I may add, by way of analogy, that I think we find the same principle shewn in Israel; for when Achan sinned (Josh. vii. 1), "the Lord said, Israel hath sinned, and they have also transgressed," etc; "neither will I be with you any more, except ye destroy the accursed from among you." They are all called "accursed" in the 12th verse. For unity is always God's truth, and responsibility consequent upon unity. So also (Josh. xxii. 31). And I will add, I suppose Joshua, with Acts v., will give us the important thought, that the more entirely God is at work himself, the more thoroughly will he have holiness amongst his people, the "fellow-labourers."

Let me suggest, in accordance with what has been now said, that it is a serious thing to acknowledge, and accredit any assembly as in real fellowship, where there is not thus full liberty for the Spirit and His rule. It may be getting to ourselves a point of weakness, "opening our side to the countries."

One word I would say as to the seven churches: I have heard it said there was evil there, and there was no command to separate. I observe any one who has had to contend much with evil has probably before this had to shew that a negative argument often is no argument. For instance, there is a positive direction (1 Cor. v. 11— 13). But one may say I find evil spoken of (Phil. iii. 18, 19), but there is no command to put them away. And so forth. But I would say, the Lord says at Ephesus, where there was no positive evil, but the whole thing decaying, love departing (Rev. ii. 4) where read "I have against thee, that thou hast left thy first love," instead of"Nevertheless I have somewhat," the Lord says, "Except thou repent, I will remove thy candlestick"

I say, if,

fore, we would judge, have had much real zeal respecting the abomination. It is no use testifying against Sodom, if one voluntarily chooses their lot there. "This one fellow came in to sojourn, and he will needs be a judge." They could quickly perceive that. The Lord would not, we would judge, employ this one therefore to give his testimony against the altar there. Very instructive too, perhaps, that the one is called "a man of God,' whilst the other is called "an old prophet;" the latter denoting the mere official character, the other perhaps the tone of soul that accompanied his work.

faith had perceived that the candlestick was removed (which however, probably, the general declension of the Church together would prevent), would it have staid there? I judge not. Surely it is the living God we have to do with. Though of course only in great wisdom and carefulness could such a thing have been done. It is not, let me further remark, the Lord's way to force things upon us. He gives enough for the willing mind to see and act upon. So constantly, when on earth, He commanded them not to make Him known.

I now commend these thoughts to the consideration of brethren. It may be, such like truths are being brought before us just in time; for abounding evil will surely characterize "the day approaching" (1 John ii. 18); but there is light present and in prospect to cheer us through (Jude 24).

G.

THE CHURCH is not merely the congregation of the redeemed. There was and will be redemption of none, save by the Spirit, through the blood of the Lamb. But while my soul as an individual thankfully owns such a communion with all the redeemed-it owns a peculiarity of communion with those who are partakers of this grace, according to the peculiarity of the Church-Bride and Body of Christ Jesus. The Church is the body to and by which alone the name of Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, is opened: and (Bride of the Lamb) to her how dear and honored should the person of the Lord and the personal presence of the Holy Ghost the Comforter be! In ruins all around us may be; but if we understand what communion of saints means, surely not only must the works of God by the Son and by the Spirit be dear to us; but we know ourselves as parts of this body connected with the revelation of that name of Father, Son, and Holy Ghost; and these are dear and to be honored.

As gathered amid ruins, we have, in the obedience of faith, to beware of in any wise compromising this name,being ourselves witnesses of the unfailing faithfulness of of God amid all the declension of man.

G.W.

No. XVI.

THE CHILD OF RESURRECTION.

2 Kings iv. 8-37.

EVERY child of faith in past dispensations, as well as in the present, may be truly termed a child of resurrection. God, whose voice faith hears, and who is Himself its object, is the One "who quickeneth the dead and calleth those things which be not as though they were" (Rom. iv. 17). Of this our father Abraham is the great example. But examples of this abound in the Old Testament; examples, too, similar in circumstances as well as in principle to that of Abraham. Manoah and his wife— Hannah, the wife of Elkanah-and, not to mention others, this godly woman in the history before us, were each of them examples in their day of the all-quickening power of that God in whom they believed. Their faith might not be strong like that of Abraham; but it had (like his) for its object the power, and for its warrant the word, of "God who quickeneth the dead." And so now, every poor sinner who through grace receives God's testimony to His Son, believes in Him "who was delivered for our offences and was raised again for our justification" (Rom. iv. 25). Yea, and "by Him" (Jesus) all such "do believe in God, that raised Him up from the dead, and gave Him glory; that your faith and hope might be in God" (1 Pet. i. 21). Christ risen and glorified, and God who raised and glorified Him are thus the objects of our faith; yea, and more than that, the very faith which does thus rest on Christ and believe in God who raised Him from the dead, is itself the result of the quickening power of the Holy Ghost. It is "the faith of the operation of God" (Coloss. ii. 12.) Us, "hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins" (Eph. ii. 1). So that in every sense, and that from the very outset, the child of faith is the child of resurrection.

But the God of resurrection, thus known to faith from the first, has to be known as such all through. Blessings

which, when we receive them, are felt to come not from any resources of our own, nay, nor through any natural power we possess, but direct from Him "who quickeneth the dead," when we have enjoyed them for a season, come to be regarded by us as things of course; we fail to realise that the tenure on which we hold them, as well as the ground on which we received them, is the resurrection-power of God. Hence many of those dealings of God with us, by which we are brought to sympathise with Paul when he said, "For we would not, brethren, have you ignorant of our trouble which came to us in Asia, that we were pressed out of measure, above strength, insomuch that we despaired even of life: but we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God which raiseth the dead: who delivered us from so great a death, and doth deliver: in whom we trust that he will yet deliver us" (2 Cor. i. 810). Is not this the lesson, brethren beloved, which our God designs that we should learn from all that has occurred? When our souls first drank of the deep joy of fellowship in the Spirit, was it not in direct and conscious dependence on the resurrection-power of God? Was not the flesh, the old man, accounted by us, even as it is accounted of God, crucified with Christ? Was there not, as the fruit of this, the practical denial of all the resources of nature, of self in its fairest forms, as competent in any way to worship or serve God acceptably? And was there not a simplicity of dependence on Him who having given His Son for us, and given us to His Son, had given us besides, as the seal of His love, that Holy Spirit, the Comforter, by whom we were conscious of being vitally united to Christ and made members one of another? Was there not, I ask, a simplicity of reliance on His presence, on His teaching, on His power, as that by which alone there could be wrought in us or amongst us what would glorify our God, or refresh and edify one another? But when he had thus wrought, and we had tasted a joy which many of us had never expected on this side the glory, was there not a transfer (gradual, and so almost imperceptible, but not less certain) of our confidence from Him whose presence

gave this joy, to the joy which His presence gave, and to all its varied fruits in the happy worship and living service of those amongst whom He had thus manifested Himself? Did there not creep in a looking upon these things as a matter of course without the continued and deepening recognition of the source from whence they flowed to us poor saved sinners, and of the Power by which alone they could be maintained and increased amongst us? And why the blighting which has followed? Is it that our God would resume what His royal bounty had freely bestowed? No; "His gifts and calling are without repentance." But He would have us learn that we can no more retain than obtain blessings of ourselves; that we can no more keep out death than we could at first rescue ourselves from its dominion: that it is with God who quickeneth the dead that we have to do; that it is Him and Him alone we have to trust. Happy for our souls, beloved, if we should be taught this lesson. Bitter and humbling as may be the process through which our God conducts us, the lesson of resurrection twice learned will more than repay all the sorrow of learning it; and what is of infinitely greater consequence, our God will have all the glory, all the praise. But let us turn to the narrative. There are sweet truths unfolded in it besides this great one, for which, doubtless, it is specially recorded.

To trace the family likeness among God's people is a refreshing and heart-cheering exercise. Nor does it in the least derogate from His glory whose "workmanship" the saint is, to observe in Scripture the marks by which His "workmanship" is distinguished. Works, except they be the result of faith, the fruit of the Spirit, are worthless, and worse than worthless; but the work of faith and labour of love and patience of hope are precious in God's eyes; and it is for our profit to meditate on the records of such in God's holy word. A lovely specimen of the workmanship of the Spirit is presented to us in the Shunammite, whose faith, with its fruits, trials, and triumphs, forms the subject of the narrative before us.

One fruit of faith much commended in Scripture is that enjoined upon us in such passages as the following;