p. 21 | God's Peculiar People by Francis Gould

Publishing Committee · Rochester, N. Y. · Aug 7, 1855

God's Peculiar People.

By Francis Gould

IT appears evident that in all ages of the world, God, in obedience and compliance to certain precepts and laws, was to have a peculiar people. We find in the early age of the Jewish church that God speaks on this wise, Now therefore if ye will obey my voice indeed and keep my covenant, ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people: for all the earth is mine: and ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests and an holy nation. Ex. xix, 5, 6. Again he says, Thou hast avouched the Lord this day to be thy God, and to walk in his ways, and to keep his statutes, and his commandments and his judgments, and to hearken unto his voice: and the Lord hath avouched thee this day to be his peculiar people, as he hath promised thee, and that thou shouldst keep all his commandments. Deut. xxvi, 17, 18.

Notwithstanding the Jews were rich and increased in goods, with their painted synagogues, gorgeous temples, with a community made up mostly of doctors, lawyers, pharisees and hypocrites, highly educated, puffed up with worldly wisdom, yet without complying with the conditions God had placed before them they could not be saved. They had forfeited all right and title to being called God's peculiar people.

When Christ appeared at Jerusalem and saw the city given to idolatry, no wonder he wept over it, and exclaimed, O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, which killest the prophets, and stonest them that are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together as a hen doth gather her brood under her wings, and ye would not! behold your house is left unto you desolate.

But in the meantime God had reserved some out of this confused mass, who as Paul says, through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises: they were stoned, they were sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain with the sword: they wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins; being destitute, afflicted, tormented; of whom the world was not worthy.

Some one, destitute of the light and truth of God's word, may inquire, why it is that these holy saints were cast out from the mass of the world, and were called the off-scouring of the earth, and appeared so singular among men. It was because they kept all the commandments of God and were his peculiar people.

But where shall we find God's peculiar people at the present day? Shall we find them in the professed churches? those bodies are not characterized as being the children of God. We find them at the ballot-box, we find them going hand in hand with the world and helping to establish and carry out all the great and national sins of the age.

Says a church member, We esteem ourselves as the people of God. We have a fine meeting-house, a fine minister, to whom we pay a large salary for preaching. We have a large society, and have money at our command to support foreign missions to a greater or less extent for the conversion of the world

and although the Bible says the wheat and tares shall grow together until the harvest, and evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived, yet it is the prevailing opinion of Rev. such an one, or D. D. such an one that the world is going to be converted, and we shall believe them rather than God.

God looks upon sin with no degree of allowance, and when the doctrines and actions of men come in contact with his holy law, they are accounted as sinners, and must be judged by that law.

The Son of man will soon send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend and them which do iniquity, and then shall the righteous shine as the sun, in the kingdom of their Father.

My prayer is that the remnant may be redeemed from all iniquity, that God may purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.

FRANCIS GOULD.