LETTER FROM MISS W. VESEY
[p. 311] LETTER FROM MISS W. VESEY
Extract from a letter of Miss W. Vesey: written to her sister in Ireland during Mr. Raven’s last visit to Manchester, February — March, 1903.
A lovely meeting on Sunday. F.E.R. spoke of 2 Kings 3. The three kings were in danger of perishing for lack of water and being swallowed up of Moab — the world in its pride. Elisha is called in — the man who has the word of the Lord. Elisha represents the Lord in resurrection power — He comes over Jordan, the right way, bringing healing and life in his hand. Elisha had gone out of the land of Jordan — Israel, in a sense, died in him, and Elisha returns and all his miracles speak of life-reviving power. So here the land was full of water, when they had wandered seven days and found none, and all was brought about without either wind or rain. Of course I could not take notes at the breaking of bread, so I am only giving you his thought about it from memory. He said people go on happily and apparently enjoying truth too — their circumstances are favourable and they live in them. Then when sorrow or change comes the very people who seemed the happiest and the brightest are proportionately cast down and depressed and they cry out in bitterness of spirit. Alas! there is no water. Whereas the land is full of water, but you must get outside yourself, outside the wind and the rain of this world and get into another scene. Not the life of flesh, but the life expressed in these words, “Because I live ye shall live also”. But the water was blood in the eyes of the Moabites. For the world it appears like death. To refuse the world, not to find our resource here, not to live in what they live in, is death in their eyes, and so it is, and must be if we are not living outside ourselves. The secret of doing so is “Abide in me”. Keep in the circle of divine affections. Let it be the consolation of your heart to know consciously where He dwells. “Master, where dwellest thou?”. “Come and see”. It was much in the same line as the afternoon reading yesterday, the subject of which was Ephesians 2 quickening. It was a lovely reading and seemed to go to my very heart. He is greatly insisting on the Lord’s doing priestly work in Luke’s gospel. The priest’s lips must keep knowledge and it was at his mouth they were to seek the law, for He is the Messenger — Malachi 2: 7. This seemed to be the keynote of his teaching. No one can be an effective teacher unless he is a priest. He must have access to God if he is to help others.
In the evening he preached on Luke 14 and 15, connecting it with his former lecture on the parable of the two debtors and the good Samaritan. He brought out beautifully the distinct character of the progress of the four parables. The first two showing the Lord’s coming to our side, and bringing to us all the resources of heaven, speaking of what was in God’s mind for man to the Pharisee though he despised Him, and bringing in oil and wine, comfort and cheer and care to the poor man who fell among thieves. But then in chapters 14 and 15 He takes the other side. “The Great Supper” — the celebration of righteousness — the house to be filled — God’s salvation fully established in resurrection power and then in chapter 15 the complacency of the Father in having the son suitable for Himself. The oil and the wine was the grace suited to man here, but the shoes and the ring, the best robe and the fatted calf was what was suitable to the Father, so that He might be able to say, “It is meet that we should be merry”. He connected all this with the unfolding of God’s purpose in Ephesians 1, dwelling particularly on the “Beloved”, insisting most earnestly upon our making what is said there of us [p. 313] reality for us. Everything that is set forth for us in Christ, if it is to have any real power or reality, must be made true in us by the Spirit of Christ. It was a very powerful lecture.
This morning’s reading was very very nice and quiet. I did not see anything of F.E.R. except a passing word with him at the meetings. —— says that it is his exceeding lowliness that attracts him.
He looks very grave and isolated, except when he is actually preaching or teaching.