A GOOD CONSCIENCE by James White

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Jun 29, 1869

A GOOD CONSCIENCE.

By James White

BY ELDER JAMES WHITE.

TEXT.—"I say the truth in Christ, I lie not, my conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Ghost." Rom. ix, 1.

THE apostle continues, "That I have great heaviness and continual sorrow in my heart. For I could wish that myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh." The facts in the case seem to warrant positiveness of expression, and the strongest terms. The apostle still cherished that strong affection for his kinsmen according to the flesh, and his desire for their salvation was so strong, that could he see them saved, he would be willing to be lost. Is he insane? My conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Ghost. The Holy Ghost is always sane. Such is the value of man's salvation, such the value of human souls, that could Paul see the Jewish people saved, he would be willing to be lost.

"I say the truth in Christ." He would not speak out of Christ. He was in harmony with Christ. "I lie not." What he is about to say is the truth, and nothing but the truth. "My conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Ghost." Not only had he the evidence that his strong desire in this direction was in harmony with the mind of Christ, but his conscience also bore him witness in the Holy Ghost.

I wish to call your attention more particularly to this expression, "My conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Ghost," or Holy Spirit. Conscientiousness is a quality of the mind. Every intelligent, accountable being is more or less conscientious. That person who has not a good share of it is to be pitied. But there are very many poor consciences in this world, consciences of no value whatever. The heathen, that sacrifices his children, that goes on long pilgrimages, wears peas in his shoes to torture himself, thinking it a virtue, and who finally casts himself beneath the car of Juggernaut, and is crushed to atoms, is very conscientious. But his conscience in matters of religion is good for nothing. The Catholic, devoted to all the forms and ceremonies of a corrupted religion, may be very conscientious, but he has not a good conscience. His conscience is not enlightened. It is perverted, darkened. It not only lacks the light of the word of God, but also the illumination of the Spirit of God. In this condition he is a subject, a lawful prey to the Devil. He receives impressions, and his mind is moulded by the power of Satan, until his conscience is no guide. It is of no value.

A good conscience is an enlightened conscience, a conscience that is sanctified and aided by the Spirit of God. The apostle speaks of baptism. Says he, it is "not the putting away of the filth of the flesh." How true. Baptism, which we regard to be immersion, is not the washing away of physical uncleanness; neither is baptism an act by which moral pollution is washed away. Water never cleanses from sin. In the Jewish dispensation, in figure, sin was put away by the blood of animals. In the present dispensation, it is put away in fact by the blood of Christ. It is never put away by water. It is "not the putting away of the filth of the flesh," says Peter, "but the answer of a good conscience toward God, by the resurrection of Jesus Christ."

Baptism is designed to answer our conscience. There are different forms of what is said to be baptism practiced. Some have their consciences satisfied, or answered, by being immersed, others by being poured, and a third class by being sprinkled. And the Dunkard's conscience cannot be answered until he is led into the water and plunged into it, face foremost, first in the name of the Father, then taken up and plunged again in the name of the Son, then raised up and plunged again in the name of the Holy Ghost. It takes all this to answer his conscience. Now I think all these consciences cannot be good. I think that Heaven never designed that there should be this confusion upon the subject of baptism. Somebody must be at fault. Who is it? I would speak upon this subject with becoming modesty. But I think that all consciences are not just right on the subject of baptism. I think that Peter presents a standard by which we may try our consciences. Says he, "Not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God, by the resurrection of Jesus Christ."

What did Peter throw in that last clause for? Says my Pedobaptist friend, "What has the resurrection to do with baptism?" You ask the question properly. What has it? I suggest to you, my friends, that Peter presents the resurrection of Jesus Christ as the standard by which you may measure your conscience—a light by which you may have your conscience illuminated upon this question. I understand that the apostle has brought in the resurrection of Jesus Christ simply from the fact that baptism is given to the Christian church to illustrate their faith in the death and burial of Jesus Christ, and his resurrection from the dead. Buried with him (Christ) by baptism. Raised up with Christ to walk in newness of life. Now, then, would we have a good conscience upon the subject of baptism? It is necessary we should get a correct idea of the design of baptism. What is it for? What its object? We repeat, baptism was designed to show the faith of believers in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Hence Paul says, Buried with him, planted with him. How? As the Dunkards do, face foremost? No; "planted in the likeness of Christ's death."

Go away with me to Joseph's new tomb. There we see the Lord laid out by his tenderest followers in a horizontal position upon the back. "Planted in the likeness of his death." Let the administrator lead the candidate down into the water to a suitable depth, then let him plunge him backward down into the water, until his position in the water resembles, as far as possible, that of Christ's, as he lay in Joseph's sepulcher. This is Christian baptism.

It is not, however, the putting away of the filth of the flesh. It is not to cleanse from moral pollution, or physical uncleanness; but the answer of an enlightened conscience. I may know that I have a good conscience on the subject of baptism by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. My friends, get the resurrection before you, and everything that baptism commemorates, and you can hardly fail to have a conscience right upon this ordinance of the church.

But, says the apostle, "My conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Ghost." To secure a correct conscience it is quite necessary that we be correct in theory, and then that we have the heavenly unction, that we share in the Holy Ghost. It is intimated by the apostle that it is not only necessary that we have the Holy Ghost, but that we be correct in theory. "I say the truth in Christ," that is, in harmony with what Christ has taught. His theory was correct. The Holy Ghost bearing witness.

The times are perilous. Satan has made sad work in the church. This any one may know by reading its history. We are down amid the perils of the last days. How the winds of doctrine blow us unless we are anchored. I know no real safety in this time, only to be correct in theory, and to have our conscience bear witness in the Holy Ghost. There are those who will meet us as we urge the importance of being correct in theory and practice, "Oh! if we are only honest it is of but little consequence what we believe. If we are only honest when we reach Heaven it will not be asked us then by what road we came." There is too

much of this kind of talk in our world. The Bible does not speak thus. There is but one way to Heaven, and hence, of course, it will not be proper to ask by which way they came.

The Bible requires all Christians to be courteous, to be liberal in sentiment and in practice. It requires of us love toward our brethren, love toward those that err from the truth, and love toward the apostate and sinner. And our Lord, in certain parables, most impressively enjoins upon us the duty of seeking and searching for that which is lost. Read the parable of the return of the prodigal. How the father rejoices. So let the church when one returns who has wandered. Read the parable of the woman who lost a piece of silver. She searched with anxiety, and when she found it she called her neighbors and had great rejoicings. So let the church search for the lost, and when one is found, it is their privilege and right to rejoice.

Read the parable of the lost sheep. The shepherd leaves the ninety and nine in the wilderness. They are exposed to danger of course. If not why did they need a shepherd? But when one is lost, he goes for that lost sheep, and when he finds it, does he drive it home? No. Does he punish it for its wandering? No. Tenderly he takes it up and lays it upon his shoulders, and brings it all the way home, and then calls upon others to rejoice with him, for that which was lost is found. "Verily I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in Heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons that need no repentance."

Notwithstanding these facts you will find none of this talk in the New Testament about nonessentials; that it is no matter what you believe, if you are only honest. You do not find it there. I have no greater joy, says John, than to hear that my children are walking in the truth. Sanctify them, prays Christ in his agony, through thy truth; thy word is truth. I am the way, I am the truth, I am the life, says Christ. He that will come to Christ may go in and out and find pasture; but he that would climb up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber.

There is great danger of failure. It is best to be right in theory. God's truth has not as many heads and horns as that Roman beast illustrated upon the chart. The truth is a unit. There is one God, the Father of all. There is one Christ. There is one Spirit. There is one hope. There is one faith. And while, dear friends, we are to exercise the utmost tenderness and forbearance toward those who err from the truth, let us ever be true to this point: God is one God, Christ is one Christ, the hope is one hope, and the faith is one faith. There is one baptism, and there is one Spirit. God is not the author of confusion. Satan would scatter the disciples of the Lord in utter confusion. God is the author of unity.

It is the duty of every Christian to exercise the utmost forbearance toward those that err, for to err is human. But it is their duty to press to the point, to be correct in theory and in practice.

We often meet with this form of expression,—"Oh! we believe you are honest." I wish I could always say the same of those who repeat the words. When at Wellsville, N. Y., I met a lady who wished to have some conversation with me. She was favorably impressed with some of our views, but had any amount of what she regarded as important truth which she wished to teach to us. She had fallen under this terrible deception, that being sanctified according to the extreme view of the subject she had reached a point where there was no danger of sinning. She quoted these words of Paul: "Having perfected forever them that are sanctified." I was sanctified, said she, ten years since. Was I not made perfect? If perfect, can I fail? Am I not saved? Terrible deception! said I. First you do not understand Paul's meaning. Was he addressing you? Are you embraced in this address? When he spoke these words, you were not born, consequently he must have spoken by anticipation. Has Christ forever perfected those that are sanctified? Has he actually accomplished the work? No. When Paul wrote these words, Christ had died and offered a great sacrifice. And when he shall finish the work of redemption at his second appearing, all the sanctified of all ages will be perfected forever.

I said to this woman, "You can fall away as well as any one else." I then referred to this in the law, where it says, "And if any one of the common people sin through ignorance, while he doeth somewhat against any of the commandments of the Lord concerning things which ought not to be done, and be guilty; or if his sin which he hath sinned come to his knowledge; then he shall bring his offering." Lev. iv, 27, 28. This, said I, applies to your case. Until about a year since, you were sinning ignorantly in reference to one of the commandments of God. You supposed that the commandment taught Sunday. But light has come to your mind, and you are found guilty. Now what are you to do? Why, bring an offering. The offerings of the former dispensation were their form of repentance. God calls upon you to repent. Why? Because you have sinned.

Were you perfected ten years ago? You were sinning ignorantly concerning one of the commandments of God. But the thing has come to your mind, and you find yourself guilty. As in the law, guilt is upon you. But you were honest. Very well, so were those spoken of in the law, and when the thing came to their minds they were guilty. So were you. They brought sacrifices, and manifested repentance. So should you repent of your sins. I do not doubt that God has blessed you in the past. But when new light is presented to the mind, persons are accountable for that, and after they find themselves in error, God calls them to repent. They are not to repent of willful sin, but sins of ignorance. And when these sins are brought to their minds, they are just as accountable before God without repentance as though they had committed them willfully. If they do not repent, although they have sinned ignorantly, they will be just as responsible in the day of Judgment as though they had committed the sin willfully.

"Oh! if we are only honest," say they. The professed church, half asleep, rouses just enough to make this expression, "Oh! if we are only honest," and then go to sleep again.

Paul, in speaking of his own case, and his position before the world, before the church, and before God, says, "I am the least of the apostles that am not meet to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God." "But I obtained mercy because I did it ignorantly." Said he, "I verily thought with myself that I ought to do many things contrary to Jesus of Nazareth." Was he sincere? Yes. Conscientious? I do not know why he was not. But he was doing it ignorantly. Why not Paul stand up and say, I was honest. What have I to do with that? But he does not say this. On the other hand, he exclaims, "I am not worthy to be called an apostle." "I am the least of all saints." "I found mercy, because I did it ignorantly." Had Paul thrown this self-righteous cloak over him which many use; had he acted on the principle, "If I am only honest, it is no matter," in the day of God he would have met this sin and been just as accountable for it as though he had persecuted the church with eyes wide open. God is very particular with us here in this world. He is very careful to have us understand, and then make clean work for the next world.

When we were at Norridgewock, Maine, a little more than a year ago, we were passing from that place to Nyes' Corners, where a natural sister lives. Bro. Canright was with us. It was evening, and the road was very winding, with many cross roads. The evening was dark, and although we had many directions, we found ourselves in uncertainty in reference to the road. Bro. C. inquired the way, and found we had gone half a mile off our road. After going on awhile we found it necessary to inquire again, and so on for half a dozen times or more. Finally we became perfectly bewildered about the road. I said to Bro. Canright, Please go and inquire just once more. He turned around to me, and said, Bro. White, what difference does it make if we are only honest?" I don't know of a better illustration than this of this sleepy doctrine. If you are only honest it makes no difference whether you break the commandments of God or keep them; whether you are going to the holy city, or the other way! This will not answer. I have no greater joy, says the beloved John, than to see that my children are walking in the truth.

Sanctify them through thy truth, thy word is truth, prayed Jesus. Our safety consists in searching the Scriptures, in seeking for truth as for hid treasures.

Mark well the expression, as for hid treasure. The thief who has stolen goods, if he is master of his business, has searched out the places most difficult of discovery, and secretes them there in the most careful and ingenious manner. And the Devil helps him. Now we are to seek for truth as for hid treasure. Yet we are told that it is no matter about the truth, if we are only honest. The noble Bereans searched the Scriptures daily, to see if those things were so. If it had been no matter if they were only honest, why be to all this trouble? Can you find a more honest man than the heathen who will cause his children to pass through the fire, torture himself, give his life? You that have passed through our cities on Sunday morning, and have seen crowds of people in the streets, moving toward that Catholic church, and as you have come near to the place, and have seen the crowd that were unable to get into the church, kneeling even in the open street, can you doubt they were sincere? "Oh! it makes no difference if we are only honest!" It should be the desire of the Christian to know the exact truth. It should be the strong effort of the church to be united upon the truth, to be sanctified through the truth, to be walking in the truth.

But even after you have reached a correct theory or comparatively correct, if your mind is not sanctified through the truth, if you are a stranger to the Holy Ghost, if you know nothing of its teachings, of its illuminating influence upon the mind, if you do not walk with God, if your experience has no comparison with those experiences of which you read in the book of Acts where the Spirit says to this one, Do this, and to the other, Go there;—I say if you have none of this experience, you are liable to be deceived after all by the Devil. And there is no people who are in so great danger of deception, of being befogged by the Devil, without the especial help of God, as that people who have their minds reined up to get ready for the Judgment. Those that are dead, some of them twice dead, and plucked up by the roots, the Devil says, They are safe, and I will let them alone. But there is a people which keep the commandments of God, which I hate. There is the people which know the ministry of Christ, which I despise. There is the people which are looking forward with joy to the time when my everlasting doom shall be sealed. I will make a strike on them. Although sound in theory, many of them are ignorant of the Holy Spirit. I will bring my power to bear upon them. I will send my angels. I will pervert their judgment. God pity and save us. Our only hope, dear friends, is to stand in the truth in Christ, to be correct in theory, and be where the Holy Ghost can bear witness that we have the truth. The perils of this time, the dangers of this hour, call on us to hide in Christ. And I am happy to declare before you that there is safety in him. Our foe is a strong one. The Devil and his angels constitute a mighty power in this great controversy which is now drawing to a close. But there are mightier than they. There are angels that excel in strength.

There was war in Heaven. Michael and his angels fought with the dragon and his angels; but Michael and the holy ones gained the day. Satan failed; Christ and his angels triumphed. Christ undertook man's cause. He consented to bear the wrath of his Father against man after he had transgressed his law. That wrath he felt in the garden, and especially on the cross when he cried, "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?" He felt a little of that distance between the Father and himself which the sinner will feel between God and himself when he knows that he is lost. God was not offended with his Son. But Christ takes the wrath of the Father in the sinner's stead. Christ bore the temptations of the Devil. He bore our sins. He endured the agonies of the cross. He was laid away in death. He rose a conqueror. "I am he that liveth, and was dead; and behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death." And he is soon coming in his glory, and the glory of the Father, and the glory of the holy angels. But while the

conflict is still going on, he gives his angels charge over us.

Mighty angels! Lovely angels! And sooner than one confiding soul should be wrenched from the hands of Jesus Christ, he would send every angel out of Heaven to their rescue. Hide, dear friends, in Christ. Hide in the truth. Take shelter from the coming storm. May God be your God. May Christ be your Saviour. May the Holy Spirit be your sanctifier. May bright angels that excel in strength be your guardian. With these you can go through all the perils of this time.

I say the truth in Christ, I lie not, the Holy Ghost bearing me witness. It is our privilege to enjoy this. It is our privilege to have such an experience. Backslider, come, O come and drink of the fountain. Sinner come, and lay your sins upon the dear Redeemer. He will bear them. Oh! let us all hide in Christ. Let not the world with its glitter, its folly, and its fashion, keep us away from our adorable Redeemer. I feel some of the divine influence upon me now as I speak. The Holy Ghost bearing me witness to the truth I have tried to present to you. Seek for truth, search for it as for hid treasure. Be sanctified through the truth. This will enable you to stand. It will enable you to pass all the way through the perils of the last days, and be ready with the watching ones to exclaim, as Jesus comes down through the vaulted heavens, "Lo! this is our God, we have waited for him, and he will save us." We have waited to be changed to immortality. We step upon the sea of glass. We receive the crown, and palm. We walk the golden streets. We eat of the tree of life. We drink from the crystal fountain. We behold the face of Jesus Christ. We walk with the Redeemer. We associate with angels. And this is the life we are to enjoy forever and ever. God help us to secure it. Amen.