So what I would like to do this
evening is, with the Lord's help, to try to show that those who
profess the doctrines of grace, who are commonly called high
Calvinists, are not hyper-Calvinists, but are in reality consistent
Calvinists in their doctrine and experience, and also in their
approach to evangelism. In doing so, I would like to
illustrate this from the life and experience of Mrs. Alicia
Bon-Hoblin. So what I intend doing is, one,
to consider what I understand by High Calvinism and then what
I understand by the Evangelical Imperative. It is important we
have a correct understanding of what is meant by the terms.
Our starting point must be defined then. Two, to look at how Mrs. Hoblin both understood the Evangelical
Imperative and how she applied it. but first a brief look at
the life of Mrs. Elisha Bonn-Hoblin. Elisha Bonn-Hoblin was born Elisha
Mullock on the 8th of May 1812 into an upper middle-class family. Her father was Robert Mullock
who worked in the stamp office in Dublin of which he eventually
became the comptroller. He obviously moved about with
his employment as he was promoted Elisha was the youngest of 18
children, 7 of whom died in infancy. James Ormiston, editor of the
Gospel magazine, records in his obituary of Mrs. Hoblin that
the family left Ireland in 1826, residing successively in Wales,
but no town or city is mentioned. at Exeter, Taunton and Bath. No dates are given but the Mullock
family tree tells us that upon retirement Miss Robert Mullock,
her father, settled in Bath and attended St Mary's Episcopal
Chapel where he was buried after his death on the 16th of April
1837 when Alicia was 25 years old. It is only necessary for us to
consider a little of her spiritual experience as she wrote of her
conversion experience in one of her tracts. Distinguishing
Grace or Divine Dealings with a Child. This booklet is still
in print and available from Gospel Standard Publications Trust.
There are two copies at the back of the chapel. She tells us there
were early beginnings in her heart When one of her uncles visited
the family, gave her a New Testament, and spoke to her of the things
of God, we must remember that the family were completely ignorant
of a knowledge of saving grace, attending church services out
of mere custom. Alicia uses a pseudonym for herself
and probably for others who are mentioned in the tracts. It is
therefore quite impossible to trace her uncle, He probably
came from her mother's side of the family. One thing important
to note is her statement about her coming to faith and assurance
in the Lord Jesus Christ. She writes of the death of her
father. There was a natural and spiritual
sorrow for his death. Her heart rent by agonized feelings,
Amy, the pseudonym by which she called herself in the tract,
crept alone into the room where the corpse lay, to take a last
look at that dear face that had ever looked at her but with love.
As her tearful eyes settled on the cold clay, the thought came
to her sad heart, I have no father in heaven or on earth. None but God's living children
know the pans of this thought and none but those who have felt
it can understand the blessed change that this instantly wrought
on her heart as these words were applied to her soul by the Spirit
of God. I am a father to Israel. Amy entered that dismal room
fatherless and disconsolate. She left it rejoicing. in the
testimony of the spirit that she was a child of God and a
joint heir with Christ. She married Dr Francis Parker
Hoblin on 7th June 1864 at St Mary's Church Dublin. She died
26th June 1896. We do not know when she commenced writing tracts but it appears she contributed
items first of all to the Gospel magazine which was then edited
by Dr David Dalby. He also edited a parish broadsheet
with the title of Old Jonathan which had a very wide circulation.
Alicia also wrote for that paper. A number of her articles were
brought together and published under the title of Tracts for
the Poor which was published about 1860. I'm guessing that
her most famous tracts Her distinguishing grace, nothing to pay, and fruits
and effects were published subsequent to the volume of tracks for the
poor. Further items from her pen came forth. She was a regular
contributor to the Remembrancer, a high Calvinist Anglican magazine
edited by William Lush, not by Alicia, as stated by James Ormiston. All in all, a total of 154 tracts
were issued in her lifetime, 150 of which were issued in six
volumes by Mrs Pembry of Oxford between 1875 and 1896. In his
preface to a second series of tracts, J. W. Gowring writes Were these tracts mere essays
on certain points, they could well stand on their own merits,
without any need of the sanction of a name. But being narratives,
it has been thought advisable by the French who urged on this
publication that someone should authenticate them to the public.
I have heard of some persons who have termed these narratives
fictitious. Now, in the sense in which they
used the word, I most completely deny the charge, and can vouch
that what is here related is a true, faithful and unvarnished
statement of facts. We need not travel into the land
of fancy and fiction in order to get what is marvellous, for
the child of God is often a wonder to himself as well as those about
him. It is interesting to note that
the copyright of the tracts were assigned to J.C. Penbury and
on his death his daughter inherited that copyright. She in turn assigned
that copyright to the Sovereign Grace Union in whose interests
we meet this evening. Some of the tracts continued
to be published by the Sovereign Grace Union until the 1930s and
in recent years a number have been republished by the Christian
bookshop, Osset. Now, to consider what I understand
by both high Calvinism and the evangelical imperative. First,
what do we mean by high Calvinism? Ian Shaw, in his High Calvinists
in Action, Calvinism and the City, after noting Andrew Fuller's
categories of high, moderate and strict Calvinism, comments
on and quotes from A. G. Fuller's memoir of Andrew
Fuller. High Calvinists were to Fuller
more Calvinistic than Calvin himself, in other words, bordering
on antinomianism. Moderate Calvinists were half-Arminian,
or as they are called with us, Baxterians. The strict Calvinist
was one that really holds to the system of Calvin. Shaw goes
on to define what he means by the term High Calvinist. In High
Calvinism, election is unconditional, atonement is limited, salvation
is pushed back into the eternal and imminent acts of God, eternal
justification, eternal adoption, and eternal sanctification are
prominent. Irresistible grace is stressed
so that the elect become passive in their regeneration and conversion.
Assurance is found in the conviction and felt experience that the
believer is eternally elected by God. High Calvinists are unable
to make the free offer of the gospel. Faith is not the duty
of unbelievers. He does admit, however, that
because of various factors it does make exact definitions problematic. I therefore prefer Mrs. Hoblin's
view. I call it a view because it is
neither a scholarly definition nor is it meant to be a theological
interpretation. It is rather what she defines
as the truth of the gospel she sought to broadcast. It is extracted
from tract number 76, Musings. She is obviously writing after
attending a meeting which had been addressed by one who was
a mild evangelical. she describes what the preacher
had said. And what was the marrow of the
so-called gospel I had been listening to for an hour? Based upon the
foundation of universal atonement and free will, the sermon was
exaltation of the creature from beginning to end, the sinner
was to be beforehand with God in every act, the dead were desired
to do the works of the living, Invitations addressed only to
God's called people were dealt out and applied to the world.
And the fashionable throng were pressed to believe, repent, petition
and obey. Now as I had been brought by
grace divine to this point in experience, nothing to pay, I
felt there was no gospel in all this to me." She then describes
the gospel She both believed and broadcast in her trance. The popular phrase, simple faith,
is the favorite doctrine of our day. It looks well on paper and
appears easy of attainment. To press it upon the reception
of others and so make them happy is only a friendly act. What
is easy to ourselves to accomplish, we naturally imagine others can
do. and simple faith is a lever that can raise any weight if
people only try. Thus, this plausible offshoot
of Arminianism runs and is glorified in the hearts of professors.
But this popular sort of faith comes out of the error of an
offered gospel. An offer implies a will on the
part of a person an offer implies a will on part of the person
to whom the offer is made to choose or reject the thing offered
has the dead sinner this power any more than the corpse in the
graveyard? the foundation fact of man's
total depravity declares that something more than an offer
is necessary the sinner needs a dead lift he requires almighty
power it is gift, sovereign, efficacious grace that must do
the work in his soul you hath he quickened who were dead if Christ Jesus has secured salvation
and finished the work the father gave him to do why should men
put that in the form of an offer to sinners which throughout the
word is declared to be a gift to offer Christ to sinners, to
offer the gospel, to offer salvation, is to deny the doctrine of man's
total depravity and to nullify the effects of that glorious
atonement which secures the application of the blood to the souls of
the redeemed and provides for every step of the way that leads
to salvation without any cooperation or help of any sort on the part
of the creature. God supplies and applies from
first to last the salvation He has provided for poor lost sinners
and teaches them to say by the power of the Holy Spirit thanks
be unto God for His unspeakable gift. What then do we mean by High
Calvinism? It is that we believe in a complete
and full Christ for empty sinners and nothing else. Joseph Hart
sums this up in his hymn, Come ye sinners poor and wretched
by speaking of the full salvation in the Lord Jesus Christ. Lo,
the incarnate God ascended, please the merit of His blood, venture
on Him, venture wholly, let no other trust intrude, none but
Jesus can do helpless sinners good. Secondly, what do we understand
by the evangelical imperative? Well, when we speak of an imperative,
it is something that is vitally important or essential and for
this we must turn to the scripture of truth I would like to turn
to just four passages of scripture obviously in a lecture of this
nature it is only possible to take a cursory glance at these
verses Matthew 28 verses 19 and 20 Go ye therefore and teach all
nations baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the
Son, and of the Holy Ghost, teaching them to observe all things whatsoever
I have commanded you. And lo, I am with you always,
even unto the end of the world. Amen. We have here the words
of the Lord Jesus Christ, commonly called the Great Commission. As High Calvinists, we are not
afraid of these words. Nor are we afraid of the implication
of these words. Indeed, the words of the Lord
Jesus Christ, if we have been taught to write by the Spirit
of God, should indeed fire us with a zeal for the salvation
of sinners, the election of grace. There are three comments here. Go, teach, baptize. so there are three commands here
go, teach, baptise and one promise I am with you it is clear and
it is simple in the case of Mrs. Hoblin which we will come on
to in a few moments she went to the poor people of Bath and
its environs she wrote and took her tracts and witnessed to the
saving truths of the gospel of Christ the Lord Jesus said to
his disciples you shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem and
in all Judea and in Samaria and unto the uttermost part of the
earth Luke 14 verses 15 to 24 particularly verse 23 this passage
refers to the parable of the great supper those bidden had
given reasons as to why they should be excused So the Lord
sends out his servant to bring in the poor, and the maimed,
and the haught, and the blind. See how the gospel invitation
is addressed to types and conditions. And then, as there was still
room at the feast, so those in the highways and hedges were
compelled, that is, those who were outcasts of society, the
tramps, vagrants, the unclean, those who were strangers from
the covenants and the promises. Dr. Gill comments, compelled,
not by outward thoughts but by thoughtable words, by powerful
arguments, and by the strength of persuasion which expresses
the nature of the Gospel ministry and the power that attends it
by the Divine Spirit. And lest I should be accused
of using only a high Calvinist commentary, Let us hear what Dr. Adam Clarke, the Wesleyan, says
and we will find that he agrees with Dr. Gill. Prevail on them
by the most earnest entreaties. The word is used by Matthew 14.22
and by Mark 6.45. in both which places, when Christ
is said to constrain his disciples to get into the vessel, nothing
but his commanding or persuading them to do it can be reasonably
understood. No other kind of constraint is
ever recommended in the gospel of Christ. Every other kind of
compulsion is anti-Christian, can only be submitted to by cowards
and knaves, and can produce nothing but hypocrites. Acts 5 verses
17 to 21 particularly verse 20 Go stand and speak in the temple
to the people all the words of this life the apostles were instructed
to declare the whole counsel of God not that which they thought
was convenient or suitable to their auditors all the words
of this life Likewise today, in evangelism, we are to speak
all the words of this life. We do not shake the message to
the hearers. We do not play to the gallery.
Paul said to the Ephesian elders, I have not shunned to declare
unto you all the counsel of God. And the same duty is laid upon
us today, to declare the whole counsel of God. 1 Corinthians
9.16 For though I preach the gospel, I have nothing to glory
of, for necessity is laid upon me. Yea, woe is me if I preach
not the gospel. Okay, we turn again to Dr. Gill.
He thus speaks to show what he or any other minister of the
gospel would deserve at the hand of God, who having abilities
to preach, should not make use of them, or should preach but
not the gospel. or only a part of it and not
the whole or should entirely desist from it through self-interest
or the fear of man or through being ashamed of Christ and his
gospel or as not able to bear the reproach and persecution
attending it what is the evangelical imperative? it is to preach the gospel It
is to preach the whole counsel of God, without fear, taking
notice of the Lord's words to Jeremiah. The Lord said unto
me, Say not I am a child, for thou shalt go to all that I shall
send thee, and whatsoever I command thee, thou shalt speak. Be not
afraid of their faces, for I am with thee to deliver thee, saith
the Lord. We are not to shape our preaching,
ministry or witness to the hearers. To come in the second place to
look at how Mrs. Hoblin sought to apply these
principles in evangelism. In doing so, I want to quote
from her tracts. I mentioned earlier she wrote
154 tracts and booklets and numerous other articles in the various
Calvinistic magazines of the time. I've not read them all.
Indeed, I do not have all of her tracts and writings, but
I think what I have read, and will quote, will give us a little
insight into her thought and practice. But first of all, a
word about how Mrs. Hoblin's tracts came into existence.
I have already referred to the fact that she recounts facts
about people whom she met. Her writings and the people she
describes are not works of fiction. Although Dr. Shaw writes in the
context of the ministries of William Gadsby, William Nunn,
Joseph Hyams and James Wells, his comments apply equally to
other high Calvinists. He writes, The attractive power
of a spiritually comforting message preached in an emotionally compelling
way and allied to an accompanying social care and support network
should not be ignored, hard though it is to quantify, The perception
of the response to urban needs of those influenced by evangelicalism
often remains negative. A persistent misconception is
that evangelicalism has stifled social concern. Through the influence
of men like William Huntington and Robert Hawker a considerable
upturn in the strength of High Calvinism occurred and it was
represented in most towns and cities in the early 19th century.
that that influence of high Calvinism extended to Bath and its environs. Whilst at Bath, the Reverend
J.A. Wallinger, who ministered at
Bethesda Chapel Bath, established the Poor Saints Fund along with
other Christian believers. The Poor Saints Fund was established
in 1835 for the relief of destitute Christian pilgrims without respect
to sect or party. The annual reports of the Poor
Saints Fund mentions Mrs. Hoblin's involvement with that
society. By 1865 she was named as the
collector for Bath. When Mr. Wallinger moved to undertake
the ministry of the Pavilion Chapel Brighton, the administration
of the fund was handed to Mrs. Hoblin. The 1872 annual report
notes that subscriptions are to be sent to J.A. Wallinger,
Reverend J.A. Wallinger's son, a solicitor
who remained resident in Bath, or Mrs. Hoblin. It was in the
undertaking of this work she made contact with so many individuals
who were brought to faith in Christ Jesus and who became the
subjects of her tracts. She also took other opportunities
as they presented themselves in the Lord's providential path.
For many years she ran a women's Bible class in her home on Lord's
Day afternoons, which James Ormiston tells us was a means of grace
which was deeply appreciated by those who attended. One of
those who attended the Bible class wrote, as one of her Bible
class I would like to publicly acknowledge the spiritual benefits
received from her teaching. She opened her mouth with wisdom,
and her tongue was the law of kindness. She was a wonderful
teacher, and it was a great privilege to attend her class. She was
so simple that a child could understand her, and so sound
in doctrine, experience and practice, that very few in the present
day could compare with her. It seems that she also taught
in a Sunday school at one time. although we have no dates when
that may have been, or to which church it was connected, but
probably with one of the churches or chapels at which Mr Wallinger
ministered prior to his departure to Brighton. She's obviously
writing of herself as she commences Tract No. 31, Who shall be first? In what part of the scriptures
shall we read today, asked a Sunday school teacher, as a class of
intelligent-looking youths crowded eagerly together, waiting, with
Bible in hand, to hear who would answer? and so the tract continues
recounting the subject of the discussion during which she turns
the conversation and study into a declaration of the grace of
God as the initiator of all spiritual life she continues now as with
God's thoughts so with God's actions we must ask who can be
first with the everlasting God but we proceed a step further
we have shown a little of the choice of the Father the love
of the Son in coming to the Father bleed and die for his guilty
people but there is another glorious person of the Godhead who is
equally engaged and deeply pledged to accomplish salvation work
for this chosen family and that is the Holy Ghost equal with
the Father equal with the Son and one with both Now, however
it came to pass, surely you will admit, in your own case at least,
God was first. But she not only took the opportunity
to speak of the Gospel within the confines of her church assemblies,
but she also took the opportunities that were presented to her when
undertaking other visits or duties. Thus she writes of her experience
as a collector for the Trinitarian Bible Society. in tract 38-39
she speaks of her visiting a tenement building in the town she made
contact with a woman who declined to buy a Bible and refused to
accept a tract but she continued to visit the house and eventually
was able to speak with Mrs Glass for that was her name She goes
on to recount how Mrs Glass was humbled by the work of the Holy
Ghost within her heart in applying the Word of God without any external
influences. The means used under God for
her conversion was a direct result of Mrs Hovland speaking to her
and Mr Wallinger ministering to her. One further example must suffice.
Mrs Hoblin recounts in the tract A Sorrowful Christmas how she
went to the market one Christmas Eve with the purpose of distribution
of tracts in passing from one stall to another of the market
on Christmas Eve to give some tracts to the country folk that
trade in the town markets she was struck with the sad countenance
of a female who kept a boot and shoe stall She then takes the
opportunity of speaking. What she trusted was a word in
season, as from the Lord. But it is one thing to be active
in the distribution of literature and speaking, but it is another
to ensure that both that which is distributed in the form of
tracts or other literature and the word spoken is truly the
gospel. In this respect, Mrs. Hovland
issued a number of warnings against deviations against the true gospel. For instance, she wrote a letter
to the Gospel magazine which was later published in tract
format which contained a warning against Sandemanianism. She was
opposed to the intellectual approach to faith which was and is so
prevalent today and which follows in a great deal the teachings
of Robert Sandeman. She lived in the time when modern
revivalism was beginning to make its appearance from the USA personified
in the teachings of Finney and later Messrs. Moody and Sankey.
Her views of the Church of Rome were made clear in a number of
tracts. Richard Baxter was criticized in his view of the atonement
and saving faith. But what I would like to do in
the remaining time allocated to me for this lecture is to
consider some of her doctrine and how she spoke of the Lord
Jesus Christ to those who were as yet strangers from the covenants
and promises. But we must notice that Mrs.
Hovling considered there must be a work of grace in the heart
for a person to be a Christian. I would also like to note John
Newton's conversation with a friend concerning Calvinism. He likened
his Calvinism to a lump of sugar which he then dropped into a
cup of tea. He stirred the tea and then said to his friend that
his Calvaryism was like the sugar. It was still there but imperceptible. Mrs. Hovland took a different
view. She did not hide anything. She took to heart the words of
Paul when he took his leave from the Ephesian elders. For I have
not shunned to declare unto you all the counsel of God. And she
did that with boldness. So we follow Mrs. Hoblin in her
discussions and conversations on the salient points of our
faith. The following quotations are
extracted from the first two volumes of her Tracts for the
People. 1. The foundation of true religion
is only to be found in the Bible. In Tract 11, Mrs. Hovland recounts
the effect the reading of a New Testament had on a dying child
in a Roman Catholic convent. She took the New Testament and
put it under her pillow and it became her constant companion
in secret. The Spirit of God opened her
eyes to see and embrace the truth of the Gospel and salvation only
through Jesus Christ. As her illness increased, the
light of the knowledge of the glory of God enlightened her
soul. She refused to see the priest or receive the rights
of the church to the great scandal of the community. Her perpetual
answer to all who attempted to persuade her was, no, the blood
of Jesus Christ has cleansed me from all my sin. I have all
I need in Him. says the Psalmist, the entrance
of thy words give it light, it give it understanding to the
simple. Again she writes in the same
tract, in the scriptures the fullness and sufficiency of Christ's
atonement, mediatorship and intercession are revealed and his unchangeable
and perfect priesthood declared Christ being come and High Priest
of good things to come, entered in once into the holy place,
having obtained eternal redemption. The work is finished, nothing
can be added to it, nothing can be taken from it, the work is
complete, and all who are interested in it shall receive the promise
of eternal inheritance, according to the eternal purpose which
He purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord. they must be born of the
Spirit, they must walk in newness of life and hearken to the voice
of God who says, come out of her my people that she be not
partakers of her sins and that she receive not her plagues.
In the blood and righteousness of Christ Jesus there is the
fullness of salvation and the office of the Holy Ghost is to
take of the things of Christ and show them to the sinner. in the tract Pickings from the
Past. Mrs. Hoblin writes further on
the scriptures. She issues a warning from the history of the Anabaptists. Karlstadt by pen and Munster
by the sword led away the mass of the people whose eyes were
just opening to the iniquities of Rome and through the power
of mere natural feeling these ungodly leaders drew the half-enlightened
away from the truth. Their war cry, the spirit without
the word, was the open door that led to all sorts of excess, both
in doctrine and practice. A warning issued many years ago,
which needs to be heeded by today's evangelical charismatics. Christian
experience must be based upon the word of God. 2. Conversion is a sovereign act
of Almighty God. Every instance of conversion,
writes Mrs. Hoblin in tract 14, is but the
testimony to God's sovereign declaration. Behold, I, even
I, will both search my sheep and seek them out. The command
issued must be obeyed. I will say to the North, give
up. and to the south keep not back bring my sons from far and
my daughters from the ends of the earth everyone that is called
by my name for I have created him for my glory I have formed
him yea I have made him and to all such the Lord says with the
invincible power of the Holy Ghost look unto me and be ye
saved all the ends of the earth Salvation is not only ruled out
by Christ for His elect, but revealed in them by the almighty
work of the Holy Ghost, the time when, the means how, all appointed
by God the Father according to the declaration of God the Son,
who in the days of His flesh uttered these memorable words,
No man can come to me except the Father which hath sent me
draw him. she writes further in tract number
28 the enemy of souls is not opposed
to any religion of which he is the author and however accurate
his imitations may be to that which has God for its beginner
yet if it be not a revealed religion it will die when we die The Bible,
she says, contains the history of God's thoughts and God's actions
in the salvation of his church. The thoughts of God towards his
chosen family are called in scripture by various terms, such as his
will, purpose, counsel, foreknowledge, election and these thoughts were
formed in eternity before the world was made when Jehovah,
Father, Son and Spirit entered into eternal engagement to choose,
redeem and regenerate a church that could be to the praise of
the glory of Jehovah. This unborn church was in the
thoughts of God lodged in Christ and given to him as his body,
his pride. Christ accepting the gift and
engaging to stand as her covenant head, husband and surety. Each
member of the church being enrolled in the book of life for natural
creation, for spiritual birth and for the enjoyment of all
covenant blessings in Christ. There are many professed Calvinists
today who are embarrassed by the proclamation of the doctrines
they profess to believe and so there is a tendency to hide their
Calvinistic light under a bushel to preach the doctrines of grace
to the ungodly is, they say, to cast pearls before swine they
must be the preaching of the gospel but not of the doctrines
of the gospel but this was not the case with Mrs. Hovland Her
tract number 30 deals with the subject of particular redemption.
Obviously too long to quote, and so we give a short extract.
Particular redemption brings matters to a point, takes salvation
clean out of the hands of the sinner and puts him in the right
place, the recipient of the blessings which the blood procures. She then goes on to give four
reasons why the Christian should believe the doctrine of particular
redemption, which she expands in a tract. 1. General redemption
disturbs the unity of the Trinity. 2. It is not in accordance with
the Old Testament types. 3. It contradicts the scope of
the New Testament. 4. It is opposed to the experience
of every living child of God. or three, there are only two
classes of people the saved or the lost the following is extracted
from track number 15 and here she speaks of those who have
been quickened by the Spirit of God as being amongst the saved
of God the world is divided into two classes however they may
be subdivided by professors of religion on the one hand or by
degrees in ungodliness on the others but it is either life
or death. It is either regeneration or
carnality. There is no medium state. The
experience of those who have been called by God's grace has
an effect on the life of that individual. In her tract on separation,
Mrs. Hoblin writes of this effect.
As the love of Christ Jesus fills the heart, so will this grace
appear more evident and under the shinings of the Father's
love, the sons and daughters of the Lord Almighty will take
a more exalted and affectionate place in the heart of the child
of God. We live in days when the boundary
line is so indistinct between the church and the world that
there appears small evidence of this grace. to take our stand
as a separated people of God to avow boldly by lip that lip
the doctrines we profess and to manifest in practice separation
from a doomed world require grace in exercise and strength from
on high again she writes of the difference between the saved
of God and those who are lost in sin Convinced sinners want
the blood applied to cure their souls. They want the promise
spoken to the heart that will allay their fear and give them
warrant to say remember thy word unto thy servant upon which thou
hast caused me to hope. They want Christ made of God
unto them wisdom and righteousness and sanctification and redemption
and by divine power to experience the testimony of the Apostle
we have redemption through his blood the forgiveness of sins. Four, the nature of faith. In the tract Only Believe she
speaks at length on the nature of faith as opposed to the easy
believism which was becoming and now is so popular. The faith of God's elected is
a divine gift bestowed according to eternal purpose on a covenant
people set apart for salvation. It is a quality of a new creature
in Christ Jesus whereby eternal realities are apprehended with
more or less distinctness according to the measure of the gift of
God. It is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things
not seen. When light breaks into the mind,
Sin is felt. A remedy is needed. And faith's
office to the soul is represented in the Word by the use of the
natural functions of the body. It is an eye to see, looking
unto Jesus. It is an ear to hear, the hearing
of faith. A heart to feel with the heart
man believeth. Feet to walk, we walk by faith. Lips to speak, I believed, therefore
have I spoken. Hands to grasp and contend, fight
the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life. The office
of faith is to desire, receive and enjoy the blessings of the
Gospel according as the Holy Spirit is pleased to reveal them
to the soul. The Spirit convinces of sin,
This begets desires for pardon and peace. He takes of the things
of Christ and shows them to faith. He reveals the need of Christ.
He applies the promises of God and gives a sense of personal
interest in salvation. I have quoted from just a few
of Mrs. Hovland's tracts, but the ones I have quoted the ones
I've quoted from are really no different from the rest she gloried
in a free grace salvation and for that she was labeled an antinomian
she sought to defend herself from this slur a number of times
she wrote frequently against the antinomianism of which she
and other high calvinists were accused with this I close it
is an extract from tract 47 in or out. Reader, if you possess
a vital religion and belong to this despised sect of the Nazarenes
that is everywhere spoken against, take courage and be not moved
away from the faith of the gospel by the fear of man and the hue
and cry of antinomianism. Christianity has received many
ill names since it was born into our wicked world but it is none
the worse for them God's truth lives and the glorious doctrines
of grace and salvation shall survive all the calumnies of
ungodly men let it be the care of God's people to live down
the slanders of the enemies of truth and by well-doing put to
silence the ignorance of foolish men Amen Let us conclude with the singing
of hymn number 144. We omit verse 2. The tune is
Meriton 366. Jesus, my all to heaven is gone, he whom I fix
my hopes upon, His track I see, and I'll pursue
the narrow way till Him I view. Hymn number 144 omitting verse
2.