THE KING’ S BUSINESS
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things were written aforetime, were writ ten for our learning, that through patience and through comfort o f the Scriptures we might have hope” (Rom. 15:4). And also we are. told in the New Testament, “ I f ye are Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, ' heirs according to promise” (Gal. 3:29), and certainly promises made in the Old Testament Were claimed by New Testament saints (see for example Heb. 13:6) where an Old Testament promise is claimed for New Testament saints and made universal in its application. However, it is true that the promises o f earthly prosperity for the godly belong to the Old Covenant rather than to the New, and that under the New Covenant “ scourging and tribulation and persecution” are to be expected by those who are loyal to God (2 Tim. 3:12; Acts 14:22, R. V .). Under the New Covenant one has no right to claim that he will be largely prospered financially if he is faith ful to God, as Abraham and other Old Tes tament saints were. W e are distinctly told that God chose those who were poor as to the world to be rich, in faith and heirs of the kingdom which He promised to them that loved Him (Jas. 2 :5 ). But on the other hand, we have a right, according to God’s own promise, to, believe that if we seek first God’s kingdom and His righteous ness, all needed things o f a temporal char acter will be supplied (Matt. 6:31-34; see also Phil. 4:19). 1 1 think there is a ten dency in some quarters to make altogether too sweeping statements, statements that are entirely unwarranted by the W ord of God, in regard to our not claiming any of the promises in the old dispensation.
he himself has a clean heart and has care fully studied the book. That God is the real author o f the book admits o f no ques tion, and certainly God never used a forger, as His Human instrument through whom He gave the book to the world. I have seen Tecently the statement that the New Testament contains, as we all agree, the New Covenant, and that this Covenant entirely supplants the Old. If this is true then our Covenant as Chris tians is only what we find in the New Tes tament. Then the conclusion follows that the only promises which a Christian can plead are those in the New Testament. Tor instance, all the promises of prosperity in the Old Testament would be restricted to the Jews. Can we claim them? So far as material things are concerned the New Testament promises scourging, tribulation, persecution-, our Lord says our Father knows we have need of food and raiment, and Paul, I think, says that if we have them we should be content -with them. I pre sume the pifius Jew may still claim the Old Testament promises, but can w et Were the promises annulled for us when the old law was annulledt It would seem equita ble. I do not think it is accurate to say that the New Covenant “ entirely supplants!" the Old. It fulfills the Old, but has different conditions. But’ even though it did sup plant the Old the conclusion would not necessarily follow “that the only promises which the Christian can plead are those in the New Testament,” for we are distinctly told in the New Testament, “Whatsoever
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