Those parts of the New Testament which describe j these last days make clear that the spheres of fellowship and of service are not the same. The 2nd epistle to Timothy especially brings this out; and being written for those servants of the Lord who desire to be "faithful," it is of exceptional value in guiding us as to these important questions.

The first consideration with the faithful man is, how he stands with regard to the testimony of the Lord; to be ''not ashamed of the testimony of the Lord," and to be "approved unto God" will take precedence of all else. Then comes fellowship with others-with those "that call on the Lord out of a pure heart." For such fellowship he must have purged himself from those who are not faithful to the truth as to the Person and work of Christ, or who in any way deny our holy faith. 2 Tim., chap. 2, encourages us to believe that those who do this will not lack company; they will find others who have also purified themselves from unholy associations, and walk with these. The bond which binds such together is a positive one, it is the Lord Himself; they "call on the Lord out of a pure heart." But this is not possible apart from separation from evil.

It is significant that just before speaking for the first time of the truth of His assembly (Matt. 16:12,18), the Lord warns against the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees. These leavens are ecclesiastical and doctrinal pride and iniquity, which contaminate more or less all who are in association with them. "Evil communications corrupt good manners," and the truth as to the Person of Christ and His assembly cannot be held with one hand while that which destroys the truth is gripped by the other. That which is pure does not purify what is corrupt, but is quickly corrupted. Hence "let him that nameth the name of the Lord depart from iniquity." Let him purify himself from the vessels to dishonor by separating from them. But the bond that binds in this fellowship must be a positive one; mere separation from evil is no guarantee that our feet are in the path of truth; our separation must be unto the Lord or it will have small value in His eyes; otherwise it will tend to pride, which would spoil both the fellowship and the service.

Along with this separation to the Lord, there must be diligence and energy to pursue "righteousness, faith, love and peace." These were the brightest traits of the Church in the freshness of its first love for Christ. They were then the general habit and practice of saints-the very atmosphere in which the disciples lived and rejoiced and prospered. Alas, that worldly principles and aims have so largely displaced these divine qualities in the house of God! But let us exercise diligence in reaching out after them, and hold on to them, with constant exercise of heart and conscience. Thank God, they are not beyond the reach of any, or of all; but it is only in separation from evil and in faithfulness to the Lord that any can hold on to them.

The early days of the Church were as when all Israel gathered themselves to David at Hebron, and made him King; while these last days are as when David fled before Absalom; then were the Cherethites and Pelethites and Gittites manifested in faithfulness to David. Their love to David was their bond; they were willing to share his rejection, and cleave to him through it all. They did not form a new fellowship; they were but true to that which was from the beginning-true to the covenant made more than thirty years before at Hebron. So those that call on the Lord out of a pure heart form nothing new when they walk together; they only go back to that which was at the beginning, and find in the darkest day that which He was to His church in the brightest. The Lord is the bond. This is the fellowship, and it demands that we be uncompromising toward what is treachery to Him.

But the sphere of service is much wider than this sphere of fellowship:it carries us into chap. 4 of this same epistle. How solemn is the charge with which that chapter opens :"I charge thee, therefore, being God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the living and the dead at his appearing and kingdom, preach the Word:be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine." Not before his brethren must the faithful man serve the Lord, as if they could define when and where he should serve. This would make him the servant of men, and bring him under a yoke of bondage. Nor is his own will to be the standard, as though he were his own judge, for that would be independency; but his service is to be before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will scrutinize all that is done in His name, according to His own perfect standard, when it is finished.

Upon what a high plane does this charge lift all true service! In what searching light does it set it! Who with a sense of the gravity of it could serve with levity? or compromise the truth that he is called to preach? or pander to the notions of men for popularity? or hide the truth for fear of men? or even limit the sphere of his service to meet the prejudices of his brethren? The service of the Lord is sacred; it is under His authority, and everyone who takes it up is responsible for, and shall give account to Him for it. The thought of it brings the exercised servant to his knees, and bows him before God who knows all, and before the Lord who will test all, and men and time sink into their own insignificance, or become simply the objects and opportunities for the carrying out of this great trust that lies beyond man's ordering or authority.

Our fellowship must be marked by purity; our service is to be exercised where need is. "Do the work of an Evangelist," applies to the latter. No matter if those who profess Christianity abandon or oppose the truth ; no matter how godless and indifferent to the claims of God the multitudes become; the faithful man will still proclaim the fact that God is a Saviour-God, that the precious blood of Jesus is the great proof of His love, and His atonement the ground upon which God can justify and bless even the worst of men. Those Christians who slight the gospel, or say that it is not their interest or testimony, or settle themselves down into selected circles to study the Word to justify the position they have assumed, only prove how faithless to their great trust they have become, or how their faith has succumbed to the general pressure. The servant of the Lord must seek the unconverted. If the love of God fills his heart, he will. He will meet with disappointments, with rebuffs, with opposition and persecution; prayers and tears and exercise of heart will be his portion, but having received this trust from the Lord he will be sustained by grace from Him, and will not flag:for sin, and sorrow, and death, and hell-fire are the same as when our Lord disclosed them. The world can not satisfy the souls of men; their hearts are empty, often broken, and Christ died for them. God yearns for them; life is offered them; heaven is open for them; and "there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth," and God's very nature is glorified in the salvation of everyone of them. Some are especially entrusted with the work of evangelizing; let them exercise their gift whenever and wherever the opportunity presents itself-in season and out of season; but they and all others who would serve the Lord as faithful men must address themselves also to those who profess the name of the Lord. They must "preach the Word" – reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine. , Does not this mean that they are to carry the word into the very circles where it is opposed? As they are not called to "reprove and rebuke" those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart, they must do it where those are who "turn their ears away from the truth." He must go to them if he is to fulfil his God-given trust. Is it not clear that the servant, subject to the guidance of the Lord, must seize every occasion, and enter every open door in making full proof of his ministry?

But what wisdom, what courage will be needed for this! How easy it is for "fools to rush in where angels fear to tread," and having rushed in proclaim their own folly instead of the truth of God. If not sustained of the Lord, courage may break down, or the truth be watered to suit the surroundings, or be drawn into fellowship with what is hateful to God. But if, according to Jude, while we build ourselves upon our most holy faith with those who are like minded, we would in compassion snatch others out of the fire, we must go to them, as the angels went to out from the soul-destroying doctrines and worldly lusts Sodom to drag Lot out of that doomed city-bring them in which Christendom is wallowing with the world-obnoxious to us as the filth of Sodom was to the angels sent there for Lot's rescue.

The disobedient prophet, in 1 Kings 13th chapter, is an example and a warning to us. He was sent to proclaim the Word of the Lord against the altar of idolatry in Bethel. In so far faithful, he was afterwards drawn into fellowship in that place with one who claimed to be a prophet even as he was; then his service came to a sudden and sorrowful end under the judgment of God.

I am not urging the "liberty" of the servant of the Lord; that is too low a ground for the "faithful man" to take; it savors too much of the socialistic spirit of the day, and might easily degenerate into "every man doing that which is right in his own eyes." But I am urging the rights of the Lord over His servants. The only liberty that the servant of the Lord has is freedom from every other yoke to be his Master's bondslave, which after all is a glorious freedom. He cannot obey two masters, but must be free from all entanglements to serve Him who has enlisted him as a soldier. He must be at his Lord's disposal.

The Lord is outside of Laodicea, and the faithful servant, in loyalty to Him, must be outside it too. He can have no fellowship in that which excludes his Lord, but be ready to knock at the closed door, if the Lord pleases so to use him, or to carry a message of faithful and long-suffering love to any who have ears to hear within it. Some of those who are of the Lord's household are scattered in queer places in Christendom, and the faithful and wise servant will be on the lookout to carry them a portion of meat in due season for his Lord's sake. As a servant he has one obligation, and that is to his Master. Let him fulfil this, and he will not damage the fellowship.

It is questionable if in Christendom's great organizations the whole truth would be tolerated. Well, there can be no compromise, and where the truth would not be admitted there is a closed door. But where the truth is not known, and not opposed, one who is faithful and wise may find an open door. Again there are circles in which a measure of light is enjoyed, and where the Holy Spirit has wrought; the man of God will not ignore this or think lightly of it, but recognize it, and further it as he may. The work of God is one work; it is nearing its completion. Happy will those servants be whom the Lord, when He comes, are found diligently trading for Him, doing business in many waters, searching the highways and the hedges for guests to the feast, while keeping their garments unspotted by the flesh. J. T. Mawson.
"IN HIM WAS LIFE"