The Tried Gold and White Raiment.
By Francis Gould
I COUNSEL thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eye-salve, that thou mayest see." Rev. iii, 18. There are three important points that present themselves as a motive to faithfulness and duty, from the above scripture; namely, the tried gold, the white raiment, and eye-salve. 1. What constitutes the tried gold spoken of in the counsel of the faithful and true Witness? We understand that gold, when procured in its natural state, is alloyed with other substances, and in order to have it separated from all other combinations, it is tried, melted, purified by fire, and comes forth in all its perfection and refinement. Man in his fallen, sinful condition, may be compared to gold in its natural state; but God has made great and ample provision for the salvation, perfection and redemption of the human family; and when man complies with the conditions proffered him that are requisite to the same, he will come forth in a state of perfection, purified, made white and tried, and in a condition to be presented to the Father without spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing. But what is the process? The inspired Apostle gives a description of the work. "That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise, and honor, and glory, at the appearing of Jesus Christ." 1 Pet. i, 7. The Apostle here produces the trial of faith as more precious than gold, through the endurance of which we are found at last surrounded with all the honors and glories of the kingdom of God. We are taught in the word of God that faith works by love, and purifies the heart, and overcomes the world. For whatsoever is born of God, overcometh the world, and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. 1 John v, 4. We are led to conclude that faith, in its most active sense, is the great moral lever that moves the church, which actuates them to endure all the trials by the way, and gives them an abundant entrance into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. It is to be lamented that the honors, cares and riches of the world so often obscure our moral vision that the eye of faith ceases to look forward to the true riches promised in the gospel. The prophet Jeremiah, in looking over the sad and pitiful condition of the church, and their lack of faith in the promises of God, exclaims, "How is the gold become dim! how is the most fine gold changed! the stones of the Sanctuary are poured out in the top of every street. The precious sons of Zion, comparable to fine gold, how are they esteemed as earthen pitchers, the work of the hands of the potter!" Lam. iv, 1, 2. Again, some have curious ideas relative to faith. The apostle Paul gives the true definition in Heb. xi, 1. "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." This translation is incorrect, but the margin gives us the true, which is, ground, or confidence. Every one who understands the nature of faith, knows that faith is not the substance of a thing, for if it is, then we are enjoying in this life all there is for us; but the substance is yet future. In this world we have an hundred fold, but in the world to come life everlasting. Job may be brought as a witness, showing the unbounded confidence he had in God, and where his faith centered, which should be an example to us on whom the ends of the world are come. After Job had suffered many things from the hand of the Lord, such as destruction of property and children, and was smitten with sore boils, and above all, received a touching appeal from the wife of his bosom, his faith falters not, but he exclaims, "For I know that my Redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth: and though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God." Job xix, 25, 26. But the counsel of the faithful and true Witness speaks loudly to us at the present time, to buy gold tried in the fire. We compose the Judgment church. It now appears in its last form on the earth, the dragon's voice is heard, and is about making war with the remnant of her seed which keep the Commandments of God and have the Testimony of Jesus Christ. We have thought we were rich, and increased with goods, and had need of nothing. Our faith has been dimmed by self-exaltation and self-righteousness, so that we have shut the Saviour from our hearts. Let us arise while the Saviour is knocking at our hearts and open the door that he may come in and sup with us and we with him. 2. What constitutes the white raiment? We see from the above that faith constitutes the tried gold spoken of. The white raiment stands as a connecting link by which faith is made perfect, and we look to other portions of the word of God which definitely show the second link brought to view in the counsel. What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him? If a brother or sister be naked and destitute of daily food, and one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit? Even so faith, if it hath not works is dead, being alone. James ii, 14-17. Again, verses 21, 22. Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar? Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect? It is said that the white raiment is the righteousness of saints. Very true. It is good works, as a result of active, living faith, that makes them such. It was not the preaching alone of a coming flood that condemned the antediluvian race, but by the building of the ark Noah condemned the world. It was not alone by having faith in, and preaching the doctrine that man's probation would close up in 1844, that we condemned this ungodly generation; but works, by which faith was made perfect, through which a class of people was called forth from the world, and the different sects, to be fitted up for translation. Says the faithful and true Witness, I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot. I would thou wert cold or hot. So then, because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth. Rev. iii, 16. Says the Saviour, Wherefore, by their fruits ye shall know them. Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven, but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Matt. vii, 20, 21. Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man which built his house upon a rock; and the rains descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house, and it fell not; for it was founded upon a rock. Verses 24, 25. May the Lord help us, in the language of the poet, "To do as well as say, And watch as well as pray," that we may be found entire wanting nothing. 3. What constitutes the eye-salve? Another connecting link thrown in as a necessary qualification by which to extricate ourselves from our blind and miserable condition. But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you; but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him. 1 John ii, 27. This holy anointing is what takes hold of the perceptive faculties of the mind, and brings us into the place where we can have an understanding, and a true knowledge of God's will concerning us. This is effected by the Spirit of God. And we know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding, that we may know him that is true, and we are in him that is true, even in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life. 1 John v, 20.71Again, Paul substantiates this fact very clearly: "Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him; but God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit; for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God." 1 Cor. ii, 9, 10. We need much of the Spirit of God at the present time that we may be qualified to discern between truth and error, and between him that serveth God and him that serveth him not. May the Lord help us to overcome. To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame and am set down with my Father in his throne. Rev. iii, 21.