LETTER

LETTER

In Matthew 18: 19 the agreement seems to me to indicate that it is of the Spirit of God. There is no real agreement between men on any subject. They may wish for the same thing but their reasons for doing so are different. However, as someone has said, there is no longer the Urim and Thummim but there is something greater. “If two of you shall agree ... for where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them”. I quite count on the fulfilment of this at a prayer meeting for a sick person, and certainly the prayer meeting is not a company gathered unto His name if He cannot be expected there, and they are not - any two of them - agreed as to the matter or the subject of prayer.

I feel for you in your church sorrow. The Lord often uses the moment when the enemy seems to prevail, as the one for effecting the most signal defeat of him. David encouraged himself in the Lord his God. The Lord helps us in spite of our mistakes, but His interference on our behalf would be more marked and not attended with such humiliation for ourselves if we had followed His way. I see Paul suffers from Alexander and others, but never says a word to urge the assembly to take up his cause. He refers it to the Lord. In like manner John makes the conduct of Diotrephes an entirely personal matter. I say, “Leave off contention before it be meddled with” (Proverbs 17: 14). It may be necessary to cut off Benjamin at times, but this is bitter sorrow to the executioner.

It is very touching the way the Lord, while leading us to things and joys which are His own, altogether outside of time and sense, would prove to us that He is deeply interested in the smallest thing which concerns us here, both in our own circle and in His.