Address—C.H. Brown
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General Meetings, Oak Park, August 1956. Address by Chapter Brown.
We are weak.
What thou art mighty.
Oldest with thy powerful hands.
Bread of Heaven beat us now and evermore 276 and will someone start it fleeing?
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Our Lord and Father.
You feel how much we do need Zyxiety?
Shall we open our Bibles to the 10th of Luke?
I noticed that our brethren.
On this card have been very generous as to their time.
They make this address from 3:30 to 5:00.
I hope you will not be frightened by that.
Or I have no thought of speaking that long.
So we'll try not to be too long with our remarks.
And we desire to cluster what we have to say this afternoon.
Around a little place, insignificant place.
Over near Jerusalem, a place called Bethany.
Perhaps the?
Oregon, Half an hour, 3/4 of an hour's walk.
From the city of Jerusalem, Bethel.
But when I was meditating upon the possibility of speaking on Bethany.
I thought, well, I'd like to know what Bethany means.
You know, I was puzzled when I looked up the dictionaries.
I found that some of them said that it means a House of dates.
House of Date?
And I found that others of the dictionary said it means a House of affliction.
And as I was turning the contradiction, apparent contradiction over in my mind, I thought, well.
Maybe it's not a contradiction after all.
The House of Dates.
And a House of affliction.
You know, we learn.
Some certain parts of the word.
That we get our blessings.
Sometimes our dates, our blessings, our sustenance, our sweetness.
Out of affliction.
We reindeer out of the eater came forth meat, out of the strong came forth sweetness.
That was in connection with Samson and his engagement.
Was the enemy that met him in the way in which he slew gathered the honey later on the Riddle of Samson.
And in our lives we have riddles like that.
Many of us have found sweetness and sustenance from just such circumstances.
I was thinking of how the apostle himself said.
When I'm weak, then am I strong, I will much rather glory in mine infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
I was thinking too.
Of a wonderful verse.
In the Songs of Solomon.
I think I'll read it.
In the 4th chapter.
Awake the last verse of the 4th chapter.
Away go north wind.
How many times we've shivered.
And that bitter, biting north wind.
Away to a north wind.
And come now, S yes, we need the balmy breezes too.
Blow upon my garden.
That the spices thereof may flow out.
Let my beloved come into his garden and eat his pleasant fruits.
Isn't that precious?
Isn't it worthwhile to have that fighting North wind?
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Blow upon our garden.
Only the sweet spices can flow out so that the beloved will find that which answers to his heart.
So in connection with this place Bethany.
Being the House of sorrow.
It was the House of Simon the Leper.
We don't know who he was, whether he was the Father, Martha and Mary or Lazarus.
We don't know just how it's connected with the house. We don't know when he lived there.
But there's tragedy in that expression.
The House of Simon the Leper, That house a known sorrow.
He had known the north wind.
But now here in the passage that we want to read from the 10th of Luke.
To find the Lord Jesus.
In that place.
We wouldn't know from this particular scripture here that it was in Bethany, but as we compare Scripture with Scripture, we're not left in any doubt as to the location of the place.
38 verse.
Now it came to pass as they went.
But he entered into a certain village.
And a certain woman named Martha, received him into her house.
And she had a sister called Mary, which also sat at Jesus feet and heard his word.
But Martha was cumbered about much serving, and came to him and said, Lord, dost not thou care that my sister?
Hath left me.
Serve alone bid. Let her therefore, that she helped me.
And Jesus said unto her. Martha. Martha.
They are careful and troubled about many things.
But one thing is needful and merry have chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her.
We notice from the account.
That it was Martha that received the Lord Jesus into her home.
That's a precious privilege, isn't it?
Do you have a home?
Is the Lord Jesus welcome there?
Wouldn't he feel at home in your home?
We know from the frequent instances in which we find the Lord at this home.
That it was one place where he could feel relaxed.
Where he can feel that there was an atmosphere there that was pleasing to his heart.
And beloved, the most sacred place outside the Church of God.
In this world, for you and for me is our home.
That's the place of intimacy.
That's the little circle to which we retreat.
That's where all the affections that pertain to the family relationship are developed.
That's where we learn to exercise hospitality. That's where we enjoy fellowship.
How wonderful if we can have a home.
Through which Jesus?
Would delight to retreat.
I wonder if we made inventory.
Of our homes in anticipation for a visit from the Lord.
Such as Martha had on this occasion.
Would it be necessary for us to make any readjustments before we could, with a good conscience, ask him to come and be our guests?
I believe that that's a question.
Worth facing.
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Martha received him into her house.
He was pleased to go.
He gladly accepted the invitation.
Mary was there too. We learned further that they had a brother for the name of Lazarus.
There was the guest in the home.
And of course, Martha having asked him into the home.
She's the one that takes the responsibility.
Of serving in the whole.
She had a sister called Mary which also sat at Jesus feet.
Who heard his words?
It's a remarkable thing in connection with this woman, Mary.
I suppose you've noticed it.
That we find on three occasions that she is at the feet of her savior.
I think that is so blessed and so precious.
At the feet of Jesus.
Ever at his feet.
So here she sits, listening to his word.
I'll confess, along with you that I enjoyed the word that Brother McMillan was bringing before us. Just a little bit of gold.
And I want to say that I can give a hearty Amen to Confession that he made.
He said. Some of us have neglected our Bibles.
Some of us would know a lot more about the Word of God if we had been more diligent in reading the Scriptures.
I can say Amen to that.
I often reproach myself.
That I have neglected the word of God that I haven't read it when I might have read it.
That I know so comparatively little about it at the end of life's journey.
I confess that it humbles me to think that it's so.
Some of you are young. You have perhaps a goodly portion of life before you.
All that we might heed what our brother was bringing before us, the importance of the word of God in our lives.
Mary sat at his feet and heard his word.
But we're living in days, beloved, when Satan is trying in every possible way to keep us too busy, too much occupied to have the word of God.
You know, there was a time when the term family altar was understood.
You can speak to most any Christian, almost any Christian about the family altar and he knew what you were talking about.
But isn't it a sad thing?
That we're living in days of such multiplied methods of time saving.
But we seem to have lost.
Time to get the dear members of our family together.
And open the Word of God with them.
And read together.
And kneel and pray together.
Oh, it's a sad commentary on the day in which we live.
That the family altar, if you care to call it that, Or the family reading, Or the portion of the day spent over the word of God with all of us.
Gathered around it and then kneeling together and commending us to God. How is it with us that are here? Are we too busy? Are we neglecting it? Have we found some other way in our homes to spend our time so that we're robbed of the privilege of doing what Mary did here? She sat at his feet and she heard his word.
Martha was serving.
Oh yes, how many are serving today?
It's a great day for service.
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I was reading the other day of a man in our town who has.
A group gathered together.
He is the chief servant of the Lord there.
And his remark is that the way they keep their members interested is they give everybody something to do.
The moment they come in the church.
Well, Martha was doing.
But the Lord had to reproach dear Martha here.
Her doing had become a burden to her, but Mary hath chosen the good part, which shall never be taken from her.
You know, we can serve down here.
But when we get to glory.
We'll be able there to sit at his feet and be served.
He's going to make us to sit down to meet and he's going to gird himself and come forth and serve us.
Mary chose the part that she could take to heaven with her but.
How many a Saint of God has gotten unhappy over some service that he was performing in the Church of God?
He got unhappy about him, he became burdened about it, whereas he might have been enjoying the companionship and fellowship of the Lord Jesus.
And sitting at his feet and hearing his word.
Now shall we turn to the 11Th of John?
Well, I'll only touch on these points.
Certain manners sick named Lazarus of Bethany, the town of Mary, and her sister Martha.
Third verse.
Therefore his sister sent unto him, saying, Lord, behold, he whom thou lovest is sick.
5th verse Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister.
And Lazarus?
Isn't that precious?
There's no distinction. There, is there? Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus.
And dear St. of God, you can put your name in there.
Yes.
He loves you just as much as he loves Martha and Mary Lazarus. And do you think he loved Mary more than he loved Martha? Oh, not of wit. No, not of wit. He loved them all with that same infinite love.
And he loves you and he loves me and he wants us.
Dwell with him, to suddenly speak, to be near him, to hear his word, to be in communion with him.
Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus.
18th verse.
Now Bethany.
Was nigh under Jerusalem.
About 15 furlongs off.
Many of the Jews came to Martha and Mary to comfort them concerning their brother.
Lazarus was not only.
But he died. He died.
And he was buried.
20th verse Then Martha, as soon as she heard that Jesus was coming, went and met him.
Well, that's sweet.
As soon as she heard that Jesus was coming, she went and met him.
That showed where her affections were, did it not?
Ah, here's one coming to whom she can tell out her sorrow.
He hadn't.
Alienated her by his rebuke. He hadn't chilled her affections by the fact that he had corrected her.
No. Her heart still was beating warm toward her. Blessed Lord and master.
So she hears is coming.
And she follows the instincts of her heart and goes to meet him.
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Then said Martha unto Jesus 21.
Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died.
That may have been true. It could easily have been true.
There she is telling out to the Lord the burden of her heart. She knows that he had the power over death.
She knows that he could have healed her brother. If thou hadst been here, my brother had not died.
Now keep in mind those words.
For you'll find them repeated.
Word for word, syllable for syllable.
By Mary.
But I know that even now, whatsoever thou would ask of God, God will give it to thee.
Now let's not forget the little statement at the end of the 20th verse.
But.
Mary sat still in the house.
But Mary sat still in the house.
Did she have less affection for Christ than Martha?
Did she have less sorrow for her deceased brother?
Than Martha has she heard that Jesus was coming?
He sat still in the house.
Our beloved Saints, we're living in such a restless aid, an age of turmoil.
I've often thought as I go out on the highway.
It just appears in America as if everyone wanted to be somewhere else than where he is, and so everyone is on the move.
How little we know about sitting still.
Learning to be quiet in his presence, waiting for his word.
Taking time to get the mind of the Lord as the circumstances that arise in our lives.
Oh, there's a wealth of meaning here.
She sat still in the house.
Now going on down.
In the chapter.
27th verse.
She said unto him, Yeah, Lord, I believe that thou art the Christ, the Son of God, which should come into the world.
And when she had so sad, she went her way and called Mary her sister secretly saying the master is common caller for thee.
Oh, now she has a word.
She has a definite invitation. Now she has his voice to move.
And all word to God.
That we knew more about sitting still till we get the voice of Jesus to move.
I have wondered.
And I certainly don't desire to inject anything into the word of God that isn't here.
But I have wondered if this desire of the Lord Jesus.
Are married to come.
Was verbally expressed.
Or if Martha.
Who knew him so well? Read it in his face.
For there's no evidence here from the context.
That, he said to Martha. Go and call your sister.
No.
He just answers her question.
Believe us thou this? He asked her, And she says, Yeah, Lord, I believe that thou art the Christ, the Son of God, which should come into the world. And when she had so said, she went away and called.
Marry her sister secretly saying, the masters come and call it for the.
Well be that as it may, whether it was expressed verbally.
Or whether it was the language of his face, of his heart that she read.
Mary heard the invitation.
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29th verse.
As soon as she heard that, she arose quickly.
And came unto him.
Oh, what a lesson for us.
As soon as she heard it, As soon as she had his voice.
His word for it, she was ready to act. Not only so, but she did act, and she acted quickly.
We were commenting during the general meeting on that verse.
In the first chapter of Isaiah.
If you'd be willing and obedient, you shall eat the fruit of the land.
All beloved Saints of God. We need both. We need to be willing.
What we need to be obedient to.
How many a Saint of God has expressed himself?
Yes.
I am willing to do what the Lord wants me to do.
I am willing to be where he wants me to be.
The willingness is expressed.
But why the long delay?
Why do the feet lag so far behind the wheel?
If you be willing and obedient, he shall eat the fat of the land.
Mary heard the call.
And to her there was only one course open to obey, and to obey quickly.
She arose quickly.
And came under him.
Now Jesus was not yet coming to the town. What was in that place where Martha met him?
The Jews then, which were whither in the house, and comforter, when they saw Mary, that she rose up hastily and went out, followed her, saying she groweth under the grave to weep there.
But when Mary was come where Jesus was.
Where Jesus was.
And saw him.
She fell down at his feet. Ah, there she is the second time at his feet.
Was she going to the grave to weep there? That's what the Jews said, to go out to the grave to weep.
He wasn't going to the grave. She wasn't going to the dead. She was going to the living.
And when she saw Jesus, When she saw him.
She fell at his feet.
And now she pours out her heart and notice its word for word what her sister had said.
Lord.
Thou hast been here. My brother had not died.
I have sometimes thought this, and you'll bear with me if I share this thought with you.
I wonder if there was a different intonation in those words spoken by those two sisters.
I wonder, did Martha say, Lord, if thou hast been here? My brother had not died.
And did Mary say, Lord, if thou had been here, my brother had not died.
Oh, what a difference it makes, doesn't it?
Not the language of her heart.
When Jesus therefore saw her weeping.
And the Jews also weeping, which came, whether he groaned in the Spirit and his trouble.
Instead, where are you, ladies? And they said unto him, Lord, come and see.
Jesus West.
Then said the Jews, behold how he loved.
38 verse Jesus therefore again groaning in himself, cometh to the grave.
39 Jesus said, Take thee away the stone.
Now Martha speaks up. Lord, by this time you think that he's been dead 4 days.
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She's raising objections. Her faith isn't up to the situation.
She can't realize that there's one that has command over the tomb, over the death, over corruption. It's all under his power.
And when he had thus spoken, he cried with a loud voice. Lazarus, come forth.
And he that was dead came forth 45th verse.
Then many of the Jews which came to Marion had seen the things which Jesus did believed on him there.
All the difference in attitude of those two women, but how the heart of Christ comes out to both of them.
And as they stood there in the presence of death, and that of a dear one.
His great heart whipped in sympathy. Not only was Martha and Mary, but with a world that's staggering under the burden of sin.
And death and corruption and judgment, It was all before his soul.
Jesus wept. They say that's the shortest verse in the Bible.
But all can you find a verse in the Bible with more depth of meaning to it?
Jesus wept.
Shall we turn to the 11Th of Mark for a moment?
When they came to either Jerusalem under Bethpage and Bethany at the mild of olives.
Send it forth two of his disciples.
And Seth going away in the village against Q, and as soon as you enter into it, you shall find a quote tied. We're all never man, spat Lucy. Men, bring him.
Fourth verse, they went their way and found the quote tied to the door without in a place where two ways met and they're losing.
Seventh verse.
And they brought the quote to Jesus and cast their garments on him, and he sat upon him.
And then he spread their garments in the way, and others cut down branches of the trees and strode them in the way.
And they that went before and they that followed cried Hosanna. Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord. Blessed be the Kingdom of our Father David, that cometh in the name of the Lord Hosanna in the highest.
Jesus entered into Jerusalem and into the Temple, and when he looked round the bar upon all things, and now the even tide was come.
He went out unto Bethany with the 12.
Here we have a momentous time in the life of the Lord Jesus.
He's going to come from that House of Gates, that House of Affliction.
The slope of that mount of olives is going to be officially presented, according to the 118th Psalm.
Officially presented to his nation as their promised Messiah.
In that fourth verse, there is an expression that has struck me.
And they went their way and found the coat tied by the door without in a place.
Where two ways met, two ways met.
Oh yes, there's going to be a meeting of two ways.
We're going to see Sinai and we're going to see Calvary meet.
And we're going to see Calvary triumph over Sinai. We're going to see the blessed son of God.
Hang there on that middle cross and bear the curse of a broken wall.
Yes, we're coming to the end of Sinai.
Old cross of Christ, center of two eternities which look with longing eyes. Onward and back to the oh, what a place was Calvary.
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Two ways met there. The Lord's riding in as the promised son of David.
Is going to Calvary that he might be lifted up, not that he might only be the son of David.
I, if I be lifted up out of the earth, will draw all unto me.
Well, he entered Jerusalem.
He entered the temple.
And he looked round about upon all things.
And then he went back to Bethany.
Ah, there's nothing there that satisfied his heart. Nothing there.
Oh, how happy he was. How relieved he was to go back to Bethany at the close of that sad day in Jerusalem.
Now I see that our time is creeping up on us. Perhaps we wanted to say a little more here.
But supposing now we go to the 12Th of John.
Remember that we are in the closing moments of our Lord's life here.
Then Jesus six days before the Passover.
Came to Bethany.
Where Lazarus was, which had been dead, whom he'd raised from the dead.
And there they made him a supper, and Martha served. But Lazarus was one of them that sat at the table with him.
They made him a supper.
Beloved.
That should be the goal, the ambition of our hearts.
To make a supper for him.
You know we are so apartment to get man and his needs before.
We're so apartment to think of the gospel side of things, and God forbid that I should say anything.
To discourage interest in the gospel.
What you know in the word of God that worship, God's portion comes first always. God has the first portion worship, then service.
The second chapter first, Peter.
We read about priesthood there.
We read about holy priests.
And we read about royal priests. Holy priests offer the sacrifice of God, the sacrifice of praise to God continually. That's worship.
Holy priesthood precedes royal priesthood.
Royal priesthood is testimony.
But let's not forget.
That God puts the holy priesthood first.
Which are we putting first in our lives?
We see a sad condition existing in Christendom today.
Men are saying that the great.
Thing to be desired. The thing above all other aims in the Christian's life should be.
To bring sinners into the good of the gospel.
And this thing is repeated so often that a lot of people get to believe that that's the truth.
That the great goal, the great object is that man might be saved.
But when we search the word of God.
We find repeatedly.
That God demands his portion first.
In the 4th of John in that wonderful interview with the woman there by the whale.
We find the father as a seeker, God as a seeker.
What's he seeking? Is he seeking servants? No, he's seeking worshippers.
00:45:02
Worshippers that shall worship him in spirit and in truth.
And things have become so confused and Christendom today.
That the very word worship is little understood.
We see on various buildings the announcement.
Worship will take place at such an hour and we find that the so-called worship consists in ministry, such as we're having here this afternoon.
But ministry is not worship.
Ministry may create worship in the heart, but ministry itself is not worship.
So in what we have brought before us here.
We find the Lord invited into the home of Martha.
And we find one of the most beautiful examples anywhere in the whole world of God.
Of a real worshipper? Do we wish to know what a worshiper is?
Do we have a desire to be a worshiper? We can learn it here from this little scene at Bethany.
Third verse then took Mary.
A pound of ointment of spikenard. Very costly.
And anointed the feet of Jesus.
And wiped his feet with her hair.
And the house was filled.
With the order of the ointment.
Can you imagine a scene more fitted to the delight of heaven than that?
Christ, the center of the scene.
Larry this dear, devoted child of God.
On her knees at his feet again. This is the third time we found her there.
Is she there with a request?
Is she there to beseech the Lord about something?
All beloved. She's just there. She's poor out.
Upon those blessed feet, the best that she had, she has this box of ointment, very precious.
We learn from other scriptures something of the value of it, and I suppose that a conservative.
Estimates would be to say that that box appointment was worth in purchasing power.
The equivalent of several $1000 in American currency today, the purchasing power of that ointment and yet nothing.
Was too good for Christ, and she was there at his feet.
Anointing his feet and wiping his feet with her hair.
May I throw in a little side remark here?
You're a sister in Christ here at this meeting this afternoon. Would you be able to wipe the feet of Jesus with your hair?
Right to speak with her hair, and the house was filled with the odor of the ointment. All beloved Saints of God.
There's no order like that.
The order that comes from the owning of the loveliness of the person of Christ.
The four houses filled with a worship are standing up to God. That's what the Father is seeking. Worshippers. Not servants, but worshippers.
But if we come into His presence as worshippers and dwell there as worshippers.
It fills our hearts with the loveliness of Christ, and we want to go out and tell someone else about the Savior that we found.
They tell the story about Moody that he's had in his study.
Reading his Bible and he became so filled with the blessedness of what he found there that he went out and grabbed the first person he met and shook him and said what do you know about grace?
00:50:09
What do you know about grace? It was the grace of God that captivated his heart, the grace of God and presenting to us such an object for our soul, the Lord Jesus Christ.
Well, the man that could only take a mercenary view of the situation and see the waste of the ointment.
Judas.
Yes, Judas would perhaps make a good promoter.
For some of the religious schemes that are going on in the world today.
He knew about the financial value of things. Judas was the man that set the value on the ointment according to human value.
What do you think was the value that heaven put upon it? Ah, can't be numbered. It can't be numbered.
For what we do. For Christ goes on forever. It's multiplied into Infinity. Whosoever keeps his life shall lose it. But whosoever loses his life for my sake shall keep it under life eternal.
Now, shall we just make a brief remark or two about the last chapter of Luke?
Last chapter of Luke.
And the 50th verse.
And he led them out as far as to Bethany.
As far as the Bethany.
The House of Deep, The House of Affliction.
And he lifted up his hands and blessed them.
Can we see those hands?
He lifted up his hands. What kind of hands were they?
They were piercing the hands, beloved, and that's one thing.
That man gave Christ in this world that he's taking back to heaven with him.
The Pearson hands. He lifted up his hands and blessed them. Oh yes, pierced hands can distribute love and blessing.
But except the corn of wheat fall on the ground and die, it abideth alone, it abideth alone. There did be no blessing from those hands, had they not been pierced.
The corn of wheat would have been forever alone.
But now they're lifted up in blessing.
And it came to pass that while he blessed them, he was parted from them.
And carried up into heaven.
And they worshiped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy.
And we're continually in the temple, praising and blessing God.
The last sight the dear disciples ever saw of the Blessed Lord.
Physical site was his hands uplifted in blessing upon them.
And Beloved is coming back again. He's coming back again.
And all when he comes back, it will be in blessing to your soul and to mind.
We're expecting. We're waiting for him. The end is near.
How many are trimming their lamps today? How many have heard the cry? Behold the bridegroom.
Saints of God are saying to one another all over the country.
I'm persuaded that he's coming as near. I believe we're on the very eve of the return of Christ.
Oh, how wonderful. How wonderful is it, if that is true, Yes, they arose and trimmed their lap. Oh brethren, if there's any lamp trimming to be done, you better do it. The time is short. They trimmed their lamps and they went out to meet.
The bridegroom.
I will not take time to turn to it.
But you know this little village of Bethany.
00:55:03
Was there at the foot of that mount of Olives.
And it's from that mount right here. He let them out as far as the Bethany out to the Mount of Olives.
It's from there they went back to heaven.
And we were to turn to Zechariah. I think our time is so near gone, we'll not turn to it.
But we'll find that there's coming a day. On that day his feet shall stand upon the Mount of Olives.
Is coming back.
Back to take over his reign, his rule to straighten out all the ills of this sad world.
And he's going to start in right at that mountain, right at that place where he spent all those hours.
In a community of love and fellowship that refreshed his soul.
Coming back in power and take over the scene and do what man has never been able to do.
Oh, our brother Macmillan brought it before us so vividly this afternoon, the futility of all man's fumbling and bungling in order to straighten out the sad conditions of this world.
For all when he comes back in power and sets up his Kingdom.
The knowledge of the Lord shall cover the earth as the waters cover the sea. Oh, what a time of blessing awaits this world.
But it will never be under the genius, under the genius or the cleverness.
Of the first Adam. Never. It will be under the last Adam.
It will be under the man out of heaven.
All.
Inequities will be right of then righteousness shall rule.
Righteousness shall reign.
That's await that time. Let's be satisfied to wait for God to set things right through his Son the Lord Jesus Christ. And in the meantime, dear beloved St.
Let's go from these meetings these precious 3 days.
Let's go back home.
And let's see.
To have homes.
Where Jesus would feel at home. Let's see if we can have a little Bethany.
Back where we live.
Oh, there's nothing like it. There's nothing equal to it, nothing comparable to it.
To have a home, a life of family relationship, a circle of affections where Jesus may feel at home. Oh, I'm sure that we have God's blessing in the desire that it might be so. Shall we commend this to him?
Our God and Father we thank thee for.