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THE LORD JESUS CHRIST

IN THE SPHERE OF BROTHERHOOD.
[COMMUNICATED.]

"I will declare Thy Name unto my brethren, in the midst of the church will I sing praise unto thee. And again, I will put my trust in Him. And again, Behold I and the children which God hath given me." (Heb. ii. 12-13.)

These passages from the Old Testament, quoted into the Epistle to the Hebrews, are deeply interesting, because they show that the Eternal Word (to whom be glory for ever and ever) looked forward with satisfaction and joy to the period of His incarnation and sojourn (in humility) among the sons of men! (Amazing grace!) Being quotations from Being quotations from the Hebrew Scriptures, we must look for their primary fulfilment (even in resurrection-life) in association with Jewish truth.

The first is from the Psalms

"I WILL DECLARE THY NAME UNTO MY BRETHREN: IN THE MIDST OF THE CONGREGATION WILL I PRAISE THEE. (xxii. 22.) Having taken on Him [hold of] the seed of Abraham (to whose children according to the flesh the epistle is written,) the Eternal Word, by the Spirit, is heard, in this passage, rejoicing in anticipation of brotherhood with the children of Israel, of whom He was, with whom He went up to Jerusalem to worship and, while in private life, doubtless, in the synagogue listened to the Law, the Psalms, and Prophets read every sabbath day. Though His own ceived Him not, and He had to lament that a prophet was not without honour save in his own country and among his own kindred, yet, as perfect Man, the Lord Jesus Christ had all the highest and tenderest natural affection for His brethren according to the flesh, evidenced, so especially, when, like mourning Jeremiah, He wept over their coming calamities.

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When we think of the Nazarenes wondering at the gracious words which proceeded out of His mouth, and of the Lord Jesus unfolding the love of God to fleshly Nicodemus, and preaching in the towns and villages of Israel, how vividly we realize fulfilment of the words

"I will declare thy Name unto my brethren." And when, again, we think of our Lowly Jesus (during the period embraced between His twelfth and His thirtieth year,-a subject one and faultless) travelling up to Jerusalem, with those that went, singing the songs of Zion, going and returning (as was the custom) as well as when arrived at the Father's House, how equally interesting is the fulfilment of the other part of the word quoted

in the Hebrews:

"In the midst of the church [or congregation, assembly] will I sing praise unto Thee."

But that which is born of the flesh is flesh, and flesh was, by the ministry of John the Baptist, declared a failure, and, by the non-acceptance of his testimony, proved to be a failure. Hence was it demonstrated (though not so declared, while as yet man was under

trial on the ground of works) that the objects of God's grace must be born again (John iii.) and so be brought into a kindred nearness to Jesus in a higher respect than that of the flesh. Such Israelites showed their spiritual relationship to the Lord Jesus, by hearing the word of God at His lips, and sincerely carrying it out. As a condemned thing, the lower Abrahamic brotherhood was practically dropped on our Lord's entrance upon His public ministry.

"Who is my mother, or my brethren? And he looked round on them which sat about him, and said, Behold my mother and my brethren! For whosoever shall do the will of God, the same is my brother and my sister, and mother." Mark iii. 33.

These " were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God." In John xvii. the Lord Jesus, referring to these spiritual brethren, says:

"I have manifested thy Name unto the men which thou gavest me out of the world; thine they were, and thou gavest them me; and they have kept thy word."

On that same night, the Lord sang a hymn or psalm (probably not the only time) with these representative ones of the spiritual brotherhood, thus fulfilling this word in a second sense.

But its chief fulfilment began when the Lord Jesus arose from the dead, lingered forty days about the disciples, "speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God," and will be continued when He comes again to earth. Taken with the context, this passage will be seen to be, primarily, a resur

rection word

"For dogs have compassed me:

The assembly of the wicked have enclosed me.
They pierced my hands and my feet:
I may tell all my bones:

They look and stare upon me.
They part my garments among them,
And cast lots upon my vesture.
But be not Thou far from me, O Lord:
O my strength, haste Thee to help me.
Deliver my soul from the sword;
My darling from the power of the dog.
Save me from the lion's mouth:

For Thou hast heard me from the horns of the unicorns.
I will declare Thy Name unto my brethren;

In the midst of the congregation will I sing praise unto
Thee."

"I WILL PUT MY TRUST IN HIM."

This is quoted from Psalm xviii. 2, and, like the preceding, may be seen to have a triple bearing. First, we see the Lord Jesus Christ walking in full, continual confidence in God. Oh, the amazing grace! the completeness of the laying aside of His glory, in thus entering into the sphere of dependence and receiving all at the Father's hands! "He humbled Himself," not only thus in His everyday walk, but "to death, even the death of the cross!" That death of concentrated ignominy-for you, for me-because it was the will of God. May we ever have the deepest reverence when considering what the Holy Ghost has given to us on this sacred subject, and speak of it with bated breath.

Trust implies the confidence of dependence, and will be brightest when exercised under circumstances

the most overwhelmingly adverse to the senses. Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him." This was the quality of the Saviour's faith, even when He cried "My God, my God, why hast Thou forsaken me ?"

I apprehend that the Lord Jesus laid down His life when He gave Himself (as He did) into the hands of sinful men, a really passive victim, voluntarily as powerless as a sheep, so that He would not have lifted a finger to save His own life. Was this not, morally speaking, "laying it down"? Until His hour had come His enemies could not touch Him: they tried, but a word, a look, a movement of His will, and their efforts were paralysed. But all this was changed at the Cross. Think of those words

"This is your hour and the power of darkness."

But when Satan had tried His utmost, he found no possibility of shaking His faith.

"The prince of this world cometh and hath nothing in Me." And so, having borne all, and finished all, he cried with the loud voice of conquest, and commended His spirit to the Father, giving up the ghost.

When thus laying down His life, the Lord Jesus trusted that God would not leave His soul in hades, neither suffer His flesh to see corruption. Thus we see the Saviour's trust in God-perfect in walk, in suffering, and in death.

In Heb. v. 7, 8, we see how He who could have delivered Himself (in a personal sense), yet cast Himself on the Father

"Who in the days of his flesh, when he had offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears unto him that was able to save him from death, and was heard in that he feared; Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered."

Let us look at the context, in the 18th Psalm, that our impression may be deepened of the reality of our Lord's surrender (Son of God, though He was)

into the hands of sinful men, in order that we may see His perfect faith in God who was with Him, and was able to deliver His "darling from the power of the dog."

"I will love Thee, O Lord, my strength.

The Lord is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer;
My God, my strength, in whom I will TRUST;
My buckler, and the horn of my salvation; my high tower.
I will call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised;
So shall I be saved from mine enemies.

The sorrows of death compassed me,

And the floods of ungodly men made me afraid. (!)
The sorrows of hades compassed me about:

The snares of death prevented [rose before] me.

In my distress I called upon the Lord, and cried unto my
God:

He heard my voice out of His temple, and my cry came
before Him, into His ears.

Then the earth shook and trembled." (&c.) Thus, in the light of the context, I think, in a most emphatic sense, this second member of the interesting triplet in Hebrews ii. is also a resurrection word.

"BEHOLD, I AND THE CHILDREN WHICH THE LORD HATH GIVEN ME." (Isa. viii. 18.)

The ground of creation, as such, justifies the term "children" in reference to the creature, but only so long as he keeps his first estate, (or when, by Divine grace, he regains it). Heathen poets may sing, in their spiritual darkness,

"For we His offspring are;"

But let not the unregenerate appropriate (as they sometimes will do) the expressions of God's Fatherhood, and lull their consciences to false expectations that a father would not doom them to everlasting burnings. The Gentiles are never, in the Word of God, treated on the ground of children; but as "aliens." Children, indeed-" of wrath." But respecting the Jew, God said:

"I have nourished and brought up CHILDREN." Adam is called "son of God," as being made in "the image of God;" but a wilful unbeliever can no more claim this honour now, than the fallen angels, though they were once numbered among the "sons of God, shouting for joy." Let the unconverted know assuredly that his relation towards God is that of creature-creature in sin. (Dreadful fact!)

But the "children" in the above passage does not include even fleshly Israel, but only the spiritual, the born-again ones, who were the Father's, and were given, like Laban's sheep, to his Holy Servant Jesus. That this third part of the passage in the Hebrews sufficiently evident from this passagehas a fulfilment in regard to these " children," is

"While I was with them in the world I kept them in thy name: those that thou gavest me I have kept, and none of them is lost."

Spiritual ones in Israel will again, in the day to come, be taken up as the "children," in the times of the sealing of the 144,000, I judge.

after the Lord Jesus Christ has come in power, what When we think of "all Israel saved" in that day, glorious fulfilment of the word

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Behold, I and the children which God hath given me." And how is this apprehension deepened, by the thought of the Lord, at the First Resurrection, raising from the dead, and presenting with Himself before God, the multitude of saints who passed away before the call of the Church! How emphatic and appropriate, in resurrection-light, will be the Jewish title of "Everlasting Father" with reference to the Lord Jesus, as the one who will raise them from the dead!

It will be seen that I have made no reference to the bearing of these passages upon the times and cir. cumstances of the Church. But as it is our privilege to know the Lord in our midst when gathered in His name (Matt. xviii.), and to know ourselves, when worshipping by faith, in the holiest of all (Heb. x. 19) all the preciousness of these passages in Heb. ii. may well be easily laid hold of by us spiritually.

STRICKEN FOR OUR TRANSGRESSIONS.

(TO THE UNCONVERTED.)

Oh, reader, say not thou-" Such splendid means
"Of justifying man, were very well
"For sinners great; for me 'tis needed not."
Evil is evil still, in sight of God,

Whether, in sight of man, 'tis great or small.
In view of Him with whom thou hast to do
Nothing is great, nor anything is small.
In water-drop he can create a world:

Or hang and roll one in a firmament.

Man's finite mind doth rest on strange distinctions,
Finding a balm for conscience in the sins

Of others being greater! Stop! who says they are?
Art thou thy judge? Have others had the means
Of knowledge and of good which thou hast had?
Oh, let the sentence of the Judge, ere yet
He takes his awful seat, impress thee deep-

All, all have sinn'd, and short have come of glory." Then thou, and I, by nature, have no hope.

Thou mayst have heard-"Ye must be born again!"
Satan insinuated (watchful foe)-

"You see, 'tis something God alone can do."
Notice-These words were spoke to Pharisee,
Trusting his works and lineage as ground
Of hope and expectation from the Lord.
If thou, like him, art resting on these things
This word's for thee-" Ye must be born again."
That this new life the sinner Jew might have,
To him the Lord then spoke (and speaks to thee)
Of faith in HIM, as Son of God and Man,
As lifted up, like serpent made of brass,
That whoso looks to HIM might perish not.
Oh, blessed, gracious word, fulfilled twice:
For HIM, Faith first sees lifted on the Cross,

Then, rais'd to Heav'n, with all things 'neath His feet.

All hindrance is on thy side; none on God's.
Hath Satan (subtlest of the subtle, bad)
Whisper'd, that-" If ordain'd thou art to life
Eternal, well: if not, then nought avails."?
In hell, no doomèd soul able will be to say
"I never could believe and have eternal life."
Thou canst believe thy father, mother, friend:
Oh, then, believe what GoD and CHRIST have said,
And HOLY SPIRIT permanently writ:
That all the world before God guilty is;
And consequently thou: but having laid
Sin's heavy load on Jesus Christ, God can

Be just, and yet the sinner justify.

As proof-Behold, the Lamb of God on high!
Sin borne away, the Saviour lives again.
Whom thus the Judge Himself shall justify,

Who shall condemn ? No one; in heav'n, or earth, or hell.

PASSAGES OF SCRIPTURE EXAMINED

WHICH SEEM TO GIVE JUDICIAL POWER TO THE CHURCH.
I.

"Moreover if thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault . . . if he neglect to hear the church, let him be unto thee as a heathen man and a publican." (Matt. xviii. 15.17.)

The word "church means assembly, congregation of called-out ones," and is applied in the Word to assemblies Jewish, Christian, and Gentile. The character of the assembly must, therefore, be determined by the context. Some have thought the "congregation" in the above text must be the synagogue—a word which also means "assembly". We

think, however, the Lord refers in this passage to the "twos or threes" of verse 20 in the same chapter, who were gathering, or about to gather, in Christ's name. We receive it, therefore, as a broad command, having force in that day, in this day, and in the day to come.

This passage cannot be taken as giving any judicial power to assemblies, for the following reasons

1. The Church is called upon to judge, but the sentence, which is fixed by the Lord himself, is to be executed by the aggrieved complainant: "Let him be unto thee as a heathen man," &c. Other members of the church might so treat the offender, but it would be in their individual capacity, as before the Master. There is not a word here to justify corporate action. This position is strengthened by considering 2. What was the nature of the punishment which was to be inflicted? To this we answer-Avoidance in private life. This is proved thus

"Thou wentest in to men uncircumcised, and didst eat with them." (Acts. xi. 3.) "Before that certain came from James, he [Peter] did eat with the Gentiles: but when they were come, he withdrew and separated himself fearing them' which were of the circumcision." (Gal. ii. 12.)

Peter thus treated his Gentile brethren in a way which only justified by the grossest contumacy.

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3. Thus the passage merely means: Not to invite my table and not to go to his. It is a grievous misinterpretation to take it as giving power to put from the Lord's table! If an assembly exerts power over the table, it becomes practically their table. For the church to put from the Lord's Table an obstinate offender, who will not, in the matter of a private grievance, bow to their judgment, is really to remove him from the solemn place of self-judgment. 1 Cor. xi.

4. If it be said that being treated as a heathen man and a publican meant being put out of the synagogue, we reply that we know of no Scripture to justify the thought. On the contrary, in Luke xviii. we see a publican in the Temple itself. It does not appear that the Jews considered it defiling to sit in the same building with sinners, and listen to the Scriptures or exhortation; for the sinner-woman had no difficulty in getting into the Pharisee's house to hear Jesus, nor does Simon think of putting her out. Heathen men even, as such, though prohibited from the Temple, seem, from Acts xiii. 42-44, to have been under no such disability with regard to the synogogue. The one was man's house-the other, was God's. I press, therefore, that there is nothing in this passage to justify the claim of power to put away individuals, and how much less the same power to put away whole assemblies?

FAITHFULNESS TO "BRETHREN."

[The following is copied from the opening address of a pamphlet issued by Mr W. SPURR, West Street, Sheffield, (to be had of him, price 4d.)

This little book is written in the same spirit of Christian love and meekness as that by Mr Dorman, to which we have previously referred. Though the theme is that of the persistent wilfulness of Mr Darby's party, the wrong-doers are dealt with

in the language of entreaty and forbearance, rather than that of denunciation, notwithstanding the heinousness of the offences pointed out. In fact, as in the case of Mr Dorman, the correspondence quoted by the writer tells its own tale. On one side is seen, in the series of letters, the spirit of bigotry and intolerance, and on the other, the manifestations of grace and gentleness.

"Brethren" are solemnly responsible to weigh well these serious remonstrances, and to remember that-"The Lord will judge his people."]

TO THE SAINTS OF THE VARIOUS ASSEMBLIES IN
FELLOWSHIP WITH MR. J. N. DARBY.

Your practice of excommunicating Assemblies of Saints began with Bethesda.* When is it to end? You were led to it not by any Scripture direction or example, but by a circular signed J.N.D. Many in fellowship with you at the time would not join in this course, because they saw it to be contrary to the Lord's will. Failing to obey J.N.D.'s requirements, they were counted unfaithful to the Lord, and were also peremptorily and summarily "cut off." You are solemnly asked-Was this right in the sight of

the Lord?

Satan seeks to bring about that which is an abomination to the Lord, "discord among brethren." Thus he mars their testimony, and makes them to hinder, instead of helping ane another. He prevents, too, by the same means, that which is so beautifully set forth in Psalm 133. And the "wiles of the devil" are still effective. Saints now-as of old-are corrupted and seduced by bis subtleties, and turned from the "simplicity that is in Christ." He can still present himself as an "angel of light," and his servants as (( ministers of righteousness." Faithfulness to Christ was the plea urged by J.N.D. to induce brethren to pursue the course he pointed out for them. He was greatly and rightly honoured for the service he had rendered to the Saints, and for his devotedness to Christ. This led to over-confidence, and his direction was followed without testing it by Scripture. All will admit that Peter, the servant and apostle, was as devoted and as much to be honoured as J.N.D. But the Lord had to say to Peter-"Get thee behind me, Satan; thou savourest not the things that be of God, but the things that be of men." And Paul had to "withstand him to the face," because he "walked not uprightly," and the "truth of the Gospel" was in danger. In those things Peter was to be blamed, though greatly honoured and loved and delighted in for his many excellences, by his Lord and by the saints. Satan could have him, and sift him, and use him. It need not be thought therefore that J.N.D. was out of the reach of Satan. Desiring to mar their peculiar testimony against sectarianism and division, and to lead a multitude astray, would he not seek to turn aside a "chief standard-bearer"? Eighteen years have passed since the course he prescribed was entered upon, my brethren; and the sad fruits of it are around you on every side; and every day you are more and more loudly challenged as to the position of antagonism to the "holy and beloved" saints of God in which you find yourselves. The question is

*The name of a meeting-place of "Brethren" at Bristol.

do you occupy this antagonistic position to your brethren through the "wiles of the devil," or have you been guided into it as you profess, and as probably most of you believe, by the Spirit of God? Do you excommunicate assemblies of saints in obedience to any direction of the Word of God, or have you been led to it (unwittingly) by the "commandments

of men ?"

Many voices have been raised against you of late. Abundant evidence has been offered to show that you maintain a wrong position, which Scripture condemns-that you misjudge your brethren whom, instead of loving, as the Lord enjoins, you practically shun and despise-and that you are governed by "principles that are opposed both to grace and righteousness, and that are not in accordance with

the truth of God. Voices from without have been raised in loving and earnest remonstrance. And now from within, from among yourselves, from those you love and honour, and who have loved and served you in the Lord for thirty years, there arise voices,voices of solemn warning, of affectionate entreaty, of unflinching and faithful testimony, as to your wrong position and procedure to your brethren, and as to the evil, corrupting, Christ-dishonouring doctrine. (like Newton's, but worse), that is in your midst― propounded by J.N.D., and consented to and defended now by some of your chief leaders. Since the letter last in the following series to J.N.D. was written, the pamphlets of W. H. Dorman and P. F. Hall have appeared. A momentous responsibility rests upon you in regard to all that they set forth. How will you treat it? Surely and solemnly, but in a clearer and louder tone, it echoes the Lord's oftrepeated word to you, "Consider your ways!" It is now a question of Christ and of the Cross with you, and not of your brethren only. Surely, beloved brethren, you will not, for consistency's sake even, be careless any longer.

THE WORD "DEVOUT."

A dear brother in the Lord has furnished me with his difficulties in receiving the interpretation (put forth in our last) that the foreign Jews gathered into the One Body on the day of Pentecost were really spiritual men. For myself, I have no doubt they were, because they are said by the Holy Ghost to have been-"DEVOUT." Our brother's first difficulties arise from certain expressions in Acts ii.

1. Is it not said "Whom ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain" ?-Truly, but this must be regarded in a national and general sense, as Pilate said-"Thine Surely Pilate did not mean that every Jew in the land had laid own nation and the chief priests have delivered thee unto me." violent hands on our Lord. It was national, inasmuch as individuals in numbers from all classes had engaged in it,and no voice was raised against it, not even the apostles', till endued with up to Jerusalem, have heard of Jesus of Nazareth, and what power from on high. That "devout men" should have come

had been done to Him, without perceiving in Him the Messiah, is a crowning proof of the necessity of the descent of the Holy Ghost.

As Peter is addressing more especially the spiritual part of his audience, he alludes to the Divine action in the matter: "Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God." This has reference to the act of Judas, who said to the chief priests, "What will ye give me, and I will deliver him unto you?" They had sought how they might take

Him, but could not find how to do so; then Judas appeared before them. This act of the traitor was shown before, both in the Psalms and by our Lord, which is the sense, I judge, of the expression determinate counsel and foreknowledge," (primarily, in this passage.)

The apostle Peter then says, "Ye have taken;" this was the national part, done under the authority of the nation's representatives, and in acquiescence with the solemn declaration of the nation's high priest that it was needful for the safety of the nation. Having taken Him by the aid of Judas, the Jews then slew the Lord by substitute, as Peter says"And by wicked hands have crucified and slain." This is the Gentile part. Your applying these words "wicked hands" to the "devout men" in common with the rest of the Jews, is a very natural mistake. A better translation is-"By the hands of sinners," that is, of Pilate and his soldiers. Those whom the Holy Ghost says were "devout," depend upon it, were really so.

2. But, you say, may not "devout" simply express zeal, and be applicable to a zealous heathen, as in Acts xvii. where Paul says to the Athenians, "As I passed by, and beheld your devotions."? Here, again, dear brother, is a mis-translation. The margin reads, "The gods that ye worship." A still better rendering is" And beheld the things connected with your worship," as ta sabasmata include shrines, images, altars, &c. Thus you will see the wrongness of the word "devotions." 3. Now let us look at the various places where the word occurs. I find the word "devout" used nine times in the New Testament, and all occur in the writings by Luke; also that this evangelist uses three different Greek words thus translated by our one word "devout." It may greatly help us, therefore, to look at the different instances where the Holy Spirit has used the very word in Acts ii. The word here translated "devout" is Eulabees, and occurs three times. (A) “ And, behold, there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon; and the same man was just and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel: and the Holy Ghost was upon him." (B) "There were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews, devout men, out of every nation under heaven." (c)"And devout men carried Stephen to his burial, and made great lamentation over him." Now, dear brother, if the word "devout," in two of these cases, is applied to spiritual men, ought we not so to regard it in the third? Webster's definition of the English word may well be accepted-"Yielding a solemn and reverential attention to God in religious exercises, particularly in prayer; pious, sincere, solemn."

4. In three other instances the word translated "devout " is Eusebees, a word equally denoting true spirituality, as will be seen from the following. (A) "There was a certain man in Cæsarea called Cornelius, a centurion of the band called the Italian band, a devout man, and one that feared God with all his house, which gave much alms to the people, and prayed to God alway." (B)" A devout soldier." (c) And one Ananias, a devout man according to the law, having a good report of all the Jews which dwelt there, came unto me, and stood, and said unto me, Brother Saul, receive thy sight."

"LO! I AM WITH YOU," The following letter has been perused by us with deep interest, as an illustration of the Lord's words, "My strength is made perfect in weakness." The Lord Jesus bless it to your soul, dear reader.

St. 's-road, Aug. 14, 1866.

MY DEAR BROTHER IN OUR RISEN LORD,

I was so pleased to have a letter from you. Many, many thanks for it; and now, I, a poor broken pitcher, would look to the Lord for grace to write, as a self-emptied one, to the praise and glory of my God. (2 Cor. iii. 5.)

This day I have been for four years and 10 months always lying on my back, stretched upon a bed of languishing, softly oh, so softly!-pillowed on my loving Lord's breast. My Gentle Shepherd has taken me by the hand, and made me to lie down in green pastures. He has led me by still waters. Exquisitely tender and loving have been His dealings with me, His weak, sick child. With sweet, unwearied patience and forbearance, He has, in changeless and unchangeable love, borne with me, sweetly upholding and strengthening me, fondly whispering unto me-My child, rest in my love.

Oh! how unsearchable are the riches of grace treasured up in Christ! All ours richly to enjoy. It is the Holy Spirit's blessed office and delight to reveal Jesus-His work and person to our hearts-what He has done for us, and what He is still doing, and is for us now in the presence of God, and also what we are in Him, as accepted in Him-the Beloved-our standing in Him, as "quickened and raised together with Him, and made sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus." "Of God are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us Wisdom and Righteousness, and Sanctification, and Redemption." Precious beyond measure are these blessed truths when they are known in a practical and experimental way. How sweet to faith is the glorious fact of our oneness with Christ in resurrection life! It was, as I have told you before, the seeing this by the revelation of the Holy Spirit, through the Word, that I, who for years had been in sad bondage and spiritual darkness of soul, was in one moment brought to rest in perfect peace in Jesus. I was black in myself, so black I could not be worse; but oh, glorious discovery, in Christ, in Him, I was fair and comely; and I, dear brother, in the desperate pride and foolish ignorance of my heart, had dared to think that in myself I might be otherwise than black! What a sad mistake!

It was with deepfelt joy and humility of heart that I looked off from self-vile, hateful self-adoringly to gaze on the matchless person of my precious Jesus.

Very fondly did He press His wearied wayward child to His heart of love. No word of upbraiding fell on my ears; but deep was my anguish at the thought of those wretched years of unbelief. He has wiped away, oh, so gently, the tears from my eyes, and hushed me to sweetest rest in Him-in his own loving presence. His smile of love is upon me, and he fondly bids me rest in His unquenchable love! My dear brother, how inexpressively blessed it is to be basking in the sweet unclouded 5. We now come to the third term translated "devout." sunshine of our Heavenly Father's countenance, in Christ, It is Sebomenos, and is also used in three places. (A) "But the the Son of God's love. It is in Christ the Father rests Jews stirred up the devout and honourable women, and the with infinite delight, and complacency, and he would chief men of the city, and raised persecution against Paul and have us, in communion with him, do the same-be occuBarnabas, and expelled them out of their coasts." (B) "There-pied only with Him; our affections and thoughts centred on fore Paul disputed in the synagogue with the Jews, and Him. "He is the chiefest among ten thousand. His mouth is with the devout persons, and in the market daily with them most sweet; yea, He is altogether lovely! This is my Beloved that met with him." (c) "And some of them believed, and con- and this is my Friend." sorted with Paul and Silas; and of the devout Greeks a great multitude, and of the chief women not a few."

This latter word means simply a "proselyte, a worshipper of the true God," but born a heathen. Although I think, in all these three last cases, they were truly spiritual persons, yet it is not needful to my position to contend for it, seeing the word is essentially different from the word used in Acts ii. But I may say, in answer to your special objection-"Would truly spiritual women help to raise persecution ?"-first, it does not appear that these devout women ever heard Paul preach; and, secondly, have we not known of "weaker vessels among the regenerate, being ill-informed, carried into wrong movements by zealous ones of the other sex?

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J.

I deeply feel for the beloved children of God in London at the present moment*, and for you, my Brother, beloved in the Lord, and I pray our dear Lord to keep you and them in perfect peace. "Thou wilt keep them in perfect peace whose hearts are stayed on Thee, because they trusted in Thee." "My grace is sufficient for thee," saith the Lord, "for my strength is made perfect in weakness." The Lord, in the riches of His grace, keep us both and all His loved ones closely abiding in Him-looking off unto Jesus. thank her for kindly writing Please give her my

If you see dear Mrs C

to me. I hope to write to her soon.

[* The time referred to was the last distress through Cholera.]

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