Untitled article by D. T. Bourdeau

The Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · February 11, 1868

The Sermon.

By D. T. Bourdeau

I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom; PREACH THE WORD. 2 Tim. iv, 2.

THE GOLD TRIED IN THE FIRE.

BY ELD. D. T. BOURDEAU.

TEXT. “I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich,” etc. Rev. iii, 18.

The remarks of Bro. Smith which appeared in a recent No. of the Review, under the heading, “The Importance of Faith,” are so clear, and so expressive of the faith of Seventh-day Adventists generally on this subject, that it might seem unnecessary to speak upon it at this time. But without desiring to canvass the entire subject, or derogating from what has been said and written to extol love, which cannot be too highly valued and cherished, and too fervently and thoroughly carried out in the life, I would offer a few thoughts relative to what constitutes the gold tried in the fire, more by way of confirming the truth, than to add to what has already been written.

And first, it will be admitted by all that the gold spoken of in the counsel to the Laodiceans is a symbol. For no one will claim that the church in this age of worldly-mindedness needs to be encouraged to be more earnest in obtaining literal gold and adding to their earthly treasure. This tendency is already too strong in the church, and needs, as a general thing, to be checked instead of being strengthened.

The book of Revelation is composed mostly of symbols; and it must be conceded by every believer of present truth, that symbols are either explained in the books in which they are used, or in other portions of Scripture. There must be principles and declarations of Scripture which are designed to serve as a clue by which to arrive at the meaning of every symbol; else it is not true that the Bible is its own expositor, and is a sufficient rule of faith and practice. And we would here ask, Where is the scripture which institutes a comparison between gold tried in the fire, and love or tried love? We fail to discover such a scripture, and therefore look to something else for that which is represented by the gold spoken of in the message.

But before carrying this point further, it may be proper to add a few words more in regard to symbols. Symbols are designed to illustrate certain important ideas; and there needs to be a fitness in comparing every symbol with the thing or things that it represents. Yet it would be improper and unsafe to wrench from every thing connected with a symbol, distinct and specific meaning. In doing this, there would be danger of erring from the truth, as many have done on the prophecies, and on parables: the interpretation of the parable of the rich man and Lazarus, adopted by believers in the natural immortality of the soul, being a fair illustration of this important point.

Again, while it is necessary that those specifications of a symbol, which the mind of Inspiration rests upon, be fulfilled by the thing or things specified or represented, we should not necessarily conclude that such and such things are what the symbol represents, because that on certain points they can bear a comparison with the symbol. To illustrate: Some of the specifications of the two-horned beast are fulfilled by Papacy; but we do not hence conclude that Papacy is the power specified in the prophecy, because Papacy does not answer to the leading characteristics of the symbol. Yet when it is proved and decided that the two-horned beast represents this government, those specifications to which Papacy might answer, may properly be applied to this government, which fulfills them as well as Papacy.

To come a little closer. It may be honestly claimed that inasmuch as we buy that which we do not possess, and as we do not naturally possess love, love must be the grace specified by the gold. But the same may be claimed in regard to faith, humility, etc. For, to illustrate, though we may naturally have the power to believe in a certain sense, as well as affections with which to love; yet the proper and special exercise of these faculties, and the fruits of faith and love connected therewith, require more than we can naturally command; so that faith and love may, in a certain sense, be held before us as objects to be purchased from Christ. And in the light of this specification alone it might be properly asked, which of those graces is the gold that we are to buy of the faithful and true Witness?

Again, if what we are to buy is necessarily love, then the white raiment is also love; for we are counseled to buy that of Jesus as well as gold.

1 Pet. i, 7, furnishes us with a comparison between the trial of our faith and gold tried by fire, as follows: “That the trial of your faith, being more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise, and glory, and honor, at the appearing of Jesus Christ.” And this comparison is made the more forcible, and important to our present purpose, by the fact that it applies just before the coming of Christ—at the time that the church are counseled to buy the gold tried in the fire. Mark the similarity in the expressions relative to the gold. In the message Christ says, “gold tried in the fire;” and in his comparison, Peter says of gold, “though it be tried with fire.” Nearly the same language is used.

Now there is no scripture, as we have said, which thus compares gold with love; and this comparison is just the clue that we need to determine what the gold in the message represents. If love were thus compared with gold—using nearly the same words as we find in the message—we might only conclude that the gold symbolizes faith and love; but even this is not done; and we need not take an equivocal position as our starting point. So the subject should, by this passage, be placed beyond controversy.

But says one, “It is the trial of our faith, and not faith, which is compared with gold tried with fire.” Granted that the comparison is instituted between the trial of our faith and that of gold. But can you so disconnect the trial spoken of as to have nothing to do with faith? What is it that is tried in the trial? In other words, is not tried faith the leading idea in one branch of the comparison?

The idea that the second branch of the comparison is the trial of gold—there being an ellipsis in the expression, “than of gold,” which, being filled, would read, than that (the trial) of gold—may be answered in the same manner. But the French translation is very clear, removing this seeming difficulty, and expressing the real sentiment of the text, as follows: “Being much more precious than gold that perisheth, and which (gold) however is tried by fire.”

It is also objected to our position, that the fact that the trial of our faith is said to be “more precious” than gold tried by fire, destroys the comparison. But this, to our mind, is one of the very things that might be expected to institute a comparison here. The words “more precious,” place the trial of our faith in the comparative degree. Positive precious, comparative more precious, etc. We cannot expect that temporal things should be so compared with eternal as to appear as precious as they. Spiritual and eternal things are as much more valuable than temporal, as the future state is of longer duration than the present, and as the heavens are higher than the earth. So that the words “more precious,” or other words conveying the same idea, are the very kind of language that we might expect a wise God should use in comparing faith with gold. And in this language of the Almighty, in the

comparison before us, we have a heavenly indorsement of the position that we should not endeavor to apply every incident that can be drawn from a symbol, to what it is designed to represent, but should confine ourselves to the leading object of Inspiration in the use of symbols.

Our position on this subject is strengthened by looking back at the experience of ancient Israel on their way from Egypt to the land of Canaan, which is written for our admonition upon whom the ends of the world are come. And how reasonable it is to expect that the leading lack of ancient Israel in the type, should be the same as the lack of God’s people down here, and that it can only be made up in buying the first thing that is recommended by Jesus to the Laodicean church, to remove their poverty. And what is the great lack that characterized the course of Israel in the type, and caused their poverty? We answer, unbelief. Says Paul, “So we see they could not enter in because of unbelief.” Heb. iii, 19. Their faith did not stand the test: they did not buy the gold. Why is it not said, They did not enter in because they lacked love? It is true that they lacked this grace. But this lack is not recorded as their leading sin. And so it is with the church in these last days, when there is but little faith on the earth. They are exhorted to not draw back unto perdition, but to believe to the saving of the soul; to buy the gold tried in the fire. What a fitness there is if we view the subject in this light.

We do not claim that faith is the gold because it is more valuable, or worth more, in a final sense, than the other graces, any more than we claim that gold is more valuable than all other minerals and articles in the world. But we take our present position because faith answers better to gold as a help to make us rich spiritually—as a help with reference to our present wants in overcoming and developing a Christian character. This is why Jesus wants us to buy the gold tried in the fire. And we will be truly rich if we endure the trial of our faith. Hence, James says, “My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing” [not even love]. James i, 2–4. This is how we overcome our poverty, and obtain the true riches—patience, perfection of character.

Faith may be said to be the first of the graces in the sense of priority. As a help, it has the precedence in connection with the plan of salvation. As a help, it is the parent of every virtue. It begets love and the rest of the graces of the Spirit. We cannot love God as we should, without having confidence in him, and without the grace of God obtained by living faith. Gold is valuable as a means of obtaining something better; and so with faith. And faith as a mighty help should be prized in proportion as we prize love and every other excellence.

Faith works by love, the noblest of her daughters; and she also works by or through the other graces as soon as they are born. We live by faith as we live by gold. We do not subsist on gold, but on what it brings us. So when we buy faith of Jesus, we do it that we may use it as a means to obtain every excellence.

Hence it is that we commence our Christian experience with faith, and then add “to faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; and to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; and to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity,” or love; and do not commence with charity, and add backward; that the Christian warfare is called the fight of faith; that the apostle in recommending the Christian armor says, “Above all taking the shield of faith;” that the breastplate which we are to put on is called the breastplate of faith and love, and not the breastplate of love and faith; and that, finally, we are first counseled to buy the gold tried in the fire, and then the white raiment, which is obtained by living faith.

As a mother feels for her children, and bears their burdens, tasting, so to speak, the bitter of every suffering, so faith is tried in every important suffering through which the Christian passes for his improvement; and how proper and reasonable that such a leading grace should be represented by the gold tried in the fire.

Dear hearers, let us earnestly labor to buy faith of the faithful and true Witness. Let us exercise faith in God, in his word, promises and threatenings, and dealings with us, without which it is impossible to obey and please him. Let us do what we can to strengthen and perfect our faith by corresponding good works. Then the Lord will not fail to increase our faith, by giving it exercise through trials, by strengthening our minds, and brightening the evidence. Then shall we be rich in faith and in every virtue, and do valiantly for God and his cause.