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arrayed against the assembly are very great. The great king
that is referred to here may be the one who has the might of
death, that is, the devil. And he comes in with his power, if
possible to destroy the enjoyment of eternal life amongst the
saints. The subject matter in the four gospels, beloved
brethren, is to keep our minds on the ‘poor wise Man’ that was
here, and Paul tells us to keep our minds on that same Man
now in heaven. These are the great matters which are to be
known currently in the assembly—the Lord Jesus as He was
when here, and now at the right hand of God—the Same. The
two men said to the disciples in Acts 1 that “this Jesus” whom
they had seen going up into heaven would come again. It is
“this Jesus”, this Person who was once here and of whom the
four gospels speak, the ‘poor wise Man’ who met the matters
that would soon roll in on the assembly. He met them when He
was here. He met the matter of your sins and mine.
I believe one leading point at the present time in the salvation
of our cities is the gospel. That is what I see in Scripture; the
means of salvation is the gospel; it is the grace of our Lord and
Saviour Jesus Christ. We are looking for His appearing, and
the Lord’s supper has that bearing, that “as often as ye shall
eat this bread, and drink the cup, ye announce the death of the
Lord, until he come”. That is the great precious matter that is
held in the local assembly, that He is coming again. If you are
not remembering the Lord Jesus in His death why are you not
remembering Him? He has asked those who love Him and
who know what it is to have their sins forgiven, who have the
Spirit,
to remember Him in His death and to maintain that until He
comes. There are some who may be careless through will, or
may be ignorant or erring, staying away from the Supper. How
serious that is! At the Supper we are showing forth His death
until He come. I cannot do that alone; I have to assemble with
my brethren and be with them in righteousness and bear a
testimony publicly to Christ. Thus the position is preserved
locally in the maintenance of the Lord’s supper and the gospel.