In essence there seems to be a striking parallelism between the present phase of Evangelicalism and that obtaining a century ago. A writer in the early 18th century said:

"In the comfortable atmosphere of Evangelicalism, many virtues throve. It represented the best type of middle-class society, possessed of considerable wealth. The Evangelicals were pure, wise, benevolent and their households were well-trained. But the sacred fire burned low. Although they repudiated gross worldly amusements, on account of their easy circumstances, they incurred the charge of worldly holiness. The early 18th century Evangelists (Wesley, Whitefield, etc.) had rescued England from the peril of Rationalism, but an inevitable reaction had followed."

It was a dark obscure place such as above described into which the lamp of prophecy in J. N. Darby and his associates shone forth. But now, after a century has elapsed, the representatives of the former Philadelphian movement in general may be not inaptly described in the foregoing words of the early 19th century writer.

The early brethren were high-born, but the "calling on high of God in Christ Jesus" led them to go along with the lowly. Their lives were marked by almost monastic simplicity. The vivid expectation of the Lord's return led to singular devotedness of life, as it has also characterized evangelical teaching ever since.

Forty years later, the movement extended to the working classes in the wonderful revival of the early 70's of the last century. Two generations of moral rectitude have immensely improved the secular circumstances of the descendants of those men, so that although the Lord could say to certain of his contemporaries, "The poor have ye always with you", He will soon be unable to say so to us!

Ecclesiastical rectitude is only one manifestation of the work of grace in the soul. It would seem that the affluence of many Christians is showing itself in many ways calculated to set false ideals before the minds of the young people.

Solomon took thirteen years for the building of his own house, while seven years sufficed for his attention to the Lord's house, and his subsequent career was witness to the folly of putting the Lord's interests in the second place. In his halcyon days the climax which overcame the Queen of Sheba was not the excellent appointments of his house, but the ascent by which he went up to the house of the Lord. So nowadays what will affect people in a spiritual sense will not be the size and furnishings of our motor cars and houses, but the manner of our approach to the throne of grace as being components of the house of God.

We know that we are saved. We are saved from the world in all its phases as from the power of Satan, but we are saved to behold the glory of the Lord, which is the only cure for the exercise of self-will, be it in the ecclesiastical or any other phase of presentation of this world's activities. T. Oliver (Galashiels)