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QUES. 15.-A brother among us for many years, a faithful man, some time ago seemed suddenly to fall out of the way, apparently through a break-down under the pressure of trial and the circumstances of the way; physical conditions may also have had a hand in it. He ceased to take part with his brethren in the breaking of bread, while continuing much as before to minister the word of God; this has caused friction among the Lord's people, some accepting his ministry gladly as before, others claiming that it is an inconsistent course which should not be allowed. A word from you would be welcome.

ANS.-It would seem evident, from what you say, that the brother is under the Lord's discipline, for what cause we may never fully know here, but we know the Lord's discipline is always for a good cause, for He never judges arbitrarily. If this be so with the brother, let others take heed lest they add to it, and be found as "Job's comforters." Order should surely be carefully maintained in the house of God, but priestly sympathy certainly holds no second place to it; indeed there is a time when sympathy and ,love must be first, and due order wait for its proper time. The Lord's table is not our center, but Christ is. Every case therefore should be measured accordingly. Have those whom the brother has heretofore faithfully served sought in return to serve him in patience and love in view of his restoration to cheerfulness and happiness ?

QUES. 16.-Can we say that all Christians are subjects of the kingdom? This question is asked with the knowledge that Christians occupy a closer place by far than mere subjects.

ANS.-Most assuredly all Christians are subjects of the kingdom. We cannot call Christ Lord without confessing this; and, after the name Saviour, is there a sweeter one than that of Lord to the believer?-that is, if we surrender ourselves to Him, body, soul and spirit, to live henceforth only unto Him. A wife, though the nearest of all to her husband, tenderly loved by him and cared for as is no other being, is not thereby released from subjection to him; she is within the circle of his authority as well as all others in the house. The kingdom has other forms beside that of the dispensational, millennial kingdom, when Christ shall take the rule of this world in His hand and have sway everywhere. The 13th of Matthew gives much light on the subject.

QUES. 17.-What is the meaning of 1 John 5 :16?

ANS.-1 Cor. 11 :30-32 explains it; it is God's government among His people in this life. In psalm 73, the psalmist while out of communion with God complains of this government, but he sees it all plainly when he gets back into the sanctuary. A "sin unto death'' would be such high-handed evil that God, who must maintain the holiness of His character, could not release the guilty one, but exercise His discipline in bringing him to death. Of course, "life" and "death" in that passage (as in all those which refer to the government of God in His house) apply to this life and to the body of the believer; his soul never ceases to be under shelter of the blood of Jesus; but this in no wise interferes with God's discipline. Our children never cease to be our children however sorely we may have to discipline them. Grace and government are two very distinct lines of truth treated of by the word of God ; they never of course interfere with each other, having very different purposes.

QUES. 18.-"Will you kindly explain the apparent difficulty in Rev. 17 :8-10? "The beast which thou sawest, was, and is not. And there are seven kings, five are fallen and one is," etc. If, as seems clear from Daniel, "the beast'' here referred to is the fourth or Roman empire, why does the angel say, "the beast. . . is not," for we know it was the beast that banished John to Patmos, where he had the vision.

Further, if as in verse 8, "the beast is not," how are we to understand, of the seven heads on the beast which are in part explained to be seven kings, that " five are fallen, and one is." If the beast "is not," at the point of time from which the angel speaks, how can it be said in verse 10 of the "seven kings" that "one is?" The answer maybe simple, but it is a difficulty to many.

ANS.-The important figure in Rev. 17 is the woman, not the beast; it is her character and connection with the empire, and her destruction finally by that empire which is emphasized. Thus we must consider what is said about the beast from the standpoint of the vision. What makes John wonder is the woman-"And I wondered, seeing her, with great wonder" (ver. 6). Now the woman is the false church. In John's day she was not in the position of mastery upon the beast; she was to attain this position at a future time-which is the standpoint of the vision. For us, the fulfilment of the vision began in the past, when the Roman See attained to supremacy. She is continuing to-day in an abated form, and will rise again to supremacy in connection with the seventh head of the beast, continuing in that position during the existence of the seventh head, who "must remain [only] a little while" (ver. 10).

Now what is said about the beast is in view of the woman. From this view-point, the beast was, 1:e., had its pagan imperial existence. During the sitting of the woman it is not, 1:e., no longer has the same character while the woman sits upon it. The heads and horns are given as means of identifying what it is the woman sits upon-not as contemporaneous with her, except as to the seventh head and ten horns; for, clearly, the woman did not exist till near the end of the sixth head, of which it is said to John, "one is."

Then the third state of the beast is given-the eighth head- when it rises up again "out of the abyss," after it has received a mortal wound ; doubtless this is brought in here because it is under that head, in union with the ten kings, that the woman is destroyed. It is this confederacy also which makes war with the Lamb, when the beast also reaches its end-he "goeth into destruction."

QUES. 19.-A matter is exercising quite a few here, namely, the making of shells and munitions of war, and I wish to ask a question on behalf of all the exercised ones. Is it consistent for Christians to be engaged in such business ? An aged brother says that Gen. 9:6 has not been revoked ; hence it stands good, and is a national right, according to Rom. 13 :1-4 ; therefore the call to arms by a government to chastise a guilty nation, is just, and not in opposition to God's word.
ANS.-Your question, though containing more than a previous one (see Ques. 11 in March number), has been already pretty fully treated. First of all, we would say that no Christian can be conscience for another; each one is pleasing to God only in the measure in which he acts for God according to the light he has. We agree with what the "aged brother" has said. Many nowadays having imbibed mistaken views, would turn the rulers into ministers of grace, whilst God has made them ministers of justice. There is no need of a sword to minister grace, but there is to minister justice. If thieves and robbers arise to commit depredations, the ruler is to go after them with the sword ; if a nation comes to do the same thing, it is to be met in the same way, though this may require the calling out of all the forces the ruler can command. War, if just, is but the extreme of government. The Christian, who is called upon to follow in the footsteps of Him who came "not to destroy men's lives, but to save them," naturally shrinks from having part in this, and as far as lies in him, will avoid it as well as every feature appertaining to it.

QUES. 20.-It is customary at our general meetings for the local assembly to direct as to who shall preach in the evening gospel meetings. Is this scriptural ?

ANS -Scripture does not cut out every detail for us. It lays down broad principles, and then expects us to fill in the details as those in whom dwells the Spirit of God. In this case the broad principle is, " Let all things be done decently, and in order." If the local assembly has called together a promiscuous lot of people to offer them the ministry of the word of God, they should see to it that the best which they can do, is done. A few wise men, without prejudice or favoritism, might justly be entrusted with this responsibility by the local assembly. They know best the people in attendance and the spiritual condition prevailing ; they can therefore most intelligently judge what ministry is most suitable.

QUES. 21.-Does Hebrews 6 :4-6 and 10 :26 teach that a person who has professed Christ and fallen into sin, perhaps for years, could never have another chance ; whilst a true Christian, having done the same thing, can be restored upon repentance?

ANS.-These passages teach no such thing. To "sin wilfully " (chap. 10:26) is the same, now in Christianity, as it was in Judaism to "despise Moses' law" (ver. 28). It is wilfully despising, or rejecting, the truth of Christianity which they once professed. It is evident that such place themselves beyond the bounds of salvation, because the Christ they deny is the only means of salvation God has for men.

"When an Israelite sinned, he was to confess it upon the lamb that was slain for him, and the sin was "forgiven him" (Lev. 5 :1-10). In like manner, "If any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous :and He is the propitiation for our sins." But the despiser, whether Jew or Christian, despises the provision which God has made for putting away sin.

The passages do not say that the persons in question must necessarily abide in the condition in -which they are, but they do teach that while in that condition they are beyond all power to save them. The true Christian who has been saved by the grace of God, and is kept by the power of God, does not fall into that state, though it is a warning to him to keep near the Lord.