April - the Free Presbyterian church of Scotland

Sermon. 4872. The word" Church" is It translation of the word" Ecclesia "which means "called ont" or "separated." We use the wordin a double sense. The visible and the invisible Church. (1) The"visible Church" includes all who are baptised with water ~nthe name of the Trinity. Such are members of the visible Churchand are called Christians. This is what we are to understand bythe question in the Shorter Catechism. "To whom is baptismto be administered~".... "The infants of such as are membersof the visible Church are to be baptised." Baptism separates or,distinguishes us from Jews and Mohammedans, etc. At the sametime to be memoers of the visible Church will not save our souls.'There is no such thing revealed in the Word of God as baptismalregeneration. We are called Christians and we enjoy the outwardprivileges of the Church but alas! how true that the majorityare utter strangers to the saving operatiQns of the Spirit.(2) We use the word in the sense of the "invisible church:"'The word in this sense takes in the whole election for whom.christ died. They were "called out" or "separated" in thepast eternity and they are called out in the day of their effectual,calling. "They are not of the world even as I am not of the·world." This separation Qught to be manifested by them in a"life and conversation becoming the gospel. The cause of Christ-to-day is low and despised but may we not ascribe the reasonat least to a large ext.ent to the loose and inconsistent conductof professing men and women and nQ less to ministers.The invisible church is not confined to one generation. Theywere in every age down from t.he days of Ac1arn_ They are-not of one age, there are babes and sucklings, young men and'old. They are not in one country or of one colonr. There areblack, white and yellow among them. "He gathered them out. ofthe lands from north, south, east and west." They were not of-the same social standing. Among them were kings and beggars.Neither had they the same moral character while in their natural·state. Some lived moral lives while others of them were thieves'and murderers. That was God's purpose in building His home'in the world that tbey should be gathered from all parts of