Newspaper Page Text
VOL, XI.
Comnmmcatjflwg.
EATOifToy, Cia., Jan., 1862.
Bro. W. L. Beebe: —l have yielded
:to the oft repeated requests of my
brethren in sending you for publication
a very imperfect outline of a sermon
that I pleached more than a year ago.
1 yield with great reluctance, and in
deference to their wishes, but shall be
content if the cause of truth is thereby
subserved.
I am, dear brother, yours in the
bonds of lcve,
DAVID L HITCHCOCK.
Dear Brethren and Friends—l call jour attention
to Mark i. 15, -which reads as follows: “And saying,
The time is fulfilled, the kingdom of heaven is at hand ;
repent ye and believe the gospel.”
It should be borne in mind that the evangelist
Mar k was one of the twelve apostles, and an eye
witness of all die ***/ingj<aud doing?* A Jesurour
Savior, from the time he begun to preach, until his
crucifixion, burial, resurrection and ascension. He
was one cf tb'ose who were chosen of God for a
witness, as recorded in Acts x. 41 —“ Not unto all
the people, but unto witnesses chosen before of God,
even to us, who did eat and drink with him after
he rose from the dead.” It should also be borne
in mind that a witness chosen of God is also pre
pared by his Spirit to testify to the truth, just as
it is ; and it would be impossible for the witness to
testify to any thing but the truth, while under the
direction of, the Spirit of God.
*0 Lord God, thou knowest the opposition I have
to meet while I investigate this portion of thy
word. May I realize thy promise to-day, that thou
art with me, to enable me to preach the truth as it
is in Jesus. Give the hearer an ear to hear and a
heart to understand.
Hoping that these introductory remarks will
suffice, we will enter into a discussion of the text.
As this verse is a part of a sentence, we will quote
in connection with it the 14th, which reads thus:
• Now, after that John was putin prison, Jesus
came into Galilee preaching the gospel of the
kingdom of God. [ls] And saying” Now breth
ren and friends, bear in mind who is speaking, and
have no fears in reference to what he may say;
for he is, the Son of God, and it is lie that spake
ns never man spake. You need have no fears be
cause he is a young preacher, or because it is his
DEVOTED TO THE SERVICE OE THE OLD SCHOOL BAPTISTS.
“©US &QS2, ©ns AMS QMS liVnSB.”
COVINGTON, NEWTON CO., GA., JANUARY 15, 1862.
first sermon : for there is no difference in his
preaching Irom first to last. He is pet feet in the
beginning and in the end. There is no necessity
for him to grow in grace aid in the knowledge of
God, for lie is the fountain of all grace, and can
give it to all his children, but cannot receive it from
ao w of them. lie is all wise, and therefore can
gain nothing; or in other words, he cannot find out
anything that he did not know before. Being all
wise, he cf course, is perfect in wisdom. Then he
differs materially from all other preachers; and
first in that he cannot be taught any thing, but can
teach them all things about himself and his king
dom, and tkey can teach nothing about him or his
kingdom that he dots not first teach them. Then
he differs materially from them in wisdom, will,
and power; and there is yet another difference. —
When he preaches tho gospel he preaches himself,
and when his preachers preach, they dare not
preach themselves hut Christ Jesus the Lord, and
ourselves vour servants for Christ’s sake. There
¥
is one Chore point of difference that we wish to
notice under this head : He is absolute sovereign
King, having the right to rule his kingdom, not
iu part, but in whole, without any other person
whatever ; aud his subjects have no vi gut to reject
his rule or law, or to make one step that he has
not commanded them to make. I hope this mode
of reasoning wfil not he denied bv any child of
God; for lam sure it is the teaching of the Bible,
and we ought to bow in humble submission. I
hope you will not be alarmed at my occupying
such broad grounds, and bringing in such strong
matter in the investigation of the subject before us.
I feel the responsibility of my position as a watch
man, and I well knew when I quoted the text that
I had a formidable host to confront in battle;
therefore. I need strong fortifications.
Now brethren and friends, let us notice this glo
rious Teacher in another light, that is, as a ser
vant. Ttie first visible view that we have of him
is in the humble manger. Great condescension !
for the King of Glory to be found in the lowly
manger with Mary and Joseph 1 hut greater still,
that he should be found clothed with humanity,
or put on a mortal’s raiment. But he soon leaves
the manger, arid flees into Egypt, there to remain
in safety, notwithstanding he . was hunted as a
beast of the forest; but he w,as not to he found by
Herod ; his hour was not yet come. lie must lire
a while under tutors and governors, and sutler the
privations of a sinful wot Id, living under the law ,
until he Fulfilled it by living a life of sinless obi-1
dience injke flesh, to condemn sin in the flesh, on |
the pait of his children that were in the flesh. And .
after he had lived such a life that he fulfilled the
law in all its demands, there was still something
more to be done that the law did not demand only
in prophecy, and the prophecy of the law must be
fulfilled as well as the prediction of the prophets.
But the question may be asked, how did the law
prophesy ? By the shedding of blood, and iri
offerings and sacrifices, which were to be offered
under the law, as types arid shadows, that pointed
to the great anti-type, or to the substance, the end
of the shadows. Then this was a proghecy, as it
was foretelling, prediction, a declaration of some
thing to come. It is evident that while they were
making these offerings they did not believe tbev
would save them, hut it did point to one that could
save to the utmost all that come unto God through
him. Then it answered for a path for them to
travel; though it was but a dark one,it led them
to their journey’s end ; that is to Christ life end
of the law for righteousness to every one that bS
lieveth. And hove it ended its prophecy, and here
it ends as a schoolmaster. “ For all thepfophets
and the law prophesied until John, and if ye will
receive it, this is Elias which was to come.’’ —Mat.
xi. 18, 14.
We stated that there was something for him to
do that the law did not demand. In the first
place, be must beooiu* . Timber- us h*. visible
Church, and ho must fulfill all righteousness, as
well as all law, and he must tread every path that
his children were to walk in through life, and hav
ing done this, he says to them, Follow me.
“ And saying, the time is fulfilled.” Che time
heie spoken of is a definite time, a precise time
that God bad appointed ; and being appointed of
him it must take place, and could not fail. This
word is used a number of times in the Scriptures,
and at different timo3 spoken of by lhe prophets,
but each time was a distinct one. The apostle Paul,
after he had spoken of what God had done at dif
ferent times, sums them together, and says “ That
in the dispensation of the ‘uilness of tiu.es he might
gather together in one all tilings in .Chiist, both
which are in heaven, and which aro on earth, even
in him,”—Eph. i. 10. It is very evident, accord
ing to the Scriptures, that God has neverUione any
thing in time, but that there was a distinct time
set by him for That thing to be done. We will
mention a few of them. There was a time when
God put man in the garden a good creature, and
there was a time when he drove him out a ruined
sinner ; there was a time when God gave the chil
dren cf Israel a law by Moses, and there was a
time when that law should be read and observed.
There was a lime when God made a covenant wi.n
Abraham, and there was. a time for Israel, or the
Jews, ‘o live under that covenant, but there never
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