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Prospects of the Ten Kingdoms Chapter 6

Thoughts on the history of professing Christianity, Part 8

We come to the final extract from Benjamin Wills Newton’s book, Prospects of the Ten Kingdoms, the chapter 6 — THOUGHTS ON THE HISTORY OF PROFESSING CHRISTIANITY, AS GIVEN IN THE PARABLES OF MATTHEW XIII.

I sincerely trust that you found his writings instructive and helpful. One dear reader has told me how that she reads the extracts over a number of times in order to grasp the full meaning of what is written. That is a wise course of action and one in which I engage also!

Here is Part 8, which covers pages 179-185.

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If at the Reformation a few, by recognising that the elect Church was the “treasure” for which Christ died, and acting on that recognition gave thereby a new phase to Christianity and marked a fresh era in its history, would not a similar recognition of these further truths, even within a comparatively narrow circle, produce a similar result? Would it not give a new aspect to Christianity in the earth? The mere fact of this parable respecting “the pearl” forming one of the links in this evidently connected chain, would lead us to expect that, before “the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven” conclude, there would be yet once more an interference of God on behalf of His neglected Truth, resulting in some of His people being caused to teach and to act according to the principles illustrated by “the pearl.” This, indeed, is what other parts of Scripture would lead us to expect. We read in the Book of Revelation of some who are said to “keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus,” at the very moment of the Church’s last trial; and their faithfulness is such that it is made the subject of thanksgiving, even in heaven. “They overcame him because of the blood of the Lamb, and because of the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives even unto death.” In Daniel also, some are mentioned who are expressly designated “the wise or understanding ones” at that same hour. “The wicked shall do wickedly, and none of the wicked shall understand, but the understanding ones shall understand.” Even then, as at the close of a day of tempest and gloom the sun sometimes struggles for a moment through the resisting clouds, and darts one parting ray of brightness over the troubled scene, so may we believe that it will be in this our dark dispensation of sorrow and of failure. A testimony will for a short moment be given, raged against by Satan, crushed by the governments of the Roman earth,* (more…)

Thoughts on the history of professing Christianity, Part 7

We continue with extracts from Benjamin Wills Newton’s book, Prospects of the Ten Kingdoms, the chapter 6 — THOUGHTS ON THE HISTORY OF PROFESSING CHRISTIANITY, AS GIVEN IN THE PARABLES OF MATTHEW XIII.

I would commend a close reading of these extracts for they deal with the very issue of ‘decay within Christendom’ that we see all around.

Here is Part 7, which covers pages 174-179.

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It is plain from every sign around us, that we are living at a period of crisis, not only in the world’s but in the Church’s history. What then is to be done by those who fear God? Shall we forsake those blessed principles of Truth which Protestantism, under God’s own power, restored: or shall we rather cleave to them with ten-fold tenacity? Only, we must separate the precious from the vile. “If,” as was said to Jeremiah, who himself lived at a period when all things were out of course, “if thou wilt take forth the precious from the vile, thou shalt be as my mouth.” If Protestantism at the Reformation failed to judge the primeval corruptions of Christianity — if, thinking only of the Woman and her evil, it forgot the sin of the Church in forsaking her lowliness, and becoming like the fair-spreading Tree — if it neglected to search into the prophetic word, and consequently remained in ignorance of all that Israel is to be, and of all that the nations are, then have we to avoid these quicksands. We have to carry our thoughts back over the long train of corruptions, until we reach the Apostles of our Lord and Saviour. We have to remember that the kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship, but not we-that neither the condition of Israel under the Law, nor of Israel in millennial rest, is to be the condition of Christianity now; and that the nations, symbolised by evil monsters, are in God’s sight, contrasted in. every possible sense with her who is the Bride of Christ, and who once occupied in the earth a position worthy of being represented by “candlesticks of gold.” Attention to those things would not only materially affect our practical position, but would lead us also to a right ” division” of the Scriptures, without which they can neither be interpreted nor applied aright. (more…)

Thoughts on the history of professing Christianity, Part 6

I would commend a close reading of these extracts for they deal with the very issue of ‘decay within Christendom’ that we see all around.

Here is Part 6, which covers pages 169-174.

Click here to see the other articles about this book.

In recognising this, they recognised the principle on which Christ had ever acted. The parable speaks of “treasure hid in a field; the which when a man hath found he hideth, and for joy thereof goeth and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that field.” The outward professing body was not “the treasure” for which Christ resigned all in order to buy both it and the spot in which it was hidden-that is, this earth. “The treasure” which He valued were His elect — His own believing people to whom alone the holy name and standing of the Church properly pertained. This was the principle of Christ; and the real strength of the Protestant Reformation was in cleaving to this principle, and practically giving it effect. It was the true power of its earlier testimony; and whenever in later times the distinction between the elect Church and the corrupt professing body has been faithfully recognised, there has seldom been wanting a measure of the Divine blessing.* (more…)