PURITY

PURITY

1 Peter 2: 1-5; James 1: 26, 27; Revelation 21: 18-27

WJH I have suggested these scriptures that we might consider from them what is pure. Some of us were speaking last night of the importance of the mind being sealed as God’s property, and the Apostle says amongst other things “Whatsoever things are pure... think on these things” (Philippians 4: 8); our minds are to be engaged in what is pure. It is, of course, a very great subject, but it occurred to me that we might be helped to speak a little on the thought of the pure mental milk, pure food for the mind in the first passage; and then the thought of pure religion in the second; and finally the thought of pure gold in the city, and in the street in the third, seen there as the great issue of the purifying work of God. The thought has come into one’s mind as feeling, with the rest of the brethren, the appalling increase of corruption marking the closing days. Corruption marked the world prior to its judgment in the days of Noah, and prior to the destruction of Sodom in the days of Abraham, and prior to the departure from Egypt in the days of Moses. The end of every great period of human history has been marked by appalling corruption publicly, and, we would be blind not to see it now in a way that is heart-breaking, for carnal corruption, indeed every kind of corruption has increased, and what is needed by the saints is to accept the purifying of the word constantly.

JH In the 3rd chapter Peter speaks of “pure conversation;” he makes a great point of conversation through the whole epistle.

WJH At the close of Malachi the Lord is seen as a refiner’s fire and as fuller’s soap, indicating a special feature of His word at the end. The fire is to eliminate the dross that is in all of us, and the soap to wash out what is unclean, so that He might have offerings acceptable to God as of old. I am confident we must submit ourselves to a much greater intensity of the refiner’s fire and a much greater activity of the fuller’s soap ere the Lord comes than perhaps we have thought.

JSB Would you say there is that which precedes the desire for the pure mental milk, the laying aside of what is evil as mentioned in the passage read.

WJH If these evil things are fed on, they destroy the appetite for what is pure. These things represent moral elements that must be laid aside so as to make room for the instinctive longings, for pure milk so proper to a babe.

WCB Is it somewhat akin to Paul’s ministry on that line in Romans 7, “I myself with the mind serve God’s law”?

WJH Yes. What has been made clear there is that he has reached a point when his mind is not controlling him but he is controlling his mind, and not allowing it to run hither and thither. The first scripture suggests initial food for the mind. In the New Translation it is “pure mental milk.” I am sure those of us who are a little older are feeling increasingly for our younger brethren who are of necessity about to face, or are already facing, the company of godless persons. Some are appalled by the corruption in language and ways beyond what they knew existed — a veritable Sodom, but what will save them and us is that our minds are feeding on what is pure, “that by it ye may grow up to salvation.”

GMcK You spoke of three great periods marked by corruption. What did you mean when you referred to the days before Moses led Israel out of Egypt?

WJH Before their deliverance Egypt stank and was corrupted by reason of the frogs and flies, all typical of the moral conditions today before our actual exodus from the world.

RA Does manna suggest the pure mental milk of the word?

WJH You certainly get the thought of purity in it, for the Spirit of God says it was white. It was also small and round, but it was white.

RA I was thinking of it in contrast to what you have said marked Egypt. Egypt stank, and they came out of it into the wilderness and were nurtured by the manna.

WJH Quite so. Manna would produce purity. It was like coriander seed. The thought of seed involves inherent power to reproduce itself. Those who feed on manna become small and round, or even, they are not depressed and silent in the meetings for weeks and weeks and then suddenly active. What marks the manna is roundness. The last feature is “white,” that is, purity.

FWW Does purity suggest the work of God in the soul which may be contaminated by the flesh within or the world without?

WJH Surely, and is seen in its full result in the Holy City where all is pure. The Lord by His service to His own would eliminate everything else from our ways and associations, our books and our behaviour generally, and from our spirits. He would have all that is impure eliminated by self-judgment.

WCB The apostle Peter speaks of being born again of incorruptible seed, and the desire of the Apostle was that they should answer to it.

WJH Quite so. “Thy word is very pure” (Psalm 119: 140). This incorruptible seed is the word of God and that is very pure. There is not a trace of anything in the word of God but what is not only not corrupted but cannot be corrupted.

JW Would not the consideration of Psalm 119 greatly help us on this line? “Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed thereto according to thy word” (verse 9). The whole Psalm is a consideration of the purity and perfection of the word of God.

WJH In that connection we are more indebted than we know to the frequent occasions we come under the influence of the Word. The increase of the comings together would help to counteract the increase of corruption in the world and is one of the divine ways of cleansing us, “washing of water by the word” (Ephesians 5: 26).

CD Peter shows the only way a constitution is formed that will stand. It is emphasised intensely — “Desire earnestly the pure mental milk of the word that by it ye may grow up to salvation.”

WJH Quite so. Just as in a babe, pure milk results in its steady increase until the child grows up.

CD It has a constitution in view.

WJH Surely, and that is what is seen in the next section; the Spirit of God introduces the thought of a stone; something permanent has resulted from the pure mental milk, which becomes part of the house of God and also has part in priestly service.

FWW You would hardly speak of purifying the unconverted, there is nothing pure there to bring to light.

WJH That touches a very solemn matter, the nearer we get to the end the more fixed everything is, so that the Lord says, “Let him that does unrighteously do unrighteously still; and he that is holy, let him be holy still” (Revelation 22: 11). We are drawing near to a time when things are fixed.

LGL The last chapter of 2 Chronicles is on that line, “there was no remedy” — a fixed condition.

WJH If the mind is open to what is impure and we come together to the Supper and for prayer, such are not available as priests. I fear from one’s observation that some of us read things that are impure, damaging thus our growth, and the consequence is that such are silent when the spiritual sacrifices are to be offered.

VD You include what is religious in character — one of the worst kinds of impurity.

WJH Indeed. I suppose the spiritual Sodom is worse than the carnal one in the sight of God but both are to be guarded against; the world today is marked by both features of Sodom.

RA Is it not important to remember that in 2 Timothy 2, when it says “Follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace” it is “with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart”?

WJH Yes. The heart is the seat of the affections and the affections are pure, they are not mixed. There is a wonderful supply of the purest milk for the youngest believer and the result of feeding on it is growth, and it will not be long before such are beginning to take part in the meetings in a priestly way.

ABJ I wondered if David in Psalm 51 supplies us with the exercise that realises what impurity is and turns to God about it. “Purge me with hyssop and I shall be clean... and renew a right spirit within me.” This would be salvation surely.

WJH The Psalmist wished to be purged, which is a very strong word, but purged with hyssop. Hyssop means that he has become small; the acknowledgment of sin makes us small and that results in cleansing. “Purge me with hyssop and I shall be clean; wash me and I shall be whiter than snow” Psalm 51: 7). Where there have been sinful actions hyssop is required for cleansing. Some assume to be clean without the hyssop.

CD He begins with that but ends with the walls of Jerusalem — “Build thou the walls of Jerusalem.”

WJH So that he is now engaged with the centre of divine interests moving away from himself.

CD Realising the importance of the walls.

AGF What did you say was the significance of the hyssop?

WJH Confession of wrong involves becoming small in one’s own eyes. Some would be clean without confessing their wrong, but one of the divine ways of cleansing is to purge us with hyssop. Hyssop in scripture represents what is small, and it is in acknowledgment of the thing to God if it is in relation to God, and to one another if it relates to one another, that cleansing takes place, because acknowledgment produces humility.

AGF It is very humbling to confess things.

WJH It makes us small in our own eyes, and that cleanses us because the allowance of the opposite has defiled us.

CD So Job says “I abhor myself.”

WJH Yes, as seeing God. I believe it is important instruction that one of the means of cleansing is hyssop — “Purge me with hyssop and I shall be clean.”

CD That involves the inwards, does it not?

WJH Surely. I become, small in my inward thoughts of myself.

RHG Is that what the Apostle had in mind by the obedience to the truth? “Having purified your souls by obedience to the truth” (1 Peter 1: 22).

WJH Obedience to the truth is another element for purification. The subject is large as is seen — how wide is the range of things used to purify us! The point before us is the pure milk for our minds, and in this day of books and of broadcasting it is a great matter to definitely set ourselves to feed the mind on what is pure.

WB Do you link the thought of reading ministry with this in a practical way?

WJH It includes that. It includes the scriptures and meetings such as this, and wherever the word of God is available.

VTS It has been pointed out that we have the ability to concentrate on what you have set before us — the mental milk of the word.

WJH The very words used denote that, “Desire earnestly.” It is supposed that the newborn babe is longing for the milk.

JH I was wondering if Mary in Luke 10 would illustrate what we are saying, she sat at the Lord’s feet and heard His word.

WJH The word is not “heard,” she was “listening,” a much greater matter. All of us hear tonight, but whether we are all listening is another matter. The result of her listening was that she is found with something pure in John 12, pure nard — a pure response in her heart to Christ.

LGL While every feature of the Holy City speaks of Christ in some way, it is the gathering together of what is pure in the saints.

WJH That is what I thought. The issue of our being purified by many processes is that there is a City that is pure gold, including the street of the city.

LGL You were going to say something about the living stones.

WJH Only what has been already indicated, that as the pure mental milk is fed upon, we come to the thought of having a living part in the house of God, a living stone, built up, and we come to another thought, the “holy priesthood to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.”

VTS Is the reverse true, if we are not offering up these spiritual sacrifices, we have not been feeding on the mental milk of the word?

WJH I think that might be rightly said. If brothers are constantly silent and have nothing to offer we might well ask what have such been feeding on.

AGF Do I understand you to suggest that the word includes something more than the scriptures?

WJH The washing of water by the word in Ephesians is not in itself a literal reference to the scriptures, though not contrary to them. It is the flow of what comes from Christ to cleanse the saints.

JW Is this the way in which the prayer of the Psalmist is answered, “Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Thy sight, O Jehovah, my Rock, and my Redeemer” (Psalm 19: 14)?

WJH I am sure that is right. We have often seen young brothers and sisters come amongst us, and have found later that they have made some remarkable progress in their knowledge of God and in their liberty to serve Him, while others have hardly moved at all. Why is this? I believe what the mind feeds upon would supply the answer in many cases.

FWW We find sometimes expressions suggesting the scriptures are sufficient. They are in a certain sense, but nevertheless, God is pleased to give us a great deal in addition.

WJH Surely. No doubt the scriptures form the basis of everything, for scripture will always support what is right.

RHG Was Abraham one who valued the pure mental milk of the word as he sat at his tent door ready for a divine visitation, in contrast to Lot, vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked?

WJH I think that is good; Abraham bringing milk thick and sweet shows how he valued milk; indeed he even ministered to God in relation to what this means.

FWW We need suitable food for the time. Sometimes you find saints confining themselves to the gospel periodicals. One questions whether they have the food suitable for the exercises of the moment. We should have an enlarged view of what is included in the word, so that in accordance with our exercises we should be desirous of having a word suitable for that position.

WJH Specially at this juncture we need to decide that we will not open our minds to what is impure. I believe if we put a girdle round our minds, the Lord would help us.

LGL I suppose Daniel as in the beginning of the book would represent such an one, not defiling himself with the king’s meat.

WJH Quite so. And what development there was — his flesh was fatter and fairer than that of others. He understood more than they did, in spite of their learning. He was far wiser than any of the Chaldeans.

GD Would you not say we need to be careful what we take in in reading, and what we take in with our eyes?

WJH Care is needed as to all that enters into the mind. It might be well to look now at the matter of pure religion, a word not often used in scripture. There is such a thing as religion, and there is pure religion, and it is not to be confined to speaking. It is pure religion. It is the religion that heaven would own, not something that is merely talk. Hence “if any man among you seem to be religious” his religiousness is to be something far more than talk.

JSB Would it be instanced by those two of whom it was taken knowledge that they were with Jesus, there was that which could be taken account of?

WJH I suppose the latter part of pure religion would certainly have been seen in them — “unspotted from the world.” As having been with Jesus they would not bear the spots of the world around.

FWW And it is “before God and the Father,” not exactly before men.

WJH Quite so. I think the Lord would stir us up. I feel the need for more practical care for those in distress, the fatherless and the widows represent those in distress, and in sorrow and in need of comfort and care. Pure religion is seen before God and the Father in caring for such — not talking merely.

RA Is it significant for us to consider what we often lament, namely, the lack of pastoral care amongst us? Is it not a sobering thought that we feel the lack of pastoral care which what is suggested here would seem to cover, in a sense?

WJH I had that in mind; compassionate, sympathetic succour and care are great features of pure religion.

FWW We may relegate this service to certain ones only.

WJH We may indeed. I sometimes have to ask myself has there been anything in one’s day more than speaking?

RHG Is that what marked Timothy? The Apostle Paul said of him “I have no one like-minded who will care with genuine feeling how ye get on” (Philippians 2: 20).

WJH There would be more of the gift of teaching if there was more shepherding, for those two gifts are linked together.

VD Did they say what was quite right in Acts, “It is not right that we, leaving the word of God should serve tables” (Acts 6: 2)?

WJH We must be careful not to say more than scripture says. Afterwards this scripture brings in Stephen and Philip and calls attention to the services of these two — and they were of the seven that cared for widows.

CD Is the Father brought in here to bring in the thought of care?

WJH Quite so. He is a Father to the fatherless.

Ques Do we see that in the Lord in His compassionate movements? “The things which Jesus began both to do and to teach” (Acts 1: 1).

WJH That is very good.

JW It is very exercising, apart from what people think of us, “If any one think himself to be religious, not bridling his tongue, but deceiving his heart, this man’s religion is vain.”

WJH That is an important matter. Bridling the tongue is a feature of true religion.

GMcK We know there are false religions but this verse reminds us of what is pure.

WJH That is what is before us. “Pure religion” consists before God and the Father of genuine care where there is distress and sorrow and need. “Unspotted from the world” would make us careful that worldly objects and worldly ways do not mark us in what we do. I heard to one’s sorrow recently of a cheque being found in the box on Lord’s day morning at a special collection. Why? It would seem the world’s spots marked the giver. If I am giving or caring for the fatherless and the widow in order to be seen, my garments are not unspotted from the world.

GMcK The Lord stressed in the sermon on the mount that giving should be in secret.

WJH Those who give to be seen have their reward, there is nothing carried over for the future.

The last passage is one that all have delighted in many times, speaking of the product of the work of God by the Holy Spirit in the saints — pure gold like pure glass.

GMcK What is the thought of the glass?

WJH I suppose gold signifies what is supremely precious whereas the glass signifies what is transparent. There is no such gold physically; no one has ever seen gold like pure glass, but it is the kind of gold that God will have; that which is expressive of His glory and in perfect transparency, all impurities being eliminated.

FWW His divine nature is that.

WJH “God is light and in Him is no darkness at all” (1 John 1: 5).

RA We arrive at that in relation to the fellowship as walking in the light as He is in the light.

WJH Yes. And the provision is made in that passage for the elimination of what is impure — “The blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin” (1 John 1: 7), so that as we submit to the cleansing there is something pure.

FWW The purifying action does not produce what is pure but brings to light what is pure.

WJH Yes and eliminates what is impure. The refiner’s fire is to take the dross out and leave only the gold, and the fuller’s soap is to wash out the impurities and leave a white garment. It is very instructive to see in this closing book the remarkable place white garments have throughout the book.

CG What is in mind in relation to the city?

WJH The city is pure gold — that is, the administration is pure and for God’s glory. That is a great matter to desire in every city. The city is pure gold like transparent glass; the pavement on which the saints walk is pure like the pavement under the feet of God. Let us be exercised to have purity under our feet.

ABJ Is 1 John 3: 2 a suggestion of what you are bringing before us, “Now are we children of God, and what we shall be has not yet been manifested; we know that if it is manifested we shall be like Him... and everyone that has this hope in him purifieth himself, even as He is pure.”

WJH Exactly. Every one that has the hope of seeing Christ and being like Him purifies himself. It is only sentiment to say we are expecting the Lord to come and not be concerned as to purity.

JW Bearing on this is an expression in Ezekiel 1: 22 as to the colour of the terrible crystal. Does the thought of holy fear come into all this?

WJH That is what it is to fallen man — the crystal is terrible crystal. While we have the flesh in us the crystal is terrible crystal, but we are to be in accord with it as clear glass.

LGL Did Jacob touch it in principle in connection with the house of God? “How dreadful is this place! This is none other but the house of God” (Genesis 28: 17), but when he comes back about twenty years after, he comes back along the line of putting away idols.

WJH “Cleanse yourselves and change your garments; and we will arise and go up to Bethel” (Genesis 35: 2).

LGL He seems to do that without being instructed, he was suited to the occasion.

WJH Quite so. He is still carrying the thought of the house of God being dreadful, so he says “Cleanse yourselves...”

JMcA Would you say a little more as to what is under our feet being pure?

WJH What kind of pavement are we walking on? Not our talk, but the sort of pavement our feet are upon; is it like God’s? It says of Him, “Under His feet as it were work of transparent sapphire, and as it were the form of heaven for clearness” (Exodus 24: 10 ). That kind of pavement is in the holy city.

JMcA The walk would be in transparency.

WJH There is no temple in the holy city for God and the Lamb are the temple. That means (if I understand it aright) that every part of the holy city is equally suitable for the presence of God. There is no shrine anywhere. God can come into the street. He can go to the river. He can go to the wall, and be at the gates — no one part more select or holy than another. I wonder if we are prepared to entertain the thought of this now?

JSB You are making these features that will be seen in that wonderful day to be very practical now with us.

WJH What would be the meaning of testifying these things in the assemblies if they have no present bearing? (Revelation 22: 16.) If we are in keeping with the holy city in our relations with God, with our brethren, in our natural relationships and in our occupations there would not be one point to which God cannot come. The world does not know anything of such a thought. A city may have its cathedral, and not far off a lottery office and racecourse, but that is not the divine idea. The divine idea is that there is no temple therein, for God is the temple and the Lamb.

JW Does that bring out the peculiar place of those who form the holy city? There will be a temple on earth, will there not?

WJH Quite so. Israel will be the temple, and will be more holy than the nations.

CD Is this suggested in what God said to Abraham, “Walk before my face and be perfect” (Genesis 17: 1)?

WJH God was watching everything that Abraham did.

GMcK I was thinking of Paul writing to Philemon, “Prepare me also a lodging.” Philemon was capable of entertaining such an honoured servant.

WJH What he would do would be to go through every part of his house and ask himself whether all would be acceptable to Paul; that nothing inconsistent with Paul and his ministry might be in that house.

CD One sister at Philippi said, “If ye have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come into my house and abide there” (Acts 16: 15).

WJH If Paul felt things were in keeping with him and those with him, then he would go there.

LGL Nothing is said about the people in the city. We get the thought of population in relation to the cities of the world but it does not draw attention to that line of things here.

WJH No. Because the persons are the city.

LGL And no person stands out pre-eminently as an individual above any other, they all merge; Christ is really what the city expresses and the saints do that as a whole, not as individuals.

WJH The whole thing is seen in completeness there and you and I need to remember that we are fellow-citizens, and how that would affect our deportment.

FWW Is that why the Lamb is so prominent in connection with it — there is the feature of suffering?

WJH That is why the description is introduced by — “Come here, I will show thee the bride, the Lamb’s wife.” She is in accord with Him as the holy Sufferer.