THE TWO CROSSINGS Part 4

The wisdom of the fathers?

THE TWO CROSSINGS ?Part 4

Faith aided and mixed

Another contrast between the two crossings, is seen?in the faith?exercised upon the two occasions. In the first instance faith was blended with visible agents; in the second case, it was pure, simple, unmixed trust. In Ex. xiv. 21, we read: "And Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and the Lord caused the sea to go back by a strong east wind all that night, and made the sea dry land." Now look at the aids and props of faith in this event.

Moses had been for many months, and was now, the visible representative of God unto the Israelites, and his very presence aided their faith; then the act of stretching his hand over the sea was calculated to inspire their trust, and then the hard east wind blowing back the sea all night, though it did not make the dry path of itself, yet it was an adjunct and an aid to infant, tottering faith. So it is in conversion. The poor fleeing penitent knows so little of trusting God, that he is permitted aids and crutches for his faith. The very presence of some enthusiastic Christian man or woman, a brave word of good cheer, or a breeze of holy song, has helped many a penitent to put forth justifying faith.

But when we go into the Canaan of full salvation, there are no extraneous aids to faith; it must be "naked faith on a naked promise."

So we refer to Josh. iii. 14, 15, and read: "And it came to pass, when the people removed tom their tents, to pass over Jordan, and the priests bearing the ark of the covenant before the people; and as they that bare the ark were come unto Jordan, and the feet of the priests that bare the ark were dipped in the brim of the water (for Jordan overfloweth all his banks all the time of harvest), that the waters which came down stood up," etc.

In this we see no man standing in front to lean upon, no outstretched rod over the waters, no east wind to blow back the waves, not a single magic word uttered to the river, not a visible or audible thing as an aid to faith; and besides, the river was at that time two or three times deeper than usual, so that the apparent difficulties were at the maximum, and the aids to faith at the minimum; they had naught but the naked promise of God, "Arise, go over this Jordan, and it shall come to pass," etc. Thus in going over into entire sanctification, you need not try to sing or shout, or work yourself up to the faith point, for you can not do it; you must lay aside all signs, or sights, or aids to faith, and calmly, firmly make up your mind to step out on the promise:

Faith's foot must walk the swelling flood,

And firmly claim the cleansing blood.?

(from "White Robes" by G.D. Watson)