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realize by faith an ever-present One, who hath eyes "like unto a flame of fire."

“And I turned to see the voice that spake with me. And being turned, I saw seven golden candlesticks; and in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks one like unto the Son of man, clothed with a garment down to the foot, and girt about the paps with a golden girdle. His head and hairs were white like wool, as white as snow; and his eyes were as a flame of fire; and his feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace; and his voice as the sound of many waters. And he had in his right hand seven stars: and out of his mouth went a sharp twoedged

sword: and his countenance was as the sun shineth in his strength."

In John's case, it was a personal manifestation to him, and as he was yet in the body, it withered him up. "I fell at his feet as dead."

But the Lord drew near to John, and bowed Himself in graciousness to His dear servant, prostrate at His feet, and laid His right hand-(that

hand in which he had seen the emblem of the Comforter)-in comforting sympathy upon him. (Ah, He is "the same, yesterday, to-day, and for ever.")

"Fear not; I am the first and the last : I am he that liveth, and was dead, and behold I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death."

John receives no command to stand, or to look up at Him whose eyes were as a flame of fire. No; but in lowly attitude, with eyes cast down, (like Moses at the burning bush, receiving a commission to Israel,) John receives the messages of the Son of God to the churches. It is not till the Lord has finished delivering His messages that John looks up, and then-the Lord has vanished away. Rev. iv. 1.)

We sought light from the Lord on this passage, and on the eve of closing up for the press were made happy with the following:

JEZEBEL Was A Woman-a Princess-a Gentile. As a Gentile, she clearly sets forth some who are of the world, as distinct from the Church. Now, what part of the world is the most attractive—most like a woman?

Is it not the Moral, Intellectual, Accomplished?— Here, then, is the Woman.

2. Are not the same classes Powerful, Influential, Here, then, is the Princess, becoming (when united) a Admired, Rich, proudly holding rule by right?Queen.

3. Again, though so attractive and amiable, such are still outside the Church--aliens from the common

wealth of spiritual Israel, not being "born again." Therefore, notwithstanding all that they have,—they

are Gentile.

Therefore, the Moral, Intellectual, Accomplished of the world are Jezebel-the Gentile Queenly Woman. Now, as, of old, "the sons of God saw the daughters of men that they were fair, and took them wives of all which they chose," so Jezebel, being fair to the eye, had won upon the desires of the Church at Thyatira, and, neglecting the exhortation, "Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers," they had pressed into fellowship with them some of the world's Moral, Intellectual, Accomplished ones.

And here we note a difference between the evil in Thyatira and that which the Lord sees in the pre(Seevious churches-Ephesus and Pergamos. It is a difference in degree. Ephesus had left its First Love; in Pergamos there were those who were desirous of the favours of the World, and holding the doctrine of the Nicolaitanes (or the doctrine of the need of menteachers); but in Thyatira, these doctrinal evils have developed into positive alliance with the World and the admission of unregenerate men to the place of Teachers!! And the rest of the Church had "suffered" it.

Oh, how lowly it becomes us to be before the Son of God! May we all know the withering-up of the Lord's presence; and, getting very low like John, He may graciously bow to our weakness and use us to His glory. "He that humbleth himself shall be

exalted."

Let us not be afraid of the feet that burn like fine copper; they will not hurt anything but the old Adam, with its "lust of the flesh, lust of the eye, and the pride of life."

And what is the Son of God noting? Any "bitterness, wrath, anger, clamour, evil speaking, malice"? -Sectarianism, lust of spiritual power, fellowship of believers with unbelievers, ignorance of the simple Word, confidence in man, worldliness, selfishness, pride? Ah, He knows. "The Lord will judge his people."

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But what is the special evil which the Son of God notes at Thyatira?

This class of persons who were allowed by the Church to bring in the worldly are those against whom Jude's epistle was directed :

"For there are certain men crept in unawares, ungodly men, unto them! for they have gone in the way of Cain, and run turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness ... Woe greedily after the error of Balaam for reward-[The very same evil as was seen in the Church at Pergamos.]-These are spots in your feasts of love when they feast with you u... These are murmurers, . . . having men's persons in admiration because of advantage."

World (that is, Jezebel) were admired "because of The Moral, Intellectual, Accomplished among the Ahab looked abroad. These false brethren" were advantage." There were no princesses in Israel, so not satisfied with going on without the world's good and fair ones. How much would the "cause" prosper if they were brought in, with their cleverness and winning ways? And so they were brought in, treated as Christians, everybody hoped for the best, and birth was given to a numerous progeny of "professing and I will give unto every one of you according to your works." Christians," who have Jezebel's image and likeness.

"I have a few things against thee, because thou sufferest that woman Jezebel, which calleth herself a prophetess, to teach and to seduce my servants to commit fornication, and to eat things sacrificed unto idols. And I gave her space to repent of her fornication; and she repented not. Behold, I will cast her into a bed, and them that commit adultery with her into great tribulation, except they repent of their deeds. And I will kill her children with death; and all the churches shall know that I am he that searcheth the reins and hearts:

The Moral, Intellectual, Accomplished, having had power and honour in the world, naturally desire, and think they ought to have the same place of pre-eminence in the church. So we find the Lord says of Jezebel, "Who calleth herself a Prophetess."

The thought of the natural man is-that his intellect is equal to dealing with spiritual things-that the mind of man can master the things of God. Jezebel having intellect, took the place of a prophetess-a revealer of the mind of God, and so she does to this day.

In heart she dislikes true prophets, and if there were any, she would persecute them, as did Jezebel in Israel. But the prophets of the church having all passed away, the Lord does not number persecution among her sins. In passing, we may note, that no divine order of ministry is referred to in these epistles to the churches-save that of the Spirit.

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II. THE CHURCH WAS TO BLAME; THOU SUFFEREST."

But now, it was not primarily Jezebel's act and deed when she became a queen in Israel. It was Ahab's act. Yes, but the guilt must be carried still further back; it was one result of Israel's folly in desiring a king. That was Israel's leaving "the first love."

So, with regard to the Jezebel in the Church-she was not so much to blame as the Ahab who brought her in. But, then, there ought not to have been any worldly, influential christians in the assembly or assemblies at Thyatira-men who, having got sway with the brethren, acted like Ahab. If the saints there had not have left their "first love"-if they had not have exalted man in some way, we may be confident Jezebel would not have been brought in. Oh, how ought churches "to cleave unto the Lord with purpose of heart!" He can keep us from falling. Then will it be with little assemblies beginning afresh on simple Scriptural ground, as it was with "the church which was at Jerusalem,"

"Of the rest durst no man join himself to them." (Acts v.) And if they do "join," the Ahab-ones will soon go out-not stop to introduce others who have Morality, Intellect, and Accomplishments for their only recommendation.

"They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us; but they went out that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us [not at all of us]." (1 John ii.)

The Church, not Jezebel, being primarily to blame, the Son of God, gracious as well as glorious, had given her time to repent, "and she repented not." She did not she has not-awoke to the folly of professing and calling herself a prophetess. But more especially has she not repented of the mischief she has wrought. But still persists in doing the

same!

III. THE DOUBLE MISCHIEF WROUGHT BY JEZEBEL.

"Thou sufferest that woman Jezebel, which calleth herself a prophetess, to teach and to seduce my servants to commit fornication, and to eat things sacrificed to idols."

And what is this mischief? Why, truly converted men have been taught by her to admire her, and to look to her, as a prophetess, for light and knowledge! Practically, she (Jezebel) has displaced the Holy Spirit, the only spiritual light-giver!! No wonder the Lord should be wroth with her, with a great indignation, for teaching believers (practically) to dishonour His gracious long-suffering Representative. How many who have believed unto life are attending on the ministry of Unconverted Men!! men who are ac cepted teachers in the churches simply because they are men of moral character, having an acquaintance with Greek and Hebrew, of good education generally, and able to put matters together ! Thus we still recognise the features of "that woman Jezebel”—viz. Morality, Intellect, Accomplishments. Her places of special power-colleges, universities; her more prominent servants-professors, theologians; at her disposal are-degrees, titles, academic honours, livings, stipends. She can

boast of a tower of learned works, as high as Babel reaching unto heaven. She receives from her children ("professing Christians") a show of much affection-a natural affection, for "the world will love its own."

Thus she seduces souls, on their conversion, to trust her, to be fascinated with her, and to enter in sinful union with her. They are taught by her to do this, whereas they should continue to rejoice in Him who has saved them and is present in the midst of any "two three gathered together" in His Name, to bless them by the Holy Spirit through the Word. Oh, this dreadful thing-adultery, believers uniting themselves with, and finding pleasure in, Moral, Intellectual, Accomplished men who have got into the place of teachers! "Cease from man, whose breath is in his nostrils." Don't "deny the Lord that bought you,"-bought you with his own precious blood! Jezebel may be fair to look upon; favour is deceitful and beauty is vain ;"-and oh, her heart!" deceitful above all things and desperately wicked!" Such, however fair, learned, and clever, is every unregenerate man.

"but

Dreadful! to be deluded to think that it is proper and needful to be united unto such an one as Jezebel-Proper, because of her apparent goodness, power, and beauty; Needful, because of her supposed fruitfulness in adding unto the church! Oh, this is, indeed, doing "evil that good might come."

Whatever your sect or denomination-if your arrangements admit of unregenerate men getting into the place of teachers, you are "committing adultery with that woman Jezebel." And what arrangements can possibly be free and safe in which a mental standard and mental abilities are more or less regarded? Ye adulterers!

with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world "Know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity is the enemy of God!" (James iv.)

Jezebel's sin, the Son of God calls "fornication"that is her sin, as one unmarried. But the sin of. being united unto Jezebel is, adultery, because each church should regard itself betrothed or espoused as a pure virgin" to Christ. (2 Cor. xi. 2.) And betrothal should be felt to be as sacred as marriage.

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"Behold, I will cast her into a bed, and them that commit

And now Jezebel has taught true believers not adultery with her into great tribulation, EXCEPT THEY REPENT only to commit fornication, but also

"to eat things sacrificed to Idols.” Jezebel of old was a Zidonian princess, and her idols were therefore Baal and Ashtoreth. See 1 Kings xvi. 31; xi. 33. The emblems of these idols were the Sun and Moon.

These emblems also show forth the characteristics of the idols of Jezebel of this dispensationnamely, Power (sun) and Beauty (moon)-Jezebel's own characteristics. The idol always reflects the

idolater.

Christians who are taught by Jezebel, and seduced to trust her as a prophetess, and to find pleasure in her, and think by her to increase the numbers in the church, will, alas! invariably be found relishing things offered to her idols. And what are her idols? that is to say, what are the visible presentments of her qualities (Power and Beauty)-What are the idols which she trusts and honours?

Gifted Men (Power)-Fine Buildings (Beauty). These are only the busts of her images of Baal and Ashtoreth. Where she can do so with acceptance, she will present the full-length idols. Then we find, in addition to the above,—

A formal Charity (Power)-Ornate Services (Beauty) Divine Claims (Power)-Much Music (Beauty). Being trusted (by those who commit adultery with her) to give birth to numbers-these are her means of adding to the church! Unconverted ones brought by these means to profess and call themselves Christians are termed by the Lord, "her children "—an ungodly race, "holding the truth in unrighteousness," -the shameful, bastard offspring of the adultery of Christians with "that woman Jezebel "!

Jezebel spreads offerings before her idols-that is, she advances specious arguments on their behalf. Those Christians who, smitten with her blandishments, are listening to her, receive and swallow what she sets before them, and so they are taught by her "to eat things sacrificed unto idols!"

They do not worship them. But it amounts to the same thing, for that honour is given to things which belongs to the Lord. For whereas the above idols are trusted to add unto the church, the Scripture

says

"The Lord added unto the church such as should be saved." "Neither be ye idolaters, as were some of them; as it is written, The people sat down to eat and drink and rose up to play. Wherefore, my dearly beloved, flee idolatry.'

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(1 Cor. x.)

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OF THEIR DEEDS.

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Thus, the "Son of God, whose eyes are as a flame of fire," will come in judgment, and Jezebel will be "cast into a bed." By this is understood, that she will be rendered helpless with pain, overwhelmed with suffering, and unable to assist her deluded ones. She is only "cast into a bed," and into tribulation, not killed. Many of the merely Moral, Intellectual, Accomplished, who form Jezebel the self-called prophetess, will survive the first tribulation, and will afterwards still further develope their iniquitous pretensions; for do we not see (further on in the Revelation) the present Jezebel surprisingly developed as Babylon the Great, the Mother of Harlots and Abominations of the Earth"? (Rev. xvii.) Of course, this is understood as to take place AFTER the Church has been caught up to meet the Lord in the air.

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As for the Christians who are "committing adultery with her," of them the Lord says He will cast "them into great tribulation-except they repent."

"Except they repent!" Oh, wondrous grace! As had gone "a whoring after other gods,"-so the Son God sought to woo back to Himself Israel when they of God seeks to win back His people to His own dear self!

Beloved, shall we not be more and more earnest; yea, tearfully solicitous-over these, our deluded fellow-believers? Remember the word by Jude:

"And of some having compassion, making a difference [for all are not mere professors]; and others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh."

Beloved, pull them out! Be earnest in prayer to God; be patient in ministering the word;" freely ye have received, freely give." Go to themnot into their assemblies-"pull them out of the fire." We know that they shall be saved, (as many as believe in Jesus,) yet-" so as by fire." (1 Cor.)

"The Lord shall judge His people. It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the Living God." (Heb. x.)

"Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate saith the Lord and touch not the unclean; and I will receive you, and I will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty." (2 Cor. vi.) "Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues.' (Rev. xviii.) Come where? To Jesus. Gather to Him, though you be but "two or three," for, He says,"Where two or three are gathered together in my name

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"Little children, keep yourselves from idols. Amen." (1 there am I in the midst of them." (Matt. xviii.) John v.)

IV.-IMPENDING JUDGMENT.

"Do we provoke the Lord to jealousy? are we stronger than he ?"

Oh, that any who truly believe in the Lord Jesus in their heart, should be found"committing adultery with that woman Jezebel"-taking pleasure in such a Harlot! Oh, that the solemn warning of the Lord may come into their ears

Yea, if you be but one. Better far to follow the Lord by oneself, than to go on with those on whom are turned His indignant eyes, "like unto a flame of fire."

Yes, that is a precious word to the solitary, who are cut off by their faithfulness from fellowship with

others

"I am the Light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life." (John. viii.)

V.-THE FATE OF HER CHILDREN.

As for the poor deluded crowd of Jezebel's "children"-" professing Christians" (her children in much the same sense that the Lord Jesus meant when He said to the Jews, "Ye are of your father the devil,")-what does the Son of God say of them ?—

"And I will kill her children with death." Death-eternal death-is their portion: wretched souls. It will happen unto them according to the word of the Lord

"If the blind lead the blind shall they not both fall into the ditch ?"

"Kill with death" awful word!-Death unto death! Killed finally, never to live again, in God's sense of life; they will exist-but in outer darkness. And these "children" are attending so-called places of worship," sitting at their mother's feet, that woman Jezebel, which calleth herself a prophetess "-listening to her dulcet voice speaking "Peace."

"The day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night, for

when they shall say, Peace and safety, then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape." (1 Thess. v.)

They think they are in a safe road to eternity! "There is a way which seemeth good unto a man, but the end thereof is death." (Prov. xiv.)

"Killed with death!" Oh, unconverted professor, satisfied with outward respect for religion,-oh, mere child of Jezebel,—this word from the Son of God, is of you!

These judgments upon Jezebel, her children, and adulterous Christians are set forth in the 2nd Book of Kings.

Thus dies Jehoram, last son of Jezebel,

"And Jehu drew a bow with his full strength, and smote Jehoram between his arms, and the arrow went out at his heart, and he sunk down in his chariot." (2 Kings ix.)

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"And Jehu followed after him, and said, Smite him also in the chariot. And they did so at the going up to Gur, which is by Ibleam. And he fled to Megiddo, and died there." "Megiddo" means a place of precious fruit," indicating the ultimate salvation of adulterous Christians, through the coming tribulation, but only with their life in their hands.

"If the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear?" (1 Peter, iv. 18.) Then follows the doom of Jezebel, which name means-" WOE TO THE DUNGHILL." Expressive word!

"And when Jehu was come to Jezreel, Jezebel heard of it; and she painted her face and tired her head, and looked out at a window.

And as Jehu entered in at the gate, she said, Had Zimri peace, who slew his master?

And he lifted up his face to the window, and said, Who is on my side? who?

And there looked out to him two or three eunuchs.
And he said, Throw her down.

So they threw her down: and some of her blood was sprinkled on the wall, and on the horses: and he trode her under foot. And when he was come in, he did eat and drink, and said, Go, see now this cursed woman, and bury her; for she is a king's daughter.

And they went to bury her: but they found no more of her than the skull, and the feet, and the palms of her hands. Wherefore they came again, and told him. And he said,

This is the word of the Lord, which he spake by his servant Elijah the Tishbite, saying, In the portion of Jezreel shall dogs eat the flesh of Jezebel. And the carcase of Jezebel shall be as dung upon the face of the field in the portion of Jezreel; so that they shall not say, This is Jezebel." ~ (2 Kings x.)

If Jehu is vividly severe, what of Him "who hath like unto a flame of fire and whose feet eyes are like unto fine brass burning in a furnace"?

the Son of God to the church at Thyatira, containing The following is the conclusion of the message of listen to the Spirit. May the Lord Jesus Christ, in direction, promise of reward, and exhortation to His own time and way, graciously unfold it to you and us, by the Holy Spirit, the Perfect Messenger. At present we have little light on it.

"Unto you I say, and unto the rest in Thyatira, as many as have not this doctrine, and which have not known the depths of Satan, as they speak; I will put upon you none other burden. But that which ye have already hold fast till I come. And he that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him

will I give power over the nations; and he shall rule them with a rod of iron; as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken to shivers even as I received of my Father. And I will give him the morning star.-He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches."

Thus, in this article, the Lord has graciously shown us, as we believe,-Who "that woman Jezebel" isHow she came in-Her mischief-The judgment of adulterous Christians-and Her children's doom.

"Ye therefore, beloved, seeing ye know these things before, beware lest ye also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own stedfastness." (2 Peter, iii.)

And now

"Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in

his own blood, and hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen." (Rev. i. 6.)

LIGHT.

I AM THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD, saith the LORD JESUS saith, "the First-born of every creature," and light was the CHRIST. He is the Light, because He is, as another Scripture first thing made. "I am the First and the Last.

2. He is Light because Light is Good. "And God saw the He was good. "This is my beloved Son in whom I am welllight, and it was Good." And the Father saw Jesus, and pleased." "I am the Good Shepherd."

ness.

3. He is the Light, because Light is separate from Dark"And God divided the light from the darkness." And Jesus" was holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners.” Light cannot unite with darkness, it drives it away in proportion to its strength. So it was with the Holy One of God. Satan, on the contrary, is the Prince of Darkness. To be sent to hell, is to be shut up to the presence of Satan (Darkness), to be shut off fron the presence of Jesus-" who is Light and in Him is no darkness at all."

"THE LAST TIME."

"Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils." (1 Tim. iv.)

"This know, also, that in the last days perilous times shall come." (2 Tim. iii. 1.)

"There shall come in the last days scoffers." (2 Pet. iii. 3.) But John and Jude, writing much later, testify"Little children, It is the last time." (1 John ii. 18.) "These are murmurers.... Beloved, remember ye the words which were spoken before by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ, how that they told you there should be mockers in the last time, who should walk after their ungodly lusts." (Jude.) The above Scriptures are here quoted to establish the fact in our minds-that the Holy Ghost regards two periods in the Church's condition on earth; a first time and a last time-an apostolic and a postapostolic period.

With this needful preliminary remark, we proceed to further consider a manuscript written in answer to an article in the October Number of PRECIOUS TRUTH. Our brother writes

"The Proprietor of Precious Truth' further contends that the passage When that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away' (1 Cor. xiii. 10) has reference to the complete written word of inspiration!''

Now, the following is the substance of that which is there enlarged upon in a very full manner

"The Spoken Word, ministered by the Gifts in the early Church, was to fail, cease, vanish away, as 1 Cor. xiii. shows.

For, after all, the presentation of truth by man to man must always be partial and defective. Paul, identifying himself with the Gifts, says-' For we [Gifts] know in part, and we [Gifts] prophesy in part. But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away.'

"That is to say, the presentation of truth by us, Gifts, shall be done away.' Therefore, there are no 'Gifts now. And that because That which is perfect is come,'-a Perfect Mode of receiving truth, instead of an Imperfect one.

"By which is meant-The Perfect Word, under the teaching of the Spirit, in the presence and under the control of the Lord. That is, the perfect, or mature, condition of walking by faith in the Son of God and the presence and ministry of the Holy Spirit through and by the perfect or complete Written Word. What more 'perfect' Mode of receiving truth can be desired ?" (Page 238.)

This question we still ask.

Will our dear brother please to note, that the testimony which we have been enabled to put forth, has reference-not to the written word of inspiration' only; but to the perfect mode of receiving the truth. That is to say-the believer, holding the Head by personal communion, receives such truth as He pleases, by the Spirit through the Perfect Written Word, either heard or read. This is a more perfect mode than receiving truth by word-of-mouth from a fellow-man. Is it not?

Word-of-mouth teaching was of two kinds(1) That which came through prophets, direct from the Spirit, and (2) that of teachers, who repeated what they had previously learnt from others. Both kinds have wholly ceased, the Written Word being completed. The latter kind was specially liable to error, and to degenerate into tradition. The Word itself

shows the dangers attending this latter kind of wordof-mouth teaching-this knowing in part, which was to "vanish away":

"Then went this saying abroad among the brethren, that that disciple should not die! yet Jesus said not unto Him, He shall not die;' but, If I will that he tarry till I come what is that to thee?" (John xxi.)

Thus, we see where tradition or word-of-mouth teaching was leading to, even before the apostles had departed, and that it was needful for the Holy Ghost to correct one special misapprehension and corresponding mischief?

And how have all the mis-teachings arisen in the poor Church since? We say it with all the earnestness of solemn conviction-It has been caused by giving that weight to word-of-mouth teachings which they received-and received very properly—before the Written Word was completed.

While the apostles were with us, endowed with infallibility, they could correct any mis-teachings that might arise. In this consisted no small portion of their duty, needing constant vigilance. There is now no human authority to put down error, but we are all bound to abide in Jesus, to follow the leadings of the Holy Spirit through the Word ;-and where will He lead us ?-" into," or towards, "all truth," so that we shall be further to-day in the knowledge of the mind of God than we were yesterday. And, as regards ourselves, our simple duty is to speak that

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"And from this he argues that there are no longer any Teachers in the Church of God, because such are no longer required! This, he thinks, is confirmed by that passage in the General Epistle of John, The Anointing which ye have received of Him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you.”

Such is still that writer's testimony.

All that has been advanced is, that John contemplates the Church as dependent upon the Spirit, and the Spirit only; whereas Paul, (writing FORTY years earlier) regards the Church, being then young, as needing Helps-Human Helps-from the Spirit, (Prophecies, Tongues, Knowledge, whose Spoken Word had much the same weight then as the Written Word had afterwards.

How does our brother meet this position? Thus― all truth; but He works by making the members of the One Body "It is true that believers have the Holy Spirit to lead them into to minister to one another-He' dividing unto every man severally as He will!"

Here the writer explains the passage in John by taking us back to 1st Corinthians! There is an exhortation to "rightly divide the word of truth." Is it right, when considering a Scripture written in the maturity of the Church, to bring forward a Scripture written in the infancy of the Church, on a subject connected with Church-action? Is no allowance to be made for the time and state of the Church when a book is written? Such treatment of the Scriptures is very much like regarding the Spirit as making no difference in regard to the Apostolic and the postApostolic state of things! But it is shown in the

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