A Book of Gems, or, Choice selections from the writings of Benjamin Franklin. Бенджамин Франклин
the people to anything like an appreciation of the things of the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ; when the hearts of the people appear to be closed against all that can be said or done to save them. They frequently hear at such times, act as orderly as ever, and show as much respect to the gospel; but they do not have the heart and soul in it, and can not be moved to action. Their emotional nature appears to be utterly inaccessible. There are again times when the hearts of the people are open. They not only hear the truth, pay a decent respect to it and admire its beauties, but, with joy, they receive it into good and honest hearts, believe it to be the salvation of their souls. It melts them down, fills their hearts to overflowing and moves them to obedience. This much we know to be fact. We have tried to see the cause of this fact, but do not claim that we can see the cause, nor do we see any particular importance in seeing the cause, but we ought to turn the fact to account. How can this be done?
Paul has a period, or state of things, that he styles “in season,” and another that he styles “out of season.” There is a time to sow and a time to reap, a time to dress the vineyard and a time to gather the fruit. These periods, when the hearts of the people are open, are the harvest times—the time for gathering in the ripe grain ready for the harvest—for turning sinners to the Lord. No matter about the cause of it; there is the opportunity; and we should be ready and go into the harvest and gather precious souls into the fold of Christ. A door is now open and let no man waste his time about the cause of this opening, but while the way is open go up and possess the land. Never mind explaining how the Lord opened the heart of Lydia, that she attended to the words spoken by Paul, nor how the Lord now is opening the hearts of the people; it is enough for the man of God to find that the hearts of the people are open, and that they will attend to the word of the Lord when it is spoken. Go on and speak to them the word of the Lord—the words of everlasting life—turn them to God and save them.
EATING THE LORD’S FLESH
AND DRINKING HIS BLOOD.
JOHN vi. 48, we find the words of the Lord, “I am the bread of life.” The Lord adds the remark to the Jews, “Your fathers did eat manna in the wilderness, and are dead.” It had no power to perpetuate life only for a short time; but he continues, verse 50, “This is the bread which comes down from heaven, that a man may eat thereof and not die.” It will be noticed that his flesh did not come down from heaven, and that bread which came down from heaven is that of which if a man shall eat he shall not die. Then he follows with the remark, “I am the living bread which came down from heaven. If any man eat of this bread” (which came down from heaven) “he shall live forever; and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.” Here he uses the flesh, as that which they saw and dealt with in crucifying him metonymically, or a part for the whole. The Jews, however, understood him to mean his flesh literally, and so does the Romish church, and the Jews inquired, “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?” The Lord did not explain the matter to them, but added, verse 56, “Except you eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, you have no life in you.”
They were looking at it in the literal sense, and did not see how they could eat his flesh, or how the eating of it could give life. The doctrine of transubstantiation had not yet been born, and the idea of the bread and wine being changed, in the ceremony of consecration, into the real flesh and blood, so that they could eat the flesh and drink his blood in the communion, had not yet entered into the minds of men. Nor did our Lord mean any such thing, but he himself, who came down from heaven, is that bread of life which if a man shall eat he shall never die. But the eating is not literal, any more than the bread is literal or the flesh. We partake of that bread, or of him who came down from heaven by hearing of him, believing on him, and being united with him. In becoming his disciples, learning of him and following him in all things, we eat or partake of that bread, or of him who is the way, and the truth and the life.
He proceeds, “He who eats my flesh, and drinks my blood, has eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day.” See verse 54. He who believes on him, receives him, follows him, loves him and obeys him, in the sense he intended, eats his flesh and drinks his blood; but not in the communion any more than in the other parts of his teaching, or other appointments. In coming to Christ, and becoming his disciples, we are made partakers of him, of “the divine nature,” and our salvation is in him. “My flesh is food indeed,” says he, “and my blood is drink indeed. He who eats my flesh, and drinks my blood, dwells in me, and I in him.” Following him a little further on, verse 57, he says, “As the living Father has sent me, and I live by the Father, so he that eats me, even he shall live by me. This is the bread that came down from heaven; not as your fathers did eat manna, and are dead; he who eats this bread shall live forever.” See verse 58. The eating is partaking of Christ, the bread that came down from heaven; this is done by faith, in receiving, following and obeying him; doing his commandments, that we may enter by the gates into the city, and have a right to the tree of life.
CHURCH ORGANIZATION.
MEN may talk of the power of those large combinations, governed by a few leading spirits or one leading spirit as the case may be, where office and not character or ability gives power; but while such an arrangement may create in its adherents a desire for office, to give them influence and authority, they will neglect the purity and excellence of good character and ability, which are the only things which should give any one respect and influence among the people of God. But, in the absence of such character and ability as will give a man influence and power among the followers of Jesus Christ, some may become enraged because we do not form some kind of an organization that will give the desired power by virtue of an office. Such a power as this we hope never to see established in the church of God. If men wish power and influence let them act in such a manner as will be worthy of, and command them; and then they will know how to use, and not abuse them.
Our present organization, little as some men seem to think of it, has maintained a general state of union, and has made a concentrated effort for the conversion of the world, unequalled by any body of people about us. While other religious bodies have been divided and distracted by the frivolous worldly questions of our times, we, as a people, stand firm and unshaken, under the guidance of Him who gave us both a natural and a religious being.
Some one will inquire, what do you plead for? or what do you vindicate? It will be said; it is of no use to be exciting fearful apprehensions, and at the same time setting forth nothing tangible. We will, therefore, make an effort to set out something definite and tangible.
1st. We do not want any general combination, in the form of an Association, Conference, Synod or Council, to govern the churches.
2d. We do not want any such body of men to decide who shall be our ministers, or how they shall be supported.
3d. We do not want any such body of men to decide who shall be our publishers.
4th. Every congregation properly organized, has the right to govern its own members, either in itself, or by calling to its assistance neighboring churches and evangelists.
5th. All letters of commendation, or sentences of condemnation, depend wholly for their authority and influence with those to whom they may be presented, upon the intelligence and moral worth of the body whence they emanated. Hence a minister “whose praise is in all the churches,” and who may be “chosen of the churches,” to perform any certain mission, must have more weight and influence among the people