David Henkel Reader

Thursday, November 30, 2006

The means of the Gospel apparently are simple. Water in baptism, bread and wine in the Lord's Supper–how foolish in the sight of the world ! how trifling in the sight of self-idolizing pharisees ! They conclude these simple means cannot be the counsel of God unto man's salvation. They say, What good can these do ? They imagine the grace of God is to come unto them in a superb manner, either by the glorious clouds from heaven, or by their own lofty righteousness. But did not the whole plan of redemption appear vile, foolish and contemptible to the world ? What good can come from Nazareth ? The Jews expected, when their Messiah should appear, he would be clothed with all imaginable grandeur, with civil authority, and be hailed by the rulers. But God wisely blasted their proud expectations. In the fullness of the time, he sends the Messiah ; he is born of a poor virgin ; a manger is his palace ; the hymning seraphs announce his birth to a few shepherds, who kept their midnight watches in the field : he is a poor Nazarene, poorer than foxes and birds ; he is a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief ; he is finally condemned as a blasphemer, by the great men of Jerusalem ; cursed, he hangs on the tree, and expires like a malefactor ! Here proud man startles, and exclaims, Is a condemned and crucified man to be my Saviour, on whom I must depend ! my Jehovah, whom I must worship ! No matter how foolish this may appear ; God " hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise, and the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty ; and base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen ; yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are; that no flesh should glory in his presence." I. Cor. 6, 27–29.

By the works of creation, which our bodily eyes behold, we derive the knowledge of " the invisible power and Godhead." Rom. 1, 20. If we were mere spirits, without bodies, then only it might be concluded that the external means were useless.

On this principle, we may easily perceive the propriety of the external gospel-means, the word and the sacraments. The senses are the conductors to our souls : external things only can operate upon the senses. Thus the sound of the gospel reaches the ear, from thence it flows on the mind, and exercises its influence.

Thus evil was communicated through the organs of hearing and sight, reaching the heart, by which it was polluted. Even so now, since the fall, " the imagination of the thoughts of man's heart is only evil continually." Gen. 6, 5. So that no good can flow from the heart within. The Lord must implant in it his good graces, through the medium of sensation, to create it anew.

We must not expect to find in our hearts an inward light, that will infallibly guide us right. Since the fall, the heart is full of mental darkness ; for " the natural man receiveth not the things of the spirit of God, for they are foolishness unto him :" I. Cor. 2, 14. If his heart is ever to become spiritual, the grace of God must be implanted through the medium of sensation, the same like evil first entered. Eve heard the false reasoning of Satan, her eyes beheld the forbidden tree, " that it was good for food, and pleasant to the eyes," &c. Gen. 3,6. Hence evil was implanted into her heart, which manifested itself in actual disobedience.

How vain many people act ! They look for the grace of God to visit them, without any means whatever ! How silly the husbandman would act, if he expected a crop without the means of agriculture ! But he would not be more silly than those who expect to receive the grace of God without the use of means.

Tuesday, November 28, 2006

Our Saviour himself, compares the word of God to a seed, the hearts of the hearers to the ground, &c. See Math. 13, 3-8 v. 18-23. With how many other temporal things did he not compare the spiritual things of his kingdom ? But he never could, with propriety, have compared the economy of grace with that of nature, if there was not between them a similarity. We may hence conclude, since he compares his economy of grace with that of nature, that we can as little expect to receive his spiritual gifts without the ordinary means, as we can the natural crop without means.

HOLY BAPTISM.

Section I.

THE ARGUMENT.

God employs external means in the distribution of his blessings. Man cannot rationally expect to receive his blessings without the use of the proper means: Upon this ground the utility of holy baptism is inferred, &c.

God gives life and breath to all living creatures ; for " in him we live, more, and have our being :" Acts 17, 28. Our spiritual, eternal life, we also possess in him, " who only hath immortality :" I. Tim. 6, 16. In short, from him flows every good and perfect gift, whether it be spiritual or temporal. But he is a God of order ; hence it pleases him to bestow his blessings on man in a proper order, or in a wisely ordered chain of means. Out of this order, man cannot expect to receive the blessings, unless a miracle takes place. Our temporal support we can only expect to receive, when we use the ordinary means. For instance : if the husbandman will enjoy the fruits of the earth, he must tear open her bowels with a plough, or some other instrument ; plant or sow seed, and afterwards cultivate it ; then the sun-beams and rains may vivify the seed, and promote its growth to perfection. In a similar manner God bestows his spiritual blessings, in the kingdom of grace. I mean, there are certain external means to be used, without which men in vain expect to receive the grace of God.

Back: Title Page

HEAVENLY FLOOD OF REGENERATION.

OR,

A TREATISE ON HOLY BAPTISM.

By DAVID HENKEL,
Pastor of the Evangelical Lutheran Church, residing in Lincoln County, N.C.

"Non exoperibus in justitia, quæ fecimus nos, sed secundum suam misericordiam servavit nos, per lavacrum regenerationis, et renovationis Spiritus sancti: quem effudit in nos abunde, per Jesum Christum salvatorem nostrum: ut justificati ipsius gratia, hæredes simus secundum spem vitæ æternæ."
[Epist. Pauli ad Titum, cap. III. 5, 6, 7.

Published by order and under the patronage of the Evangelical Lutheran Book Society of Lincoln County, North Carolina.

SALISBURY:
BINGHAM & WHITE, PRINTERS
1822.

David Henkel Reader hits the Blogosphere

Greetings! This is the latest in a series of "reader" blogs. For those who can't wait for David Henkel posting to begin, visit Lutheran Legacy's posting of David Henkel's Answer to Mr. Joseph Moore, the Methodist; with a few Fragments on the Doctrine of Justification.