The experience of a
believer
by J. C. Philpot
There is a striking similarity between the history of the
church and the experience of a believer. Nor is this coincidence
casual, but necessarily connected with their mutual position, the body and
the members being affected by the same circumstances, and being dependent on
the same causes of health or decay. Thus the first is as the volume of which
the second is a page; the one being the history of centuries, and the other
the record of a life.
This similarity embraces several particulars.
1. The first and main point of coincidence lies in
this葉hat both are dependent for their spiritual life and prosperity
on the Lord their Head. The church is his body, of which individual
believers are separate members; and without him neither body nor members can
do anything. He is "the Way" in which both walk; "the Truth" in which both
believe; and "the Life" in which both live.
2. But besides this similarity in point of dependence,
there is also a striking resemblance in point of experience. Thus in the
history of the church there are certain marked periods, or, as they are
usually called, "epochs," of spiritual prosperity when the Lord's
presence and power were peculiarly manifested. As these seasons were wholly
due to the special pouring out of the Holy Spirit, (according to the
Scripture promise, "I will pour out my Spirit upon you") they have been
termed "effusions" of the Holy Spirit. The first of these, and the type and
pattern of all succeeding, though immeasurably exceeding them in power and
glory, was that most memorable one, on the day of Pentecost. The early and
the latter rain spoken of in the prophets seem to represent in type and
figure the beauty and blessedness of these gracious effusions.
Now, as long as these showers fell on the church, she
flourished. It was generally with her a time of outward persecution and
trouble; but as her afflictions abounded her consolations abounded also, and
she "looked forth as the morning, fair as the moon, clear as the sun, and
terrible as an army with banners." But when these gracious effusions were
withheld, like a field deprived of rain, she gradually declined in
fruitfulness. Thus the history of the church presents an alternation of
fruitfulness and barrenness, restoration and decline, life and death, summer
and winter, resurrection and decay. Herein they experience of the church
corresponds with the experience of its spiritual members.
There are few of the children of God who cannot look back
to certain marked periods in their experience when the blessed Spirit worked
powerfully in their hearts. Their first convictions or their first
blessings葉heir spirit of supplication or their spirit of hearing葉he sweet
manifestations of Christ葉he marked answers to prayer葉he love they felt to
the brethren葉he willingness to make sacrifices and suffer persecution for
the truth's sake葉hese and similar bright and blessed spots in Christian
experience correspond in the individual to the effusions of which we have
spoken as marking certain epochs in the church. And their coldness,
deadness, and barrenness, when the Spirit's influences are withheld,
correspond to the periods in the history of the church of decline and decay.
3. A third point of similarity may be also noticed. When
the church has declined into coldness and death, the Lord has at all periods
preserved in her an elect remnant who sigh and cry on account of
Zion's declension, and testify as faithful witnesses against the condition
into which she has fallen. Here too the experience of the individual
coincides with the experience of the church. In the bosom of a child of God,
however low the soul may have sunk into carnality and lukewarmness, there is
still a sigh and a cry on account of the abominations. The soul is inwardly
sensible of its backslidings, its coldness, deadness, and declension; and
conscience, as a faithful witness for God, unbribed and unbribable,
unsilenced and unsilenceable, will ever and anon raise up its voice and
testify against the forsaking of the Fountain of living waters, to hew out
cisterns, broken cisterns, that hold no water.