Counsels to converts

Front matter

COUNSELS TO CONVERTS.

BY

REV. AUGUSTUS C. GEORGE,

Chapter I. The Change Wrought In Conversion

Only a brief period has elapsed since you, my dear young converts, were engaged in sinful courses, and were repeatedly doing those things which you knew to be offensive to God. You were guilty, polluted,, condemned sinners. In vain did you seek for happiness in the pursuit of earthly good. Peace fled at your approach; the world afforded you no permanent satisfaction. But a great change has within a short time been wrought in you. You have received the pardon of your sins; you have been regenerated, or born into the kingdom of God; you have been adopted into the household of faith, and your hearts have been filled with filial confidence and love ; the dense darkness which shaded your pathway has been

COUNSELS TO CONVERTS.

dispersed by the cheering light of Gospel grace; the sorrow and anguish which preyed upon your soul as you thought of your sinfulness have been displaced by emotions of joy and raptures of love; the whole current of your being, in a word, has been changed, so that you are no longer fettered to earth, and no longer the slave of sin, but, like a young eagle in its sunward flight, you soar toward heaven, and leave the clouds and tempests of the world far beneath you. This is sound Scriptural experience. "And you hath he quickened who were dead in trespasses and sin; wherein, in time past, ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience; among whom also we all had our conversation in times past, in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others. But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace are ye saved;) and hath raised us up together, and made us sit together

THE CHANGE WROUGHT IN CONVERSION. 9 in heavenly places in Christ Jesus : that in the ages to come he might show the exceeding riches of his grace, in his kindness to us, through Christ Jesus."

In this passage your former and your present condition are forcibly contrasted. You were, before your conversion, "dead in trespasses and sins," utterly destitute of spiritual life, reduced to extreme wretchedness, and momentarily exposed to the tremendous penalties of God's broken law; you "walked according to the course of this world," went with the multitude to do evil, followed in the footsteps of transgressors, and governed your life by the unholy maxims of wicked and polluted men; you were subject to "the prince of the power of the air," and that fallen, diabolic spirit wrought in you all disobedience, so that you followed the promptings of fleshly lusts, "fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature" — as the result of your depravity and habitual indulgence of vicious inclinations — "the children of wrath" — peculiarly liable to ivrath, or every moment in clanger of punishment and everlasting destruction, on account of your sinfulness. But how great and

COUNSELS TO CONVERTS.

beneficent the change which has been* effected in you by the power of God ! You who were dead hath he quickened and renewed by a mighty infusion of spiritual life ; he hath raised you up from a grave of sin and pollution; saved and ennobled your soul; and, instead of leaving you in misery, or consigning you to merited punishment, he hath caused you to "sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus." He hath done this not because of any worthiness in you, but through the free promptings of his own goodness— because "he is rich in mercy," and because of "his great love wherewith he loved you." "To love with love," says Macknight, "is the Hebrew superlative; wherefore, to love with love is to love without bounds." And this boundless love he hath bestowed upon you; for he "hath delivered you from the power of darkness, and hath translated you into the kingdom of his dear Son;" saved you from that ignorance, and vice, and spiritual domination which held you a reluctant captive to "the rulers of the darkness of this world," and brought you into that glorious kingdom whose willing subjects are the object of his peculiar regard. Are you not

THE CHANGE WROUGHT IN CONVERSION. 11 ■

amazed that this rich mercy should have been bestowed upon you? But we may say to you, as the apostle said to the Gentile converts in Colosse, "And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, , yet now hath he reconciled," that he may " present you holy, and unblamable, and unreprovable in his sight." It is true that « neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor reviiers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you; but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God."

You have reason to praise God that this great work of transformation into the Divine image has been wrought in you; but you would fall into a fatal error should you imagine that your salvation is already secured, and that henceforth you have little to do but to wait in blissful expectation of your heavenly reward. You have, indeed, commenced running in the Christian course; but it is yet to be seen whether you will persevere to the end, and obtain a

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crown of life. It is matter of rejoicing that you have "cast off the works of darkness/' and "put on the armor of light;" but you have yet to prove your willingness to " endure hardness as a good soldier of Jesus Christ." You are still in the enemy's country; both the smiles and the frowns of the world will assail you, and you will have equally to resist its blandishments and its terrors. The powers of hell will conspire for your destruction; and nothing but that wisdom, and strength, and heroism which the Holy Spirit imparts to the soul will enable you to maintain your position in the highway of holiness. You have not yet learned the peculiar character of the difficulties you will have to meet, the obstacles you will have to surmount, the barriers you will have to storm. You are still, to a great extent, ignorant of the devices of that relentless foe whom you will have to encounter; and it is because of your inexperience, and because of the embarrassments which surround you, that we proffer you counsel and encouragement. May it prove "a word spoken in due season," and be the means of saving you from all that would disturb your peace, and darken your hope of heaven !

THE STUDY OF THE SCRIPTURES.

v

Chapter II. The Study Of The Scriptures

In this chapter I desire to call your attention to the importance of a faithful study of

God's Word.

If we are truly favored with a revelation from God — with a disclosure, divinely made, of our duties, relations, and privileges— then it follows that the Book thus inspired by heaven preeminently deserves and authoritatively demands our most serious attention. Its truths are worthy of patient consideration; its revealed facts are of awful importance; its promises, the gracious utterances of an Infinite God, are full of consolation; its requirements impose the most weighty obligations; and its threatenings may well arouse and alarm us.

That such a revelation should be faithfully studied is almost a self-evident proposition. But there are some considerations, to which ve may briefly refer, that place our duty in the clearest possible light.

COUNSELS TO CONVERTS.

The Bible teaches the whole will of God concerning us.

No Protestant will dispute this position, The Bible is the rule, and the sufficient rule, both of our faith and practice. It needs not the dim light of tradition to make the Scriptures comprehensible. As well does the sun in mid-heavens need the torch-light glimmerings of earth to disclose his glories. It needs not the authorized teachings of the Church, the complacent utterances of an arrogant priesthood, to save the honest inquirer from heretical and destructive blunderings in consulting the Divine oracles. Human learning, an acquaintance with the countries and customs referred to in the Scriptures, and the observations of gifted and pious minds, are important helps to the right understanding of the Word of God; but they have not the authority of the text, nor are they absolutely essential to enable even the "wayfaring man" to find the pathway of life. In the Bible every duty is made plain, every relation disclosed, every obligation revealed, every privilege declared, every just expectation warranted. The whole plan of salvation is minutely delineated. The natural con-

THE STUDY OF THE SCRIPTURES.

dition of man, the gracious position possible for him to attain under the Gospel dispensation, the gift of life in Jesus Christ, the drawings and illuminations of the Holy Spirit, the retributions of an eternal world, all are portrayed with graphic power on the canvas of inspiration. The Bible is exactly adapted to our condition, and in the science of salvation it is our only text-book. " All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be perfect — thoroughly furnished unto all good works." We may be deprived of the advice of friends, but in the Bible we have the counsel of God — counsel unerringly wise and unmistakably beneficent. Its teachings are always suited to our peculiar circumstances, and invariably calculated to prepare us for extensive usefulness in the world. The Bible, in a word, is the voice of God to the soul.

How obvious that the teachings of such a book should be matter of anxious inquiry ; that its sentiments should be treasured up in the heart, and its precepts made to govern the whole conduct of life!

COUNSELS TO CONVERTS.

The Word of God is the instrument of our salvation,

It is not the office and work of the Holy Spirit in bringing men to repentance to reveal new truths, but to present to the mind and urge upon the conscience the teachings of the inspired oracles. "He shall testify/' said Christ, "of me; shall receive of mine, and shall show it unto you ; shall bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you." Now, it is by this testimony concerning the Savior, this revelation of the things of Christ, this sudden resurrection in the soul of the words of the Son of God, mysteriously affected by the Holy Spirit, that the darkened understanding is enlightened, the stony heart melted like wax before the fire, and the rebellious transgressor subdued and saved from the tremendous perils of sin. Hence that memorable petition of our Lord in behalf of his disciples, " Sanctify them through thy truth; thy Word is truth:' He looked to the revealed truth of God as the only instrument by which they could be sanctified and saved. "The sword of the Spirit"— that keen, celestial-tempered blade, which pierces the heart of the sinner, and cuts in pieces the obdurate soul— is "the Word of God." It is the truth declared in the Holy Scriptures which convinces us of sin, which encourages us to look to Christ for pardon and acceptance, and which guides, supports, and preserves us to the end. The apostle Peter recognizes this principle when he addresses those who had been "begotten again unto a lively hope" in the following strain : " Seeing ye have purified your souls, in obeying the truth, through the Spirit, unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently: being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the Word of God, which liveth and abidetli forever." How important, then, that the young convert should be a student of the inspired oracles! "By the Word of God" he has been "born again;" and "in obeying the truth" — which truth he of course must know and comprehend in order to obedience — he will be still further instructed and purified; and not being "carried about with every wind of doctrine," but having the Word of God, the divinely-appointed instrument of his salvation, abiding in him, he will

" overcome the wicked one," and will " grow

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up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ."

We can not be too familiar with the exceeding great and precious promises which are found in the Holy Scriptures.

W e shall, during the whole period of our probation, be assailed by temptations; we shall be tried by adversities ; we shall be weighed down by the pressure of duty and responsibility ; and we shall be confronted, again and again, by our spiritual foes ; and these difficulties will perplex, these obstacles discourage, and these tireless and malignant enemies dishearten and overwhelm us, unless we £re daily refreshed from the fountains of salvation. But in God's precious Word are the most soul-cheering promises: "For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope." How often are weak souls allured by the world and overthrown by the " wicked one," to whom it may be truly said, " Ye do err, not knowing the Scriptures, nor the power of God!" How frequently are young disciples betrayed suddenly into the hands of the enemy, and surprised into the commission of that which is manifestly wrong, because they are not able to say with the Psalmist, "Thy Word have I hid in my heart, that I might not sin against thee !" All such are destroyed for lack of knowledge, and for want of that very knowledge which the Scriptures every-where impart. How different is the experience of that man who is thoroughly instructed in the Word of Truth! Is he in poverty and distress, and deserted or maligned by a heartless world, he remembers that gracious promise, "I will never leave thee nor forsake thee," and boldly exclaims, "The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me." Is he severely tempted by the adversary of his soul, he does not sink in hopeless despondence, but encourages his heart with that solemn declaration, " God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape." Is he in doubt or difficulty about any matter of duty or business, he is reminded that " the steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord," and patiently waits for Divine direction. And, in a word, whatever may be his circumstances, however dark and mysterious may be the ways of Providence—

COUNSELS TO CONVERTS.

though his path may be through the deep waters, and trials and bereavements afflict him at every step — he is still assured "that all things work together for good to them that love God."

Let the young disciple make himself thoroughly familiar with the precious promises of God's Word; for he will find them happily adapted to every exigence in his experience, and every way calculated to encourage and refresh his soul.

Your peculiar circumstances, as young converts, render it especially desirable that you should diligently study the Holy Scriptures.

In your unregenerate state your minds were occupied with secular thoughts and desires ; you were anxious to obtain earth-born pleasures and honors; and your purposes and projects aimed at the realization of those fanciful picturings of worldly prosperity with which you were wont to beguile your anxious hours. But now it is essential to your spiritual interests to give your musings and purposes a more elevated and sanctified direction; and in no way can you more successfully accomplish this desirable end than by filling your mind with the pleasant

THE STUDY OF THE SCRIPTURES.

thoughts and striking imagery, the thrilling appeals and beautiful narrations of the Holy Scriptures. Let your soul be absorbed in meditating upon the glorious truths of the Word of God, and you will have no leisure for errant imaginings, worldly schemings, or ambitious lustings for honor and distinction; and, in the mean time, you will find that the elevated standard of virtue and holiness placed before you in the Gospel will kindle in your bosom yearning desires for higher attainments in the divine life. Converse with God, through the medium of his Word, will ennoble your whole nature; and a contemplation of the lofty and glowing characteristics of a Savior's love, as portrayed by the inspired limner, will melt your heart into tenderness and contrition.

Moreover, you are particularly directed, "as new-born babes," to " desire the sincere milk of the Word, that ye may grow thereby'' Upon this heavenly aliment your soul may feed, and secure the healthy development of all its functions. From the Word of God you will obtain that strength and wisdom which will settle and mature your experience, and enable you to triumph over all your foes. The sooner you

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learn to wield "the sword of the Spirit 55 the better for your peace and religious prosperity; and when you are able to meet all the malignant thrusts and fiery darts of your adversary with the impenetrable shield of a "thus saith the Lord," you will have already become invincible— impregnably fortified in your position; and all the wiles and subtilties of the old serpent will not beguile you from that position if you are only careful, following the example of your Savior, to meet his artful and treacherous advances with a simple "It is written," or an imperative " Get thee behind me, Satan."

We counsel you, therefore, in conclusion, to "receive with meekness the ingrafted Word, which is able to save your souls ;" for, as Chrysostom hath said, "an intimate acquaintance with the Holy Scriptures is a secure haven, and an impregnable bulwark, and an immovable tower, and imperishable glory, and impenetrable armor, and unfading joy, and perpetual delight, and whatever other excellence can be uttered."

"How precious v is the Book Divine, By inspiration given !

Bright as a lamp its doctrines shine, To guide our souls to heaven. ■

THE STUDY OF THE SCRIPTURES.

It sweetly cheers our drooping hearts

In this dark vale of tears ; And life, and light, and joy imparts,

And banishes our fears.

This lamp, through all the tedious night Of life, shall guide our way,

Till we behold the clearer light Of an eternal day."

COUNSELS TO CONVERTS.

Chapter III. How To Study The Scriptures

Something may perhaps be profitably said in respect to the manner in which the study of the Scriptures should be prosecuted.

Many read the Word of God who seem to derive therefrom neither comfort nor instruction. They do not become wise in the Scriptures, and " thoroughly furnished unto all good works." There must be something defective or erroneous in the course which they pursue. We will not pause to point out the many errors into which young disciples have fallen in consulting the divine oracles; but will furnish you with a few brief directions, which, in our judgment, should be substantially followed in order to a successful examination of the Word of God.

Strive to understand thoroughly every passage which you read.

To skim over the surface of the Scriptures is of little or no advantage. They require

HOW TO STUDY THE SCRIPTURES.

thought and study to be comprehended. Some passages are, indeed, too plain to be mistaken; but others demand patient reflection in order to be understood. There are truths in the Bible which, like veins of precious metal concealed beneath the surface of the earth, seem to underlie the words; and the rich, hidden meaning of such passages is discovered only by those who are content to dig in this mine of celestial gold. "I speak it from experience," says the celebrated Erasmus, "that there is little benefit to be derived from the Scriptures if they be read cursorily or carelessly; but if a man exercise himself therein constantly and conscientiously, he shall find such an efficacy in them as is not to be found in any other book whatsoever." Beware, then, of the habit of reading the Word of God in a careless, cursory manner. Be intent upon the sense — endeavor to find out precisely the mind of the Spirit in the passage under consideration. The Scriptures are given for your "instruction in righteousness;" they are meant, therefore, to be understood. You may pass idly and inconsiderately over many chapters and remain unprofited; but you can not study, in the right

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manner and with a proper purpose, a single paragraph without having your mind enlightened, and your heart warmed and comforted.

31alce the Bible its own expositor, collate parallel passages, and bring together in one view what was spoken on the same subject at different times and on different occasions.

We do not mean to dissuade you from the use of commentaries and expositions of the Scriptures made by eminent and devoted men. These are valuable in their place, though it needs some care to prevent the words of Grod from being buried up beneath the multitude of human observations; and, besides, these comments, however learned and wise, are only the opinions of erring men ; but parallel passages contain God's own exposition, and are consequently conclusive and authoritative in every instance. No fundamental doctrine of the Scriptures rests wholly for its support upon a single passage; the work of collation, therefore, is absolutely essential to the right understanding of the Word of God. We must gather the scattered rays of light into one focal blaze, and then the truth, long deemed obscure and hidden, will be plainly revealed. This course

HOW TO STUDY THE SCRIPTURES.

■will yield us abundant consolation. The golden sands scattered over the field of revelation will, if gathered together, form precious ingots of Gospel truth. The glad springs of heavenly comfort which are unsealed in our souls by the magic words of inspiration, will, if they mingle their sparkling rills, become in confluence a mighty river, digging wider and deeper its channel every hour, and sweeping onward, in its tireless course, with increasing velocity and illimitable grandeur.

Pray for the light of God's Spirit to shine upon the sacred page, and enable you to understand what you read.

We learn that our blessed Lord, during one of his last conversations with his disciples, "opened their understanding, that they might understand the Scriptures" "And they said one to another, Did not our heart burn within us while he talked with us by the way, and while he opened to us the Scriptures ?" And may we not expect that the Holy Spirit, who more than compensates us for the personal absence of our Lord — see John xvi, 7 — who " searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God," and whose office it is to "bring all

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things to our remembrance," and to "guide us into all truth," will, if we humbly and believingly seek his influence, illuminate our darkened understandings, and enable us rightly and fully to comprehend the teachings of God's inspired Word? The Psalmist prayed, " Open thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law;" and that God heard and answered his prayer is evident from that rapturous exclamation, "How sweet are thy words unto my taste; yea, sweeter than honey to my mouth! More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold; sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb." And that this is, or may be, the common experience of Christians is apparent from a variety of facts and considerations.

You w'ho have been so lately converted begin already to realize that the Bible has undergone a marvelous change. That book, which was once so dry and unattractive, now ministers delight and consolation to your heart; and this is not merely because your regenerate soul relishes the Jruth of God — -that truth which the carnal mind rejected — but because you now see new beauties and adaptations in the Scriptures. It

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never was to you, in your unrenewed state, such a book as it now is — as it lias been ever since your conversion. It is all instinct with divinity; it is illumined with celestial sunbeams; God's Spirit has goldened every page. It was once a dreary, desolate wilderness to your soul, but now springs of water break out in the desert, the barren waste is covered with fruits and flowers, and the clouded heavens glow with the brightness of the Orient.

Moreover, every matured Christian will testify that the Bible is a peculiar look; it never wears out, and it never grows old. Its pages ever glitter with freshness and interest. Its light, like that of the sun, always shines, but is never exhausted. He who has read it most — who has spent the greatest number of years in its study — who has brought the largest measure of learning and criticism to the elucidation of its history and doctrines — who has meditated most upon its teachings, and prayed with the warmest fervor over its pages — he it is who now finds in it the highest excellence and beauty, and who decle^res with the most confidence that the Bible is an inexhaustible mine of precious truth — an unfailing fountain of so

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mercy and love. Now, how is this to be explained? Why does not this book, like other books which are frequently read, become trite and uninteresting? Is it not because God's Spirit is in His Word? Is not this the living, undying element in the Scriptures — that mysterious influence which renders the Bible an immortal book? Have you not, when enjoying the special illuminations of the Holy Ghost, read a passage with which you were perfectly familiar, and been transported with a truth never before revealed to you? A new light seemed to shine upon the page, and illuminate every line; it was as if every letter had been suddenly capitalized — as if God himself had spoken to you in his Word with peculiar distinctness and power.

Let the young disciple, as he bends over the sacred record, learn to implore the aid of God's Spirit, and he will soon discover in the Scriptures a beauty, justness, and propriety which will captivate his attention; a richness of truth and promise 7 which will enrapture his soul; and a power and energy of argument and inspiration which will exalt him to converse and communion with the Eternal.

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M Come, Holy Ghost— for, moved by thee, The prophets Tnrote and spoke — Unlock the truth, thyself the key — Unseal the Sacred Book."

Make the truth of God the subject of constant -meditation.

The Psalmist declares of the good man that " his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in his law doth he meditate day and night;" and when he refers to his own experience he exclaims, "0, how love I thy law! It is my meditation all the day. Mine eyes prevent the night watches,- that I might meditate in thy Word."

The mind, when not necessarily engaged otherwise, should be occupied with the truths of revelation. If this be the case there will grow up a familiarity with divine things, with the usus loquendi of the Scriptures, and with the general teachings of the Word of God, which will be of incalculable advantage. Take, therefore, as you go forth in the morning to encase in the labors and to meet the difficulties of life, some passage of Scripture, if it be no more than a single verse, as the subject of meditation for that day, and at every leisure

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moment let the mind fasten upon it as a germ of thought; let it be turned over again and again, and viewed in all its aspects; let it be changed into the language of prayer and winged up to heaven; let it be used as a charm against worldliness and a talisman against temptation ; and let it fill your mind with its sweet, instructive imagery as you sink into the soft repose of night. You will find, as the result of this process, that the passage has grown greatly in importance — has a breadth and fullness of meaning of which you never dreamed. You will begin to discover the beauty and richness of the Word of God. You will begin to derive from it unspeakable consolations ; for those little sparks of Divine love which fall upon our hearts from the scintillating sun of inspiration will, if fanned by the warm breath of meditation and prayer, become a quenchless flame, consuming our iniquities and purifying our souls as gold is refined and purified in the heated furnace.

We can give you, therefore, no better counsel than that contained in the following extract from the writings of a distinguished divine : " Acquire the habit of devout reflection on divine and eternal things ; let the truth of God be ever present to your mind; but forget not that you need light and power from above. You must ask wisdom from God, who giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; thus shall you walk in safety. The instruction which you receive from the Word of God shall be rendered efficacious and sanctifying by the Spirit of God, and your wills shall be rectified, your affections purified, and your footsteps being thus ordered in his Word no iniquity shall have dominion over you."