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68
Fairfax U. 11.. VahApnl 20, 1860.
Bkethren I*eebis fe lTriitmiON —I am slYny
■gain to impose *] • ' y i'V aid your reader* friv
thoughts lelmive to ••Hi 4 * Item’s cashing his disei
jSlrs” ft eh In in) fwyfit < Communication on this"-
*uf j *et. I stated ibcfh vtri* nothing in washing orVd
am.ihei's feel li J Cial ; v, vHdeti mairV'd ‘my ft How*
ship with IrretiftHf win; IV It it a duty to practice’ ir:
] llieiefoie di tiot again lak-- lip the mi j cl with
a deMgirohtiding to force icy vit-ws on the bYC-th*
rer.
rWasteii i friis vM’fibg n* w is that since i hc‘
publication of m\ f-finer communication on this
•tilj-’-ct, 1 have received a Idler f’r. in Bm. Jno.
Cos. kof Georgia r* questihg me t• stale what* I
understand’ to 1 IfaV'e t>Kh our L >rii% desigVr nt’
washingh 8* dfafct pies’ feet, and what we* are to !• arn
from his iVmaiks on tie Mil j rt lln*. o<. If
enquiry appeared to he candida-hd In other!), I feel
disposed tv answer (dtri in tftd sWie sarid t*>
do if through the Messenger, ihinkn g that perhaps
others in view of what i wrote l a fore might wish
to know how I understood this portion of Scrip
ture.
Without cot finirig myself to lire. Cook’s enqui
ries, I'wili take the as it is joesetitcd in
Jolii] x v ii. 4—17. This is divided tnto three heads,
T-t; Trie aci of Jesus in washing the and sc pies’ feet.
2 1. Tne mystery or that which thy k’ e* not. verse
7 if. 3d. The example he had given them in
Washing their feet.
Jlj refWeifch* to the Ist head, I need say no more ‘
tllafifl.At i believe he did actually wash his disci*
pies feet as stated in the p*sag* by S’ din.
But, in corning to the 2 i head 1 muM. say that
tlje act of washing thei-r teel w-t* altngethei figurs*'-
tive <fa tily stei v, a soiiiethit g. not yVI rvtafed 10
the, and is* ipies, but which should he made know:V to
them afterwards, that is, when the Comforter, the
Holy Ghost shell'd l*e sent of the Father, tot He
should Uae.h them oil thing*, and bring oil thing*
to their remembrance whatsoever he hod mud unto
them. Ttiat is aftei X-tfus ivos glorified. See cftajt.
i.v. 2d, and Jdm \n. 3d. Tile deciara ion of •mV
Lord watf clear an** j.osiiive, * \\ hat ! do thou
knowesf hot now ; hut thou shalt know hereafter;’
Veise 7. With sin h a positive declaration before
them, I think neither bro. Cook nor any other
brother can doubt, that Cinisi hy washing their
feet meant something Vasily of more importance,
thom simply the application f water literally to
then feel ; tor JVsns said, “ It I wash thee hot, tin it
bast no pait with hie,” v* rse 8. Again, he said,
*• He that is tvashid i.eedelh not, save to wa"h his |
feet, but is clean every whit,” v ise lu. With tin
view of the sul j-cl 1 cannot, tho k out L >rd meant |
by Washing the disciples’ tetn> establish that act i
as an ordinance to he lilt-tally ohseived ; fr an or- .
and nance must I® a plain act. known to those wlioj
arc requited to observe it. But J:- unsaid, **\\ hat j
I do ti oh knowes't not in vv.” WlnNt fueti reh will,
S V * • k
] thil k, wilh n*e iii the ab* ve positions I have laid
down, ihev mat iit agree wnh me i* the coi eh -
pien I have drawn fiom thein,*naUi ly, that it was
designed ajs au ordiUMJiye, AnU m- Jt i probable (
80 OTIt JS ft* UAP TJ St MJ£StEN GBft .
ttiY-y in ay not ag.ee with trfG'iri lily view'd of Vhat
(jh fist ,| | teat'll by this figure, ><-tas hro.
Cook lots U. I will give them, arid perhaps
*Tfrie on e may thend\ he |. d <: to give stunething
better. I util r math* fi'*h tharit isWTilt Go I fha* 1
tte have to do in -ev. iy thing perfainirg to religion.
Toe ft ei r present our .-Approach rm’o, arid standing
h. f.ie (rial. lienee the dir. etioh of Uie'wfse man.
*• K pa h v loot wlier.’ lh. >u s t
Go-..” Eld. V, 1. Tnat let shy 1 approach b.
ui h river, nee anti in purity ~r li>dirih**. - When
i’Mosf Would mill aside lo It d'dd the wonder of
I tie l-ush on fi e and not Gpnsu.uterh God railed to
hjr.i ui of the lush and ski id tor him* “D aw not
tVigli hitbei : put fi ihy sho.s drour t filthy feet,
fv.r the place wherum ihou siaiVest ii* hofy gfomnfi*
E£. in. 35. Ido not understand fnn fhtey-thai
ihe tttith was any more holy tViere <’h f n awi where
else ; Gut M-oscs was approaching to Go*!* and'rin
approach to G< <1 is holt/ ground. 1 >'"*t why rnii$ r
JVI • -ses put ts his shoes ? lh cause* in ayiproae’bhig
(r- and aright, we must he dtvested of eveiy thing ar
lificnd and cream rely as a covering to support rrs
in our appfoa'-hea to him, we must come -in ott
own cleatum ly weakness and and. p-ndei.'ce on him
t<> siis'ain it-* as well as in < ur tuie characters
sinners. IV 0l were to notice the armiwians /and
legalists iti their pietcnded approaches to him he
w<mld s'np tln tti of their shoes in which they have
so proudly stiod themselves, and show them their
lielplcssiit ss aVitf vileness. (rod’s dealings with en
lightened siniVees m applying his law to them, is
t ilt, a stripping’ ts tneir shoes, and compelling
them to come bitt--toot* *1 aid crippled. But poor
things, wheii’ thus’ stripped of iheir shoes they see
their feet so and fi and. so filthy, they think < lod ean-J
m t accept t‘ em, that it is presumption f>r them ,
to approach him, that their praters are so sinful ,
thai G and wid not he&r them. Ami they letnait.
thus as separated 1 from God until Christ appeals to i
i wash then* in Ins blood. Nut oily to wash away
iheir pin*, hilt also **V wash their f et, to wash all
L. # *
| their approaches to G'.id tu prayer and in suhtnis-1
j *n>n to ordinances. <fee,;, so that they approach God
now with hopes of Acceptance, in lehance on the
effic.aC'T * f Christ’s bfeod to cleanse all their per*
tormanceSi Tins is’ fHe washing I understand ottr j
Lrd to lefer to, in IYi-discourse with Peter, verse
8 and 10 and what tl&refore he prfigultd by the
washing <if ftie di.-tdpibs’ fee'.
pM-itltah time ir Worthy of notice. Aw per
sons lahotiiig all da) in the ti Id wdi their feet
a higiii from the <1 it-1 and impurities contracted
through the day, (hat they may rest? with more
c impost!re, and no? dfi e their place df test, so our
Lord on this ht-t night I efore lose crucifixion, (see
the cooiieeti n unto chap. f{JVh.)‘ when lie wouhi
finish tratisgn s.'ion and biing to an end alf the de
mai *L of th<* law against his church, and living Lei
iiito full go-p 1 res*, thus washed his and s-pies’ feet,
they firing the iepr. gen aHon >f theehilrc.fi to show
that I e was afi--lit fix fits fih-od to wa-h hi* cl)melt
Ir.mi aI i lie H > 111 corn fact* <1 in Ii- Igalfi Id ortlie
deserts of S nai;and tiim all which wotihl mar lie
rest under thegosp-l, <u prevcul her acceptance in
Ler approaches to God,.
t The chu'toh and the individual ititilwwor ihaiiii vttllniu*
washed hv mi a p| heat ion of the WUokll'off <©htmrit*
niedtlh not save to ieuxtift'ei. HI . w >ftuesn <d®
the children of God in lh. ir ’ aYfjpewit&urw tftuiii aitu iih>
hi*tration of this. They have a indliiniirce wui tt)h
t.lood of Christ to cleanse away ttlbdiiraiiiiH*aiuxll tt®>
st-nite then final mcv< piance with Godl~ ttilwfin- ewm
-oierce also are ilitrs washed Itwam llegH. 1 ! uiii
troths, and yet their gospel feel ot wal.kio ttfhriiir inn
leictrurse w it h ihe woihlg'et'so and. filed wittlh ttllnetflldh
i hereof and w'nh hhefr un <coi'ni;piioie,, ttlfratt tt!ly
feel 100 pollnit #to approach G.<d a>#rito gjasjje jjm
his worship-; ‘hey ihii k that Kdiuiisiiiannssipngthtt tt®
shnii them. They may trv to -scostpr ttllre tf>'>JHlitittn£m
off hv wa? chi rig and pi a} ing. & Ibm, wittHnuntt,
sect. Write, wdl not wasli tnis p ifnomi ttUrciir
f.-et, neither will the . xhor'atiioT) <<-ff ffaMtlhmern tt®
more e gagedness, and to self dewiaft, deaiw*e ttHneir
f-et. Nidi ing but a fie-h applirtffwm -ffttllnelHloi®!
of Chiisr will wash away the pollution) so ttllreiy
can again’ approach G. and in woi-slhip wittih .oornfi
dt rice. I will now rom to ttHm %dl ttlW
aftij le widen oui Lord said he had giwem ttHnenn,
v.rse 15.
Ah r x-W'le is niff, rent from ft vmmmmU <wr ®rr
rHnn<*e. An rt n ft®
ti specific, command, and iff not flow irn itlhe xtwrf
form prescribed bv the command St Hs urwrtt ll w rwirffi
n-mce eti j i nod. The fit’st **o\'euwt'!ha<ll
‘f die vt - app rntment. These tpirißn#
o I rse rve/h a cco ling to the very
r.nent. fbti we Bapttsfs deny ;tta ‘ff*rr>ii?n(g ®ff
sp nnkting isihe ordnance called Hn^tTWingft rawm*
the command was to the apostles * Jhmrtm, ®
immerse, the command wan - aj|l amfljn*
I ap"Zt i'g ihem.'’ Ser.. If*. nfjj*
ordinance of the supper; Gw cr.rnmwnd m-rtn,**TT,vi*
do in r< membran'-e *,f m.Wlbaft Wliyttßii®
very a*-t ot breaking the bread andjgifviing ft® ttftwiu
sating'. ‘Take, eat,” &*•, ** ailfeo ttftre njp.’* r
See Lu>ke and Matthew. And P*td w* *wnfeff ttlh®
judges is pa'tn idar to inf<mmt'WOrwihtftßiiii-am*<Atm (
t hat he hod received of the Lord nMtt ndhikih (dim
he delivered unto them ; and then goes <on tt*ogiro®
them a specitfio description of ?tilew<irir imfwnmasr
its institution. See 1 Cor. xi.23—21T.. 13KW .'ac
cording to this *iew of a religious ortimmme. .* wi’wwr
which l Believe has lieen generally <etnitemiißii(cd *-
o* pt by those w ho choose to wrest ttHe .SciiifiJttiiiii®*
to suit the traditions’ of men; 3 say awitwdShgj tt®
this view, how can it be inferred fftmtn J.Jhm spiii. 4
—l7 that Christ established ffeet wawhifong mm
pel ordinance, seeing he <* 90 FkdoT n
“What 1 do thou knowesi xrot >ow ‘g* nwr*e TL
But an example is simply a fpattttem S*>- ms tt®iim
i late, either in the letter or hi ltllie!sg?iiir„ IFW iintr—
stance a person may. give am araiuiiplle Jf
another may imitaie the exain|ple M ulhongh iiw
lifF.*rriit outward acts. 0w Land sc*ilciJ(y Hays
‘lie stress oi his t x,ample, not upon itH*e;ciu,lfii#?
his condescei sioli, h’tr liiiiuvhiyv,.!le!S;ayai ,
V our Lard and Stouter, have matdined yum tWt,, n®
dso ought to wash hi®lfeutT 1 IDle u>nr
•iudes- hv saxing, f ye'kuowr ttlhesettlhiingfis*.ttrfiffffy
- *re ye if you do them,” vr.at; HIL Wlhjy ttke aac