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Library

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Kingston, Ontario

GIFT OF

• • •

• •• • •

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•••••

.»»^

Worthy Christian Testimony.

An Address delivered at the Annual Convention of

Christian Endeavor Societies, held an St. John's

Church, Dalhousie, N. B., on T-aesday,

September, 20th, 18w2,

By Rev. W. J. FOWLER. 13. D,

-■::, ...

Testimony is tlie solemn declan/tiori of a witness.
Testifying is another name for witness, bearing. A
credible witness does not base his. .testinjony upon
his own feelings, desires, or opinions. ., He bases
his testimony upon the truth. , ;^ ■'^

The extent of his testimony ir, determined bv his
knowledge of the truth. The greater , his know-
ledge of the truth is, the wider becomes the range
of his testimony. A witness may.. be /*^::garded as
giving worthy testimony when. he te.^tjnes not to
his own individual opinion, de.'^u"e, or .feeling, but
when he testifies to the truth, (t is only when his
feelings, desires, and opinions arc the:a>st,lves found-
ed upon the truth and moulded hy th(;. tru.th that
they may be said to come wjthin the range of
worthy testimony. And they c'ir'e witl.'Jn that range
just so far as they are true opi,i7]ons, ^ tr,ue desires,
and true feelings. o^-

YoLi step into the court-room. A prisoner is
arraigned on the charge of theft. , A man comes for
ward to give his testimony concerning the prisoner
at the bar of justice. Is he asked io give his individ-
ual opinion as to whether or not he thinks the
prisoner guilty.'* Is he asked to express his feelings
towards the prisoner at the bar? Is he asked to

62823

state what he desires should be done with the pri •-
oner? Assuredly he is not. What is r(!quired of the
witness is that he speak "the truth, the whole truth,
and nothing !)gl**fhe truth." He is there not to
speak about hiijiit^elf, or his feelini^^s, opinions, or
desires; but h2;;j*s* there to speak the truth in so
far as he know.s.'»it* concern inij;^ the prisoner at the
bar of jusgoQ aj^tjr/jhe crime laid to his charge.

Apart hfifv, i^i^ilvioii altowther; it may be seen
that wortKA/t<'^.tHi^ony is based not upon human
opinion, tfuijre.W^r feeling, but upon the truth. It
ma\ furtluH'*l}e^st>c*n that worthy testimony refers
primarily 116tUo scJlf, but to another, or others.

While ^^7H"lhyyt^^timony is based upon the truth,
"worthy QJir^^stijlTij*: Testimony" is based upon the
truth as itiv'in •C^U'ist Jesus. This at once shows
that the l?(*wb' ju'.ojmd whom Christian testimony
centres is (^ai'isL...

Jesus cat^cg HD^!? ^^'^ Apostles to bear witness
of or testify* ex )ix«w'<iing Him.

After thIti\^&pTj(^i-; and previous to His agony in
Geihsemai,i^,*,](!fc;os said to the disciples: "But
when the CgjWortvv.is come, whom I will send unto
you from th«•I^lt/lw;^:ven the Spirit of truth, which
proceedeth»l]-itm,Ih« Father, he shall bear. witness
of me, and*)*e*a]i(,):J5ear witness, because ye have
been with me fr(|vi5.i;he beginning." (J no. 15. 26.
27.) The Holy ^'il)*i'nt should bear witness of Jesus,
and the apostles u.\si^ should bear witness of Him.
There should be *th*e testimony of God and the
testimony of man.

After the resurrection of Jesus, and previous to
his ascension, he showed himself alive "by many

proofs," tind spake unto the apostles "the things
concerning the kingdom of God." He commanded
them to wait at Jerusalem for the fullilment of the
P^ither's promise, and the last recorded words he
spake previous to his ascension were: "It is not
for you to know times or seasons, which the
Father hath set within his own authority. But ye
shall receive power, when the Holy Cihost is come
upon you: and ye shall be my witnesses both in
Jerusalem, and in all Judaea and Samaria, and un
to the uttermost part of the earth." (Acts i : 7, 8.)

The great work of the apostles was to bear test-
imony concerning Jesus. Ihey were to be His
witnesses. Let us see how they fulfilled this mission.
A necessary qualification on the ])art of the one
appointed to take the place of Judas, the traitor,
was that he should have companied with the
apostles from the bajnism of John to the ascension
of Jesus, that he might be a witness of the resur-
rection of Jesus.

. Hear the apostles on the day of Pentecost. They
speak of the out-pouring of the Holy Spirit; of
Jesus as the Messiah foretold by David and "ap-
proved of God by miracles, and wonders, and
signs;" but crucified by the Jews. And they say.
"This Jesus hath God raised up whereof we all
are witnesses."

When the lame man was healed, the multitude,
"greatly wondering," crowded around Peter and
John. The apostles took not to themselves the
glory of this work. They testified that it was not
by their own power or holiness the man had been
healed; but that God had glorified his Son, Jesus,

■Ml

wliom the Jews hacl delivered up, denied, and kill-
ed; but God had raised him from the dead where-
of they were witnesses.

Peter in speakin^r to Cornelius and his house-
hold said: "And he charged us to preach unto the
people, and to testify that this is he which is ordcu'n-
ed of God to be the jucl^re of quick and dead. To
him bear all the prophets witness, that throui^h his
name every one that believeth on him shall receive
remission of sins." (Acts lo : 43).

l^aul regarded his preciching- and

teaching

testimony. "From Miletus he sent to Ephesusand
called the elders of the church. He reminded them
that he had served the Lord with humility, many
tears, and temptations; and he said: "Ye yourselves
know .... how that I shrank not from declaring
unto you anything that was profitable, and teach-
ing you publicly, and from house to house, testify-
ing both to Jews and to Greeks repentance toward
God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ."
(Acts 20: 18-21). Thus did the apostles, in their
preaching and in their teaching both in public and
in private, fulfil their mission as w^it.ness-bearers of
the truth as it is in Jesus.

When on earth Jesus called upon individuals to
give their testimony concerning himself. When
coming unto the coasts of Ccesarea Philippi, Jesus
asked his disciples, saying, "Who do men say that
I the Son of Man am".'^ And when they had told
him. he saith unto them, " But who say ye that I
am ? " And .Simon Peter answered and said.
"Thou art the Christ the Son of the living God."
(Matt. 16 : 13, 16.)

Jesus said, to the man born blind whose eyes he
had opened, "Dost thou believe on the Son of
God?" When the man learned from Jesus who he
was he made answer, "'Lord, I believe.' And he
worshi])i)ed him." (J"o. 9: 38.)

When Jesus came to Bethany after the death of
Lazarus, he sailh to Martha, "I am the resurrect-
ion, and the life: he that believeth in me, thouij^h
he were dead, yet shall he live: and whosoever
liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believ-
est thou this.^ She saith unto him, Yea, Lord; I
believe that thou art the Christ, the Son of God.
which should come into the world." (J no. 11: 25-

Having- been invited by Philip, Nathanael came
to Jesus, saw him, talked with him, and testified;
saying, "Rabbi, thou art the Son of God; thou art
the King of Lsrael." And Stephen when about to
be stoned said, "Behold, I see the heavens open-
ed, and the Son of Man standing on the right hand
of God." (Acts 7: 56.) Thus did individuals give
their testimony c ncerning Jesus.

It .'S noteworthy that the Apostles and prophets,
the Saints and Martyrs, as witness-bearers, kept
the Lord Jesus Christ in the foreground, and self
in the back^'^round. When thev do refer to them-
selves, it is in the spirit of humility and not of self-
assertion. John the Baptist, in speaking of Christ
and himself, saith, "He it is, who coming after me is
preferred before me, whose shoe's latchet I am not
worthy to unloose" (Jno. i: 27). And of Jesus he
testified, "Behold, the Lamb of God, who taketh
away the sin of the world." And again, "I saw,

and bear witness, that this is the vSon of God."
Paul speaks of himself, as "the chief of sinners," as
"the least of the apostles" who was not wortliy to
be called an apostle because he ))ersecuted the
church of God; and as "less than the least of all
saints." What he was after his conversion, as an
ambassador on behalf of Jesus Christ, he attributes
to the unmerited favour of God, sayinij^, "By the
grace of God, I am what I am." His speech and
his preaching revolved around one great centre.
He wrote to the Corinthians: "I determined not
to know anything among you, save Jesus Christ,
and him crucified."

Worthy Christian testimony is not self-exalta-
tion. Many people, perhaps, think they are giving
worth) testimony when they are talking about
themselves, — their feelings, their doings, their
goodness, etc. They may tell you how much better
they feel now than they did a week ago, or a year
ago; or how much better lives they are living now
than they once were. The man who is always
talking about himself shows that he is thinking
about himself, and would also like others to think
about him. 1 like to see the man who bv his walk
and conversation ogives evidence of the fruit of the
spirit. I like to see the man who is ready always
to give an answer to every man that asketh him,
"a reason for the hope that is in him with meek-
ness and fear," but not w^th self-assertion. When
you are trusting an earthly friend, you are not
thinking about yourself; but, about the friend in
whom you trust. When you are loving an earth-
ly friend, you are not thinking about yourself; but,

about the friend whom you love. I'.vcn so when
you are trustiiiji; in Jesus, you are not thinkiuL;-
about yourself; l)ut, .ibout him in whom you trust.
When you are lovini^ Jesus, you are not thinking
about yourself; but you are thinkini^ affectionately
about Jc;sus. So, as a witness-bearer for Jesus, let
your thou^i^hts not be centred upon self; Init. upon
Him on whose behalf you testify.

Must not that man l>e a poor type of a Christ-
ian, who cannot be known as such by his dail)
walk and conversation; but who in order to be re-
coiifnized as such must tell men that he is a Christ-
ian. Jesus in warninij^ his disciples aij^ainst false
prophets, said, "Ye shall know them by their fruits.
Do men leather grapes of thorns, or fi^^s of thistles?
Even so every good tree bringeth forth good frtiit;

but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit

. Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them."
(Matt. 7: 16-20.)

When Peter and John had healed the lame man,
they were brought before the council. Here, they
did not talk about the great power they exercised
as miracle-workers, and what good men they were;
but, they testified that the impotent man had been
made whole, "by the name of Jesus Christ ef
Nazareth." Although the Council was chieHy com-
posed of those who were enemies to the cross of
Christ, yet they needed not the testimony of Peter
and John that they were the followers of Jesus.
But the council, perceiving the boldness of Peter
and John, marvelled and took knowledge of them
that they had been with Jesus.

There is a kind of testimony that is full of self,

■MMM

but has in it none of Christ. Sometimes such
arrogates to itself the name of "perfection," while
in reality it is self-glorying, self-exaltation, spirit-
ual pride. Flee such testimony. Mark those who
use it. They may be likened to an apple, which
presents a very beautiful appearance from without,
but it seems to ripen prematurely, and drop to the
ground. You pick it up, cut it open, and, lo! all its
beauty is on the outside— it is rotten at the core.

There is a kind of testimony that is "none of
self but all of Christ," and it is lovely and of good
report. It is the testimony of prophets and apost-
les, of saints and martyrs. It is the testimony of
the faithful in the past and in the present. It is
the testimony of those who with Paul "forgetting
the things that are behind reach forth unto those
things that are before;" and, who count all things
as refuse that they may win Christ, and be found In
him, clothed with his righteousness. (Phil. 3: 13,
8, 9). It is the testimony of those who boldly de-
clare the truth and defend the truth as it is in Jesus;
and who like Peter and John manifest even to the
men of the world that they have been with Jesus,
It is the testimony that has Christ Jesus and him
crucified as its centre, the witness of the Holy
Spirit as its ground of assurance, the truth of God
as its basis, the fruit of the Spirit and a walk and
conversation becoming a follower of the meek and
lowly Jesus as its manifestation to the world.

May the God of all grace grant you grace, that
in the light of His truth, and by the aid and guid-
ance of the Spirit of Truth you may testify to the
Truth as it is in Jesus.

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