Christian herald., July 13, 1883, Page 2, Image 2

CHRISTIAN
1.
„
every way worthy of your confi­ might be mentioned, we prefer to
dence upd liberal patronage. Let observe the first day of the week
instead of the Sabbath,
out.
this
the first day we think there can
desire to have the paper continued, be no reasonable doubt. He knew
and the name will be promptly that the Jewish Sabbath had been
transfen-ed to our regular list. If abolished in the death of Christ, and
you have the money at the time, there was certainly no good reason for
■ sendrifr along" W g et-e ur-age nt to do calling any other day the “ Lord’s
day.” Besides,
T’
ii
» is «
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this
Hie “ i view
so; if you do not have it, send
nearly all the best commentators
your name anyway and we will give and theologians of all ages. Many
you sufficient time to procure the of the Apostolic and Christian
money;— Ou r.. r ul e -~rr— to.. se nd— &U- -Ea i Utra ww of whom were John’s
papers till ordered discontinued, companions and acquaintances, tes­
because we find by experience that tify to the fact that the first day of
this plan gives more general and the week came to be known and
observed as the “ Lord’s dav ” at an
almost universal satisfaction. Still
early date in the churches of Christ.
we wish to hear from you to know On this verse Adam Clark says:
that you are fully satisfied. Let “ The Lord's day} The first day of
no one complain of “ hard times. * the week, observed as the Christian
If you have to give up any thing, Sabbath, because on it Jesus Christ
let^'our religious paper be the last. ■rose from the dead; therefore it
was called the Lord's
_a,ml.has..
We need your assistance in the
taken the place of the Jewish Sab­
w’ork of the Master, and he needs bath throughout the Christian
your money and influence to uphold world.” Our brother should re­
every good enterprise for the resto­ member that the great body of the
New Testament was written before
ration of primitive Christianity.
John used the expression by inspi­
THE LORD’S DAY.
ration, and this may account for
•Bru. Stewart who„writes in this itA absence elsewhere in the writ­
issue on “ Lord’s Day,” is a Baptist ings of ttre apostles and evangel­
preacher, we believe. It is only ists. Lastly, we have no objection
necessary to say that our good to the use of the “ first day of the
brother is very much mistaken w’eek ” in its proper connection;
when he states that the “ first day but we think if an inspired apostle
of the w’eek is called Sabbath eight could properly use the expression
times in the New Testament, twice Lord’s day in speaking of the first
by John himself.” While it is day of the week, it is to say the
true that the first day of the week least, not a “ breach of the third
is a translation of the Greek word commandment for us to follo^ his
Sabbaton, it is also true that when example.
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<.
so applied it is not used in its orig­
PURITY OF HEART.
inal signification. The word Sab­
In justification of his courso in
bath in its Jewish sense is invaria­
bly applied to the seventh day of opening-the door of the kingdom to
the week, and was the Jewish day the Gentiles, Peter, while addres­
of rest appointed by God from sing the apostles and elders at
the foundation of the world. It is Jerusalem, said : “And God, which
nowhere in the Bible confounded knoweth the hearts, bare them wit­
with the first day of the week. ness, giving them the Holy Spirit,
The Sabbath was incorporated into even as he did unto us ; and put no
the Jewish law and became a part difference between us and them,
,. of it, and was hence nailed to the purifying their heart* by faith,
cross in the death of Christ. Christ Acts 15 : 8, 9.
The necessity of such purity of
arose from the dead on the first
day of the week’ The Holy Spirit heart preparitory to the enjoyment
descended and the Church of of heaven needs only to lie stated.
Christ was established on the first Nothing impure can obtain an en­
day of the week. The apostles trance to heaven and dwell there,
and primitive Christians were ac­ and the human heart is no excep­
customed to meet to break the loaf tion to the rule. But what is it to
and lay by in store as the Lord had possess a pure heart, and how is it
prospered them, on the first day of to be purified ? We answer : The
the week. Hence, in view of these heart is to be purified by faith.
considerations and others that We are told that “ without faith it
HERALD
is impossible to please Godand
again, “ whatsoever is not of faith
is sin.” But while the heart is
faith, it is not purified
f
ren, see that ye love one another
wdth a „pure heart fervently.”
Here; their hearts jjfrere purified in
obeying the truth. | Then wq ère
by tai th a
from the above passage. James heart is purified by faith alone, or
reasons that faith alone is dead, before obeying the truth ; but that
and it is evident that a dead faith faith and oliedience are coupled
can purify nothing. Neither does together and hence both are condi­
Peter affirm any thing of faith in tions of forgiveness.
Tluj..„kxnu.Ldth...i>2.
used in at least two senses^n the
FEET-WASHING.
New Testament. It often means
We think the article of Bro.
simply a state or condition of the
mind, and then it sometimes means Wigle on feet washing found in
the gospel system"' called ““ttnr fWietkor--oUiuuu...xliM^^^
faith.” Jude exhorted the brethren matter before our readers in its
to earne^ly contend for “ the true light. That the‘lesson .taught
faith,” etc. This is the sense in by the Savior by'th is example and -
which Peter used the term, which command is binding on Christians
is evident from the Tollowing con­ at the present day we have no
doubt. But this lesson was simply
siderations :
1. Because “ purify ” includes the one of humility and of brotherly
forgiveness of s’ns. Christ says: love, and the act of feet-washing
“ Blessed are the pure in heart, for was selected as the most familial'
they shall, see God.” Here the and appropriate means of. expres­
origin^ word is the same and the sing and teaching thU spirit^.of
meanKg is clear that the ,* pure in humility. Hence we believe that
heart ” are the forgiven, the saved. under similar circumstances feet-
But faith is only one condition of washing is obligatory on the disci­
pardon, for as we have show'll, faith ples of Christ during all ages ; and
if these circumstances do not exist
w’ithout works is dead.
2. Because in the Greek, the in the customs and habits of the
dWinite article is used before people, then the injunction of the
“ mith.” Hence the passage sljpuld Satfior is to be obeyed in. other ap­
read “ the faith.” It is the same propriate acts of kindness and
form of expression used by Luke humility towardsour brethren.
But the error into which our
in Acts G : 7, when lie says a “ greut
company of the priests were obedi­ brother falls is in placing the act of
ent to the faith.” Peter must feet washing on an equality with
therefore mean that the hearts of the Lord’s supper, and thus making
the Gentiles w’ere purified by that it a church ordinance. If Christ
system of faith in Christ and obedi­ included it among the “ all things ”
ence to the requirements of the of his last commission to be taught
by the apostles and observed in the »
gospel law.
3. The hearts of the Gentiles public assemblies of the saints, why |
were purified in the same manner did the apostles not teach it and
as the hearts of tlie Jews, for Peter the primitive churches practice it a
says God “ put no difference be­ as a public service in connection
tween them and us”
Now by with the Lord’s supper ? From the db
reference to the conversion of the fact that the one was taught and
a
Jews, especially those on the Pen­ observed in the churches, and the
tecost, it will be seen that their other was not, is a sufficient reason W
hearts were not purified- by .faith. | for OU1 foll°win" their example,
alone, but by the gospel system. and for concluding that the feet-—1
Peter opened the door of the king­ washing of that day w'as a prevail­
dom to both Jews and Gentiles. ing and a private custom among 1
He used the same keys in both the people ami that the Savior
cases and preached to both under never intended to make any thing
the same commission. Hence there else out of it.
could be no difference between
them as to the conditions of salva­
tion.
4. But the matter is made still
plainer by reference to Peter’s lan­
guage in his epistle, 1 Pet. 1 : 22.
He says : *’ Seeing ye have purified
your souls in obeying the truth
unto unfeigned love of the breth-
There is nothing which is right
for us to do, but it is also right to
ask that God would bless it, and in­
deed there is nothing so little but
the frown of God cannot convert it
into the most sad calamity, or his
smile exalt it into a most memora­
ble mercy.— J. Hamilton.