The Outside Saints
H. Bushnell, D. D. Acts 10:34-35 Then Peter opened his mouth, and said, Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons: When we assume the certain exclusion from God of all born subjects of false religions, is not Peter's vision as truly for us as for him? The Old Testament denounces idolatry, it is true, but these denunciations were not made to the idolaters, but to God's own people dwelling in a clearer light. So when we say, "There is none other Name," etc., do we not fall into the mistake of not observing that it is those who have heard of the name of Christ, that are put under this ban, and not Pagan people who have never heard of Him? If in every nation he that feareth God, etc., is accepted of Him, how many may there be who never heard of Christ, to whom God is an unknown God, who yet are so far right with God as to be fitly joined with us in the common hope! They compose a Church beyond the Church who, without a gospel, have learned to walk in God's private light. A glance at certain great first principles would induce the hope that many more than one commonly suspects are harvested for the kingdom. (1) That God loves all men impartially, having the desire to be loved by all. (2) That He is never afar off from any, but is putting in them a desire to seek and to find Him. (3) That the Spirit of God is going through all minds, drawing their inclinings towards the inborn grace that will be in turn His finding of them. My present object is to show how God finds access to outsiders, and engages them in a felt devotion to His friendship, by an examination of Bible examples. 1. Take Enoch. There was no Scripture or Church in his day. He lived a solitary life of walking with God. tic was probably derided by his contemporaries, which made it his necessary comfort to live "in the testimony that he pleased God." And this was not audible, but was the witness of the Spirit who came in the door of nature set open wider by his faith till finally he became so leavened by the Divine affinities that he was translated. 2. Noah was a preacher of righteousness without a Bible, and there was no person out of his own family who had any care for religion. And the oracle that found him so verified itself as to put him on building the ark; for God, by a process which he could only trust, and not understand, was preparing him to be the father of a better age. 3. With Abraham the Church begins, and yet he is prepared by an outside training. He had no written revelation or organised religion. But he came out a profoundly religious character, from amidst idolaters, so that he could receive a life call at first hand, and take the necessary guidance in that call. 4. Moses was brought up as the son of Pharaoh's daughter, separated from his race, and trained in all the learning of the Egyptians, a training which shows itself in all his politics. Then in Midian Jethro, an outside, but grandly religious man, comes to help him in his religious development. So Moses was a virtual outsider till his call in the burning bush. 5. Then take Balaam, the beauty and evangelical richness of whose oracles are inimitable. He was a soothsayer, but while divination had been forbidden to the Jews, it had not been forbidden to the Mesopotamians. And therefore it was only natural that he should mix enchantments with his oracles — just as our astrologers and alchemists sought religious light with mixtures of incantation. He was certainly faithful to his convictions, against the blandishments employed to win his consent. 6. Job is not a Jew, and his book not a Jewish book. Its piety is real, but out of all connection with Bible history. And thus you have one of its most remarkable books of Scripture, a theodicy for after ages, the work of an outsider. 7. Cyrusis one of the best characters of ancient history, and the reason of his conduct towards God and His people is given by Isaiah, who declares that God unseen has holden his right hand, and raised him up in righteousness. 8. At the very opening of the New Testament we encounter the Magi, religiously related to Cyrus, priests of the Merle-Persian religion, watching the stars to spell God's oracle, and becoming so spiritualised in habit as to be not unfitly honoured by the guidance of a star to Christ. 9. The Syrophoenician woman, whose faith was so heartily commended, was Pagan born, but by some heavenly guidance went to Christ for help. 10. The case of the centurion was like that of Cornelius, about whom Christ says, "I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel." And He did not stop there, "I say unto you, that many shall come from the east," etc. 11. I might turn off here to such as Numa, , , , and , and look directly into the workings of the religious nature in many thoughtful men outside revelation, and see their notions of God, their expressed longings for a revelation, their gropings, and almost findings. Their yearnings sometimes put them in a state in which they lay hold of Christ at the very first discovery, even as a starving man of bread. 12. And if we go apart still further — among the savage tribes, we find many traditions that seem almost to have the sanctity of a revelation, and now and then a character assuming the distinctions of genuine piety. So we see that God has had His witnesses in every age of the world apart from His covenant and the institutions of His grace. From all this we may learn the following lessons: I. WE ARE NOT TO JUDGE THAT THE MERE POSSIBILITY OF A REVELATION OUTSIDE THE BIBLE SUPERSEDES THE WANT OF IT. That was not the opinion of God when He sent His angel to Cornelius to put him in the way of one who should teach him Christ. The souls most enlightened have sighed for a veritable revelation. Having gleams, almost visions of God, they wanted it the more. Christ, the Bible not wanted! Just as well to be without a revelation! What could show the unsupportable destitution of such a state better than the gropings and only casual findings of hungry millions? II. LET NO ONE TURN THE BLAME UPON GOD THAT WHAT IS SO MUCH WANTED EVERYWHERE IS NOT EVERYWHERE GIVEN. Doubtless God might rain Bibles, but He must also rain written languages, and the power to read them. And then the readers would want to know how the book grew to be a book, the revelation how revealed. If a Bible could be got up mechanically as showers in the sky it might justly be concluded that all men ought to have it. But it has first to be incarnated, and so revealed through humanity; for truths must be enunciated in persons. Bibles could not be made faster than men are good enough to have revelations made through them. III. WE ARE NOT TO PUSH THE DISSEMINATION OF THIS GOSPEL BY ANY FALSE ARGUMENT THAT DISHONOURS GOD. Tell us not that every man ignorant of Christ must perish. Why should we push ourselves to this work of gospelling the world, by putting it on that He has given no possibility of life to millions? Rather let us tell what God is doing for them, what possibilities He opens for them, and how certainly He sometimes gains them to His love. Then as we are so gloriously privileged let us give them our privilege. IV. LET US HAVE IT AS ONE OF OUR MOST SACRED DUTIES TO THE BIBLE, NOT TO USE IT SO AS TO SHUT OURSELVES AND ALL THAT HAVE IT AWAY FROM GOD'S IMMEDIATE REVELATION BY IT. The external revelation is not given to be a substitute for the internal, but a guide into it. We are to find God after all by an immediate knowledge like all the outside saints, only with the help of the Bible which they had not. The Bible is received only when spiritually discerned: i.e., when it brings us in where God is, to know Him by our faith and love, and have Him in a first-hand knowledge, even as Abraham had, or Job, or Cornelius. If we desire to know Boston, the map of the way will not show it, but will only take us thither, and let us get the knowledge for ourselves. The Bible in like manner tells us how others found God, that we may find Him also. Conclusion: Let us cast a glance into that future life, in which all righteous souls are gathered. Many of them will belong to the class of inside saints, some to the class of outside; the former will have known Christ all their lives and been fashioned by His Gospel and character; the latter will now meet Him perhaps for the first time, and will salute Him as the unknown Friend they had always with them. To meet with these outside saints — outside no longer — how blessed it will be! And what a beautiful variety they will give to the general brotherhood! "Other sheep I have which are not of this fold," etc. (H. Bushnell, D. D.) Parallel Verses KJV: Then Peter opened his mouth, and said, Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons: WEB: Peter opened his mouth and said, "Truly I perceive that God doesn't show favoritism;