The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1880-02-11

mother S womb. What mean such prom
Uses as the following? Now hear, o
Jacob my servant, and Israel whom /
have chosen: Thus saith the Lord that
made thee from the womb will pour
my spirit on thy seed, and my blessing
upon thy offspring; and they shall spring
up as among the grass, as willows by the
water-courses. One shall say l am the
Lords and another shall subscribe him
self by the name of Jacob; and another
shall subscribe with his hand unto the
Lord, and surname himself by the name
of Israel" "Hearken unto me o house
of Jacob and all the remnant of the house
of Israel, which are borne by me from the
belly, which are carried from the womb ::
and even to your old age am he and
even to boar hairs l will carry you:
have made, and l will bear: even 1 will
carry and will deliver you" Did not
Jesus teach this comforting doctrine, when
he said, "Suffer the little children to come
unto me and forbid them not, for of such
is the kingdom of heaven" and when he
called a little child unto him and set him
in the midst of his disciples and said,
" Verify say unto you except we be con-
verted, and become as little children, we
shall not enter into the kingdom of heav-
en-. Let us take these Scriptures and
facts as our warrant, to approach the
throne of grace, and there ask God to
bestow His Holy Spirit on those objects
of our tender affection, who as vet are
unable to pray for themselves.
But we have not said positively, that
Timothy was regenerated in infancy, only
that he may have been. If he was not,
then his regeneration may have taken
place in immediate connexion with the
instruction impaired to him by his pious
mother in boyhood. To this instruction
as developing the principle of faith wheth-
er implanted in infancy, or in direct con-
nexion with itself, or with the apostles
own ministry, Paul attached the highest
Importance He says to Timothy, "But
continue thou in the things which thou
hast learned and hast been assured of.
knowing of whom thou hast learned them,
and that from child thou hast known
the Holy Scriptures which are able to
make thee wise unto salvation through
faith which is in Christ Jesus" The
meaning of the last clause may be, wise
unto SaIvation by faith, which salvation
by faith, is in Christ Jesus, ,or He is the
seed of Abraham, or, wise unto salvation,
which wisdom is achieved by faith name
ly that faith that rests in Christ Jesus, or
the Messiah historically presented, Just
as soon as he is presented to it. Had
Timothy rejected the good news preached
by Paul, this would show he had not the
faith of the prophets, but his promptly
receiving the gospel, rather indicated
that his heart was right before God pre-
viously, and that had he died ere he met
Paul, he would have gone where Enoch
and Elijah are i'll the enjoyment of di-
vine bliss. But whether Timothy was,
or was not, regenerate when he first heard
Paul and became acquainted with his suf-
ferngs for the gospels sake-and proba-
bly, witnessed the stoning by which Paul
was supposed to be dead in Lystra-if
while obedient and docile under the in
fuence of his pious mother from childhood
he was yet only born of the flesh; yet,
was the instruction he had received pre-
paration for the gospel, and most i'm
portant aid towards his acceptance of
Jesus as the very Christ "Here" says
late writer is beautiful example of do
mestic piety, the aged grandmother cher
ishing an unfeigned faith in the promise
which God had given to the fathers, and
waiting for the consolation of Israel
the mother cherishing the same hope,
and gladly embracing the gospel as soon
as it was proclaimed to her, for she was
not only Jewish, but Christian be-
lever; and the young man, taught from
his earliest years to know the holy Scrip
lures which were able to make him wise
unto salvation, and becoming under
Paul's ministry, disciple in the school
of Christ, and afterwards an eminent,
Jealous, and devoted minister Of the ever
lasting gospel. How amply was this
motherly care repaid when the child of
many prayers became the companion of
an apostle, an honored instrument in
founding many churches, and winning
many souls to Christ.
Leaving the further improvement of
this lesson to our readers, we hasten to
remark, that while there are fundamen-
tai elements of experience common to all
true Christians-while all confess sin.
apprehend the mercy of God in Christ,
and cordially hear Gods voice in the
gospel, and are engaged in a course Of
conflict and warfare with their own cor
ruptions, yet the experience of the class
Of Christians whom Timothv rapraean+e