God Present in the Assembly
Beloved Brethren,
There are several points connected
with our position, as gathered together in the name of Jesus, which is on my
heart to communicate with you. I take this mode of doing so, as affording you
better opportunity individually to examine, and maturely to weigh, what is
communicated, than you would be likely to have in a free conversation where all
were present. I should be very thankful for this latter, should the Lord
incline your hearts to it, when you have examined and weighed in His presence
the matters I have to put before you.
One word at the outset in
acknowledgment of God’s mercy to us as gathered in the name of Jesus. I
can but bow my head and worship in remembrance of the many seasons of real
refreshing and unfeigned joy He has given us together in His presence. The
recollection of these seasons, while it bows the heart before God, renders each
one with whom such mercies have been enjoyed unspeakably dear. The bond of the
Spirit is a real bond; and it is in the confidence which He inspires in my
brethren’s love, that I would as your brother, and as your servant for
Christ’s sake, express without reserve what seems to me of deep importance
to our continued happiness and associated profit, as well as to what is of far
greater moment, the glory of Him in whose Name we are gathered.
When in
July last we were led of the Lord, to substitute open meetings, which had been
sustained till then, I anticipated all which has since ensued. I may say that
the result has not disappointed me in the least. There are lessons as to the
practical guidance of the Holy Spirit which can only be learned practically.
Much that may now, by the Lord’s blessing, commend itself to your
spiritual understanding, and to your consciences, would then have been quite
unintelligible, from your unaquaintance with the kind of meetings to which such
truth applies. It is often said that experience is the best teacher. This may
perhaps be questioned, and rightly so; but there can be no question that
experience makes us conscious of wants which divine teaching alone supplies.
You will believe me, that it is no joy to me in itself to find my brethren
mutually dissatisfied with the part taken by each other in the meetings. But if
this state of things should be overruled, as I trust it may be, to the opening
all our hearts to lessons from God’s Word, which we could not otherwise so
well have learned this at least will be matter for thankfulness and
joy.
The doctrine of the indwelling of the Holy Spirit in “the
body, the church,” and as the sure consequence His presence in the
assemblies of the saints, has for a good many years now appeared to my own
soul, one of the most momentous truths by which the present period is
distinguished. The virtual or actual denial of it constitutes one of the most
serious features of the apostasy which has taken place. The sense of this does
not abate with me, but rather deepens as time rolls on.
I do freely
confess to you, that with the full acknowledgment that there are beloved
children of God in all the denominations around, and with every desire to keep
my heart open to them all, I could no more have fellowship with any body of
professing Christians who substitute clerisy in any of its forms for the
sovereign guidance of the Holy Spirit, than as an Israelite I could have had
fellowship with the setting up of a golden calf in the place of the living God.
That this has been done, and that throughout Christendom, and that for this,
along with other sins, judgment is impending over Christendom, one can but
sorrowfully own, and take the shame of it before God, as having all had to do
with it, and as being one body in Christ with numbers who to this day