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THETBAPTIST BANN 1 ' 1 '
BY JAS. N. ELLS & CO..
VOL. IV.
She gaptist jgaaurr,
DEVOTED TO RELIGION AND LITERATURE,
Is published every Saturday, at Atlanta, Georgia, at the
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A SERIES OF SERMONS,
BY ELDER J. M. WOOD,
Preached in the Newnan Baptist Church, and
published in a condensed form, by
special request
No. 2.—FAITH.
“ FAITH is the substance of things hoped for, the
evidence of things not seen." [Hehrkws xi: 1.
The text as read in our version obscures
the meaning, in my judgment, of the origi
nal text. To Christians, the substance of
things hoped for, deliverance from sin, the
perfect enjoyment of Christ, of the compa
ny of saints, of God and all the bliss of
heaven—Faith is not these, and therefore is
not the substance of them, but rather the
medium through which we have a foretaste
of them. D’uring a twenty years’ ministry,
I have only a few times referred to the Lat
in and Greek languages, for the reason that
to me it appears bombastic to use language
not understood by a considerable portion of
promiscuous congregations. In this case 1
shall be excused, in order to get at the mean
ing of the text. In the Greek, the word
translated substance, is and means
the act of placing under, basis, a bottom, a
supporter, substruction, a beginning, a first
principle. If we select the word basis, then
then we have the reading: Faith is the ba
sis, the substruction, of things hoped for.—
That is, hope stands on faith as a founda
tion. The word translated evidence, is
C> ' £ 7’Z O *> an d means, a proof, the means of
convicting, conviction, demonstration. Se
lecting the word conviction as making good
sense, we have the entire reading : Now,
faith is the basis of things hoped fur, the
conviction of thing not seen, or the convic
tio.i in mind concerning things not really
seen or known except as we see them by
faith.
While this text is no better than others
for a simple discourse upon Faith, it is ap
propriate to show its connection with other
graces.'
For your edification the following thoughts
are proposed :
I. Faith is intimately connected *ith re
generation, and it is the offspring of it. It
is impossible for a sinner toexeYcise saving
faith in an unregenerate state. If he can
do so, he can enter heaven with an unre
newed heart, for God can not send to tor
ment him who has ’saving faith. It is ab
surd to say that a man has saving faith,
while he is a child of hell. The new heart
can and will believe to the saving of the
soul—the old can not and will not. The
renewed heart understands the truth that
faith is the gift of God.
11. Its object is Christ. The heir of grace
as surely turns to Christ as the child to its
mother. Nothing satisfies the new-born soul
but the Saviour. When the Son of God
proclaimed to Nicodemus the great, the
mysterious truth that he must be born again,
He also placed before him the object of:
faith in the teaching: “As Moses lifted up
the serpent in the wilderness, even so must
the Son of man *be lifted up, that whosoever
believeth in him should not perish, but have
eternal life. For God so loved the world
that he gave his only begotten Son, that
whosoever believeth in him should not per
ish, but have everlasting life.”
111. It is the source of justification. Faith
is not justification, but the source of it.—
Christ is the believer's justification essen
tially, meritoriously, positively. He being
the object of faith, and received by faith,
the sinner is acquitted of his guilt and de
clared innocent in Him. But of this and
the subject of hope, I will speak more fully
in the next discourse.
IV. It controls Christian actions. This
is illustrated in the history of the patri
archs, as given in this chapter.
1. In the choice they made.
They chose to suffer afflictions with God’s
people, rather than to enjoy the pleasures
of sin for a season.
2. In the obedience which they rendered.
“ By faith, Noah, being warned of God of
things not seen as yet, moved with fear,
prepared an ark to the saving of his house;
by the which he condemned the world, and
became heir of the righteousness which is by
faith.” By faith, Abraham, when he was
a sajßx.x«uouß ahx> jo.axxx.x'
called to go out,into a place which he should '
after receive as an inheritance, obeyed ; and
went out, “ not knowing whither he went.”
3. It controlled them in making sacrifices.
By faith, Abraham, when he was tried,
offered up Isaac. And so had they sacrificed
all home endearments to dwell in a strange
land.
4. In suffering privations, persecutions
I and martyrdoms.
They forsook Egypt, suffered the violenc
of lions, the burning of fire, cruel mocking
and scourgings, bonds and imprisonments
They were stoned, sawn asunder, tempted
slain with the sword ; they wandered abov
in sheep skins and goat skins, being desti
tute, atllicted, tormented, of whom the work
was not worthy ; they wandered in desert;-
and in mountains, in dens and caves of th
earth. Faith only sustained them. An
so it has been with Christians in every ag<
So it will ever be, because it takes hold c
the strength of Israel, the Lord our right
eousness.
V. It is the parent of hope —the basis, su
struction, bottom, as teaches the text. V
hope to enjoy things not seen, because v
believe them to exist, and because we b
lieve God’s promise to bestow them. M
believe there is a heaven, though unseen t
us; and hope to enjoy it, because we beliei
God when He promises it to those who lov
Him. There can be no hope where then
is no faith. But as it is proposed to tall
more fully of hope in a future discourse,
these thoughts are submitted for what they
a-e worth—praying God’s blessing upon
them, only adding that these blessings are
necessarily connected with regeneration.
Sweet Though:s.
We often meet with selections ofsublimt
and beautiful thoughts from the works o
men of genius. Bm there are thought
suggested by the Bible, infinitely more pre
cious than the choicest creations of genius
How sweet the thought that Jesus sym
pathizes with all our joys and sorrows!—
The great demand of human nature is ths
demand for sympathy. Men must have it
or they can not be happy, however exten
sive their possessions or high their rank. —
But how little sympathy is to be found
among men ! How precious the thought
that our Saviour sympathizes with every
sorrow ! Christian, do you sometimes fee!
that you are alone, and that there are nons
who care for you? You are mistaken.—
You forget that Jesus is ever at your side
that He approves every falling tear, am
feels for a love and sympathy that no finit
mind can measure.
How sweet the thought that God reign
The nations are perplexed and trouble
the foundations of the earth’ are out
course; the wisdom of the wise seems
be of no avail, and the strong man is as
child; still we can look upon the troubl
scene without fear, for God reigns. An
all the confusion and uproar His conn
shall stand, and He shall do all His pie;
ure. Not only is He the Governor of t
nations, but He governs and directs in
matters pertaining to our individual int
est. Nota hair of our head falls to thegrov
without His notice, and the resources
Omnipotence are pledged to cause all thii
to work together for our good.
How sweet the thought that death is
ing home! He who has been an exile i
strange land, who has dwelt among pec
of a strange tongue, rejoices at the sigh*,
the vessel which is to bear him to his nat
shores, where he shall enter again the
rental mansion, and receive the welcome
loved ones there. - Death, rightly view
is the messenger w'ho is to take us to <
home in heaven, where our brethren w
have gone before us are waiting to welcoi
us—where Jesus is, who has gone to p>
pare a mansion for us. How sweet t
thought that, in a few years more, perha
in a few days, I shall be safe in heaven !
Surely, with thoughts like these for cc
stant themes of meditation, the Christi
may well obey the command of the ap
tie, “ Rejoice evermore, and again I s;
rejoice.” «
How many bad causes and projects wou
have been avoided had we prayed first.-
How many doubtful cases of duty wou
have been made plain, how many cross;
taken up which we now shun, did we pra
first. Let the reader apply it to every ei
terprise, and always remember, to pra
first.
ATLANTA, ’
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