THE HERALD
of Christ's Kingdom
VOL. XI. May 1, 1928 No. 9
Table of Contents
PALESTINE
AND THE HEBREWS
THE
BIRTH OF A NATION
"WHATSOEVER
HE SAITH UNTO YOU, DO IT"'
"GOD
KNOWS WHY
LIKE
UNTO YOUR FATHER IN HEAVEN
LETTERS
OF ENCOURAGEMENT
OBSERVANCE
OF THE FEAST OF PASSOVER
VOL. XI. May 15, 1928 No. 10
Table of Contents
HUMAN
WISDOM ON THE SUBJECT OF IMMORTALITY
"LO,
I AM WITH YOU ALWAY"
SECRET
PRAYER
THE
SHEPHERD AND THE SHEEP
THE
INSTITUTE'S ANNUAL MEETING
WORDS
OF ENCOURAGEMENT
VOL. XI. May 1, 1928 No. 9
PROGRESS in the Holy Land seems not as
vigorous and rapid as some might wish or expect, basing their hopes on a very early
fulfillment of the prophecies which relate to the establishing of the new order of things.
Nevertheless, there can be no delay from the Lord's standpoint; and no doubt all things
are onward moving according to the predetermined counsel of God. The report of doings and
developments coming to public attention from time to time may very reasonably be regarded
as encouraging hints, looking in the direction of Israel's restoration. The following,
appearing in the public Press of March 14, is of this nature:
"Palestine Farm Movement Strongly Attracts
Jews"
"Palestine is experiencing a
'back-to-the-land' movement that promises to transform the psychology of the Jew, and has
already made Palestinian oranges predominant on the Liverpool market, according to Dr. Ben
Zion Mossinson, principal of the 'Hebrew College' at Tel-Aviv, who is here in the course
of an American tour that has already lasted two months.
"'The fascinating thing about
Palestine,' Dr. Mossinson remarked to The Star, 'is that there one sees the victual
development of life. In other countries things progress, but in Palestine they grow, and
one can sometimes even see the effect of one's own influence upon them.
"'For example, there is the Plain
of Ezderlon, sometimes called the Plain of Armageddon. Only a few years ago it was a
swampy and desolate waste. Seven or eight years ago, a chain of Jewish colonies and
settlements spread themselves across it; roads were built, lands drained, the soil
cultivated; and now the country is blooming.
"'Wheat is one of the main crops,
but there is a great deal of mixed farming, and one interesting development is that cow's
milk is being introduced as a food for the first time in the history of the Near East.
"'The most striking aspect of this
change, however, is not in the countryside, but in the people themselves. Their whole
psychology appears to have altered. The young Jews of Ezderlon are not seeking the easiest
way to make a living; they are seeking how they can best get into immediate contact with
the soil, 'till it, and multiply its fruits. Work has become almost a religion with them.
Many of them are university graduates who have left the office and shop to engage in the
toil of agriculture and are finding happiness in it.'
"Dr. Mossinson is inclined to
think that the real motive of the Wahabi rising under Ibn Saud has not yet been revealed.
'Of course Saud himself denies that there is a holy war or that he is behind the trouble,'
he said. 'But we must remember that it is a common stratagem of the desert to instigate a
rising, and remain in the background until the movement arrives to reap the fruits of
victory, if it is victorious.
"'There is also a religious
background to the affair, for the Wahabis, Ibn Saud's followers, are a very rigorous sect
who do not look upon the more self-indulgent Arabs of the cities as true Mohammedans.
Possibly a political motive is added by the fact that these desert nomads are more easily
held together when they are united by war. Possibly Ibn Saud is content to see them
busy."'
Ancient Zion Glory Revived
A still later report (April 2), gives a
summary of a lecture recently delivered in Toronto by Mr. Ittaman Ben Avi, who is said to
be a famous son of a famous father, and brings "the tidings that the Zionist movement
is making remarkable progress." It is reported that Mr. Ben Avi "edits a daily
paper in Hebrew and the Palestine Weekly in English. His father, Ben Yehuda, was a
philological genius, who performed the remarkable feat of adapting the language of the
psalms to all modern usages and compiled a monumental Hebrew lexicon. The new Palestine
can now conduct its affairs in its ancient language.
"In Holy Blossom Synagogue
yesterday morning, and in the afternoon at a conference and tea in the King Edward to
consider the ways and means of Toronto's assistance to the Zionist movement, he proved
himself an orator with an unusual capacity for clothing cold facts with imagination, and
economics with wit.
"The economic crisis due to too,
rapid emigration had passed. 'It seemed a terrible thing,' said he, 'that 9,000 should
lack their daily bread, but when I reflect that there are 4,000,000 unemployed in the
United States, one and one-quarter million in England, and over 2,000,000 in that paradise
upon earth which is said to be Soviet Russia, I ,see that the economic crisis was not
peculiarly Palestinian but general.
"'Immigration, which was 40,000
two years ago, has now been checked. We are consolidating our 160 colonies. Last year we
exported over $10,000,000 worth of our most valuable product, the Jaffa orange. Soon the
balance of trade will be in our favor:
"The British government had large
undertakings under way which were of great economic significance. Haifa is becoming the
biggest British naval port in the Mediterranean. In this work alone, which will be
finished in five years; over 4,000 Jewish laborers are being employed. Haifa will be the
end of a pipe line for oils from Mesopotamia, and will in five years increase from its
present 30,000 to a population of 50,000.
"The English mandate was going to
mean as much economically for Palestine as the English protectorate had meant for Egypt.
The British had begun the building of a railway from Amman to Bagdad through the desert.
This meant that Palestine was not to remain a mere strip of littoral, but was the gateway
to an immense hinterland extending as far as Persia. It was a window looking into the
East, a bridge between three continents.
"'The Dead Sea is one of our main
assets.' said Ben Avi. 'In two years, there will be immensely valuable potash available
for export as well as for our agriculture. The River Jordan drops from 150 meters above to
over 400 below sea level. Already its electricity is used, by the cities of Jaffa, Tel
Aviv, and Tiberias, and the Arab who cried out against it makes a greater employment of it
than the Jews.'
"The promoter of this Jordan
hydro-electric system had at first been unable to sell more than $60,000 of stock in the
United States. Now the shares were paying 8 per cent, and in a few years would pay 19 per
cent. 'That's better than General Motors,' said Ben Avi with a smile.
"Palestine was going to be a land
flowing not with milk and honey, but with olive oil and orange juice. 'Our economic future
rests largely with the Jaffa orange,' said he. 'Of that we have a monopoly. Egypt cannot
grow it. America cannot compete with it. When I see countries such as yours with woods and
streams and grass everywhere, at first I think mournfully of our rocks and sands. And then
I bless them. The sand dunes save Palestine as they save Holland. They make the Jaffa
orange possible. And the olive trees grow luxuriantly on the rocks.'
"Palestine already blossomed like
the rose and with the rose. The ground was carpeted with the roses of Sharon, but, said
he, 'it is better for the rose to go somewhere else and for the orange to take its place.'
"He was confident that the option
held by Canadians and Americans on $1,000,000 of Citrus lands would be a valuable one to
exercise. 'It will be worth,' said he, '$20,000,000 in ten years.'
"He had no fear that the Jewish
minority would not in time, even without immigration, exceed the present Arab majority.
'You hear,' said he, 'of Jewish colonists with families of thirteen sons, or six sons and
four daughters. The fruitful days of Abraham have come again. We are augmenting to the
extent of 10,000 to 15,000 annually. But the Arab birth rate is lower and mortality higher
than ours, despite the improvements the English have affected in sanitation.'
"But the new Zion was not going to
be a land of religious persecution. There will also be Jews who are Moslems and Jews who
are Christians. It will be a religious Switzerland."
_________
"CHRISTIAN MESSAGE SENT FROM HOLY CITY"
"Jerusalem, April 5. -- The
international Missionary Council today adopted by a unanimous rising vote a report of
findings on the Christian message in relation to non-Christian systems:
'The report occasioned much solicitude
in advance of the council meeting: Theological stalwarts feared that the missionary
movement was tending toward an unsafe position and felt that the question of the 'message'
of Christianity should be dealt with in meetings of the great ecclesiastical bodies rather
than at inter-denominational, international missionary gatherings.
"Others, sympathizing with
modernism, were solicitous, lest the findings on the message prove heavily traditional:
"Under the skillful handling of
the Right Rev. William Temple, Anglican Bishop of Manchester, and Dr. Robert F. Speer of
New York, Secretary of the Presbyterian Board of Foreign Missions, a document was produced
which at the first reading satisfied all types of opinion. After the postponement of the
decision until today to insure a mature judgment, the vote for adoption was undoubtedly
the high point of the conference thus far.
"Summary of Report on 'Message"'
"The report reaffirms the
statement on the subject issued by the World Conference on Faith and Order at Lausanne
last summer. Dealing with the missionary motive, the spirit of missionary endeavor and the
'call' of the world, it declares that the message of Christianity should world, proclaimed
against the background of a world situation that is characterized as follows:
"First, ancient religions are
undergoing modification and in some regions dissolution, as scientific and commercial
developments alter the current of men's thought. Second, the existence of the world-wide
suffering and pain due to the birth pangs of rising nationalism and keener consciousness
of race and class oppression.
"Third, amid wide-spreading
materialism, is still found, especially among youth, a yearning toward untrammeled
expression of personality, spiritual leadership, reality in religion, social justice,
human brotherhood and international peace. Fourth, Christ has drawn to Himself the
attention and admiration of mankind, more than ever within His church, in the widespread
desire for unity, centered in His person."
One could wish on reading the foregoing
account that those Christian bodies assembled in the City of the Great King, could have
been so illuminated by the truth from Divine revelation that they, like those early
disciples at Jerusalem, would have announced as their message to all the world,
"Jesus and the resurrection," the Redeemer and His work. Their message would
then include, "the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand," with the explanation that the
inauguration of the Kingdom will mean the fulfillment of Jesus' prayer, and that God's
will shall thereby be caused to be done on earth as it is in heaven and that in this
Kingdom alone lies the hope of world-redemption and recovery from the curse of death.
"A voice of noise from the city,
a voice from the Temple, a voice of the Lord that rendereth recompense to His enemies.
Before she travailed, she brought forth; before her pain came, she was delivered of a man
child." -- Isa. 66:6, 7
THE promise of the ultimate
establishment of Divine rulership in the earth may be said to date back to the early dawn
of human history. Indeed man's original state of harmony with God was one in which the
Divine rule or will of Gad was intended to govern and control. The entrance of spin into
the world became the occasion for the removal or withdrawal of the rule or government of God's will on earth; but ever since man's fall
the promise of redemption has gone forth with the assurance that it is to be accomplished
by the inauguration of a mighty Kingdom from heaven that will assume complete
controllership and dominion of the earth and its affairs.
When therefore, at our Lord's First
Advent, four thousand years after the fall of man, the announcement concerning the coming
of God's Kingdom went forth, it was but a reiteration of what had been promised many times
throughout the Old Testament days. As it pleased God to give that promise to the world
through the ancient Hebrews, it naturally became the burning hope of that people that God,
would exalt them, under the promised Messiah, above all the other nations; hence when the
Lord Jesus came to, them it was as their King to fulfil toward them the promises made
through the Prophets concerning the establishment of God's Kingdom upon the earth.
The Theme of Christ and His Apostles
Not only did Jesus commence His
ministry with the announcement that the Kingdom of Heaven was at hand, but His Apostles
were sent forth bearing the same message. Indeed the Kingdom was the principal theme of
our Lord's preaching, other subjects being mentioned merely in connection with or in
explanation of this one subject. The majority of Christi's parables are seen to be either
illustrations of the Kingdom from various standpoints, and its different features, or else
serve to, point out consecration to God as being necessary to a share in the Kingdom, and
to correct the misunderstanding prevailing amongst the Jews that they were sure of the
Kingdom because they were natural children of Abraham and hence natural heirs to the
promises.
Our Lord in His intercourse with His
immediate disciples gave them every encouragement to believe in this coming Kingdom,
saying to them, "I appoint unto you a Kingdom as My Father has appointed unto Me that
ye may eat and drink at My table in My Kingdom and sit on thrones judging [ruling] !the
twelve tribes of Israel." Further, He said, "Fear not, little flock, it is your
Father's good pleasure to give you the Kingdom." No wonder when, instead of being
crowned and enthroned, their King was crucified His disciples were sorely perplexed and
disappointed. But Jesus after His resurrection appeared unto His disappointed followers
and opened their understanding, showing them from the Scriptures that His sacrifice, the
offering for sin; was necessary first of all before the Kingdom could be established.
There is no question that God could have given Jesus the controllership of the earth
without entering upon any plan of redemption from death; for the Most High ruleth over the
kingdom of men and giveth it to whomsoever He pleaseth. But the purpose of God was far
greater than that of bestowing a blessing upon men which could have only been temporary,
as long as the death sentence remained. Therefore, in order that the Kingdom blessings
might be of an enduring and eternal character, the human race must first be ransomed from
death and the way opened up whereby condemnation could be lifted and a new trial for life
given to each and all.
The Pentecostal Illumination
Jesus truly revived the hope of the
taming Kingdom in His disciples, for as He was about to leave them they inquired,
"Lord, wilt Thou at this time restore the Kingdom to Israel?" The answer He gave
them was not of a very definite character, though He did not contradict their hope, but
said, "It is not for you to know the times and seasons which the Father bath put in
His own power." Up to the time of the ascension of Christ the disciples in common
with the Jewish nation as a whole had a very crude conception of the Kingdom of God in
supposing it to be exclusively an earthly Kingdom, even as many in our day make the
mistake in the opposite direction in concluding that the Kingdom is to be altogether of a
heavenly character. Many of the teachings and explanations that Jesus gave were intended
in due time to correct these misconceptions. But the Master always maintained the
viewpoint of a supreme government or Kingdom to, be established in the earth and to have
complete controllership of the affairs of men. And He not only inspired in the hearts of
His followers a hope four a share in the Kingdom, to, sit with Him in His throne, etc.,
but He also taught them to pray for its establishment "Thy Kingdom came. Thy will be
done in earth, as it is in heaven."
It was the illumination of Pentecost
that brought to the followers of Christ clearer conceptions and views of the Kingdom and
its purposes. Under the enlightening influence of the Spirit the early Church was taught
that the object of the present Age was that of selecting out from amongst men those, who
should constitute the Kingdom; and that after a long period of absence, Jesus would return
again for the purpose of receiving the faithful and installing them with Himself as kings
and rulers of the world. It was made clear to the primitive Church that the Kingdom of God
was not set up in power and glory at that time, but that the Kingdom of Heaven was at hand
merely in its incipiency or embryonic stage; and so indeed all the expositions of the
Kingdom in the New Testament so teach. The Kingdom of Heaven now suffers violence at the
hand's of the world; the great King Himself was maltreated and crucified, and whosoever
will follow in His footsteps shall suffer persecution and violence in some form. It will
be observed of course that this is true only of the real Church and not of the merely
professing Church. The promise has been held oust to the faithful that if they suffer with
Christ, they shall also in due time, when He takes to Himself His great power and reigns,
be glorified and reign with Him.
The Promise of the Throne with Jesus
According to the sacred record the
promises and assurances of the Kingdom honor and joint-heriship with the Master were
strong incentives to the primitive Church, to faithfulness under present trials and
persecutions which they had been. forewarned to expect; and of all the words that impart
inspiring hope in the Apocalypse given to the Seven Churches, none shines out more clearly
and forcibly than those which declare, "To him that overcometh will I grant to sit
with Me in My throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with My Father in His
throne"; and, "To him that overcometh will I give power over the nations."
Furthermore, the instruction that came
with the Pentecostal blessing of the Spirit bore the information that whereas, while Jesus
was with His disciples in the flesh, the call and invitation to share with Him the Kingdom
was limited to the Jewish nations in harmony with the covenant and arrangements that God
had with that nation from the time they first became His people, now a change was to come
with their rejection of Jesus, and the Kingdom invitation was to extend to others. We
read, "Jesus came unto His own and His own received Him not. Bust as many as did
receive Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God." The meaning is
obvious, namely that as many of the Jews as received the Savior up to the time of their
rejection as a nation, were received into the Gospel fold as prospective members of the
Kingdom. But as St. Paul under the inspiration .of the Spirit explains in the eleventh
chapter of Romans, only a remnant, comparatively speaking, of the Jews were found worthy and in a condition of
heart to receive the offer of the Kingdom with its terms of consecration to God and of
bearing the cross after Christ faithfully unto death. It is at this point that the Divine
purpose concerning the Kingdom is seen to expand, for with the failure of the Jews. as a
nation to become God's Kingdom, the Gospel call turned to the Gentiles to "take out
of them a people for His name," that is, to complete the Kingdom class which was
started with the remnant taken from the Jews. In keeping with this thought the same
explanations, promises, etc., that had been given to the Jews were communicated to the
Gentiles; they were told that they could become "fellow-heirs" in the promises
made to Israel; that the "middle wall of partition" was broken down ,and that
the Lord by His providence and Spirit was making of the two, "one new .man";
that is, making up the completed Christ or Kingdom class out of both Jews and Gentiles,
that they alike should inherit the promises of joint-heirship with Christ in His Kingdom,
of association with Him In the fulfillment of the prayer, "Thy Kingdom come,"
etc.
Jerusalem Prefigured the Kingdom
No one in carefully studying the Old
Testament can fail to be impressed with the many prophecies and promises that were made
to, and apparently apply exclusively to fleshly Israel. For instance, concerning the
future glory of the Kingdom operating on earth as represented in Jerusalem, the Prophet
speaks in glowing terms: "Break forth into joy, sing together, ye waste places of
Jerusalem; for the Lord hath comforted His people, He hath redeemed Jerusalem."
"Behold, I create Jerusalem a rejoicing and her people a joy." "Rejoice ye
with Jerusalem and be glad with her, . . . that may be delighted with the abundance of her
glory; for thus saith the Lord, behold, I will extend peace to her like a river, and the
glory of the Gentiles like a flowing stream." "At that time they shall call
Jerusalem the throne of the Lord and all nations shall be gathered unto it."
"And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain
[Kingdom] of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob ; and He will teach us of His
ways; and we will walk in His paths; for out of Zion shall go forth the Law, and the Word
of the Lord from Jerusalem." -- Isa. 52:9; 65:18; 66:10-12; Jer. 3:17; Isa. 2:3.
It is well to remember however that
though without doubt the literal city of Jerusalem will be built, and though it probably
will become the capital of the world, yet many prophecies which mention Jerusalem and its
future glories refer under that as a symbol to the Kingdom of God to be established in
great splendor.
Early Consummation of Our Hopes
Thus when studying the various precious
promises of future blessings made to Israel, and expecting an accurate fulfillment of them
to. that people, it is important that we remember that as a people they are pictorial or
illustrative as well as actual. In .one aspect they were a pre-figuration of the whole
world of humanity; and their Law Covenant of obedience and life was illustrative of the
New Covenant to be established with the world during the time of the supremacy of God's
Kingdom.
The blood of atonement under their
typical covenant and the priesthood which applied it to that nation, evidently prefigured
the blood of the New Covenant and the royal priesthood which will, during the Millennial
reign, apply its cleansing and blessing to the human race. Thus their priesthood
prefigured the Christ, and that nation prefigured all for whom the real sacrifice was made
and to whom the real blessings will come -- "every man," "the whole
world."
Though as we have seen, through the
rejection of Messiah, Israel as a nation did lose the special favor of securing the prize
of the Kingdom to be given to the faithful at our Lord's Second Advent, yet St. Paul shows
that this did not prove them entirely cut off from favor; but that the time will come when
the Deliverer, Christ, Head and Body, selected from both Jews and Gentiles, being
complete, Divine favor will return to, fleshly Israel and the glorious Deliverer will turn
away ungodliness from Jacob, and so all Israel shall be saved; recovered to favor, as it
is written by the Prophets. -- Rom. 11:25-33.
No matter from what standpoint we view
the subject of the Kingdom of God and the promises and prophecies appertaining thereto,
the establishment of that Kingdom in the earth means the deliverance of all the faithful
Church, the restoration of the Hebrew race to Divine favor, and the restitution of all the
willing and obedient of humanity to paradise and to. all that was lost of favor and
fellowship with God,, enjoyed by our first parents before sin entered the world. Faithful
watchers of today, giving sober heed to the Word of Divine counsel, as they look back over
the long centuries since the call to enter the race for the Kingdom was first issued, are
enabled to recognize that the blessed consummation of their hopes draweth nigh. They
realize this by a careful examination and comparison of the predictions of the ancient
Prophets with the progress of events and; the general developments in the nations of the
earth, together with all the circumstances peculiar to this time. In other words, in
consideration of all the signs about us, of the day of His preparation, and in view of the
rapid and startling fulfillment of many Bible prophecies in our midst, there is a special
and intense appropriateness in the announcement or proclamation that the Kingdom of God
approaches, is even "at the door."
A Vivid Prophecy of the Birth of the New Order
One of the striking prophecies of the
Old Testament, of somewhat symbolical character, descriptive of how the kingdoms of this
world are to give place to the Kingdom of God and of how the new order of things is to be
born, is suggested at the head of this article: "Shall the earth be made to bring
forth in one day? Or shall a nation be born at once? for as soon as Zion travailed, she
brought forth her children."
It is recalled that the name
"Zion" was anciently applied to a prominent hill of Jerusalem, generally
regarded as the south-western and highest of those on which the city was built. It
included the most ancient part of the city with the citadel; and, being first occupied for
a palace, it was called "the city of David." (2 Chron. 5:2.) It was also called
the "holy hill," or "hill of the sanctuary" (Psa. 2:6), being the
original site of the tabernacle, pitched by David for the reception of the ark.
By the Prophets the name was often put
for Jerusalem itself, and also for its inhabitants, sometimes called sons or daughters of
Zion. It was also used in a wider sense, as was Jerusalem also, to signify the entire
nation of Israel. And since fleshly Israel was typical of spiritual Israel, the Gospel
Church, the symbolism applies with still deeper significance to the Gospel Church, which
term, throughout this dispensation, has included the entire body of professed Christians,
all of whom are on probation for full membership in the Church triumphant -- the true
Church, the Zion of the future, and the true Zion of the present Age, the elect
"little flock," to whom it is the Father's good pleasure to give the Kingdom. In
the symbolic application of the term we must therefore judge from the character of the
prophecy whether the reference is to the fleshly or to the spiritual house of Israel, or
to both; or if to the latter, whether it applies in its broadest sense to the professing
Gospel Church, or to the faithful little flock, the only true Church in God's estimation.
The Birth of the New Nation
The symbolic travail, in the above
prophecy, evidently is a reference to the great distress and time of trouble -- the
travail that is to come upon the visible or nominal Gospel Church, great
"Babylon," from which some are to be counted worthy to escape. (Luke 21:36.)
This, is indicated by the preceding verse which locates the time of this prophecy as
synchronous with that wherein is heard "a voice of noise [confusion] from the
city" (Babylon), and "a voice [of truth and warning] from the temple" (the
elect little flock of consecrated and faithful ones), and "a voice of Jehovah that
rendereth recompense to His enemies" -- in the great time of trouble.
The travail that is coming is to be
upon nominal Zion -- "Christendom," "Babylon"; and it will be a great
and sore affliction -- "a time of trouble such as was not since there was a
nation." But the marvelous thing the Prophet here has to record is that a man-child
is to be born out of Zion before this travail comes. This is a striking reference to the
fact, elsewhere indicated, that the ripe wheat of the Gospel Church is to be separated
from the tares, that they are to be exalted and glorified before the burning, the
consuming trouble shall come upon the latter. This man-child is, therefore, the little,
flock -- the true Zion in God's estimation, the Body of Christ; as it is written,
"'There shall come out of Zion [the nominal Gospel Church] the Deliverer [the Christ,
Head and Body], and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob [the Fleshly Israel or
Zion]." -- Rom. 11:26.
This is the man-child that is to bless
all the families of the earth. (Gen. 28:14; Gal. 3:16, 29.) The birth of the man-child we
would understand to be the First Resurrection. Blessed and holy are all they that have
part in the First Resurrection. Such are now begotten of God by the Word of Truth, and
quickened by the Holy Spirit (Jas. 1:18; Eph. 2:1; Rom. 8:11), and in due time -- before
the travail -- they will be born in the glorious likeness of Christ. The birth of this
man-child began over eighteen hundred years ago with the resurrection of Christ Jesus.
There the Head of this Body of Christ came forth; and as surely as the Head has been born,
so surely, shall the body come, forth. "Shall I bring to the birth, and not cause to
bring forth? saith the Lord: shall I cause to bring forth and shut the womb? saith thy
God." (Isa. 66:9.) Ah, no; "the man-child," the Christ complete, the Great
Deliverer, shall come forth.
The Christ of Many Members the Man-Child
Yet "Who hath heard such a thing?
who hath seen such things?" for not only shall the Body of Christ, the true
overcoming Zion, the "holy nation, the peculiar people," be delivered out of
nominal Zion, before the travail; but when she travails apparently a great company of
other children will be born. This would seem to be the class described, in the Apocalypse
as coming up out of the great tribulation, having washed their robes and made them white
in the blood of the Lamb. The Body of Christ, the man-child, born before the travail, will
be composed of those who heard and obeyed the call, "Come out of her, my
people," etc. (Rev. 18 :4); these held aloof from all organizational bondage and
maintained their liberty in Christ, and were counted worthy to have part in the First
Resurrection; while the many children born through the great tribulation would appear to
be those believers in nominal Zion, Babylon, who have allowed themselves to become
measurably intoxicated by the spirit of Babylon, the spirit of the world, and who,
therefore, are not quick to discern and prompt to obey the voice of the Lord in this time
of searching judgment. They fail to realize the full import of these days and consequently
fail to understand the meaning of the present fiery trials And tests upon the Church and
what the true ministry of the Church is that of perfecting herself in the character
likeness of Christ.
The discipline and chastening of the
great tribulation or travail that is .coming upon the professing Church or nominal Zion,
will be God's agency for the instructing and; assisting of a large number of believing
children of God, whose manner of life is righteous and generally circumspect, but who are
nevertheless worldly-minded, lacking in the Spirit of the Lord, and who are not fully
surrendering themselves to the Divine will -- not following Him through evil and through
good report, and meekly bearing the reproach of Christ. They have respect to men's
opinions, traditions and plans, and the word of fellow-mortals, and fail to fully submit
themselves to the will and plan of the Lord. And only when they behold the wreck and
failure of their plans and arrangements will they realize how they have been deceived by
strong delusions and be delivered .from them.
The Stone of Stumbling and Rock of Offense
"Behold," says the Prophet,
"I lay in Zion a stumbling-stone and rock of offense: and whosoever believeth on Him
shall riot be ashamed." (Rom. 9:33; Isa. 8:14; 15; 28:16.) That stumbling stone may
be said to be the doctrine of redemption through the precious blood of Christ. At that
stone the fleshly Israel stumbled, and so now many in professing spiritual Zion are
stumbling at the same stone; for it was to be "a stone of stumbling and a rock of
offense to both the houses of Israel" -- the fleshly and the spiritual. The faithful
overcomers do not so stumble, but recognize this as the chief corner stone of the true
Zion, remembering the words of the Prophet, "Behold, I lay in Zion a chief corner
stone, elect, precious; and he that believeth on Him 'shall not be confounded. Unto you
therefore which believe [in Christ as your Redeemer, who bought you with His precious
blood] He is precious; but unto them which be disobedient, , . . the same is made . . . a
stone of stumbling and a rock of offense, even to them which stumble at the Word, being
disobedient; whereunto also they were appointed" (1 Pet. 2:6-8); for God does not
propose to deliver His Kingdom unto any of the disobedient: Such need the fiery trials of
the coming tribulation to bring them into a proper attitude before God ; and hence must
come up through severe disciplinary experience.
While those who are truly begotten of
God and who have been quickened by His Spirit to the new spiritual life, and who are
faithful in fulfilling their covenant of entire consecration as living sacrifices unto
God, may well rejoice in hope of the First Resurrection, and of being born before the
travail upon nominal Zion, it is also a cause for rejoicing that many of the weaker
children of God, now stumbling with nominal Zion, will, nevertheless, by and by be
recovered And saved so as by fire (born) through the great tribulation (travail), in which
nominal Zion shall expire, but from which they shall come forth.
Has the New Nation Been Born
In consideration of the various
testimonies foregoing and others of a related character, we conclude that the birth of the
holy nation and the establishment of the Kingdom of God relate to one and the same thing.
The true Church is addressed by the Apostle as a royal priesthood, a peculiar people;
"a holy nation," but it was only in prospect that the saints in the flesh have
been the holy nation; they have indeed been God's people on trial just as true disciples
of Christ have been the Kingdom in embryo or on trial. The members of the true Church or
holy nation in prospect have been passing through the various processes of preparation,
development of the Christ character, to determine their worthiness to be finally accepted
as members of the holy nation organized as the Kingdom of God to rule the world in the
coming Age. The question now is before us, has the birth of the new nation yet taken
place? Our answer must be No, for the same reason that we must contend that the Kingdom
of. God has not yet come and been established. Since the Church together with Christ are
to constitute the new nation, it could not yet be said to be born as long as a number of
the Church are still in the flesh and have not yet experienced their resurrection change.
Nor could the Kingdom of God be established as long as some of the personnel of that
Kingdom are still passing through the hour of their trial.
Neither is this view that the new
nation has not yet been born and that the Kingdom is not yet established, in conflict with
the understanding that our Lord's Second Presence has already taken place and the saints
who have died throughout the Age have been raised.* While we may and do have splendid
evidences that we are living in that. period designated the "Parousia," and
therefore the time of Christ's official assumption of power, and that the dead in Christ
are risen with Him, and that therefore there are vast preparations under way for the
ushering in of the new order of things, we are still lacking the proof that the reign of
Christ has begun in the sense of His Kingdom inaugurated and governing the affairs of men.
Let all who would have their moderation known unto all men, be governed by sane views and
by' the spirit of a sound mind on this subject as well as upon all other matters
pertaining to our faith and hope. Everywhere about us the facts contradict whatever
thought any one may have to the effect that God's Kingdom has been established. There is
nothing whatever in the Scriptures nor in the circumstances that we observe about us to
lead us to believe that the new nation, or the Kingdom of God has yet been born or that
Christ's reign has commenced. To the contrary, all the facts and circumstances of life
around us teach us that we are still living under the old order of things and that the one
who was termed by Jesus "the prince of this world," and by St. Paul "the
god of this world," is still in general control and exercises a mighty influence in
the hearts, minds, and affairs of mankind. In other words, Satan has not yet been bound,
nor his empire overthrown ;** and until that has taken place, until the kingdoms of this
world pass away and the power of the great Adversary is broken; there can be no reign of
the Kingdom of God.
___________
* For an exhaustive discussion of the
subject of the Second Presence and the resurrection of the saints, see issues of the
"Herald," October-December, 1926, and February 1-15, 1927; supplied free upon
request. ,
** The casting of Satan out of heaven as
shown in Revelation 12, which was symbolical of the fall of Paganism in the fourth century
A. D., should not be confused with the symbolic picture given in Revelation 20, of the
binding of Satan and the final overthrow of his empire in connection with the inauguration
of the Kingdom of God. As for the Apocalyptic vision of the war between Christ and Satan,
it appears not to be a picture of the end of this Age, nor of the final overthrow of
Satan's Kingdom. It is not a prophecy of the last great struggle between truth and error,
light and darkness, by any means. Nothing is said about Satan being overthrown at the time
of this symbolic war, nothing about Satan being restrained or bound at that time, nor is
there anything recorded about Christ's Kingdom superseding that of Satan at the time of
the war. To the contrary, the context shows (verses 12-17) that the Adversary after this
war with Michael continues very active in the earth. The true interpretation of this
vision of the war between Christ and Satan is found only as we examine and view it in
connection with associated visions; for it is one of the links in the great chain of
symbolic pictures, and if we attempt to lift the link out of its place in the chain and to
fit it in somewhere else, we will be doing violence to this great symbolic prophecy as a
whole. For a further explanation of this point, see "The Revelation of Jesus
Christ," Volume II, Chapter 3; also issues of the "Herald" of February 1,
and April 16, 1927.
_____________
Rejoice Ye with Jerusalem
We have already referred to certain
pointed prophecies that are descriptive of the situation that will obtain when the Kingdom
of the Lord has been established: "Rejoice ye with Jerusalem and be glad with her,
all ye that mourn for her." "Behold, I create Jerusalem a rejoicing and her
:people a joy. And I will rejoice in Jerusalem and joy in My people, and the voice of
weeping shall be no more heard in her nor the voice of .crying." This is one of the
prophecies yet to be fulfilled -- in the near future we trust.
This call to rejoice with Jerusalem
immediately follows the prophetic announcement of the birth of Zion, the terms Zion and
Jerusalem being used here interchangeably. The birth of Zion, the exaltation of the Body
of Christ to Kingdom power and glory, will indeed be cause for rejoicing on the part of
all people; for it is for this exaltation and manifestation of the sons of God that the
whole creation waits, groaning and travailing together in pain until now. -- Rom. 8:22,
23.
When the true Zion is thus exalted,
then will follow the great work of the Kingdom. The travail upon nominal Zion immediately
succeeding will quickly liberate the true children of God still in her, and they shall
come forth to larger views and higher principles, and develop rapidly into nobler
characters. The rule of the iron rod will quickly subdue all things, completely breaking
up the whole present social fabric and accomplishing the leveling process which will make
ready for the ,peaceful reign of righteousness.
The Birth of the True Zion the World's only Hope
Then the great Millennial reign of
righteousness will begin, when, every man will have a full, fair opportunity to win
eternal life by faith and obedience. And no man's opportunity will be less than a hundred
year ; though if he wastes all of that time without taking any steps toward reformation,
he will be considered: unworthy of life and will be cut off in the Second Death. (Isa.
65:20.) But the obedient shall eat the good of the land (Isa. 1:19): "They shall
build houses and inhabit them [there will not be so many houses to let in those days
probably, but more improved and cultivated homesteads in which the owners shall take
pleasure and comfort]; and they shall plant vineyard's and eat the fruit of them. They
shall not build and another inhabit; they shall not plant and another eat; for as the
day's o a tree are the days of My people ["they shall renew their strength" --
Isa. 40:31] ; and Mine elect [all the faithful and obedient then] shall long enjoy the
work of their hands. They shall not labor in vain, nor bring forth for trouble; for they
are the seed [the children] of the blessed of the Lord [the Church] and their offspring
with them."
"And it shall come to pass that
before they call I will answer, and while they are yet speaking I will hear" -- so
near will the Lord be, so mindful of all their interests.
"The wolf and the lamb shall feed
together [the reference here may be to men formerly of wolf-like or lamb-like character,
or to animals, or to both -- the expression signifying in any case a reign of peace]; and
the lion shall eat straw like the bullock, and dust shall be the serpent's meat [another
expression similar to, "His enemies shall lick the dust," signifying the
destruction of the serpent, or rather of Satan whom the serpent symbolizes]. They shall
not hurt, nor destroy; in all My holy mountain [Kingdom], saith the Lord."-Isa. 65
:21-25.
Thus the birth of the true Zion will be
cause for rejoicing among all men who truly love righteousness: for, though it will first
dash in pieces all their long cherished? hopes, it is the dawn of real hope for all the
world. It will humble all their pride, despoil them of all their cherished possessions and
what they have come to esteem their rights, break down all their boasted institutions,
civil, social and religious, and completely Wreck all their order and all hope until they
begin to see hope in the new order of things inaugurated by the Kingdom of God.
Yes, rejoice with Jerusalem, Zion, and
be glad with her, all ye that love her, as well as all ye that mourn for her now and try
to dissuade her from her course, not seeing the prize at the end of her life of faithful
self-sacrifice; for soon her glory will appear, not only to her own exceeding joy, but
also to the joy and blessing of all the families of the earth.
THERE was a shortage of wine in
connection with the marriage in Cana of Galilee, which occurred about the time of the
beginning of our Lord's ministry -- our Lord, His mother and His disciples being guests at
the wedding. Mary addressing the servants said, "Whatsoever He saith unto you, do
it!" How suitable are Mary's words to all of the Lord's people! How important that
all should learn the lesson that it is not merely the hearing of the Gospel which brings
blessing to the heart; but obedience to the glad tiding! Of course, it is necessary that
we should believe the Master before we could be ready to obey Him; yet the expression,
"Whatsoever He shall say unto you, do it!" includes a faith in the Lord on the
part. of all those who are obedient. The Christian cannot do better than adopt these words
as one of the mottoes of his life, -- Whatsoever my Lord saith unto me, I will do it.
We are not to hear and to obey every
voice, but, as our Lord Himself said, "My sheep hear My voice, and they follow
Me." (John 10:27.) There are many voices in the world (1 Cor. 14:11), particularly at
the present time, some calling in one direction and some in another! The world calls us,
the flesh calls us, the Adversary calls us, and the Master calls us. The Christian may
readily enough discern the voices of the world and the flesh, and should be on his guard
against their seductive influence. But he may have more difficulty in discerning between
the voice of the Adversary and the voice of the Good Shepherd; because, the Adversary's
method is to simulate, or counterfeit; the voice of the Shepherd. His usual methods of
deception are through false teachings backed by human organizations; the whole being made
to appear as a message of light through messengers of light. Christians need to be
specially on guard on this point; many are hearing and adopting these various strange and
uncertain teachings, which hinder them from hearing and obeying the voice of the Shepherd.
They have need to remember that the proper course is to "take heed that ye refuse not
Him which speaketh from heaven" -- "Whatsoever He shall say unto you, do
it."
He That Hath My Commandments
Hearken to His words! "A new
commandment I give unto you, that ye love one another as I have loved you." "If
ye love Me keep My commandments." "He that bath My commandments and keepeth
them, he it is that loveth Me; and he that loveth Me shall be lowed of My Father, and I
will love him, and will manifest Myself to him:" (John 14:21.) "He that loveth
father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me; and he that loveth son or daughter more
than Me is not worthy of Me. He that taketh .not his cross, and followeth after Me is not
worthy of Me. He that findeth his life shall lose it; and he that loseth his life for My
sake shall find it. He that receiveth you receiveth Me, and he that receiveth Me receiveth
Him that sent Me." He speaks again and says, "Blessed are the meek, the
merciful, the humble-minded, the peacemakers, the pure in heart and those hungering and
thirsting for righteousness and enduring persecution for righteousness' sake" --
"Blessed are ye when men shall revile you, and persecute you and say all manner of
evil against you falsely for My sake. Rejoice and be exceeding glad; for great is your
reward in heaven." He saith to us again," Ye are the salt of the earth and the
light of the world;" "let your light so shine before men that they may see your
good works and glorify your Father which is in heaven."
From heaven, He continued to speak to
us through the Apostles to the same -effect : "Present your bodies living sacrifices
to God, holy, acceptable, your reasonable service." "Love as brethren; be
pitiful, be courteous." (1 Pet. 3:8.) "'Laying aside every weight, run with
patience the race set before you, looking unto Jesus, the author and the finisher of your
faith." "Laying aside all malice, and all guile and hypocrisies, and! envies and
all evil-speaking, as newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the Word, that ye, may
grow thereby." And "giving all diligence add to your faith fortitude; and to
fortitude knowledge; and to knowledge moderation; and to moderation patience, Godlikeness,
brotherly- kindness, love."
Am I Doing What He Says?
We have heard His words. They impress
us as being the very essence of wisdom and righteousness. We know that He is faithful who
has promised that if we do these things we
shall never fall, but be granted an abundant entrance into His everlasting Kingdom. We
have taken the first step of belief; we have taken the second steps of response, and have
agreed to do these things; the important question with each one of us, therefore, must be
-- Am I obedient to Him from heaven who speaketh? Am I doing whatsoever He says? To
whatever extent any shall find shortcomings on the line of obedience to the Shepherd's
voice, to the extent of ability let him beware and arouse himself, promptly, energetically
to do these things; for the Father also saith, "This is My beloved Son: hear
Him!"
Returning to the narrative: We note our
Lord's command to the servants to "fill the water-pots with water." Remembering
the statement of the Prophet, corroborated by our Lord's . own words "without a
parable speaks He not unto them," we are inclined: to .surmise that this, His first
miracle, contains some spiritual lesson for us. Endeavoring to draw such a lesson from
this miracle, in harmony with the general testimony of the Word, we reason thus: The
water-pots may symbolize the Lord's people. The water with which the water-pots were
commanded to be filled, is in Scripture the symbol for the truth, the "water of
life"; not merely the Word of truth, but the Word accompanied by and infused with the
Spirit of the Truth -- it is with this that the Master command's that we shall be filled.
In the symbolic miracle the servants obeyed; not doubtfully or slothfully did they fill
them half full, but, as it is recorded, "They filled them up to the brim." So it
should be with us; having heard the Master's word, "Be ye filled with the
spirit," we should draw abundantly from the fountain of grace and! truth, nor cease
until we are filled with the spirit "to the brim" -- completely. And if we so do
the Master's commands, what may we expect as a result? We may expect, as illustrated in
the symbolic miracle, that the water will ultimately be changed into wine -- the symbol
for unalloyed pleasure, heavenly joys.
We Have Tasted that the Lord Is Gracious
In the symbol the miracle of change from water into wine came only to those
vessels which were filled to the brim with water; so likewise, the Lord has promised a
still greater change to His faithful followers who receive the treasure of Divine truth,
and its spirit into their "earthen vessels," and who are filled with it. They,
shall be "changed" in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, under the sounding
of the seventh trumpet; they shall be changed from the human nature to the Divine nature;
from earthly conditions to heavenly conditions: this greater miracle, yet to be
accomplished by our Lord, was well symbolized in the change of the water into wine the
joys of the Kingdom, the joys of the new nature. The Lord's consecrated people are
symbolized not only by the waterpots and by the servants who fill them, but also they are
symbolized by the bride at the marriage; just as the bridegroom is also the one who
commands that the vessels be filled with the water. The governor of the symbolic feast who
pronounced the new wine to be of the very finest quality, aptly symbolizes the heavenly
Father who is the great Governor of the great feast associated with the union of the
heavenly Bridegroom with His Bride, and the excellence of the wine represents fitly the
joys of the Lord with which we shall be filled at our "change." Already we share
to some extent in the blessings of this union; already we know something of the joys of
our Lord; already we taste not only of the cup of His sufferings, but also "have
tasted that the Lord is gracious." Already we partake of the wine on the lees, and
the fat things full of marrow (Isa. 25 :6); but our present joys are but foretastes of the
coming realities-the best of the wine comes at the end of the feast, :when our heavenly
Bridegroom shall have changed us to His own image and likeness that we may share His
glory.
Filled with the Truth and its Spirit
Oh, how important that we remember the
words, "Whatsoever He saith unto you, do it!" 'Tis but a little time since we
heard His voice directing us how our dearth of joy and happiness might be overcome, and
how, instead of impurities and filth of the flesh, we might be filled with the truth, its
spirit and its joy, and subsequently have, the whole instantly "changed" to the
perfection of joy, into the Divine nature. How are we heeding the Master's words? To what
extent have we gotten filled with the truth and its spirit? He will give ample opportunity
to each of us to be filled, and if any, therefore, is only partly filled, it will be
because of a lack of the proper spirit of obedience. Our vessels may not all be of the
same size; as with those in the symbol which apparently varied in size, holding from two
to three firkins apiece, so our capacities, opportunities, etc.,, may vary; but, to fulfil
the Master's requirement, each must be filled full -- no more, no less -- if we would
experience the desired "change."
While this lesson evidently applies
merely to the hearing of the Lord's voice by the Church, during this Gospel Age, the
principle holds good also for the Millennial Age. Now, the vast majority of the world do
not hear the Lord's message of grace, and, consequently, are not responsible; but by and
by all the deaf ears shall be unstopped, and all the sin and prejudice-blinded eyes shall
be opened; and the Lord shall be recognized as the great Teacher, and all shall hear His
voice. This is set forth by the Apostle Peter; after picturing the great Prophet
(teacher), Christ the Head and the Church His Body, whom God is raising up during this
Gospel Age, and fitting for the great work of the Millennial Age, he declares, "Him
shall ye hear [obey] in all things whatsoever He shall say unto you. And it shall come to
pass that every soul which will not hear [obey] that Prophet, shall be destroyed from among the people" -- in the
Second Death.
If the responsibility of those who will
hear during the Millennial Age is thus prefigured, and declared, so as to leave no doubt
that "everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord" shall be visited!
upon all who shall then refuse to obey, what shall we say would be the result of a refusal
now to obey on the part of those who hear the Master's voice during the Gospel Age? We
will not say positively that there is no hope for such; but we see little room for hope
for such as, hearing the voice and recognizing it, make no effort to obey it. On the
contrary, we hear the Apostle saying, "If we sin willfully after we have received a knowledge of the truth" [heard the Lord's voice], after we
have tasted of the good Word of God and been made partakers, of the Holy Spirit, and
[experienced in our justification] the powers of the Age to come, there remaineth no
longer a share for us in the great sacrifice for sin; but only a fearful looking for of
judgment and fiery indignation which would devour us as 'adversaries who had despised the
mercy and grace of God.
We Ought to Give the More Earnest Heed
Hearken to the Apostle's words again,
"See that ye refuse not Him from, heaven who speaketh." "We ought to give
the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest at any time we should let
them slip . . . . How shall we escape if we neglect so great salvation." So far as we
may judge, the hearing of the Word of the Lord in every case brings with it
responsibilities; ; and becomes "a savor of life unto life or of death unto
death." We do not say that those who are partially negligent -- who fail to fill
their "earthen vessels" to the brim with
the truth and its spirit -- will be esteemed to have despised the words of the great
Teacher; on the contrary, the fact that they are seeking at all to be filled with the
truth and its spirit is an evidence that they have respect to the Lord's Word, and do not
reject nor refuse "Him that speaketh from heaven." But their failure to give
diligence to be filled with the. truth and its spirit swill mean their loss of the great
prize, the fullness of joy in the "change." Losing the great prize because of a
deficiency of zeal, these will, nevertheless, get a great blessing. because they did not refuse "Him from heaven that speaketh."
We must remember, however, that the
hearing of the natural ear is not the only hearing to which the Scriptures refer. Hence,
the expression, "He that hath an ear let him hear"; and again, "Ears have
they, but they hear not"; and again, our Lord's words, respecting the multitudes,
"To them that are without, these things are spoken in parables, that hearing they
might hear, and not understand." Our responsibility is not, therefore, marked by the
opportunities of the outward ear. Many have heard with the outward ear who have never
heard in the responsible sense of 'the Scriptures, in the sense that all eventually must
hear; in the sense of understanding, appreciating the message. The responsibility as to
how we hear, and how we reject, is upon those who have an understanding of the Lord's
grace. "Blessed are your ears for they hear, and your eyes for they see." But
the blessing can come only to such as "refuse not Him from heaven that
speaketh." Let us all, therefore, who have heard the Master's voice, strive to
remember His Word., as we have considered it foregoing: and let each of us seek to live as
nearly as possible according to that Word. "Whatsoever He saith unto you, do
it."
"Through the furnace of affliction
God oft tests His children dear,
Tries them, proves them to the utmost,
And His ways so dark appear.
"Should we question why, we dare
not,
Though we are perplexed, distressed,
Well He knows just what is needed,
And God's ways are always best.
"Aj! this stone is for the Temple,
God Himself hath so designed,
And it needs much heavy chiseling,
For the form must be outlined.
"The rough edges must be smoother,
And the carving done with care,
For we know that God's own image
Soon will be reflected there.
"All the tools the workman uses
Must most sharp and pointed be;
But no haste the King requireth,
Only perfect work wants He.
"Years may pass, and still the
workman
Noiselessly performs His task,
But some day 'twill reach completion,
Then the King for it will ask.
"To the King each stone is
precious,
Beautiful, peculiar, rare;
God designed them for His Temple,
Has a place prepared somewhere.
"Murmur not, then, at God's
chidings,
We are precious in His sight;
In the, future, the hereafter,
We shall know God's ways were right"
As for God, His way is perfect: the
Word of the Lord is tried: He is a buckler to all those that trust in Him. For who is God
save the Lord?
or who is a rock save our God. -- Psa. 18:30,
31
THE prevailing impression amongst
Christians of all doctrines and shades of belief, is that the great Creator, whom we are
permitted to call our Father in Heaven, is absolutely perfect, upright, and righteous,
even though many of the teachings supported by the various professing Christian bodies,
are not consistent with that impression. It is to the Scriptures that we look for our
information concerning the character of God. And these constantly affirm the integrity,
the holiness, and the righteousness of the great God of Heaven. The laws and principles
outlined in the Bible, setting forth from one standpoint or another What is truth and what
ins justice and righteousness, represent the mind, disposition, and character of Jehovah.
And from all that we read in His Holy Word we gather the impression as expressed by the
Psalmist that, "His way is perfect."
It is proper to think of God's way as
His Plan or purpose, that which He purposes to accomplish and which He is steadily working
out according to the counsel of His own will. God and man are frequently contrasted in the
Bible. Men also have various plans and purposes of their own which they try to work out as
nearly as possible. Thus some men purpose to amass a fortune; some endeavor to acquire a
liberal education, and vastly to increase their mental capacity and power; others struggle
to gain fame and popular applause, or social or political preferment, etc. But it is
manifest in the course of human experience that to most men the way they choose proves
unsatisfactory after a brief trial, and they turn restlessly from one way or plan to
another; and even when they pursue one plan or way to the end, they realize that it has
been an unprofitable way -- that the end was not worthy of the strife necessary to gain
it.
The Responsibility of the Truth
Amongst men, too, there are to be,
found, various ways or theories as to how God will or ought to accomplish the world's
redemption; some claiming and teaching one scheme and some another. But the various ways
or conceptions that men have of God and His purpose, not having come from His revelation
and not inspired by His Spirit, dishonor the Lord and His name. It is a grave mistake for
any of God's children to accept or entertain wrong views of His character and purpose,
when the truth, is clearly stated in His inspired Message; and any one who can hear our
Heavenly Father's character misrepresented and traduced without feeling or expressing his
righteous indignation and disapproval is disloyal to God and is not living up to his
profession. If we have so much regard for the friendship of those who advocate misleading
and erroneous views of God and the various features of His Truth, that. we cannot take a
definite stand on His side and indicate our disapproval of the course of those who.
disgrace and dishonor the Lord and His Message, then we also rank ourselves measurably
with the enemies of the Lord and He will surely so regard us. Such a measure of
indifference to God and His Truth shows clearly that there is a lack of zeal for truth and
righteousness and the high principles of His character, and sooner or later such will come
under severe tests unless they promptly and resolutely determine to make no compromise
with error and to cultivate no friendship with those who dishonor the Lord.
The Truth "the Light of Life"
In that grand and marvelous statement
of the truth which by common consent is designated the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus says to
His followers, "Ye are the light of the world . . . let your light shine . . . .
Think not that I am come to destroy the Law, or the Prophets: I am not come to destroy,
but to fulfil. For verily I say unto, you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one
tittle shall in no. wise pass from the Law till all be fulfilled. Whosoever therefore
shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called
the least in the Kingdom of Heaven: but whomsoever shall ado and teach them,. the same
shall be called great in the Kingdom of Heaven. For I say unto you, That except your
righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no
case enter into the Kingdom of Heaven." -- Matt. 5:14-20.
This fragment of our Lord's discourse
indicates a responsibility toward the truth received, which. it 'is feared many Christians
do not carefully observe and consider. Murk the expression, "Ye are the light of the
world . . . let your light shine." And again He said, "As long as I am in the
world, I am the light of the world; he that followeth Me shall not walk in darkness, but
shall have the light of life." And now, instructed and enlightened from His Word, He
would have us remember that we, as His ,representatives, are the light of the world, and
that we should keep, our light constantly trimmed and burning -- that we must let our
light shine so that those following us may not walk in darkness. .
Light is a symbol of truth, both in the
Scriptures and in common parlance. So the expression, "Ye are the light of the world
. . . let your light shine," is equivalent to, saying "You are now so
illuminated by the truth that you yourself have become a living representative of the
truth. So do not in any way obscure it, but let it shine out more and more, that others
may be similarly blessed by it." This truth is "the light of life"; it is
what the world needs-what all must have before they can attain unto everlasting life. Men
must know the truth before the truth can make them free from the bondage of sin and death;
they must know the truth before the truth can cleanse and sanctify them. It is the will of
God, therefore, that all men shall come to an accurate knowledge of the truth. (1 Tim.
2:4.) And therefore it is the duty of every -child of God to be very active in the
dissemination of the truth -- in letting his light shine, and in keeping it trimmed and
burning.
Proclaiming Mixture of Truth and Error
" 'Trimmed and burning!' 'trimmed
and burning!"' says some thoughtful soul. "I have often sung with fervor those
words, 'Let the lower lights be burning,' 'Trim your lights,' etc., but what does it
mean?" It means that we must give very close attention to the words of life that we
may come to an exact knowledge of the truth, and that we must carefully and faithfully
trim away every vestige of error as fast as it becomes apparent to us -- whether it be an
error in doctrine or in our daily walk and conversation -- so that the pure light of
Divine truth may shine out with as little obstruction as possible through the medium of a
clear and transparent character.
It is a lamentable fact that many of
the Lord's children seem very indifferent to this matter of trimming their lights. They
get some truth and with it a great deal of error; and instead of trying to eliminate the
error, they hold and teach the two together, so that the light they shed is not a pure
light, but is colored and distorted by the shades with which it is mixed. And again, even
when much pure truth is held, there are those who fail to lest it have its cleansing
effect upon the character, and so the light is obscured and misrepresented by the unclean
medium through which it passes. Any who continue thus too hold the, sacred trust of truth
are really unworthy of it, and must eventually lose it; for it is written, "Light
[truth] is sown for the righteous"; and such indifference to the claims of the truth
is unrighteousness.
But, "As for God, His Way is
perfect''; and His Word clearly sets forth His way to all the simpleminded ones who take
Him at His Word and who have no fine-spun theories of their own to establish. In coming to
God's Word it is always important to remember that our attitude should be that of the
disciple and not of the teacher. Such an attitude is itself a long step in the direction
of a knowledge of the Truth; for it is written that God resisteth the proud, but giveth
grace to the humble. If we come to His Word as reverent students, expecting to find
therein the delineation of the pure and righteous character and plan of our God, that plan
and character will be revealed to us; but if we come to it in a captious spirit and with
impure and unholy thoughts and ambitions, we have just the kind of poor, imperfect brains
that can warp and twist the Scriptures to, suit our own ideas. If we put on the colored
glasses of prejudice we can read God's Word as seen. through them only.
And this is what the Psalmist implied
when he said, "With the merciful Thou wilt show Thyself merciful; with an upright man
Thou wilt show Thyself upright; with the pure Thou wilt show Thyself pure; and with the
froward Thou wilt show Thyself froward. For Thou want save the humble people, but wilt
bring down high looks." (Psa. 18:25-27.) And again we read; "A scorner seeketh
wisdom and findeth it not, but knowledge is easy unto him that understandeth"; and,
"There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end therefore are the ways of
death."
Pride Obscures the Vision
Oh, how we need to beware of
"'high looks" and of the pride that goeth before destruction and of the haughty
spirit that precedeth a fall! For if in pride we go. about to establish our own ways, and
do not fully submit ourselves to the right ways
of the Lord, we wěll surely deceive ourselves and be led away by the error of the wicked,
so that God's way or Plan, as viewed through the colored glasses of our ambitions and
prejudices, will seem to, our obscured vision as the Psalmist describes -- unmerciful,
impure, and perverse, instead of what it really is -- merciful and holy and righteous'
altogether. There is nothing more dangerous than pride, whether it be manifested in a love
of display or in ambition to be great or to be thought well of by others. If we are
ambitious to be more generous than good, and go about to establish the idea of the
absolute certainty of "universal reconciliation" or the everlasting salvation
o every individual of the human race, when God plainly speaks to the contrary; or if we
ignore God's appointed means of salvation, which is by faith in the precious blood of
Christ shed for the remission of sins, and endeavor to climb up to life by some other way,
and to teach others to make the same effort; or if we seek out any other human invention
contrary to the Word of God, and go about to establish it, it is pride that is asserting
itself; and if it be not promptly humbled, it will surely and shortly end in complete
alienation from God.
In our Lord's day there were those who,
openly professed to be teachers and representatives of Divine truth. The Scribes and
Pharisees professed to be very zealous for the truth, and thought themselves very
creditable manifestations of its cleansing power. They claimed to have the light and to be
letting it shine. "God," said the Pharisee, "I thank Thee that I am not as
other men . . . . I fast twice in, the week, I give tithes of all I possess." But the
Lord aid, "Woe unto you; . . . ye outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye
are full of hypocrisy and, deceit." So they appeared in the Lord's sight; but they
were reverenced and honored of men and esteemed as holy, and as guides in the way of truth
end holiness. To Gads law they presumed to add their own vain and foolish traditions,
which made void the Law of God, and they were very zealous in teaching these traditions to
the people.
The Truth Colored and Distorted in Jesus' Day
In so doing those teachers were
inexcusable. The Law of God was open before them, and it was their privilege and their
duty to be correctly informed with reference to. it. And especially after Christ had come,
and by His teaching had made the truth so manifest, and the absurdity of their vain traditions so apparent, they were
without excuse. And our Lord's accusation of hypocrisy well fitted their case when they
resolutely determined to hold and teach the traditions,of the Elders and to oppose the
increasing light of truth which made their absurdity so manifest.
The Scribes and the Pharisees had much
truth they had the whole Law of God, and claimed to believe and teach it; but they
miserably colored and distorted it by their traditions and their really ignoble, though
whitewashed, characters. And consequently their efforts, professedly to convert men to
God, resulted only in making more hypocrites like themselves. "I say unto you,"
said the Lord to His disciples, "that except your righteousness shall exceed the
righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees, Ye shall in no case enter into the Kingdom of
Heaven."
Let us beware of that kind of righteousness which to men may indeed appear fair
and praiseworthy, but which, in God's estimation, is mere sham. God, who reads the heart,
quickly discerns the motives with which we receive or disseminate the Truth; and foolish
indeed is the man who attempts to make merchandise of this Divine treasure for the paltry
gains of this fleeting life, who prefers to hold and to teach error and becloud or oppose
the truth of God, or to sell it after having once accepted it, for money, or influence, or
popularity among his dying fellow-travelers on the way to, the tomb, or for any
consideration whatever.
Let Us Beware of These Things
And yet there are some who, though they
do not thus hypocritically make merchandise of the truth, do in a measure undervalue it,
and who, both in the present and in the future, will be the losers thereby. If we permit
prejudice, or some measure of self-emulation, or of pride, or of combativeness, or any
other thing, to interrupt the freedom of artless candor and simplicity, and that spirit of
meekness which alone befits the searchers after truth, we will find ourselves approaching
the pharisaical spirit, which, when fully ripe, becomes glaring hypocrisy Those who avoid
such a disposition, and who therefore, in meekness and sincerity fully accept the truth
and zealously teach it at any cost or sacrifice, shall, the Lord says, be called great in
the Kingdom of Heaven; while those who hold. and teach a measure of error when it was
their privilege to have clear truth, had they been in the right condition of heart to
receive it, shall be called least in the Kingdom of Heaven.
Prejudices and various old deformities
of disposition often greatly retard the progress of some of God's sincerely consecrated
children; and in consequence their efforts, which are verily meant to be in God's service,
are misdirected, and they are found both believing and teaching contrary to the truth on
points where God's Word is very explicit. Let us beware of these things, and, diligently
casting behind us every hindrance to our personal progress in the way of truth and to our
usefulness in the Master's service, let us run with patience, with meekness and diligence,
the race set before us, looking unto, Jesus, who has said, "My grace is sufficient
for thee. My strength is made perfect in .weakness."
Dearly beloved, let us additionally
fear lest a promise being left us of entering into God's rest -- into the rest of abiding
faith in His way, His glorious Plan -- any of us should come short of it, and instead of
calmly and confidently resting in God's way and in the blessed hope of its glorious
outcome, we be left in confusion and doubt upon the whole subject.
For Thou Wilt Light My Candle
But if we have thus far stood firmly in
the faith of God's way, we may be confident of better things. And if, with the Psalmist we
can say, "My heart is fixed, O God, my heart is fixed"; if our heart is
established in love and reverence and faith in the sure Word of God, then we may also say,
"For Thou wilt light my candle: the Lord my God will enlighten my darkness."
Yea, has it not even been so,? Surely hitherto the Lord hath led us. The language of the
Prophet applies to, all those humble and faithful ones whom the Lord has been leading
"For by Thee I have run through a troop [of opposing enemies]; and by my God have I
leaped over a wall [of bondage, into the glorious liberty of a son of God]."
Beloved, have we been thus overcoming?
have we been following the Lord's leading? have we found, and are we still abiding in the
sweet rest of faith in His Plan, in His way, and not our own? As for God, His way is
perfect: it is just and merciful and benevolent and wise and practicable, and sure of a
glorious termination. "The Word of the Lord is tried": when fully understood it
will stand the test of every argument that could be formed against it as to its justice,
its wisdom, or its benevolence. Of this we are fully assured by our Lord, who
prophetically declared that the, testimony of those who come to a full knowledge of God's
Plan will be -- "Great and marvelous are Thy works, Lord God Almighty; just and true
are Thy ways, Thou King of saints."
"The Lord is a buckler [a defense]
to all those that trust in Him; for who is God [is mighty] save the Lord? or who is a rock
[a safe anchorage to our souls] save our God?" There is no other one to whom we may
anchor to our faith and hope; but securely anchored to Him we may trust and not be afraid,
and may sweetly rest under the shadow of His wing. "The Lord liveth; and, blessed be
our rock; and let the Lord of our salvation be exalted."
Dear Brethren:
Greetings in our dear Redeemer's name!
I thank you very much for your letter of recent date and for the Daniel book. Ever since I
began studying the Bible, I have thought the Book of Daniel most wonderful. I have looked
forward to the publication of this exposition with joyful anticipation. I have read it as
far as the 11th chapter and I think it is wonderful. It is indeed a worthy
companion to the Revelation books. I marvel at the ability of some of the commentators
quoted to see deeply into the hidden things of the prophecies, and at Brother Streeter's
own ability and humility. I have often marveled also at the effect of God's Word and His
works on some of those heathen kings of ancient times, as shown in their conduct. Surely
they put to shame many in our day, who think they are Christians I pray for you a blessed
season of refreshing at your Memorial services, and assure you that while I am not able to
be with you in person, I will be with you in spirit. Warmest love to you all.
Your brother by His grace,
H. J. H. -- Minn.
Dear Brethren:
Since my husband and I were given the
true light, barely six weeks ago, two more have received it also, and a third one is
deeply interested, but has been reading only a few days. So yesterday we started a little
class here and received a great blessing therefrom. We are also going to celebrate the
Lord's Supper here in our home .tomorrow evening with the aid of one of the Houston
brethren, if it be the Lord's will, and we are looking forward to receiving another
blessing then.
The good Lord and Shepherd has been
pouring out blessings without measure for us recently and we are so very thankful that He
has blessed us by giving us the true light now; as we were most famished from the food we
were receiving through the Tower, because there were so many things we could not
masticate, let alone digest. We know there are many more who are hungry and we feel sure
it will be only a matter of a short time till they will go to other pastures for pure and
better food. One simply cannot realize how far away from the true pasture the Tower has
strayed unless they have read the recent articles with the Spirit of the Lord.
It is the purpose of this letter to
order some hymn books, so I won't take any more of your valuable time.
Asking an interest in your prayers, we
remain
Your brethren in the one Hope,
Mr. and Mrs. W. F. S. -- Tex.
Dear Brethren in Christ:
There was published in March 1st issue
of the "Herald" the article, "Methods and Forms of Edifying the Body of
Christ." I read it several times and consider it the best article. on the
"liberty wherewith Christ has made us free" that I have ever read. I am so glad
to know you have, it published in leaflet form. When I read it I exclaimed with the
Prophet David, the "sweet singer of Israel": "Thou hast set my feet in a
large room," compared with the narrow covering and short bed I was in a year ago --
no room to refer to the Word of God or take it for my guide, but without any mental
reservation, believe the teachings of uninspired men as the basis of fellowship, the
qualification for eldership; and worse still, as one in the Class said, "Unless we
see and believe these articles we cannot be saved." The blood of Christ was not
sufficient. We are surely living in the day of "strong delusions."
"Nevertheless, the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord
knoweth them that are His" -- those who abide in Him who has purged our sins and sat
down on the right hand of the Majesty on high, to whom be glory for ever.
Please send me about twenty copies of
the above mentioned leaflet. With much love, I am
Yours in Christ, by grace,
J. E. -- Ont
Communications from the friends in
various parts make manifest that there was a general observance of the Lord's Supper on
the evening of April 3rd. Brethren in larger or smaller groups, in some instances only one
and two kept the Feast of Passover and thus showed forth their Master's death, "till
He come" -- till the entire Christ has finished the sacrificial experience and has
"come," entered with Him in the official capacity as the world's great Prophet,
Priest and King.
The blessing of the Lord rested very
richly upon the assembly of the brethren in Brooklyn, as during this sacred season their
contemplations were especially engaged in the last hours of the Savior's earthly life, and
as they realized afresh the significance of His sacrificial death. He was indeed the Bread
that came down from heaven, and His Is the blood of .the New Covenant by which all the
world will have the opportunity Of being reconciled to God. It was the privilege of the
brethren once more to, review afresh their heritage with the Lord Jesus in being broken as
a part of the one loaf, and in participating with Him in His cup -- in hope of the glory
to follow. Truly,
"Sweet the moments, rich in
blessing,
Which before the Cross I spend;
Life, and health, and peace possessing,
From the sinner's dying Friend:"
Whether there be few or many more of
the Passover seasons to be observed by the Church, each one is to be regarded as an
occasion for special thanksgiving to God. for His unspeakable Gift and for all the blessed
hopes. and promises that center in Him.
Some who have observed from newspaper
notices that the Jewish Passover Feast as celebrated by the Jews began after sundown on
the evening of April 4th, have inquired if we are not therefore out of harmony with the
Jewish Calendar in observing our Feast of Passover on the evening oŁ the 3rd of April. We
reply, No. We have only to explain that the Jewish Passover Feast commences on the 15th of
Nisan which this year began at sundown of the evening of April 4th, and extended to the
evening of April 5th. As Christians we partake of the Passover Feast on the
14th of Nisan in keeping with the order established by our Lord. In harmony with this, the
Jewish Passover Feast or 15th of Nisan began at sundown after our Lord's death of that
same day, while, as all know, Jesus with His disciples observed the Passover the previous
evening which was Nisan the 14th.
VOL.
XI. May 15, 1928 No. 10
UNDER the heading, "Personal
Immortality: 'What I Believe,"' in the Easter issue of the "New York Times"
there was published a symposium on the subject of life after death, representing
testimonies of leaders of thought from many walks of life. One who has gained a knowledge
of the Divine Plan of the Ages and of life, death, and the hereafter, as presented in the
Divine revelation, cannot fail to observe the contrast between the wisdom that cometh down
from above and that which is purely human philosophy and speculation. We submit below,
extracts from a number of these published statements:
_________
"ROBERT ANDREWS MILLIKAN "
"Physicist, California Institute
of Technology"
"The best of us are only gropers,
and yet one cannot refuse to tell a fellow-groper what he sees or thinks he sees with such
light as is available to him.
"Physics has compelled us to think
of a universe which is changing, living, growing, even in its elements -- a dynamic
instead of a static universe. Thus, science here has made a great contribution to
religion. The recent discoveries of physicists have taught us a wholesome lesson of
humility, wonder and joy in the face of an as yet incomprehensible universe.
"Through the celestial mechanics
of Galileo mankind began to know a God not of caprice and whim, such as were all the gods
of the ancient world, but a God who works through law.
"Religion itself is one of the
most striking examples of evolution, as seen in the abolition of human sacrifice, in new
conceptions of God, in new ideas of the way God works, in a new conception of
progress:"
_________
"JOHN A. RYAN, D. D:"
"Professor of Moral Philosophy,
Catholic University"
"My reason demonstrates these
propositions: The human soul is a spiritual and indivisible substance; therefore, it is
incorruptible; therefore, it could cease to exist only through annihilation by its Creator
-- a contingency which is more than improbable. History assures me that Jesus Christ rose
from the dead, demonstrating that His soul did not perish when separated from His
body."
_________
"S. PARKES CADMAN, D. D:"
"President
Federal Council of Churches of Christ in America" in America"
"Immortality for me is a continued
and conscious existence after death. But it is possible to describe this existence in terms which deprive it of its moral
values and attractiveness. Its mere prolongation, attended by the responsibilities which
intelligent life everywhere incurs, is not the Christian doctrine. This doctrine conceives
immortality as life's endless opportunity to increase in spiritual capacity, opportunity
and satisfaction. The conception is based upon the authority of Jesus, who taught that the
life He shared with the Father was the heritage of every receptive soul."
____________
"STEPHEN S. WISE"
"Rabbi of the Free
Synagogue"
"I do not rest my faith in
personal immortality on any such miracle as is traditionally associated with Easter
Sunday. I rest my faith in personal immortality not on the single miracle of the physical
resurrection of one man but on the eternal miracle of the spiritual birth or rise of men.
"I believe that man is made in the
spiritual likeness of the Eternal, and that life means an ever closer approximation to the
imperishable elements of life. I do not believe that man is set upon earth to rise to the
sublimities of love and truth and goodness by the hard, steep pathway of their sacrificial
quest - only to be doomed to extinction. 'Though He slay me, yet would I trust in Him,'
though He seem not to answer my prayer, still let my Godward soul reach up to the manward
God."
___________
"WILLIAM T. MANNING, D.D."
"Bishop of New York"
"All our highest knowledge and
experience, every fact of nature and of human life, points to the probability of life
continued beyond the grave. Men have always felt within themselves the longing for
immortality. We see the evidence of this in the pyramids of Egypt, in the legends of
Greece, in the history and customs of every race. And the higher men have risen, the
deeper this longing has become; the greater and nobler the soul, the more impossible for
it to believe in its own extinction.
"We cannot believe that the
purpose of our creation is fulfilled by our brief existence on this earth. God has woven
the hope of immortality into the very texture of our being. And yet, confronted with the
great fact of death, this hope of the future life is inadequate and uncertain."
____________
"FRANK P. WALSH"
"New York Attorney"
"I am a strong believer in the
immortality of the soul. My belief is found between the four corners of the Apostles'
Creed, in the Catholic Prayer Book, so there is nothing novel in my faith."
____________
"SAMUEL SCHULMAN, D. D."
"Rabbi of Congregation
Emanu-el"
"The Jewish religion, clearly and
unequivocally, teaches the belief in the immortality of the soul. And only religion is the
foundation for a belief in personal immortality Man, as a thing in nature, is an
insignificant atom, tossed by forces which use him for unknown purposes beyond himself.
Man, as image and child of God, has something in him that is indestructible. Thus, the
Scripture says, 'The dust will return to dust and the spirit will return to God who gave
it: And if there is no death for the spirit, the
only kind of immortality in which we can be interested is personal immortality, which
means that our personality will, in some form, survive."
____________
"HARRY EMERSON FOSDICK, D. D."
"Minister of the Park Avenue
Baptist Church, New York"
"Belief that death ends all
involves belief that personality is a transient result of physical particles, aimlessly
organized. It involves also the idea that since this earth is a temporary affair, which
once was not here, and some day will be uninhabitable, mankind in the end will totally
vanish with all the fruits of its struggle and sacrifice. I cannot myself submit to the
mental confusion, the triumphant irrationality of existence where death finally is the
victor over all.
"If some one says that we cannot
demonstrate immortality, I grant that to start with. 'We do not believe in immortality,
said Martineau, 'because we have proved it, but we forever try to prove it because we
believe it."'
___________
"JOHN HAYNES HOLMES"
"Pastor of the Community Church,
New York"
"I believe in immortality for the
same reason and by the same necessity that I believe in evolution.
"Charles Darwin came to the idea
of evolution because he encountered facts, myriads of them, the experience and character
of which he could not explain on any other hypothesis. As he first hit upon these facts,
and then deliberately gathered them through long and patient years of observation, he
worked out a theory or a formula which would explain them, and this theory, when
formulated, was evolution. We accept it as true, not because we can prove it, but because
it explains as nothing else explains the data of organic life upon this planet.
"So with immortality! Nobody has
ever proved that personality survives after death. But if personality does not survive,
then there are innumerable facts of life, and these the highest and most beautiful
realities of human experience, which are inexplicable, as myriads of biological facts are
inexplicable if evolution is not true."
___________
"DR. CHARLES F. THWING"
"President Emeritus Western
Reserve University"
"One of my grounds for believing
in immortality is that this belief helps to solve the great problems of life. Under this
condition that we are immortal it is easier to find answers to the problems of suffering
and of sorrow. This belief also seems to me to correspond to the evidence of our capacity
of growth."
__________
"WILLIAM ADAMS BROWN"
"President Union Theological
Seminary, New York"
"The hope we have of
self-conscious existence and moral progress after death for the individual is founded on
four things
"1 There is the historical
argument -- the resurrection of Jesus. To the early disciples the resurrection was a
central fact of their existence.
"2. The philosophical argument.
The Christian hope finds confirmation in the laws of the human mind. Assurance for a
rational universe is found in personal immortality.
"3. The ethical argument. This is
the oldest and most inflectional of all
arguments for immortality. The inequalities of the present demand a readjustment that only
immortality can supply.
"4. The religious argument. If
Jesus is right in His teaching about Divine Fatherhood, immortality follows as a matter of
course. This is the foundation of the Christian hope. It depends upon the purpose of God:
Jesus gave us not only a new fact, but a new value. The Christian hope stands or falls
upon. the Christian experience."
__________
"CLARENCE C. LITTLE"
"President University of
Michigan"
"I believe in personal immortality
because of a deep inner conviction based upon personal experience. Most of this experience
involves relationships of lasting love for other people. The death of my own parents
within a day of one another completely wiped out pre-existing logical bases for
immortality and replaced them with an utter indescribable but completely convincing and
satisfying realization that personal immortality exists. Such experiences are not
transferable but are probably the most comforting and sacred realization that can come to
any of us."
___________
"SHERWOOD EDDY"
"Secretary for Asia, Young Men's
Christian Association"
"I believe in personal immortality
for the following reasons:
"The testimony of science to a
world that is rational and trustworthy.
"The testimony of religion to
immortality is far stronger than that of science.
"The testimony of the great
leaders of the race. Thus, Socrates can say, 'Then beyond the question the soul is
immortal and imperishable and will long exist in another World.'
"The testimony of Jesus Christ. He
based His life on the eternal. It was this faith in the spiritual and eternal that made
Jesus what He was."
___________
"CHARLES M. SHELDON"
"Author of 'In His Steps'"
"There never has been any question
in my mind about immortality. The next world is just as real to me as this one.
"I live in two worlds at the same
time. All people today should live in two worlds. I have a definite picture of the next
world in my mind. When I wake in the morning I am just as conscious of the world to come
as I am of the world I am now living in.
"I cannot conceive of an eternity
in which I should have nothing to do but loaf. In the next world we shall continue to
develop spiritually from the point where we leave off in this world. Our characters will
not change."
____________
"JAMES L. BARTON, D. D."
"Foreign Secretary, American
Board of Foreign Missions"
"In all nature startling
transformations take place while nothing is annihilated. Ice becomes water, water becomes
invisible vapor; fire consumes wood, but the elements in the wood pass into another form
with no loss whatsoever. Fundamental changes momentarily take place on every side and yet,
from the beginning, nothing in the physical world has been destroyed.
"We cannot escape the belief and
convictions that inevitably 'this mortal shall put on immortality' with no loss of that
which here on earth belongs to personality and character."
______________
Considering that the foregoing
testimonies are from men who are of representative character and who wield a great
influence over the masses of the people, the views expressed serve to show the uncertainty
of understanding and confusion of mind with regard to the great issues of life and death,
on the part of the masses of the people today. Additionally we have here a demonstration
of the utter inability and helplessness of men to solve the great problem of immortality
and life after death, apart from the, understanding that comes with the proper
interpretation of Divine revelation. In reading the foregoing testimonies the words of the
prayer of Jesus come to mind: "I thank Thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth
because Thou host hid these things from the wise and prudent, and host revealed them unto
babes."
"Lo, 1 am with you alway, even
unto the end of the world." -- Matt. 28:20
SUCH were the parting words of Jesus as
He took His leave from His followers nearly nineteen centuries ago. They were words
significant of the deepest and most sacred of friendships; words which signified that
while the physical eyes and ears of His disciples should see and hear Him no more, yet He
would be present with them in a very real, wonderful, and important sense. Who indeed can
measure the value of this farewell message of Jesus to His faithful Church, as through the
long and weary centuries of trial and tribulation she has sought to be faithful to her
Divine Master and to make her calling and election sure to a place in the heavenly
Kingdom.
Upon the last night of the Savior's
earthly life He had taken occasion to utter many things to the Apostles that were to have
a reassuring effect not only on their minds but also upon those who should later read the
sacred record and who would believe on Him through their word. He told the Apostles
plainly that He was going away and that they could not come with Him then. His mission on
earth was about to be finished, He would take His departure, but their mission would only
then commence. He spoke of the Father's house of many mansions, of how His going away was
not to mean a permanent separation, but that, after a time, He would return again and
receive them unto Himself; and that during the interim, while He was absent, He would
prepare a place for them in order that ultimately where He was, there they might be also.
"I Will Not Leave Yon Comfortless"
But He went on to explain that during
His absence His followers were not to be left comfortless; He was not forsaking them even
temporarily: "And I will pray the Father, and He shall give you another Comforter,
that He may abide with you forever; even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot
receive, because it seeth Him not, neither knoweth Him: but ye know Him; for He dwelt with
you, and shall be in you. I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you."
Neither were His disciples left in darkness as to the meaning of this Comforter, as to its
mission and object in their midst, for the Savior went on to say that "the Comforter,
which is the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He shall teach you all
things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you."
Now it was concerning this same power
from on high that Jesus spoke after His resurrection as He led His disciples put as far as
Bethany and lifted up His hands pronouncing upon them His parting benediction: "Ye
shall receive power, after that the Holy Spirit is come upon you; and ye shall be
witnesses unto Me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and unto the
uttermost part of the earth."
Nothing in any of these expressions of
Jesus implied the sending of a separate and distinct person from Himself and the Father.
Rather, the fact that He had said, "Lo, I will be with you always" implied that
the promised Comforter or Holy Spirit was to be a power emanating from Himself and the
Father; an influence, a power exerted indeed by a person -- the power or influence of God,
exerted in and upon His newly adopted children. This Holy Power coming from above was to
constitute their anointing or their authorization to enter upon the great commission as
God's witnesses concerning the truth of the Gospel to those among men who should have ears
to hear. Without this anointing they could do nothing; they were helpless and without
strength except as this holy illuminating power should enlighten, their minds and give
strength and courage to carry out the Divine will. Hence Jesus instructed His disciples
while He was still with them, saying, Tarry ye in Jerusalem and wait until you are endued
with power from on high, because that power is all important. It is so necessary that
without it you would be unable to accomplish anything.
The Spirit's Marvelous Revealing
We have only to observe the great
changes that came with the Pentecostal blessing, to be convinced that the Holy Spirit
coming to the early Church meant to them, all that Jesus had promised. It was indeed a
comforter; it did surely give them a vision and enlighten their souls; it most certainly,
imparted strength and fortitude and courage, and in fact changed the entire viewpoint of
those men who a few days before in connection with the Master's death, were so fearful,
troubled in spirit, lacking in faith, as well as in perception and understanding of
spiritual things.
After the illumination of the Spirit
and the promise of Jesus began to be fulfilled, there was a marvelous opening of the eyes
of their understanding. It was with the Apostles and the early Church then as it had been
with Jesus at the time of His baptism at Jordan, concerning which we read that the heavens
were opened unto Him-heavenly wisdom, spiritual knowledge and understanding was especially
imparted unto the Lord. So it was with those who received the benediction of the Spirit.
They now saw deeply into the meaning of many things that Jesus had expressed while He was
with them; they now recognized why He did not attempt to establish an earthly Kingdom
while in the flesh; they saw the necessity for His suffering and sacrifice, and they
recognized now the meaning of the call to discipleship, to walk in the footsteps of Christ
and to bear the cross after Him; for the Spirit taught them that this was God's way of
preparing them to share with their Redeemer in the coming spiritual Kingdom. Truly that
portion of the New Testament recording matters and developments subsequent to the day of
Pentecost, presents to us a revelation of the work of the Spirit and the fulfillment of
the promise of Jesus, "Lo I am with you always" And so tracing the onward
history of God's people through the dark centuries of persecution ands suffering since the
Apostolic period, without doubt we observe that the promise of the Master has continued to
be fulfilled unto the faithful.
Many Fail to "Tarry at Jerusalem"
How manifest it is that whatever
failure there has been in the Church, whatever seeming defeat, whatever of inconsistencies
in the Christian profession, whatever apostasy has overtaken professing Christians, is due to the failure to receive the
Holy Spirit. Whatever of confusion, doubt, or darkness has existed amongst God's
professing people, whatever of contention, strife, and sectarianism has prevailed, is due
to the failure of the many to put themselves in such a position of relationship to Christ
as to have fulfilled unto them the promise of His spirit. In other words; the masses have
failed to "Tarry at Jerusalem" and wait until they were endued with power from
on high. The masses have sadly neglected the Master's instruction to exercise obedient
faith, to wait before Him in prayer and earnest supplication have failed to properly
humble themselves before Him in patient waiting; the many, ignoring the leading of the
Spirit of the Lord, have gone about to establish their own plans and purposes for carrying
out God's work and service, apart from the Divine instruction. But the Heavenly Master has
continued to abide with those who have remained loyal to Him and His Word. And such is the
consolation of those who in full confidence and faith patiently wait before the Lord for
Him to direct their way.
The Master's presence with His people
today means not only that they are comforted and given to taste of the true consolation,
but that they are given to. receive of the Divine counsel respecting many things
appertaining to their spiritual interests as new creatures in Christ. If there are those
today as there have been all through the Age, who lay claim to superior powers and rights
in the Church, if there are those who would direct the minds of the Lord's people away
from the great Head of the Church and those whom He has authorized to speak for Him, if
there are those who would claim to be installed in high office over the Church with
special unction from ,above to interpret the Scriptures and decide for the Church in
general what her faith, her belief and works and service shall be, then those who are
remaining loyal to Christ the Head will keep in mind the holy commandment and counsel of
His Word and that of the Apostles, who with one voice have affirmed the headship of
Christ, and in no uncertain terms have taught that only One is our Master and all others
are brethren, having equal rights and liberties in the Lord to study and interpret His
Word and to decide all issues, all questions and points of faith. There is no special
anointing of one member of the Church above another. The faithful members of Christ's
Church today hearkening to the counsel of Him who said, I am with you alway, will
recognize that they individually must prove all things and determine to hold fast to only
that which is good. The counsel coming through the Spirit from our present Master today
would have us recognize how all important is the Word of Truth as presented in the
Scriptures; and bids us beware of unsound doctrine inasmuch as there are many and varied
teachings and teachers who are giving forth an uncertain sound and whose messages will not
bear the close analysis and searching test of the Holy Spirit and the Word of Truth.
The Word of the Lord Settled All
Many times in the history of God's
people both ancient and modern, has the Word of God "been relegated to the background
and the word of man and ,human authority substituted therefor. Time and again other
influences have entered in to subvert the real power of the truth and, the Word of God;
and as often has it been necessary that the attention of God's true people should be
directed to the necessity of giving the Divine Word its proper place and of showing up the
weakness of the word of man and that of human authority. How often throughout the Old
Testament writings do we read, "Thus saith the Lord," or "'the Lord spake
and said," etc. Another, referring to the supremacy of the Word of God and its
authority and power in His dealings With Israel of old has made the following convincing
observations
"There was no room left for the
play of fancy, the working of imagination, the introduction of man's plausible inferences,
or the cunning devices of human expediency: Everything was laid down, with the Divine precision and commanding
authority of a 'thus saith the Lord.' Minute and elaborate as was the detail of.
sacrifices, rites, and ceremonies, nothing was left for man's brain to originate. He was
not even permitted to decide upon the kind of sacrifice to be offered; upon any given
occasion; nor yet as to the mode in which such sacrifice was to be presented. Jehovah took
care of everything. Neither the congregation nor the priest had any authority whatsoever,
to decree, enact, or suggest so much as a single item throughout all the vast array of
ordinances in the Mosaic economy. The sword of the Lord settled all. Man had only to obey.
"This, to an obedient heart, was
nothing short of an unspeakable mercy. It is quite impossible to overestimate the
privilege of being permitted to betake oneself to the oracles of God, and there find the
most ample guidance as to all the details of one's faith and service, day by day. All that
we need is a broken will, a mortified mind, a single eye. The Divine guide book is as full
as we can possibly desire. We want no more. To imagine, for a moment, that aught is left
for man's wisdom to supply, must be regarded as a flagrant insult offered to the sacred
canon. No one can read the Book of Leviticus, and not be struck with the extraordinary
painstaking, on the part of Israel's God, to furnish His people with the most minute
instruction upon every point connected with His service and worship. The most cursory
reader of the book might, at least, bear away with him this touching and interesting
lesson.
The Divine Chart is All Sufficient
"And, truly, if ever there was a
time when this self-same lesson needed to be read out in the ears of the professing
Church, this is the time. On all hands, the Divine sufficiency of Holy Scripture is called
in question. In some cases this is openly and deliberately done; in others it is with less
frankness, hinted, insinuated, implied, and inferred. The Christian mariner is told,
directly or indirectly, that the Divine chart is insufficient for all the intricate
details of his voyage -- that such changes have taken place in the ocean of life, since
that chart was made, that, in many cases; it is entirely deficient for the purposes of
modern navigation. He is told that the currents, tides, coasts, strands, and shores of
that ocean are quite different now, from what they were some centuries ago; and that, as
anecessary consequence, he must have recourse to the aids which modern navigation
supplies, in order to make up for the deficiencies in the old chart, which is, as a matter
of course, admitted to have been perfect at the time it was made.
"Now I earnestly desire that the
Christian reader should be able, with clearness and decision, to meet this grievous dishonor done to the precious
volume of inspiration, every line of which comes to him fresh from his Father's bosom,
through the pen of God the Holy Spirit. I desire that he should meet it, whether it comes
before him in the shape of a bold and blasphemous statement, or a learned and plausible
inference. . . . Oh! for a deeper sense of the fullness, majesty, and authority of the
Word of God! We very much need to be braced up on this point. We want such a deep, bold,
vigorous, influential, and abiding sense of the supreme authority of the Divine canon, and
of its absolute. completeness for every age, every clime, every position, every department
-- personal, social, and ecclesiastical, as shall enable us to withstand every attempt uf
the enemy to depreciate the value of that inestimable treasure. May our hearts enter more
into the spirit of those words of the Psalmist, 'Thy word is true from the beginning: and
every one of Thy righteous judgments endureth for ever.'
The Word the Pasture of Our Souls
"It is to be feared that many who
read the Bible do not digest the Word. The two things are widely different. One may read
chapter after chapter, book after book, and not digest so much as a single line. We may
read the Bible as part of a dull profitless routine; but through lack of the ruminating
powers -- the digestive organs, we derive no profit whatsoever. This should be carefully
looked into. The cattle that browse on the green may teach us a wholesome lesson. They,
first, diligently gather up the refreshing pasture, and then calmly lie down to chew the
cud. Striking and beautiful picture of a Christian feeding upon and inwardly digesting the
precious contents of the volume of inspiration. Would that there were more of this amongst
us! Were we more accustomed to betake ourselves to the Word as necessary pasture of our
souls, we should, assuredly, be in a more vigorous and healthy condition. Let us beware of
reading the Bible as a dead form -- a cold duty -- a piece of religious routine.
"The same caution is needful in
reference to the public exposition of the Word. Let those who expound Scripture to their
fellows, first feed and digest for themselves. Let them read and ruminate, in private, not
merely for others, ,but for themselves. It is a poor thing for a man to be continually
occupied in procuring food for other people, and he himself dying of starvation. Then,
again, let those who attend upon the public ministry of the Word, see that they are not
doing so mechanically, as by the force of mere religious habit, but with an earnest desire
to 'read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest' what they hear. Then will both teachers and
taught be well-conditioned, the spiritual life nourished and sustained, and the true
character of outward walk exhibited."
Dwelling Amongst the Golden Candlesticks
One of the most comforting lessons
before the Lord's people today, one that teaches the supremacy of Christ and His Word, and
the importance of recognizing the source from which cometh spiritual light, is that to be
observed in the first chapter of Revelation where we have the symbolism of the Savior
dwelling amongst the golden candlesticks. St. John was told that the seven golden
candlesticks; which he had seen, represented the seven churches, or the one Church as a
whole in its seven divisions or epochs. The beloved John tells us that he saw one like a
son of man, that is, like a man, like a priest, as implied by the clothes described,
walking amongst seven golden candlesticks. The picture obviously teaches the thought of
Christ's presence amongst His people throughout the Age. He was amongst the candlesticks
for the purpose of caring for them, trimming the wicks, seeing to the supply of oil, etc.
The suggestion then is, that the Savior has been with His people by His Word and through
His Spirit and providences, directing, controlling and supervising all of their interests
to the intent that they might be developed, disciplined, tried and perfected in His
character likeness, in preparation for the great
change.
In the tabernacle and subsequently in
the temple of Solomon the golden candlesticks or lampstand were placed by the Lord's
direction -- not seven candlesticks but one with seven branches, representing the whole
Church, the complete Church during this Gospel Age. In Revelation the same candlestick or
lampstand is brought to our attention but the parts are separated -- the union, the
relationship between them being supplied by our Redeemer, the antitypical High Priest. The
lampstand symbolized the Lord's professing people of this Gospel Age including those who
are truly His members. It holds forth the light of life, the light that shines in the
darkness and which He directed should be so let shine before men that they might see the
good works and glorify the Father in heaven. The Master evidently found but few good
works, but little glorifying light shining out from His earthly representatives in any of
the epochs. This is represented by His messages, chidings, encouragement, etc., given to
each of these epoch churches represented by the different candlesticks or lampstands.
The Light of the Spirit's Testimony
With regard to the. golden candlesticks
that were a part of the furnishment of the tabernacle in the wilderness we read, "And
the Lord spake unto 'Moses, saying, speak unto Aaron, and say unto him, when thou lightest
the lamps, the seven lamps shall give light over against the candlestick." The
thoughts of another bearing upon this seem worthy of careful consideration: "Those
'seven lamps' express the light of the Spirit in testimony. They were connected with the
beaten shaft of the candlestick which typifies Christ, who in His person and work, is the
foundation of the Spirit's work in the Church. All depends upon Christ. Every ray of light
in the Church, in the individual believer, or in Israel by and by, all flows from
Christ."
This suggestion seems in every way
appropriate and reasonable and is fully in keeping with the New Testament teaching
concerning the exalted station of our Lord Jesus Christ as the only real light-bearer and
light-giver to the Church. Men who presume to speak in the name of the Lord and who
profess to be some special authorities or sources of light are without foundation for such
claims except as they acknowledge that Christ alone giveth light, and are able to show by
their lives, their examples, that they have a real vital and spiritual union with the
Savior and are meekly and humbly following His counsel and advice. As a matter of fact,
Christ alone is the light of the world, and while His followers are from one standpoint
honored in a special sense by being told that they too, care the light of the world, yet
it is only because of their personal touch and relationship with the Savior that they are
in a position to give forth light to others. The same writer continues:
"Nor is this all we learn from our
type. 'The seven lamps shall give light over against the candlestick.' Were we to clothe
this figure in New Testament language, we should quote our Lord's words when He says to
us, 'Let your light so shine before amen, that they may see your good works, and glorify
your Father which is in heaven.' (Matt. 5:16.) Wherever the true light of the Spirit
shines, it will always yield a clear testimony to Christ. It will call attention not to
itself, but to Him; and this is the way to glorify God. 'The seven lamps shall give light
over against the candlestick.'
When Man and His Doings Are Exalted Instead of Christ
"This is a great practical truth
for all Christians. The very finest evidence which can be afforded of. true spiritual work
is that it tends directly to exalt Christ. If attention be sought for the work or the
workman, the light has become dim, and the Minister of the sanctuary must use the
snuffers. It was Aaron's province to light the lamps; and he it was who trimmed them
likewise. In other words, the light which, as Christians, we are responsible to yield, is
not only founded upon Christ, but maintained by Him, from moment to moment, through the
entire night. Apart from Him we can do nothing. The golden shaft sustained the lamps; the
priestly hand supplied the oil and applied the snuffers. It is all in Christ, from Christ, and by Christ.
"And more, it is all to Christ.
Wherever the light of the Spirit --- the true light of the sanctuary -- has shone, in this
wilderness world, the object of that light has been to exalt the name of Jesus. Whatever
has been done by the Holy Spirit, whatever has been said, whatever has been written, has
had for its aim the glory of that blessed One. And we may say with confidence, that
whatever has not that tendency, that aim, is not of the Holy Spirit, be it what it may.
There may be an immense amount of work done, a great deal of apparent result reached, a
quantity of that which is calculated to attract human attention, and elicit human
applause, and yet not one ray of light from the golden ,candlestick. And why? Because
attention is sought for the work, or for those engaged in it. Man and his doings and sayings are exalted,
instead of Christ. The light has not been produced by the oil which the hand of the great
High Priest supplies; and, as a consequence, it is false light. It is a light which shines
not over against the candlestick, but over against the name or the actings of some poor
mortal.
"All
this is most solemn, and demands our deepest attention. There is always the utmost danger
when a man or his work becomes remarkable. He may be sure Satan is gaining his object,
when attention is drawn to aught or to any one but the Lord Jesus Himself. A work may be
commenced in the greatest possible simplicity, but through lack of holy watchfulness and
spirituality on the part of the workman, he himself, or the results of his work, may
attract general attention, and he may fall into the snare of the Devil. Satan's grand and
ceaseless object is to dishonor the Lord Jesus; and if he can do this by what seems to be
Christian service, he has achieved all the greater victory for the time. He has no
objection to work, as such, provided he can detach that work from the name of Jesus. He
will ever mingle himself, if he can, with the work; he will present himself amongst the
servants of Christ, as he once presented himself amongst the sons of God; but his object
is ever one and the same, namely to dishonor the Lord. He permitted the damsel, in Acts
16, to bear testimony to Christ's servants, and say, 'These men are the servants of the
most high God, which show unto us the way of salvation.' But this was simply with a. view
to ensnare those servants and mar their work. He was defeated, however, because the light
that emanated from Paul and Silas was the genuine light of the sanctuary, and it shone
only for Christ. They sought not a name for themselves; and, inasmuch as it was to them
and not to their Master that the damsel bore witness, they refused the witness, and chose
rather to suffer for their Master's sake than to be exalted at His expense.
Faithful Vessels of the Spirit's Light
"This is a fine example for all
the Lord's workmen. And if we turn, for an instant to Acts 3, we shall find another very
striking illustration. There the light of the sanctuary shone out in the healing of the
lame man, and when attention was drawn, unsought, to the workmen, we find Peter and John,
at once, with holy jealousy, retiring behind their glorious Master, and giving all the
praise to Him. 'And, as the lame man which was healed held Peter and John, all the people
ran together unto them, in the porch that is called Solomon's, greatly wondering. And when
Peter saw it, he answered unto the people, ye men of Israel, why marvel ye at this? or why
look ye so earnestly on us, as though by our own power or holiness we had made this man to
walk? The God of Abraham, and of Isaac, and of Jacob, the God of our fathers, hath
glorified His Son, Jesus.
"Here we have, in very deed, 'the
seven lamps giving their light over against, the candlestick'; or, in other words, the
sevenfold or perfect display of the Spirit's light in distinct testimony to the name of
Jesus. 'Why,' said these faithful vessels of the Spirit's light, 'look ye so earnestly on
us?' No need of the snuffers here! The light was undimmed. It was, no doubt, an occasion
which the Apostles might have turned to their own account, had they been so disposed. It
was a moment in the which they might have surrounded their own names with a halo of glory.
They might have raised themselves to a pinnacle of fame, and drawn around them the respect
and veneration of wondering, if not worshiping, thousands. But had they done so, they
would have robbed their Master; falsified the testimony; grieved the Holy Spirit,, and,
brought down upon themselves the just judgment of Him who will not give His glory to
another.
"But,
no: the seven lamps were shining brightly in Jerusalem, at this interesting moment. The
true candlestick was in Solomon's porch just then, and not in the temple. At least the
seven lamps were there, and doing their appointed work most blessedly. Those honored
servants sought no glory for themselves; yea, they instantly put forth all their energies
in order to avert the wondering gaze of the multitude from themselves, and fix it upon the
only worthy One, who, though He had passed into the heavens, was still working by His
Spirit on earth.
A Danger to Be Guarded Against
"Many other illustrations might be
drawn from the pages of the Acts oŁ the Apostles; but the above will suffice to impress
upon our hearts the great practical lesson taught in the golden candlestick with its seven
lamps. We are deeply sensible of our need of the lesson at this very moment. There is
always a danger of the work and the workman being more the object than the Master. Let us
be on our guard against this. It is a sad evil. It grieves the blessed Spirit, who ever
labors to exalt the name of Jesus. It is offensive to the Father, who would ever be
sounding in our ears; and deep down in our hearts, those words heard, from an open heaven,
on the mount of transfiguration. 'This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased: hear
ye Him.' It is in the most direct and positive hostility to the mind of heaven, where
every eye is fixed on Jesus, every heart occupied with Jesus, and where the one eternal,
universal, unanimous cry shall be, 'Thou art worthy.'
"Let us think of all this -- think
deeply -- think habitually; that so we may shrink from everything bordering upon, or
savoring of, the exaltation of man -- of self -- our doings and sayings and thinkings. May
we all more earnestly seek the quiet, shady, unobtrusive path where the spirit of the meek
and lowly Jesus will ever lead us to walk and serve. In a word, may we so abide in Christ,
.so receive from Him, day by day, and moment by moment, the pure oil, that our light may
shine, without our thinking of it, to His praise, in whom alone we have al1, and apart
from whom we can do absolutely nothing."
Instructed in Proper Conduct in the
House of God
When St. Paul prayed for the early
Church that she might grow and expand in spiritual knowledge, that she might comprehend
the lengths and breadths and depths and heights of the heavenly wisdom, he was surely
expressing the deep desire of his heart that she might be enjoying the full heritage that
is properly hers as a result of her acceptance of that gracious invitation to so live and
walk with Christ in this world that she would. be accounted worthy to be His joint-heir
and Bride upon the heavenly plane. And truly how abundant is the provision made for the
upbuilding, establishing, and keeping of His Church in the right way during the time of
her earthly pilgrimage. How important it is that we shall understand just what this
provision consists of, that we may avail ourselves of its advantages. How important that
we shall recognize that it is through the instruction of His Word in connection with the
light of the Spirit that the Lord imparts spiritual strength and vigor to His followers,
according to their need.
"It is a blessed thing," says
an able expositor of spiritual truth, "in the midst of the apostasy we are in that
Christ is seen saying, 'To him that overcometh.' Today we are blessed that we can get
God's Word. God to the end will preserve the gifts that will give His Word, pure and
simple. Therefore He says that He gave some Apostles, and we have them yet in all their
simplicity, just as God gave them -- unmixed with philosophy, standing pure and clear by
the Holy Spirit. We are thoroughly furnished in regard to Church truth and Church conduct.
We have an epistle written on purpose to show us how we ought to conduct ourselves in the
house of God, the Church of God. (1 Timothy.) We have one in the age of apostasy to tell
us exactly what our resource is. (2 Timothy.) If we want to know what Church truth is, we
get it from Ephesians. If we want to know our relation to our Head, that we may hold fast
the Head, we have Colossians. If we want to know how to act under all this truth, so as to
walk as heavenly persons, and not as earthly ones, we have Philippians. If we want to know
how to act in the simplicity of the same, we have Philemon. If We want to know what to do
and believe in this day of ritualism that is increasing more and more, we have the epistle
to the Hebrews that warns us on all sides. If we want to have Christ Himself, through whom
all gifts come, we have to take all these epistles together, and He is brought out rounded
and full of grace, more and more, for the heart and conscience and faith of each one. Then
if we want to know, in the midst of this denial of the faith in regard to salvation, what
it is in itself, we go to the epistle to the Romans, which tells the, whole thing,
beginning with us in, our sins, and exposing us as guilty, and then bringing in the
righteousness of God to meet all; and so we are brought into life in Him, and there is no
condemnation before God; we are sons of God and heirs of God; grace reigning through
righteousness unto eternal life. Why, we are perfectly equipped, for He gave Apostles, and 'we have them yet.
The Word of God Is Enough
"Then if we want to know, all
about the coming of the Lord and the judgments of Christ Himself (for He will judge in His
own House, the Church, and will judge Israel, and take care of His little remnant, and
judge the professing Church in its apostasy), we have to listen to John in the Book of the
Revelation. If we want to know what fellowship is with the Father and with the Son, we
listen to the same voice -- of John in his first epistle. If we need to have all this
pressed upon us with reference to the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ, we read his second
and third epistles.
"If we want to learn all about our
being pilgrims and strangers, and learn that the trial of our faith is more precious than
gold, we turn and listen to Peter, appealing to us to walk in all separation, because God
is separate, and making us know that we are a holy and a royal priesthood.
"And we have Prophets of the New Testament linked with the
Apostles -- every one that gives out the Word is a Prophet; giving it for exhortation, and
for comfort and to profit every one with it. Paul and Barnabas and Silas, not necessarily
opening Scripture as teachers, but being the mouth of God to us, giving out the mind of
God as received from Him. If I give you my opinion I
am not a prophet, but if I give you God's mind, I am prophesying.
"Then there are the Evangelists to
give the Good Tidings. Paul said he was all three. -- 1 Cor. 14.
"What are all these 'Gifts' for?
'For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the
Body of Christ.' We are edified or built up by the Word, not by sympathy or
intellectualism; we are built up by the Word only. Can anything be more delightful?
"We shall always have the Word of
God clear tip to the end, no matter what comes -- until the Body is complete, the perfect
man, the man in Christ Jesus.
"And we are to have it so that we
can speak it. 'Speaking the truth in love, may
grow up into Him in all things which is the Head,' even Christ. Let everything be measured
and weighed by the Word. Then we can be sure we will be carried through.
"The Word of God is enough for us,
that we are in heavenly places and are heirs of all that is to come, and are to reign over
the earth! Hold on to these things! "Then the food that Satan would present to us
will not do. He will present science and wealth and attachments here. It will not do for those who are risen and seated with Christ in
heavenly places already. It will not do for those whom God has blessed with the richest
blessings. The dignity that is reserved for us will outrank all that can be offered here.
"Past, present, and future are set
before us, and faith, hope, and love take hold upon all these and the way becomes
plain."
To Whom Is Christ Thus Present?
"Thoroughly furnished unto all
good works," is the way St. Paul expressed the Divine care and provision for the
people of God; and this is merely another way of expressing the thought and power of
Christ's presence with His followers all along through the Age. Blessedly consoling
thought, Christ abiding with those whom the Father hath given Him, possessing as He does
the most perfectly understanding heart and feeling the deepest sympathy and love, with all
power in heaven and in earth vested in Him to do for them exceeding abundantly above all
that they ask or think! But to whom is Christ thus present? With whom is He thus abiding
as the constant companion in the ways of life? Is it not with him who is of a broken and
contrite spirit? Jesus answers the question further: "If a man love Me,"
"he will keep My words; and My Father will love him, and We will come unto him and
make our abode with him." Verily it is with those who are walking in the path of
obedience and loving service, with those who are keeping the commandments of the Lord
Jesus, who have respect unto and who live in harmony with His words which express the will
of Himself and the Father concerning us. Our Lord pointedly declares that he who does not
seek to please Him by conforming to His instructions, thereby manifests that he does hot
love Him. Surely there can be no better test of love than devotion, and no better test of
devotion than obedience. Our enlightened consciences render hearty assent to the Master's
words and with the Apostle we exclaim, "the love of Christ constraineth us, for we
thus judge that if one died for all, then all were dead, and that He died for all, that
they who live [justified and begotten to newness of life] should henceforth not live unto
themselves but unto Him who died for us and rose again.
Who Shall Separate Us from the Love of Christ
It is those then who are "living
unto Him" who realize the abiding presence of the Father and the Son. In such company
as this, can any Christian fail utterly to realize some measure of joy in the Lord? No, if
his faith grasps the promise and holds it, the realization of joy in the Lord is sure to
follow; and the more firmly his faith lays hold upon the promise the more will he realize
its fulfillment and the more fully will his joy abound; for in the presence of the Lord is
fullness of joy, no matter what may be the condition and circumstances.
In the blessed realization of this
experience and the assurance of faith which it gave, in the midst of all his labors, St.
Paul exclaimed, "who shall lay anything to the charge of God's elect? . . . who shall
separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or
famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? Nay, in all these things we are more than
conquerors through Him that loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death, nor life, nor
angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor
height, nor depth, nor any other creature shall be able to separate us from the love of
God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." Most evidently the Lord's promises were
fulfilled in the great Apostle in the abiding presence of the Father and the Son with him
at all times and under all circumstances. And so shall it be with all those who firmly
trust in the Lord. With a blessed consciousness of the Master's promise, "Lo, I am
with you alway," and indeed with a realization of the constant presence of our
Heavenly Father and our Lord Jesus, and of their love and favor, and with a faith that
lays hold of all the exceeding great and precious promises of God, what soul may not
rejoice and be glad even in the midst of deep sorrow or great tribulation! Beloved, let us
not be contented to live beneath our privileges. Let us appreciate the favor of God to the
extent of seeking for it with all our heart, remembering the exhortation, "Seek and
ye shall find, knock and it shall be opened unto you."
"Pray to thy Father which is in
secret" -- Matt. 6:6.
THE SCRIPTURES truly instruct that God
is a "discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart," and in the. case of
any one approaching Him in prayer, He already knows the purposes and desires of the heart.
Again, in the case of the saints, the spirit or intention is accepted by the Lord when
they approach Him in seasons of distress, when they can find no language in which to
clothe their desires-when they come to Him with spirit -- groanings which they cannot
utter in words. However, there is no room left for doubt as to the propriety of God's
children coming to Him in formal prayer and worship; that though He needs not to be
instructed respecting the necessities of any, it is good for the individual himself to be
thus exercised and to come to God in personal communion and prayer. Both by word and
example our Lord Jesus instructed that our prayers should be uttered, formulated, and if
possible not be left merely to incoherent feelings and groanings. It was to this end that
He gave instruction in answer to the request of the Apostle's, "Lord, teach u to
pray."
There are various examples in the
Scriptures which assure us of the propriety of public prayers -- prayers uttered in the
presence of one or more, either of believers or unbelievers. An illustration of this may
also be drawn from bur Lord's ministry and example: For instance, His prayers recorded in
John 11:41, 42; and chapter 17; Matt. 11:25, 26; Luke
10:21; 11:1. These prayers could not have been recorded if they had not been heard by the
Apostles; and the very object of their utterance in their presence was evidently for their
benefit and blessing, as well as for the benefit and blessing of. all the household of
faith since then.
Lofty Examples of Secret Devotion
However, it is recognized that special
emphasis is given to the importance of the more private or secret prayer and communion
with God. Amongst those who approach God in prayer as His children, different
circumstances and conditions may have a bearing as respects the manner of worship: at
times they may properly go aside and hold communion with the Father in secret -- where no
earthly eye will see and no earthly ear will hear. Our Lord's own example should be an
illustration of this privilege: we remember how it is written of Him frequently that He
went apart from His disciples and prayed alone, and how sometimes He spent the entire
night in solitary prayer. Another has beautifully observed and remarked upon the real
value and necessity of secret prayer, as follows:
"Secret prayer has the sanction of
lofty examples. Isaac went out into the fields to meditate at eventide. In his chamber,
Daniel knelt upon his knees three times a day, and prayed and gave thanks before the Lord
his God. Jesus saw the devotion of Nathaniel under the fig tree. Peter was at prayer on
the housetop when he received his commission to preach the Gospel to the Gentiles. Jesus
withdrew from the multitude and from the presence of the disciples, and retired to the
mountains, or to the desert to, pray. Sometimes He spent the whole night in prayer. How
often did Olivet witness the devotions of the Man of Sorrows! The last rays of the setting
sun, as they fell upon the mountain, revealed Jesus on its summit, kneeling, and when the
morning dawned He was still there, His locks wet with the dews of the night.
"Secret prayer is a test of
sincerity. Public worship may be attended from various motives, good or bad. But private
devotion, secret prayer -- what can induce it but the motives pure and lofty, the desire
heaven-inspired and heaven aspiring, the thirst after righteousness, the love of God! Who
that loves not God or desires not to love Him, can have any business with Him in private
or will seek a private interview? The hypocrite may pray in public, and he may pray in his
family. Here others see him. But he will not pray in secret. If he attempts it, he will
soon abandon it, for he expects from it neither profit nor pleasure. There is hope for a
man as long as he is mindful of his secret devotions. He may have left his love, and the
things that remain may be ready to die. But the fact that he still feels after God in
secret places, if haply he may find Him, is evidence, first of, his own sincerity;
secondly, that the Spirit of Divine grace is with him, and drawing him tó the fountain of
life.
In That Lone Place No Ear but God's to Hear
"The closet removes all the
external restraints to devotion. The sentiments of the public service are suited to the
general sympathy; and this measure of emotion is not transcended, except in cases of
overwhelming power and overflowing feeling, when the impetuous tide breaks through all
restraints. But there are no restraints whatever in the closet. There, no feeling need be
suppressed. The tear may flow. The passion of penitence may be indulged. The agony of
prayer may be exercised. There are none to be annoyed, none to pass the harsh judgment,
none to ascribe your feeling to weakness or hypocrisy. In that lone ,place there is no ear
abut God's to hear. And are there not confessions to be made which no ear but His should
hear? In that lone place there is no. eye but God's to see. And who but God can understand
and sympathize with your secret sorrows? He is thy Father -- thy Father in heaven.
"Cast all your care upon Him; for He careth for you." And this is the promise of
Jesus: "Him that cometh unto Me I will in no wise cast out."
"'The closet is favorable to
devotion. It not only removes hindrances, but it furnishes helps. It shuts out things
visible. We leave the dusty and crowded thoroughfare of the world, and turn aside to rest
a little in the sweet shade of the tree of life -- to drink of the spring that gushes from
the rock -- to commune with God and think of heaven. The world is not there, pride is not
there, passion is not there. Eternity is there, God is there, Jesus is there, the Holy
Spirit is there, angels are there. We feel as Jacob felt as he lay down to sleep on the
rocky knoll, and awoke in the midst of hovering angels. 'And he said, Surely the Lord is
in this place, and I knew it not. This is none other but the house of God, and this is the
gate of heaven.'
"Secret prayer prepares for all
public services. The Christian comes forth from his closet refreshed with grace, filled
with the Spirit, his face shining, like the face of Moses when he came down from the mount
of communion; active to labor, patient to suffer, ready to serve his generation, and
prepared to finish his course with joy.
"'The Father which seeth in secret
shall reward thee openly.' His blessing shall rest manifestly upon you. It will appear in
your experience, and in the daily walks of life. It will be manifest to yourself, and
visible to others. The Spirit of Jesus shall be with you and in you. It will appear in
your voice, in your very looks, and in all your conversation. God will give you the necks
of your enemies -- the world, the flesh, and the Devil. You shall run and not be weary,
walk and not faint, and mount up with wings like an eagle."
IN THE days of our Lord's First Advent,
even as in our Own time, there were many widely recognized leaders and teachers; and
various systems of human philosophy claimed the attention of thinking men. Among the Jews
much uninspired teaching was added to the sacred literature of the Law and the Prophets,
while the neighboring Greeks were diligently dealing in philosophic speculation and ever
seeking something new. And now the long expected, but generally unrecognized, Messiah of
Israel was about to announce a great and important step in God's redemptive purpose, which
meant that He was about to introduce a new system of teaching, the philosophy .and the
ethics of a new dispensation of Divine providence and grace, the outgrowth of what had
been prefigured in Judaism.
But the changes were to be so radical
and revolutionary, and so different from all human expectations among either Jews or
Gentiles, that the Lord realized that its announcement would be to the Jews in general a
stumbling- stone and to the Greeks foolishness, and that, under the blinding influence of
the prince of this world, to the few only would it be manifestly the power of God and the
wisdom of God. (1 Cor. 1:23, 24.) . And this few He knew would-be the meek and humble
minded ones in Israel. Such He characterized as His sheep, sheep-like meekness and
docility being the chief traits of their character, the same symbol being applied also to
the Lord Himself -- "Behold the Lamb of God that taketh away the sin of the
world."
Upon the few who had thus far received
His teaching and become His disciples, as well as upon all such subsequently, He desired
to impress the lesson of meekness and to assure them of His tender care over them.
Therefore, He says, "I am the Good Shepherd: the Good Shepherd giveth His life for
the sheep;" etc. And He added at another time, "Come unto Me, all ye that labor
and are heavy laden, and: I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you, and learn of Me;
for I am meek and lowly in heart; and ye shall find rest unto your souls."
The Door and the Shepherd
No matter how many others might claim
to be the Shepherd, He declared Himself to be the only true one, and that He would prove
it, even to the sacrifice of His life for them.
Again He said, "I am the door: by
Me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and, out and find
pasture." But how does this harmonize with that other statement -- "He that.
entereth in by the door is the Shepherd of the sheep"? How could our Lord both enter
by the door and also be the door? In this way: According to God's Plan of Salvation the
way of man's recovery from death and of his access to eternal life was to be legally
opened up by a ransom sacrifice; and when our Lord. Jesus freely offered Himself to fulfil
that requirement of the Divine Plan, He thereby entered the divinely arranged door of
opportunity to become the Savior of the world and the Shepherd of the Lord's sheep. He
entered the door, of the Divine Plan and thus became to us the door of opportunity, the
way of access to eternal life, and was also therefore counted worthy to be the Good
Shepherd to lead the lost flock of humanity back to the fold of God, in whose favor is
life and at whose right hand there are pleasures forevermore. (Psa. 16:11.) He that
entered in by the way of Jehovah's appointment is thus both the door of access to God and
the Good Shepherd of the sheep.'
David wrote prophetically,
"Jehovah is my Shepherd; I shall not want," for in David's day the arrangements
for the Shepherd and the flock of this lesson had not been completed. True, the Heavenly
Father had purposed His entire Plan as respects humanity's redemption and return to His
care as His flock, but He had not yet sent His only begotten Son, the Good Shepherd, to
give His life for the sheep; to call the flock, to open the door and to lead them out and
into pasturage and to rest. Nevertheless, in the Lord's providence the nation of Israel
had already been gathered, as those who would be prepared: to be the flock of the Good
Shepherd when He should come. These were "shut up under the Law" (Gal. 3:23),
waiting for the coming of the Good Shepherd to open the door and to call them by name as
His own sheep.
"To Him the Porter Openeth"
The "porter" (representing
the Law) would not recognize any who came before the Messiah, affecting to be the true
Shepherd or Leader sent from God; nor approve them, nor open to them access to the sheep.
But when the true Shepherd came He satisfied the Law (the porter); and bought the sheep
from justice, giving His own life as their redemption price. Thus He gained the full right
to open the door, the full sanction of the porter, the full authority to lead forth the
sheep to the green pastures and still waters of Divine truth which then became due to
them.
At the time of the giving of this
parable our Lord was laying down His life, and at the same time uttering His voice, that
the true sheep might learn to know Him. And not only will all the true sheep learn to know
the Shepherd, but, precious thought! the Shepherd knoweth His own sheep individually, so
that He calleth each by name as He leads them out. This suggests to us the intimacy of the
relationship between Christ end each member of His flock.
The treatment of sheep in this part of
the world is very different from that described in the parable, which is still maintained
in Oriental countries. Here sheep are driven, and have little or no acquaintance with the
herdsmen. But in Palestine, for instance, every sheep has a personal acquaintance with its
shepherd, and he with it, and it is said that this acquaintance is so particular that
shepherds have a separate name for each sheep, and know each individual by its name, and
that the sheep knows its own name and will respond to a call from its own shepherd at any
time. How beautifully this illustrates the close relationship between Christ and. His
flock, the Church! He gives to each one of us a new name, and we are each personally known
to Him -- our peculiarities of character, of temperament, etc., our strong points and our
weaknesses -- He knoweth them all. He loves us, cares for us, helps us over our trials and
reverses, and shields us from the temptations which would be too strong for us. "He
will not suffer us to be tempted above that we are able, but will with the temptation
provide also a way of escape," and causes that "all things work together for
good to them that love God, the called ones according to His purpose" -- His
"little flock" of this Gospel Age.
Thy Rod and Thy Staff Comfort Me
We note further the care of the
Shepherd over the sheep, for He says, "He putteth forth His own sheep and goeth
before them." The words "putteth forth" have the significance of looking
after them, that they all get started 'in the way to the green pastures and still waters
for soul refreshment. He is not heedless, careless, respecting them, whether they go or do
not go; nevertheless, having started them in the way He will not drive them. He goeth
before them to lead, that they may follow. Our Good Shepherd has indeed set us a noble
example, so that we may walk in His steps; and whoever will, to the extent of his ability,
trustfully do this, will find his wants abundantly supplied, for "No good thing will
He [the Shepherd] withhold from those who walk uprightly." "He will guide them
with His counsel, and afterwards receive them to glory."
Oor Lord's parable does not tell us
about the disciplines which the sheep are sure to receive, but these are set before us in
the prophetic Psalm on the subject, in the words, "Thy rod and Thy staff, they
comfort me." The thought is that the Shepherd, while going before and not driving the
sheep, nevertheless has such an interest and care that He will not suffer one of the sheep
to wander away Without administering certain chastisements designed for its good, and to
correct it and to bring it back into fellowship in the flock. This is a comfort, and yet
it should certainly be the desire of all true sheep to follow the Shepherd so closely that
the rod shall not often be necessary.
The link between the Shepherd and, the
sheep, as here indicated, is love. The Shepherd loves the sheep, and has demonstrated this
in having laid down His life for them; and the sheep speedily learn to love the Shepherd,
as their caretaker; they recognize Him through His voice -- the Word of God. This voice
appeals to the hearts of all the true sheep, who quickly respond, "Never man spake as
this Man."
False and Hireling Shepherds
While the Lord thus proclaimed Himself
the true Shepherd and the only door into the fold of God, He characterized all others as
strangers, false and hireling shepherds, and thieves and robbers; for there is none other
name under heaven given among men whereby -we may be saved than the name of Jesus. Plato,
uninstructed in Divine truth and blindly groping about with the torch of human reason, in
seeking to solve the mysteries of human life, may at times have struck a chord of the
Divine harmonies with thrilling effect upon thoughtful minds; but soon the clash of
discords broke the spell or led the mind in channels of error. So also with Aristotle,
Socrates, Confucius and other seekers after God, before life and immortality were brought
to light by Jesus Christ. Such men could not be classed as false shepherds; for they
evidently were seeking and following the best light they had. Rather, they, or at least
some of them, were bell sheep which themselves had lost the way and were wandering upon
the mountains, and leading the flocks to the best pastures and the purest waters they
could find. But those who, after light has come into the world, and after they themselves
have seen and realized it, love darkness rather than light, and who, instead of pointing
men to Christ, direct them to the human philosophies of Plato, or Darwin, or others -- all
such merit the appellations which the Lord applies to them. They truly are thieves and
robbers, teaching men that 'they can climb up into God's favor and into His fold by some
other way than that which God hath appointed-through faith in the atoning sacrifice of
Christ. Such teachers are the hireling shepherds to whom the Master refers -- they have
little or no real interest in the sheep and seem reckless of their eternal interests,
their own present advantage being always of paramount importance. They want to be known as
popular leaders and teachers, or original thinkers and great philosophers, etc.
Such are the hirelings, whose number in
these days is legion. It is good for us to remember, however, that it is only the wayward
and heedless sheep that can be harmed and scattered by any of the evil works or deceptions
of the present time. The obedient, trusting sheep will all be tenderly cared for by the
Good Shepherd, to whose voice they hearken and the softest tones of which are familiar to
their ears. Thus the Master said of the true and faithful sheep of His flock, "My
sheep hear My voice and they follow Me, . . . and they shall never perish. Neither shall
any pluck them out of My hand. My Father which gave them Me is greater than all and no man
is able to pluck them out of My Father's hand." How blessed is the assurance of
heavenly guidance and protection now to all the sheep of this flock, the truly consecrated
and obedient.
A Stranger They Will not Follow
"And a stranger they will not
follow, but will flee from him; for they know not the voice of strangers." If the
stranger come with enticing words, saying, Let me show you a broader salvation than that
you have learned from the Apostles and Prophets to hope for; that eternal salvation is to
be universal, and that not -one of. God's creatures shall ever perish, the true sheep
says, That sounds very benevolent, and yet it has not the ring of the Shepherd's voice in
it; for He tells us of "wolves in sheep's clothing" and of "vessels of
wrath fitted to destruction" and warns against "presumptuous sins" and of a
possible destruction of all willful sinners and "whosoever loveth and maketh a
lie," and plainly says that the Devil and those following him shall be destroyed.
(Rev. 21:8; Matt. 25:41; Heb. 2:14.) No, this voice that prophesies smooth things,
contrary to the Word of God, is not the voice, of the Good Shepherd.
If he come to us again with a show of
logic, of worldly wisdom under the guise of some form of new light that makes void the
Word of God, attempting to substitute so-called "service" and "great and
wonderful works" for that of holiness and the development of Christ-likeness, as a
means of securing the favor of God and winning the heavenly prize, then the true sheep
says, No, I cannot receive such teaching; for the voice of the Good Shepherd and those
whom He duly appointed to teach, gives full assurance that the all-important consideration
for the disciple of Christ is that of the development of Christian character, of growing
up into Christ in all things, of the development of the love of Christ which is "the
bond of perfectness." These things I know represent the call of the true Shepherd and
I will not follow other voices or calls than His.
In Green Pastures and Beside Still Waters
No matter then what may be the sound or
call or how similar it may seem to be to that of the true Shepherd., such as are fully
devoted to and follow Him, will ignore and heed not the voice of these strangers, these
voices that seem determined to propagate theories and doctrines that really have no
Scriptural basis and in' the end lead away from the great things that concern the
Christian and his call to heavenly glory.
Such is the attitude of all the true
sheep; and such being their attitude, God is both able and willing to shield and protect
them under all circumstances and at all times; and the Good Shepherd of His appointment
shall lead them into green pastures and beside the still waters. They shall be abundantly
fed with the "meat in due season" -- with the spiritual food so necessary to
their life and to their growth and development; and such temporal things as are needful
will not be withheld. Truly we can say with the Psalmist, "I have never seen the
righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread."
Amongst those who heard this parable
from our Lord's lips, not many comprehended, not many had the hearing ear for the true
Shepherd's voice: only a small portion of the Jewish people followed Him and became His
true sheep. Similarly now, many are professing to be the true sheep of the Lord's flock,
but in this day of the Shepherd's presence, His voice, the truth, becomes the test. All of
the true sheep will hear and be attracted by the voice of truth now uttered, and will obey
it. Those who are not of the Good Shepherd's flock, and who have not His spirit, He
desires shall now be separated; to this end they will hear the voice of other shepherds,
and be deceived thereby: because they are not truly of the Lord's flock.
A Forceful Illustration
A traveler tells of a scene he
witnessed, in which several flocks of sheep were for a time commingled, and how, when the
due time was come, the separation took place. He says :
"As we sat and looked, almost
spell-bound, the silent hillsides around were in a moment filled with life and sound.
Thousands of sheep and goats were there; grouped in confused masses. The shepherds stood
together until all came out, and then they separated, each shepherd taking a different
path, and uttering, as he advanced, a shrill, peculiar call. The sheep heard them; at
first the mass swayed and moved as if shaken by some internal convulsion, then points
struck out in the directions taken by the shepherds. These became longer and longer, until
the confused masses were resolved in long, living streams flowing after their
leaders."
So at the present time there are many
professing sheep, but they are not all the Lord's sheep. Some belong to human leaders of
various sects, and some are God's.. With the end of this Gospel Age comes a time of
special trial and sifting and separation. In harmony with this, we now hear many voices
calling the sheep in various directions as never before. This is, in the Lord's
providence, for the purpose of separating all others from His own. His sheep will hear His
voice and follow Him -- other sheep, consecrated to human leaders, human institutions,
human theories, human efforts, will follow their own bents, and thus be separated at least
in spirit and this is now the Lord's good pleasure.
Nor should we be surprised at the
exceedingly small number who now diligently hearken and obediently follow the Shepherd's
voice; for the Lord forewarned us it would be only a little flock, saying, "Fear not,
little flock, it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the Kingdom." It is a
choice flock the Lord is selecting now-a flock that needs no driving nor coaxing, but
joyfully runs in the right ways of the Lord; their delight is in the law of the Lord and
they meditate in it day and night. The Good Shepherd does not propose to drive any sheep
into His Kingdom; and He desires for the high office to which He is, calling them in this
Age only such as need no driving, and who gladly follow Him through evil and through good
report Thus He will "gather out of His Kingdom all things that offend and them that
do iniquity," before the glorifying of His Church.
While all the true sheep of this flock
may indeed rejoice in the loving care of the Good Shepherd, it is also a further cause for
rejoicing that all the other sheep not lost and wandering, and blinded by the god of this
world and misled by other voices, are also to be sought out and found and rejoiced over
when the Lord in his own good time, shall spread "a feast of fat things and wines on
the lees well refined." And then there shall be one fold and one Shepherd.
Though only a "little flock"
is now recognized as the Lord's sheep, there shall by and by be a mighty host (John
10:16); and the redeemed of the Lord shall go forth with songs and everlasting joy upon
their heads. Glorious Plan of Salvation! How worthy it is of the character of our God!
Announcement is made at this time of
the Annual Meeting of the Pastoral Bible Institute, which as provided in its Constitution
is held on the first Saturday of the month of June, this year on Saturday, June 2nd, at 2
p. m., at the headquarters of the Institute, 177 Prospect Place, Brooklyn, .N. Y. As the
friends are generally aware, the object of this meeting is that of the electing of
directors for the ensuing year; and for the consideration and transacting of any Other
items of business that may come before the meeting. These conferences heretofore have
proven to be occasions of general profit and encouragement as reports of the work and
ministry of the preceding year are placed before the friends; and opportunity is furnished
for the brethren to freely discuss any of the features of the work and make any
suggestions that may seem good.
The names of the brethren who have been
serving as directors the past year and whose term of office expires June 2nd, are as
follows:
I. I. MARGESON, WESTWOOD, MASS.
D. J, BLACKBURN, TORONTO, ONT.
P. L. GREINER, ULSTER PARK, N. Y
I. F. HOSKINS, BROOKLYN, N. Y.
B A. PARKES, PHILADELPHIA, PA.
B. BOULTER, PLAINFIELD, N. J.
A. L. MUIR, TAMPA, FLA.
The brethren who have been serving as
directors desire to express their gratitude and appreciation first of all to the Lord and
then to the friends in general who have rendered co-operation and have given valuable
assistance in connection with the humble efforts that have been put forth to further the
general interests of the Lord and His Message. God's blessing has been richly upon the
ministry of the past we believe and there is every reason to continue to hope for His
direction and guidance in the days to come. Those who have been endeavoring to discharge
the responsibility as trustees of this service have desired to keep in mind that it is the
Master Himself that they serve primarily; and it is hoped that what has been achieved,
though far from perfect, has had the Lord's acceptance and approval. The results are left
with our gracious Master, in the consciousness that He is abundantly able to overrule any
mistakes and to work out and accomplish all His wise purposes without the aid of any one.
Any member of the Institute is eligible
for nomination at the annual meeting. It is always desirable to have as large a number of
the friends present at this meeting as reasonably possible; but on account of the
distances and unfavorable circumstances many of course will not be permitted to be present
in person. Hence provision is made whereby all the members may have a voice in the
election by indicating on a proxy form the names of those whom they desire elected as
directors for the coming year. A proxy form will be mailed to each member before the
election; and those who do not expect to be present at the Annual Meeting should fill out
the proxy form and return to this office before the election.
As previously announced there is to be
a convention held in connection with the Annual Meeting of the Institute, commencing
Saturday morning about 10:30 and extending to Sunday evening. A season of spiritual
refreshment is anticipated which is trusted will be for the uplift and encouragement of
all present.
Brethren elsewhere will be warmly
welcomed. Any one desiring further information will address the Class secretary, Brother
F. H. Mundell, 300 McDonough Street, Brooklyn, N. Y.
Dear Brethren:
Many greetings to you all in our dear
Redeemer's name -- Jesus who is our only Head (Matt. 23:8), the only One we can recognize
with authority (excepting the Father). We can recognize no earthly heads, teachers,
leaders, human channels, or organizations. How beautiful to think that One is our Master
and we are all brethren. I thank the Lord for this liberty. And how I trust that many more
of the dear brethren with whom we used to associate, also others in the various churches,
may realize this wonderful truth, that there is no need for bondage to human channels,
etc. What a perfect peace there is in our hearts -- a peace beyond all understanding
You will find money order for $_____
for one year's further subscription to the "Herald" for myself, also one year's
subscription for____ ; Also the two volumes on Daniel which I ordered previously. The
balance can be used in the Lord's service, however you judge best. I hope to send more later. Sister
______ who has also come out of difficulties with the old association is now á member of
our little Class. She gave me the money for the "Herald" subscription, as I was
writing. No doubt you may hear from her later.
We are proceeding very nicely with the
little Class in W______, which, thanks be to the Father's care, is quite free from
narrowness. Our earnest prayer is that we all may be kept close to the Lord, And as little
children, teachable, with love towards one another. We still greatly appreciate the spirit
of the "Herald," which continues to be so loving and helpful to us all at this
time.. Truly the Lord is guiding the work. My prayer is that this humble spirit may
continue, and may the Lord continue to bless you all who are engaged in such responsible
work. I am pleased to know that the work is being carried on in. the same spirit which our
beloved Brother Russell started it.
With deep Christian love, ever
remembering you all in my prayers. -- Psa. 13:6; Eph. 6:23, , 24.
Your brother, A. C. T -- N. Z.
1928 Index
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