“If we had him, he is a devoted Christian, and would greatly help the testimony.”
“What testimony?”
“Oh, the testimony of the Lord in—: he would be such a help to us.”
“Ah, I see where you are: you are thinking of your testimony, and not of the ruin of the Church, and the Lord’s coming as our only hope in the midst of it,”
“I think, through grace, I do see the ruin of the Church, and am also waiting for the Lord’s coming; but is it not right to raise a testimony in the meantime; and do you not think if we had such a man as that—a line, earnest, active, devoted man, that he would greatly help us?”
“Well, you may depend upon it, if you bring any one to be a help to you, he will turn out but a prick and a thorn in your side.”
“What! Do you mean to say that the Lord would not make such as he a help to us?”
“Yes, if you did not look for help from him in that way. But if your eye is on him, then it is off the Lord; and what you sought comfort from would be but dust in your eyes and grit between your teeth. If you were not where you are it would be another thing; but you are in the place of dependence upon God, ‘and He is very jealous over you, and will keep you dependent on Himself. What is it to Him to save by many or by few? Others, not in the place of dependence, might look to man and get blessing from such as he, as you speak of; but, for one in the place of dependence upon God,’ it would be deeply dishonoring to Him, and He would not allow it.”
“Oh, but I did not mean to turn away from the Lord, and look to man: I only meant that if he came in, what a help he would be!”
“Rather say how helped he would be. You are dependent on the Lord for help, and independent of man. When I see a bright soul outside, I court him for the Lord, and say, ‘Oh, how I long to see so-and-so in; what blessing he would receive were he in the right place!’ Not how he would help us, though we might be helped by him at the same time.”
“Oh! I see, God is seeking worshippers.”
“Quite so. And what power and happiness— there would be if all saw that. How dependent upon God, and how honoring to Him; while at the same time how ready to receive from Him any help, and in any way He chooses to give it!”
“But still, while owning all that, what about the testimony? Do you not think it would help the testimony?”
“My dear friend, do you not know what you are a testimony to?”
“What?”
“Utter and entire failure, from every point of view.”
“Well, of course that is true, I know; but are we not the epistle of Christ?”
“The Church in her normal character is that, and she is always responsible for it. But what sort of an epistle is she now? What sort of an epistle are you at —?”
“Oh, please do not name it. The thought of it fills me with shame.”
“Well then, what have you to say?”
“I quite know and see the Church has failed corporately. And, alas! we at — too have failed. But for that very reason ought we not the rather seek to raise a testimony.”
“You have sought to do so, and have you succeeded? Are you proud of your attempt?”
“Well, surely not. But are we not to be witnesses?”
“Of course we ought: corporately and individually too we ought to be witnesses for Christ: that’s not the question: but when I hear brethren talk of raising a testimony, I query if they know where they are, at the tail-end of a ruined dispensation. If you talk of a testimony—the sun in the heavens is a testimony; the moon and the stars are a testimony; all “declare the glory of God, and the firmament showeth his handywork.” The law of the Lord is perfect too—that is a testimony, and has never failed. The Church at Pentecost, freshly gathered by the Holy Spirit, come down from heaven, was a testimony; but where is it now? When Paul preached the gospel of the glory of God, shining in the face of Jesus Christ. and established the church on the foundation of that truth and its consequences, that was a testimony; but where is it now Ephesus had the candlestick taken away from it, and it never was nor ever will be restored here. Examine these chapters on the Churches, and what do you find the testimony getting less and less—until you come to Laodicea, where there is no testimony at all, except a testimony to corruption, and Christ outside and seeking to get in. Sardis was a testimony to ‘works left undone,’ to spiritual laziness and inertness that left complete’ what it had in hand to do.”
“Yes, but what about Philadelphia?”
“Well, what about it? Simply, that He that is holy, He that is true, and He that has all power says, ‘I know thy works.’ Is that enough for you? or do you want other people to know them too? As it is, I should think they know enough of them, to know that they are not much to your credit.”
“Well, I own that, but does He not say, ‘I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it.”
“Yes, but that is His work, not yours: for simple as it is even to open a door, you have not strength for that, much less to raise a testimony. But Philadelphia did work, and this is what He says she did, Thou hast kept my word, and hast not denied my name. ‘And this is what she is told to do, Hold fast that thou hast, that no man take thy crown.’ That is what she is told to do. There is nothing about ‘raising a testimony.’ As to the rest it is He who does it all. You will notice how often ‘I,’ and ‘I will,’ comes in.”
I know thy works...
I have set an open door before thee...
I will make them of the synagogue...
I will make them come... and know that.
I have loved thee.
I also will keep thee...
I come quickly...
Him that overcometh will
I will make a pillar in the temple of my God. And.
... And I will write upon him the name of my God,
“my God,”
“my God,”
“and my new name.”
“‘He that hath an ear to hear let him hear.’ Philadelphia was not called to raise a testimony (though she was a bright testimony), for she had not power adequate for it. What He says of her is, ‘Thou hast kept the word of my patience:’ nothing about raising a testimony.”
“But then has God no testimony at all now?”
“God never left Himself without testimony, in that He did good (mark who it was that raised the testimony), and gave us rain from heaven, and fruitful ‘seasons, filling our hearts with joy and gladness,’ Thus it was God Himself who preserved the testimony to His own goodness among the nations (compare Romans 1:18-3218For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness; 19Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath showed it unto them. 20For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse: 21Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. 22Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, 23And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things. 24Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonor their own bodies between themselves: 25Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen. 26For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature: 27And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet. 28And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient; 29Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers, 30Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, 31Without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful: 32Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them. (Romans 1:18‑32)): and so at the end of the history of the church in Laodicea the testimony is in like manner preserved— ‘These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness.’ And this is the more remarkable as Laodicea is the church emphatically that sets up to raise a testimony. ‘Alas! it is but a testimony to unholy self-complacency. I am rich and increased in goods, and have need of nothing.’ He says of her, I will spue thee out of my mouth; that is no testimony to me.
“Now, Philadelphia is the place for you. If God says, know thy works, let that suffice you. Never you mind the testimony—time is too short to think of that. Mind yourself, and that will be a great deal more glory to God, and better for yourself—walk humbly, with your head down, and your eyes up.”
“Well, I thought I understood the ruin of the Church, and the coming of Christ as our blessed and only hope, but I see there is vastly more to be learned and apprehended by faith. I am but scratching on the surface yet.”
We can only be, in truth, a testimony to the complete failure of the Church of God. But, to be such, we must be as true in principle as the thing that has failed. And, as long as we are a testimony to failure, we shall never fail.