The Voice of Faith in the Valley of Achor: Vol. 1 [of 2]: being a series of letters to several friends on religious subjectsChurch, J. (John)
Religion
The Voice of Faith in the Valley of Achor: Vol. 1 [of 2]: being a series of letters to several friends on religious subjects
Church, J. (John)
Christian life; Church, J. (John), approximately 1780-approximately 1825 -- Correspondence; Clergy -- England -- Correspondence
This prayer will suit the holiest believer, living and dying. After a
pause, as I judged, everything was preparing for the awful stroke. I
heard one of them pray, but not being near enough I could not distinguish
his words. As he drew to a close I heard the fatal drop fall which
launched them into the presence of God. I burst into tears, yea I
thought my heart would have broke. I could only then dart up ejaculatory
prayers that the Lord Jesus would receive their departing spirits. But
grief overpowered me all the day; I could not lift up my head with any
pleasure. I was pensive and distressed. A multitude of very affecting
ideas floated on my mind, and grief and gratitude took their several
turns; but I am as well as can be expected after so severe a shock. I
only fear a revival of sorrow on Sunday, when I sit in view of the spot
where I last saw them. Glad shall I be to send you some good account of
them in my next.
On the evening previous to the execution, I read part of the solemn
funeral service of the Church, and expounded to the prisoners in this
class, the 15th of the first of Corinthians. The subject of the
Resurrection was very interesting, and my mind was devoutly engaged for
some time with the chapter. I had occasion, for the first time I
believe, to expatiate on that singular verse, 29, Else what shall they do
who are baptized for the dead, if the dead rise not?—The passage would
receive some easier comment if rendered _over_ the dead, as Greek critics
will allow, it being customary for the primitive christians to baptize
their proselytes over the graves of the believing dead. This is the way
some learned men make it out. The plain matter of fact is, that
superstition had began to encroach on the simplicity of the Gospel, even
in Paul’s days, and many ignorantly supposed that the ordinance of
Baptism was inseparably connected with the pardon of Sin. From this
mistaken notion, many postponed their Baptism till their last moments;
the consequence of which was, many dying suddenly were not baptized at
all—their superstitious relatives imagined it would be an act of charity
to the dead to be baptized for them, in their name and stead, begging of
God at the same time, to accept the Baptism of the proxy, as though it
had been administered to the principal. Hence others translate the
passage, What shall they do who are baptized _for_, or instead of the
dead. But if the dead rise not again this imaginary labour of love can
answer no valuable end. Why then do you doubt the Resurrection of the
dead?
May God the Holy Spirit quicken our souls into the enjoyment of the
favour of God, the knowledge of our pardon and justification in Christ,
and enable us to bring forth the fruits of the Spirit, is the earnest
prayer of
_Ruhamah_.
LETTER XX.
_Achor’s Vale_, _June_ 6, 1818.
Mrs. BLINKINSOP,
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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