April - the Free Presbyterian church of Scotland

Sermon. 4!}3whether they will hear or whether they will forbear. It isalso her duty to do her utmost to have -the Scriptures sentto those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death.4. Sh€ is to be "the pillar, etc.," in transmitting the truthpure and entire to coming generations. The oracles of God werecommitteed to the Jewish Church and she carefully preserved them,for thousands of years. "His testimony and His law in IsraelHe did place, and charged their fathers it to show to theIrsucceeding Tac(''' (Ps. lxxviii. 5). These oracles have now beencommitted to the Church under the gospel and woe betide herif she fails in this duty of transmitting them to future generations.We should, therefore, as a Church, however small and despised,seek in the strength of grace to hand down this inestimableblessing to our children which our fathers purchased for uswith their blood.5. As a "pillar" in upholding thB truth the Church hadrecourse to framing a Confession of Faith in which she statedclearly what she believed to be the doctrines of God's Word.This was done by th!) g'odl~T Divines in "framing the WestminsterConfession 0'£ Faith. That precious book is founded on God'svVord and it also bears witness against prevailing errors andserves asa mutual bond between her faithful memb€rs. Muchfault has been fonnC! with our Confession of Faith in thesedays. Many hold that its doctrines are antiquated and out ofdate in this so-called enlightened age, but what was truth 300years ago is truth still. The Bible was completed about 2000years ago but it is as true and valuable and unchangeable nowas when written-" The word of the Lord endureth for -ever."It is by contending faithfully even unto death for thesedoctrines that she C>1n elaim to be "the pillar and ground of thetruth." It is by adhering to them th>1t we as a Church mayexpect His blessing, >1nd may we have grace and wisdom todo so whatever it may cost us.Ill. The purpose for which the exhortation was given " Thatthou mayest know how thon oughtest to behave thyself." IN2