The Divine Center:what is it? And how shall we define this important truth ? What does the Word of God give us as to this? Most important it is for us to be clear on this matter.

If we look back to Israel's history, we plainly see what was their Center. They were gathered around the Tabernacle, in which was the Ark with its cherubim-shadowed and blood-sprinkled mercy-seat, and the other holy vessels. As it was the center in their encampment, so it was their leader in every forward movement, remaining central even in the march. We know it was essentially a type of christ,-Christ in the varied aspects of His work, person, position, and relation to His people, who through divine grace find their place in all by virtue of Himself; so after all it is "Christ everything, and in all" (Col. 3:n), as the New Testament plainly teaches.

When we come together to show forth the Lord's death in the breaking of bread, it is the communion of His body and the communion of His blood. We remember HIM. We are gathered unto His name-to all that His name represents-not to any special one of His titles, as Jesus, or Christ, or Head of the Body-precious as everyone of these titles is. A special name or title indicates the relation or position in some special way, but would fall short of conveying the whole character of the person. It is "unto my Name," which means His authority, His character, all that He is. To be thus gathered means, essentially, that our Center is what the Tabernacle typically represents to us. Therefore it is not the company of people who constitute the Divine Center; nor is it a doctrine, though many doctrines are linked with this; but it is the living, glorious person of our Lord Jesus Christ.

In His address to the assembly at Philadelphia, the Lord presents Himself as this Center; it is "My Word," "My Name," "My patience." In this we have epitomized the whole of our testimony. His "Word " is the whole compass of divine revelation. His " Name" stands for the whole truth of His blessed person. His " patience " expresses His character in the present dispensation. He is waiting in patience until the time of taking His kingdom, and we are to wait and watch as one with Him. And, for eternity, it is to have a place in the "temple of my God," He says. To have written upon us, as by His hand," the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God which comes down out of heaven from my God;" and finally,"my new name"-His name as known in the kingdom and glory. How touchingly personal all is here. He is the blessed Center from which all radiates.

Now all believers, as members of the one Body, are linked with this divine Center. But how few in the present state of ruin, gather together in the real and practical acknowledgment of this ! Does it follow that those who so gather become the center to which other believers are to gather? Never! -that were indeed to dishonor Christ. But the business of those who so gather, feeble remnant though they be, is to hold up Christ as the Center, unto whom the gathering is to be. Those who are gathered to Christ, are to be governed by God's holy Word, by its precepts and examples. Of necessity it is in separation from whatever refuses the divine principles which govern such fellowship. The unholy, or unruly are excluded from it, until restoration to God and His ways is effected.

Note that the Lord says of him who will not hear the Assembly, "Let him be to thee as one of the nations"; he is outside the fellowship in the truth. But He does not say, He is to Me such; which would mean nothing less than that Christ had cast off the erring one. It is, rather, when one is in this outside place that the gracious Lord begins to work in a special way to effect repentance which will make it meet for His people to restore such an one to the fellowship of His Assembly.

All this plainly teaches us the oneness of the fellowship in the truth; it clearly shows that whatever relates to fellowship is the concern of all. Individuals in one assembly are not independent of one another, neither are assemblies independent one of another. They are all one in Christ, and this is to be practically recognized by all those who profess subjection to Christ, the Divine Center of His people-the same Lord in every place where His people acknowledge Him as their Head and Center. There must be care therefore to act in all matters in such a way as will commend itself to all those governed by the word of God. As the individual member in the body is not to please himself but is to consider his fellow-members, so the local gatherings surely are to consider the other gatherings who confess and walk in the truth. Independence of spirit or action strikes at the Divine Center with whom all are linked.

The spirit of the day is that of independence and self-will. May God give us, on the contrary, the spirit of Christ, in submission and dependence upon the Lord, seeking to maintain our testimony to Him-feeble though it be. J. B.