THE WORK AND THE GIFT

THE WORK AND THE GIFT

I am thankful that the Lord has given you grace to bear all patiently. You will have “a table” yet in “the presence of your enemies”. See Psalm 23. I think we must address ourselves more to foundation truths. I believe that the death of Christ and all that was effected there is very partially apprehended. There is such a poor sense of the perfection of His work, and where it has placed us with the Father, that a “promise” has been resorted to to give the soul assurance. I admit that the promise is a gift, but it is really put in the place of redemption. What is relied on is not redemption, but a gift which God says ^[p. 104] He has given me, and that is said to be enough, though I may have no sense of the good of it. I should not found my right to it on my gain from it, but I seek to know, and am bound to know the gain accruing to me from His gift. The work is more connected with the guilty man, the gift with the lost man. The word “perish” is the same as lost. There must be death and resurrection before life. Christ glorified is the positive gain. I am very conscious, and daily more and more thankful to the Lord for the immense gain which has accrued to myself and to many others from being exercised about these truths. No one would have been disturbed if he had learned from the Lord the mere outline of the truth contended for, and until the truth is learned, there will be disturbance, simply because there has not been the exercise of faith. I should wish that you would not answer any letters written in a controversial spirit, but simply go on patiently serving the saints as the Lord opens the door to you.

The Lord bless you much.