THE COMING OF THE LORD

1 John 2: 28, 29; 3; 1-3; Revelation 22: 16, 17, 20, 21; Luke 12: 32-40

E.M.W. I have been thinking about the coming of the Lord. That strikes a chord in every heart here. The outlook for the believer is not depressing but bright. Jesus says "I am the root and offspring of David, the bright and morning star". Most of us would know that the Lord Himself is the hope of the church, it is not just an event; nevertheless there will be an event, the next vibration of His power will gather together to Himself every redeemed one. If we spoke for a moment of the rapture it is based on God's rights in grace and redemption, so that every believer will be gathered together to the Lord. The kingdom is based more on His rights in government but the rapture on His rights in grace. No believer will be overlooked then. The brightness of His coming is apt to fade in our hearts. Scripture itself says "Hope deferred maketh the heart sick", Prov 13: 12. Hence, I think, we need to be maintained in our souls and affections in the anticipation of the imminence of the Lord taking us.

The first scripture read says "And now, children, abide in him, that if he be manifested we may have boldness, and not be put to shame from before him at his coming". He then proceeds to show us the position that love has placed us in as children of God. So that the anticipation of His coming has an effect upon us; it is not that it ought to have but it has an effect upon us if it is there. In the second scripture He introduces Himself (speaking reverently) "I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify these things to you in the assemblies". He sent His angel to do that, but He is not sending His angel to gather us, He is coming Himself. We might have thought it an honour if Michael had been sent, but Jesus is coming Himself. How that stimulates our affections! Then "the Spirit and the bride say, Come"; that would be, Come, take up everything that belongs to You. The Lord has been denied His rights; He has been denied His rights as Son of man having universal dominion; He has been denied His rights as the King of Israel, as Son of God, the Messiah was cut off and had nothing (see Dan 9: 26); but the bride cherishes everything that is His and holds it for Him and says "Come". That has in mind to take up all that belongs to Him. He says "I come quickly", as though He is on the way. Response from our hearts is "Amen; come, Lord Jesus". I wondered if that needs to be revived in our hearts, dear brethren. And the last scripture is watching and waiting, and working of course for Christ because we are bondmen. So that while the blessedness of the coming of Jesus is before us, the Spirit would revive it in our affections. Clearly in each case it has a moral effect upon us. If it does not have such an effect, then the question is whether Jesus Himself is enshrined in our affections or whether there is some other object between our souls and Him.

A.B.P. The passage in Revelation has in view the public appearing. It would be understandable at the end of a book such as this that the feelings of the saints are in full sympathy with the Lord in relation to the relief of mankind as well as to the public display of His own glory.

E.M.W. It is important to see that; hence in testimony we would cherish that. The point you make, that it refers to the appearing, is important. The bride cherishes everything that is precious to Christ, in fact in connection with what you remark, even we ourselves groan within ourselves awaiting redemption - "awaiting adoption, that is the redemption of our body", Rom 8: 23. So that in saying "Come", simple as it is I think it has in mind His appearing and the setting right of everything, every moral issue in the world, relief for the groaning creation, the setting free of man, the taking up of government, heavenly and earthly principalities. Much could be named, but in the simple word "Come" the bride is cherishing everything that is precious to Christ and is, so to speak, on the qui vive for His coming to take it.

G.D.W. Is the reference to righteousness in this first scripture to indicate to us that we should be morally in accord with what will be publicly displayed at His coming?

E.M.W. Yes, that is one of the points in one's mind, not in an arbitrary way but to exercise our hearts. If you take for example the simple expression, "every one that has this hope in him" (that is in Christ) "purifies himself, even as he is pure"; it is not that he ought to do that, but having the hope, it is the normal consequence for him to do that, so that he is brought as a normal consequence into correspondence with Christ. I think that is the way Christianity works.

G.D.W. There is a certain transforming excellency to that.

E.M.W. Yes. So the divine standard of our purification is a glorified Man. You may say, You will never reach it; but the standard is kept before us: "even as he is pure". The normal consequence of having this hope in Him is that a man purifies himself. If he does not, then the hope is not in him; it is just as simple as that.

C.G. In 1 Thessalonians 5: 23 it says, "Now the God of peace himself sanctify you wholly and your whole spirit, and soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ". Would you say a word on the peace of God in relation to the coming of Christ, and would the things mentioned there suggest readiness at His coming?

E.M.W. Yes I think so, your whole spirit and soul and body is to be preserved blameless. You will find, I think, that every reference to the coming of the Lord is addressed to persons who are alive at the time. It has often been said that it is never put beyond the lifetime of those persons, and it is intended to have the effect that you say. It is clearly not on the principle of 'thou shalt'. It does not say, If you have this hope in you you shall make yourself pure; it is just that if this hope is in you you will do it. You do not need a law; it is just that that Person is so enshrined in your affections that the normal consequence is that you are purifying yourself even as He is pure because you are going to see Him face to face.

C.F.D. Is what you have been saying involved in the first scripture where it says "And now, children, abide in him"? Abiding in Him would suggest that there is proceeding in us something that is compatible with what He is Himself where He is now, so there is the idea of equivalence in the believer.

E.M.W. That would be the intention. How far that is effective in us would be another matter. But he puts it so simply; he says "now, children, abide in him". Someone says, What does that mean? How do I do it? A young person might be justified in asking that question. All your supplies are drawn from Him, are they not? In simple dependence you are related to and drawing from Him, so there is to be brought about a constancy in character with Himself. Jesus Himself uses the figure of the vine; He speaks of the branch abiding in the vine; if it does not abide in the vine, drawing all its resources from the vine, then it becomes dead and worthless (see John 15: 6). But our problem is that we tend to draw supplies from elsewhere.

G.D.P. As begotten of Him we would have those features, would we not, features of the divine nature? "Every one who practises righteousness is begotten of him".

E.M.W. Yes. I believe one of the points of John's ministry is to exercise the consciences and hearts of the saints to correspond in their practice with the work of God in them.

G.D.P. Yes, we are to walk according to the Spirit and not according to the flesh.

E.M.W. To abide in Him is most important. I suppose if we went into detail and comparisons it is like holding fast the Head. We know of no resource save Christ.

T.E.D. Is the earlier verse in the chapter (v 6) a challenge in that way: "He that says he abides in him ought, even as he walked, himself also so to walk"? It is one thing to say, but then the test currently is the living expression of the answer.

E.M.W. Yes exactly.

A.B.P. This word 'in' - "abide in him" - is used in a number of relations. Do you think that it is vital because it seems to be the opposite to mere profession? I am thinking of the expression, for instance, to the Thessalonians, that they were "in God the Father" (1 Thess 1: 1), and Paul uses the expression "only in the Lord", 1 Cor 7: 39. Could we have some impression as to what that 'in' means?

E.M.W. It has been called, as you would know, a preposition of power. It seems to me that we should be exercised to be under the direct influence of Christ as attached to Him. We learn by way of contrast, and, as you say, it is in contrast to mere profession. "Abide in him" I think means that we are attracted to Him and attached to Him, and to reach it would include our simple, practical devotions of prayer, meditation, seeking His presence so that we are brought under His influence, in the same way (as has often been illustrated) that the earth is under the influence of the sun. It seems to me that abiding in Him arid having Him enshrined in our affections is the basic solution to our problems, whether personal, or household, or assembly problems. I feel sure that, if we were in the power of this, it would be the basic answer to many of our problems, if not all of them.

A.B.P. By way of illustration, would it be right that, if we are 'in', it is a sort of orbit in which attraction holds us in relation to the Person in a personal way?

E.M.W. Very good; our brother's comment on being in orbit and attached to Christ is helpful in regard of this expression "And now, children, abide in him". Most of us will know of Mr Raven's three 'a's' - attraction, attachment, affection. I believe the Spirit of God operates - and we should be concerned to give Him room to do so - to attract us to Christ, and attach us to Him, and develop our affection for Him, so that He becomes the great object before us; He becomes our life, our strength, our object and our motive. We all have to acknowledge how many different objects and motives we find in our hearts. "The heart is deceitful above all things, and incurable" (Jer 17: 9) but I think that in the power of the Spirit, we learn to judge that as it was judged on the cross and we are held in attachment to Christ by the Spirit.

G.H. Abiding in Him is set out in John himself; he was in the bosom of Jesus, leaning on His breast. That gives power to what He writes because he set it out himself.

E.M.W. Yes, it gives him moral power too, which is of all importance. The secret of power is simply abiding in Him.

A.B.P. Peter certainly got out of orbit when he denied the Lord but he stresses the point that he is attached to the Lord. This would be as recovered, of course, but did the Lord allow that to go on through three inquiries so that he might come to that consciousness that what he said was to be expressed in what he did? The use of the word 'knowledge' there is changed, as you know, but it seems to suggest that tie came to it that he realised that his love for Christ was going to be expressed in what he did.

E.M.W. Yes, and the heart-searching is very deep; it is with each of us; and it is not simply related to some specific problem but it is general. I believe that Mr Darby says of that heart-searching of Peter's that the Lord never trusts a man who trusts himself. So if I am trusting myself, the Lord does not trust me.

L.MacF. What follows is that Peter inquires as to John, "What of this man?" John 21: 21. Does John exemplify in his complacency one who was really in orbit and attached?

E.M.W. I think he would; he illustrates the character and substance of persons that will go through to the end; "If I will that he abide until I come, what is that to thee? Follow thou me" (v 22). It seems to me that these are lessons we need to learn which deeply exercise the conscience and the heart. I believe it was Mr Darby who also said, The question is, When I see the Lord what is He going to say to me?

A.B.P. 'How will He greet me?'

J.A.P. You would include therefore in your inquiry about the Lord's coming His coming into this meeting and His searching us out through His word. If He manifest Himself (I know that may be something more) we anticipate something in these meetings, do we not?

E.M.W. I think we should do that. I thought of this very thing because he says "And now, children, abide in him, that if he be manifested we may have boldness, and not be put to shame from before him"; you could have had a full stop there, but he adds "at his coming". It seems to me that the moral effect of what he is saying is that He might be manifested at any time.

J.A.P. I was wondering that, because it says at the end of John, "This is already the third time that Jesus had been manifested" (v 14). It is a very testing thing when He comes into the service of God and when He comes into these meetings, such meetings as we have now. Is that right?

E.M.W. Yes; so we should make room for Him. I think it is clear that in the teaching of it He is speaking about the manifestation of Jesus, that is His coming: "if it is manifested we shall be like him for we shall see him as he is". But in the earlier verse to which you have alluded it says, "if he be manifested we may have boldness, and not be put to shame from before him at his coming". So if Jesus is manifested here, have I boldness or are there hidden motives of any kind working in the heart which are contrary to Christ?

T.E.D. Is there something in the typical teaching as to Joseph? It says "they made ready the gift for Joseph's coming at noon" (Gen 43: 25), and yet in that they were searched through and through by the presence of Joseph, and even had to go through a further test to bring out what was in their hearts.

E.M.W. Yes. Hence the presentation of the Lord's word bears not necessarily on specific difficulties but on the state that causes those difficulties. Hence "abide in him, that if he be manifested"; and there is no question about it that through the problems that arise the Lord is exposing state among us, and I have an impression that there is a state of unreadiness for His appearing.

A.B.P. Do you think that the matter of a sister lingering, waiting for the Lord to take her, is intended to convey something to us as to the reality whether what we profess and say in ministry is really operating in us and that our expectancy is such that we are ready?

E.M.W. That is salutary. We think of our dear sister; as you say, what is before her? You might say she is brought to a point where the only One before her is Jesus. Now that should be with us when we are in life and health. I think we must admit that the brightness of the coming of Jesus tends to become dull and consequently we get into a state where our affections are not moving towards Him.

E.E.H. This word 'abide' is testing, is it not? The Lord Himself uses it in John 15 in relation to Himself as abiding in the Father's commandments. He says in verse 4 of that chapter, "Abide in me and I in you". But then He says "As the Father has loved me, I also have loved you: abide in my love. If ye shall keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love, as I have kept my Father's commandments and abide in his love" (vv 9,10). One thing follows upon another. The Lord would present to us that, as He abides in His Father's commandment, we are to abide in His love.

E.M.W. That is very much what is one's mind. So each thing is that normal consequence in the believer's experience. We are so apt to be governed by rules and regulations and the like. People like that. In a sense if you have a book of rules it makes things simple, but things are not so simple. But the Spirit is here to hold us in attachment to Christ, and I believe that each of these things to which you refer is the normal consequence in the believer's experience.

E.F.C. Do you think that this affluent, materialistic age in which we are living tends to keep most of us from being as near to Christ as we might be and abiding in Him as John contemplates in his ministry?

E.M.W. Yes. I have no doubt whatever about that. We were speaking on Thursday evening of our young men and women elsewhere in the world. They have to come to a decision, it is Christ or communism. For example, one young brother has the ability and the desire to be a doctor but unless he joins the communist party he cannot be a doctor. He has to make up his mind, it is Christ or communism. The young man has made up his mind; it is Christ. So he has just a menial occupation. But there is witness to the simple devotion of that man and the progress he is making in his soul because Christ is his object and motive.

E.E.H. That is a real practical example, is it not?

E.M.W. Yes. If a young man wants a motorcar he has to put his name down and wait several years for it. What Mr Cary brings up is of the greatest importance; affluence, material prosperity and the like, which enters into our last scripture, may hinder us in our souls because it tends to become an objective with us. We thank God for His mercies and we do not want to despise them; if He gives us a good home we use it for the brethren; if He gives us a good meal we enjoy it; He gives us all things liberally to enjoy (see 1 Tim 6: 17), but at the same time those things may tend to dull our spiritual sensibilities and hinder our spiritual progress.

C.G. That was the sin of Sodom: pride, fulness of bread, and careless ease (see Ezek 16: 49); they had everything they needed, so they felt they did not need God.

E.M.W. That is like Laodicea, rich and increased with goods and have need of nothing - we are the people! We need to guard against that, dear brethren, and be lowly.

A.Macd. Do you think Mephibosheth's state was right? His heart was attached to David and he was prepared to let everything go in view of the king coming back.

E.M.W. Very good; provided that the king was back in his place that was all that mattered to Mephibosheth. He said, Let Ziba take everything, I do not want what is material, what I want is the king to be in his proper place. So the aim of each of us in our localities should be that Christ has the first place in every thing, not only in our localities but in our persons and lives as well. I think what will promote that is the consciousness of the imminence of His return.

P.L.D. Does being established more in what He accomplished at the first coming prepare our hearts to be attracted to this?

E.M.W. That would be the case I think. You mean the great work that He accomplished for us.

P.L.D. I was thinking of the last verse of Hebrews 9: "Christ... shall appear to those that look for him the second time without sin for salvation". The note there shows how the completeness of what He did by His first coming reflects on us in the meantime so that we are in the good of that.

E.M.W. Yes, "shall appear to those that look for him the second time without sin" - that is, He has no more to say to is (save in judgment of course) - "for salvation".

B.T. After Peter had denied the Lord thrice he went out and wept bitterly. He was ashamed then, but later as adjusted he was quite bold in his ministry, was he not?

E.M.W. Yes he was. As you would know, Mr Taylor said that a spiritual man is quickly adjusted.

A.B.P. When the Lord refers to Himself as "the root and offspring of David", does that relate in any sense to this matter of abiding in Him? Does it suggest not only His deity but the fact that the features that delighted God in David were drawn, so to speak, from the Spirit of Christ operating in him?

E.M.W. I think that is right.

A.B.P. Why does he bring it in now? Is it that we might abide in the root, so to speak?

E.M.W. Yes, and I think be established. He does not change, does He? The root, as you say; everything that shone in David really found its origin in Christ. Then the offspring, every promise of God to David and all that belongs to David will all be fulfilled, set up and established; the Yea and Amen is in Him.

A.B.P. So when He comes in His operation in establishing the kingdom in the millennium will it be Davidic?

E.M.W. Yes I think so. Of course we must not leave out Solomon, as you know.

A.B.P. I know that is generally the character of the dispensation, but the beginning of it even in the tribulation will probably be Davidic, David's greater Son.

E.M.W. I would think that. Now the exercise is how far we are cherishing in our hearts what belongs to Him, what is due to Him generally in universal dominion as Son of man, what is due to Him in government which He shall take up, what is due to Him in the fellowship generally, what is due to Him in our several localities, whether we are cherishing His rights in every connection or whether some other motive is governing us.

A.B.P. In that sense, inasmuch as the house of God is the area of His present judgment, the outflow of that should be wholly in keeping with what comes into evidence in public administration in the millennium.

E.M.W. That is where we are very much tested I think.

A.B.P. It is a test and something to keep us very humble. I wondered if you had in mind in the introduction to the millennial day something of this character.

E.M.W. Yes I had, and the present effect upon us. The world is full of lawlessness and anarchy, and that has crept in amongst those that are in touch with the recovery. It is a most astounding thing to me that a man should write a book justifying anarchy and making it almost a doctrine. Now we are affected by the environment around us, and I think in our localities generally in the fellowship there should be a simple expression of what will obtain in the world to come; Christ will be supreme. Of course then there will be a metropolis, the heavenly city, but at the present time administration is worked out in our localities, and each locality virtually should be a miniature world to come, so to speak, and the conditions of the world to come should be there. But they will never be there unless there is implicit subjection to Christ.

C.F.D. I think what you are referring to is vital. As you will remember, Mr Taylor used to refer to the fact that what is current in the countries in which we live very often finds its way in amongst the saints. This should be something that is constantly before us so that the mind of the Lord, the mind of the Spirit, should be the predominating line in our motives, not the line of independence. I do not know so much about your own country, but in this country young people are taught the line of independence and selfreliance and thinking for themselves and this kind of thing. Every man doing what is right in his own eyes creeps in amongst us, does it not?

E.M.W. Yes it does. You fear it has crept in amongst us. I am not speaking of this country simply, I am speaking generally. The teaching of self-expression which is pretty much universal is really leading to the man of sin who will be the full-blown expression of it. Now the Spirit of God would bring in the truth to help us in our souls against that; He would bring in an antidote to it in ministry.

C.F.D. Therefore are we tested constantly as to our spirits and the bent of our minds, whether we are seeking to be on the alert to link on with the truth and accept the truth, and accept that which would come in in the way of the word of God which would be the governing factor in our lives, rather than a spirit of challenge which is so common in the world?

E.M.W. Yes I think that, and that Christ should be your life and object, not your hobby. The assembly and the things that are precious to Christ are not just an attachment to your life but they are your life.

G.D.P. So in your first scripture it says "the world knows us not, because it knew him not"; should that not be the state we should be in?

E.M.W. That is true; "the world knows us not because it knew him not", but then how true is that? How much of Christ does the world see in me to which it objects?

A.S.H. In the scripture in Revelation we have the word 'athirst'. Do you think that to be able to be fully in the things of Christ we must have a thirst or right desires? I was struck by the young man to whom you referred and his direction, he had the right desire.

E.M.W. And the Spirit of God would honour that. Now there is no reason why every young man and young woman, and those of us who are older too of course, should not come to the same decision. It has often been said that every crisis and every conflict and every division resolves itself into this: Christ or the world, earth or heaven. Now the resolve of our hearts should be Christ and heaven. You will find weakness, you may fall away, you may have decline and recovery in your history, but if that is the resolve of your heart I believe the Spirit of God will help you and honour it.

E.E.H. This word "purifies himself" is very important, is it not? There is constant need for purification because everything around is so soiled. It says "purifies himself, even as he is pure"; we want to correspond at the present time with what He is Himself.

E.M.W. That is the thought, that when we see Him we shall be like Him for we shall see Him as He is. Now a person who has that hope in Him would desire to be morally like Him now even in these conditions. But we get accustomed to all these impure things, things which our fathers would have been horrified at.

E.E.H. There is a tremendous stress on the mind of the young. So we need constant purification.

E.M.W. That, I think, is brought about by constantly seeking the Lord's presence.

G.D.W. We were talking about self-expression and communism: whatever kind of thing it is it is a system that is not of God, a system where Christ is left out. Is it important that we do not allow any kind of system to develop in our own minds so that Christ may be supreme?

E.M.W. We need to be constantly in His presence because what is called 'the system' is just the working of the flesh, and that can work anywhere at any time. Immediately it begins to work it gives the enemy an advantage.

G.D.W. The thing I have to judge in myself is the natural tendency to drift into these things. We may say we would not do what is being done elsewhere, but the flesh is still the flesh; we need to have Christ before us.

E.M.W. Yes exactly. When we speak of the system which system are we talking about? Are we talking about the prison or the tree?

J.A.P. What do you mean by that?

E.M.W. Well, one system has become the hold or prison of every unclean and hated bird (see Rev 18 : 2). You say, That is the papal system. But it is nearer to us than that as witnessed in the bondage of many of our brethren.

G.D.W. Mr Darby used to speak of brethrenism; maybe that is the guise under which it reaches us.

E.M.W. Yes; well now that is the prison, and many of our brethren are in prison and we pray for them. Some of our brethren have their children in prison, or "the hold". But then there is the tree in Matthew (see chap 13: 31,32) and the birds come and go as they please; the same birds. So you might have the bondage or you might have the looseness and corruption ecclesiastically. If you could find more devastating words than Mr Darby uses of the open system you would be quite a clever man. He speaks of the open system in the most devastating way, and I do not doubt he would speak of what we call the prison in the same way, because Christ is not its object or motive.

C.S.E. I was thinking of the way the Lord uses the word "abide" frequently in John's gospel. He says in chapter 15, "He that abides in me and I in him" (v 5) as if that is the way to be preserved and kept, in a sense of constancy in abiding in Him. Is that what you are seeking to impress us with?

E.M.W. And it would be strengthened as the brightness of His coming and the imminence of it is kept constantly before us.

A.B.P. What Mr Elliott has just said seems to me to be expressed in the title 'the bride'. She would be seen here as in Christ, abiding in Him, would she not? That is what involves bridal state.

E.M.W. I would think so. "The Spirit and the bride say, Come".

A.B.P. He could have said 'the assembly',

E.M.W. Yes, but "the Spirit and the bride" shows the freshness that is maintained as abiding in Him.

A.B.P. And purity; "purifies himself, even as he is pure". I thought there was a direct relation between that and the title 'bride'.

E.M.W. I think that would be right. Now in this passage the bride is in correspondence with the Spirit. It is not the Spirit in the bride but the Spirit and the bride say, "Come"; that is saying, Come to Jesus.

O.L.L. We have to remember what the Lord particularly tells us: "without me ye can do nothing", John 15: 5.

E.M.W. How true that is! The Lord brings us to the consciousness that we have no strength so that we might realise where strength really is, that is in Himself. Paul had to come to that. I can do nothing in you and you can do nothing in me; we can seek to help one another, exhort one another, admonish one another, but the work is the work of the Spirit of God in the soul. Nothing can be determined by argument at all. The truth is arrived at by us where there is purity of motive for Christ alone, His glory, His rights, His testimony.

C.G. Purification as set out in 2 Timothy 2 has a favourable result; "If therefore one shall have purified himself from these, in separating himself from them, he shall be a vessel to honour, sanctified, serviceable to the Master, prepared for every good work" (v 21). Is that not fine?

E.M.W. Yes. Do you follow it?

C.G. I seek with the Spirit's help to do so.

E.M.W. When I was a boy I was listening to Mr George Ware on that passage and he said to us, Now, you young men and young women, do not go to the Supper and break bread tomorrow morning unless you have a pure heart. I thought to myself, I do not know what I am going to do now. And he stopped - as some may know it was his custom to stop for a moment - and then he said, And what is a pure heart? I thought, well now, this is going to help. He said, A pure heart is a heart that would not willingly hold any motive that is contrary to Christ. I have never forgotten it.

G.D.W. I have often been intrigued with the reference in 2 Timothy 2, after he says "pursue righteousness, faith, love, peace" he says "with those that call upon the Lord out of a pure heart", and have wondered whether the definition of a pure heart was the four qualities just listed; or was it left indeterminate?

E.M.W. I think that righteousness, faith, love, peace would be included. The word 'with' involves association, "with those that call upon the Lord out of a pure heart". So that you have now not only as a separated individual a direct responsibility to the Lord, but you have a responsibility to the "those" with whom you walk, and that should be recognised. Do you agree with that?

J.A.P. Yes. I was thinking that the man came to the Lord and said, Tell my brother to divide the inheritance (see Luke 12: 13). What the Lord brought out about it was, What is your motive? It was covetousness. Pure hearts involve right motives; perhaps only the Lord can show us how bad they are sometimes.

E.M.W. The heart needs to be constantly in the presence of the Lord, or at least before Him, because, as we have already quoted, it is deceitful above all things and incurable. Now do I really believe that about my heart? I know it because the Scripture says it, but do I really believe that of my own heart? I see the answer in the cross of Christ. That heart, that state, was effectively dealt with by God, but the problem often is that it has not been resolved in me.

A.B.P. So the heart is purified by faith (see Acts 15: 9). That would be what you have just referred to, our apprehension of the work that has borne all that the heart is capable of.

E.M.W. I think we have to come to that, and I do not think I would be very far wrong if I said that it takes most of us a lifetime.

A.B.P. Do you not think that it would help some of us if we realised that we have not been subjected to the temptation or brought up in an environment where what is of the flesh finds expression so freely unjudged. The fact that there has been a hedge about us and we have been practically saved by parental care and by being with those who love the Lord, we have not perhaps had the opportunity to learn just what our hearts are capable of experimentally. Like Peter, he did not know that he would deny the Lord until he was in an environment where he was tempted.

E.M.W. I think there is that danger. At the same time I believe the Lord has His own way of taking us experimentally along the moral road to learn what our hearts really are.

A.B.P. Paul for all those years was trying to exterminate the name of Jesus, and the Lord allowed that so that he would understand what his heart was capable of.

G.D.W. Does this bring out the watching that you referred to? In other words we have to make certain observations· as to what our hearts really are. Is the house going to be dug through or is it going to be protected? That is experimental.

E.M.W. Yes exactly; the whole thing hinges on affection for Christ.

G.H. I would like to get hold of what is involved in "purified by faith".

A.B.P. Their hearts became a suitable place for the Spirit, did they not?

E.E.H. That is the work of God.

E.M.W. Yes, He did it by faith. But then there is always the need for our hearts to be maintained in purity of motive. There is so much that works in the human heart, and we all know how subtle it is. The psalmist says "Search me, O God". First of all he says "Thou hast searched me", and then he says "Search me"; he invites it (Ps 139: 1, 23). He is not inviting it when a problem arises, he is inviting it all the time so that when the problem arises he is ready for it. You may say, When a problem arises you fly to the Lord, but how far do you have to fly?

C.G. Would you say a word on the difference between a pure heart and a perfect heart. In 2 Chronicles 16: 9 it says "For the eyes of Jehovah run to and fro through the whole earth, to shew himself strong in the behalf of those whose heart is perfect toward him". Would you say that a perfect heart suggests singleness of purpose for God, and that a pure heart is free of all things contrary to Him or anything that is not in keeping with Him?

E.M.W. That probably could be expanded as to a perfect heart and a pure heart, but I think that would be included. But what one was seeking to emphasise was nearness to Christ, so that we should not wait till trouble comes and then fly to Him, as we usually do, but be near to Him all the time. I think the man that is near to Christ, such as the men who have helped us and taught us, sees everything in His view of it; they saw it through His eyes, so to speak.

A.B.P. That is protective maintenance. The whole world has been alerted to the necessity of it recently through the conditions of the airlines, but it is a vital matter for us. Self-judgment does not mean just judging yourself when you have done something that is not right but judging the source from which what is not right comes.

E.M.W. It is self that is judged. That is an expression which is very common amongst us but how far the depth of it is really known would be a question.

C.F.D. We might get to the Lord about certain acts or things that we have done, or maybe a line of thought in our minds which is not in keeping with His, but can we get to the Lord and judge the state? That is getting to the point of origin, is it not? It is the man; and this seems to me to be a very important thing if we are to get to grips and finish with some of these things.

E.M.W. Yes, and it is to be characteristic. You speak to a man in the world and he will often tell you that when he gets into trouble he says his prayers, goes to God, and then he will acknowledge that he forgets about Him when the trouble is gone. But the believer is to be characteristically with God, and it is because we are not characteristically with God that when difficulties arise we are, to use a homely expression, caught on the wrong foot.

C.F.D. Do you think we are challenged therefore in the way we begin the day? The Lord, speaking reverently, said, Thou hast opened my ear morning by morning, (see Isa 50: 4). Do you feel that if we truly relate ourselves to Christ, and find that the word of God is sought by us, that it brings in a certain stability and nearness which would pay dividends as we proceed in the day?

E.M.W. Yes, that should be going on all the time. We are too spasmodic, I think, in our links with the Lord. So in Luke 12 He said, Watch. He said "And if he come in the second watch, and come in the third watch"; that would link with what was said, that the Lord may manifest Himself in a meeting like this. Now we should be watching for that, not necessarily trying to take in everything that is said but watching for the point the Lord is seeking to make for our benefit in an occasion like this.

E.E.H. I like the term 'characteristic' which you use. I think John is on that line, a characteristic follower. The Lord had to say to Peter, Follow Me; but what Peter said originally came from the fact that he saw John following. So the Lord said to Peter, "What is that to thee? Follow thou me", John 21: 3. Is that not important?

E.M.W. It is indeed. "Follow thou me"; as has often been said, we follow Him by following the ministry that He gives. I think one of the evidences of the Lord supporting a company is that there is a living ministry, and not only a living ministry but also power to deal with evil. If those characteristics are not with a company, then you raise the question as to whether the Lord is there.

 

NEW YORK

14 July 1979

 

 

 

Key to initials

E.F.Cary, Los Angeles; C.F.Dadd, Plainfield; P.L.Druckenmiller, Plainfield; T.E.Druckenmiller, Plainfield; C.S.Elliott, New York; C.Greenidge, Plainfield; A.S.Hinkson, New York; E.E.Hoyte, New York; G.Hesterman, Plainfield; O.L.Linton, New York; A.Macdonald, New York; L.Macfarlane, New York; A.B.Parker, New York; G.D.Pfingst, Plainfield; J.A.Petersen, Plainfield; B.Taylor, New York; E.M.Walkinshaw, Gillingham; G.D.Ware, New York