1871 284 One may often get a principle for action out of the Old Testament, whilst living under the New. "No prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation." It does not exhaust itself upon the occasion of being written. It serves for other events and other times than those under which it was given. So too out of the New. Some of the Epistles of Paul, 2 Timothy for instance, were written in the forecast of the dark days of evil which were to come, the symptoms of which, undiscernible to an unpractised eye, were present to Paul who saw full well that they were to come to maturity in our present Christendom. Besides what was before his eyes, he also prophesies of the evil days (Acts 20:29-30; 1 Tim. 4; 2 Tim. 3) which were to come.
We may well adore that goodness which allows thousands of souls to live on in "patient continuance in well doing" among their fellow Christians, without any realization of the painful picture placed before us in such passages. They feed, we trust, to the full on such heavenly truths as are found in the Gospel of John — truths which set forth the relationships of children to a Father, and they partake of that redeeming grace which has made them God's own for ever! Happy souls!
It is certain notwithstanding that we are bound to know the whole mind of God — His entire revealed will — and if along with them, we are privileged to appropriate the truths set forth in John's Gospel and to hold them in common with all Christians, we must still not hang back from any statements, which, however trying to the flesh, however separating, are sure to give occasion to fresh disclosures of the love and power of Jesus. For that word is sure: "Then shall ye know, if ye follow on to know the Lord."
If then we learn from Jude, or 2 Peter, or 2 Timothy the corrupt condition of Christendom, would there be any fellowship for us with God, peculiar and proper, arising out of this knowledge, constituting as it were a fresh element of communion with Him and with one another, always remembering that the more general character of christian fellowship remains intact? Let us turn for a moment, as a kind of introduction to Malachi 3. This book is a closing up of the Old Testament canon, and being more especially addressed to the priests, gives, according to the maxim "like people like priest," by a picture of what those had become who ought to have been the best (for "the priests' lips should keep knowledge") an intimation of the condition of the nation at large. Before speaking of the remnant, or feeble few who confessed the Lord, it sums up the state of the mass with these words: "And now we call the proud happy; yea, they that work wickedness are set up; yea, they that tempt God are even delivered." As soon as this is said, there is a discovery of the remnant of true believers. "Then they that feared the Lord spake often one to another," etc. These few were doubtless in attendance upon the temple with others; but they had a peculiar fellowship arising from a common agreement as to the state of the nation, which brought out what was in the heart of God towards them — no doubt too felt by them. "The Lord hearkened and heard and a book of remembrance was written before him, for them that feared the Lord and that thought upon his name." They had true association with God in all that He was (or, at all events, would have been) to Israel, but in addition to this, they had fellowship with Him and with one another as to its fallen state, and, we may add, were no doubt looking out for the Messiah, under whom the real hopes of the nation would be realized. Simeon and Anna of Luke's Gospel were their legitimate successors.
We do not dwell on this, interesting though it be, but pass on to the New Testament in order to select two or three instances, among many, which give the character of fellowship for those who apprehend the true state of things around. The first is from the Epistle to the Hebrews. We find Paul writing it to show doctrinally the entire superiority of everything connected with the person and offices of the Lord Jesus to the person and offices of Moses and Aaron. In this view we may say that "perfect" is the keyword. But there is another line of thought; viz., he brings the true nature of christian worship and approach to God before our eyes, in the way of pictures from the Jewish tabernacle. In this view we might say that the approachableness of God is the leading thought. But then at the end (Heb. 13) Judaism in his eyes turns out to be utterly corrupt and sentenced; and we are told to "go forth unto him [Jesus] without the camp, bearing his reproach." (Compare Exodus 33:7 for the prototype of this.) They were to leave the whole Jewish system behind and to come out in a new order of things, of which Jesus Himself was to be the centre, as He was indeed also the substance. With Him outside the camp, they had also communion with Him as the High Priest in the holiest. Their fellowship had a new order of existence, entirely distinct from those Jewish elements to which hitherto they had been clinging.
But it is in Jude more particularly that, in the face of a corrupt Christendom, the recommendations or injunctions are more explicit and pointed. Jude depicts departures from God of all kinds — from the order of nature in Sodom and Gomorrha — the angels not keeping their first estate. Then come Cain, Balaam, Core, all in full-blown character in the last days. And observe, it is not like the Epistle of John where "they went out from us, because they were not of us," which has also its tale to tell; but here the corruption is within, "certain men crept in," "spots in your feasts of charity." It is the general condition of inside corruption. Now comes the exhortation: "Ye beloved, building up yourselves in your most holy faith," etc.
We have already said that we bless God for all the truth adapted to every phase of the Christian's life — we have common concern in it with all who are Christians, and are not, if indeed we see the ruin, one whit better than those who do not; but did the remnant shown to us in Malachi lose by their discovery of the condition — the hopeless condition of that nation, a part of which they were? By no means — they are gainers. Like Daniel, they had (it may be) sorrowful communion with the Lord about it; but they were in fellowship with His thoughts, and so He met them, for it is everything to have fellowship with His thoughts. To be sure they were marked persons, and whenever their history is opened to us, whether in the Psalms or in a suffering Jeremiah, there is persecution; but their sorrow had its counterpart of joy, and they had the hope of the coming Messiah.
Here let us guard ourselves particularly, and vindicate the ways of our gracious God, for it is an unprofitable task to be engaged in the dissection of evil. "I would have you wise unto that which is good and simple concerning evil." (Rom. 16:19; Cp. Jer. 4:22.) The poring over evil does not in itself improve our tone of soul, and if the Lord shows it to us, it is not that we should be engaged with it. No, He would have us in the enjoyment of Himself, notwithstanding the mischief which Satan has worked. He has made a certain fellowship for us in the midst of the evil. We have all our necessities met in Himself and with one another: "Ye, beloved, building yourselves up in your most holy faith." Here we find a company — "yourselves" — recognizing that their faith is a "most holy" one, in contrast with the oft repeated word "ungodly "of verses 15–18. They recognize too the Holy Ghost as the One who alone gives power and efficacy to prayer, "praying in the Holy Ghost," and they keep themselves "in the love of God." Is not this all declaratory of a fact that in the midst of evil their resources were in God, and were richly found from Him, whilst at the same time realizing their own weakness, insufficiency, failure, they were "looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life?" Others were denying His lordship, that is, His authority over them; whilst they were owning it to the full, and looking for the consummation of His mercy in receiving them to Himself at His coming. It was a sense of true fellowship with the Lord and with one another in view of the existing state of evil, or, if the expression be allowed, proper to it. They are words expressly addressed to those who are in earnest, who see the dishonour done to the name of the Lord in Christendom. Isolation is not contemplated, although separation is, for we find companions in the same tribulation. This is all-important.
As to one peculiarity of the times we live in, he must be but a casual observer who does not perceive in the ecclesiastical proceedings which come daily before us that Christians, whether individually or collectively, do not recognize that God has any controversy with them. From the Ecumenical Council downwards, through convocations, synods, diocesan societies, church unions, and the many other channels for the display of united energies, there seems no consciousness of anything being wrong. Does Popery fill up the Epistle of Jude? Is it not rather a "general" Epistle? and we would ask, Can there be any true blessing (church blessing, be it observed, being sought for throughout by these combined exertions) with the condition of failure unrecognized? Surely not. We have a wonderful divine writing with the elements of latter-day mischief indicated very prominently in it, and along with this a very clear path marked out for those who see it; and we are persuaded, that, together with the cultivation of all that is suitable to Christ individually, if we take any ground of united action, we shall fail unless we are aware of the condition of Christendom. Immense energies are at work to set up something imposing, by which simple souls are beguiled. It is akin to the Laodicean condition, "Because thou sayest I am rich and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked;" whilst there is the rarely realized sense of the general failure, with a resource to be found in God Himself alone. We may remark also, that it is not enough to say, that this or that is wrong, and I will endeavour to improve it by setting up what is right. This state of feeling, honourable and true in itself, implies hope of recovery, such as was hoped for, when sects with really right intentions split off from a mother church. As a result, it comes to be one system in opposition to another — one perhaps, in outward form, far more scriptural than another; but with the direct power of the Holy Ghost lacking in each. It is simply because they have not got upon the ground (the church thought being still the only one we are recognizing) on which He can act. What we do need to see is, that church recovery is hopeless; but that in this condition God remains true, Christ remains true, and the Holy Ghost remains true. Indeed the question assumes this form, not the building up of churches but of souls, "Ye beloved, building up yourselves." Moreover those who see the failure have this particular vantage ground, that they are able to help and warn many a tried and anxious soul, according to that word, "Of some have compassion, making a difference: and others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire."
Finally, with saints of this complexion, the first thought should be, fellowship, not discipline, nor preaching, nor teaching; there is no such thought in our type passages out of Malachi and Jude. It is quite true there can be no pretence to combined associations, call them by what name you will, without teaching and without discipline; but in the latter days this is not the first, the primary, thought. Things have gone beyond this. It is not bow to keep things in order, but felt communion with God. Hence there must be a certain experience reached before one can enter into the thoughts given us in Jude's Epistle. This fellowship is not upon the ground of ruin, for Christ must be ever our true ground of fellowship, but is only an element of it. If this element be omitted, one is sure to be found setting up something; and if so, it is almost certain to be pulled down again. But if in real intelligence of the thoughts of God, things or persons that we have had hopes of fail, we are never disappointed, for fellowship may be with two or three as well as two or three thousand. Once being settled as to the character of communion for the latter days, you may own every feeble saint or newly converted child, for you have among you all the elements of strength, and may sing with them sweet hymns of praise and thanksgiving; for, blessed be God, hymns know nothing of failure and ruin, but without this the best-intentioned efforts eventually fail, or else turn into the channel of simple evangelizing (a most enviable gift); but the question then is, What becomes of the souls as to their further edification? If evangelizing goes on without distinct thoughts as to the place which salvation puts us into and as to the responsibilities which flow from it — responsibilities not only as individuals, but as members one of another, having a common Head, even Christ — if, in short, the fellowship we have been considering, looked at in its largeness or in relation to the perilous times we live in, be lacking, we shall dwindle into units, and some of the most precious truths connected with the action of the Holy Ghost on earth, whilst Christ Himself is on high, will have but a shadowy appearance and feeble hold upon our souls. W. Willans.