“Thus saith the Lord, Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls. But they said, We will not walk therein” (Jer. 6:16).
In every department of life the spirit of the Age is to leave the old paths and to seek after the new.
In the political sphere, parties which flourished in Victorian days are unrecognisable today, though still bearing the same names. Their ideas, outlook, and methods have changed.
In the realm of science, old ideas are periodically discarded and are made to give place to new discoveries, be they good or otherwise. Not long since, a famous scientist poured scorn upon old fashioned theories, and at the same time practically admitted that fifty years hence present day pronouncements would suffer similarly at the hands of his successors.
In Theological Circles the beliefs of a hundred years ago are declared to be hopelessly out of date, and that which might be expected from secular platforms is given forth from professorial chairs as well as from popular pulpits. The convictions of eminent men of past generations are ridiculed, and “by good words and fair speeches the hearts of the simple are deceived” (Rom 16:17,18).
In religion, the average man or woman may endeavour to tolerate a little, for, say once a week, or, at any rate, for marriages, christenings and funerals. But to go back to the religion of their Grandfathers, emphatically, NO. If some well meaning but ancient person has the temerity to counsel them to “Ask for the old paths, where is the good way,” and to “walk therein,” they unhesitatingly reply, “We will not walk therein.”
In ecclesiastical affairs, times have changed. There is the call everywhere for union. In England various sections of a large Non-conformist body have sunk past differences and have come together. The Establishment speaks about it, and some of its dignitaries say no union will be complete that does not include Rome. In Scotland the historic movement of 1843 has been forgotten. The descendants of those who took part in it are now lost in the Established Church from which their forefathers separated, while those who have refused to follow them are looked down upon, and more or less despised. Amalgamation does not mean union, nor does it contribute to unity. Outwardly it may look all right, inwardly it may produce a state of matters that is not suggestive of that which the Holy Scriptures enjoin, not upon a section, but, upon the whole Church of God, and that consists of every true believer in the Lord Jesus Christ.
In Christianity, by which we mean those who definitely profess to be believers in the Lord Jesus Christ, the same, tendency is noticeable. Such are leavened with this craze to leave the old paths and to follow the new. “Our parents were too strict,” say the younger generation, “And we intend to have more liberty ourselves and to see that our children have it.” Some one may suggest, “Our parents seemed to be happy in the path that they followed.” “That may be,” is the rejoinder, “but times have changed, circumstances are different, and ‘We will not walk therein.'” It is open to question whether those who argue thus are more satisfied than were their revered parents, and whether as they grow up their children do so in the fear of the Lord or not.
Among those who claim to be gathered to the Lord’s Name, the same tendency is apparent. This has ever been the enemy’s way of seeking to spoil that which is of God. Let one instance in the Old Testament suffice. When David sought to bring back the Ark, he discarded the old way instituted by Jehovah, and adopted the new method invented in disaster. Happily, he learned his lesson. “We sought Him not after the due order,” said he. He asked for the old paths “and walked therein” (1 Chronicles 13,15), with happy results.
At the beginning of last century some precious truth was recovered to the saints of God. Truth that had long been in the Word of God, but as to which Satan had succeeded in keeping them in darkness. There rang out the cry, “Behold the Bridegroom cometh, go ye out to meet Him.” Hearts were stirred; bridal affections were awakened; ties that bound His people to this world were loosened; believers asked for the old paths and sought to walk therein. Their exercise was answered by the opening up to them of the truth of the One Body. They learned that all saints were joined together by an indissoluble bond, that if all the denominations in Christendom were joined together that would come short of the great divine objective, and that all saints were united, not only to each other, but, to Christ the living Head in heaven. They learned, further, that that being so, He must be supreme, and no one should presume to usurp His place when His saints were gathered together in Assembly. In simplicity they took the Lord’s supper; waited upon Him in prayer; those whom He had fitted ministered to His own as led by the Holy Spirit; while the glad tidings were proclaimed at home and abroad, and souls were added to the Lord.
All this involved SEPARATION, an old fashioned word seldom heard now-a-days. The writer is old enough to remember the time when this was not only preached but practised, and results followed. It meant separation from the world socially, politically, religiously, but it was separation to Christ. Separation from would merely produce ascetics; but separation to is the act of those who are devoted and loyal to our Lord Jesus Christ. Such were marked by godliness, devotedness, love and fervour.
These were “the old paths.” Is there not a danger of saying now, “Well of course, these were the old paths, and we quite believe there were good times: those who lived then acted according to their convictions, and no one would question their sincerity. It must be admitted however that times have changed, and that we must adapt ourselves to modern conditions. Business, studies, etc., keep us from getting to weeknight meetings; and then everything is worked at such high pressure, we simply must have some recreation; besides which we cannot afford to appear off. We are usually at the Meetings on the Lord’s Day; we teach in the Sunday School; and we have opportunities for preaching though, there again, we feel that we cannot just follow in the steps of men of past generations. We think they were too straight-laced and narrow-minded. We like to go where we can get good audiences, fine singing, and meetings really attractive.”
Jeremiah was not a popular man; his hearers seemed to think he was voicing his own peculiar views. They became so accustomed to this that, in that which we are now considering, though he prefaced his call with “THUS SAITH THE LORD,” they unhesitatingly answered, “We will not walk therein.” Paul was not a popular man, for all they which were in Asia forsook him, and he was in captivity for the very truth that we have been considering. The road to popularity is to follow our own inclination; the way to secure the approval of the Lord is to ask for the old paths, the good way, and to walk therein.
The Hebrew saints were exhorted:—”Remember them which have the rule over you, who have spoken unto you the word of God: whose faith follow, considering the end of their conversation. Jesus Christ the Same yesterday, and today, and forever” (Hebrews 13:7,8). The truth does not change because He Who is the Truth does not change. Those to whom we have referred, who were the enlightened as to it, have left us a wealth of priceless literature. Are we reading that, or the writings of some who, alas! have, we fear, departed from the truth, and of others whose position is a denial of the truth? Is it not our privilege, yea our responsibility, to store our minds, to feed our souls, to seek to be established in that which our blessed Lord has so graciously given to us in His Word and through His servants?
We appeal to our dear young brethren in particular, heed the Divine call; step out in the path of the Lord’s will. It may mean small numbers, reproach, a more limited scope for service, but it will also mean that you will have Himself, His approval, His smile, His support now, and His “Well done” in a coming day.
We are persuaded that we are in the closing moments of the Church’s history as a responsible witness for Christ upon earth, and that just before He returns, there comes to us this word:—
“Thus saith the LORD, Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls.”
Shall we say by our acts, if not by our words, “We will not walk therein”? or shall we each, just here and now, bend our knees, close our eyes, and say:
“O Lord, wilt Thou give me grace to walk therein.”
—W. Bramwell Dick