but I want us once again to address that subject of the principles and practices that we adhere to as strict and particular Baptists. I mentioned last week, I think it was back at the beginning of the year in the month of January that we began to consider this subject and then of course It was only last Thursday that I took another Thursday evening Bible study, so we continued with that theme. And I want tonight really to complete that theme, the principles and the practices that we adhere to as strict and particular Baptists.

It is, of course, important that we're aware of these things because we are to heed and to obey that exhortation that we find in the Epistle of Jude, that you should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints. And of course, the reference there to the faith is not the grace of faith, believing the knowledge of Christ or trusting in Christ, but the body of truth that we profess and desire to hold fast to. And so our distinctive position as strict and particular Baptist is that that must be rooted and grounded here in the scriptures of truth. And so what I've done really is sought to go back to those distinguishing marks of the New Testament church as we have that church really beginning to appear in the Acts of the Apostles.

So, the particular text really that I've centered these three addresses upon are those words in Acts 2.42. What we're told concerning those about 3,000 who were wonderfully converted on the day of Pentecost through the ministry, the preaching of Peter and the other Apostles. We're told how they continued steadfastly in the Apostles' doctrine and fellowship and in breaking of bread and in prayers.

That was the text that I took back in January and said we would observe some five points from that particular verse of Scripture. to mark what our distinctive beliefs are. So we've considered the doctrine of the church, the doctrine of baptism, the practice of strict communion, apostolic doctrine of the gospel, and I said we would finally come to consider something of true experimental religion as our fifth point. Well, we've considered those first four points, and I want to conclude this evening by saying something further with regards to that apostolic doctrine, point four, and then go on and deal with experimental religion. Well, that's the approach I want us to follow. Firstly then, I want to go back to apostolic doctrine of the Gospel, which I sought to say something about last time. Historically in preaching, strict Baptists have made a clear distinction between Law and Gospel.

And hence we have the Gospel Standard Article 26, which really expresses it very well, When it says we deny duty, faith and due to repentance, these terms signifying that it is every man's duty spiritually and savingly to repent and believe. Remember those words. Article 26, we deny duty, faith, and duty repentance. These terms signifying that it is every man's duty spiritually and savingly to repent and believe. The word duty suggests the works of the law.

In contrast, we see how the gospel sets before us the gift of grace. the language of Romans 11 6. If by grace, then it is no more of works, otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then is it no more grace, otherwise work is no more work.

We have to be aware all the time of the danger of legalizing the gospel. We're not to mix law and grace together. We're not to mix together then the law and the gospel. We're to make that clear distinction between these two. Theologically, the purpose of the law Just bear with me for a moment. As I was saying, theologically, the purpose of the law is to really bring conviction into the sinner's soul. We know that from what we read in a passage like Romans 3, 19 and 20, what things soever the law saith, etc. Then we're under the law, that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world become guilty before God. Therefore that by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin." I remarked last time how Martin Luther clearly understood this when we think of the period of the Reformation, the Protestant Reformation. When Luther, as a Romish monk, was awakened in the depths of his soul, there was such a profound sense of his bondage to sin. That's the ministry of the law, really.

And he brings it out, does Luther, in his great commentary on Galatians, as he expounds the words of Galatians 3.23. Before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed. Luther says, Thus the law is a prison. It showeth unto us spiritually our sin, terrifieth and humbleth us, that when we are so terrified and humbled we may learn to know our own misery and condemnation.

And this is the true and proper use of the law. Again, the language of Scripture in 1 Timothy 1 and verses 8 and 9, We know that the law is good if a man use it lawfully, says Paul, knowing this, that the law is not made for a righteous man, that is, a justified man, but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and for sinners. how important it is that we recognize that. Therefore, how careful and how discriminating any faithful preacher must therefore be when he addresses his congregation. He is to preach all the Word of God, he is to preach the Law, but he is also to preach the Gospel. And we see Christ himself, the Prince of preachers, as the one who is the great pattern of how we preach law and gospel, and to whom we preach law and gospel.

And we see it, for example, in that 10th chapter of the Gospel according to Mark, where we have the Lord's different dealings in the same chapter with with two particular men. We have the rich young ruler on the one hand and blind Bartimaeus on the other. You might like to turn for a while to Mark chapter 10 and consider there what's said with regards to the rich young ruler in Mark 10 verses 17 through 22.

And immediately we notice there's something very commendable about the young man and his approach to Christ. He appears to be sincere, anxious, earnest. He comes unashamedly, openly, and he comes with haste to the Lord Jesus, and Jesus kneels before him and respectfully calls him Good Master. Verse 17. Now, Christ's reply might sound rather strange to us. He says, Why callest thou me good? There is none good but one, that is God. But the point is, does this man recognize who he's addressing? That's why the Lord makes that statement, Why callest thou me good? There is none good but one that is God. Does this man really recognize who he's addressing?

Does he accept the divine authority of Jesus as the promised Messiah, the Son of God? Moreover, this man comes to speak of his own works. What shall I do that I may inherit eternal life, is the question he puts to Christ. So Christ deals with him, not with gospel words, but in terms of the law. Thou knowest the commandments.

And how sad is the man's answer to the Lord. He says, All these have I observed from my youth, verse 20, clearly he had no sense of his depravity, there seems no conviction of sin, no feeling of utter helplessness before the Lord of God, and then Christ further probes his soul, is he covetous of the things of the world? Here is the test, he must sell all and follow Christ, and this offended him. And so we're told that he went away sad and grieved.

How the Lord is dealing with that man, and dealing with him in terms of law. Now in contrast, at the end of the chapter we have blind Bartimaeus, from verse 46 following, Whereas the Lord did not speak one gospel word to the secure and self-righteous rich young ruler, How differently it deals with this poor, broken-hearted beggar.

Observe, first how Bartimaeus addresses Christ, Jesus, thou son of David, have mercy on me. And then, when he's told to be silent, he repeats the words in verse 48. Twice he addresses the Lord, Jesus, thou son of David. To call Jesus a son of David, of course, is to acknowledge him as the promised Messiah, the one spoken of by the prophets, the Christ, the son of the living God.

And also with this man, rather than speak of his works and his merits, the blind man really makes a spiritual request. He cries out, have mercy on me. have mercy on me." We notice initially he doesn't even ask for physical sight. His first request is the Lord to have mercy, just as the publican who went with the Pharisee into the temple at the hour of prayer. He only asks for physical sight when he answers Christ's question, what wilt thou that I should do unto you? And then he asked that he might receive his sight. It's not what this man must do. That was what the rich young ruler said, what must I do? Here the Lord says, what wilt thou that I should do unto you? It's what Christ will do, and what Christ will do for this man. And the Lord declares to him at the end, Thy faith hath made thee whole. The margin says, Thy faith hath saved thee. He was blessed with saving and justifying faith, and we're told in verse 52, and we follow Jesus in the way.

Here is a contrast in the Lord dealing with individuals, but dealing with them in quite different ways. I want to quote from a Lutheran theologian, Carl Walter, who makes this observation, the gospel, he says, must be preached only to bruised, contrite, miserable sinners. The law, to secure sinners, those who feel secure in their own works. Inverting this order means confounding both, and by confounding them commingling both in the most dangerous manner to make a miserable contrite sinner the subject of law preaching is to commit a grievous sin against him for the gospel ought to be preached to him and that's what the Lord does of course with blind Bartimaeus he preaches the gospel to him what is the gospel? well it centers all together in the person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ.

It is Christ, isn't it? Who in His person and in His work is what really constitutes the gospel and we have the record a fourfold gospel and then all the remainder of the New Testament Scriptures which are built really upon that that we read concerning the person and work of Christ.

In his editorial in the Gospel Standard magazine in June 1935, it was his last editorial for the magazine, He wrote, I have long known that I am regarded as obsessed with the doctrine of Christ. Would that the glory of the Divine Son filled my soul continually, that His glorious and necessary name, Son of God, was ever present to my faith. He delighted to write and to preach of the Lord Jesus Christ and of course before him J.C. Philpott's, the first or one of the first editors of the magazine was also well known for his vehement contending for the truth of Christ's eternal sonship with such preaching of the gospel of the glories of Christ that was an historic distinctive amongst those gospel standard strict Baptists. But that's enough really with regards to just finishing off what I wanted to say about the apostolic doctrine of the cross. Because finally I want to try to say something with regards to true experimental religion. Historically, this has also been one of the distinguishing marks of the strict Baptist, certainly gospel standard strict Baptist.

Very evident in Philpott's ministry, In 1 Corinthians chapter 4 and verse 1 Paul declares, Let a man so account of us as ministers of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God. Interesting, those parallel statements. Ministers of Christ and stewards. of the mysteries of God. And certainly in his searching and sifting, preaching, Philpott was greatly gifted in tracing out the mysterious workings of the Spirit of God in the souls of sinners. He was a steward of God's mysteries in the ways of salvation, the application of salvation. However, sadly among us today there is much confusion and a tendency with some to confuse this biblical experimentalism with a mysticism that verges on the religion of the charismatics.

If you'll excuse me I want here to make some personal remarks. I remember the first Philpott sermon I ever read about well over 50 years ago I suppose. I'd gone to Northern Ireland to be best man at the wedding of a friend who had just finished his course of studies at the Irish Baptist College and after his wedding would be taking up a pastorate in a Baptist church. On the night before the wedding I was staying in a bungalow on the farm belonging to his prospective in-laws.

As he left me there my friend passed to me a little volume of Philpott's sermons and that night I read my first Philpott sermon on Proverbs 19.21.

There are many devices in a man's heart, nevertheless the counsel of the Lord that shall stand. After previously struggling for some time with the doctrines of free grace, I'd come to a little understanding of the truth of God's sovereignty and salvation.

I recognized The significance of the word particular in the name particular Baptist it is of course a declaration of our belief in the truth of limited atonement. The truth of Christ died only for the elect and in and by his death he actually accomplished the definite salvation of those chosen in him before the foundation of the world. He didn't just make salvation a mere possibility for all, but made it sure and certain for all those given to him in the eternal covenant.

And we are not to lose sight of the importance of that word particular, It reminds us of our doctrinal position, just as strict reminds us of our practice, restricted communion. We are strict and particular Baptists. Doctrinally we are Calvinistic, in distinction to those who are Arminians, free willers. What we believe and preach, as you know, is summarized in the five points of Calvinism, which we remember in the Mnemonic's word, Tulip, T, Total Depravity, U, Unconditional Erection, L, Limited Atonement, I, Irresistible Grace, P, Perseverance of the Saints.

Returning to Philpott's sermon, after reading just a couple of pages of it, those years ago, I found him criticizing those who had nothing more than an intellectual understanding of the truth, referring to, quote, many characters in the professing Church of God who have received the doctrine into their judgments without feeling the power of it in their hearts, end quote. And then going on to say, quote, it is one thing to receive the doctrine as a doctrine and another thing to submit to it as the truth of God, end quote. Often, such characters as this are referred to as letter Calvinists.

As I read on, I found the sermon to be most disturbing. It was searching. And at times I was made to wonder if I had any real religion at all. And yet there were points where I could relate, somewhat, to the things Mr. Philpott said, for he seemed to trace out different parts of my experience of God's dealings with my soul. I therefore began to say, in the past, the Lord had indeed been dealing with me. in order to bring me to submission to his absolute sovereignty and salvation.

Not surprisingly this caused me to love Philpott's ministry and I have many times since re-read that sermon on man's devices and the Lord's counsel. In fact, recently I read it once more and again I felt as if I was being stripped bare However, I have to read to the end, and have to acknowledge that, as usual, I did find much to encourage me, as the sermon was really so full of Christ. In this sermon, Philpott speaks of how the Lord's counsel is simply one, all centers in the glory of God in Christ.

But Philpott declares, quotes, as far as our experience is concerned, there are two ends. the one the humbling and breaking down the creature into nothingness, and that's what the law does, the other the setting up Christ upon the wreck and rewing of the creature.

This is an important point, for with experimental preaching the danger is that we misunderstand and get lost in subjectivism, pouring too much over ourselves as we look for something in self, in our experience, to qualify us for salvation and assure us. And what we need to remember is it is not our experience. It's not our faith that saves us. Of course, we must never despise the gracious work of the Spirit in the soul.

We do need the faith of the operation of God, spoken in Colossians 2.12. However, in salvation, the Holy Ghost always works as the Spirit of Christ.

In referring to the coming of the Spirit and His ministry, Christ says, He shall testify of me, for He shall not speak of Himself. He shall glorify me. for he shall receive of mine and shall show it unto you." Besides Philpott's sermon, I remember another strict Baptist sermon, one by James Wells on the text Psalm 88 and the end of verse 8, I am shut up and cannot come forth, the sermon entitled Prisoners of hope, and I found encouragement there also. Wells says we love the Bible because it knows us, it describes us, it sympathizes with us, it points out the malady, and while we feel the malady, our sin, at the same time the Bible presents the remedy.

Ultimately, saving faith, of course, is objective. It is the object of faith that is all important. Christ alone is the remedy. It's looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith. And that verb, to look, is a strong one, literally meaning look, looking away to, looking away from every other object. and looking only unto Jesus.

In Romans chapter 4 we read of the justifying faith of Abraham. And there in verse 16 of that chapter, Romans 4, the The Apostle declares Abraham to be the father of all that believe. The Apostle then concludes the chapter by speaking of the all-important object of Abraham's faith. Being not weak in faith, he considered not his own body, now dead, when he was about a hundred years old, neither yet the deadness of Sarah's womb, he staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strong in faith, giving glory to God, and being fully persuaded that what he had promised he was able also to perform, and it was imputed to him for righteousness." Mark that, it was imputed to him for righteousness, Romans 4 19-22.

Clearly it was the promise that was imputed to him, and historically the promise then centered in Isaac, the son that Sarah would bear to Abraham. But Isaac is a type of Christ, and Paul declares Christ to be the true seed of Abraham. Not Isaac, but Christ to be the true seed of Abraham.

Galatians 3.16 Now to Abram and his seed were the promises made. He saith, Not to seeds as of many, but as of one, and to thy seed, which is Christ.

Thus Christ alone and Christ's righteousness is the justification of all those who believe in him. We must always believe this truth. Luther said that the doctrine of justification by faith is the article by which the church stands or falls. And that's true of all churches, strict and particular Baptist churches. We must stand true to that great article.

With regards to the ministry of Philpott, as I conclude in particular, I've often heard it said that Philpott was a corruption preacher. A dear friend, our late friend Mr Norton was a great lover of Philpott's sermons, of course, and I know he told me on more than one occasion how there were those amongst the reformed constituents who would often say, oh, well, that man's a corruption preacher. He dwells too much on the dark side of religion. Well, he did speak, did Philpott, of the conviction of sin, the depths of man's fall.

However, with him, all of the teaching was inevitably to one blessed end, that sinners should see that all their salvation is completely and continually in Christ alone. I therefore believe that the ten-volume set of Philpott's sermons, which were published at the beginning of the 20th century, is rightly titled the Gospel Pulpit, and all that such Christ-centered gospel preaching yet again was the hallmark of the pulpits of our strict and particular Baptist chapels. Well, I think we'll conclude there. The Lord bless these truths to us.