INTRODUCTION

INTRODUCTION

In view of the great interest felt, not only in the United States and Canada, but also in England and elsewhere, as to the meetings of which notes are now published, it has been thought well to give a brief sketch of the order in which they took place, and to call attention to some of the most important subjects which came under consideration.

Having regard to the fact that not more than five weeks were available for them, and that the distances to be travelled were in some cases very considerable, it had been decided to select a few places which were fairly central, and to hold at each of these places meetings lasting two or three days.

The meetings began at Quebec on Saturday evening, October 1st, and continued till Tuesday evening, October 4th, when the brethren from England, joined by several who had come to Quebec to meet them, proceeded to Toronto, arriving there on Wednesday evening.

The readings at Quebec on Monday and Tuesday were on Romans 3 to 8, and were both interesting and helpful, but as much of the ground was gone over more fully at other places, it has been decided not to print them. The two evening addresses are published.

The meetings at Toronto occupied Thursday and Friday, and were very well attended. As this was the real beginning of the subjects which occupied most of the readings at other places, some general remarks are made further on which may be helpful as indicating the main features of the ministry. They are, however, in no sense exhaustive, and do not pretend to do more than direct attention to certain points of importance, the details of which will be found in the readings themselves. On Saturday, October 8th, the visitors, with still further additions, continued their journey to ^[p. 2] Rochester and remained there until the afternoon of Wednesday, the 12th, Here also there was a large attendance and much interest. Quite a number came in from various parts of the continent, including places so far distant as California and the Northwest Territory, and as this involved considerable expenditure of both time and money it is a fair indication of the interest felt in the meetings. Amongst the printed notes will be found a gospel address given on Lord’s day evening, and a lecture on Monday evening. The subject of Tuesday evening’s lecture was ‘The New Covenant’, but as the publication of all the addresses would require too much space, a selection of those thought most suitable for printing was made at the conclusion of the meetings.

A much reduced number left Rochester for Minneapolis, but finding there was special interest at Chicago, it was arranged to have meetings there on Thursday and Friday, and the result quite justified this departure from the original plan. The meetings were small, being attended only by those living in the city, and as no general notes were taken on this occasion, only one evening’s address is printed. Leaving Chicago after the evening meeting, Minneapolis was reached on Saturday afternoon. Here a number had assembled from scattered gatherings in the Northwest, including several from Winnipeg, and all seemed to enjoy greatly the opportunity of coming together and the fellowship of their brethren.

The meetings continued till Tuesday evening, the 18th.

On the following day the visitors returned to Chicago en route to Indianapolis, reaching their destination on Thursday morning, October 20th. On Saturday, brethren arrived from various places, and when the meetings began there was again a representative company. On the evening of Tuesday the regular meetings ended, though by special request there was an additional reading on John’s epistle, but as notes were not taken on this occasion, it does not appear in the book. Those who were going eastward left the same afternoon for Baltimore, where meetings were held on Thursday evening and Friday, but as these (like those at Chicago) were more local in character, the notes are not published.

On Saturday afternoon, October 29th, there was again a representative gathering at Plainfield (in the vicinity of New York), and meetings were continued until Tuesday evening, November 1st, after which the general gatherings came to an end.

Those who were free went on Wednesday to Cambridgeport (Boston), where there were meetings during Thursday.

On Friday those returning to England came back to New York, where a farewell reading was held that night, the visitors sailing for Liverpool on Saturday morning, November 5th, arriving in safety the following Saturday.

It has not been thought necessary to publish any notes of the readings which were held each Lord’s day afternoon. They were special in character, and the subjects were: QUEBEC, John 13; ROCHESTER, Matthew 16; MINNEAPOLIS, John 20; INDIANAPOLIS, John 14; PLAINFIELD, John 16.

In each case what was taken up bore upon ‘the assembly’, either directly, or as indicating the needed preparation morally for those who are to enter into and enjoy its privileges. The pleasure the Lord finds in the company of His own, and all that He has done and still does to lead them to appreciate this, was frequently touched upon, as the understanding of it is really necessary if we are to enter in spirit into what the assembly is.

For reasons easily understood the gospel addresses, with the one exception already named, have not been published.

^[p. 4] Returning now to the reading meetings, it may be said that the real start of the general subjects was at Toronto, when the truth of the Kingdom was taken up from Matthew 18, and the remarks that follow arise out of that and the subsequent readings at other places.

The kingdom is, so to speak, a moral necessity, man being what he is, if God is to have to say to him, Until a soul has come under the moral sway of God — having learnt Him as a Saviour God — so that it is established in grace, it is difficult if not impossible for one to enter into the calling and purpose of God for him. The kingdom was here in a sense when Christ was on earth, but it was really established when He took His place at the right hand of God and all things were put under Him. He that owns Jesus as Lord comes under the moral sway of grace. He learns not only that there is a kingdom that cannot be moved, but that the power and security which belong to it are on his behalf. The Holy Spirit is here to maintain that kingdom, and does so now in spiritual power in the souls of believers. In a coming day the kingdom will be displayed publicly and everything that offends will be cast out of it. When a soul has received this kingdom as a little child, so that one is morally in it, he is in a condition to learn God’s disposition towards him, as well as what He has done to meet his need.

This disposition comes out in the new covenant, and it might almost be summed up in one word, ‘Love’, which is the nature of God. The blood sets it forth, and as we read in Romans 5, “the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us”.

Thus far we are speaking of what is for man, but when we come to reconciliation, we come to what God has wrought for Himself, and that brings in what is new.

Peace being made by the blood of His (Christ’s) cross, in which the old man was entirely set aside, all ^[p. 5] that is suited to God can now be found in the new man, and only there. There is a new creation, and all things are of God who hath reconciled us to Himself by Jesus Christ, 2 Corinthians 5. Where distance was before, there is now perfect complacency.

When this has been apprehended by the soul it learns that God’s purpose for the believer is association with Christ. He is not merely seen as “risen with him through the faith of the operation of God”, but is made to live (quickened) together with Christ, and this really brings us to eternal life — life in association with Christ outside of and beyond the reach of death. It will be actually made good in “the world to come”.

Such is the order in which these truths are presented to the believer, and in which sooner or later they have to be learned, but, whilst the light of them is for all, their experimental apprehension involves a surrender which all are not prepared to make.

As regards ‘eternal life’, difficulties have been caused in some minds by the assumption that because the word ‘eternal’ is used therefore the expression ‘eternal life’ is intended to describe a condition of existence before time began, and also a condition of existence when time has ceased to be. It has been applied to the life of divine Persons before revelation and incarnation, and almost universally to the life of believers in the Father’s house and in the eternal state.

Now in the Old Testament, as well as in many passages of the New Testament, it is quite clear that it refers to a condition of life on earth and not in heaven, and it is believed that it will be found on examination that the usual presentation of it in Scripture is in contrast with death, “the world to come” being the sphere of its display. One great feature of that world is that the power of death is set aside, either by resurrection or by the great change which will take place when “death is swallowed up in victory”. It must not be forgotten that the heavenly saints of that ^[p. 6] day will enjoy their calling in its heavenly character, whilst earthly saints will enjoy eternal life in the place where death has been; christians now get it morally in the knowledge of the only true God (the Father) and Jesus Christ whom He has sent.

It is quite a mistake to suppose that a believer loses anything by correcting any defective or erroneous use of terms. What the believer actually has now is the Spirit in him as a well of water springing up to eternal life. In “the world to come” he will be even as to his body in the scene of life eternal, but he loses the true meaning and present good of what God has been pleased to make known if he uses the term simply to mean eternal security or future existence in heaven.

It was also pointed out that the presence of the Holy Spirit to maintain the kingdom here in power involves certain important consequences.

If God is here He must have a dwelling, and this introduces the house of God; but the presence of the Holy Spirit also involves the body, for “by one Spirit are we all baptised into one body”; and when we have learned spiritually to apprehend these truths we are prepared to understand and appreciate what Christ’s assembly is. That it is and must be outside of the world system is quite clear, and therefore to enter into it in our souls as a practical reality it is necessary to have overcome the world. As this overcoming is presented in 1 John 5 in such a way as to indicate its necessity if we are to enter upon eternal life, it is not difficult to understand the close connection between eternal life and the assembly.

In the Old Testament we find three great thoughts as to God: blessing, dwelling, and ruling. These thoughts are made good in christianity, but we get them in the inverse order. We come under His moral sway in the kingdom, we form His house, and then in the assembly we taste the blessing, “eternal life”.

Another side of the truth was brought out at the Indianapolis meeting in connection with ‘the world to come’, viz, that God has a completely new system or order of things, and one which is wholly according to His own mind, established in connection with Christ risen from the dead and seated at His own right hand. Amongst the leading features of this new system we find a mercy-seat from which God can speak, a throne of grace, the rule of man over all God’s works, God’s house, God’s rest, the priest, the forerunner gone in, the better hope by which we draw nigh to God, the new covenant, perfect purgation and a sanctified company.

In “the world to come” all this will be displayed, but we have the light of it now, and if we walk in it we shall prove its practical effect in separating us from “this present evil world”. The attractive power of the love of Him who is the centre of everything in it is that which draws the heart out of things here.

It may be well to add, in reference to the thought of ‘salvation’, an expression of frequent occurrence, that it does not appear to be ordinarily used in Scripture as meaning forgiveness of sins, or escape from God as a Judge, but rather in the sense of liberation from the power of the enemy, the setting free now from the power of sin and Satan those who had hitherto been led captive by him.

‘Deliverance’, as we use it, would seem to apply more to the practical working out of this salvation in the details of life.

In concluding these remarks, it may be added that on looking back at what came out at the different meetings there is evidence of a gradual progress which was hardly noticed as they went on, and the spirit of liberty and hearty fellowship which characterised them was a cause of great thankfulness.
J.S.A.