THE CHURCH.– ITS WORSHIP.
(Continued from page 204.)
The great occasion for Church worship is when believers are gathered together on the first day of the week to break bread:not that praise should be limited to that time, but then we have it in its completeness. We are then, or should be, "gathered to His name." (Matt. 18:20.) The Lord is in our midst, to lead our praises (Heb. 2:12). The Holy Spirit is present to guide, according to the word (i Cor. 14:25); and the memorials of our Saviour's dying love are there to be partaken of.
We cannot emphasize too strongly the importance, nor call the attention of believers too earnestly to the precious privilege of each Lord's day thus gathering about His person to offer true worship to His God and our God, and to Himself as well. It was the practice of the early Church (Acts 20:7), only discontinued when carnality, in the form of sacramentarian superstition, had crept in. Let us not be misunderstood. It is simply a memorial feast. It conveys no life nor grace of itself. The passage in John 6:docs not refer to it, but to the believing reception of Christ, who died for our sins. And yet who that has enjoyed the reality of the Lord's presence at. His table, has realized the presence and guidance of the Spirit of God, has had his heart lifted up in worship to his Father and God, and the soul of each knit like the soul of one man to his brethren's,- who that has enjoyed such a privilege would forego it, or lengthen the time between the holy, happy seasons ? Here it is the Church that worships, with none to preside, none to dictate the form, but each one free before God to be guided according to His word.
If it be asked what is the character of the worship, we must refer to the preceding pages. It is Christian worship in its fullest sense,-united, unhindered. If, now, Church worship is of such a character, we need not say that only Christians can truly join in it. If otherwise, either the sinner would be elevated to a place he could not occupy, or the saint would be degraded to the level of a pleader for mercy. How unseemly for one who knows Christ and God's love to pray for deliverance from His "wrath and everlasting damnation." How unseemly, on the other hand, to put such words in the sinner's mouth as "We praise Thee, O God:we acknowledge Thee to be the Lord." And how utterly inconsistent and perplexing to make each utter both!
From what we have just said we need hardly add that all Church worship should be in truth. How much this most palpable truth is ignored can be seen at a glance in any ordinary church hymn-book. Here for the sake of sentiment, poetry, or even rhyme, doctrines are presented utterly subversive of the truth of the gospel.
"Help me to watch and pray,
And on Thy grace rely,-
Assured if I my trust betray
I shall forever die"!
What worship can there be in words which every Spirit-taught believer knows are utterly unscriptural and misleading ?
We might multiply instances, but will leave this matter with the Christian reader, entreating him to make conscience of his singing, to refuse to utter the sweetest words (if such words could be sweet) which cast a doubt upon the grace and love of Christ.
We need hardly suggest that the meeting at the Lord's table being to remember Him, and so largely taken up with worship, should not be confounded with a teaching or preaching meeting. There may be teaching, but it should ever be of an appropriate character, calculated to elicit worship. On the other hand, there may be a need for a word of exhortation addressed to the conscience, but let the feast remain a feast to the Lord.
Beloved reader, having taken this imperfect survey of the worship of the Church, suffer a pointed question. How do you worship ? By the Spirit of God ? Where do you worship? In temples made with hands, or in the holiest ? Is your thought of praise, the music of the great organ, with trained and paid singers, or the melody of hearts, united to Christ and to one another, pouring out in worship the treasures of grace which have been made known to them ?
May the Lord touch the conscience of His beloved people, and woo them from the vanity of a mere form of worship by giving them to taste of its blessed reality.
VI.–MINISTRY.
We have now reached the point where we can safely take up the subject of Ministry without, by undue prominence, suggesting an overshadowing pre-eminence given to it in the thoughts of most.
In the previous papers we have seen the Church as the body of Christ, so contemplated in Scripture- as essentially, really, and organically one. We have seen the priesthood of all believers, and the prominence of worship in the Church economy. All these were matters of the first importance, needing to be clearly understood before we come to the subject of ministry. It may be a surprise to some to speak of ministry, as we now know it, as a temporary thing; and yet a moment's thought, with a glance at a few scriptures, will convince us that such is the case. In the list of gifts from an ascended Christ mentioned in Ephesians, we have both their continuity and their duration given:'' For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:till we all come, in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ." (Eph. 4:12, 13.) Gifts will not fail so long as the body of Christ is being formed, and so long as it needs edifying, and the saints perfecting. They will continue "until we all come unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ," which will be when we arc with Him in glory. Then there will be no further need for, and hence no further existence of, ministry as we now know it. '' For we know in part, and we prophesy in part; but when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away." (i Cor. 13:9, 10.) While saints were to covet earnestly the best gifts, they were shown a more excellent way-the following after love, which should endure when the necessity for gifts had passed (i Cor. 12:31).
We need hardly say that the results of ministry will abide forever, in the characters of the saints which have been formed thereby, and in the glory thus done to our blessed Lord; nor that rewards for faithful ministry will most surely be given and enjoyed through eternity. Rut this only shows that it is a thing of the past, the necessity for it gone with the earth-history of the Church.
So long, however, as the Church is upon earth, so long as sinners are to be brought into it, and saints to be edified, will there be absolute necessity for ministry, and that of a most varied and complete kind.
Let us now see what Scripture teaches as to the Source, Character, Power and Exercise of true ministry.
(I) The Source and Author of all true ministry is the glorified Head of the Church-the Lord Jesus Christ. '' Wherefore he saith, when he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men . . . and he gave some, apostles ; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; for the perfecting of the saints," etc. (Eph. 4:8-13.)
We are reminded in a parenthesis (10:9, 10) that all gifts are the purchase of the death of Christ, that His ascension was preceded by His descent first into the grave. So is our adorable Lord ever contemplated now, "I am he that liveth, and was dead; and behold, I am alive for evermore. Amen." (Rev. 1:18; Heb. 1:3; 2:6-9.) As glorified, He has bestowed gifts upon men. That Church which He loved and for which He gave Himself, has not been forgotten or neglected by her absent Lord. He has sent down from His own presence in the glory all that is needed for the ingathering and upbuilding of His beloved people. As we enjoy the varied gifts of ministry, let us every remember their source. In this way we gain a clear perception of two things:the love and care of Christ, and the dignity of all Christian ministry. "No man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth it, even as the Lord the Church." (Eph. 5:29.) In every gift, the more or less prominent, we see the love of Christ. True ministry there could be none apart from His gift. The effect, then, of enjoying it should ever be to lead our hearts, up in grateful, adoring love to Him. But if on the one hand His love is manifested, no less, on the other, do we see the dignity of all ministry and the responsibility attaching to it. '' Neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God." (Acts 20:24.) "For I neither received it" (the gospel) "of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ." (Gal. 1:12.) Such and many other scriptures show the dignity attaching to a Christ-given ministry. Let no man despise it; in so doing he despises Christ.-"He that despiseth you, despiseth me." Nor let any man think to add to the dignity of Christian ministry by investing it with high-sounding names, official position and the circumstance attaching to human greatness. All this is but putting gaudy tinsel upon fine gold. If Christ is the source and author of ministry, it follows as self-evident that there is no place for, and certainly no need for, human authorization. Any attempt at such is but an interference, no matter how well meant, with the prerogatives of Another.
(2) As to the character of ministry, it is most varied and complete, taking in its range all manner of service needed for the Church. In the list already quoted from Ephesians 4:, we have apostles and prophets:these are connected with the foundation, "and are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner-stone." (Eph. 2:20.) We need hardly say that these are New Testament prophets, not Old- men who spoke directly for God, often indicating in a supernatural way His mind as to the present or future. The apostles were intrusted with the planting of the Church and nourishing its infancy, as well as providing it for its whole earthly history, along with the rest of Scripture, with an infallible guide. This we have in the apostolic writings, which arc equally with the whole sacred volume, absolutely and perfectly inspired. (2 Pet. 3:15, 16; i John 4:6.) Thus, while we have not personally with us the apostles, we have them in their writings.
Evangelists, as their names would suggest, are heralds of the glad tidings, preachers of the gospel of the grace of God, who awaken the careless and win souls to Christ. It is not every one who is an evangelist, though all should have the love of souls, and be ready to point the sinner to Christ. But men who are evangelists by gift have the true passion for souls, true longing and travailing in birth for them; they are instructed how to present the gospel, how to gather in the souls, to distinguish true anxiety from false, and reality from mere expression. It is their joy to bring sinners to Christ, to see those who were in the world brought into the Church. The evangelist is a man of prayer, for he realizes that the work is all of God, and that "methods " arc but of little worth. He is a man of faith, who counts on the living God. He is a student of Scripture, that he may present only the truth to souls. He is a man of courage, not fearing to go even where '' bonds and imprisonment" may await him, that he may carry the glorious gospel of the blessed God to the perishing. He is a man of energy, instant in season, out of season. He is a man of perseverance, never faltering, nor discouraged if he fails to see immediate fruit from his labor. Lastly, he is a man of humility, glorying in another's work and success, above all, saying from the heart, "yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me."
If it be asked where are there such men, our answer must be, The Master knoweth. Doubtless there are many who while not ideally what we might expect, are truly Christ's – evangelists endowed and sent forth by Him, and showing in the blessed results of their labors that they are His gifts. As we look upon a world lying in the wicked one-the millions of souls in heathen darkness who have never heard of Christ-the millions in the bondage of Rome -the millions in Protestant lands, strangers to the grace of God-the multitudes at our very doors who fill the churches and say, "Lord, Lord," but who, it is to be feared, know Him not-shall we not pray for evangelists ? that those already in service may be stripped for their task, and that others may be raised up to go everywhere preaching the Word ? Let the younger brethren ask themselves, in the presence of God, if He have not called them to this work. Let us all be more aroused to the need of a perishing world around us. and be more intensely in earnest. Above all, let us be more in prayer than ever.
(To be continued.)