PREFACE

PREFACE

The reader may be aware that the following “Notes”, as they primarily appeared, were the occasion of much difficulty. They had unfortunately been allowed to go into circulation in type-written form without being properly revised and as such they became the subject of comment and adverse criticism.

The explanation of this is twofold (1) As the object of sending out the Notes, in the first instance, was that those in America who could not be present at the meetings, might get the benefit of what it seemed the Lord gave, and as most of these were acquainted with the speakers, and did not suspect them of bad doctrine (the speakers themselves being utterly unconscious of holding any, or even of having said anything very different to what was currently accepted), it was not anticipated that there would be much objection taken; hence the need of guarding was not apparent. The statements of the different speakers were left pretty much as reported by the stenographer. In this way many expressions were allowed to stand which, although well understood when given out orally, were capable of misconstruction by a reader unacquainted with these who gave utterance to them. This weak point was felt keenly by those responsible when it was discovered that the Notes were becoming a subject of public criticism, and accordingly sorrow has been elsewhere expressed on this account.

It was not understood by many that the point of view taken in the Notes had reference to what is ^[p. 109] connected with the Holy Ghost down here, rather than to the heavenly side of the truth. This latter was affirmed, but because it was not made prominent, it was assumed by some that it was denied. But this was not the case (God forbid that it should be!), the heavenly side was affirmed, as said above, but the necessity for pressing it did not exist, whereas the necessity for calling attention to the church, as established at the beginning in the power of the Holy Ghost, as a practical sphere of protection and blessing for man, did exist. Hence the thought of the house of God predominated all through. The spirit of popular revivalism (that in which God is flippantly connected with manifest disorder), which prevailed at that time, led to serious concern as to how little the revealed mind of God was adhered to in the announcement of the glad tidings; and on this account it was thought needful to call attention to the order and conditions which attended the first preaching by the apostles. The in-coming of the Holy Ghost from an ascended Christ, was the advent of a new order of things; it was an order of things in which the light of God was maintained in power, and in it were found practically, as they are to be known at the present time, the things (salvation, life, etc.) which the gospel announced as having come to pass through Christ. Although heavenly, as vitally linked up with Christ in heaven by the Spirit, yet this new and blessed sphere was actually here on earth, and so (although absolutely apart from the world in the sanctification of the Spirit) was available to men. (Compare Acts 2; Psalm 133). It may be remarked that it is not necessary that things should be in heaven in order that they may be in Christ. It is true, as said before, that the church is linked with Him in heaven (her place is there), in all her peculiar privileges and blessings, but at the same time salvation, although in Christ, is said to be in His name

^[p. 110] under heaven, Acts 4: 12; also as to life: the Spirit is said to be life, Romans 8: 10, and He is here.

Although it is confidently hoped the Notes will be found by many both instructive and edifying, yet the chief intent in printing them at the present time is not alone to this end, but rather that saints may have before them substantially that which has been called in question, so as to be in a position to judge for themselves in regard to it, as before the Lord. Hence it is hoped it will be clearly understood that they are in no sense to be regarded as dogmatic; that is, no one is expected to bow to them; they are simply to be read for what they may be worth, and if there be those who differ, and yet cannot prove the existence of fundamental error, it is hoped that they will leave the Notes, and those responsible for them, in the hands of the Lord, who will not fail to make everything manifest in time.

A word may be added as to “living water”. What was in the minds of the speakers was that the living water refers to the Spirit as in man (in Christ, and now also in the saints), and so adapted to the thirst of men. In John 4 and John 7 Christ is seen as the Giver of living water, but in both chapters what He gives is also seen as in the believer: in chapter 4 it becomes in the one who drinks a “well of water springing up into everlasting life”, (John 4: 14) and in chapter 7 (where the Spirit is identified with the living water), it flows as rivers out of the belly of the believer. This is in view of thirst in others. The believer is not the source: Christ is this, but still the living water is said to flow out of the believer. We are bound to connect John 7 with Acts 2 in order to see the historical fulfilment of the Lord’s promise; and in doing this we must introduce the collective idea, which the latter chapter supplies — no believer could in himself contain the Spirit. Peter alluded to the Spirit in his address in Acts 2. He was in the believers as ^[p. 111] given by a glorified Christ, and as such was available to thirsty souls in the world. John 7 may be said to refer strictly to those who believed on Christ during the time of His testimony in humiliation down here; as glorified He would give to them the Holy Spirit, which would flow out from them. What is seen in the church, as recorded in the early chapters of Acts, is the only adequate answer to this, although it goes on, in the principle of it, till the end, Revelation 22, and in measure may be exemplified in each believer. But in order to drink, each one must come to Christ, the Source and Giver. The reference to locating the living water may seem new, but it is extraordinary that the thought contained in it should be questioned. The New Testament teaches, as shown above, that the Spirit is the living water, and also that He dwells in the assembly, which is morally a location (comp. John 14: 17): wherein then is the error in saying that He should be located? To “locate” simply means that souls should be instructed as to the sphere where the blessed activities of the Holy Ghost are known.

The writer, who is responsible not only for the revision, but also mainly for the teaching of the Notes, is aware of the many imperfections contained in them even as revised, but he would count on the Lord that He may enable those into whose hands they may come, to read them in a charitable spirit, and thus that they may arrive at the meaning intended to be conveyed. He fully believes what the Notes contain to be in accordance with the teaching of Scripture, but he is open to correction, and if it be shown that any part or parts, are unsound, he will withdraw them and own his error. Thus the Notes are committed to the Lord.