It was stated, at the close of our leading article for May, that we wish to occupy the reader’s mind, just now, only with the Divine idea of the Church of God. How different it is from that which calls itself the Church, we need not say; but, for the present, we are occupied with the true thing. We want him to place himself, by faith, at God’s standpoint, and view the Church from thence. It is only by so doing that he can have anything like a true idea of what the Church is, or of his own personal responsibility with respect to it. God has a Church in the world. There is a body now on the earth, indwelt by God the Spirit, and united to Christ the Head. This Church—this body—is composed of all those who truly believe in the Son of God, and who are united by the grand fact of the presence of the Holy Ghost.
And, be it observed, this is not a matter of opinion—a certain theory which we may take up or lay down at pleasure. It is a divine fact. It is a grand truth, whether we hear, or whether we will forbear. The Church is an existing thing, and we, if true believers, are lively members thereof. We cannot avoid this, we cannot ignore it. We are actually in the relationship—baptized into it by the Holy Ghost. It is as real and positive a thing as the birth of a child into a family. The birth has taken place, the relationship is formed, and we have only to recognize it, and walk in the sense of it from day to day. The very moment in which a soul is born again—born from above, and sealed by the Holy Ghost, he is incorporated into the body of Christ. He can no longer view himself as a solitary individual—an independent person—an isolated atom; he is a member of a body, just as the hand or foot is a member of the human body. He is a member of the Church of God, and cannot, properly or truly, be a member 126 of anything else. How could my arm be a member of any other body? And, on the same principle, we may ask, how could a member of the body of Christ be a member of any other body?
What a glorious truth is this respecting the Church of God—the antitype of the camp in the desert, the congregation in the wilderness! What a fact to be governed by! There is such a thing as the Church of God, amid all the ruin and the wreck, the strife and the discord, the confusion and division, the sects and parties. This surely is a most precious truth. But not only is it most precious, it is also most practical and formative. We are as much bound to recognize, by faith, this Church in the world, as the Israelite was bound to recognize by sight, the camp in the desert. The Israelite never thought of attaching himself to any other camp—to any other congregation; and the Christian should not think of attaching himself to any other Church—to any other body. There was one camp, one congregation, and the true Israelite belonged to it; there is one Church, one body, and the true Christian belongs to it.
But how is this body organized? By the Holy Ghost; as it is written, “By one Spirit are we all baptized into one body.” (1 Cor. 12:1313For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit. (1 Corinthians 12:13).) How is it maintained? By its living Head, through the Spirit, and by the word, as it is written, “ No man ever yet hated his own flesh, but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the Church.” (Eph. 5:2929For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church: (Ephesians 5:29).) Is not this enough? Is not the Lord Christ sufficient? Doth not the Holy Ghost suffice? Do we want anything more than the varied virtues that are lodged in the name of Jesus? Are not the gifts of the Eternal Spirit quite sufficient for the growth and maintenance of the Church of God? Doth not the fact of the Divine Presence in the Church secure all that the Church can possibly need? Is it not sufficient “for exigence of every hour?” Faith says—and says it with emphasis and decision—• “Yes!” Unbelief—human reason—says “No! we want a great many things as well.” What is our brief reply · Simply this, “If God be not sufficient, we know not whither to turn. If the name of Jesus doth not suffice, we know not what to do. If the Holy Ghost cannot meet all our need, in communion, in ministry, and in worship, we know not what to say.”
It may, however, he said “ that things are not as they were in apostolic times. The Church has failed; Pentecostal gifts have ceased; the palmy days of the Church’s first love have passed away, and therefore we must adopt the best means in our power for the organization and maintenance of our churches.” To all this we reply, “ God has not failed. Christ the Head of the Church has not failed. The Eternal Spirit has not failed. Not one jot or tittle of God’s word has failed.” This is the true ground of faith. “ Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.” He has said, “ Lo, I am with you.” How long? During the days of first love? During apostolic times? So long as the Church shall continue faithful? No; “ I am with you always, even unto the end of the age.” (Matt, xxviii.) So, also, at an earlier moment, when, for the first time in the whole course of scripture, the Church, properly so called, is named, we have these memorable words written, “ On this rock [the Son of the living God] I will build my Church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” Matt. 16
Now the question is, “ Is that Church on the earth at the present moment?” Most assuredly. It is as true that there is a Church now on this earth, as that there was a camp in the desert of old, yes, and as truly as God was in that camp to meet every exigence, so truly is He now in the Church to order and guide everything; as we read, “ Ye are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.” (Eph. 2) This is quite sufficient. All we want is, to lay hold, by a simple faith, of this grand reality.
The name of Jesus is as sufficient for all the exigencies of the Church of God as it is for the soul’s salvation. The one is as true as the other. é’ Where two or three are gathered together in [or unto] my name, there am I in the midst.” (Matt, xviii.) Has this ceased to be true? And if not, is not Christ’s presence quite enough for His Church? Do we need to set about planning or working for ourselves in church matters? No more than in the matter of the soul’s salvation. What do we say to the sinner? Trust Christ. What do we say to the saint? Trust Christ. What do we say to an assembly of saints, few or many? Trust Christ. Is there aught that He cannot manage? Is there anything too hard for Him? Has His treasury of gift and. grace become exhausted? Is He not able to supply ministerial gifts? Can He not furnish evangelists, pastors, and teachers? Can He not perfectly meet all the manifold necessities of His Church in the wilderness? If not where are we? What shall we do? Whither shall we turn? What had the congregation of old to do? To look to Jehovah. For everything? Yes, for everything; for food, for water, for clothing, for guidance, for protection, for all. All their springs were in Him. Must we turn to some one else? Never; our Lord Christ is amply sufficient, in spite of all our failure and ruin, our sin and unfaithfulness. Only let us trust Him; let us use Him; let us give Him room to act. Let us cast ourselves as absolutely upon Him for all church matters, as we have done for our souls’ salvation.
Here, we are persuaded, lies the true secret of power and blessing. Do we deny the ruin? How could we? Alas! alas! it stands forth as a fact too palpable and glaring to admit of denial. Do we seek to deny our share in the ruin—our folly and sin? Would to God we felt it more deeply. But shall we add to our sin by denying our Lord’s grace and power to meet Us in our folly and ruin? Shall we forsake Him the fountain of living waters, and hew out for ourselves broken cisterns that can hold no water? Shall we turn from the Rock of Ages and lean upon the broken reeds of our own devising? God forbid! Rather let the language of our hearts be, as we think of the name of Jesus,
“Salvation in that name is found,
Cure for my grief and care;
A healing balm for every wound,
All, all I want, is there.”
But let not the reader suppose that we want to lend the smallest countenance to ecclesiastical pretension. We perfectly abhor any such thing. We look upon it as utterly contemptible. We believe we cannot possibly take too low a place. A low place and a lowly spirit are what alone become us in view of our common sin and shame. All we seek to maintain is this, the all sufficiency of the name of Jesus for all the exigencies of the Church of God, at all times and under all circumstances. There was all power in that name in apostolic times; and why not now? Has any change passed over that glorious name? No, blessed be God. Well, then, it is sufficient for us, at this moment, and all we want is to confide in it fully, and to show that we so confide by discarding thoroughly every other ground of confidence, and coming out, in bold decision, to that peerless and precious name. He has, blessed be His name, come down to the smallest congregation—the smallest plurality—inasmuch as He has said, “ Where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I.” Does this still hold good? Has it lost its power? Does it no longer apply? Where has it been repealed?
Oh! christian reader, we call upon you, by every argument which ought to weigh with your heart, to give your cordial assent and consent to this one eternal truth, namely, The all sufficiency of the name of Jesus for the assembly of God, in every possible condition in which it can be found, throughout its entire history. We call upon you not merely to hold this as a true theory, but to confess it practically;
and then, assuredly, you will taste the deep blessedness of the presence of Jesus in the outside place—a blessedness which must be tasted in order to be known; but when once really tasted, it can never be forgotten or surrendered for aught beside,