ADOLPH SAPHIR
ON CHRISTIAN BABYHOOD
What
can be more lovely than
the Christian in his infancy,
in the springtime of his spiritual life, when the flowers appear and
the voice
of gladness is heard, when in his first love he rejoices in the
Saviour? Such babes
are to be cherished with great
affection and tenderness. So
also
‘milk’ (Heb. 5: 12)
designates gospel truth preached simply, so that thereby true
nourishment is
given, and faith is both called forth, and the new spiritual life
strengthened
and increased. Hence,
there is nothing
in the term meant to depreciate, but on the contrary, to exalt the
first
declaration of saving truth in Christ.
But
is it sufficient to preach the simple doctrine of the gospel, to
declare the
fundamental truths of repentance and faith, limiting ourselves to what
is
absolutely essential to the commencement of Christian life, and simply
reminding our people of the great [eternal]
salvation, that Jesus died because of our
offences, and was raised again because of our justification? Is such a method Scriptural?
and, viewing it from the
lower point of expediency and
experience, is it safe and effectual? Does
not Scripture teach us that we should keep back nothing that is
profitable,
that we should not shun to declare the whole counsel of God, that the
children
of God should comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and
length, and
depth, and height? Do
we not
continually notice that scanty, elementary, and one-sided teaching does
not
even secure the true, living, and healthy knowledge of simple and
fundamental
truths? The most
elementary instruction
of apostolic days (Heb. 6: 1)
was more
comprehensive than what is now called the ‘simple
gospel’; and yet these fundamental doctrines did
not set before the
Hebrews with sufficient fulness and clearness the truth of which they
stood in
need to keep them from apostasy.
[* ‘The great salvation’
mentioned above, is not the same as that described in Heb.
2: 3: “For if the
message spoken by angels was
binding, and every violation and disobedience received its just
punishment, how
shall we escape [just
punishment for wilful sin and disobedience. See Heb.10:
26-30] if
we ignore such a great salvation.”]
As
a matter of fact, nothing is more needed in our days, both for the
Church and
the world, than a faithful and deep exposition of Scripture, of the whole
Scripture, of Scripture in its organic unity and comprehensive fulness,
in
order that by grace, mind, conscience, and heart may be convinced that
here are
revealed unto us thoughts higher than our thoughts, divine realities
and
blessings, things which eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have
entered
into the heart of man. And
thus, while
they who believe not will acknowledge God is in us of a truth, the
children of
God will be kept steadfast and faithful; they will be
furnished unto every
good work, and, forgetting the things that are behind, will press
toward the
mark for the ‘prize’
of the high calling of God
in Christ Jesus.
The
want of docility and of active inquiry into divine truth manifests
itself in
various ways. Sometimes
in ignoring
prophecy, as if prophecy was isolated and not essentially inseparably
connected
with the other portions and aspects of truth, as if the whole word was
not the
sure word of prophecy, the word of Him who was, and is, and is to come.
Sometimes in a shrinking
from the deeper meaning of the types, such as the sacrifices and
festivals, or
those of David and Solomon. Sometimes in neglect of the Jewish Scriptures,
and in forgetfulness
of the mystery of
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