ZION'S

CASKET.

THE GOSPEL PULPIT.

A SERMON,

Preached at the Baptist Chapel, Bedworth, Lord's Day Evening, April 18th, 1847,

BY WILLIAM HATTON.

The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations."-2 PETER II, 9.

There appears to me to be two ways that a man may speak the same truth; and one is this, you may speak the truth as you find it in the Bible, and you may say, "The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations." And there is a way of speaking truth that none can speak but such as are recipients of that truth, and the Lord witnesses in the court of their conscience, that the truth they speak as being such that they have experienced the blessedness they utter "The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations." Peter was a witness, and had known, felt, and experienced it; for after he had basely denied his Lord and Master, and confirmed his falsehood with an oath; if you read the account the evangelists give of that event, it was very awful, saying, "I know him not." What does he mean? That March, 1848.]

he had no knowledge of such a person-no acquaintance with such a person-I am a stranger to such a person-you mistake me, I am not the person you mean-I have nothing to do with this Jesus of Nazareth, and never had; I do not know him. You find when the words were repeated to him, "This fellow was also one of them, he is a Galilean, his speech bewrayeth him," Peter began to confirm his falsehoods with an oath, the Holy Ghost says he cursed and swore, and said, "I never knew that man." How deeply he had fallen! You remember the text where it reads, "The Lord turned and looked upon Peter, and Peter remembered the words of the Lord;" for they had been for a time erased from his memorysolemn truths stated to him. Peter remembered the words of the Lord, how he had said, before the cock crow twice, he should deny him thrice, and he went out and wept bitterly. When writing to the twelve tribes scattered abroad-to the elect, "Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ," he speaks as one that had experienced the blessedness

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ance.

for; what he is brought to a feeling sense of his need of, that he cries out before the Lord, for the power, the savour, and dew to drop into his soul. What does a child of God want to feel in prayer, but that he may pray with power? Take away the power, and where do you leave the child of God? why, a senseless Arminian. Unless there is power attending the word, he will receive no real enjoyment, comfort, or consolation. I know I speak truth when I say, the real child of God is not really and truly inwardly contented without the power; he cries to God for power. It is a solemn text of Paul's in one of his epistles, speaking concerning these characters he says, "Having a form of godliness." That is the exact appearance; it is not Arminianism-not Papacy. The form is not Socinianism, because there is no error in the outward appearArminianism is not the form, because in the form there is no error in any shape whatever. The form is the exact appearance. Do you not remember what the apostle says, in referring to the ceremonial law in his epistle to the Hebrews, "The Lord said to Moses, see that thou make all things according to the pattern showed thee in the mount;" not deviate in the least, but everything taught and revealed in the mount, let it be the exact appearance. That is what I understand by the form, without the least shadow of error. Coming to this part of the word of God, it appears to be a solemn one, "Having the form of godliness ;" that is, the exact appearance. There must be, you know, truth; you look at it in this sense, you have seen sometimes a very exact portrait, the features of the individual are known to you the moment you cast your eye on it; you say it is such a man's likeness, it is the form or appearance. Granted it is correctly drawn, however beautiful it is adorned, there is no life. It is not the person

he expresses; he 66 says, The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations," so far he says, I am a witness of it, to the praise and glory of his grace; I stand a monument of his mercy; I can speak as one that hath obtained mercy of the Lord, that he has not only power to keep, but he knows how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished. And really, friends, I must say I hope I love a feeling religion. And what a mercy it is to be a witness for God; to speak of the truth from an experimental acquaintance therewith. The truths we speak are those that we have tasted, felt, and handled from the word of God; having fellowship with God in his truth, known by blessed experience what it was to deliver us, and turn our captivity. This is a most blessed way of speaking the truth, when we can speak it from a feeling heart, under the sweet anointing of the Spirit of God; and it is accompanied with that sweet savour, dew, and power, that we are enabled to receive it in the love of it. You will never persuade me the blessedness connected with this receiving comes in a way of persuasion; it is a poor way of life to a child of God: the quickened child says it is more than a mere profession. How weary he is of such a life, a mere profession, the misery of coming and going, attending on a round of performances, not feeling the life and power of these things in his heart; what a poor empty creature he seems to be; what a poor miserable creature he feels at times; how he hates his own life, his own living. Bless you, a child of God could not be satisfied with all the profession in the world, as a profession. I do not despise or set at nought a profession, but I contend for possession. It is the life and power of these things that his very soul is brought at times to cry

himself, it is only the appearance of the man. So you mark, however tastefully the appearance may be, however grand and excellent, it is but the appearance. However mighty a man may be in words, distinct in his sentences, celebrated for his oratory, pre-eminently he may understand doctrinal truth, it is only the appearance, having the form of godliness. So this may be carried out in all outward things; he may walk as a christian, pray as a christian, use the same words, learn some experience. I do not see why a man cannot learn experience in many senses, as well as learn doctrine, perform it all externally, yet after all have only the form, "Having the form of godliness."

Well, say some of you, if that is the case, what is mine but the form or the appearance? I cannot see any difference; alas, I fear mine is only the form. Why, poor soul, didst thou ever deny the power? Yes, say you, all power in the creature, to say it is a creature act. But art thou brought blessedly to know that it is a divine act of sovereign grace from first to last? that is the question. Though brought to deny the power in and of yourself to perform any one spiritual act, thou dost not deny the power of faith that is of the operation of the Spirit-the work of faith with power. "Having the form of godliness, but denying the power." The Lord says, "Once have I spoken; twice have I heard this, that power belongeth unto God." "He giveth power to the faint." Faint signifies a weak creature ; "giveth power to the faint." A man faint, is like a man dying, a helpless man, a senseless man who falls down. The idea of a man fainting is as one that falls powerless; if in the street, he has no power to get out of the way of anything, without any consciousness of anything running over him to destroy him. Look at God's truth, "He giveth power to the faint,

to them that have no might he increaseth strength." It is not to those who have got a little, but to them that have no might "he increaseth strength." This is the question, "Having the form of godliness, but denying the power thereof." I wish you to keep that in mind. The form is an exact appearance or resemblance; nothing appears to be wanting but the life, the life of God in the soul. And I am sure if you are taught of God, you will never deny the power. Power, where are you or I without his power. Peter blessedly says, "To them that are kept by the power of God through faith unto everlasting salvation." Õh for the power, a little of this power let down into the soul. What strength, what support it communicates, how the soul can plead with God; how the soul can agonize before the Lord. A little of this power, and how the soul pours out itself before the Lord; a little of this blessed power, how sweetly and blessedly it meets the necessities of the poor tried child. people, let

Ah, says the Lord's me have the power, though I will not deny the form, or trample under my feet the appearance, yet, Lord, with power may I possess the life, the real vital inspired blessed teaching of the Spirit of God in my heart. So, he says, may I feel the power of God in my prayers, in my faith; hope in my soul when I read his word, hear his word with power, realize that power in all its blessedness in supporting and upholding my soul during my pilgrimage here below. "Having the form of godliness, but denying the power thereof." And I tell you the truth, whether you believe it or no, there are not nineteen out of twenty professors who have the form, not even the form. I consider before even a man or woman can become a confirmed Papist, in these things his mind must be reduced to a state of absolute puerility. Do not misun

derstand me, I do not mean to say he is not possessed of a capacity to act in the several relations of life. As a man, he may be upright and consistent, and capable of filling any office; but I say in Bible mysteries the man's mind must be reduced to an absolute state of puerility before he can become a confirmed Papist. He must be reduced to the same state before he can become a confirmed Arminian or Socinian. I take it for granted a man must be absolutely and profoundly ignorant both of the letter of God's word, and the very form of godliness laid down in that word. For instance, what a state must a man's mind be brought to, when he goes and bows before a crucifix, having a certain number of pieces upon a string round his neck, called beads. He carries these beads before this crucifix, and by counting a certain number he makes some atonement for his venial sin, and so obtains pardon. What a state must the man's mind be in when he is brought to say when he receives the bread and wine in what is called the Lord's Supper, he receives the very blood and bones of Christ himself; and that in the host is God himself. Mark you, they do not mean to say that this is a dumb idol, but they tell you it is God himself; consequently as God himself is to be worshipped in that host, the bread and wine have become absolutely changed from one substance to another, that it no longer remains either bread or wine, but the natural body, the very blood and bones of Christ. Now, mark you, all changes there must be a perception. If they had the power to change this, where is there any perception of it. Fix them here; ask them if the bread is changed; where is the perception of it? Handle it before and after, where is the change? There is none in substance or materiality, or in any outward sign; it remains precisely what it was. Still they do not even come up to the

in

form. A man must become absolutely brutalized before he can become confirmed in ignorance, and these things may dwell together; but wisdom and these can never exist together, wisdom will kick at one or the other. The mind must be brought into a state of profound ignorance before these will agree. To carry this out, Arminianism is not the form. What is Arminianism but papacy itself? Come, I will give you a proof of it. If you have read Fletcher's "Checks," who comes to talk about foreknowledge; he does not deny foreknowledge. Do not misunderstand me, his foreknowledge of God is founded on contingencies. He says, "God foreknew Judas would betray Christ; but Judas had no occasion; if he had not, some one else would have done it. God foreknew Christ would be crucified, but it might or might not have taken place." I feel almost backward to quote more, as to me it seems awful. "Christ might have been struck dead by lightning, or consumed by fire from heaven the same as Elijah's sacrifice." How can this be taken as foreknowledge; being founded on contingencies, that it may or may not be; that it is the act of the creature to frustrate the design and purposes of Jehovah. But this is contradicted in language too strong to be controverted by any individual, when the apostle says, "Being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain." This is absolute, not trammelled with contingencies. you feel inclined to have the book, and consider it worth while to waste your time over it, you will find he speaks as I tell you. But when he comes to talk of experience, of a man saving himself in whole or in part, he stops to reply to your questions. He says, "Is it man's own fault if he is lost? We answer, yes it is." I re-. ply, the fault is neither in God nor

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man. God has provided salvation for man, for his own elect, and has left the rest in the place where they brought themselves by their original sin and actual transgression. The Lord will maintain his own honour and dignity, in spite of all Fletcher's Checks, in vindicating his justice, in banishing sinners from his presence to that place where hope never comes. Consequently man is never charged through the whole word of God on that account. You find when you come to look at salvation and damnation, they are firm fixtures, and the man will never charge it on Jehovah or his truth; thus in every sense of the word Arminianism is not the form, it is not the appearance. "Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof; from such turn away." If you place power anywhere but in Jehovah, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, you are in that sense denying the power. It is the electing, discriminating love of God the Father, that is the fountain head, the precious redeeming blood of Christ as a medium through which it flows, the Holy Ghost bringing them into the conscience with divine power manifested, when God's Spirit sanctifies you from your sins, bringing you before a heart-searching God, that will dash infidelity at your feet, dash atheism to nothing at your feet, and in your soul you will believe the truth of the word of Jehovah, that he is holy in all his ways, and righteous in all his works. "Having the form of godliness, but denying the power thereof." What an awful state to be left to deny the power, form or no form. Godliness with contentment is great gain; having food and raiment, be therewith content. "The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations."

Let us look at these characters, "godly." Let me be perfectly understood, no spiritual act can precede spiritual life; that is a truth that will dash all Arminianism to atoms.

Can any one natural act precede natural life? No. A man must have a natural life before he can produce any natural act. How can you prove a man naturally moves before he exists? The Lord, we are told in the book of Genesis, formed man out of the dust of the earth a perfect material human body, and there was no life in him; but when the Lord breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, man became a living soul. Adam moved upright in the very sphere in which God created him; the man moved obediently, there is no doubt of it, after God breathed into his nostrils the breath of life. So in that sense no man moves spiritually until God puts spiritual life into his soul. It is a solemn truth, it is a searching truth, that there is, by nature, no life, spiritual life, no spiritual prayer, desires, groans, sighs, faith, or anyhope, love, or any spiritual movement in your heart or mine to God-ward; all is death, and utterly destitute there. This is what Peter means when he says, "dead in trespasses and sins." Now do you believe it? You cannot help but believe it naturally; the course of natural events must ever force conviction on your natural understanding and judgment, that no creature can move until he is alive. There is no movement in the animal and vegetable creation till there is life. But I will make another remark. Say you, are not men exhorted to do such and such things? Many things I grant they are exhorted to do as men; and I wish you to understand me, I say, perfectly so: as you mind when the apostles talk about preaching repentance and remission of sins amongst all nations, they did not preach this as a creature act; no, they shewed the necessity of these things taking place in the soul, by the Holy Ghost; I can give you a proof of this: when the Lord Jesus Christ is speaking to Nicodemus, he says, "Except a man be born again,