VOL. XXI July, 1938 No. 7 Annual Report of the Pastoral Bible Institute "My Soul Wait Thou Only Upon God" Things Coming to Pass"When ye see these things come to pass, THE Christian, daily scanning the news
of the world for evidences of the approach of God's Kingdom, finds abundant
"signs" to cause him to rejoice in its proximity. But it is a sad commentary on
the indifference of religious people in general -that these same evidences fail to
elicit from them an acknowledgement of their true significance. In the midst of all the
world shaking events, with crisis after crisis rapidly succeeding each other; with
revolutions, troubles, distresses seemingly everywhere; wars and upheavals in various
parts of the earth; fear and perplexity seizing hold on all who have intelligence enough
to endeavor to understand the meaning of the things which are coming to pass -on the
earth-the masses of the people have become so accustomed to these unusual conditions,
that they are now being accepted with tragic fatalism, as the natural state of affairs. Many seem to think that the unsettled
condition of humanity has always obtained, not realizing that though there have been
great troubles in the past, the state of upheaval today is extraordinary, its commencement
being easily traced to the World-war. Present Distress to Terminate in the "Desire of all Nations"The year 1914 witnessed the beginning
of a period of travail which students of the Scriptures understand will terminate in the
establishment of the desire of all nations, the Kingdom of God on earth. Though all men
have not faith and do not foresee the blessed culmination of this tribulation period,
yet thoughtful men recognize that the World-war, which brought so many powerful
nations to the brink of ruin, was the first dreadful spasm of the now constantly
recurring pains besetting all nations. But -only a comparatively few Christians, of all
earth's masses, know the eventuality -that these pare "birth pains" that will
result in a new -order of things, " a new heavens and a new earth"; and that the
old order will pass away in the process of giving birth to the new. True, men are not
lacking who from press and pulpit are calling attention to our times as being a
transition period, and many are the schemes, plans, and solutions proffered for the
perplexing problems of society. Among these are calls for humanity to
unite in a religious unity of brotherly love as being the only hope of solution, and the
press is constantly bearing witness to the endeavors of the various religious
denominations to group themselves in some federation to thereby facilitate a revival work
among mankind. Many of these efforts are commendable and merit the sympathy of all true
Christians, but alas, how short-sighted are the plans of men. Few have ears for the
message that this is the day of God's "shaking the heavens and the earth"
preparatory to the building of a new order of things, the Golden Age longed for by all.
As a rule men remain proud and unbroken in spirit, and God has yet to cause the
haughtiness of man to cease. In the very midst of scenes of change, the like of which have
never before been witnessed by history; with the most powerful nations undergoing a
shaking process to their very foundations; with cruelty and barbarism rife amongst some of
the most civilized people; with the Jewish nation being restored to its homeland
according to, prophecy, for the first time in 1800 years, and with many other evidences of
stupendous change, most men are coolly accepting all these events as the normal course of
humanity in its onward path to a better state to be brought about by their own efforts;
and they scoff at any who would point out to them from the pages of Holy Writ the
marvelous words of prophecy which show the real meaning of world distress. By their very
scoffing and deriding of God's Word, they are themselves unwittingly fulfilling
Scripture. We note the Apostle Peter's words (2 Pet. 3:3, 4), "There shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own
lusts and saying, Where is the promise of His presence [Greek-parousia]? for since the fathers fell
asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation." Yes,
men will ignore the promise of Christ's second coming and ridicule the signs pointed out
to them as proof, though these signs be the very ones promised by the Master Himself to
instruct His waiting disciples at the end of this Age. The Hope of the WorldHow sad is the realization that though
every church building in the world is a monument to a faith in Christ's first coming, yet
from how pitifully few does the message come forth regarding His second presence,
especially in view of the fact that this has been the great hope since the days of the
early Christians, and of which the Bible has more to say than concerning His first
coming. 'This very ignorance shows forth plainly the barrenness of the Laodicean stage
of the nominal church and is a further proof of these last days. "Where there is no
vision, the people perish." (Prov. 29:18.) "Behold, the days come, saith the
Lord God, that I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for
water, but of hearing the words of the Lord: and they shall wander from sea to sea, and
from the north even to the east, they shall run to and fro to seek the word of the Lord,
and shall not find it." - Amos 8:11, 12. The Scriptures witness that the
"day of the Lord," despite the tremendous events on earth accompanying it, will
nevertheless be unknown as such to humanity, who by reason of the fact that the
"day" of tribulation will extend over a period of years (some of which are now
past) and the gradual acclimatization of the nations to the successive "pains,"
will cause them to be lulled into a state of stoical refusal to acknowledge these events
as presaging the long prayed for Kingdom of God. Consider the Master's words when, after
having given the signs by which His days could be recognized, He concludes (Luke 21:35):
"For as a snare shall it come [that day-see
preceding verse] on all them that dwell on the face of the whole earth." Again "For as the days of
Noah, thus will be the presence of the Son of Man. For as in those days, those before the
Deluge, they were eating and drinking, marrying, and pledging in marriage, till the day
that Noah entered the Ark, and understood not, till
the Deluge came and swept them all away; thus will be the presence of the Son of
Man." (Matt. 24:37-39, Diaglott.) Again, "Behold, I come as a thief," that
is, quietly and unexpectedly. - Rev. 16:15. These Scriptures, amongst many others,
plainly foretell the ignorance of mankind as to the meaning of the momentous events
transpiring on the earth and also teach that men will fail to recognize in these events
anything unusual. The child of God must not permit himself to be discouraged by the
insensibility of men to the Word of the Lord, but should continue to let his light shine,
"Cast his bread on the waters," and leave the result with Him who can read the
hearts of all and who will in due time draw all men to Himself through the mediatorial
Kingdom of His Son and the Church, the Bride of Christ. Let us work while it is yet day
for "the night cometh, when no man can work." Cornerstone of Church Code OmittedTwo recent religious new items have
come to note -one favorable, the other unfavorable. We quote the first from the Chicago Tribune: "The general assembly of the
Presbyterian Church in the United States (meeting at Meridian, Wisconsin) voted 151 to 130
today to omit two sections of its confession of faith which some speakers said formed
the cornerstone of the church code. The sections omitted concerned the predestination of
man by divine election. The two sections voted out read: 'By the decree of God, for the
manifestation of His glory, some men and angels are predestined unto everlasting life and
others foreordained to everlasting death. And their number is so certain and definite
that it cannot be either increased or diminished.'" No further information is given, but we
are pleased to see the great forward step taken by our Presbyterian friends in ridding
themselves of creedal errors, and our sincere desire is that they may come to understand
the true Biblical teaching concerning God's election in the Gospel Age now ending, and the
free grace He will extend to all throughout the Millennial Age, at our doors. Nazification of Christian FaithThe second religious item we quote from
the New York Herald-Tribune: "A declaration of faith in
Chancellor Adolf Hitler is included in a Nazified 'apostle's creed' proposed to the German
churches by two Evangelical Protestant pastors of the Province of Mecklenburg. The
radically revised creed, which is replete with violent denunciations of the Jews as the
crucifers of Christ and 'the root of all evil,' was used at Easter confirmation services
by several Mecklenburg Protestant churches. The text, which has been published by a
church periodical opposed to the Nazification of its Christian faith, reads: "'We believe in the Eternal God
who reveals Himself in creation and history. We do not believe in Jehovah, the national
God of the Jews. "'We believe in the Savior, Jesus
Christ the great Warrior who was crucified by the Jews. We do not believe in the Jewish
Messiah, the butchered victim of Jehovah. We believe in our German nation created by God.
We do not believe that the Jews are a chosen people. "'We believe in our holy
Motherland which is called Germany. We do not believe in the promised land of Palestine,
with its Jerusalem. "'We believe in the unwritten
divine rules and laws. We do not believe in dogmas, denominations and holy letters. "'We do not believe in the Pope in
Rome, nor the Evangelical Popes (Bishops), but we do believe in our Fuehrer, Adolf Hitler,
and his ultimate victory for the future welfare of our Fatherland, as desired by God and
blessed by God. "'We do not believe in the power
of the keys and the spiritual authority of priests. But we do believe in the power of
submission and the sacrifice of the German people, willing to serve, and in the power of
the true comradeship. "'We do not believe in the
churches' denominations and sects, claiming the monopoly of all means of grace. But we do
believe in religious liberation and reunion of people in a positive Christian community
of faith for all Germans."' Here we have a mixture of truth and
error which is the more painful as it proceeds from a former stronghold of Christian
religion. Especially do we decry the increasing tendency to ignore the fact that Israel is
still God's people. "God has not cast
away His people which He foreknew." (Rom.
11:2.) True, they were disobedient, and surely all will agree that the pages of history
abundantly testify to their terrible sufferings in consequence thereof; but God's
promise to the Patriarch Fathers is sure and unchangeable, and in His own time He will
return them to His full favor and restore them to their own land to become a blessing to
all the families of the earth. This is the plain teaching of Scripture and is definitely
sealed by the Apostle Paul in that wonderful chapter-Romans 11. Would that all
persecutors of this long-suffering race might take heed to the advice of Gamaliel (Acts
5:38, 39) lest haply they be found even to fight against God. Would that Christians
everywhere could see in the restoration of the Jewish peoples (the budding of the fig
tree) an irrefutable evidence that summer is nigh, that Messiah's Kingdom is even at the
doors. "But ye, brethren, are not in
darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief. Ye are all the children of light,
and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness. Therefore let us
not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober." - 1 Thess. 5:4-6. - Contributed. Proclaim Liberty"Proclaim liberty throughout
all the land unto all the inhabitants thereof." - Lev. 25:10. THE FACT of mankind's universal
enslavement has perhaps never before been so fully apparent as it is today. Man's liberty is severely curtailed by
the state in many of the nations of the earth. Dictators have seized both the law-making
and the law-enforcing power, and like the feudal monarch of another day, each declares
'I am the state,' and all citizens owe me unquestioning and unreserved obedience."
And with ruthless severity submission is enforced upon all. These self-constituted national
taskmasters strut and pose like pouter-pigeons in the sunshine of their little day. But
they seem to realize as was expressed by the "Sun-king" of yesterday, that
"After us comes the deluge"; hence with insane frenzy they pile up armaments and
make preparations for war on a scale unprecedented even by the World-war. Yesterday
Ethiopia, and today poor Spain and China, are the proving-grounds for their armaments and
practice-fields for their war-experts, with human flesh and blood as the material for
their fiendish experiments. The best antidote the Christian knows for the sickening
effect upon the beholders of their "great swelling words" and acts of bombast
and frightfulness, is a re-reading of the second Psalm. "Yet have I set My King upon My holy hill of Zion! . . . Be wise,
be instructed, ye earthly great ones! Kiss the Son, lest He be angry and ye perish in the
way!" How comparatively happy in his
surroundings is the citizen of a democracy, where civil liberties are respected by the
government! The inalienable right to "life, liberty, and the pursuit of
happiness" -- what a precious heritage from our fathers! Well may we cherish and
celebrate it! Beginning of Man's EnslavementIrksome as is political bondage, there
are other forms of enslavement that are more degrading. Jesus said: "Everyy one that
committeth sin is- the slave of sin." (John 8:34.) Man's enslavement began with
Adam's disoibedience; his descendants with but one exception have all inherited his bonds
as it is written: "'Through one man sin entered into the world, and death through
sin; and so death passed unto all men, for that all sinned." Of but one son of man
has it been recorded that He was "holy, harmless, undefiled, and separate from
sinners," and because of this distinction and its concomitants, that One was called "The Son of Man," as well as the Son of
God. Complete and final release from man's
enslavement to sin comes only with his death. Said poor Job, who suffered so greatly for
the education of others as well as himself:
So also the Apostle Paul gives voice to
mankind's plaint: "Who shall deliver me from the body of this death?" -- his
own enslaved body, and the larger body of Adam's dying race. The founders of the great American
republic declared its political independence more than a hundred and sixty years ago,
yet eighty years later it was found necessary to proclaim and to pay in blood for the
further freeing of three million slaves within its own body. So the sinner, seeking the
freedom offered by Jesus Christ, attains that freedom by a series of declarations of
independence and proclamations of emancipation. A Prophecy of EmancipationThe herald angels proclaimed its
beginning at the birth of Jesus: "Behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which
shall be to all the people: for there is born to you this day in the city of David a
Savior, who is Christ the Lord." Thirty years later Jesus Himself
announced His mission in these words
So Paul answers his own cry:
"Wretched man that I am! Who shall deliver me out of the body of this death? I thank
God through Jesus Christ, our Lord." But he adds: "So then I myself with the
mind, indeed, serve God; but with the flesh the law of sin." In his flesh, as in the flesh of every
man, lurk thoughts, habits, tendencies, desires, which are still the slaves of sin.
Against them a battle must be waged unceasingly. "For though we walk in the flesh, we
do not war according to the flesh ... casting down imaginations ... and bringing every
thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ" -- which is really liberty; since
His yoke is easy, His burden light. "Where the spirit of Christ is,
there is liberty." The proof of our possession of the Christ-spirit in high degree is
not our insistence on liberty for ourselves; a greater test, which each follower of Christ
is certain to face sooner or later, is our willingness to grant full liberty and
equality to our brethren. Every division, sect, denomination and persecution among
professing Christians is and ever has been due to intolerance of brethren, of others who
will not accede to our way of thinking. On this point Brother Russell has well observed. True Doctrine of Christian Liberty"It is one of the curious things
in human history to see how generally the persecuted have become in turn the persecutors
the moment the power was lodged in their hands. And why? Because the true principle of
Christian liberty had not been grasped, and is to this day apprehended by only a few. The
right of any body of men to differ from others has always been claimed by them; there is
no novelty in that. From the beginning, every Christian sect that has arisen has
vehemently contended for its right to differ from others. It has protested against
persecution-that is to say, the persecution of itself by others. But in few cases has any
sect conceded the right of others to differ from it, or forborne to persecute when it had
the power. And in our own day each man is prompt to claim and assert the right to think
for himself, but how loath most are to concede the equal right of all other men to think
for themselves. Every one resents any attempt to coerce
him into the avowal of anything that he does not honestly believe, but how few fail to
attempt to coerce others. "The true doctrine of Christian
liberty is not our right to think for ourselves, but the right of the other man to think
for himself. There is no danger now that our right will not be insisted upon and enforced,
particularly if our thinking happens to fall in with that of the majority. It is the other
man's liberty that is in danger, particularly if he is in the minority. It is 'his liberty
that demands defense at all hazards; for, if liberty is denied him, how long will it be
conceded to us? "To demand liberty for the other
man, even when he differs from us, is not to admit that truth and error are essentially
one, or to deny that it is of great consequence what the other man believes and teaches.
It may be our duty to oppose with all our might what he teaches, to denounce it as a
deadly error. But this may be done without identifying the man with what he teaches, and
without the display of the spirit of intolerance and persecution. We need not try to
make the man odious because his opinion is odious to us. To be loyal to the truth, and yet
faithfully to recognize the equal rights of all men to free thought and free speech is not
always an easy task. The two may, however, be combined. And nothing can be more certain
than the preservation of Christian liberty for any if conditioned on the concession of
that liberty for all." Items of InterestNew Method for Introducing the TruthThe Bible Students Committee of England
has supplied the British friends with a series of three cards for the purpose of
introducing the Truth. Since this method has secured good results, we have prepared two
cards of similar intent. Number One of these is distributed by various means to the
general public. The card contains instruction that if the recipient is interested and will
return it to us, we will send free literature regarding the permission of evil and what
may be expected as the outcome of present conditions in the world. With this literature we
will also send the second card, and if this card is returned to us, the special issue of
the "Herald" on the subjects of "What Say the Scriptures about Hell"
and "Our Lord's Return," as treated by Brother Russell, with additional tracts
as requested, will be sent. This second card also offers the "Divine Plan of the
Ages" for thirty cents or as a loan. We believe this affords an opportunity
for the friends to engage in a service that may result in much blessing to some who are
hungering for the Truth in these days when there is a "famine in the land."
Please order freely of card Number One -- as many as you are able to use judiciously.
Mailing them to selected addresses seems to have worked best, but distribution by any
method has brought good returns. Opportunities for ServiceIf you are being blessed by the
ministry of the "Herald," do you not know of others who need this same blessing?
We are glad to send sample copies or three months' trial subscription free to any address
you may send us. Let us not be indifferent to our privileges of service, and to the needs
of our brethren, but ever on the alert and watchful for opportunities to be of assistance
"in season and out of season," Annual Report of the Pastoral Bible InstituteGATHERED again for the privilege of
rendering an account of the stewardship which you have entrusted to us during the past
twelve months, we are reminded, as the conditions in the Church as well as throughout the
world also remind us, that it may soon be the solemn duty and privilege of each one of us
to render a final account of all our earthly stewardships. The consolation will then be,
as it is now, to know that perfection of the flesh is not expected by our perfect judge.
It is our hope, however, for ourselves and for all the brethren that the evidences of
God's merciful overruling and blessing in spite of the mistakes of the past, will, instead
of encouraging us to presume on His grace, inspire us to greater care and zeal in His
service. For the benefit of those who have more
or less recently become associated with us, we would explain what has been kept more or
less prominent from the commencement of the Institute's work, namely that this institution
has never been and is not a church organization, nor of a sectarian character. It has
not been the purpose of either the literature published (the "Herald," tracts,
books, etc.), or of the discourses of the Pilgrim brethren, to establish a creed; but, as
the second page of each issue of our journal states, standing "free from all parties,
sects, and creeds of men," our purpose is to encourage and assist the brethren to
continue in the liberty wherewith Christ makes free, and to be faithful to their covenant
with the Lord, realizing "that the present mission of the Church is the perfecting of
the saints for the future work of service; to develop in herself every grace; to be
God's witness to the world; and to prepare to be kings and priests in the next Age." While concerned that the precious
truths which came to us through the ministry of our dear Pastor shall not be lost, we
have recognized and also endeavored to counter the still more subtle error of losing the
spirit for the inculcating of which those truths were given. That some measure of success
has attended our effort, we are encouraged to believe because of the spirit of the
letters received from our brethren. In view of its more frequent contact
with the brethren, probably the "Herald of Christ's Kingdom" has been our most
effective and fruitful means of assisting and strengthening them. Then, too, it is able to
reach all who wish to be served by it. Provision has been made through the contributions
of the friends that those who have felt most the effect of the "lean years" need
not be without either this service or the ministration of the Pilgrim brethren. We take
this opportunity to suggest that if any are known who are too modest to ask for the
"Herald" or Pilgrim service because of being unable to share in the expense;
their addresses be sent to the office. Though more limited in its scope, the
Pilgrim service also has been much blessed. The Lord has seen fit to grant Brother Friese
sufficient physical strength so that he has again undertaken a pilgrimage very much to the
profit of the friends. Upon receipt of requests from various Classes and brethren
throughout the United States and Canada, Brother John Hoskins was asked to make a Pilgrim
trip, which he had almost completed in fact was on his return trip, when ill-health
demanded his immediate return home. This leaves our Pilgrim service at the end of the year
with seven brethren serving for Sunday and short trips, and three giving their full time
to this work. Upon invitation of our brethren in Great Britain, Brother Thomson in March
began a pilgrimage there which those brethren plan shall continue into August. Encouraging
reports are being received respecting the blessings of this ministry.
The tracts are another means of service
always considered of great importance. While there has been no demand for the treating of
additional subjects, and while a fair quantity of tracts has been used, we wonder if
something might not be done to stimulate a larger circulation. Perhaps each of our,
friends, or his Class, has already placed tracts in all the homes of their community as
well as sent them to all their acquaintances at a distance. Any suggestions the friends
have to make along this or any other line will be appreciated. The recently announced
cards for introducing the Truth, simulating those used by the Bible Students' Committee
of England, we are hoping, will greatly add to the privileges of telling "the old,
old story." It has not been possible for us to
express as fully as we would like to have-done, our appreciation of the whole-hearted
cooperation of many brethren throughout the world. Few of the communications reaching us
have been mere "business letters." For every word of encouragement the
correspondence in general 'has contained, as well as for the letters written with that
sole pur. pose, we wish here to express our sincere appreciation. Nor less sincerely would
we thank our critics who have written in the spirit of the Lord and with a true desire to
increase the effectiveness of our various services. As in the past, where made possible by
the publishers, a discount has been, allowed the friends on Bibles, and other religious
literature ordered through us. This privilege of service we have appreciated, and trust it
has been the means of some additional
blessings. While we trust the orders have always been dispatched with reasonable
promptness, we regret that at times our acknowledgements, through the limitation of time
and assistance, have not always been so prompt.
Realizing that those who have
cooperated with the Institute during the year just past are not limited to those from whom
we have heard either directly or indirectly, but that the ministry of prayer widens that circle beyond the limits of our knowledge, we would express our appreciation
of all these, and, in closing ask that this
coming year the brethren bear before the throne of grace, without ceasing, those who
shall be entrusted with the responsibility of this service, and that means may be provided
for continuation of the work without restricting its scope. The Annual MeetingPURSUANT to charter provisions, such
members of the Institute as found it practicable to do so gathered on the afternoon of
Saturday, June 4, in the annual meeting for the election of directors and the transaction
of such other business as might properly come before it. Following a season of devotion, a
chairman and a secretary for the meeting were elected. The minutes of the last annual meeting
were read and approved, after which the annual report of the directors to the membership
was presented, also the treasurer's report. These are printed elsewhere in this issue,.
with the auditors' report-all of which were accepted by the membership. The names of new
members for the yeas, to the total of 22, were then read. The election of directors being next in
order, the chairman appointed tellers, who 'collected the ballots of those present,
received the proxies sent in, and retired. A song, prayer, and testimony service ensued.
Upon completion -of the work 'of the tellers, the following were declared elected as
directors: Brothers S. D. Bennett, M.D., J. J. Blackburn, Benjamin Boulter, James C.
Jordan, P. L. Read, Chester E. Stiles, and Paul E. Thomson. The meeting made provision for
the disposition of the ballots. The Chairman of the Board of Directors
expressed on behalf of the directors their appreciation of the privilege of service,
pledged their best endeavors to be faithful to their trust, and besought the prayers of
the friends for our Father's assisting wisdom and sustaining grace. The committee which was appointed in
accordance with action at the last annual meeting for the purpose of drawing up a
statement and submitting it to the directors for their approval, as to the financial
condition of the Institute with a desire of getting from the membership an expression of
their views as to the present and future work of the Institute, reported that they had
recently completed their work, and asked to be discharged. This request was granted. The meeting was closed with praise and
prayer. The sweet spirit of the Lord prevailed throughout. Gathering shortly thereafter, the Board
of Directors elected the following officers: S. D. Bennett, M.D., Chairman; C. E.
Stiles, Vice-chairman and Acting Secretary; P. E. Thomson, Secretary; P. L. Read,
Treasurer; and H. E. Hollister, Assistant
Treasurer. The present Editorial Committee was
reappointed, namely S. D. Bennett, M.D., H. E. Hollister, J. T. Read, P. L. Read, and P. E
Thomson. (Those presently devoting full time to Pilgrim Service were also reappointed,
namely J. J. Blackburn, H. A. Friese, and P. E. Thomson. Financial Statement
Excess of expense over income $1,003.39 It will be noted that the deficit of
about one thousand dollars for the fiscal year just closed, was less by some thirteen
hundred dollars than the deficit of the preceding year. This reduction has been
accomplished without decreasing the various services of the Institute, and with
substantially the same current revenue, only by the practicing of rigid economy in
expenditures, and by still greater self-denial on the part of those actively engaged in
the' service. The deficit has been made good by drawing on the Reserve Investment funds,
accumulated from gifts and bequests received in past years. Whether the Institute in the near
future shall be compelled by diminished revenue to curtail its activities, is, we
believe, primarily dependent upon the Lord's will and providence. Whatever He arranges
will be best; hence the Head's "Yea"
shall be echoed by our "Amen," to whatever betides. Meanwhile let us all resolve
to "carry on" in whatever field of activity we may be privileged to serve Him,
until He shall say: "It is enough." Statement of AuditorsWe, the undersigned, appointed to audit
the accounts . of the Pastoral Bible Institute for the fiscal year ending April 30, 1938,
have examined the books and financial records and find them to be well kept and in good
order. Respectfully
submitted, GEORGE W.
JEFFREY The Life That Now Is"For bodily
exercise profiteth for a little time: but godliness is profitable unto all things, having
promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come." - TO REALLY appreciate the beauty of the
Apostle's statement regarding the profitableness of godliness in the life that now is,
it would seem necessary to take a retrospective survey of his unusual experiences prior
to the writing of his two very personal letters to his beloved son Timothy. He might of
course have written these same words at a very much earlier date in his ministry,-and
they would have been no less true. They might have been written long before he could write
his life's story of repeated imprisonments, of stripes, of hunger and nakedness, of
impoverishment and ' rejections, and they would have been words just as full of truth.
But when they were written, as they could be, with a background of suffering such as Paul
had hitherto experienced, how much greater weight attaches to his affirmation that even
for "the life that now is," the pursuit of godliness is unquestionably
profitable. St. Paul in Perils ManyIt was not in any spirit of boasting
that this noble Apostle recounted his hardships. He understood perfectly well that only
when suffering for well doing is borne patiently, is it acceptable with God; therefore
it is quite possible that we are really indebted to his enemies for the one or two
detailed accounts of his special tribulations. Had he not been placed in a position where
it seemed necessary to defend his brethren against the false claims of self-appointed
leaders, we might never have had a record of sufferings such as we find in his second
letter to the brethren at Corinth. What a review of trial and adversity it is! "Are
they ministers of Christ? (I speak as a fool) I am more; in labors more abundant, in
stripes above measure, in prisons more frequent, in deaths oft. Of the Jews five times
received I forty stripes save one. Thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned,
thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day I have been in the deep; in journeyings
often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils by mine own countrymen, in
perils by the heathen, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in
the sea, in perils among false brethren; in weariness and painfulness, in watchings often,
in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness. Beside those things that
are without, that which cometh upon me daily, the care of all the churches." - 2 Cor.
11:23-28. If after a life of such extraordinary
privations and hardships, due to his faithful service and devotion to God, an old veteran
covered with the scars of incessant warfare can yet write to a younger man and testify
that for the present life, "godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise
of the life that now is," what inspiration there is in such a testimony. Paul is now
an old man, broken in health, literally poured out in the service of brethren, loved the
less by some the more he loved, and deserted by many of them. He writes, therefore, not
as an ardent enthusiast just putting on his armor, but as one who has seen and experienced
an unusual amount of the bitterness associated with a godly life, and who is even then
waiting to be finally offered up in death itself. He had invested all he had to offer,
and he had, much that the world calls wealth, but in this his last inventory before the
ledger of earthly life is closed, he does not hesitate to assure his dear son Timothy --
and through a loving Providence us also-that for "the life that now is,"
godliness pays wonderful dividends. O to Grace how Great a Debtor!Paul was able to look back over a life
marvelously transformed by the grace of God. And whenever we find him going back in
memory to those days of blindness and madness against the name of Jesus, invariably we
find him overwhelmed with gratitude for the mercy that lifted him out of darkness into
the light. As he contrasts what he has become by divine grace, with what he was before his
bigoted persecuting zeal was halted by that supernatural vision on the Damacus road, his
gratitude must be expressed. When he meditates on what he once considered as the acme of
attainment and inheritance, contrasting the things once counted gain, with what he now
possesses through faith in Christ, his gratitude rises to its highest expression, and we
hear him say, "Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of
the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things,
and do count them but refuse, that I may win Christ." (Phil. 3:8.) How full of
enrichment, happiness, joy, and gratitude, "the life that now is" became to the
Apostle, can very easily be discovered in his various Epistles. Commentators are
unanimous in the observation that throughout all the Pauline writings, the reader is
frequently carried away from the main theme being discussed, because the Apostle's
grateful soul has caught some fresh reminder of the favor shown to him, and he must break
the thread of thought long enough to give expression to his own inward joy. In other
Epistles this digression is frequently occupied with some subsidiary or connected truth,;
but in the letters to Timothy the departures from the main line of advice and
exhortation, it will be noticed, have to do with some personal experience which sets his
heart glowing, stirring him to utterances which have been exceedingly precious to faithful
saints all down the long period of Church history. Supreme Objective in the Daily LifeAs a splendid illustration of this
peculiar and pleasing habit we might turn to 1 Tim. 1:12-18. He has been giving Timothy a
charge concerning errors which have crept into the Church, and which are out of line with
"the glorious Gospel" committed to his trust. But the mention of "the
glorious Gospel" is sufficient to momentarily erase its pervertors from his mind.
His feelings are immediately kindled with the remembrance of what the Gospel had done
for him, and so he goes on to write of his own experience. And where, in all that Paul has
written, can we find expressions of personal gratitude more dear to the Christian heart
than here? Let us pause a moment and read them over again, those words so expressive of a
joy flooding "the life that now is," wherever sin has been abandoned and the
pursuit of godliness has become the supreme objective in the daily life. "According
to the glorious Gospel of the blessed God, which was committed to my trust. And I thank
Christ Jesus our Lord, who 'hath enabled me, for that He counted me faithful, putting me
into the ministry; who was before a blasphemer, and a persecutor, and injurious: but I
obtained mercy, because I did it ignorantly in unbelief. And the grace of our Lord was
exceeding abundant with faith and love which is in Christ Jesus. This is a faithful
saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save
sinners; of whom I am chief. . . . Now unto the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the
only wise God, be honor, and glory forever and ever. Amen." What Christian could read such a
testimony as this without feeling irresistibly drawn to his knees in humble, fervent
gratitude? To know Christ crucified was Paul's supreme theme, and in this digression
he brings his reader to the foot of the cross, there to see himself as the greatest of
sinners, and the most undeserving of God's forgiving love. If we should attempt to sketch
the meaning of these words to the hearts they have strengthened, the hopes they have
enkindled, the gratitude they have produced, and the hours of communion they have
sweetened, for numberless contrite souls who have felt themselves "the chief
sinners," where indeed, would the glowing numbers end? The profitableness of godliness as it
pertains to the present life begins with a true conception of the sinful corruption from
which we have beer, mercifully delivered. No argument is necessary to prove that unless
the loathsomeness of the "horrible pit" and the "miry clay" is
properly sensed, there can be no adequate appreciation of the grace and love that made our
deliverance therefrom a possibility. Was this not the lesson that Jesus sought to bring
home to the self-righteous Simon, at whose table He reclined while His feet were being
bathed by the tears of a sin sick penitent woman? Simon had little conception of any
forgiveness, hence little idea of the exhilarating, strengthening power which comes to
those who realize that "where sin abounds, grace doth much more abound." The
poor sin-conscious woman whose sins were many, had a capacity for love and gratitude to
which the Pharisee was yet a stranger; and because of that commendable and much to be
sought after sensitiveness to sin defilement possessed by her, she must of a certainty
experience magnetic influences drawing her in the direction of godliness, possible only to
such as really sense the exceeding sinfulness of sin. Since the pursuit of holiness, then,
is the most important occupation of the life that now is, and to be "found in Him,
not having our own righteousness," the most fascinating, soul-inspiring,
joy-producing, character-purifying influence of which sin-hating, grateful hearts are
capable, who can measure the profitableness of godliness secured to us by God's abounding
grace, and made blessedly operative in "the life that now is" by His almighty
power. Praise His name for the deliverance He has wrought out for us, and for the joys of
His salvation lavishly showered upon us in every hour of the present life. Godliness makes the Present Life Worth LivingTo a spiritual mind there is no real
paradoxical meaning in the words of Jesus when He said, "Let the dead bury their
dead." Neither is there any difficulty in understanding the actualities present in
Paul's statement, "To be carnally minded is death,
but to be spiritually minded is life and peace." (Rom. 8:6.) These distinctions
between what constitutes life and death can not be known by the unregenerate, worldly
mind, neither can they be known in any experimental way by those of God's professing
people whose lives are even yet lived largely on the thin boundary line that may lie
between carnal, flesh-satisfying pleasures and pursuits, and the life that is life indeed. Lot would leave Sodom
and its exceeding wickedness, but prefers a location not so far removed therefrom.
Pharaoh will let Israel worship their God, but why not do so "in the land."
Failing in this, he will let them go out of the land, but "not very far away."
When "three days' journey" must be granted, surely they will "leave the
children behind," and because the children too must go, then ''only let your flocks
and your herds be stayed." Compromise was ever the Devil's most
successful argument, and only those who persist in putting the Red Sea of baptismal death
as an effectual barrier between themselves and the things of the world, are safely
separated and settled on resurrection ground. These alone are living as having
"passed from death unto life." Only in a true Christian experience is there fulness of joy. The
Bible promises no such joy to the double-minded man, unstable in all his ways, and no such
joys of salvation can be known by the lukewarm and half-hearted souls whose conception of
Christian life seems to be largely a matter of escaping the penalty of sin. More than
that, no general faith in the atoning power of our Lord's shed blood can secure to us
the fulness of joy our Lord promised to His own. There must 'be something much more
personal than that to bring our hearts into a living consciousness of the quickening power
of His love. True Christian life is that state of mind in which old things have really
passed away. and a new vision, new aspirations, new determinations, have so completely
flooded the life that "the Kingdom of God and His righteousness" has become
the consuming desire of the soul. In this attitude of mind, godliness is earnestly sought,
for in it alone can the present life be made worth while. Only then does this "so
great salvation" unfold in multiplied joys and gladness. Here may be known the true
joy of forgiveness, for here will be found a correct understanding of what our
redemption has cost our Father and our Redeemer. Here there is real companionship with
God, and that fellowship of spirit with Jesus that causes our "hearts to burn within
us" while He talks to us by the way. Here obedience to all His will becomes the
delight and joy of our hearts, leading to a diligent searching -of His Word, to the end
that out of its inexhaustible storehouse we may gather wisdom and strength, and
increasing transformation into His own likeness. Here the "joy of the Lord is our
strength," giving reality to our confidence that "all things work together for
good" to the honored class that God bath chosen in Christ before the foundation of
the world. 0 rich, even in "the life that now is," are those strong in faith and
mature in spiritual vision, to whom "all things" are really recognized as
contributing a wealth of blessing, secured through faith. Such are made increasingly
independent of external circumstances, in the confidence that the pursuit of godliness
is profitable under any circumstance, and
particularly so, if seeking first the Kingdom of heaven has brought them into difficult
situations, financial or otherwise. Happy those who can say, "Although the
fig-tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines; the labor of the olive
shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat; the flock shall be cut off from the fold,
and there shall be no herd in the stalls; yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in
the God of my salvation." (Hab. 3:17, 18.) How rich are such trusting hearts compared
to those who have no such faith and who must therefore turn to broken cisterns that can
hold no water. Surely, then, godliness is profitable for the life that now is. Cherishing a Noble DiscontentFrom the same Apostle by whom we are
urged to remember the profitableness of godliness in the present life, there comes other
and very frequent assurances that the full measure of profit has not yet' been realized.
As an illustration of this we may consider his reference to his own noble discontent.
Notwithstanding all that had already been attained by him in a knowledge of the Lord
Jesus, he is far from contented to remain limited to present levels. Hearken to his words:
"Not as though I had already attained, either were already -perfect but I follow
after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus."
(Phil. 3:12.) The profit attainable through godliness is a boon for which we may well be
overwhelmed with gratitude, but unless we 'have also this same intense desire as the
Apostle, for greater and yet greater knowledge and likeness to Christ we have not the
attitude of mind favorable to attainments essential for the life "which is to
come." The touchstone of real Christian experience after all, is found in this
confession of Paul. If we may take his viewpoint as a safe
guide in this matter, are we not forced to conclude that to be satisfied with present
profit and attainment, is to reveal ourselves regrettably deficient in one of the most
important indications of both love and gratitude? To feel ourselves "rich and
increased in goods and having need of nothing," will most certainly find us ere long
left "poor and blind and naked." Only those who continually "hunger and
thirst" are blessed. And those who are most fervent in the longing for greater
attainments are the ones who are most likely to be conscious of imperfection, and most
earnest and eager in the effort to apprehend that which is perfect. The Lord assures us
that there is no limit to what we can receive from Him even in "the life that now
is." "From grace to grace and from glory to glory" is His will for us. Why,
then, should there be any disposition to place limits on what may be experienced of
closeness of fellowship with Him, or of the fulness of His power in us, or of the beauty
of godliness that can pass from Him into our characters and irradiate our lives. Rather,
let us too display this noble discontent with all that we at present know of the
profitableness of godliness, however great our present attainments may be. Let our spirits
reach out for the full measure of advantage possible of enjoyment in "the life that
now is," that we may attain the fullest possible measure of "that which is to
come." He will Reveal to the Lowly SoulAnd if such attainments for both the
present and the future seem too remote for us, what consolation we may find in the
promise that the good work begun in us by the Lord, will be completed by Him also. We are
His workmanship created in Christ Jesus unto good works, and our oneness of spirit with
Him in the desire to be made like Him, will assure a heart condition always acquiescent
and lovingly obedient to His will. Our hope is not in ourselves. Jesus, in His prayer,
asks that we be kept through the Father's name, and in that name is our only basis of
assurance. But a blessed assurance it is of His unchanging purpose in our redemption,
and of His inexhaustible resources to work it out in hearts wholly committed to Him. His
love can never fail, and His strength is made perfect in weakness. He will strengthen with
might by His Spirit in the inner man. "By the discipline of daily life, by the
ministry of sorrow and joy, by merciful chastisements dogging our steps when we stray, by
duties and cares, by the teaching of His Word coming even closer to our hearts and
quickening our consciences to discern evil where we had seen none, as well as kindling
in us desires after higher and rarer goodness, by the reward of enlarged perceptions of
duty and greater love towards it, with which He recompenses lowly obedience to the duty as
yet seen, by the secret influences of His Spirit of power and of love and of a sound mind
breathed into our waiting spirits, by the touch of His own sustaining hand and glance of
His own guiding eye, He will reveal to the lowly soul all that is yet wanting in its
knowledge, and communicate all that is lacking in character." So for us, the great question is that
of our desire to grow up into Christ. If our heart's deepest longing is for all that is
attainable in God's will for "the life that now is," and we desire this
primarily that we may live to please and glorify Him here and hereafter, we may look
forward with confidence to greater things than yet have been. God's revealed intention
is that every child of His shall live here on earth a life sustained by supernatural
powers, and realizing this, may we not take all His promises as "yea and
amen"? O may our lives be such as will bear testimony to the fact that
"godliness is profitable," rewarding those who put "the Kingdom of God
and His righteousness" first and foremost, with an abiding joy, a settled peace, a
soul-inspiring vision of things not yet attained, a "noble discontent," making
"the life that now is" a continuous upward progression, until that which is
perfect has come. Happy Days of FellowshipAurora IlDear Brethren in Christ: Greetings in our Master's Name! It is my pleasant duty to report on the
convention held at Aurora, Ill., May 28, 29, and 30, the sessions of which exceeded our
hopes and were a wonderful blessing to the friends gathered here, according to their own
testimony. The Aurora Class had for five months planned and labored to make it a blessed
period. About 400 brethren attended, well representing the Midwest section. From the very outset we recognized the
Lord's presence through His Spirit, which pervaded the entire session and made the
words of our beloved Master which were inscribed just over the speaker's platform and
which had been chosen for the watchword of the gathering, dramatically emphasized by
their visible reality: "One is your Master, all ye are brethren." 'This loving
injunction was the more impressive as in the background hung a beautiful painting,
"Gethsemane," which served to remind us the more of Him who became poor for our sakes, and who has so greatly enriched us through
His impoverishment. The messages of the speakers blended
perfectly with the spirit of the convention and each successive discourse served to
refresh our minds through the repetition of the glorious truths which had drawn us
together and which can keep us to the end, if we abide therein. Space does not permit even
a short resume of the subjects used. Suffice it to say that each brother was the minister
of the Lord to us in things spiritual, both as to the grand features of divine truth as
well as in exhortations concerning our living according
to that which we have received. We rejoice also that the memory of our
dear Brother Russell was honored in the kind and loving way the truths he so labored to
present to others were repeated at this convention. It had been the hope of the Aurora
Class that the friends would gather in the spirit of quietness and brotherly love, a
spirit which would draw even those who may differ on some points, who, hearing the old
message, spoken in love, might be refreshed spiritually. "By this shall all men
know that ye are My disciples, if ye have love one to another." We are happy to say
our hopes were realized in the wonderful spirit of Christian love which was visible in,
all. Praise the Lord who commanded the blessing which brought so much joy to His people.
At the baptismal service held in the pool of the same building five dear ones (Juniors)
witnessed to several hundred friends their devotion of all to Him, the Creator of us all.
May the Lord bless them in the house of their pilgrimage. Before the convention closed, by a show
of hands, plans for an eight-day International Convention were approved this convention to
be held in the Midwest, in the summer of 1939, and the purpose of which will be to serve
as a gathering place for all God's people for a week -of sweet fellowship. It is hoped
that some beautiful place near a lake and woods will be found, which will serve the
purpose of a vacation spot and a place of spiritual rest for the 1,000 friends expected. A
working committee of three was appointed by the convention body to apprise all the
Classes, to secure their cooperation thereto, and further information will be shortly
forthcoming. We trust this ambitious undertaking will have the Lord's approval and we
earnestly petition the prayers of the brethren, that the spirit of this large convention
may be the same as the Aurora convention which inaugurated it. We close with a sincere expression of
gratitude to the Heavenly Father for the blessed. season of fellowship now past, and also
to all the dear ones who labored therein, and to all in whose prayers we know we had so
abundant a share. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. The Aurora, Ill. Ecclesia, W. J. S., Sec.. Brooklyn, N. Y."On June 4 and 5, the usual Annual
Convention of Christian Believers was held in the Y.M.C.A. Building oh Hanson Place,
with a total attendance of about one hundred and fifty. It was an uplifting, inspiring,
and satisfying 'feast of fat things' from beginning to end. "On Saturday evening the two
discourses were along the lines of our appreciation of the real value of the knowledge of
the Truth and the evidence of that appreciation in our daily lives, especially in our
dealings and association with -our brethren in the narrow way of sacrifice. This first
session struck the keynote of the Convention which seemed to recur in every discourse and
in the testimonies given-namely, the solemnity of our responsibility in carrying out our
covenant of sacrifice unto death. "This became very pronounced in the
two discourses on Sunday morning. The first speaker analyzed and enlarged upon the
divisions and wording of The Morning Resolve, drawing from it new richness and depth of
meaning. The second speaker, in similar manner, scrutinized the Shepherd Psalm with all
its comforting assurance of our Father's interest in and tender care for His flock. "In the afternoon the first
discourse dealt with Moses and his addresses to the children of Israel at the close of
their pilgrimage just before entering the promised land, showing how courageously they might have gone forward had they remembered how the
Lord had led them in all the previous years; thus emphasizing the need for faith in the
Christian pilgrimage. The second discourse, on Jesus' Three Parables given at Matthew's
feast, emphasized the necessity of our breaking away from all former creeds, customs, and
prejudices in order to appropriate to our spiritual good the truths now due to be
understood, just as in Jesus' day the ideas, tenets, and customs of the previous age had
to give way to the new message of the Gospel. Thus, again, the thought of our solemn
responsibility in properly appreciating and appropriating the blessing of Present Truth
recurred. "Sunday evening was devoted to the
consideration of 1 Chron. 4:9, 10, showing that it is pleasing to God that we come to Him
with large ;petitions. He is anxious to bless
us, and only as we realize our need of His blessing, His guidance, and His protection are
we ready to receive. His resources are exhaustless. He delights to give. 'Ask, and ye shall receive.' "The testimony meetings were
especially uplifting as all seemed eager to tell of God's blessings and guidance, and of
their continued confidence in His abounding grace. The final session of the Convention
consisted of brief, encouraging remarks by several visiting brethren concerning the
effect upon our spiritual development -of our successes and failures while undergoing
testing. By unanimous vote the love -of all present was sent to all Classes represented.
Thus ended another season of sweet fellowship, when 'Jesus Himself drew near.' " Outgrowth of the Hidden LifeThe life hid with Christ in God is a
hidden life, as to its source, but it must not be hidden as to its practical results.
People must see that we walk as Christ walked, if we say that we are abiding in Him. We
must prove that we "possess" that which we "profess." We must, in
short, be real followers of Christ, and not theoretical ones only. And this means a great
deal. It means that we must really and absolutely turn our backs on everything that is
contrary to the perfect will of God. It means that we are to be a "peculiar
people," not only in the eyes of God, but in the eyes of the world around us; and
that, wherever we go, it will be known from -our habits, our tempers, our conversation and
our pursuits, that we are followers of the Lord Jesus Christ, and are not of this world,
even as He was not of the world... . Into all this we shall undoubtedly be
led by the Spirit of God, if we give ourselves up to His guidance. But unless we have the
right standard of Christian life set before us, we may be hindered by our ignorance from
recognizing His voice; and it is for this reason I desire to be very plain and definite in
my statements. I have noticed that wherever there has
been a faithful following of the Lord in a consecrated soul, several things have, sooner
or later, inevitably followed: Meekness and quietness of spirit become
in time the characteristics of the daily life. A submissive acceptance of the will of God,
as it comes in the hourly events of each day, is manifested; pliability in the hands of
God and bustle; a yielding to the wishes of others, and an insensibility to slights and
affronts; absence of worry or anxiety'; deliverance from care and fear-all these, and many
other similar graces, are invariably found to be the natural outward development of that
inward life which is hid with Christ in God.
- Selected. Journeying Among the BrethrenDear Brethren of the Board: Within recent months it has been my
privilege to once more visit many of the friends in the far western and southwestern
sections of the country, and such lengthy pilgrimages being of less frequent occurrence
than the journeying to and fro in the more eastern portions of the territory we serve,
there is to me a special interest in reporting to you some of my observations and
encouragements. Trips of this kind being usually a year
or more of time between, one must expect to miss some familiar and loved faces, and to
learn that one here and there has passed away. One by one the toilers lay down their
instruments of service and pass beyond "the burden and heat of the day" into
rest. As a general thing these are they who have reached the more advanced stage of
natural life, and we are glad to believe most of them had attained the maturity of
spiritual life on the basis of which we may hope for them the sweet "well done"
of the Master. And to us who are not as yet permitted to lay off the armor of service and
conflict, these vacant chairs are reminders that we too must soon be prepared to render up
our account and be found worthy of an abundant entrance, or found with a structure of
wood, hay, and stubble, unworthy of approval. Then, too, there will today be found
the never ending verification of our Savior's parable of the sower. Some seed faithfully
sown will have fallen on the wayside path, some among the stones and thorns, and far too
little on the good, fertile and receptive soil. This parable has had its age-long
fulfillment. We of this present time are disposed to speak of "early Church
history" as though it were vastly different from that of today. But after all there
is really little basis for this distinction. Would Paul address any different letters to
the Church of our own day than such as he wrote in earlier times? Are there any new or
different conditions and developments among professing followers of Christ in these days
than obtained in Apostolic days? The same severe rebukes, the same fervent appeals, and
the same tearstained letters, we may feel assured would come from his pen and heart if
he were here among us today. Human nature does not change, and the works of the flesh
are manifested in the same way still. Growth in Christian character is still by the same
rule and in line with the same divine laws as in those early days of the Age; therefore
the general aspects of 'Church history vary little. And so it comes to pass that any report
giving a truthful review of general conditions must still include the strain of lament
over such things as Galatian legalism, Corinthian sectarianism, Laodicean lukewarmness,
and a far too meager report of Berean studiousness, Thessalonian "work of faith,
labor of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ," and too little of new
creature unity in Christ by which the world can believe in, the power of Him whose name we
bear. Now as in earlier times it is so manifestly true, "Straight is the gate and
narrow is the way, and few there be that find it." But I am not disposed to bring to you
an unfavorable report, or to enlarge upon the all too apparent causes, such as Paul saw
long ago, for tears today. Rather I wish to convey to you with whom I have the privilege
of colaboring, some of the delightful and encouraging aspects of the conditions existing
in this present hour. If the trials of the day were to be thought of only as trials, and
not recognized in their true meaning as stepping-stones to some afterward of blessing,
then there would be very little of joy to be found in so much that is taking place among
believers everywhere. But when such trials are seen as God's best way of revealing
character, and when under the heat and pressure of fiery trials brethren are being
manifested as strong in righteousness, steadfast in upright principle, ripe in the fruits
of the Spirit, firmly established in all the vital essentials of the faith, and matured
into a true unity of the Spirit, then indeed it is proved true: "Blessed is the
man," or the company of men, "that endureth temptation." And in the midst
of all that is to be seen today there are to be found a very encouraging number of those
who are meeting all trials in the spirit of Christ, and in whose lives and conduct love is
still the principal thing. 'There may indeed be but "One such
here and there," but they are to be found among us still, and glad we are to believe
that the Lord may know others as such characters who, to us, because of frailties of the
flesh, may seem otherwise. No inspired text bearing on this point becomes more precious to
us in these days than the old familiar one: "The foundation of God standeth sure,
having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that arc His. And, let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from
iniquity." The fiery trials are serving to reveal characters strong in faith to trust
God, come what may in the way of adversity, and who display a love that suffereth long and
is kind-a love strong enough to hold together in a true relationship all who love our Lord
in sincerity, and thereby verify the words of Jesus respecting the sure preservation of
His Church despite all the assaults of the Adversary. The Body of Christ continues to be
one; and blest indeed the tie that binds all such to Him as Lord and Head, and to one
another until that which is perfect is come, when all differences of thought will
disappear, but the love begun on earth continue on in increasing sweetness and fulness to
the ages of the ages. The encouraging fact remains that there
are among us those who continue to be a saving element in times like these. These are they
who have come to see that the love and sacrifice of Jesus, and one's obedient and loving
faith therein, constitute the unchanging hub and center of Christian life and work.
'These, each in his own way, are saying to such as have a hearing ear, "Hear what the
Lord hath done for me," and pointing to the Christ of the cross as the Sanctifier of
the believer, and the one and only hope of the sinner. Not a few are growing in
appreciation 'of the place of the Word itself in Christian growth, and praying more
fervently with one of old, "Direct my steps according to Thy Word." And as it
should be in a day of ever-increasing signs of the near approach of the consummation that
waiting saints have long hoped for, more and more are realizing that it is true indeed
that "He that hath this hope in him, purifieth himself even as He is pure." The
desire on the part of these to specially seek that holiness without which the Lord may not
be seen is another encouraging indication to be found along the way. Repeated testimony
was heard giving praise to the helpful character of many articles contained in the
"Herald" during the past months. Thus I found much to rejoice in, though
there was not lacking much evidence of the fact that "many are called, but few are
chosen." I can testify to having had a most enjoyable time of outstanding privileges
and contacts with such as were used of the Lord to strengthen and encourage my own heart.
Looking back over the long and happy time the trip involved, I cannot but wish again
that it might be the privilege of each of you to have personal fellowship and
acquaintanceship with this wider circle of dear ones who have so large a place in my own
affections. While moving in and out among them I have endeavored to reveal to them in act
and word, in spirit and message, the love and interest you too have toward them all; and
until you meet them in the Master's presence where they may tell you themselves, it is my
happy privilege to be the medium to convey to you their many expressions of love and
gratitude for your work and labor of love on their behalf. Because of the well-nigh impossibility
of getting time to do it otherwise, may I take advantage of this means to express to the
long list of friends my personal gratitude and love for their manifestations of
confidence and kindness in responding to the "surprise gift" suggestion of some
dear friends in the Midwest. It has cheered and strengthened me greatly, and the hearing
aid thus provided will be a constant source of inspiration to keep on in the inestimable
privilege of laying down life for the brethren. By grace, your brother in our Beloved
Lord, J. J. BLACKBURN With Brethren OverseasDear Brethren: Believing you will be interested in a
further report of my experiences among the friends here, I have pleasure in reviewing some
of these with you. Several large cities have been visited
since my previous report. In each of these the customary division' into Classes of
slightly varying viewpoint has been found; but as all are. .standing on the fundamental
doctrines listed for us by the Apostle Paul, and frequently reiterated d by Brother
Russell, a fair representation of each Ecclesia was able to be present at the meetings,
regardless of which Class sponsored them. The pleasure and profit of these meetings was
materially added' to by this fact, both for the speaker and the brethren in general who
welcome these opportunities of 'sharing in "that which every joint supplieth." The visits to Ireland and Scotland were
refreshing, and revealed that all who are truly brethren are striving for and attaining a
measure of the one Spirit regardless of tribal boundaries-that the Kingdom, which in its
completion is to have no "frontier" (Moravian Version of Luke 1:33: "And
of His Kingdom there shall be 'no end"), even now knows no boundary lines, either of
state or of creed. The Whitsuntide Convention, held at
Dewsbury, was a fitting climax to the first half of my itinerary in Great Britain, giving
an opportunity for the making of many new acquaintances and the renewing 'of many recently
made. As has been the case throughout my journeying, many inquiries were made regarding
friends in the States and Canada, and many messages of love were received as well as
delivered. A larger proportion of the friends than in America found it necessary to limit
themselves to one day -of the convention, but all seemed to feel themselves well rewarded
by the blessings of the day they had chosen. Those who were permitted to share in the
inspiration of the closing session could not but regret that any were. forced to miss it,
never doubting however that the Lord would provide means of passing its benefits on to
many others through the ones who had the privilege of being present. While in Ireland an opportunity was
granted of visiting the Giant's Causeway, a most astonishing example of God's
workmanship. After viewing such 'works as this, man's most elaborate, most ornate
production becomes mere child's play. Yet with all its intricacy, how simple and obvious
all this seems in comparison to the creative work that daily is going -on before our own
eyes -the building of a new creation in the image and likeness of the Creator of all
things. Small wonder if further and greater "shakings are necessary before this,
His greatest creative work, is completed. "Wherefore we receiving a Kingdom which
cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and
godly fear." Your brother by grace, Paul E. Thomson. "My Soul Wait Thou Only Upon God"
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