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Octavius Winslow, 1856 (edited for
today's reader by Larry E. Wilson, 2010)
Bible Verse
"And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself" (Luke 24:27).
Devotional
The perfect harmony of the Old and the New Testament confirms our faith in the Divine authenticity of the Scriptures. Upon what other ground can we account for this singular agreement of the Word with itself, and for this exact and literal fulfillment of its predictions, except that it is God's own Word? "Your Word is truth" (John 17:17) is the glorious and triumphant inference rightly deduced from a fact so striking and self-evident as this.
And where in specific is this beautiful harmony especially seen? In exalting the Lamb of God. The Old and the New Testament Scriptures of truth do for Christ what Pilate and Herod did against him—they confederate together. They unite in a holy alliance and a sublime unity of purpose to show forth the glory of the incarnate God.
Divine book! Precious volume! See how it illustrates what the church of the living God should be—a transparent body, illumined with the glory of Immanuel, and scattering its beams of light and beauty over the surface of a lost and benighted world. How much does a perfect representation of the glory of the Redeemer by the church depend upon her visible unity! A mirror broken into a thousand fragments cannot reflect the glory of the sun with the same brilliancy, power, and effect as if a perfect whole. Neither can the church of God, dismembered, divided, and broken, present to the world the same harmonious, convincing, and effective testimony to the glory of Jesus as when, in her unimpaired oneness, she is seen "look[ing] down like the dawn, beautiful as the moon, bright as the sun, awesome as an army with banners" (Song 6:10).
Oh then, by all that is precious in the name of Jesus, by all that is sanctifying in his glory, by all that is attractive in his cross, by all that is sweet and persuasive in Christian love, by all that is solemn in the near approach of death and eternity, and by all that is blissful in the hope of eternal life, springing from the one atonement, reader, seek to promote the observable unity of Christ's church.
Resolve beneath the cross, and by the grace of God, that you will not be a hindrance to the accomplishment of so blessed and holy an end.
Hold the faith with a firm hand, but hold it in righteousness. Speak the truth with all boldness, but speak it in love. Concede to others what you claim for yourself—the right of private judgment and the free exercise of an enlightened conscience. And where you see the image of Jesus reflected, the love of Jesus influencing, and the glory of Jesus simply and solely sought, there extend your hand, extend your heart, breathe your blessing and your prayer.
Oh, this would be to be like Christ. And to be like Christ is grace below and glory above!
The church's one Foundation
is Jesus Christ her Lord;
she is his new creation
by water and the Word:
from heav'n he came and sought her
to be his holy bride;
with his own blood he bought her,
and for her life he died.
Elect from ev'ry nation,
yet one o'er all the earth,
her charter of salvation
one Lord, one faith, one birth;
one holy Name she blesses,
partakes one holy food.
And to one hope she presses,
with ev'ry grace endued.
Though with a scornful wonder
men see her sore oppressed,
by schisms rent asunder,
by heresies distressed,
yet saints their watch are keeping,
their cry goes up, "How long?"
and soon the night of weeping
shall be the morn of song.
The church shall never perish!
Her dear Lord to defend,
to guide, sustain and cherish
is with her to the end;
though there be those who hate her,
and false sons in her pale,
against or foe or traitor
she ever shall prevail.
'Mid toil and tribulation,
and tumult of her war,
she waits the consummation
of peace for evermore;
till with the vision glorious
her longing eyes are blest,
and the great church victorious
shall be the church at rest.
Yet she on earth hath union
with God the Three in One,
and mystic sweet communion
with those whose rest is won:
O happy ones and holy!
Lord, give us grace that we,
like them, the meek and lowly,
on high may dwell with thee.
(Samuel J. Stone, 1866)
Be sure to read the Preface by Octavius Winslow and A Note from the Editor by Larry E. Wilson.
Larry Wilson is an ordained minister in the Orthodox Presbyterian Church. In addition to having served as the General Secretary of the Committee on Christian Education of the OPC (2000–2004) and having written a number of articles and booklets (such as God's Words for Worship and Why Does the OPC Baptize Infants) for New Horizons and elsewhere, he has pastored OPC churches in Minnesota, Indiana, and Ohio. We are grateful to him for his editing of Morning Thoughts, the OPC Daily Devotional for 2011.
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