LIBERTY by John Norton Loughborough

International Tract and Missionary Society · Oakland, California · Apr 20, 1888

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 14, No. 16.

LIBERTY.

By John Norton Loughborough

SAYS the apostle, "Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty." This text is often given a very narrow application. Almost everybody has heard the leader of a prayer-meeting urge the people to be free to take part, by saying that where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty, meaning freedom to pray or bear testimony. This is no doubt true, yet only in a secondary sense. What the apostle means is that where the Spirit of the Lord is there is freedom from sin. It is the same as in Gal. 5:18: "But if ye be led of the Spirit ye are not under the law." There can be no condemnation to one who is walking in the Spirit, and in whose life its fruits are manifested. The law of God is spiritual; the man who transgresses it, grieves the Holy Spirit, and falls into condemnation; he is in bondage; but when he repents and walks in the law, the peace of God comes into his heart, and the Spirit bears witness with his spirit that he is no more a servant, but a son, and if a son then an heir of God through Christ. Of course the natural result will be that the man's heart should be filled with praise, and that he should be eager to give utterance to it on every proper occasion.

In these days of servile homage to everything which smacks of Catholicism or ritualism, it is refreshing to find once in a while the ridiculousness of such a course set forth, as in the following extract from the Christian at Work:—

"A new ritualistic magazine published in London, gives the world the important information that the 'cloke' which St. Paul mentions to Timothy as having left behind at Troas was his Eucharistic vestment or chasuble, and the 'parchments' his copy of the liturgy. It has generally been supposed that Paul's cloak was the ordinary cloak worn at that time, which he needed in that damp Roman atmosphere to keep him warm, and that his parchments meant parchments on which to write sundry epistles (see Gal. 6:18; Eph. 6:24; Phil. 4:23; Col. 4:18; Philemon 5:25). But we live and learn. And so hereafter shall we be obliged to read—'And him that taketh away thy chasuble, forbid not to take thy surplice also'? Luke 6:29. And if 'parchments' is to be read 'copy of the liturgy,' why should we not for 'book' read 'Book of Common Prayer,' e.g., 'I saw another mighty angel . . . and he had in his hand a little Book of Common Prayer open'? Rev. 10:1, 2. Why not?"

WHILE in the State of Nevada a few weeks since, I learned, by consultation with our leading brethren there, that it was the desire of our people in that State that the camp-meeting be held in the city of Reno, from Thursday evening, May 24, to Monday morning, June 4. We accordingly give notice that the meeting will be held at that date, at Reno. More particulars hereafter.

J. N. LOUGHBOROUGH, President California Conference.