(Hebrews 13:12, 13.)

In this last chapter of the epistle, the Spirit of God, speaking of the fact that "the bodies of those beasts whose blood is brought into the sanctuary by the high-priest for sin are burned without the camp," goes on to say, "Wherefore Jesus also, that He might sanctify [set apart] the people with His own blood, suffered without the gate. Let us go forth therefore unto Him without the camp, bearing His reproach," etc.

Many are at a loss to know what is referred to by the term "camp," yet it is very important to understand it, because those who love the Lord Jesus Christ are exhorted to go forth from it, unto Him.

In order to learn what is meant, then, (as is our duty to do) by this expression, we should first of all find out to whom the epistle is primarily and specially addressed, and with God's blessing it will soon be made plain. The epistle to the Hebrews was written to professedly converted Jews (chap, i:i), who had been born and trained up under the law given by God to Israel at Mount Sinai when in camp in the wilderness, where and when a system of worship was ordained of God for this nation in the flesh, which was perfect in its place, but which did not suppose or require that the worshipers should be born again, and under which system they, as a nation, utterly failed.

Next, we must get clear on what the Spirit of God calls "the camp" when this was written.

The ninth chapter tells us that there were ordinances of divine service, and a worldly sanctuary, consisting of a tabernacle made with men's hands, and pitched on earth (afterwards, when in the land, it was a temple at Jerusalem), which was their place of worship.

Then they had an ordained priesthood-men of a certain family set apart to come between the worshipers and God, of whom Aaron was the high-priest. And this man was the minister of this sanctuary, without whom the worshipers could not worship.

This high-priest offered up an atonement for these people's sins once every year, besides the other sacrifices that were offered up continually.

And, as already noticed, these worshipers did not require to be converted people, though some of them were so, but were a company of believers and unbelievers mixed together; all of them on the ground of law-keeping for righteousness, i e., under the law. Now this system embraced as worshipers all the nation of Israel then in camp, and was then going on at Jerusalem when this epistle was written. The Spirit of God calls that ''the camp," out of which the "holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling," were to go forth.

I learn, then, that Judaism, or this system of worship in the flesh, was, in Paul's day, "the camp." And, dear Christian reader, is it not clear at a glance that any system of worship of a Jewish nature and character, and in consequence, a system that the flesh and sight-the world, in fact-can naturally join in, is the camp in our day ? We know, as revealed by the Son of God Himself, that "God is a Spirit, and they that worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth"-a thing impossible for the flesh to do. It requires men to be born of the Spirit. In John 4:21, our Lord says, " Woman, believe Me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father." The time had come when places of worship on earth-mountains, and temples made with hands-should be done away with. Men in the flesh had been thoroughly tested, and proved to be utterly incapable of obeying God's law, or worshiping Him either, and now a new order of things comes in:men born of the Spirit, indwelt by the Spirit, worshiping in spirit and in truth, not in a temple or tabernacle on earth, but in the holiest, that is, heaven itself-the only worshiping-place now,-having boldness to enter there by the blood of Jesus.

Therefore, if any system of worship exists now which has a worldly sanctuary-a temple made with hands, with an ordained priesthood, or class of men set apart to take a special place between the worshipers and God, without whom they cannot worship; where unconverted people are admitted as worshipers-that is indeed "the camp." It is Judaism, in nature and character as a system of worship, though true Christians be in it, and the gospel be still preached more or less faithfully by
some in it.

It is the Holy Spirit-it is God-that says, through the apostle, to any of His dear children who are in any kind of system such as this, '' Let us go forth unto Him [Christ] without the camp, bearing His
reproach."

"But," say some, "why not stay inside and do all the good you can where you are ?"

Because "to obey is better than sacrifice, and to harken than the fat of rams" (i Samuel 15:22).

Because God will not have Christianity and Judaism mixed together. It would be new wine in the old bottles.

Because God will not have the world and the Church unequally yoked together (2 Cor. 6).

Because Jesus Christ has come a High-Priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands. He has been cast out by worshipers in the flesh (Jewish worshipers), and suffered outside the gate, on Calvary; proving that worship in the flesh is not a real thing, for if they had loved God, they would have reverenced His Son. Yea, though these worshipers in the flesh could point out in the Scriptures where Christ was to be born to the wise men of the east, not one foot did they go to find Him, but were troubled and distressed at the very thought of His being come.

And now risen from the dead, He has entered into the holy place made without hands, even into heaven itself; not with the blood of bulls and goats,'' but by His own blood," "having obtained [not redemption for a year only, but] eternal redemption for us." So now, the Man in the glory is our High-Priest; the Man in the glory, the God-Man, is our Minister- " a Minister of the sanctuary, and of the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, and not man " (Heb. 8:i, 2; 9:11, 12, 24).

And though it is true that God at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, He has more highly honored us in these last days, says Hebrews 1:2-He hath spoken unto us by His Son. Here, the Spirit of God puts God's Son above and before all other prophets.

Again, though Moses was the apostle of that dispensation (and was faithful in all his house as a servant), and Aaron was God's chosen high-priest for this nation of worshipers in the flesh (Israel), we Christians are to consider the Apostle and High-Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus; thus exalting Christ above and before Moses and Aaron (Heb. i:i, 2; 3:1-6). Under the law, it was commanded and instituted by God Himself that sacrifices of bulls and goats should be offered-a shadow of better things to come; but now, Christ has offered Himself, and risen and gone in and presented His own blood to God for us, having thus by one offering . perfected forever them that are sanctified (chap. 10). Thus Christ's sacrifice is put above, and in the place of, all these other sacrifices which could never take away sins. The Substance has come, and taken the place of the shadows.

Again, though perfectly true that God told Moses to make the tabernacle, and Solomon the temple, for a place of worship on earth under the law; now, He has opened heaven to us, and we have boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus,- heaven itself taking the place of the tabernacle, and temple at Jerusalem, as the Christian's worshiping-place (Heb. 8:i, 2; 9:24).

Then, though God made a covenant with Israel at Mount Sinai, giving them the law (a covenant of works, under which they failed) the Christian is not under law, but under grace-though under responsibility to obey, as a child. Christ has delivered us from the law and its curse, having been made a curse for us; " for I through the law am dead to the law, that I might live unto God " (Gal. 2:19; Heb. 8:9-13).

Then, indeed, conversion was not required to be of the congregation of worshipers under the law; but now, He who is a Spirit, must have worship in spirit and in truth. Who can do so ? Those, and those only, who, converted and sealed by the Spirit of God, have the power and heart for it.

In short, Christ and Christianity has taken the place of, and is in direct contrast to, the law and Judaism; and God will not allow us to mix the two, or rather, I should have said, try to do so.

So the word is, " Let us go forth unto Him without the camp, bearing His reproach," etc.

Now, my reader must take notice that this is not a question of salvation-it is not that many souls inside the camp may not be saved; but it is a question of worshiping God according to the principles of Christianity,-surely, a very important thing in the eyes of those who love the Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity.

When the epistle to the Hebrews was written, there were many thousands of Jews that believed, and they were "all zealous of the law"-the apostle James, who says so, one of them. See Acts 21:20. If we compare dates too, we shall find that God, in long-suffering goodness and mercy, allowed the believing Jews to remain in "the camp" for perhaps thirty years after Pentecost, and so Christianity and Judaism were mixed together for some years. But now that, through the apostle Paul, the unique character of Christianity is fully made known, God's command is to break entirely with Judaism, for the one is the destruction of the other.
We are to " go forth unto Him without the camp." Where, outside the camp, shall I find Him ? and in what special way is He to be found there? Christian brother and sister, the special place, "outside the camp," where the Lord vouchsafes to be, and to manifest Himself to faith is "where two or three are gathered together unto My name, there am I in the midst of them " (Matt. 18:20). The place, then, is the two or three, or twenty or thirty, or two or three hundred, gathered together unto His name; and the special way and manner He vouchsafes to manifest Himself there to faith is not to be described in words. It is to be felt and enjoyed by those who believe and obey His words. Oh that all His dear people believed it!

I would add that this does not do away with ministry-divinely appointed ministry-in the Church of God. There is a ministry; there are gifts given to men; there are evangelists, pastors, and teachers, "for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of [not a sect, but] the body of Christ." But these gifts are not given to lead Christians in worship; they are as the members of one's own natural body-for the service of the whole body. Christ is the Head of His body, the Church, of which all true Christians are members (1 Cor. 12:12), and it is He who leads by His Spirit in all acceptable worship.

He places the members of the body as it pleases Him; uses evangelists, pastors, and teachers when and where He chooses to do so; they looking to Him for guidance where to go, and how long to remain; to whom they are alone responsible for the use of their gift or gifts.

But in worship, we come together, not to hear a gospel address, not to be taught by a teacher, not to be exhorted by a pastor, but to give, as led by the Holy Spirit, praise, adoration, thanksgiving, to God our Father, and to our Lord Jesus Christ. This is something that requires no special gift in any one, but something which every true Christian walking with God has got in him, and which God is alone worthy to receive, 1:e., worship.

It may be one or another who will, in turn, be led to be the mouth-piece of all present; but it will not be so because he is more gifted than others.

This system of worship will never be done away with. It has begun on earth; in weakness and faultiness, true; but it has begun never to cease. J. D.
Silver Trumpets.