The first assembly failure was
in the realm of brotherly relations. "There arose a murmuring of the
Hellenists against the Hebrews because their widows were overlooked in the
daily ministration" (Acts 6:1 J.N.D. trans.). It is probable that the root
of all the departure and consequent loss of blessing could be traced to the
weakening and giving up of those links of love which normally bind the
believers together. The assemblies soon became congregations, and the warmth
and liberty of the family circle were lost. When the saints ceased to love one
another as Christ loved them, they had really left their first love and had
fallen and needed to repent and do the first works. The Lord would have us to
be very sensitive as to the maintenance of happy relations with our brethren.
"If therefore thou shouldest offer thy gift at the altar, and there
shouldest remember that thy brother has something against thee, leave there thy
gift before the altar, and first go, be reconciled to thy brother, and then
come and offer thy gift" (Matt. 5:23,24, J.N.D. trans.). These words of
the Lord suggest that in approaching God, our hearts would be sensitive to
recall anything that our brother has against us, and we should feel that we
must be reconciled to him before we can offer to God. If this were attended to
there would be no such outstanding grievances as sometimes go on for long
periods and have a paralyzing effect on liberty in the service of God.

 

In the assembly in Philadelphia we see what is prophetic of assembly revival in a remnant at the end. Philadelphia means "the love of the brethren." Recovery lies in coming back to
this. If we love the brethren we shall not imagine evil against them in our
hearts, nor shall we speak evil of them nor do them any harm. We shall in every
way seek their good, and this can only be by the pursuit of holiness and truth.
We shall want them all to be loved complacently by Christ, and therefore we
shall be intolerant of anything in them which Christ hates.

 

We are brethren as in wilderness
conditions, but we are also brethren as in the land. It is to be noted that
Paul writes to the Colossians and to the Ephesians on the ground that he has
heard of their "love towards all the saints." It would seem that this
was a necessary condition for the opening up of the heavenly position of the
saints. I believe that as the love of the brethren waned, they lost capacity to
appreciate these two epistles. The secret of Israel’s losing "the
land" was the breakdown of their brotherly relations. So it is stated:
"The land was desolate after them . . . they laid the pleasant land
desolate" (Zech. 7:14). It is solemn to think that the assembly lost
"the land," in any practical sense, for the same reason that Israel lost it. "The land" can only be enjoyed in the divine nature, which we
have as born of God, and it manifests itself in the love of the brethren. So we
may all understand the line along which God is working for recovery today.

 

 

FRAGMENT:
Any wolf can scatter sheep. It takes a Shepherd to keep them together.

And God said, Let us make man in
our image . . . and let them have dominion over . . . every . . . thing . . .
upon the earth. And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and
multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it:and have dominion over the
fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that
moveth upon the earth. (Genesis 1:26, 28)

 

In spite of man’s disobedience
it would seem that he has very largely done as God directed in the above
verses. Man’s dominion or rule of the earth seems pretty well in hand at
present. His dominion over the animals in air, on land, and in the sea has been
such that many species have suffered near extinction. Man’s efforts now have
turned toward conservation in all these areas in order to preserve these
creatures over which he has dominion.

 

God’s word to man to "be
fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth" (Gen. 1:28; 9:1) seems to
have been heeded—so much so that at present one of man’s chief concerns is the
"population explosion" and how to feed the teeming multitudes which
nearly "fill the earth."

 

The injunction to subdue the
earth seems largely complied with, too. The earth has been explored from pole
to pole. The realms above and below the earth’s surface have been explored for
miles. Man has brilliantly adapted himself and learned how to live under vastly
different conditions. "The earth hath He given to the children of
men" (Psa. 115:16), and they do indeed seem to be making the most of
things.

 

Now Canada is celebrating its
centennial and its Montreal is the chosen site for EXPO 67. News write-ups tell
us this promises to be "the greatest international exhibition in the
history of the world." As might be expected the sixty-two participating
nations are displaying their most outstanding achievements. The unifying theme
for EXPO 67 is Man and His World. Seventeen thematic pavilions portray man as
creator, producer, provider, explorer, and member of the community. Thus has
man subdued the earth and displays his achievements with unmuffled pride.

 

As we survey the Holy Scriptures
we are struck with the similarity of EXPO 67 to Nebuchadnezzar’s proud walk
"in the palace of the kingdom of Babylon." He said as he surveyed Babylon’s greatness, "Is not this great Babylon, that I have built for the house of
the kingdom by the might of my power, and for the honor of my majesty?"
(Daniel 4:30). What Nebuchadnezzar did not learn on the throne, he did as he
roamed the fields as a beast the following seven years, that "the most
High ruleth in the kingdom of men" (Dan. 4:17, 25, 32). We wonder if this
lesson is yet realized by any exhibitors of Man and His World who praise man so
unreservedly and give little or no acknowledgment to the living God.

 

But one might counter exclaiming
that the Lord’s things are given a prominent place in EXPO 67. There is a large
"Christian Pavilion." This, too, rates the praise of not only the
world but also most churchmen of the day. The praise is not so much for the
awesome architecture of the $1,300,000 structure but because it represents a
major ecumenical breakthrough for Canada. Roman Catholics, Eastern Orthodox,
Anglicans, United Churchmen, Baptists, Presbyterians, and Lutherans have all
joined forces to put up this "Christian Pavilion." This represents a
united front to millions of world visitors by ninety-two percent of Canada’s professed Christians.

 

In the language of John’s letter
to the church at Laodicea what possible principle but lukewarmness could unite
such vastly different communions. In that same letter, the Laodiceans are
reprimanded for saying they are "rich, and increased with goods, and have
need of nothing." We wonder what pleas for support of gospel work and aid
to starving poor can be taken seriously when such wealth is lavished on art
scenes and religious symbolism.

 

What place is our Lord Jesus
Christ given in all this religious splendor? The "Christian Pavilion"
is to lead visitors to the "answer" in three stages. The first is a
scene depicting life as it was before Adam’s fall, consisting of a beautiful
garden, flowers, etc. and a pool (which is supposed to represent baptism to the
imaginative). The second stage depicts life as it is, beginning with the
comparative innocence of a newborn babe and progressing to a gory panorama of
human atrocity and orgy, aided by weird sounds and frightening screams.
Visitors are expected to want to run from this scene to the third stage where
the "answer" is also similarly portrayed. By psychological
intonations aiding a modern-day presentation of the Lord Jesus’ birth, life,
death, resurrection, ascension, and Pentecost, the "answer" and
purpose of Christianity is to be conveyed. We wonder if any scriptural
"answer" is possible from such an array where, we fear, our Lord is
on the outside knocking.

 

Our hopes for EXPO 67 might be
somewhat brighter if we stroll over to the display of Moody’s "Sermons
from Science." Here at half the cost of the "Christian
Pavilion," Moody Science Films and live science demonstrations are used to
present God’s message. Since only one Christian pavilion was permitted, Moody’s
entry was accepted on a science basis. Here, at least, unlike the
"Christian Pavilion" there are counselors. But, there will be no
proselytizing done since all enquirers are to be turned back to the church of
their choice. We cannot imagine a better missionary opportunity than when the
heathen from all parts of the world come to you. But we are dismayed that
earnest enquirers among these should be returned to the church of their choice,
when the same churches cannot discern Christ’s gospel just down the lane at the
"Christian Pavilion."

 

EXPO 67 parading Man and His
World is what we might have expected from the world. But we had some little
reason to ‘expect better things" of those professing Christ as Savior.
Their displays seem to us to represent Man and His Church. It has little
resemblance to Christ’s Church but favors more with each passing moment that
Laodicean condition, "neither cold nor hot," which the Lord says,
"I will spue . . . out of My mouth." The appeal and counsel of the
Lord Jesus to any that will hear His voice is:

 

Buy of Me gold tried in the
fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed,
and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with
eye salve, that thou mayest see. As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten:be
zealous therefore, and repent. Behold, I stand at the door, and knock:if any
man hear My voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with
him, and he with Me.(Revelation 3:18-20)

 

 

FRAGMENT
I have always remarked of infidels, or infidel writers (for it is better to
call things by their names) that they can make you doubt of many things, but
they can give you nothing. They never give you one certain truth. The word of
God gives you many certain truths. It makes you doubt of nothing. It has no
need; for it possesses the truth, and gives what is positive. This is an
immense difference:it stamps both morally. When infidel minds speak of a love
of truth, they never that I can see go farther than Pilate:"What is
truth?" They do not hold fast the truth, but cast doubt on what others
believe, and profess to search for truth, and to be always ready to receive it,
I suppose because they have never found it

Christ was “a minister of the circumcision for the truth of
God, to confirm the promises made unto the fathers, and that the
Gentiles might glorify God for His mercy” (Rom. 15:8,9).  The Jew was
heir to “the promises”; and in fulfillment of these Christ became “a minister
of the circumcision”:the Gentiles, being “strangers from the covenants of
promise,” (Eph. 2:12) are absolutely dependent upon mercy.

I will sing with the spirit, and
. .. the understanding also. (1 Corinthians 14:15)

 

One Sunday evening some years
ago, I heard a large congregation singing the hymn, "Sweet Savior, bless
us ere we go," with the refrain at the end of each stanza, "O gentle
Jesu, be our light."

 

As I listened to verse after
verse, I sought to realize who the "Jesus" was whom these people
worshiped. In the course of my reverie, I tried to think of relationships and
circumstances which would make it natural and right for men to hold such
language in addressing others dear to them. I supposed, for example, some one
speaking to his father in this way:"Sweet father, gentle William,"
and I saw at once that a parent who could tolerate it must be utterly unworthy
of honor or respect. Such a mode of speaking never could be proper in
addressing a person with any claim to superiority. On the other hand it might
sometimes be natural and charming for a parent to yearn over a darling child
with words like these upon the lips; or for a husband to turn to the woman at
his side and call her his sweet, gentle wife.

 

Here, then, was the problem
solved. Mariolatry, under its own name, Protestantism forbids; so the
Protestant cloaks it under a more subtle guise by degrading the Lord and Savior
to the level of the Virgin Mary of the Roman Catholic. The errors of every
false religion have generally their source in human nature. The same perverted
instinct, which leads men to worship the traditional Mary, has led them also to
set up the idol of a "sweet, gentle Jesus" in the place of Him who is
King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

 

Strength delights to lean on
weakness just as truly as weakness leans on strength. The strongest man in the
hour of his triumph may be led by a gentle woman or a loving child. This is a
homage paid to qualities of a wholly different order from those he boasts in.
It does not wound his pride; it does not hurt his self-respect. So the proud
self-satisfied heart of the natural man desires a God possessed of the
qualities he delights to lean on here—a gentle loving creature, whose moral
excellence he can acknowledge without offending his own self-esteem. If it be
Mary, her womanhood is enough; if it be "Jesus," He must be pre-eminently
gifted with womanly qualities. It is His "gentleness and sweetness"
that must be insisted on.

 

Every man has within him by
nature instinctive desires to be better than he is. The object of these desires
is his god. The god of a so-called atheist is himself become as good as he
thinks he ought to be. The god of a nominal Christian is his own ideal, raised
and improved upon by what he has learned from the Scriptures. But there is this
in common to all unconverted men that between them and their god there is no
absolute break, or insuperable barrier. Their efforts, therefore, to seek him
and to do his will are pleasing to their self-love, flattering to their pride.
Their very leaning upon them is a token of their own independence. On the other
hand, the first step towards true conversion is to learn that the living God is
righteous and holy, whom an unrighteous and unholy sinner can never approach.
Man’s religion comes to a deadlock at once. There is no longer room for pride.
The language of the heart is. "I have heard of Thee by the hearing of the
ear, but now mine eye seeth Thee, wherefore I abhor myself and repent in dust
and ashes." How natural and right in the presence of a holy, holy, holy
God!

 

But, some one will say, this is
God out of Christ. I answer, there is no God out of Christ. There is but one
God; of the Son it is written, "This is the true God, and eternal
life." "Our God is a consuming fire," who must be served
"with reverence and godly fear." "Unto the Son He saith, Thy
throne, 0 God, is for ever and ever." But what of the Father? "He
that hath seen Me hath seen the Father," is His word. He is "the
brightness of His glory, and the express image of His person." Are there
not the Father and the Son? Yes, and how distinct they are; witness Gethsemane
and Calvary! We have the Father, the Son, and the Spirit, but we have one God.
If we seek God we must look to Him who was "God . . . manifest in the
flesh." "This is eternal life that they might know Thee the only true
God, [even] Jesus Christ whom Thou hast sent."

 

Whether then we have to do with
the Father, the Son, or the Spirit, we have to do with a thrice-holy God, who
cannot behold iniquity, "a jealous God," "even a consuming
fire." Need I pause here to tell how this God has become a Savior— how the
Son took on Him the form of a servant and was obedient even unto death, so that
now in virtue of that sacrifice the sinner can stand before this holy and
righteous God and be at peace? My purpose is rather to warn men against
supposing that there is any mediator to screen them from this God of holiness
and majesty. There is a Mediator, whose work is not to shield the sinner from
God nor to hide God from the sinner but to bring the sinner into the presence
of God and to present him there "holy and unblameable. and unreproveable
in His sight."

 

And I would say to the
Christian, beware of setting up an idol ”Jesus" whom you may approach,
though you judge yourself unfit to come near to God. Your fitness depends not
on yourself but on Him who died the Just for the unjust to this very end that
He might bring you to God. Tell Him, if you will, that you are unworthy of the
bread you eat, or of the roof that covers you, but never doubt the power of
that mighty Name nor distrust the value of that precious blood. Never question
your title to the place which that name and that blood have given you, if
indeed you are His own. Beware of a false peace, which depends on having a
false Christ, less holy and therefore less terrible than God. When in
hymn-singing or in prayer you hear mawkish irreverent words addressed to such a
"Jesus," let your heart turn away to thoughts of Him who sits upon
the throne, surrounded by the rainbow, the lightnings and thunderings, the
living creatures that cease not day and night to proclaim Him "Holy, holy,
holy, Lord God Almighty," the elders who cast their golden crowns before
Him, as they ascribe to Him glory and honor and power, and the chorus of ten
thousand times ten thousand voices, echoed back by the whole creation of God (Rev.
4 & 5).

 

FRAGMENT
Wherefore also God highly exalted Him and granted Him a name, that which is
above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of heavenly
and earthly and infernal beings, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is
Lord to God the Father’s glory. (Phil- 2:9-11, J.N.D. trans.).

Dear One in Christ:

 

I regret that the pressure of
much work has delayed me in responding to your request that I present a
statement of what is unsatisfactory in the "Scofield Reference
Bible." I do so as one who read it through several times as to the
Scripture text, became fairly well acquainted with its notes, used it for years
in my public work, and had an agency for selling it. All this was during the
time I was identified with the realm of ecclesiastical sectarianism or the
mixtures of inter-denominationalism and independency. I would not expect any
understanding of what I shall present in this communication on the part of such
as are still intelligently and approvingly a part of that realm, nor yet by any
others who fail to see the necessity of separation from it on the part of
scripturally-gathered saints. Before I was exercised regarding the claims of
"Assembly truth," I should have had absolutely no patience with any
unfavorable criticism of the literature under consideration.

 

The volume known as "The
Scofield Reference Bible," consists of two elements, broadly speaking:
first, a text of the Scriptures; and, second, everything else found therein,
which I shall designate "the helps." The text is known as
"Authorized Version," or "King James’ Translation," or
"1611 Version." Comment on this does not fall within the scope of my
present endeavor. That text is not peculiar to this volume, but has been
circulated by the millions of copies for more than three hundred years.
"The helps" are the other material which constitutes it the
"Scofield Reference Edition." All that I shall have to say concerns
that material.

 

With many of those
"helps" I find myself in happy agreement and gladly own that many
precious truths are set forth therein. I am thankful for the proclamation of
God’s truth, through whatever channel.

 

The two things which grieve me
are:first, that these "helps" stop short of setting forth the path
of God for His people on earth in Assembly unity; second, the intrusion of what
is contrary to that. In so saying, I make myself responsible for showing that I
am justified in writing thus; the rest of this paper will be devoted to such an
effort, treating them in that order.

 

I. The "helps" in the
Scofield Bible fail to mark out the path of Assembly unity for God’s people on
earth.

 

The "Introduction" is
dated 1909. I will quote from it at length. It observes that "The last
fifty years have witnessed an intensity and breadth of interest in Bible study
unprecedented in the history of the Christian Church.” He says further,
"The winnowed and attested results of this half-century of Bible study are
embodied in the notes, summaries, and definitions of this edition." He
writes as one to whom "gradually the elements which must combine to
facilitate the study and intelligent use of the Bible became dear" and
which, further, he has "endeavored … to embody in the present
work." The "intelligent use" of the Bible is a practical thing
and would surely involve assembly order and unity.

 

Perhaps, it might be ventured,
he may not choose to include ecclesiastical matters in his "helps."
How then, could he present "the winnowed and attested results of this
half-century of Bible study"?

 

You and I know that about 1827-8
a movement of the Spirit of God began to stir believers with regard to this
very subject; they began meeting to remember the Lord in the simplicity of
Christian unity, as being members of one body, separate from the world, outside
the camp, apart from sectarianism and refusing independency. Included in that
"vast literature" to which the "Introduction" refers, are
many able treatments of the subject of the assembly. The "intelligent
use" of the Bible resulted in the forming of assemblies according to
divine principles, which attracted widespread attention.

 

Further, among some two dozen of
"the great words of Scripture," which "are defined in simple,
non-technical terms," we find the word "Church." Again, "In
the present edition, by a new system of connected topical references, all the
greater truths of the divine revelation are so traced through the entire Bible,
from the place of first mention to the last." No doubt, the Assembly is
one of "the greater truths." Again, "All of the connected
topical lines of reference end in analytic summaries of the whole teaching of
Scripture on that subject." I suppose "the whole teaching of
Scripture" on the subject of the "Church," would include unity
of assemblies and would not include anything contrary thereto. The volume under
consideration has twelve notes and three summaries on the subject of
"Church."

 

When I was in the systems I
became well acquainted with these notes and summaries but have no recollection
that any of them ever even suggested to me that sectarianism or
inter-denominationalism or independency was to be forsaken and that I ought to
gather on the ground that there is one body (Eph. 4:4). How could they? If I
did so I must thereby become separate from the author of those notes and from
all those associated with him both in the production of them and in the various
ecclesiastical spheres with which they were identified.

 

I have just now looked over
those notes and summaries once more. I fail to see anything in them which would
gather saints scripturally in separation from the camp. Instead, it seems to me
that all is carefully worded so as to avoid entering that realm, in helps which
nevertheless are supposed to summarize the whole teaching of Scripture on the
subject. Did you ever hear of anyone who was delivered from the camp and
brought to Scriptural ground of gathering by the "helps" in the
Scofield Bible? I have yet to learn of one.

 

I am told that Mr. C. Grain was
a student for Baptist clericalism, when a copy of W. Trotter’s "Eight
Lectures on Prophecy" came into his hands. He read it and was delivered,
and as you know, exercised a most helpful ministry among scripturally gathered
assemblies. Would the Scofield "notes" and "summaries" be
serviceable to that end?

Mr. Trotter did not, I am sure,
pretend to present "the whole teaching of Scripture" about either
prophecy or the assembly; what he set forth did mark out the path in which to
walk. Where do we find such a path in the Scofield Bible? (To be continued.)

 

FRAGMENT
"They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world." This
sweeps away every principle of conduct which cannot connect us with the
world-rejected Christ.

It is generally considered
something simple or easy to give out a hymn; therefore it happens that some are
quick in opening their hymn books to suggest a number, as if any number would
do. Should we not rather realize that this is a solemn act that needs much
dependence on the Holy Spirit? To recognize the right hymn for the right moment
we need His guidance. How often it has happened that the course of a meeting
has been disturbed or interrupted by a hymn that was not in line with the
character of the meeting.

 

We see from the above, that the
giving out of hymns is not as light a matter as it may seem. When we are
gathered together for worship, we should be especially careful that the hymns
selected are definitely those for worship. Whereas, when we come together for
ministry, gospel or prayer meetings, we have a larger selection of hymns that
give expression to our pilgrim journey, our needs, our trials, and the comfort
and help found in our God and Father. These hymns should never be sung at a
worship meeting. (Hymns . . . for the Little Flock are arranged so that hymns
for the gospel and other special occasions are grouped in the Appendix. These
are not generally deemed suitable for use in meetings of the Assembly. See the
hymn book preface for a fuller discussion of this by the compilers.)

 

To
worship is not to be occupied with our sins or with ourselves, but rather with
the Lord Jesus, Who has put our sins away and has reconciled us to God. To
worship means to for-get self completely and to be filled with God’s thoughts
concerning His Son. If our worship bears this character, the hymns will be
chosen accordingly