William Guthrie on the Trial of a Saving Interest in Christ
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William Guthrie on the Trial of a Saving Interest in Christ
“Since there are so many people living under the ordinances, pretending, without ground, to a special interest in Christ . . . And since many who have good ground of claim to Christ, are not established in the confidence of His favour, but remain in the dark, without comfort, hesitating concerning the reality of godliness in themselves, and speaking little in commendation of religion to others . . . I shall speak a little respecting two things of the greatest concern. The one is, How a person may know if he doth lay just claim to God’s favour and salvation. The other is, In case a person fall short of assurance in this trial, what course he should take. . . .”
So opens Guthrie’s little classic, The Christian’s Great Interest—a book which Chalmers once called “the best book I ever read.” John Owen said of Guthrie, “That author I take to have been one of the greatest divines that ever wrote”; and of his book, “I have written several folios, but there is more divinity in it than in them all.” John Macleod (Scottish Theology, p. 91) affirms, “He (Guthrie) is remarkable for the soundness of his judgment, and the tenderness with which he deals with Christian experience . . . If we except The Fourfold state of Thomas Boston, we are safe in saying that no work of divinity in Scotland has had a wider circulation or has exercised a better influence than this one from William Guthrie’s pen.”
What relevance has this book for us today? Look again at the introduction. Guthrie addresses two groups of people. The first are hypocrites, who claim a saving relationship to Christ on insufficient grounds. Guthrie quotes Matthew 7:22; 25:11; and Luke 13:24 as picturing them. The second are regenerate persons lacking assurance. These are, perhaps, rare nowadays, being found, generally speaking, only where the gospel is preached in an unduly experimental way, or where the dangerous position of the hypocrite is overly stressed. But the first group seems very prevalent in evangelical churches, in consequence of the shallow believism, divorced from repentance and bolstered by a too-easy assurance, that has disfigured much modern evangelism. Guthrie can help us wisely to urge such people to examine the grounds of their assurance, for his address to them is a model of balance. He clearly shows how the true believer’s experience differs from that of the conscientious hypocrite, while resisting the temptation to raise the minimum standard of experience necessary for making out a true interest higher than Scripture does. This is the theme of the first part of his book entitled, “The trial of a saving interest in Christ,” to which we shall confine our attention in this paper.
Guthrie naturally maintains “that (for) a man (to) be savingly in covenant with God is a matter of the highest importance,” and rebukes those who will not take pains to discover their true position. Quoting 2 Corinthians 13:5 and 2 Peter 1:10, he continues: “Be ashamed, you who spend so much time in reading of romances, in adorning your persons, in hawking and hunting, in consulting the law concerning your outward state in the world, and it may be in worse things than these . . . Be ashamed, you that spend so little time in search of this, whether ye be an heir of glory or not? Whether you be in the way that leadeth to heaven . . . ? You who judge this below you, and unworthy of your pains . . . it is probable, in God’s account, you have judged yourselves unworthy of everlasting life . . .” (Free Presbyterian Church of Scotland, 6th ed., p. 17).
But how can we tell whether a person has a valid title to life eternal? There are various characteristics peculiar to the children of God, says Guthrie; and he selects for consideration “two great and principal marks” from among these: justifying faith and personal renewal in holiness.
Before dealing with these, however, he pauses to discuss the “law-work” which, he says, “the Lord usually uses in preparing His own way in men’s souls.” Not all experience it. Some are called from the womb (as John the Baptist) or in early childhood (as Timothy). Others “are brought to Christ in a sovereign gospel way . . . by some few words of love . . . as . . . Zacchaeus, and others who, upon a word spoken by Christ, did leave all and follow Him: and we hear nothing of a law-work dealing with them before they close with Christ Jesus” (p. 26). All these, however, are deeply convicted of sin after coming to faith, as Zacchaeus’ case shows. Others, again, are called on their deathbeds; but “there be few at all saved . . . and fewest saved this way.” Ordinarily, however, a clear and discernible “law-work” of conviction and humiliation precedes faith.
This work may be violent, as in the case of Paul and the Philippian jailer “on whom Christ did break in at an instant, and fell on them as with fire and sword, and led them captive terribly” (p. 31). But, says Guthrie, “the Lord sometimes carries on this work more calmly, softly and gradually, protracting it so that the several steps of man’s exercise under it are very discernible” (p. 33). He is convinced first of certain particular sins, then of more sins and of sin itself, and of his own unbelief and real ungodliness. He is now preoccupied with the quest for salvation. He is frightened of dying unsaved. He may be tormented with fear of having committed the unpardonable sin, and be tempted even to suicide; but God upholds him, “quietly and underhand supporting him; and this by infusing into his mind the possibility of his salvation” (p. 36). He seeks salvation by his own works (Romans 10:3); but hereupon “the Lord makes a new assault upon him,” convincing him yet more thoroughly of the spirituality of the law, his own utter corruption, and the filthiness of his fancied righteousness. He withdraws from company to seek God; in self-abhorrence and despair, and grief for his past contempt of true Christians and abuse of the merciful long-suffering of God, he begins to pray. “Now,” says Guthrie, “it is about the dawning of the day with the man” (p. 43).
Guthrie reaffirms that this preparatory “law-work” is not experienced by all, nor by all who do experience it to the same degree of intensity, or for an equally long period. “The main thing that we are to look unto in these legal awakenings . . . is, if the Lord reach those ends for which usually these stirrings and convictions are sent into the soul” (p. 48): namely, self-despair, fear of sin, a high valuation of Christ and the gospel, and a readiness patiently and thankfully to submit to His saving lordship. “If the Lord have driven thee out of thyself, and commended Christ to thy heart above all things, and made thee resolve in His strength to wage war with every known transgression, and thou art in some measure as a weaned child, acquiescing in what He doth unto thee . . . then thy conviction of sin and misery . . . is . . . sufficient” (p. 51). Evidently, however, it is no sufficient test of a profession of faith to enquire into the nature of the “law-work,” if any, which preceded it; for a prolonged preliminary law-work is not a necessary condition of true faith.
Guthrie now turns to the first of his two “principal marks” of an interest in Christ, and explains what it is that constitutes evidence of a believing state.
Faith, he argues, is discernible in two ways: by the heart’s closing with Christ in the gospel, and by the heart’s satisfaction with God’s plan of salvation through Christ. Faith is not a “difficult, mysterious thing, hardly attainable”: “if men have but an appetite, they have it; for they are ‘blessed that hunger after righteousness’ (Matt. 5:6) . . . Is it a matter of such intricacy and insuperable difficulty, earnestly to LOOK to that exalted Saviour . . . (Isaiah 45:22): And to receive a thing that is offered, held forth, and declared to be mine, if I will but accept and take it, and in a manner ‘open my mouth’ and give way to it . . . (Psalms 81:10)? Such a thing is faith” (p. 57)—a thing “more easy than men do imagine” (p. 55). Faith is a matter of the heart as well as of the understanding; of accepting Christ, as well as of acquiescing in the truth about him. It may be weak, but the weakest faith is saving, and may be known to exist: for “a man may clearly know, if from known distress in himself, upon the report and fame of Christ’s fulness, his heart is pleased with God’s device in the new covenant: if it goeth after Christ in that discovery and approveth Him as Lord of the life of men, terminating and resting there, and nowhere else, acquiescing in that contrivance with desire and complacency. This is a discernible thing . . .” (p. 69).
Guthrie now moves on to his second “principal mark,” and shows what constitutes evidence of a renewed state.
A man in Christ is a “new creature” (2 Corinthians 5:17); he has put on the “new man,” and consequently “is renewed in some measure every way” in the image of Christ (Colossians 3:10) (p. 75). His understanding is renewed, so that he recognises the gospel to be the wisdom of God, and discerns the reality of the things of God. His heart and affections are renewed; the law of God is written within him, so that he loves God and God’s image in His saints, and hates sin and all that robs God of His glory. With this, “the very outward members of the man are renewed
. . . the tongue, the eye, the ear, the hand, and the foot so that those members which once were abused . . . are now improved as weapons of righteousness unto holiness (Romans 6:19)” (p. 79). The proof of renewal appears
(i) in his interests; for now his supreme concern is to be found in Christ and to obey Him (Philippians 3:9);
(ii) in his worship; for now he seeks to worship “in the newness of the Spirit . . . doing and saying TRULY AND NOT FEIGNEDLY when he worshippeth,” “and doth not much reckon that worship which is not so performed unto God” (p. 80);
(iii) in his calling; for now he does his work diligently, “as unto the Lord,” and seeks to keep up some intercourse with God as he does it;
(iv) in his relationships; for now he becomes more dutiful as a husband, father, brother, master, servant, neighbour;
(v) in his use of lawful liberties; for now “he studies to make use of meat, drink, sleep, recreations, apparel, with an eye to God, labouring not to come under the power of any lawful things . . . nor to give offence to others in the use of these things . . . ‘doing all to the glory of God’”(pp. 82f.).
Guthrie equates this renewal of life with the “ ‘holiness without which no man shall see the Lord’ (Heb. 12:14)” (p. 83). For proof that it is discernible in those who have it he quotes 1 John 2:3 and 3:19–21.
Guthrie outlines some limitations in the application of these tests. We may not observe a high degree of every change listed, but it is necessary that some measure of change appear throughout the whole man. He thinks it vital that there be “such a respect unto God’s known commands, that a man do not allow peaceably any known iniquity to dwell in him” (p. 87). However, where, despite himself, and to his own displeasure and distress a man is overcome by particular sins of infirmity, we must not thence conclude him unrenewed.
Such are the tests which Guthrie would apply for the making out of a true interest in Christ. We turn now to what he says about the hypocrite, who may to a certain extent have in himself a counterfeit of all these marks: great stirrings of conscience about sin, a sort of faith, and a real change in his manner of life. Guthrie has much to say about the difference between the experience of the hypocrite and of the true believer at each point.
(a) The hypocrite’s conviction. Guthrie recognises the difficulty of giving sure distinctions here; what follows the conviction is a surer test of its character. But he mentions three things rarely found in the stirrings of reprobates but generally found in the person who becomes a true believer.
(i) Hypocrites’ convictions are usually either of a few gross transgressions only (as Saul admits no more than persecuting David, or Judas than betraying innocent blood), or else of sinfulness in general without any specific sins; but the law-work which has a gracious ending comprehends both (cf. 1 Timothy 1:13).
(ii) Hypocrites’ convictions seldom reach the recognition of inner corruption, inability, and helplessness; so that they still “go about to establish their own righteousness” (Romans 10:13) by works.
(iii) Hypocrites’ convictions are often put right out of mind by other matters (Cain goes and builds a city and no more is heard of his conviction; Felix waits till a more convenient time and we hear no more of his trembling). Or, if conviction grows, it produces utter despair of relief (thus Judas hanged himself).
(b) The hypocrite’s faith. Hypocrites may reach a kind of faith; but
(i) They never abandon works, forsaking every other ground of confidence to close with Christ alone.
(ii) They never receive Christ “as anointed to be a King, to rule over a man in all things; a Priest to procure pardon and to make peace upon all occasions; a Prophet, to be wisdom, and a teacher and counsellor in all cases to man: so they do not receive Christ, especially in the first and third offices” (p. 12).
(iii) They are seldom prepared to accept all the inconveniences that result from following Christ, but shy back at certain points.
(c) The hypocrite’s reformation. Hypocrites may appear changed men, having much knowledge (Hebrews 6:4), receiving the word with joy (Matthew 8:20), eschewing the practice of many sins and giving themselves to religious duties (like the Pharisees, Luke 18:11), and approving in some measure the things of God (John 7:46). They “may have a great deal of profession,” talking of the law and the covenant (Psalms 50:16), confessing their sins (1 Samuel 26,21), humbling themselves (1 Kings 21:27), giving much, perhaps all of their goods to God and to the saints (Acts 5:2, 1 Corinthians 13:3), and submitting even to martyrdom (1 Corinthians 13:3). They may have great convictions, tremble at the word, and find peace and quiet in the hope of Christ’s return (Matthew 25:1); and they may enjoy striking experiences and “tastings of the good word of God” (Hebrews 6:4), the powers of the world to come, working powerfully on them, with some flashes of joy arising thence (p. 93). They may have something very like the saving graces of the Spirit—a kind of faith (Acts 8:13), great fear of God, like Balaam, a sort of hope (Job 13:13), some affection for the godly (Mark 6:26): indeed, “they have counterfeits of all saving graces” (p. 93). But, says Guthrie, invariably “they want the three great essentials of religion and true Christianity: (i) They are not broken in heart, and emptied of their own righteousness, so as to loathe themselves . . . (ii) They never took up Christ Jesus as the only treasure and jewel that can enrich and satisfy . . . (iii) They never in earnest close with Christ’s whole yoke without exception . . . Therefore, whoever thou art, who can lay clear and just claim to these things, thou art beyond the reach of all atheists, hypocrites and reprobates, as having answered the great ends and intents of the law and gospel” (p. 97).
In concluding, may I venture to offer some application of this to the present situation?
Many in our churches have been encouraged to profess Christ after little, if any, preparatory law-work. Of these, some have come to know their sinfulness later; others, however, continue in danger of falling away when a crisis tests their faith and exposes its shallow character. But most of these people have no doubt about their salvation. They have been given some psychological assurance, based on a bare inference from such verses as John 1:12 and 5:24, told to mistrust their feelings and led to believe that all uncertainty about the validity of their “decision” shows lack of faith in God. Such persons have a stifling and deadening effect on the worship and witness of our churches, for they have no interest in anything truly spiritual, but take great delight in that which appeals to carnal nature, such as are many of the practices often regarded today as necessary aids to the preaching of the gospel. In this context, we need to reintroduce the scriptural teaching concerning hypocrites, and deliberately to eschew all methods tending to produce this kind of convert. The very withdrawal of such methods will help some hypocrites: it will make them realise how little true spirituality they really have. And, alongside this, we must preach with due seriousness the true nature of a saving interest in Christ. Some will be enlightened and come to true faith in Christ at last. Others will be grossly offended, and their reaction will reveal the rebellious nature of their unregenerate hearts. They will hark back to the “old-fashioned gospel,” meaning the shallow evangel in which they were nurtured. They may leave to join another church, where they consider the minister more “loving” (because he does not preach hell) and more truly “evangelistic” (because he shows films, makes “appeals,” etc.). But this sifting will transform the life of the local church. Believers, charged to “make their calling and election sure,” will lay aside lethargy. Their appetite for spiritual things will grow now that they are denied the enervating palliative of carnal amusement. Having seen the fallacy of inferential assurance, they may now be led not only to an experimental discerning of their standing in grace, but further to that immediate sensible witness of the Spirit who assures sinners that they are children of God; to that “glorious divine manifestation of God into the soul, shedding abroad God’s love in the heart . . . a thing better felt than spoken of . . . no audible voice, but . . . a ray of glory filling the soul with God” (p. 115). May God grant to us the joy of seeing many who now rest their salvation upon false hopes entering thus into “that honourable company of the first-born: that stately troop of kings and priests, whose glory it shall be to have washed their garments in the blood of that spotless Lamb, and whose happiness shall continually flourish in following Him whithersoever He goeth” (pp. 222f.).