious care and
keeping (Isaiah 41: 10). Faith looks ahead to that bright Home, where
there shall be no more pain (Revelation 21:4),
and praying that I may be enabled to bear patiently that our Good Master sends
me, I bow my spirit in humble submission to the Divine Will (John 13:7).
My intention is that the following Testimony may be
attached to my Will, and by God’s Blessing I trust it may be helpful to my dear
child, for whom it was chiefly undertaken, and it may be to those that come
after (Ecclesiastes 11: 1).
THE PLAN OF SALVATION
We are saved by the Grace of God the Father, through
Faith in Jesus Christ the Son, and by the Indwelling of the Holy Spirit in our
hearts. Thus the Great Trinity of
Wisdom, Love and Power, the Three that bear record in Heaven, and witness in
Earth, all have a part in it.
(See Ephesians 2: 8; 1
Peter 1: 9*;
Romans 8: 9*; and Hebrews 2: 3*.)
[*
The ‘salvation’ in the three later texts, is of
course (if I mistake not) a future salvation, awaiting some (not
all), who are eternally saved by the grace of God through faith in our
Lord Jesus Christ.]
THINGS NEEDFUL TO SALVATION
1 REPENTANCE. True repentance consists of godly sorrow
whereby we forsake every known sin, and our favourite sins in particular.
(See Isaiah 55:7; Ezekiel 18:21; and Luke
13: 3.)
2. WHOLE-HEARTED BELIEF in
the revealed Word of God.
(See John 3: 16; John 5: 24; and Mark 9:
23.)
3. SIMPLE TRUST in the
finished work of Christ, that your sins are washed away for ever in the
cleansing fountain of His Blood.
(See Ezekiel 33: 16; and 1 John 1: 7.)
4. The NEW BIRTH of Water
and of the Spirit, which is Conversion.
(See Matthew 28: 32 and John 3: 1-15.)
5. The INDWELLING of the
HOLY SPIRIT in our hearts
(See Romans 8: 9 and 16; 1 John 4: 13; and Luke
11: 13.)
6. HOLINESS of life and
conversation.
(See Hebrews 12: 14; 1 Peter 1: 16;
1 Timothy 5: 22; and 2 Corinthians 7: 1).
THE MEANS OF GRACE
First and foremost, PRAYER, which is the backbone of the Spiritual Life. At least, begin and end each day with fervent
Prayer (James 5: 16), asking the Loving
Saviour to accept and present our humble petitions before the Father’s Throne,
and to intercede for us.
Our gratitude is so important I have found it
helpful to always commence with Thanks
and Praise to our Heavenly Father for His manifold and great mercies to us day
by day, and for all His wondrous and unchanging Love.
(See Psalm 1: 23;
and Philippians 4: 6.)
BIBLE READING AND STUDY is also most important. Read
some definite portion of the Bible each day, always asking the Holy Spirit to give you a hearing ear and an
understanding heart. Meditate upon what you read, comparing
Scripture with Scripture to find out the truth for yourself. Also meditate much on Heaven; this world of
woe is but the stepping-stone to a world of bliss, and it will help you to
forget the toil of the way.
(See Isaiah 55: 3;
Jeremiah 33: 3; Psalm 119: 18; Luke 24: 45; 2 Timothy 3: 16; and James 4: 8.)
BAPTISM
It is doubtless well that little children should be
received into the visible Church and named, but the teaching of the Church of
England that infant Baptism conveys with it Regeneration is, in my opinion,
false and misleading, because it cannot be supported by the Word of God. The
only Baptism recognized in the Scriptures is Believer’s Baptism, in which
the all-important Belief must come first, which, it is obvious, it cannot do in the case of an infant (see Mark 16: 16; and Acts
8: 36 and 37). Bishop
J. C. Ryle has well said, “As a result our
Churches are largely filled with ungodly people and ‘baptized infidels,’”
which is a sad, but, I fear, true comment, and I quite agree with it. It is also worthy of note that Our Lord Himself
was named and presented in the
CONFIRMATION
The taking upon ourselves of the promises and vows
made on our behalf in infancy by well-meaning, but, too often, thoughtless and
careless persons, is an excellent way of making a public confession of Christ (Matthew 10: 32); provided always the Holy Spirit
has been at work in our hearts, and we have first been converted and brought to
Christ: this is essential. Otherwise, as I regret to say in my own
case, it is but an empty form and ceremony, and a fitting sequel to the
supposed regeneration in infant Baptism.
Thus I was myself a “Baptized and Confirmed
infidel,” not being converted till many years afterwards. The Church of England does not exercise
sufficient care in this important and vital matter (see Acts 6: 6; Acts 8: 15 to 17; and Acts 19: 1 to 6).
THE LORD’S SUPPER
I must tread lightly here in
speaking of the Great Memorial feast of the Saviour’s Love to mankind. We should always carefully and prayerfully
prepare and examine ourselves and our lives before we presume to fulfil His
dying command; this is vital (1 Cor. 11: 27-29).
Rightly understood, a great and blessed Means of Grace, but a means
only; and beware of a very popular delusion that
Baptism, Confirmation, and the reception of the Lord’s Supper will in or of
themselves save your Soul, as they were never intended for such a purpose, and
will not do so. It is just grasping
at forms and ceremonies which are but the shadows, and losing the substance
which is Christ Himself.
(See Matt. 26: 26 to 29;
Mark 14: 22 to 25; Luke 22: 19 and 20; and 1 Cor. 11: 23
to 29.)
THE CHURCH
Probably no word is more misused and misunderstood
than this. The Church [Bride] of Christ
consists of the general assembly and Church of the first-born which are written in Heaven (Heb. 12: 23).
Quite distinct and apart from the various [regenerate
believers inside the] visible Churches around
us, which may or may not have any part in it.
Personally, I have always felt Christ to be nearer
to me when two or three have met together in His Name, as in Matthew 18: 20, than in the great congregation (Ps. 22: 25; Heb. 10: 25).
THE MINISTRY
I take it that even in the visible Church this is a
most important and highly responsible office to fill, thoughit is to be feared
often lightly undertaken in these days, and without sufficiently counting the
cost, which is inevitable and far-reaching in its consequences.
(See Ezek. 3: 17-21, 33:
1-9, and 34: 1-10; also 2 Tim. 4: 1-5, and 1
Peter 4: 17.)
Above all things do not enter the Ministry of any Church unless you feel distinctly “Called” by Christ Himself to such a High Office, and
with such great responsibilities. The
lack of such a Divine “Call” is fatal to a
successful Ministry, and is the chief cause of the many failures we see around
us, among those who have, as we say, mistaken their calling (see Jude 1).
DOCTRINE
This is perhaps the most thorny subject of all in
these degenerate days. The great Apostle
Paul says (1 Thess. 5: 21), “Prove all things,” and we are not called upon to
believe or accept what cannot be proved by the Word of God. Avoid all so-called “New
Theology” (2 Tim. 4: 3, 4), and any
doctrines that tend to exalt Man, as they have their origin in the Prince of this world, the great
enemy of souls (2 Thess. 2: 3, 4). Beware
also of any High Church teaching referred to under the heading of the Lord’s
Supper, and of all such Romanizing Societies as the English Church Union, and
others, with their so-called Masses, prayers for the dead, which have no
Scriptural authority and are not required, and so forth. Another myth is the claim to Apostolic
Succession in the visible Church, which is entirely devoid of truth or
fact. Beware too of the Church usurping
the place of Christ, and avoid all these things as you would the plague. It is far safer to keep to the old and
well-tried paths (Jer. 6: 16), and follow
only that Ministry which proclaims the simple Gospel of the Atonement through
the Blood of Christ (1 John 1: 7), plain
speaking about Heaven and Hell, Eternal Life and Everlasting Punishment as in Matthew 25: 31-46 (see also Dan. 12: 2, 3, and Matt.
13: 49, 50); and which makes prominent the speedy Second Coming of
Christ as the next great event in
the world’s history (see Rev. 22: 12). What
is true is not and never has been popular, and what is popular is not and never
has been true.
THE SECOND COMING OF CHRIST
As believers this is the next great event we should
be looking and praying for in the world’s history, and it may happen at any
moment (see Matt. 24: 44; 2 Pet. 3: 10). Its fulfilment has been many times foretold,
but we need pay no attention to such speculation, as we are distinctly told “Of that day and that hour knoweth no man,” which is certain and conclusive (see Matt.
24: 36; and Mark 13: 32).
We may, however, note that the course of events in
the world around us point to the time being very near at hand, and it behoves
us to set our houses in order while we may (Isa.
38: 1), and to be ever watching and waiting for His Glorious
Appearing. I have always prayed that it
might take place in my own lifetime, and the Saviour’s Advent will end the
present Dispensation.
(See Zech. 14: 1-5; Acts 1: 11; Titus 2: 13; James 5: 8; Rev. 3: 2; Rev.
22: 2; and remember always 2 Cor. 5: 10).
CONCLUDING REMARKS
My testimony contains, I believe, the truth, and
nothing but the truth, but not the
whole truth, which we shall not know till hereafter (John
13: 7). Of course, the Bible
references are the most, and
perhaps the only, important part of it.
Here at any rate we are on safe ground.
(See Isa. 40: 8; Matthew
24: 35; and 1 Pet. 1: 25.)
I trust, by God’s blessing, it may be helpful to my
dear child, as I sadly needed some such guidance in my own youthful days. I have always prayed that he might have the
great and priceless privilege of being converted in his youth. God grant it may be so, and that till such
time I may be spared to teach him to grow up in His love and fear. Should I be called away my desire is that he
may have this record of my Testimony to refer to, and in due time be led to seek out the truth for himself.
It has also been my constant prayer that we may have part in that Blessed
First Resurrection spoken of in Revelation 20: 6,
and that our names may be found written in the Lamb’s Book of Life (see Rev. 21: 27); so that at the last, with all our
dear ones, we may be found one
family in Christ - here in full Trust, hereafter in full joy (Matt. 13: 43), and may receive the reward, the Crown of Life that
fadeth not away (Rev. 2: 10).
Even so, come Lord Jesus, come quickly (Rev. 22: 20), that Thy Name may be Glorified, and
that Thy Throne may be set up for ever, and may we be ever watching and waiting
for Thy Glorious Appearing (Titus 2: 13).
“Now unto the King eternal,
immortal, invisible, the only wise God, be honour and glory for ever and ever.
Amen” (1 Tim. 1: 17).
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