(The following article is part of F.W.G.’s remarks on present things in the address to the church
of the Laodiceans in Rev. 3:14-22. This is a vital word to consider in relation to trade unions and
federation of churches. Laodicea in Greek means the people’s rights.)

Confederacy is, politically and socially, a character of the times. In mercantile affairs of every
kind, companies are getting to be more and more every where the rule. The strength realized by
union is here well recognized. In the rise of the popular element, combination is not merely an
advantage; it is an imperative necessity. By its means alone can the poor man make his voice be
heard upon nearer equality of terms with the capitalist, the laborer with his employer. Yet here
the true individuality which God would have,_the individuality of conscience with which alone
real uprightness of conduct can be maintained,_has to be lost and give way to the will of the
majority.

No power can be attained by the body, at large thus except by ruinous self-sacrifice on the part
of its members. It must have unity, the unity of a machine, or nothing can be effected; but for this,
heart and conscience must be leveled down to wood and iron. It is essential that freedom of
individual action there should be none; and thus there is no tyranny so great as the tyranny often
here exercised,_no more ruthless treading down of the most sacred and personal rights than with
those in whose mouths the cry of "People’s rights!" is oftenest and loudest.

Religious associations may seem often in their laxity as opposite to this as can be, and yet the
laxity itself be as contrary to God, and bind me as much to His dishonor. What seems the largest
liberality may thus be the very spirit of disobedience, and to this it is that every thing in the
present day is tending. Satan can press upon us the evil of division just there where division is not
an evil, but a right and godly separation from evil; and he can point out good 😮 be accomplished,
to make us little careful as to the means by which it is proposed to accomplish it. A united
Christian church which should become so by making it a matter of indifference whether Christ
were God or only the highest kind of man would certainly be his greatest achievement.

If we would be teachers of others, we must be learners ourselves. If we cease to keep our place
at the feet of Jesus in prayer and meditation on His blessed Word, we soon begin to think that we
know something; but while sitting there, we find and feel our own poverty and ignorance; yet
what we do learn there, we learn to profit, and are encouraged to expect, and stirred up to ask,
that more and more may be unfolded to us, by the Spirit, of the truth as it is ire Jesus:our
meditations of Him become sweet to the soul, and as we handle Him by faith, our fingers drop
with sweet-smelling myrrh. (Song of Solomon 5:5).

This is needful, not for public teachers only, but for the present peace, the soul’s health, the real
happiness, the joyful liberty of the most retiring and unobserved of God’s children.

It is only in the measure that we are receivers, through the Spirit, of the fulness that is in Jesus
that we shall have anything profitable to say for Him in our private intercourse with men, whether
converted or uncoverted.

Let not past failure discourage us. He giveth more grace. He upbraideth not.

If, in our own little measure, we find it "more blessed to give than to receive", what must be the
joy of His heart to let His fulness flow into the channels which His grace opens in the contrite
hearts of His redeemed_His brethren (John 20:17);hearts which long to know more of
Him_which thirst for closer, and yet closer,, communion with Him in whose presence, now
realized by faith, is fulness of joy. (I John 1:3,4).

"And this is His Name whereby He shall be called, JEHOVAH OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS.
Therefore, behold the days come, saith Jehovah, that they shall no more say, Jehovah liveth,
which brought up the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt; but, Jehovah liveth, which
brought up and led the seed of the house of Israel out of the north country, and from all countries
whither I had driven them; and they shall dwell in their own land." (Jeremiah 23:6.)

Plainly enough, the passage speaks of the deliverance of the whole earthly people, both of the ten
tribes and the two tribes, and of nothing else. We may take the principle of the promised
restoration of Israel to show how good the Lord is towards us, but nothing more. The truth is that
we have never been driven out of our heritage, as Israel was. We may have failed to appropriate
God’s gifts, we may have abandoned our proper blessings, but there never has been such a thing
as God driving Christians out of their proper place in Christ Jesus.

The whole idea of spiritualizing the prophecies is unsound in principle. You can never apply it in
detail. The theory only lives in a mist. As long as you are in the spiritual fog, you imagine these
passages can be taken in a vague sense, but the moment you observe the precision of the word of
God this delusion is at an end.

In the latter part of this chapter (Jeremiah 23) the value of the word of Jehovah is again insisted
upon very strongly, and in an interesting way. The false prophets, the profane priests, and all the
other dreamers brought forward their words to deceive, but the Lord stands to His own utterances,
and how? Why should they take heed to it? Upon what ground? Upon its own intrinsic power.
"What is the chaff to the wheat?" (Verse 28.) Nutritive value decides.

I never read a tradition that was not manifestly chaff. I never read a thought that was of man that
was not worthless in the things of God. Give me something of God, and the moment my faith lays
hold upon the mind of God I have got the wheat. In other words, the truth of God is not a mere
question of historical investigation, but it is what suits a plain man much better and straightway.
What would become of the poor and the simple if they had to conduct all kinds of long
investigations to find out what the word of God was?

There is one capital way of meeting a man when he is hungry. Give him a piece of bread, and he
knows right well it is bread. He may never have seen that kind of bread before, and may never
have tasted it, but he is convinced it is bread. Give him a piece of board, and he knows it is not
bread. Thus, judged by human learning, a man may be exceedingly ignorant, but there is a sort
of practical test by which God guards even the simplest of His people. "What is the chaff to the
wheat?" The truth of God always commends itself to the consciences of those that hear it.

The hearers may be bitterly prejudiced. They may have their difficulties, but then those difficulties
arise entirely from the strength of their will that blindly cleaves to the thing to which it has been
accustomed; for no man having drunk old wine straightway desireth new, for he saith the old is
better. He is grown used to what he has heard from his childhood, so that even though the Lord
Jesus presents the new wine, the force of old habits and prejudice is considerable. Nevertheless

man has a conscience, and that which is of God, and which reveals Christ to his soul, always finds
an answer in the heart, even though the strength of will may still lead a man unbelievingly to slight
God’s word, to refuse it, and even resist it.

"As newborn babes desire earnestly the pure mental milk of the word, that by it ye may grow up
to salvation, if indeed ye have tasted that the Lord is good" (1 Peter 2:2,3 JND).

When our Lord Jesus appears as Melchisedek by and by, then will be the day for our glory with
Him; and the various traits here prefigured will coalesce in Him, not merely the sole dignity of
the priest but the exercise of the priesthood in its character of blessing. Then will be the answer
to Abram’s putting down of the victorious powers of the world, the deliverance of the poor though
faulty people of the Lord (shown by Lot), and finally the bringing out of the symbol of what God
gives not only for the sustenance of His people but for their joy_the bread and the wine of that
day.

So it is that the Lord will then act; for this will be one of the wonderful differences between the
Lord Jesus as the priest on His throne and all others that have ever governed in this world. It is
the sorrowful necessity of those that govern now, that they must take the means of maintaining
their dignity and grandeur from the people whom they govern; that even the poorest contribute
to that which the world owns as greatness and majesty. It must be so; it is the necessity of earthly
glory which can never rise above its source; for the haughtiest monarchy of the world is after all
founded, whatever the sovereign gift and ordinance of God, on the least contributions of the least
people on the earth.

But when creation is arranged according to the mind of God, and when His kingdom comes in its
proper power and majesty, how different! It will be His prerogative to supply all. The instinctive
sense of this was what made the people wish the Lord Jesus to be king when He was here below.
When He miraculously fed the multitudes win bread, they as it were said, That is the kind of King
we want_a king that will give us plenty of food without our working for it. (See John
6:15,28,27).

And doubtless the day is coming when-the kingdom will be so ordered. That which the corrupt
heart of man would like very well now, to avoid toiling in the sweat of his face, the Lord will
give, according to His own goodness, when man is bowed down as well as broken, and the riches
of God’s grace are no longer made the cloak of man’s selfishness to His dishonor. This is one of
the great distinctive features of that future kingdom, and Melchisedek shows it here. It is not only
that there is food for the hungry, but He brings out bread and wine for the conquerors.

(From "Lectures on Abram".)

FRAGMENT
"He shall confess that he hath sinned in that thing." Leviticus 5:5

"Against Thee, Thee only have I sinned, and done evil to Thy sight." Psalm 51:4.

How difficult it is to give expression in words to the sorrow of our hearts for sin; they are upon
our lips as burning coals; and the sound of them fills us with shame. Yet, so it must be; and it is
well that it should be so, until we are shamed out of our sinning. Definite sin must be definitely
confessed; a general, or summary confession is not enough.

"Throw light into the darkened cells,
Where passion reigns within;
Quicken my conscience till it feels .
The loathsomeness of sin."

I do wish to impress it strongly as on my own mind, so on yours, my brethren:never forget that
we as believers have to do with what is supernatural every day. In no case allow yourselves to be
beaten out of the true groundwork of faith for yourselves, nor permit men cf the world to drag you
down from God’s word to what they call "good common sense"_an excellent thing for the world,
but wholly short and misleading for the Christian in that which concerns God. And the simple
reason is, that we are bound to walk by faith. It is our call. We are entitled to confide in God and
His word. What to man looks so foolish as that? If God is still "the unknown God" to the world,
His ear is open to us.

There is a word the apostle uses which perhaps you may never have weighted well, never have
had it so before you as to make an impression on your mind; and that is where scripture tells us
that every creature of God is sanctified to us by the word of God and prayer. The Greek word
here is not the ordinary word for "prayer". There is a reason for that; because in I Tim. 4 it is not
the expression of mere want. This indeed is not the idea at all. Ordinary prayer is the drawing
near to Gcd, and asking Him for what we have not got; but in this case it is clearly not that,
because it is supposed we may have the thing in; our possession. But is there therefore to be no
going out of the heart to God about it? Suppose now it is what we have actually in the house.
Common sense would say, "You cannot ask God for what you have got".

The fact is, it is the expression of a heart open, not only for God to speak to us, which was always
true, but for us to draw near to God. It is intercourse with God that is the point, and not only the
expression of want:free, simple, happy, communication with God_ such is the idea. And this
should be our thought and feeling and way in partaking of anything that God’s mercy grants to us,
whether we have it at the present moment or not. If .we have it not before our eyes, it is before
His eyes. He loves us, and cares for us:_why should we trouble? Does He really hear us as we
speak to Him? We have only to bethink ourselves for a moment in order to rebuke our unbelief.

But suppose we have the things needed:are we to be independent? God forbid. If there be no
wants to present to God now, have you no wish to speak to God now?_no sense of the blessing
of God on you? Do you not want to tell Him how greatly He loves you, how truly He is caring
for you? This is what is specified here; and in this sense to us every creature of God is sanctified
by the word of God and prayer.

The word translated "prayer" here, you may not have perceived, is the opening of this intercourse
with God by which we can speak to Him about anything and everything_even the commonest
matters which concern us day by day. I refer to it because all this is very intimately connected
with the strength of our testimony. Abram knew its principle well; but now God has revealed
Himself incomparably more fully than in the days of Abram, and our familiarity with God ought
to be in the measure of His communications to us. The Scripture tells us that every creature of
God is sanctified by the word of God. It must begin with Him. It is first He who speaks to us; then
we speak to Him; and the consequence of His so speaking to us, that we freely speak to Him. It
was just the want of simplicity and vigor, if not reality, the want of living thus before God, that
enfeebled the testimony of Lot. Assuredly power of public testimony depends, after all, on faith

in what is unseen, and the resulting intercourse that goes on between God and our souls.

Here (Gen. 13:10-11) it comes out plainly. God reminds us that Lot dwelt in Sodom. This would
at once disclose or recall what Lot’s behaviour and unbelief had been; how little his soul could
taste in daily life of "the word of God and prayer". Was there not the very reverse? It was not Lot
standing only for God, but striving to care for himself. The consequence is, when the strife and
turmoil of the battle between the powers of the world take place,, there is an end of Lot’s settling
down for the present. But that which was no small rebuke to Lot was the occasion for Abram to
come out as one who walked with God, confiding in Him, and who shows us, too, that power of
grace which rises above whatever had been personally wrong. There was no doubt about Lot’s
failure in testimony. But Abram thought nothing about his faults now. What he looked at was a
righteous man (for no doubt Lot, spite of all, was righteous) swept away by the contending
potsherds of the earth. (See 2 Peter 2:8). This drew out his feelings of loving desire for Lot’s
rescue. "When Abram heard that his brother was taken captive, he armed his trained servants,
born in his own house, three hundred eighteen, and pursued them unto Dan." (Gen. 14:14).

Wonderful Book! full of the words, ways, and works of God! His love, His light, His power, His
majesty, His glory, all shine forth from its precious pages. Do we not join the Psalmist in saying,
"I esteem all thy precepts concerning all things to be right?" (Psalm 119:128).

"How valuable must Scripture be even for the knowledge of Nature! It should in every way be the
firm ground of the naturalist, and its induction as reliable as that directly from nature; the
microscope also being as great a revealer in the one case as in the other. Ah, how little patient,
believing work has been done in this direction with regard to Scripture! the neglect of which has
shut us out so much from the light it could have given in matters hidden from the mere man of
science. . . . What a thing it would be to have a faithful company of devout explorers giving
themselves to explore nature with the light of Scripture, and Scripture also, one may reverently
say, in the light of nature. For both are God’s books and both alike truthful, and Christ the theme
of and the key to both."

FRAGMENT
Mr. F. W. Grant made a significant utterance shortly before his departure. Sitting propped in his
chair, with the word of God before him, as was his custom through the days of weary, helpless
waiting, he turned to the writer of these lines, and with a depth of pathos, glancing at his Bible,
said, "Oh, the Book, the BOOK, the BOOK!" It seemed as though he said, "What a fulness there;
how little I have grasped it; how feebly expressed its thoughts."

Upon reading this preceding sentence, I was taken back, in memory, to several times when I was
going through the woods on a sunny day, walking up a hill beside a brook, and listening to the
water rushing down among the rocks. What a peaceful scene, with the sun shining down through
the trees, the song of the brook, and I alone with my thoughts.

As I recalled this experience, there came to mind a close comparison with spiritual things. The
water running down the brook brought to life, the Word of God coming down from Heaven, by
the Spirit of God. "For the prophecy came not in old timed by the will of man but holy men of
God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost" (II Peter 1:21). Jeremiah speaks in Jer. 17:13
of "the Lord, the fountain of Living Waters". In Ezekiel 36:25 is the verse, "Then will I sprinkle
clean water upon you and ye shall be clean; from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will
I cleanse you." This brings to mind John 4:13-14 "Jesus answered and said unto her, Whosoever
drinketh of this water shall thirst again. But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him
shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up
unto everlasting life." So we see the brook running down the hill, in a sense, resembles our
blessed Lord leaving His glory and being born as Son of Man, that He might meet man’s need,
yet truly be the Son of God.

We might liken the brook to the Bible that God the Father has given to all to read, having
preserved it down through the years. It tells us of the love of God; our Father who desired
worshipers and also desired to share all the joys of heaven with them. As Jesus said to the woman
of Samaria (John 4) "The hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshipers shall worship the
Father in spirit and, in truth:for the Father seeketh such to worship Him". The only way this
could be brought about was by the sacrifice of our blessed Lord on Calvary’s cross, as the Lamb
of God, which took away the sin of the world. "For all have sinned and come short of the glory
of God" (Romans 3:23). Because of this finished work, the grace of God is now! offering the
water of life freely, without money and without price, to whosoever will. (Isa. 55:1; Rev. 22:17).

The rocks in the brook would remind us of Simon Peter’s answer to our Lord’s question, "Whom
say ye that I am?" Peter answered, "Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God" (Matt. 16).
Jesus’ answer was, "Thou art Peter and upon this rock I will build my Church." His Church is
composed of all who have been convicted of their sin by the Holy Ghost, trusted in Christ, and
are building on the firm foundation_that the Lord Jesus suffered, bled, and was judged by the
holy, righteous God for their sins. He laid down His life as a recompense for their sins and was
raised again for their justification. (Romans 4:25). All who believe in this, fact are part of His
Church, and are also true worshipers of God the Father. They, being blessed with the assurance
that the sin question has been settled once and for all, cannot help but have their hearts overflow
with worship and songs of praise to God the Father for the gift of His Son; also to the Son who
loved them and gave Himself a ransom for their sins.

To go back to our comparison, we have the Bible, with Christ the Rock portrayed in all its 66
books. As the believer reads of Him in any one of these books his heart overflows with a song.
If Christ were not pictured in the word of God there would be no song. Just so, if we take the

rocks out of the brook there is no song.

This earthly scene can never begin to measure up to the vast store of wealth for the child of God.
There is an immeasurable amount of peace and satisfaction to all who will avail themselves of it.
These are the conditions:(1) There must be the desire to know more of the blessed truth, a Tim.
2:4). (2) We have to let our desire be made known to God the Father in the name of our Lord and
Saviour. (John 15:16). (3) We must believe that God will answer our prayer. (James 1:5-7). (4)
We must not be discouraged if this does not come as quickly as we think it should. (Isa. 28:9,
10). We must learn to leave all our cares and worries with a loving Father who knows all our
needs even before we ask Him. As we grow in this knowledge and grace then we win witness
more of the peace which passeth all understanding. (Phil. 4:7).

May the grace of God cause each one of His own to enjoy this peace more fully.

FRAGMENT
0 Lamb of God, still keep me
Close to Thy pierced side;
"Tis only there in safety
And peace I can abide.
J. G. Deck

(6) THE GATE OF THE FOUNTAIN. "Fountain", or "spring", suggests refreshment, as the
number of the gate suggests victory, mastery.

This gate is distinguished from the rest by being the only gate said to have been "covered".

In Num. 19:15 every uncovered vessel which was in a tent where death was, was unclean. In I
Cor 11:10 the covering upon the woman’s head is the sign of power, because the sign of
subjection.

Samson with the sign of his Nazariteship removed was as weak as any other man. Why? "Jehovah
had departed from him" (Judges 16:20). Man, when he reaches the extreme limit of his
development as man, has for his number 666, one short in every dimension_worthless
therefore_and all because he did not own subjection to Him who alone has strength.

The fountain gate then is covered. This secures it from contamination by outside influences, and,
since it is the source of supply for God’s sheep, insures their healthy condition, insures victory.

What an immensely important lesson is here for Christians today as to what we hear and what we
read! Our Lord said_and He said it because He needed to say it_"Take heed what ye hear". And
He also said, "Take heed how ye hear". Oh that in all our reading and in all our hearing the
covering may be upon the spring, in token of subjection to our Lord, testing everything by His
holy Word; for how much teaching is abroad today beguiling the unwary and leading astray the
simple, which would have no power whatever were the "fountain gate" but "covered".

Shallun_"they spoiled them"_is the repairer of this gate; and the meaning of his name is
sufficient suggestion for the covering of the gate; and he is the son of Colhozeh_"all-seer". We
shall find our wisdom in owning subjection to the One who sees the end from the beginning, and
who will be eyes for us if we will. He is also "the ruler of part of Mizpah"_"watch-tower". When
He is allowed to be eyes for us, we are at once upon an eminence whence every danger can be
rightly seen and guarded against.

We must not forget that if this covered gate keeps out certain things, it also brings us into very
desirable company, such as "the pool of Siloah by the king’s garden, and unto the stairs that go
down from the city of David"_things which it is out of our province to enlarge upon here; but
if, as some authorities think, Shallun should be Shallum, "recompense", or "requital", then we
see how amply recompensed we are for whatever the "covering" may exclude. Compare as to this
Mark 10:29,30.

(7) THE WATER GATE. This, with the three following gates, is not said here to have been
repaired; they are mentioned in other connections.

Water is commonly a symbol of the word of God, as, e.g., "that He might sanctify and cleanse
it with the washing of water by the word" (Eph. 5:26); "Except a man be born of water and of the

Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God" (John 3:5), comparing this with I Peter 1:23, we
see that this also refers to the word of God.

This water gate, then, would not need repairing, since ,it "liveth and abideth forever". Many
prominent theological tinkers appear to think it needs repairing, adapting to twentieth-century
advancement, etc.; but what it needs is dwelling beside_"over against".

"Isaac dwelt by the well Lahai-roi", after he was bereft of his father, and God blessed him (Gen.
25). Lahai-roi means, "to the living One, seeing me".

Here the Nethinims dwelt in Ophel, "over against the water gate". The Nethinims are "the given
ones", reminding us of the "given ones" named in Eph. 4:7-16. Thei ascended One has sent down
"given ones", "for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry".

Not for the perfecting of a certain class of His people, but "for the perfecting of the SAINTS, for
the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, till we all come", etc.; hence the
need of these "given ones" dwelling in Ophel, i.e., "the elevated place" over "against the water
gate", since it is the truth they are to hold in love (and "Thy word is truth," John 17:17), in order
to grow up into Him in all things, who is the Head, the Christ. Only in this way can the people
of God be kept from being "infants, tossed and carried about by every wind of doctrine in the
sleight of men, in craftiness with a view to the systematizing of error" (lit.). These "given ones"
also "confronted the sunrising, and the tower that lieth out", or, literally, "and the watchtower of
the going forth". How beautiful and consistent is this!

The "sunrising" suggests the coming of the Lord, while Ophel is "the heavenlies" where Christians
are raised up and seated together in Christ Jesus (Eph. 2:6); and "the watch-tower of the going
forth" is just the hope of being caught up to meet Him in the air. (I Thess. 4:17).

Truly this "water gate" fills its numerical place of perfection and rest; and this is further
exemplified as we note the other references to it after the completion of the wall. (chap. 8:1,3,16,
and 12:37).

(8) THE HORSE GATE. References to the horse in Scripture are not often to his credit, but more
frequently are in connection with pride and departure from God. The wicked Athaliah was slain
at the horse gate. (2 Kings 11:16; 2 Chron. 23:15). Here it is not said to have been repaired, but
is mentioned merely as a limit from above which the priests repaired, "every one over against his
house". In Jer. 31:40 it is also spoken of as a boundary, "unto the corner of the horse gate toward
the east, shall be holy unto the Lord".

But that is to be in the day when on the bells of the horses will be inscribed, "Holiness unto the
Lord" (Zech. 14:20); the day when He will reign whose right it is; and that is doubtless what is
suggested by the number of the gate_a new order of things.

(9) THE EAST GATE. We are not told exactly that this gate was repaired, and we must not go
beyond what is written. Perhaps it did not need repairing. It is literally "the gate of the sunrising";
so that the thought of hope is stamped upon it. "But unto you that fear My name shall the Sun of
righteousness arise with healing in His wings." (Mal. 4:2).

The number 9 appears to have the same thought in it. When Abram was ninety years old and nine,
the Lord appeared to him, changed his name, and "gave him the covenant of circumcision",
having promised the "Seed". (Gen. 17; Acts 7:8).

So here we have a covenant which is distinctly a promise ("for this word is of promise" Rom. 9:9,
lit.); and on the strength of it circumcision, which is condemnation of the flesh.

The east gate, then, would seem to stand for "the patience of hope", in the certainty of what is
coming. Shemaiah is the keeper, and his name means, "heard of Jehovah"; and he is the son of
Shechaniah_"the dwelling of Jah". One need not enlarge upon the beautiful fitness of these names
with the number of the gate, and its name. Abraham "looked for a city which had foundations,
whose builder and maker is God". "If we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait
for it." (Rom. 8:25).

(10) THE GATE MIPHKAD. Miphkad means "mustering", or "appointment", and looks on to
the day of accounts.

This gate is not said to have been repaired:it could not well be so said, but Malchiah_"my King
is Jah" repairs "over against" it; and this is as it should be. Those who are recognizing Jesus as
Lord will be "goldbeaters", beating out the "things concerning Himself" and this will necessarily
put them, in spirit, in the "place of the Nethinim", which, as we have seen, is the heavenlies, and
in the company of "the merchants", i.e., those who trade in the precious things named in Eph. 4
and Phil. 4:8.

The gate Miphkad is number ten, and the number ten is the number of man’s responsibility_the
full measure of it.

The very idea of the wall is responsibility, as we have seen; and now we have reached the last
gate, the gate which emphasizes it, and in view of "that day", with its "well done" to those who
have earned it, and with all its incentives to diligence, having in place each of these ten gates, a
day which cannot be far off.

That Malchiah repaired "to the going up of the corner" may very likely refer to that sudden and
secret rapture which, like the sudden upward dart and rapid flight of the migratory bird, takes him
to his home.

Let us look at this crucified robber. There was work in him, and the work for him. What does he
say? The fear of God is the beginning of wisdom; it is the sense of what God is. He says, "Dost
thou not fear God?" Then he confesses his sins; he owns he is suffering justly. The light had got
into his soul.

The only comforter the Lord had upon the cross was this poor robber! "Remember me when Thou
comest in Thy kingdom."

Messiah remembers a robber, who had just owned he was suffering justly! Can you trust Him like
that, honestly confessing your sins, but trusting in God’s heart when you own them? Do you trust
Christ’s heart? If you cannot, you do not know Him, for He is trustworthy.

The robber owns his sins, but trusts Him. And we get the Lord’s answer:"To-day shalt thou be
with Me in paradise." Now is the Son of Man glorified, "for today shalt thou be with Me."

The robber was bearing the punishment of his sins from man; but who was bearing sins from
God? The One Who hung beside Him. "He bare our sins in His own body on the tree." When I
have confidence in Christ, I say, I must go to God, and I find Christ on the way; and what is He
doing there? Judging me? No; bearing all my sins. There is the blessed One, Whom I have been
despising all my days; and I see He has suffered for my sins, and borne my burden_He has taken
them all, that I should not bear them. Trust Him, no matter how bad you are. If you cannot trust
any man, trust Him.

Christ’s work for me is totally finished; but all is not finished in me. I ought to grow more like
Him every day; but the work for me, as regards my guilt, is finished; and if it is not perfectly
finished, when is it to be? He cannot die again _ cannot suffer again _ cannot drink the dreadful
cup again. He suffered once, and cannot more. That cup made Him sweat great drops of blood
in only thinking about what it was to be made a curse for us; and this He cannot be made over
again. He is set down because the work is done. How little men thought they were sending the
poor robber straight to paradise, when they sent to break his legs. The Lord told him he was to
be with Him that day, and he had only to believe Him.

When I come to Him, I find that, instead of meeting me in the day of judgment, He has met me
in the day of grace.

"For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God,
being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit." 1 Peter 3:18.

Some time ago I purchased some stamps, and seeing a new "Special Issue" in the drawer I asked
the postal clerk for some. He courteously obliged and then remarked that the battle of Shiloh,
which the stamps commemorated, was fought during the Civil war in a peach orchard, so the
government printers had used peach-colored paper in printing them.

Similarly, as with "Shiloh", we find that in many places the early settlers of this country used
Bible names for their new localities, likely evidencing that some of them, at least, believed in the
precious truths of the Scriptures and the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ of whom it so clearly
speaks as its central theme and figure.

These Bible names, so often found used for various cities, towns, and villages, all have a
scriptural meaning which prove very profitable for meditation. The scriptural meaning of these
names, which God has given to them, can be found in various Bible Dictionaries of Proper
Names.

The meaning of Shiloh is very precious and interesting, as it means, first, "Peace-bringer:bringer
of prosperity", and second, "His peace:his prosperity:" or same as preceding, (this form in
Judges 21:21 and Jer. 7:12).

Isaiah 9:6 tells us that our Saviour’s name was to be called "Wonderful, Counselor, The Mighty
God, The everlasting Father, THE PRINCE OF PEACE", while Eph. 2:14 assures those who
have been "made nigh by the blood of Christ" (verse 13) that "He is our PEACE", and further that
He "hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us (Jews and Gentiles), having
abolished in His flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to
make in Himself of twain (Jew and Gentile) one new man, so making PEACE; and that He might
reconcile both unto God in one body (the Church or Assembly) by the cross, having slain the
enmity thereby; and came and preached PEACE to you (Gentiles) which were afar off, and to
them (Jews) that were nigh". (Eph. 2:13-17).

Thus our Saviour is our "Peace-bringer" and whispers to each one of us who know Him and love
Him as our Saviour and Lord, "Peace I leave with you, My peace I give unto you:not as the
world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid". (John
14:27)
.
But He also wants us to share the blessed Peace, that He is to our souls, with others; so exhorts
us, along with the other armor of God we are to put on, in Ephesians 6, to have our "feet shod
with the preparation of the gospel of PEACE", so that we might show forth in our daily walk that
there is a Saviour for "all that call upon Him" from the least to the greatest sinner, "For
whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved." And also may we have a deep
longing, manifested by our prayers, for the Lord to thrust forth laborers into His harvest, for
"How shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in Him
of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they
preach except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the

gospel of PEACE, and bring glad tidings of good things!" (Read Romans 10:9-15).

The desire, when evidenced in our lives, to be a "peace-maker" between God and the souls we
contact, will truly show forth our calling front on high, for Matt. 5:9 assures us that "Blessed are
the peace-makers; for they shall be called the children of God". That surely should be the
occupation of those who have found "peace with God" (Rom. 5:1) and it should be our occupation
"Till Shiloh, come". "Even so come, Lord Jesus."

"According as His divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness,
through the knowledge of Him that has called us to glory and virtue." (2 Peter 1:3).

What a wonderful provision He has made for us as the people of God, given unto us "all things
that pertain unto life and godliness". He, to whom we belong, has made and given to us all that
is needed for the path. This includes "EXCEEDING GREAT AND PRECIOUS PROMISES:that
by these ye might be partakers oil the divine nature". (2 Peter 1:4).

It would be impossible to look at all of these promises. Promises to Israel that have been fulfilled,
and promises of yet future fulfillment for them and for us. Promises, also, concerning His coming
in humiliation that have found their fulfillment, and of His coming in Glory yet to be fulfilled, and
just in the offing. We shall look at just a few of the many.

"I will see you again." (John 16:22). He did; having gone down into death, He arose. Yes_ "He
arose a victor o’er the dark domain,

And He lives forever with His saints to reign. He arose! He arose! Hallelujah! Christ arose!"

"Then were the disciples glad, when they saw the Lord." (John 20:20).

Glad at His birth. (Luke 2:10). Glad when the wise men from the East found Him. (Matt. 2:10).
Glad disciples at His tomb_"He is not here:He is risen". (Matt. 28:6-8). Yea, in each case
scripture records "GREAT JOY". There was also great joy after His resurrection and upon His
ascension. (Luke 24:52). And there was great joy in Samaria when Christ was preached. (Acts
8:8).

“I will see you again” (John 16:22). We look forward to the fulfilling of the great promise, "And
they shall see His face". (Rev. 22:4). "How will our eyes to see His face delight,

Whose love has cheered us through the darksome night! How will our ears drink in His well-
known voice,

Whose faintest whispers make our soul rejoice!"

"I will come again and receive you unto Myself, that where I am, there ye may be also." (John
14:3). PRECIOUS PROMISE!

"Lord, we await Thy Glory;
We have no home but there,
Where the adopted family
With us Thy joy shall share.
No place can fully please us
Where Thou, O lord, art not;

In Thee, and with Thee, ever
Is found, by grace, our lot."

"Where I am"_"Where two or three are gathered together unto My Name there am I . . ." (Matt.
18:20).

"Where I am"_"There shall also my servant be." (John 12:26).

"Where I am"_"Father I will, that they also whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am,
that they may behold My Glory, which Thou hast given me:for Thou lovest Me before the
foundation of the world." (John 17:24).

"I will come again” (John 14:3)

"A little while"_come, Saviour, come!
For Thee Thy bride has tarried long:
Take Thy poor waiting pilgrims home,
To sing the new eternal song,
To see Thy Glory, and to be,
In everything conformed to Thee!"

In the meanwhile:"I will not leave you comfortless:I will come to you." (John 14:18).

These promises have been fulfilled. "Wait for the promise of the Father" they were told, and "ye
shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence". (Acts 1:4,5). "He came"_the
promise was fulfilled, and the comfort of the Comforter has been our’s ever since. "I will never
leave thee nor forsake thee." (Heb. 13:5), "So that we may boldly say, the Lord is my Helper,
and I will not fear what man shall do unto me." (Heb. 13:6). For_"I am with you alway, even
unto the end of the world." (Matt. 28:20).

May it be ours to stand on these promises, and walk in these promises.

EXCEEDING GREAT AND PRECIOUS PROMISES_ May we make them our own!

"As I was with Moses, so I will be with thee. I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee." (Josh. 1:5).

FRAGMENT
Just when I am disheartened, just when with cares oppressed, Just when my way is darkest, just
when I am distressed, Then is my Saviour near me, He knows my every care, Jesus will never
leave me, He helps my burden bear.

A year untried before me lies,
What it shall bring of strange surprise,
Or joy, or grief, I cannot tell;
But God my Father knoweth well.
I make it no concern of mine,
But leave it all with Love Divine.

"Thou crownest the year with Thy goodness; and Thy paths drop fatness." Psalm 65:11

‘Thou shalt remember all the way which the Lord thy God led thee." Deuteronomy 8:2

"In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths." Proverbs 3:6

Have you ever thought much of the exercise of meditation, and how frequently it is spoken of in
Scripture?

Perhaps it may be from want of this holy exercise, and really comprehending it, that the church
of the living God is wanting in unity of doctrine, and in spirituality of mind.

The study of God’s Word may be concentrated, deep, constant, like searching for a vein of gold;
and memory may marvelously retain and bring forth what study has discovered. But meditation
is not the discovery of more or new things, but a calm sitting down with God to enrich itself with
what study has discovered, and feeding with Him upon the stores which memory has laid up.

Study and memory make the ready and admired speaker; meditation, the sweet, living exhibition
of Jesus everywhere, whether speaking or silent (Joshua 1:8; Psalm 104:34; 119:15). Truths from
an infinite, all-wise God_they have in them more than the best meditative faculty has ever or can
ever digest.

May the Lord unfold to thee and me some of His own rich stores. They are so deep! But I am only
at the surface of them. They are "our inheritance:it shall be forever."

2. Metropolitan Control._Few, if any, who know at all the truth of the one Body, would contend
for absolute local supremacy. There has therefore arisen, in a gradual way, the practice of a kind
of oversight by leading and gifted non-resident brethren, who in this way seek to guide, and in
some measure review the actions of the local assemblies. No doubt this originated in a desire to
secure uniformity of action, especially in crowded cities or thickly-settled sections. Beginning in
a simple way, with the thought of fellowship, prayer and counsel, it gradually became part of a
regular order. The doctrine of "the church in a city" was formulated, and quite a complete system
of oversight was established. The doctrine in question is that there can be but one assembly in a
city, although there may be many in a district or province. The local assembly therefore is not
competent, according to this, to act without the concurrence of all the other assemblies in the same
city. And this united action constitutes the Assembly’s decision.

In a less definite way, brethren of weight and experience would naturally be consulted about
matters in the vicinity where they might be, and gradually all, or many local matters might be
taken to a place where there were a goodly number of such brethren. It is easy to see how such
a practice might result in what we have called metropolitan oversight.

Let us now see what scriptures were used to support this view. As to the general oversight of
which we have spoken, all such scriptures as speak of the "multitude of counselors" are
applicable_the unity of the body and of the Spirit. (Eph. 4). Perhaps the council at Jerusalem
(Acts 15) might be considered as authorizing "elder brethren" to exercise a general supervision,
while, as has been already said, the doctrine of "the Church in a city" has been formulated with
great exactness and strictness. It has been claimed that we read of "the churches of Galatia" (Gal.
1:2); of Judea (1:22); of Macedonia (2 Cor. 8:1); of Asia (1 Cor. 16:19), etc._but never of the
churches of Jerusalem, Antioch, Ephesus, Rome, etc. (see salutations in the various epistles of
Paul).

Space forbids us going at much length into this interesting subject, but we point to a few truths
which lead us to guard against accepting in toto any view which establishes what this practically
is_an oligarchy.

Most certainly we have not a word to say against the manifest fact that many of the scriptures used
to impress us with the unity of the body of Christ, and the necessity of endeavoring to keep the
unity of the Spirit, are most important in that connection, We also heartily accept the principle that
age, experience and piety are most valuable and necessary for the help of all the assemblies of
God. But when a formal doctrine is promulgated that in a city there is but one assembly (no matter
how many meeting-places there may be), we question whether the scriptures used to establish this
really do so.

A local assembly is, "Where two or three are gathered to My name". Such a company most
certainly has all the functions necessary for carrying on all the activities, and meeting all the
responsibilities of the assembly . There is no higher act than properly remembering the Lord in
the breaking of bread. This presupposes the company has judged itself both individually and

collectively. If any wickedness has been present, it must be put away; if any godly persons,
scripturally entitled to reception, are present, they must be received.. Any company therefore
competent to break bread is competent to exercise all assembly functions.

It will be asked, What about the scriptures which speak of but one assembly in a city, and of many
in a province? We reply that there doubtless was but one assembly in a city, as they were not such
immense places as we have now, and God’s work had but just begun. Each assembly would at first
include all the saints in the city; and even if later need called for two or more places of meeting,
each of these, as representing all the Church of God, would be called the Assembly in that place.
Indeed, in Romans (chap. 16) there are indications of separate companies meeting at different
points (see vers. 5, 10, 14, 15). There can be no spiritual significance in the bounds of a "city".
A company near the outskirts may be far closer to another company a short distance beyond than
to a meeting on the other side of the city. Of course, if for any reason counsel is needed, there
should be the utmost simplicity and freedom in giving and receiving it. But at this we will look
presently.

In this connection, we must also speak further of an assembly order which whilst not based on the
doctrine of "a church in a city", is quite similar to it. This has been spoken of as a "committee of
delegates," composed of older and experienced brethren in the general vicinity or elsewhere, who
are called in to decide as to local matters. We can only repeat what has already been said, that the
local assembly is a distinct unit, responsible for the administration of matters committed to its
care.

Let us now ask in a little more detail what elements of truth there are in this theory of
metropolitan oversight. First, in whatever measure it recognizes the unity of the Spirit in the
whole Church of God, and seeks to carry out His leadings, it is right. The fellowship of the saints
is not an "inside" and an "outside" fellowship, but one and the same throughout the whole body.
In whatever measure also in which the gifts of pastor and teacher are seen to be for the whole
assembly of God, and the counsel of men of experience is welcomed _in such directions this
doctrine has elements of truth which none can ignore.

But, as a system of doctrine, there are marked un-scriptural features which we cannot accept. It
is practically a form of Presbyterian oversight, in which little or no room is left for the individual
conscience, save of the leaders. With the best motives, this fails to exercise the whole assembly,
and leads saints to look for some decision from without rather than to the Lord alone. The effect
will eventually be seen in a general legislation, rather than the simplicity of each assembly acting
in the fear of God and in the unity of the Spirit. Room is given for private influence rather than
public exercise, and leaders have an undue prominence, which savors of clerisy. (to be continued
the Lord willing)

(The Greek word Paul uses for race is agona, being our English word agony. It is a mode of
athletic contest or severe emotional strain and anguish as when Jesus "being in an agony He
prayed more earnestly:"the greatest thought of it being His agony on the cross saying "My God,
my God, why hast thou forsaken me.")

The Christian does not run merely under the stimulus of the achievements of the Old -Testament
worthies, he is encouraged by the present view looking away unto Jesus the Author and Finisher
of faith. (Not our faith). The word “our” is not in the original, the sentence cannot therefore mean
that as Author Me originated faith in us and as Finisher sustains it and brings to a perfect issue,
true as that may be, But He was the only one who began a pathway of faith and perfectly
exemplified the principle, finishing the whole Marathon race without defect or halt. Each of the
Old Testament worthies cited did his little bit of straight running amidst witch which might be
tortuous in his life. But in Hebrews 11, God concentrates attention only on what will form links
in the chain of faith. "Who for the joy that was set before Him endured the Cross, despising the
shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God”. The idea of Author and finisher
is expanded in this passage. What controlled Him in His path on earth and the patient endurance
of the Cross was the reward, i.e., the joy which is now His at the right hand of God. He sees of
the travail of His soul and derives infinite satisfaction therefrom.

Don’t forget that you are more than a mass of breathing clay. (Gen. 2:7).

Don’t forget that there is something within you which the grave-digger cannot bury. (Eccl 12:7).

Don’t forget that your soul will outlast the hills that look eternal. (Matt. 10:28).

Don’t forget Heaven and Hell are realities. (Luke 16:22,23).

Don’t forget that those who reject the Lord Jesus Christ shall be lost forever. (John 8:21).

Don’t forget that you will be saved forever if, as a needy, guilty sinner you receive Christ by faith
as your personal Saviour. (John 3:16).

Don’t procrastinate, for it is one of Satan’s most successful ways of luring souls into perdition.
(Prov. 27:1).

Don’t forget that now is the accepted time; now is the day of salvation. (II Cor. 6:2).

Don’t, at the peril of your soul, allow wealth, honor, lust, pleasure, or anything under the sun to
keep you from coming to Christ now. (I John 2:17).

"God is light, and in Him is no darkness at all." (I John 1:5).

"He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is. love." (I John 4:8).

"He hath chosen us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without
blame before Him in love." (Eph. 1:4).

God is light, and God is love; and we are called to be like Him, and to enjoy Him as such. This
is God’s calling; but we are the called_chosen in Christ, that we should be holy and without
blame before Him in love. This is the description of God’s own character, though it is here given
as the character of His children. Surely this is grace in its highest form. It breathes a well-pleased
and delighting love. Do think of this, O my soul. Hurry not over the wondrous thought. This is
it:when God would tell us what He is Himself, He describes what His children are_a son is the
same nature as His father. "God is light, and in him is no darkness at all." True, He is love; but
He is also light; and He dwells in the pure unsullied light of His own absolute deity. And there
He has called us and fitted us to be in the fitness and acceptance of, the risen and exalted Man.
This is what God Himself has made us in Christ; for ever blessed be His name!

But pray, tell me this:How can Christians be in the presence of God as holy, blameless and love,
seeing there is so much in us that is the opposite of all this? This is a point of much importance,
and of great practical difficulty with many souls. But the answer is:the apostle is speaking of what
we are in Christ; not of what we are, or have been, in ourselves. Our old nature is not referred
to here_it is passed by unnoticed. Of course the old nature is in us, and no better than it ever was,
and we must take care and not let it show itself. But we are chosen and called in Christ_He is our
life; and we are, before God, in the Beloved One. This is the explanation, and in this the heart
finds rest_Christ is holy in His character_blameless in His ways_love in His nature. And we
are in God’s sight as He is. If God is to find pleasure in His children, they must be like Himself.
Christ is the object of God’s unqualified delight, and so will we be, by-and-by. This is the hope
of His calling. Oh! deep, divine, ineffable, unutterable, unfailing spring of happiness now_of
unmingled blessedness hereafter! "We know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him, for
we shall see him as he is." Therefore God has chosen us in Christ "that we should be holy and
without blame before him in love". We are brought thus into His presence and His love is
satisfied. Oh! most wondrous, precious truth! All is done, Christ is risen and glorified. "In thy
presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore." It is only there that
perfect blessedness can be found. With what a hope the calling of God fills the heart! His name
alone have all the praise.

But this is only the bright side of the answer to the question. The state, or practical ways of the
saints, is not always a true reflection of their standing and privileges in Christ. We come far short
of what becomes the children of God in many things. How feebly we answer to His love; and how
many things we allow that are contrary to Him. Whence come pride, vanity and worldliness? we
may ask. Certainly not from the divine nature. These, and all other evil things, flow not from our
new, but from our old nature. Although our standing is in Christ,, the flesh is in us, and ought to

be mortified. In it there is no good thing. How often we have reason to be ashamed and humbled
on account of our many faults. But ere long we shall have done with the flesh entirely, and be
perfectly holy and without blame before God in love. He has chosen us to this end, and will in due
time accomplish it. This is our sure hope. But in the meantime, may we seek to suppress our old
nature and watch against all its tendencies. We know that we are in Christ now, and have Hid life
in us, notwithstanding all our failures. May we have grace to feed on Him day by day and hour
by hour that we may be strengthened to do His will.

FRAGMENT
"Though our nature’s fall in Adam
Seemed to shut us out from God,
Thus it was His counsel brought us
Nearer still, through Jesus’ blood;
For in Him we found redemption,
Grace and glory in the Son,
Oh! the height and depth of mercy!
‘Christ and we through grace are one.’ "
Hawker_ 1827

FRAGMENT
Adoption is putting into a place. Birth makes us children:adoption makes us sons. John always
speaks of children:Paul uses both words _ ‘sons’ and ‘children.’ Eph. 1:5 is, son-putting, or
adoption. Adoption is taking you into His house. The spirit of sonship gives you the place, and
the spirit to fill the place."

What will God do with a sinner in his sins? Beloved friend, what will He do with you, if you are
there? Mark_oh, mark it well!_you have to stand before God. You may defer it; you may put
it off; you may refuse to think about it now; you may refuse to take God’s sentence home. You
may say, "Oh well, I shall have plenty of company, if I am lost. There will be a good many lost
with me." That will not help you when you stand before God. You will find yourself an individual
soul_alone, and not in company_or I might say, only in company with Him whose eye will read
you through and through and expose you to yourself, naked and deformed, and In your own real
condition. There will be no talking about your company then. There will be no thought about your
neighbor. You will be a solitary sinner before God, with only His eye upon you. If you stand
before Him thus now, you will find there is mercy for you. If you stand before Him then, you will
find it everlasting destruction. This is the acceptable tune; behold, now is the day of salvation.
Now!_now, dear friend. And how long is that "now"? Every pulse-beat, every tick of the clock,
is a "now". You don’t know how many of them are left you. Friend, there is salvation for you to
take hold of as instantaneously as that, because God knows what your need is. There is a rope out
for souls that are drowning, that they may clutch on the instant. That is what you want. Blessed
be God, there is salvation for you now.

People argue that you must do all you can to be a Christian, and so be saved. You take yourself
out of God’s loving hands of mercy, which are longing to take hold of you:that is all. You make
Him act in righteousness against you instead of in righteousness for you. God does not save in that
way. God does not justify people as Christians, church members, and all that. He "justifies the
ungodly"_the people who do NOT work for it- "To him that WORKETH NOT, but believeth on
Him that justifieth the UNGODLY, his faith is counted for righteousness" (Rom. 4:5).

Do you think God means what He says? Do you think God does what He says? God "justifies the
ungodly." Do you believe that? "Oh, yes," people say, "we believe that." Well, what are you
going to do? "Going to do the best we can." Is not that it?_the best we can! Have we to do the
best we can to be ungodly? If God justifies the ungodly, must not you be the sort of person that
God justifies? Ah, if you look at yourself aright, you will find you are ungodly enough
already_ungodly enough to be justified. If you believe that, what do you do? Nothing!_because
you believe. If you want to do something, you do not believe He "justifies the ungodly. If you do
believe He justifies the ungodly, you do nothing. Christ died for sinners, nobody else. He did not
die for good sinners, or for the better class of sinners. He found one man who was the very chief
of sinners, and He could not leave him unsaved. He took up that man, the chief of sinners as he
was. He could not let him go. Because, if He let the chief of sinners go unsaved, people might
have said that there was a limit to the power of the blood of Christ, and that there was one man,
at any rate, that the blood of Christ was not sufficient to save. So God took up the chief of sinners,
and made an apostle of him. He wanted him to speak in men’s ears and hearts:"There! that is the
sort of sinners I am saving." Those are the sort of sin that the blood of Christ washes off. Come
now, and put in your claim as a sinner to the precious blood of Christ, and you will receive the
remission of your sins.

I have not much to give Thee, Lord,
But what I have is Thine;
Thou gavest for me Thy life outpoured,
Naught that I have is mine.

I bring my pound of ointment rare,
Whate’er the cost to me;
For ’twas my sins that nailed Thee there,
Upon the accursed tree.

It cost far more than I can give,
To save my soul from sin;
Thou gavest Thy life that I might live,
Holy and pure within.

My all I lay down at Thy feet,
Gladly Thy cross to bear;
‘Til that glad day when Thee I’ll meet,
A crown of glory wear.

FRAGMENT
There from His head, His hands, His feet,
Sorrow and love flowed mingled down;
Did e’er such love and sorrow meet,
Or thorns compose so rich a crown?

Were the whole realm of nature ours,
That were an offering far too small;
Love that transcends our highest powers,
Demands our soul, our life, our all.

Ed. note:Let not the comparative length of this article cause the reader to pass over it. The
thoughts contained herein, leading up to, on page 16, "the immense importance of having things
right at the gate", are of timely value.

"His foundation is in the holy mountains. The Lord loveth the gates of Zion more than all the
dwellings of Jacob" (Ps. 87:1, 2).

"Our feet shall stand within thy gates, O Jerusalem" (Ps. 122:2).

Read Neh. 3.

The wall of a city was for protection_to keep in, and to keep out; as the wall of a sheepfold was
to keep in the sheep, and to keep out the enemies of the sheep.

The wall of Jerusalem went farther. Jerusalem was "a city set on a hill, which could not be hid";
it was an object-lesson for the nations, that they might learn how Jehovah governed His house.

He had in sovereign grace put His Name there, His sanctuary was there, and it was this which
gave character to the city.

The sanctuary was the inside, the wall was the outside. The sanctuary spoke of what Jehovah was
to the people; the wall spoke of what the people were for Jehovah before the world.

This is an important and far-reaching principle, running throughout Scripture.

Abraham was a man of the altar and of the tent:the altar speaking of what God was to him, the
tent showing what he was to the world_a stranger in it:a stranger in the world because at home
with God; hence a pilgrim, a tent-dweller, because he was going to his home.

The wall of Jerusalem was the practical expression of the prophecy, "Lo, the people shall dwell
alone, and shall not be reckoned among the nations" (Num. 23:9).

But what I wish to speak about more particularly is concerning the gates of Jerusalem named in
Neh. 3. The gate is what might be called the executive part of the wall. The root from which the
word comes means, "to separate," "to discriminate"; the gate of a city being the place where
causes were heard and settled. It was at the gate of Bethlehem that Boaz had the cause of Naomi
and Ruth the Moabitess legally settled.

There are ten gates named in this chapter, and ten is the number of man’s responsibility, the full
measure of it, both toward God and toward his fellow, as we may see by the ten commandments.
The very idea of the wall is responsibility, the responsibility of those within to those without:’so
that the number of gates mentioned is in harmony with the fundamental idea of the wall.

There is a peculiarity about Nehemiah which must not be passed over:the people were not exactly
building the wall, but repairing it. They were not setting up anything new, not contracting the
walls to limits suited to the feeble strength of the little remnant just returned from Babylon:they
were repairing the old wall. What they were building might not be of sufficient strength to resist
battering-rams, or withstand a long siege, but it would mark where the old foundation stood; and,
in general, each man repaired before his own door.

It is of immense moment to see that this city set on a hill is just a working model of the Church
of God today:the Church, not as the Body of Christ as set forth in the epistle to the Ephesians,
but as the House of God set up here on earth, as the 1st epistle to the Corinthians unfolds it to us:
set up in the world, but fenced off from it, to be a testimony against it.

The same view-point is seen in I Tim. 3:15_"The house of God, which is the Church of the living
God, the pillar and ground of the truth."

(1) THE SHEEP-GATE is the first to be repaired, and this seems very fitting:as a fold, it is first
of all for sheep, God’s sheep:that is fundamental. Isa. 53:6 would apply here with great force:
"All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way":as also I Peter
2:25:"For ye were as sheep going astray; but are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of
your souls."

Very appropriately does Eliashib the high priest, the spiritual leader of God’s people, arise, with
his brethren the priests, and build this gate. Eliashib means, "God will restore," and suits the
connection very well, and we might conclude that in all this we had a good beginning, were it not
for the after-history.

There are two omissions, however, which should be noted. In general, each man built before his
own door. Eliashib did not; others did it for him, as we see from verses 20 and 21. Again, the
locks and the bars of the sheep-gate are not mentioned_a serious omission, for of what use is a
door, to shut out enemies, without a proper fastening?

The word "gate" here seems to designate, not that which closed the opening in the wall, but the
opening itself, while "the doors thereof marked the means used for closing the opening. In each
of the other gates which are said to have been repaired "the locks thereof and the bars thereof are
in their places, but here they are significantly omitted.

In chapter 13, where "the book of Moses" is being consulted, and the "mixed multitude" is being
weeded out from Israel, we find the reason for this omission of bolts and bars. Eliashib had been
tampering with the enemy. Tobiah was an Ammonite, one who was by law excluded from the
congregation of the Lord to the tenth generation, even forever (Deut. 23:3-6); and Tobiah was
prominent and persistent in his enmity toward the whole matter of repairing the wall. When
Nehemiah came to Jerusalem, and "Tobiah the servant, the Ammonite, heard of it, it grieved
(him) exceedingly that there was come a man to seek the welfare of the children of Israel" (chap.
2:10).

When the returned remnant heard of the good hand of God upon Nehemiah, and concluded to
build, "Sanballat the Horonite, and Tobiah the servant, the Ammonite, and Geshem the Arabian,
heard it, they laughed us to scorn, and despised us, and said, What is this thing that ye do? will
ye rebel against the king? Then answered I them, and said unto them, The God of -heaven, He
will prosper us; therefore we His servants will arise and build:but ye have no portion, nor tight,
nor memorial, in Jerusalem" (vs. 19, 20).

As the work went on, Sanballat was wroth, and mocked the Jews, and said, "What do these feeble
Jews? will they fortify themselves? will they sacrifice? will they make an end in a day? will they
revive the stones out of the heaps of the rubbish which are burned? Now Tobiah the Ammonite
was by him, and he said, Even that which they build, if a fox go up, he shall even break down
their stone wall" (chap. 4:2,3).

As the wall was approaching completion, Sanballat and Tobiah, with their associates, "were very
wroth, and conspired all of them together, to come and to fight against Jerusalem, and to hinder
it" (chap. 4:7, 8).

"When Sanballat, and Tobiah, and Geshem the Arabian, and the rest of our enemies, heard that
I had builded the wall, and that there was no breach left therein (though at that time I had not set
up the doors upon the gates), that Sanballat and Geshem sent unto me, saying, Come, let us meet
together in some one of the villages in the plain of Ono. But they thought to do me mischief"
(chap. 6:1,2).

Later on, these enemies wrote an open letter, charging Nehemiah with treason, and inviting him
to take counsel with them (verses 4 to 9).

Still later, Tobiah and Sanballat hired a false prophet to deceive and entrap this faithful servant
of God (vs. 12, 13). What a fearful responsibility attached to these men who set themselves so
persistently to oppose this work of God!

Again and again we read, "When they heard" of what Nehemiah was doing. What if Eliashib had
furnished the channel through which these enemies received their information? It is far from
improbable, for in chap. 13:4 we read, "And before this, Eliashib the priest, having the oversight
of the chambers of the house of our God, was allied unto Tobiah:and he had prepared for him
a great chamber. . . . And I came to Jerusalem, and understood of the evil that Eliashib for
Tobiah, in preparing him a chamber in the courts of the house of God. And it grieved me sore:
therefore I cast forth all the household stuff of Tobiah." (chap. 13:4-8).

In chap. 13:28 we learn that one of Eliashib’s grandsons had married a daughter of Sanballat the
Horonite, and was chased away as having defiled the priesthood.

How awfully solemn is all this!_the spiritual leader of this little remnant, linked by marriage to
Sanballat on the one hand, and allied to Tobiah, for whom he had provided a chamber set apart
for holy uses in the house of God!

Is it any wonder that Eliashib omitted the locks and bars from the sheep-gate, or that some one
else must needs repair before his house? He was not the man to insist upon locks and bars when
he had an Ammonite in a select place inside!

Who can tell how much of the hindrance to this work of repair was due to this man’s double-
mindedness, and lack of decision in the things of God!

The wall would be of no use without gates; the gates would do little "good without doors; and
these would be quite ineffectual without locks and bars. Inside that wall was what was of
God_divine principles governed; outside was what was of the world:to leave one door unbarred,
was, in principle, to obliterate the wall, and to invite the ruin which had carried them to Babylon.

Can it be that Eliashib did build the sheep-gate merely for the sake of maintaining a correct
exterior before the people?

Outwardly he was in full sympathy with this work of God, but at heart he was in league with the
enemies of the truth. How different the spirit and temper of Nehemiah! "The God of heaven, He
will prosper us; therefore we His servants will arise and build:but ye have no portion, nor right,
nor memorial, in Jerusalem" (chap. 2:20).

Applying this to the assembly of God today, we see the immense importance of having things right
at the gate. Laxity there is sure to lead to confusion. The Lord has committed the keeping of the
door to His assembly (Matt. 18:18), and that only should be received which is consistent with the

character of the house. "Receive ye one another, as Christ also received us to the glory of God."
(Rom. 15:7). (To be continued D.V.)

FRAGMENT
"The Lord loveth the gates of Zion more than all the dwellings of Jacob." Psalm 87:2

"Blessed is the man that heareth me, watching daily at my gates, waiting at the posts of my
doors." Proverbs 8:34.

"Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise:be thankful unto him, and
bless his name. For the Lord is good; his mercy is everlasting;’ and his truth endureth to all
generations." Psalm 100:4, 5.

I wish to notice in this beautiful chapter, chiefly, the footsteps of our adorable Lord, as the
Shepherd going before His sheep, part of that blessed example which He has left us, that we
should follow His steps.

First, then, there are seven distinct petitions in this chapter. Another thing in connection with these
seven, which we will go over briefly, there are four different ways in which our Lord addressed
His Father. Is it not then, at least, suggestive for our hearts, who often, doubtless, as His disciples
long ago, desire, "Lord, teach us to pray," that we may be led to address the Father similarly?

Taking the last point mentioned, first, the four ways are these:In the first and twenty-fourth
verses, when it is simply addressing the Father, prayer, asking for something, whether for Himself
or His beloved people He says "Father." Next, when pressing His claim, as it were, in
supplication. He says, "O Father," fifth verse. Then, in reference to His people committed to His
Father’s care, to be kept from the evil of the world, He puts His character hi contrast to it, and
says, "Holy Father," eleventh verse. And finally, when viewing in contrast the world and the men
given to Him out of it, He says, "O righteous Father," twenty-fifth verse. These are not
distinctions without a difference, we may rest assured, and while the Lord would not have us
under bondage as to the names we use when we pray, one name or another in different relations,
yet He would have us duly exercised that so we may "pray with the Spirit and the understanding
also."

Then there are these seven petitions to consider. First, however, let us note our Lord’s position
in prayer. How beautiful! He "lifted up His eyes to heaven," thus recognizing the One from whom
all blessing comes, who is also to be before our hearts thus too. He who came from heaven
recognizes that all good comes from there. He is thus before us in the fitting attitude of lifting up
His eyes to heaven. He takes the place of dependence He would lead His people into. Thus He
has left us an example that we should follow in His steps, as to its spirit at least. He has shown
us, therein, whence all good cometh, "that every good gift and every perfect gift cometh down
from above, from the Father of Lights," and our true place in dependence and reverence before
Him.

What, then, does He ask for first? His first petition is for glory. What for? That He may use it for
His Father. What a contrast in this with every man that went before Him, repetitions as we are,
of our common father, "The first man, Adam." He had glory as "set over the works of God’s
hands," yet grasping for the further glory of being as God, he lost both; here is One who had
glory and left it to take the path of lowly obedience, and now claims glory at God’s hands and gets
it; claims it only that He may use it for another. "Father .. . glorify Thy Son, that Thy Son also
may glorify thee."

The second petition, at first sight, looks like the same, but it is not in a most important respect.
First verse, He is asking for glory in which He may give His people, at least in a measure, to
share with Him. Fifth, verse, He is praying for glory into which He cannot lift His beloved
people, glory that was His ere He came in grace, the glory which He had with the Father before

the world was, and to which, in virtue of who He is, He is now about to return. The first is a
glory that He has earned as man, that He can lift His people up to share with Him, acquired glory,
fruit of His work upon the cross; but there is also a glory which He had as the eternal Son of God,
which He can share with none, but which, through grace, we shall behold and adore Him in, and
shall enjoy seeing Him in exclusively and forever. The first petition is for glory, and the second
for glory also; the first that He may glorify His Father in it; the second, that He asks the Father
that He may go back into. He will not even take what is His by right and title as One who is
Divine, we can see, except the Father gives Him it. What a blessed example for us! Then, His
next petition is for the Father’s care of us amid the evil of the world. First, He asks for glory,
earned as the fruit of His obedience here, that He may glorify His Father in it. Second, He asks
for the glory that He had with the Father to be given Him again.

And now third, He looks at the little struggling band around Him, "the men given Him out of the
world," and commits them to His Father’s care, saying, "Holy Father, keep through Thine own
name those whom Thou hast given Me, that they may be one, as We are." This is for the Father’s
care that we may be kept one. But He desires us to be kept too in a double way, kept one with
each other as He was with the Father and the Father with Him, kept also from th» evil of the
world we pass through, both positive and negative separation, we may say. The fifteenth verse
at first sight looks like a repetition of the third request, but it is not, but another phase of it, first
kept in unity, then kept from the evil of the world, and then the seventeenth verse shows the
means of it and a further result. In the eleventh verse thus it is our relation to each other; fifteenth,
our relation to the world; and, seventeenth, our relation to God. Mark the points:we are to be
kept on, kept from the evil, and kept for God. Kept one as His people, kept from surrounding
evil, and kept for the exclusive will of God.

The eleventh verse is now widened out in the sixth petition, twentieth verse to all that believe, so
that we in later days were also part of the burden upon our Saviour’s heart in that sad hour. He
looked on to the end, and contemplated all the way, and all that would be called to walk in it, and
thus made His gracious provision for us all. Adored be His holy name for such tender pitying
grace! But these verses might seem to us not to have their fulfillment; they no doubt present to us
what we should practically be, to convince the world around us, and what we practically have not
been. Of all this, however, we get a glimpse at Pentecost, but how soon it faded out of sight! But
thank God, that all that is lost by the way is kept for the end. We will yet be displayed as one in
glory, entirely free from the world’s last soil, and "His servants shall serve Him," however feeble
or transient the pledge fulfillment here. Thus, if our Saviour’s cry has not yet had its fulfillment,
it will yet have, and the world will see the display of it, and then "shall know that the Father has
sent Him."

The seventh petition, twenty-fourth verse, is for His own again, but now for the end rather than
the way, that they may be with Him, sharers of His glory, and yet beholding Him too in what they
can never share, that in this, as "in all things He may have the preeminence."

Finally, as our gracious Lord takes His farewell look at the scene around Him, the last address
to His Father is not a petition but review, of the world that have not known the Father, Himself
the Son who has, and these that share it with Him, and His avowal that what He has done,
"declaring the Father’s name", that still would He do, until the Father’s love and Himself, the
object of it, were fully known to them.

Lord, help us then to learn of Thee how to pray aright, and in coming to "make known our
requests," to learn Thy way of praying, Father; when supplicating His grace, O Pettier; when we
think of ourselves in the midst of evil, Holy Father; and when in contrast with the world and in
our changeless connection with the Father and Thee His beloved Son, "righteous Father." Be it
so, for our blessing, and the glory of His worthy name!

FRAGMENT
"The Lord is righteous in all his ways, and holy in all his works."
Psalm 145:17

These parables are our Lord’s answer to the murmuring of the Pharisees_"This Man receiveth
sinners, and eateth with them". They are His divinely perfect way of vindicating the love and
grace of God. So far from denying the charge the Lord displays the truth and blessedness of that
with which they charge Him. To do this He uses not one but three parables, each giving different
aspects of the same love and grace, and all blending together to reveal the heart of God. And in
this we have displayed the whole Trinity.

1. The Lost Sheep. Vers. 1-7.

Fittingly the Lord begins with Himself, the Son. For He had come into the world for this very
purpose_ to save sinners. The sheep belongs to Him (as all things are His), but has gone astray,
beyond all hope of recovery by its own efforts. In fact it does nothing toward that recovery; the
Shepherd does it all_leaves all to accomplish this purpose. It includes His coming in flesh,. His
perfect life as showing His absolute sinless-ness, and above all His atoning death_the finished
work of divine love, in making possible its saving the lost.

"None of the ransomed ever knew How deep were the water crossed, Nor how dark was the night
that the Lord passed through,

Ere He found the sheep that was lost."

As the work of saving was His, so the power to keep and bring home is His; and the joy in it all,
and over the lost one found is His also. Indeed the joy throughout these parables is looked at as
chiefly on God’s part. The reflection of that is in the saved soul.

2.The Lost Piece of Money. Vers. 8-10.

Here the seeker is represented as a woman, and it is not difficult to think of the present work of
the Holy Spirit in the people of God, seeking diligently by the light of the Word, and the zeal of
love, to reach those hidden in the dust of the world_behind their business, cares,
pleasures_whatever hides them. Those who believe in the truth of their sin and of Christ as
Saviour are "found". The Spirit’s work is accomplished in working "repentance unto life". Again
there is joy in the presence of the angels of God.

3.The Lost Son. Vers. 11-24.

In the first two parables the lost is seen largely or entirely passive. But in the last is seen the
working of grace in the person, leading to a sense of misery, a turning to God, and coming with
confession, to Him from the place of distance and of shame. And yet this is but, we may say, the
background upon which to display the love of the Father. It is the Father who is waiting, who sees
the poor wanderer at a great distance_for who has ever "repented enough" or come all the way
alone? With divine haste, the Father anticipates all, and with the kiss of pardon welcomes the lost
to the best in His house _Robe, Ring and Sandals, the Feast_all are the gift of the Father, whose

joy He only, with the Son and Spirit, knows in its divine eternal fulness.

To God the Father be the praise now and ever, by the Spirit through Jesus Christ our Lord.

FRAGMENT
Thee shall we contemplate_gaze on Thy face adoring,
Saviour and Bridegroom_Lord, Beauty Supreme above!
Sounding the soundless depths, measureless heights exploring_
Heights of Thy peerless grace, depths of Thy boundless love!

It is continually asked whether "walking in the light" is expressive of our standing, or of our
practical condition. Because of the word "walk," it is supposed by many that it must refer to the
believer’s daily walk. Two or three considerations, drawn from the passage and its context, will
elicit its true significance. It is evident then, in the first place, that "walking in darkness" in verse
6 is an absolute contrast with walking in the light in verse 7; and that both expressions flow from
the declaration in verse 5, "that God is light, and in Him is no darkness at all." Bearing this in
mind, it will be at once seen that "walking in the light" covers all who are introduced into the
sphere of the revelation of what God is in Christ; that it includes therefore, in other words, all
Christians; and hence that "walking in darkness" comprises all who are outside this sphere_all
who are unconverted, all who do not possess eternal life. It must ever be remembered that for
John there are only two spheres_light and darkness; just as we read in the gospel. "And the light
shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not." It should be remarked, moreover,
that it is "walking in the light" " as He (God) is in the light;" not according to the light, which
would indicate our practical walk, but "in the light as He is in the light," which cannot mean other
than the circle or sphere in which God in His nature, His holiness, is absolutely revealed. All
therefore are either in the light or in the darkness. Why, then, it may be enquired, is the word
"walk" employed? Because it is never supposed in Scripture that the practical condition of the
believer will be otherwise than in accordance with his standing. The greatest possible damage is
done to souls in insisting upon standing irrespective of state; and, therefore, if John speaks of our
walking in the light as God is in the light he assumes that we shall live, and move, and have cur
being in this circle. The following words will explain this still further:It is not "if we walk
according to the light" that is the practical consequence in this world, even when we are not
directly enjoying communion, but we walk in the light when we walk with God fully revealed to
the soul and conscience. It is a real thing in life, ,we walk, but (it is) more than walking according
to light. It is walking in the presence of a fully-revealed God, the conscience, and spiritual
judgment, and apprehension being in the light as He is_what God is, perfectly seen, and
everything by it, and all clear as it is in the light and for the soul. If we walk thus with God
inwardly, all is judged inwardly, and our life is only the expression of the working of God in
power in the life which we have of Him, of Christ in us (wisdom and power)." It is also in this
sphere, and only there, that Christian fellowship is enjoyed. This is readily understood, because
outside of it is darkness_where God is not. Lastly, we are reminded of the foundation of this
blessedness, the abiding efficacy of the blood of Jesus Christ, His Son, which cleanseth from all
sin, from the defilement of every sin, and which has thus made it possible for us to be in the light,
as God is in the light, in peace, confidence, and liberty. But after unfolding to us the wondrous
place in the light into which we are brought before God, and the truth that it is only in that circle
we can have fellowship one with another, it is very blessed to be reminded of the source of the
cleansing, which enables us ta occupy our place.

This slogan reminds me of boyhood days. These are striking words with a present spiritual
application. Let us apply them to ourselves in the light of the Word.

We Shall Be Changed!

We are distinctly told that "now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall
be:but we know that, when He shall appear, we shall be like Him; for we shall see Him as He
is." (I John 3:2).

Eventually, Why Not Now?

We shall be changed. Yes, into His glorious likeness. Of this we are assured. We are looking "for
the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ:who shall change our vile body, (the body of our humiliation)
that it may be fashioned like unto His glorious body, according to the working whereby He is able
even to subdue all things unto Himself." (Phil 3:20,21).

It is our holy privilege to beheld "the glory of the Lord" with the blessed result that now we "are
changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord." (II Cor.
3:18).

So "every man that hath this hope in him (the hope of eventually being changed into His glorious
likeness) now "purifieth himself, even as He (Christ) is pure." (I John 3:3).

We Are Changed!

We are called upon to follow His steps. "Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that
ye should follow His steps." (I Peter 2:21).

A Changed Walk

"He that saith he abideth in Him ought himself also so to walk, even as He walked." (I John 2:6).

Two of his (John’s) disciples looking upon Jesus as He walked, followed Jesus. May our walk be
such that others looking upon us will follow Jesus. (John 1:37).

As He walked_Jesus Christ the righteous "Children, let no man deceive you:he that doeth
righteousness is righteous, even as He is righteous." (I John 3:7). "He leadeth me in the paths of
righteousness for His name’s sake." (Ps. 23:3).

As He talked with them_"Did not our heart burn within us, while He talked with us by the way,
and while He opened to us the Scriptures?" (Luke 24:32). That talk led them to the place where
the eleven were gathered together, and where "He was known of them in breaking of bread."
(Luke 24:35), and where true to His promise (Matt. 18:20) "Jesus Himself stood in the midst of

them." (Luke 24:36). Eleven_this speaks of harmony. No harmony with Judas among them! He
(Jesus) takes His place in the midst of His gathered saints as separated from the evils of the way.

So we are awaiting the change when Jesus comes. (See I John 3:1,2).

We are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.

May we enjoy the change while we await the change when Jesus comes.

A. It has been several months since I’ve come to know Christ as my Saviour and I was wondering
what should be done about baptism. I know that most other believers in the Lord Jesus are
baptized, but since I haven’t been approached about it perhaps there is some reason I do not
deserve to be baptized.

B. Well, my dear brother, you speak of being saved, but not baptized. This is the perplexed
condition of many of the Lord’s people today, especially young Christians. I suppose this
condition arises from the fact that baptism isn’t so openly and freely discussed because of different
understandings on the subject.

A. From reading in the book of Acts its seems that they were baptized very promptly after they
confessed Christ.

B. That is true indeed. I understand in Acts 2 that they were baptized the same day. In Acts 8,
baptism soon followed Philip’s preaching in Samaria. Later in the same chapter they stopped the
chariot of the Ethiopian eunuch immediately in order to baptize him. As to the conversion of Saul
of Tarsus in Acts 9, God told Ananias to go to Saul. He not only put his hands on Saul to receive
sight and the Holy Spirit, but baptized him. All this happened within a few days after the Lord
Jesus appeared to him on the Damascus road. When Cornelius and those with him believed, as
we read in Acts 10, they too were baptized the same day. The same follows in Acts 16 with Lydia.
There, too, we read that the Philippian jailor was baptized the same hour and that at night!

A. My! With such urgency connected to baptism it is no wonder that some have thought it
necessary for salvation.

B. I admit there seemed to be an urgency connected with baptism, and this I believe should be
more closely followed today. But I do not excuse those who insist that baptism is essential for
salvation. Baptism is a figure of salvation and forgiveness through the death of Christ. "And now
why tarriest thou? arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the
Lord" Acts 22:16. You see, dear brother, baptism is an act performed upon one by someone else.
You cannot baptize yourself. Therefore, if baptism is required and absolutely necessary for
salvation, then Christ could not save a poor lost sinner for glory without having some man handy
to do the baptizing to finish the requirements. Obviously this is in error.

A. Yes, I can see that. It is through faith in Christ as my Saviour, and seeing that His shed blood
is the only cleanser for my sins, that I depend.

B. Very good then; Christ Himself is the object of our faith and it should be the desire of our
renewed hearts to follow His Word, and I trust it is this which has aroused your thoughts as to
baptism. Tell me though do you find any verse in the Bible instructing you to be baptized?

A. Well, not exactly, but believers did submit to baptism, didn’t they?

B. Exactly! They did submit to baptism in every case, but the instructions from the Lord regarding
baptism are given to those doing the baptizing, not to the new converts as the recipients of
baptism. They were told to baptize in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and this
preceded by teaching. Matthew 28:19. This teaching was the gospel and no doubt included
baptism. You see, of:those baptized in the scriptures few, if any, could give you a thorough
explanation of all baptism means. This didn’t prevent or even delay their baptism. It is true that
in apostolic days the new converts were not confused by various and opposing doctrines about
baptism. But whatever it meant they were baptized promptly after professing to belong to Christ.

A. Then my lack of knowledge should not be a cause of the delay in my case.

B. Some feel that we should wait a while after one has professed Christ to see if the conversion
seems real.

A. What about Simon the magician in Acts 8? It doesn’t seem that his profession was real, yet he
was among those baptized.

B. This is an example, as you cite, of one who was later discovered to be not really saved. This
shouldn’t alarm us even though it does disappoint us when one who has made a profession of
Christ apostatizes from his professed faith. For Simon, he simply never was truly saved.

A. Was Philip too hasty in. baptizing him then?

B. If he was, Peter didn’t scold him or tell him so when Peter discovered Simon’s heart of
unbelief. Really, we should baptize on the basis of profession, and profession of faith only. Simon
did profess and so was baptized. I don’t believe Philip was too hasty. If we accept such reasons
prompting delaying of one’s baptism, it might be delayed indefinitely.

In view of our discussion and the fact that you are not baptized,, I suggest that after meeting this
morning we announce a baptism for this afternoon. This will exercise any others in a similar
condition to yours and perhaps lead them also to take their place in death with Christ in baptism.

A. It seems a bit sudden, but I’m satisfied it is the truth and I wish no further delay.

When peace, like a river, attendeth my way,
When sorrows like sea billows roll;
Whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to say,
It is well, it is well, with my soul.

Though Satan should buffet, tho’ trials should come,
Let this blest assurance control,
That Christ has regarded my helpless estate,
And hath shed His own blood for my soul.

FRAGMENT "O that thou hadst hearkened to my commandants then had thy peace been as a
river, and thy righteousness as the waves of the sea."_Isaiah 48:18

1. Local Sufficiency._This view of the local assembly claims that its actions are bound in heaven,
and therefore bound upon the people of God everywhere; that as the Lord is in the midst of His
assembly, whatever is done has His authority and must be bowed to; that there is no appeal from
the decision of the assembly. While absolute infallibility is not claimed absolute authority is; so
that an assembly action, even if wrong, is to be obeyed.

The Scriptures used to support this view are in general such as the following:"Verily I say unto
you, Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven:and whatsoever ye shall loose
on earth shall be loosed in heaven" (Matt. 18:18); "For where two or three are gathered together
unto My name, there am I in the midst of them" (Matt. 18:20 (J.N.D. Trans.); "Receive ye the
Holy Ghost:whose soever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them; and whose soever sins ye
retain, they are retained" (John 20:22,23); "It seemed good to the Holy Ghost and to us" (Acts
15:28); "In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, when ye are gathered together, and my spirit, with
the power of our Lord Jesus Christ, to deliver such an one unto Satan" (1 Cor. 5:4,5); "To whom
ye forgive anything, I forgive also" (2 Cor. 2:10); "The house of God, which is the Church of the
living God, the pillar and ground of the truth" (1 Tim. 3:15). Other Scriptures are doubtless made
use of, but these will suffice to show the general thought.

Let us now ask what elements of truth; there are in this view. It is manifest that just in so far as
the Scriptures pst quoted do support the view, that view is correct. We may be sure at the outset
that no error is attractive to the Spirit-taught soul. Therefore there is frequently, we may say
always, some element of truth in every system of error. It is the truth which attracts the child of
God.

The Church is the house of God, the depository of His truth:"The temple of God is holy, which
temple ye are" (1 Cor. 3:17). The Lord’s presence in the midst of His gathered saints is a reality.
Their acts as so gathered are under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, and have all the authority of
the Lord Jesus Christ. There is a great responsibility entrusted to the Church, and a
correspondingly binding authority connected with its carrying out of those responsibilities. He who
despises, despises not men, but God.

Have we not, then, reached a conclusion at the very outset of our examination. Let us then seek
to carry it out. But we add a word which modifies all that has been said. It is as so gathered that
the saints have the Lord’s authority and the Spirit’s guidance. This is no mere formal, external
gathering; it means a true subjection of heart and will to our Lord and His word; it means
lowliness, and refusal of the flesh. To assume an authority without this is the very opposite of
godliness.

The theory we are examining claims some inherent authority in the Church, apart from
rigteousness and subjection to the word of God. All authority rests upon God’s word, which is the
expression of His mind and will. No claims, however great, no numbers, no succession, no
gifts_nothing can for one moment take the place of the word of God, which is righteousness. To
attempt to,link the Lord’s holy name and authority with unrighteousness is iniquity. This is what

marks Rome.

The primary attitude of the Church to Christ is obedience:"As the Church is subject’ unto Christ."
(Eph. 5:24). How monstrous then is the thought of claiming His authority for disobedience. It
claims infallible authority for the Church, for fallible man, and thus fosters pride and paves the
way for all manner of tyranny and oppression. It puts a premium on carnality, and does away with
the necessity on the part of everyone to be exercised in the presence of God. Instead of this, the
conscience is brought ihto the presence of man, and bondage instead of freedom is the result. No
words can too strongly characterize the system of which we speak. Thank God that even where
some elements of it may exist, there is a good measure of subjection to God and following His
word, which partly neutralizes the effect of the principle. But if the principle is held, it will assert
itself, and that of which we speak will be manifest.

We conclude therefore that the principle of local authority and sufficiency has elements in it which
tend to promote haughtiness, intolerance, clericalism, and above all, to set aside the supremacy
of Christ alone, and the sufficiency and binding authority ‘of His word, and thus to have the
conscience under the power of man rather than of God. (To be continued D.V.)

In 1 John, the apostle is writing as a loving father would to his children; to the family of faith,
which includes three classes:

1. Little children, or babes; those who were but saved.

2. Young men; those who had grown in the Lord and had become strong in faith.

3. The fathers; the older, fully developed, saints. (Read I John 2:13-14).

He writes only to the true children of God, to those who "know the Truth". (I John 2:21), also
(I John 2:13-14 and 2:26).

He writes for several reasons:

1. "Because your sins are forgiven" (I John 2:12).

2. "That ye sin not" (I John 2:1).

3. "That ye may know that ye have eternal life" a John 5:13).

4. "That ye also may have fellowship . . . and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with His
Son, Jesus Christ" (I John 1:3).

5. "That your joy may be full" (I John 1:4).

Some things God would have us know in 1 John:

1. The purpose of our Lord’s manifestation. (Chap. 3:5; and 4:16).

2. Assurance of faith (Chap. 3:14; 5:13 and 5:20).

3. Obedience is the proof of faith. (Chap. 2:3; 3:24; and 5:2).

4. Doing what the Truth tells us, the mark of faith. (Chap. 2:29; 3:18-19). (Read also John 8:31-
32 and James 1:22).

5. The Truth makes us free. (Read Chap. 2:21 along with John 8:31-32).

6. Faith recognizes the Holy Spirit. (Chap. 4:2; and 4:6).

7. Sealed by the Spirit. (Read Chap. 4:13 with Eph. 1:13-14).

8. The prayer of faith. (Chap. 5:15; and 3:22).

9. The condition of the world, compared with the source of our life. (Chap. 5:19).

10. The coming of the Lord and its effect upon us. (Chap. 3:1-3).

Notice the word "know" is emphasized throughout the book.

So likewise, 2 Peter 3:18 tells us to "grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour
Jesus Christ. . . ."

Think, too, of Paul’s great desire in Phil 3:10, "That I may know Him and the power of His
resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being made conformable unto His death."