But, beloved reader, while I would challenge my soul and yours by the questions (to be answered as individuals in God's presence), of how far we are, indeed, as those standing fast in, and practically consistent with-1st, the mercies brought out at Pentecost, together with its blessings and company; and 2ndly, with that mystery first revealed to and exhibited by Paul, as a model man, and his company at Ephesus; and 3rdly, with the hope of 1 Thess. 4:13-1713But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. 14For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. 15For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. 16For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: 17Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. (1 Thessalonians 4:13‑17); and 4thly, with the light which now shines down from heavens opened upon us, as in the heavenly calling and in the mystery-stop here I cannot.
Besides these things revealing God to man, permanent and abiding and eternal blessing to any individual souls that receive them and walk in them,-harbingers too of better things to come,-they have been let slip by man and rejected even by the company to whom they were entrusted.
The doctrine of Christ as preached at Pentecost, and that of the mystery-that is, the company of believers, the dwelling place of the Holy Spirit, and Christ the Head of His body the church, have been forgotten-sinned against.
This new light was entrusted to men, and men have again (as alas! ever) failed; and failed past all restoration, as to the blessing lost; though God will keep his own chosen ones and let none perish who, receiving the word of His grace as individuals and trusting Him, act upon it in the obedience of faith, in spite of all failure.
" While men slept an enemy came and sowed tares " (Matthew 13:25-3025But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way. 26But when the blade was sprung up, and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also. 27So the servants of the householder came and said unto him, Sir, didst not thou sow good seed in thy field? from whence then hath it tares? 28He said unto them, An enemy hath done this. The servants said unto him, Wilt thou then that we go and gather them up? 29But he said, Nay; lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them. 30Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn. (Matthew 13:25‑30)). The wheat field was spoiled as such, though both were allowed to grow together until the harvest. They that have failed are not the ones who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean, or make that which is crooked straight. Paul foresaw and forewarned the Ephesians of their own coming failure in Acts 20:28-3228Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood. 29For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock. 30Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them. 31Therefore watch, and remember, that by the space of three years I ceased not to warn every one night and day with tears. 32And now, brethren, I commend you to God, and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up, and to give you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified. (Acts 20:28‑32).
But, far more than this. Compare Paul's testimony as to Israel and the Gentiles in his day, when looked at as the olive tree-that is, channel of testimony of grace and truth; depositary of the scriptures.
Rom. 3 as to the Jew, then about to be set aside, as a people, (and fall, 11:12) and become cast away (v. 15); and those (in that day) broken off (v. 17) because of unbelief (v. 20), not spared (v. 21), on them which feel severity [or severing, i.e., cutting off].
1. “What advantage (superiority), then has the Jew? Or what profit is there of the circumcision? Much every way: chiefly, because that unto them were committed the oracles of God.”
Read carefully Rom. 11:11-3611I say then, Have they stumbled that they should fall? God forbid: but rather through their fall salvation is come unto the Gentiles, for to provoke them to jealousy. 12Now if the fall of them be the riches of the world, and the diminishing of them the riches of the Gentiles; how much more their fulness? 13For I speak to you Gentiles, inasmuch as I am the apostle of the Gentiles, I magnify mine office: 14If by any means I may provoke to emulation them which are my flesh, and might save some of them. 15For if the casting away of them be the reconciling of the world, what shall the receiving of them be, but life from the dead? 16For if the firstfruit be holy, the lump is also holy: and if the root be holy, so are the branches. 17And if some of the branches be broken off, and thou, being a wild olive tree, wert graffed in among them, and with them partakest of the root and fatness of the olive tree; 18Boast not against the branches. But if thou boast, thou bearest not the root, but the root thee. 19Thou wilt say then, The branches were broken off, that I might be graffed in. 20Well; because of unbelief they were broken off, and thou standest by faith. Be not highminded, but fear: 21For if God spared not the natural branches, take heed lest he also spare not thee. 22Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God: on them which fell, severity; but toward thee, goodness, if thou continue in his goodness: otherwise thou also shalt be cut off. 23And they also, if they abide not still in unbelief, shall be graffed in: for God is able to graff them in again. 24For if thou wert cut out of the olive tree which is wild by nature, and wert graffed contrary to nature into a good olive tree: how much more shall these, which be the natural branches, be graffed into their own olive tree? 25For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in. 26And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob: 27For this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins. 28As concerning the gospel, they are enemies for your sakes: but as touching the election, they are beloved for the fathers' sakes. 29For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance. 30For as ye in times past have not believed God, yet have now obtained mercy through their unbelief: 31Even so have these also now not believed, that through your mercy they also may obtain mercy. 32For God hath concluded them all in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all. 33O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out! 34For who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been his counsellor? 35Or who hath first given to him, and it shall be recompensed unto him again? 36For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen. (Romans 11:11‑36) and note how Paul gives the Gentiles a very secondary place throughout as v. 11-22, and then goes on, " Be not high, minded but fear; (v. 21), for if God spared not, the natural branches, lest he also spare not thee. (v. 22), Behold, therefore, the goodness and severity (Cutting off) of God: on them which fell, cutting off (severing); but toward thee, goodness, if thou continue in goodness otherwise thou also shalt be cut off. [Protestants can hardly say that, from Pentecost to the Reformation, the Church continued in its goodness,-or why did they leave it? but if it did not—the only alternative is "to be cut off."]
And v. 25: For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own deceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles be come in. (v. 26) And so all Israel shall be saved; as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob.
Study also 2 Timothy; and Rev. 17 and 18. But Rev. 2 and 3 give the proof of failure in the local churches parts of the whole-and the prophecy of how things will go from bad to worse, until the Lord comes in to set up His kingdom and to put all His foes beneath His feet; also 2 Thessalonians 2 and 2 Peter 2 and 3 and Jude and 1 John 2:18, 1918Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time. 19They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us. (1 John 2:18‑19) and 4:1-6. The epistles of Peter, John and Jude were not addressed to any in particular, but to all believers.
One consequence of this is very striking (2 Tim. 2:2121If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honor, sanctified, and meet for the master's use, and prepared unto every good work. (2 Timothy 2:21)) it is the man only who purges himself from "the vessels" which are "to dishonor," who shall be "a vessel unto honor, sanctified and meet for the master's use, prepared unto every good work." And (v. 22) Timothy was to follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace, with them that call upon the Lord out of a pure heart." Such words could not have been said at Pentecost, any more than Peter could have then said (3:5) of any in the church, "having a form of godliness, but denying the, power thereof"-“from such turn away," nor could they have been said by Paul, when he wrote to the Ephesians.
Now we, beloved, not only have lost the good, so far as it was committed merely to man's keeping,-but also are in the midst of the evils of “the last perilous [lit. difficult] times" (ver. 1). What was to come, has come, and we are in it. (See 2 Timothy in; 2 Peter 2 and 3; and Jude.) If any man be ignorant, let him be ignorant; but he that has the will to make out that things are bettering orgy day and will become better, is in imbecile dotage, or deluded in his own heart as to what he says.-" For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall ''not escape" (1 Thess. 5:33For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape. (1 Thessalonians 5:3).). The delusion which is spread abroad over men now is not, in some respects, worse perhaps than what was spread over the minds of men from A.D. 250 to 1520. ONLY then it was darkness (that might be felt, truly); but the Word of God was a closed book, wrapped up in a napkin and kept by the priests from the people whom they trod under foot..Now, on the contrary, the bible is multiplied and to be found every where;-knowledge too is increased. But; amid all this, men are full of-what? The development of man and his powers and his coming glory, and deny the truths written in God's word, as though they had learned from the bible at least how to sin and walk in the very ways of evil of the last days, as predicted in scriptures. Among the mass of nominal Christians, Satan works as an angel of light. May the Lord awaken His own people to the evil all around them and to their own selves being mixed up with it. (Rev. 22:11, 1211He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still. 12And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be. (Revelation 22:11‑12).)