PRECIOUS TRUTH. No. 28.] "WHAT SAITH THE SCRIPTURE?"-(Rom. iv. 3.) TO ONE OF THE JOINT-HEIRS WITH JESUS CHRIST. BELOVED, "It is more blessed to give than to receive." We have it from the Apostle Paul, that these are the words of the Lord Jesus-and we are told "we ought to remember them." (Acts xx. 35.) It is very precious to be reminded of these words of Jesus, The capability of giving is essentially of God; for all things are His. In His great lovingkindness to you and me, beloved, our Father has made us partakers of this high prerogative. He has honoured us with the more blessed position of being givers! We who had nothing, and were ready to perish! In Old Testament times, God ever placed His people in the happy condition of being able to give. It might be after the manner of Abraham, or Jacob, or Joseph, or David, or the poor widow who cast her two mites (all her living) into the treasury of God's house at Jerusalem. But you, beloved, are not only of God's people; you are a son or daughter of the Lord Almighty. "Now are we the sons of God."-And we are to walk in the footsteps of the only-begotten of the Father. It is from the meek and lowly Jesus, we learn that "it is more blessed to give than to receive." Nor have we this teaching in His words only, but also in His ways. "He went about doing good." (Acts x. 38.) How aptly and simply those words express the loving activities of that "poor man," who became poor that we might be made rich. Through Him, we are rich in faith, and heirs of glory. But, even now, because we trust in Him, what honour he puts upon us in this prezent scene of groaning and sorrowing! He deals with us as he did with those who loved Him while he was on earth-for He is "Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to-day, and for ever." When he would feed the hungry multitudes, he said to his disciples, "Give ye them to eat." This he said to prove them; but he afterwards enabled them to do as he had commanded. He knew they would be apt to think that they must comply with His requirement from their own resources! They had therefore to learn that lesson, "Without Me ye can do nothing." But as soon as they saw how impossible it would be for them to meet the need of the hour, the Lord took the scanty supply which happened to be at hand, and putting His blessing upon the same, enabled his disciples to give a superabundance to the fainting thousands! Thus it is ever with our gracious Redeemer. We have only to wait upon Him for supplies, get His blessing upon that which we have, and then His word is, "Freely ye have received, freely give." [One Halfpenny. only incites us to be the blessed dispensers of His gifts. In looking at our Lord's ways, we see that He not But, in unspeakable grace, He also takes the place of receiving from us! Truly it was no small honour put upon Simon the Pharisee when the Lord consented to dine at his table. And it was even more blessed for Zaccheus to receive those gracious words, “Make haste and come down, for to-day I must abide at thy house." Again we see a more blessed one in Martha, the sister of Lazarus. And again other more blessed ones in the "women who followed Jesus," and ministered to him of their substance. What a scene! The Creator and sustainer of the world, voluntarily disrobed of his glory, and not only consorting with poor sinners, His fallen creatures, but accepting at their hands the supplies of His passing necessities, in the position he had taken as a homeless stranger. He came to His own and proved that His own knew Him not. But as many as received Him to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe in His name! Yes, practically to become sons of God, by taking up His mind and His ways. Like Jesus, we too are to go about doing good. Nor are we shut out from the very highest place of the more blessed, occupied by those dear women who ministered personally to their Saviour when on earth. For though the meek and lowly Jesus, as the risen Son of Man is now seated at the right hand of the Majesty on high, he has many poor disciples in the world; and he says whatever we do to them he regards as done to Himself! Beloved, I ask my own soul and yours, "Do we really understand this? Do we that know all who believe in Jesus during this present dispensation, are members of His body, of his flesh and of his bones ?" (Eph. v. 30.) It is an overwhelming thought. Who can fathom it? Yet it is true, and I love to think of all Christians as members of that "one body," however poorly I may act my part as having a place in the mighty mystery concerning Christ and the Church. (Eph. v. 32.) My Brother, my Sister-There are members of that body of Christ now suffering from hunger, as Jesus suffered when he sojourned here below. He accepted the lowly attitude of receiving the ministries of those who loved him; and now he has left many in a similar condition of trial. How far are you and I occupying the blessed position of ministering to them? Delightful, indeed it is to learn of Jesus, both how to give and how to receive. To witness His gracious ways in all the circumstances through which he passed, and to notice the manifestation of divine grace he caused to flow out from others. But are we imitating Him? In any measure are we imitating him? If so, truly blessed are we-Jesus said so, and we shall know it; "As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all, May we all be fully occupied in deeds of love towards the members of the body of Christ. The Lord make you fruitful in every good word and work, to the praise of his name, and your own unspeakable joy. Yours ever, wickedness?" (1 John v. 19.) Satan is the god of it, and the Son of God is rejected. Of those who are Christ's, He has said, "They are not of the world even as I am not of the world." (John xvii.) using this phrase, "Redeemer of the world?" it not of necessity blot out the vast distinction between But now look at the beforenamed expression in connection with the petition, "Have mercy upon us miserable sinners." If the world be redeemed, why this prayer for mercy miserable sinners? upon Be assured, beloved, you have no justification from the word of God for such glaring inconsistencies. Then as to your next sentence "O God the Holy Ghost, proceeding from the Father and the Son, "have mercy upon us miserable sinners." Here we have another specimen of man's vanity, and his wretched attempt to be "wise above that which is written." As we have already remarked, in a previous number of this paper, the Holy Spirit of God does not present himself, when worship is in question, as a A lover of the Good Shepherd, and of all his flock, person separate from the Father and the Son. But E. P. T. FURTHER SUGGESTIONS RESPECTING THE LITANY, IN THE "BOOK OF COMMON PRAYER." It is to those who believe in our Lord Jesus Christ our words are addressed, for all such are beloved for His name's sake. As to the second sentence of the Litany "O God the Son, Redeemer of the world, have mercy upon us "miserable sinners." In what sense is the Son of God here addressed as "Redeemer of the world ?" The name of our Lord, given before his birth, was Jesus-i.e. Saviour-"for," said the angel, "He shall save his people from their sins." Who, then, are his people? Those who have, and those who do, and all who shall, believe in Him. Is he the Redeemer of the world? The purchase price, even his own precious blood, was indeed sufficient to redeem all. But the scriptures teach us that the infinite sacrifice is efficacious only to those who trust in Him. And how few, comparatively, are these! Those who testify of the truth as it is in Jesus have still to exclaim, as of old, "Who hath believed our report?" The number is lamentably small. To us who are saved, through faith, the Scripture says “Our Saviour Jesus Christ gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity,” (Titus ii. 13, 14.) Is that true of the world? Is the world redeemed from all iniquity? Is it not, on the contrary, most solemnly evident that "The whole world lieth in He is the blessed one who incites believers to true worship. He leads us to cry Abba, Father; and also to adore Jesus as our Lord. We appeal to the Scrip tures "And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, “ Abba, Father.” (Galatians iv. 6.) Then "No man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost." (1 Cor. xii. 3.) This is no theoretical question, beloved. It is of deepest moment to those who would worship God "in Spirit and in truth." Seeing that the Scriptures were written under the inspiration of God's Holy Spirit, surely he has rightly instructed us in the way in which he would have us regard His holy person? Let us not be misunderstood. We feel, in speaking on this subject, we are indeed on holy ground. Who can explain the mystery of the Godhead? Who can speak of the infinite condescension of God in indwelling believers by His Holy Spirit? We do not attempt in any way to solve that which infinite wisdom alone can comprehend. All we desire is that, as sons of God, you should attend to, and act upon, that which the Spirit of God teaches, rather than follow the teachings of men. Now not only does the Holy Ghost not presen himself as the object of worship, or as one of whom we are to ask mercy, but he is with God's people in pure grace. He himself is given to believers, as the token and seal of God's love. dwelling in your hearts, to "have mercy upon you as miserable sinners?" Is it not cruel ingratitude thus to contemn your Father's manifested love? We need not dwell upon your next paragraph, for if you are wrongly crying separately to Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, you are equally in error in your prayer for mercy to the Holy Trinity. We pass on to that which follows. "Remember not, Lord, our offences, nor the offences of our fore"fathers; neither take thou vengeance of our sins. Spare us, good "Lord, spare thy people, whom thou hast redeemed with thy precious blood, and be not angry with us for ever." Here is another sample of the thorough misapprehension of the Christian dispensation constantly manifested by those who compiled your Prayer-book. We allude especially to the thought of vengeance for the sins of our forefathers. In God's dealings with his earthly people Israel, he does indeed visit the sins of the fathers upon the children. We do not enter into the question here of why that should be so. Enough for us that the Lord has so revealed his ways towards that people, and that he has not so revealed his ways towards us. A believer in Christ Jesus is delivered from his old standing before God, and he will never suffer vengeance for his own sins, much less for the sins of his forefathers. That beautiful promise is fulfilled in us believe : who "I will put my laws into their hearts and in their minds will I write them, and their sins and iniquities will I remember no more." (Heb. x. 16, 17.) However little this is understood, because of the traditions of men, yet, happily, God is true, and the fact for us is even according to His word. We may remark, however, that this merciful forgetfulness, on God's part, of sin and iniquity as such, does not prevent him from chastening us, as our faithful Father. He will deal with us down here in chastening, because we are sons. (See Heb. xii. 7.) We are, therefore, to pray to God our Father for manifestations of his loving-kindness. But the Holy Spirit never leads us to cry to him as to the God of vengeance. Vengeance is for enemies, not for sons. The last part of the sentence quoted from your Litany is, however, even worse than the first. Only think of the confusion involved in those words We again entreat you, therefore, to rely upon the safety you have in Christ Jesus, and no longer dishonour his finished work and priceless love, by bowing your hearts to the traditions and superstitions of men. THE CHURCH-THE WOMAN: AS DEPENDENT. In a previous paper, entitled "Eve and the Bride of Christ," I was led to present the truth, taught in the Ephesians and Revelation, of the Church of God being the Bride of Christ, "the Lamb's Wife ;" and that this mystery of Christ and the Church was foreshadowed in Adam and Eve. [See page 129.] Now in Genesis ii. we read "And Adam said, This is now bone of my bone and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man. Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife; and they shall be one flesh." In Eph. v., when referring to Christ and the Church, the Holy Ghost uses much the same language as to the Church's origin and gives the same reason for Christ's cleaving to her: "No man ever yet hated his own flesh, but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the Church: for we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones. For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh" Adding, that we might not suppose he was referring to the earthly union— "This is a great mystery; but I speak concerning Christ and the Church," Now we remember that the Eternal Word (to whom be glory for ever) left Father when He came forth from God, and left Mother when He forsook Israel, of whom, according to the flesh, Christ came. With this people He had a place by birth, when "made of a woman, made under the law;" and a place, too, that He might have kept, had He so willed, or had it pleased Him to have asked angels of His Father. But "the Seed of the Woman" forsook all, both Father and Mother that He might cleave unto the Church. [The nation of Israel, in this character, seems to be presented to us in Rev. xii. as a Woman crowned with twelve stars, who gives birth to a heavenly man-child.] "Who shall change our vile body and fashion it like unto "The blood of Jesus Christ, God's Son, cleanseth us from all His own glorious body, by the power wherewith He is able to sin." subdue all things unto Himself." And in a thousand ways forgiveness is assured to you as those redeemed by that precious blood. Moreover you are not only forgiven, but also justified. "Therefore, being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ." (Rom. v, i.) Then will that be true to sight and feeling which is true to faith now- "THEY TWO SHALL BE ONE FLESH." At present it is a spiritual oneness-"baptized by one Spirit into one body:" Then it will be a visible oneness: "When we see Him we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is." "Like Him,"-a body like His,-which could manifest itself to mortal eyes, "the doors being shut," and then "vanish out of their sight:" and yet possess flesh and bones, as they saw Him have. Such will be the bodies of the saints "when we are "like Him:"-" they two shall be one flesh." Let us now consider the Church, waiting for this redemption of the Body. If we are to be manifested as the Woman, let us walk now by faith as the Woman. 1. A special characteristic of the woman is selfinsufficiency-dependence-dependence on the man. Knowing this, the Lord Jesus has graciously assured the Church of His constant presence, that being the most comforting fact for a woman to know. Indeed, the Lord has specially alluded to the weakness, in point of numbers, in which spiritually-minded believers may expect to find themselves. I believe the Lord will keep His dear ones in small assemblies, if they are watchful of His will, in order to accustom them, as the Woman, to lean on Himself. Any "two or three" members of the One Body and the Head form an assembly or church. They may feel, in addition to their weakness of numbers, weakness of gift. Well, let them rejoice in the Lord, and prefer the dependence of the Woman to anything approaching the self-sufficiency of a man. His strength is perfected in our weakness, because when weak we lean on Him, and then-oh, how we are upheld! Let churches know there is a special safety as well as a special assurance of blessing to the "two or three gathered together in Jesu's name." For when numbers increase, (although we rightly rejoice in sinners saved and saints induced to walk by faith in the Lord's presence,) still, we have learnt the tendency to rest in a plenitude of spiritual gifts, rather than in the blessed presence and perfections of the Head. Another thing, besides increase of numbers, which greatly endangers an assembly's really continuing to walk as the Woman-dependent on the future Husband and present Lord, is-the presence and continued ministry of specially gifted brethren. But, it may be said, Are not spiritual gifts from the Lord? Yes; but not necessarily for single assemblies only; they may be of such a special character as to be suitable for the edifying of the Body" in general. (Read Eph. iv. 11-16.) Hence such servants may well be watchful for doors of ministry elsewhere, lest the saints who love them learn to lean on them. I am referring here to such eminently gifted teachers as Apollos. [In looking at the systems of Christendom, we see these two things notably lost sight of. There we behold a continual straining after large assemblies, on the avowed principle that small assemblies are not self-supporting, and are not to be favourably regarded, because they get into debt and difficulty! Such assemblies take it for granted that blessing must come through an expensive machinery of buildings, paid pastors, &c. But the Lord has not said so. On the contrary, He has given the assurance of His presence as the one thing to be rejoiced in by those gathered in His name. The true woman delights, not in circumstances, but her Beloved. "My Beloved is mine, and I am His." What efforts will be made by many to retain the services of a favourite pastor! and what annoyance, rising to anger at his ingratitude, if he persist in leaving them! Alas! that it is so. "Little children, keep yourselves from idols."] The good Lord work graciously in all our hearts, and lead His people to prefer those circumstances of outward weakness which tend to keep us walking, as assemblies, by faith in the Son of God-for if we associate blessing with numbers or the presence of a gifted brother-" are we not carnal, and walk as men ?" Let the reader note that the church of Philadelphia the only one of the Seven churches with which the Lord finds no fault-is characterised as having "little strength,"-a true woman. (Oh, to be "blameless before Him in love," and found "blameless at His coming.") While the church which is furthest gone into corruption (Laodicea) is the one which has most of what the world calls good and great. (Rev. iii.) Was not the falling away insensibly from dependence on the Lord, the character of the failing in the Church of Ephesus? "Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love." (Rev. ii.) And yet to this church was given most fully, in its epistle, this blessed mystery of Christ and the Church. Beloved, our safety does not lie in the possession of high truth (like the Ephesians,) or those who can teach it (like the Corinthians); but a true desire to "cleave unto the Lord with purpose of heart," as Barnabas (that "good man, full of faith and the Holy Ghost") exhorted those who were first called Christ-ians. If in any degree or manner we cease to cleave unto the Lord, in that degree do we fail to bear that holy name-indeed, we "deny" it. did not Philadelphia. deny" it. This "Paul, a prisoner of Jesus Christ, and Timothy our brother, unto Philemon, our dearly beloved and fellow-labourer, and to our beloved Apphia, and Archippus our fellow-soldier, and to the church in thy house, grace to you, and peace, &c." Our impression in reading this salutation is that Philemon and his wife Apphia had been moved by the Lord to open their house to certain saints, and that Archippus was a servant of the Lord who felt a special call to minister there. This impression is confirmed by a passage in the Epistle to the Colossians, in or near which city it is probable Philemon lived, one of because of the reference to Onesimus as them." (Col. iv. 9.) In that Epistle, the Colossian church is charged thus ties are expressed. In these days of confusion and evil, believers may well avail themselves of the freedom with which the Lord has made us free-free in respect of times, places, numbers, and ministries,and gather to Himself, Holding the Head, from which all the body by joints and bands having nourishment ministered, and knit together, increaseth with the increase of God." (Col. ii. 19.) We have seen much reason to rejoice that the Lord is bringing His Church into the same blessed condition it was in as described in Acts ix. "Then had the churches rest throughout all Judæa and Galilee and Samaria, and were edified; and walking in the fear of the Lord, and in the comfort of the Holy Ghost, were Say to Archippus, Take heed to the ministry thou hast multiplied. And it came to pass, as Peter passed throughout all received in the Lord, that thou fulfil it." (Col. iv. 17.) quarters." Here is a servant referred to, and evidently not usually assembling with the church in Colosse, because that church receives a message for him; clearly, therefore, having a comparatively humble service (speaking after the manner of men) in Philemon's house; and he is to be exhorted to "fulfil it." The next and last reference to a church in a house, is that in the house of Nymphas. "Salute the brethren which are in Laodicea, and Nymphas, and the church which is in his house." And now, beloved, what does the Spirit, through these passages, say unto us? That if a brother and a sister, with others, meet to the Lord, as a church, in their own house, there is liberty so to do; but neither that, nor anything else, should be done, without a full impression that it is the Lord's will, after much united prayer, searching of the word and their own hearts. If opened so, it will be a door of the Lord's opening, and let them be assured, no man can shut it, or shut out blessing, for Jesus is there. 2. That if a brother and sister in the Lord are so led to gather souls in their own house to the Lord a neighbouring assembly or assemblies are not to be disturbed with thoughts of the oneness of the Body being broken (!) or of the impropriety of two tables, but they are to lovingly acknowledge them, and "salute" them, and rejoice to hear of any gathering to the Lord in weakness of numbers, knowing that blessing must ever flow forth to those who have faith to be cast upon the Lord. 3. That the oneness of the churches in the Word, is nothing like a confederation of assemblies, but love" the bond of perfectness"—the tie of unity. For the Holy Ghost shows us not only Colosse saluting the church in Nymphas' house, but the church in Aquila's house saluting Corinth. So we, in these days, have rest from those persecutions which have swept over the Church. We are being edified. or built up, in our most holy faith, adding to faith much knowledge. We apprehend Jesus as our Lord and our God--who is now walking amidst the golden candlesticks (his assemblies) as One with eyes of fire and feet of melting brass,, and at whose Judgment Seat we must all give an account the Lord," but we walk "in the comfort of the Holy of ourselves. Not only so-"walking in the fear of Ghost." clete, or, as the word is also translated, Advocate. The Holy Ghost is the Comforter-ParaHe advocates to our souls the claims of Jesus, as our Saviour, Lord, and God. By means of the Word of God, the Holy Ghost comforts us with thoughts of all that the Lord Jesus Christ is, has done, and will be to the Church, and the Church to Him. By Him, too, we cry, Abba, and worship the Father. We are thus "walking in the comfort of the Holy Ghost." And what else do we see in this Acts ix. ?-the multiplication of assemblies. "Then had the churches rest-were edified-multiplied. And we do hear of assemblies, weak in numbers, rising up around us. And what then? Why, Peter, as representing the higher spiritual gifts given for the edification of the Body and the service of the saints, is introduced to us by the Holy Ghost-"passing throughout all quarters." but with those servants of the Lord who possessed This was the practice not only with the apostles, the refreshing water of the Word-precious truth. special spiritual gifts for watering the churches with Take for instance Apollos. Unarmed with apostolic, or any authority, yet he was greatly used for blessing. Doubtless the unity of the Church in the early days, was maintained by this facility of ministry, in all and each assembly, of certain gifted servants whose praise was in all the churches. They were special "bands and joints" of the body, it seems to me, by whose These gatherings in believers' houses were not existing in bye places, but in large cities in which there were already churches. No fears of irregulari-"passing about throughout all quarters" assemblies The term used in these places is "church," not "saints;" and cannot be construed to mean "family," but "assembly," for all the purposes of an assembly-" worshipping God in the Spirit, rejoicing in Christ Jesus, and showing forth his death in the breaking of bread till He come." "Ecclesia" is the word used in these four places, which means "assembly of the called-out," were kept in communion with one another-not in confederation, and by whom, as well as the resident elders, the Lord ministered nourishment to the body. Archippus is given to an assembly, to watch over the sheep, become acquainted with them individually, and feed them. Apollos is given to the Body, to be |