GREENWICH, MARCH 31ST, 1897
GREENWICH, MARCH 31ST, 1897
Dr. van Someren.
My Dear Brother, — I duly received yours of February 13th and send you a few lines in reply, and I will give you such answer as I am able to your questions. The first point, viz., ‘quickening’ is. a difficult one. It is a word used, I think, some eleven times in the New Translation and I believe always with the idea of making alive out of death. Hence it might be used for resurrection. It is applied to the body; Romans 8:11. It cannot therefore be treated as an equivalent of ‘new birth’, which has not the same force. The form which quickening takes at the present time is in (the power of) an indwelling Spirit. The Lord says in John 6, “It is the Spirit that quickens”. I could say in principle of every one that has received the Spirit that he is quickened, but I think that quickening in the real power of it is rather in what the Spirit effects in a man (when received) than in the mere fact of the reception of the Spirit. In Paul’s writings it is said only to the Colossians and Ephesians “you hath he quickened”. In John’s the Father and the Son and the Spirit are all said to quicken but it must be in oneness of action. In result it makes the subject of it alive in a position and state in which he was not before, and thus anticipates what will take place in the coming of the Lord; 1 Corinthians 15:22. This will show how far it goes beyond the thought of new birth. As regards the other point, the place of children in the meeting, we have fought strongly in England against their being made to sit outside the board. It is certain to me that in baptising them we recognise that they belong to the Lord and so to the congregation. They are not unclean but holy. Outwardly we come together as the congregation, and the place of the children is with the parents. Many who do not see baptism for their children recognise this, and I should be very sorry for any arrangement that went against it. On the other hand I would not put children outside because their parents do not see baptism. I do not care for running principles to extremes in such a way. After long labour at Hull I hope that things there may be approaching a solution, but Klein and his work there have been much in the way of it. Many are carried away with the excitement of revivalistic work, instead of being exercised as to putting their house in order. We had a letter from Glenny from Aden. He was [p. 135] having a prosperous voyage with very few disagreeables — we have not heard from him from Colombo, but I daresay may in a day or two. My time in the public service comes to an end on September 9th, after which I become free in that respect, and I trust with heart and energy enough to serve the Lord. The accounts of J.B.S. continue good, and he is still keenly alive to all that is going on. With our love in the Lord to Mrs. van Someren and yourself.
Believe me,
Your affectionate brother,
F. E. Raven.