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In Rev. v. we seem to have a wonderful reference, emblematically, to the same Holy One.

"And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the Seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth."

Here the Holy Spirit is presented in active association with the Lord Jesus Christ, but in a different dispensation to our own. In this Rev. v. the Church is presented above in the glory, while worship and praise ascend from all below. It seems, therefore, to bring before us the earth in Millennial days, and we are led by the above expression "Seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth," to remember the words of the prophet Joel, which will then be fully fulfilled. "And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my Spirit upon ALL FLESH; and your sons, &c....also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out my Spirit."

Now, He is the Angels in the Seven churches: then, the Seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth.

Again, in a purely heavenly scene, (Rev. iv.) read

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"And out of the throne proceeded lightnings and thunderings and voices and there were seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the Seven Spirits of God."

Again

"Unto the Angel of the church in Sardis write: These things saith He that hath the Seven Spirits of God and the Seven Stars."

Thus the Seven Stars, the Seven Angels, and the

Seven Spirits of God, are the Holy Spirit-emblems of the Holy Spirit in his different relationships. The first is heavenly-the two latter earthly, having reference to his earthly work and attitude. Just as the words "sword of the Spirit" are an emblem for the Word of God.

A SPECIAL DIFFICULTY DEALT WITH.

A difficulty in receiving this interpretation may present itself in this fact

If the Perfect Angel of the One Church is the Abiding Spirit, how is it that He receives words through John, and not directly from the Lord Himself? John is commanded by the Lord to "write," and to write to the Angel.

In looking at this fact, let us weigh the following: 1. The apostolic order was instituted before the descent of the Holy Ghost.

Apostles, in showing them new truth, according to the will of Christ; and, secondly, in not revealing new truth to us, but unfolding that which is written. Now, if it is a matter of fact, that the churches have an Abiding Heavenly Messenger in them, to unfold and press the truth upon them, and who was to remain as the Lord's Representative after the Apostles,-how appropriate that the word, addressed to the churches in the "last time," when the Gifts had all but passed away,-how appropriate that the word then given should have been given to the Angel! It is thus addressed to Him in His Churchaspect-as the Sent-One in the churches.

Not to have addressed them to Him, would have been to have ignored the presence of a Divine OneOne to whom the churches, in the absence of the Lord, are committed.

"Grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption." (Eph. iv.)

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When the Apostles departed, all ordinations "vanished away," all human under-shepherds ceased. Members of the flock have been blessed to one another, as the Spirit, by the Lord's will, may have used them. But the only Leader now of the sheep is "the Comforter, the Holy Ghost," the Angel who is now with the Church in the wilderness. pose the Lord Jesus were to send an Epistle to the Church now-who is there to whom he could address it, who could take the duty of pressing it on the saints? There are no Spiritual Gifts or Ordained Ones to take the responsibility. Then, it surely, would be addressed to his own Divine Representative, the Spirit, the seven-fold Perfect Angel. John, the last of the Apostles, was shut up in Patmos. Now this was just the condition of the Church when "That which is Perfect" had come; Gifts had "vanished away;" the Church was committed to the Spirit, and called to walk by faith alone, and not to look to, or lean upon man. To Him, therefore, are the Seven epistles addressed, without whose ministry, to press them upon the souls of the saints, they would have fallen, as a word without power.

Of the Apostles, the Lord said

"I have given unto them the words which Thou gavest Me." directed to write important words to the Abiding But the last Apostle being about to depart, he is Angel of the Church for continual application by Him.

Into whose hands have all the apostolic writings been put? Surely, into the hands of the Angel

of the Church. Just as the Old Testament came 2. The Apostolic Ministry, though personally tran-into the hands of the Lord Jesus; so, the New Tessient, was Divine. God ever honours that which is of Himself.

3. The Lord, therefore, takes up the prior Ministry (in the person of John), and which was about to vanish away, to present words to the final and abiding Ministry, (the Spirit,) which should be lastingly presented by Him to the churches.

Then, again, there is the Scripture

"He shall not speak of [from] Himself, but whatsoeoer He shall hear, that shall He speak.'

This is doubly true: First, with regard to the

tament (and the Old) have come into the hands of the Angel-the Spirit, to open unto us.

"The Anointing which ye have received of Him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you; . the same Anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth." (1 John ii.)

In the light of this whole interpretation-(which we are persuaded is a true unfolding of the Word by the Spirit, according to the will of the Lord Jesus, to whom be all glory for ever!)-how perfectly and simply do the commencement and ending of each of the seven epistles harmonize!

In the commencement

of

each the Spirit is addressed by the Lord as He sees Him—the Angelin His Church-relationship.

But in the ending, He is introduced to our regard as-the Spirit.

"Unto the Angel of the church of Ephesus write-" "He that hath an ear to hear, let him hear what the Spirit saith to the churches."

Thus the epistle to each church was to be rehearsed or reiterated to all the churches, by the Spirit: and so they are, having become a part of that Word of God which is "the Sword of the Spirit."

Each of the seven epistles details the condition of each church, its work and failures, and is addressed to each church through the Angel to which each church is committed-the Holy Spirit. The Apostles vanishing away (John being the last) the Holy Spirit was the only and sufficient Representative of Christ to whom the saints were left in charge. It is solemnly committing the saints to the care of the Perfect Seven-fold Angel.

Thus, it will be seen that the Holy Spirit has graciously accepted the place of Messenger from God-keeping, leading, teaching the Lord's bloodbought ones in His personal absence, and doing this under the will of the Lord, the Head of the Church, and through the Written Word.

"He shall not speak of [from] himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak." (John xvi.)

This is a very wonderful thing, and is akin to the subjection (when He became man) of the Eternal Word to the Father:

"I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father that hath sent me." (John v.)

This truth of the voluntary service of the Holy Spirit is needful to a constant apprehension of the Lordship and Headship of the Son of God, our ever-present Saviour,

When we gather together, it is not to the Holy Ghost, but to the Lord Jesus, to be blessed by Him, as He sees needful, by the Holy Spirit through the Word of God. Thus the Holy Spirit is the Angel, or Messenger, by whom the Lord sends messages to us of grace and truth in each church. Or, to use the other emblem, the Spirit's rays are our Star-light, in the absence of the Sun of Righteousness, to guide us through the night of our pilgrimage-" but the night is far spent, the day is at hand."

It is very important to thus see clearly the place or attitude of the ever-blessed and glorious Persons to whom we are referring, or else there may be confusion of person or office, and we may address the Spirit when we ought to address the Father or the Son. The Holy Spirit being here to glorify Christbeing here in wondrous grace-is never directly addressed, in the Scriptures, either in worship or prayer. He, indeed, helps us to cry, Abba, Father, (Rom. viii.), and to abide in the Lord Jesus (1 John ii. 27), but does not lead us to address Himself personally, and we shall not do so if we are guided

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by the Word. We feel that such an act would be ignoring the relation of Head and Members, but the Holy Ghost is here to glorify the risen Jesus; He does not, therefore, take any glory to Himself: and as surely as we are led of Him, He will keep us "holding the Head."

BRIEF STATEMENT OF THIS ARTICLE.

1. That man cannot be the Stars, the Angels.

2. That the term Angel or Messenger has been often assumed by God.

3. That the only Messenger in the Church is the Spirit. 4. That the plural emblem, Seven, indicates qualities only possessed by the Spirit-inherent light, omnipresence, a Perfect Messenger. 5. That, being in the Lord's Right Hand, indicates a completeness of subjection to Him, which no man has ever shown. 6. That the Spirit (in His Church Aspect,) as being really personally in the Seven Churches, was the One to be addressed as having the office of receiving and unfolding the Word.

"SONS O F GOD."

"But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God,even to them that believe on his name." (John i.)

A "son of God" must indeed be "a perfect man." It will be noted that the power to become a "son of God" is given to all who have received Jesus into their hearts, by faith, as their Saviour, no reference being made to the action of ministry as necessary to lead to that spiritual perfectness of life, which is what is meant by "becoming sons of God."

Some brother has written an answer to the article in our last-" A Perfect Man," in which he says— "The argument of the abovenamed writer is virtually this, that a Christian who is in possession of a complete volume of the Scriptures is a perfect man,' according to the expression in the 4th Chapter of Ephesians!"

Now, our "argument" there is really this

"Paul strove that he might then present-at that timeevery man as apprehending the faith in its unity, or entirety, and as possessing a knowledge of the Son of God, and practically conformed to Him.... This is the simple meaning of the above passage in the Ephesians. This perfectness of believers was the AIM and OBJECT of the Gifts, Christ being their STANDARD."-P. 248.

The Scriptures regard the man who holds the faith in its entirety (or unity) and who is living by faith in (or practical intimacy with) the Son of God, and who is, in life, "walking as He walked "-I say, the Scriptures regard such an one as a perfect man." If he is not perfect, let the writer say in what he is im-perfect.

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But while others can find no fault with such an one, yet, in his own consciousness, he would be far from feeling, or taking the ground of, perfection Our brother has taken us to mean perfection, wher we have meant perfectness, or maturity, or "throughl furnished." The "manhood," or "strong meat stage of growth has the same import as the phrase "a perfect man." It simply means maturity. "son of God" means a practical exemplification of our sonship, which we have "received power" to give, and the Scriptures assume that we shall.

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These two things are brought together in the Epistle to the Philippians. There Paul says to the whole Church

"Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded." But immediately before he had said :

"Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect; but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus."

Here we see, that, while conscious of possessing, with others, that perfectness which knowledge, faith, and experience give, Paul was not at all conscious of perfection. Nor can we be.

We refer the reader to the 17 Scriptures quoted on p. 248 of our last, and also to the one quoted from

John i.

"But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name."

"THY CANDLESTICK."

"Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love. Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent." (Rev. ii.)

A dear brother takes exception to a recent exposition put forth in this journal on the letter to the Church of Ephesus. We have again proved the matter prayerfully before the Lord.

The thought has been generally held that the emblem of candlestick sets forth the fact that each church is to be regarded as, corporately, presenting spiritual light around it, in the locality in which it assembles.

We doubt very much whether this is a Scriptural thought. The Lord sees believers in any city as one, as a body, or corporation; but if believers walk by Scriptural rule, the world should only know of the existence of the Church through contact with its individual members, "Among whom ye shine as lights,"-not a light (candlestick) corporately.

The fact is, these emblems-stars, angels, candlesticks, set forth invisible facts which come under the cognisance of the Lord only.

While the Church in a city is the Lord's candlestick-seen to be such by Him, and not by the world, the Church itself in that place may have a visible candlestick of its own, as the expression used by the Lord indicates

"Thy CANDLESTICK."

A Candlestick, or Lamp, is that which is looked to as affording light.

Now it is an indisputable fact that one of the earliest, and one of the most injurious snares into which the Church was led by Satan, and a snare most easily fallen into,-is that of unduly honouring instruments of blessing, and coming gradually to look to the often-used members of the body-for light. Wherever this is the case, such so-called gifted ones become the church's lamp. Where this has come to pass, the Lord sees it needful (both for correction and instruction) to come in and remove

"THY Candlestick out of his place,"

-the "place" which he (or they) have received at the hands of others, in an assembly, or associated assemblies.

This removing, which the Lord does occasionally in His providential dealings with churches, will be done completely, and for ever, at His Coming: as he says—

"Or else I will come unto thee quickly, and remove" &c.

And not until His Coming will very many discover, to their shame, that they were going on (through ignorance, perhaps) with their own candlesticks. "Surely, I come quickly." (Rev. xxii.)

This exposition is in harmony with the offence indicated by the words

"Thou hast left thy first love."

Surely the Lord is the "first love." Some have said this means "love to the brethren."- -This makes the Church's "first love" to be herself! A woman's first love-herself! Surely the first love of the Church the Woman is the Lord Jesus! What can leaving the first love be, if it does not mean leaving the Lord by faith, to lean on the arm of flesh ?-that which the Church did so early, has continued to do so generally, and, we fear, will continue to do, in a measure, till He come and remove them all from their man-given places.

"Come, Lord Jesus, come quickly." But, oh, that dear ones all, in every place, may receive the warning to "repent," and

that all others will walk with watchfulness.

Light in us, or from us, as individuals, dies out if we do not hold fast grace. This is true too, of an assembly or church in any city. Supposing, for a moment, that the "candlestick" does express a corporate spiritual light shed by it around and in its locality. We can only conceive of that light or candlestick being removed by its ceasing to be spiritual. This would be a natural result. But with regard to the "candlestick" of Ephesus, its removal is caused-not by internal decadence-but by power acting from without the church.

Now, the common thought is that power came in and disbanded the Church of Ephesus, so that it no longer shone there. But this would be rather a misfortune to the World, than a

punishment to the Church. It is no punishment to have to shine

elsewhere!

We feel, therefore, convinced that while the Lord's candlestick is the Church, the expression, "Thy candlestick," means that which the Church has come to look to for light, and which will be removed "out of his place" at His Coming.

THE HOPE THAT PURIFIETH.
(1 John iii. 3.)*

O Lord, Thou hast declared,
"Behold! I quickly come!

Hold fast my Word, that I may say
My Servant true,- Well done!"

O Lord, Thou hast declared,
"Behold! I quickly come!
Thy garments keep unspotted clean,
That I may say: Well done!"

O Lord, Thy Word it is-
"Behold! I quickly come!
Go, help the poor and fatherless;
And soon I'll say: Well done."

O Lord, Thou hast declared,
"Behold! I quickly come!
Watch thou and pray, for saints most dear,
That I may say: Well done!"

O Lord, 'tis Thine own Word-
"Behold! I quickly come!
Your brethren freely each forgive,
And soon I'll say: Well done."

O Lord, we wait for Thee;

For Thou wilt quickly come,

And Satan fall, bruised 'neath our feet;
All things by Thee-Well done!

"Every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure."

UTTERANCES OF A FAITHFUL ONE.

It was a sweet reply a woman once made upon her death-bed to a friend that asked whether she were more willing to live or die? she answered, "I am pleased with what God pleases." "Yea," said the friend, "but if God should refer it to you, which would you choose?' "Truly," said she, "if God would refer it to me, I would refer it to him again." Ah, blessed life, when the will is swallowed up in the will of God, and the heart at rest in his care and love, and pleased with all his appointments!

I have seemed to see a need of every thing God gives me, and want nothing that he denies me; there is no dispensation, though afflictive, but either in it, or after it, I find I could not have done without it. Whether it be taken from me, or not given to me, sooner or later God quiets me in himself without it. I cast all my concerns on the Lord, and live securely on the care and wisdom of my heavenly Father. My ways are in a sense hedged up with thorns, and grow darker and darker daily; but yet I distrust not my good God in the least, and live more quietly in the absence of all, by faith, than I should do, I am persuaded, if I possessed them all. I think the Lord deals kindly with me to make me believe for my mercies before I have them. The less reason hath to work on, the more freely faith casts itself on the faithfulness of God. I find that while faith is steady, nothing can disquiet me, and when faith totters, nothing can establish me. If I tumble out amongst means and creatures, I am presently lost, and can come to no end; but if I stay myself on God, and leave him to work in his own way and time, I am at rest, and can sit down and sleep in a promise, when a thousand rise up against me; therefore, my way is not to cast before hand, but to work with God by the day. "Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof." I find so much to do continually with my calling and my heart, that I have no time to puzzle myself with peradventures and futurities.

OUR CORRESPONDENTS AND OURSELVES. Address Letters for the Proprietor, to 335a, Strand, London, W.C.

R. C.-Read Eph. i. 22, 23, in which you will see that the true church is the One Invisible Body of Christ, into which all believers are baptized by the Spirit. Members of the One Body, or true church, are therefore to be found in and out of all the Denominations.

W. C. B.-I am not led further into that subject just now; but shall keep your note at hand.

J. H.-Faith exercised in the statements of the Word of God apprehends the Church as the Bride. Many other facts yet future are held by faith, and are spoken of as realities, though not yet true to sight. Thus faith is the substance of things hoped for. By it we substantially realise and enjoy what is not yet possessed.

And so we say the Church is the Bride mentioned in Scripture, though, to speak exactly, we might say, The Church will be the Bride. I do not think it is Scriptural to say "We are one by one married to Jesus when we are brought to believe." Is there any mention of marriage,or of bride or bridegroom, in the "Song of Solomon ?" The Church may not be contemplated there at all: but the Jewish nation in Millennial times. It seems to me rather a prophetic celebration of the attach

ment of the King of Israel to His beloved Zion, in the day to come. -The rest of your letter, dear brother, may be inserted in our next.

J. C. A.-I have no light as to the spiritual reason for the prohibition of swine's flesh to the Israelites, and think that that prohibition was removed at the introduction of Christianity. See Rom. xiv. 14. But the command in Acts xv. 20, to abstain from things strangled, and from blood, is yet in force, because given to Noah, father of the Gentiles, before the Law of Moses, (Gen. ix. 4,) and confirmed by the Apostles in Acts xv.

F. J. B.-You think, dear brother, that the passage in Eph. v. "For we are members of His body, His flesh, and His bones; for this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one glory and the Mother [the people of Israel], to cleave unto flesh,"- does not teach that our blessed Lord left the Father in

the Church.

You think this passage is, primarily, a re-affirmation of the law given in the beginning; which was, that as Adam and Eve were one flesh, so a man on marrying was to be willing to leave father and mother. So, now, because believers are members

of Christ's body, of his flesh, and of his bones; therefore, a Christian man is to see a reason why, on marrying, he should leave father and mother and cleave unto his wife.

We quite agree with you, dear brother, that the re-affirmation of the law given at the beginning is the primary bearing of this passage. But still we do see that, in a very interesting sense, this ordinance holds good with regard to Christ and the Church. The Lord Jesus said

"I came forth from the Father, and am come into the world; Again, I leave the world, and go unto the Father."

The manifestation of the Church being in abeyance, the marriage is only apprehended by faith, and the Lord is again with the Father. But we think we may allowably apprehend that the Heavenly union will be similar to the Earthly, in regard to this Divine requirement, twice insisted on-viz. "leaving," in a sense, "father and mother."

ADELPHOS.-Expect to give our readers the former part of your letter in our next.

In a recent number, (June,) a remark was made that "in consequence of Paul's faithfulness in obeying the command to go to all nations, he received the highest revelations," &c. It would have been more correct to have said "foreseeing his faithfulness," as it would seem from 2 Cor. xii. 2 that he

must have received those higher revelations before he was sent

forth from Antioch.

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PRECIOUS TRUTH.

"He that hath an Ear to Hear, let Him Hear what the Spirit saith unto the Churches." Published for the Proprietor by J. B. BATEMAN, 22, Paternoster Row, entrance in Ivy Lane.

London:

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EYES LIKE UNTO FIRE and FEET LIKE
BURNING BRASS.

"Unto the Angel of the Church in Thyatira write: These things saith the Son of God, who hath his Eyes like unto a Flame of Fire, and his feet like fine brass [copper]."* (Rev. ii.)

"EYES like unto a Flame of Fire" are on us, and on all. "Our God is a consuming fire."

Israel, as a nation, knew God in fire: at Sinai, at the Dedication of the Temple, and on Carmel. Individuals, also, have so known God-Adam, Abraham, Moses, Gideon, Elijah.

Now, we are called to realize, by faith, that "Our God is a consuming fire."

God was known to Israel as Jehovah, and as Jehovah only. We know God as the Father, whom Jesus hath "declared,"-and we know God in Jesus, "God manifest in the flesh."

Now, as all power in heaven and in earth is committed unto the Son, He being the executive of Divine Justice, we know Him to be "a consuming fire."

In remembering His graciousness, as Jesus our Saviour, let us not forget His gloriousness as the Son of God.

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But in the case of John, a special exception was made-he was to glorify God in another way.

"If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee?" John was still tarrying, when, lo! the Lord came -came to His servant in the sea-girt prison. Though John was on the earth, yet he was cut off and isolated from it. (In such a position, spiritually-"in the world, but not of the world"-may we all be found, by the Lord, at His coming.)

(Rev. ii.)

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should be specially enforced upon faith. Hence John is directed to write in a book what he sees and hears, for our faith to be exercised upon. To him it was all true to sense; it was verily the Lord. He saw Him, and heard Him-yea, felt His right hand laid upon him.

In a bodily sense, this was the last visit of the Lord to the earth given us in the Scriptures. But John's testimony is received by faith, so that though the Lord is bodily far away in the third heavens, yet- -as God

"All things are naked and opened unto the EYES of Him with whom we have to do."

"In Him we live, and move, and have our being." "Without Him was not anything made that was made." "He that formed the EYE, shall He not see?" Faith says "Yes, He who came down to Patmos, and was seen by John, is closely regarding His churches - having 'eyes like unto a flame of fire.' We realize Him walking in the midst of the Seven Golden Candlesticks."

The remembrance of this fact does us good. It increases reverence: when we are gathered together in His name, with Himself in the midst, we realize that we are, like Moses, on holy ground. It represses the flesh and the fleshly mind, in ourselves and others.

And one most useful and necessary result of it should be-to direct our attention to the Lord's thoughts about the Church-to what He must, and does, see going on among us, as churches. absorbed in "the day of the Lord"-the Lord's day It had this effect on John. Spiritually, he was of coming glory-that which Abraham saw, "and was glad." John being imprisoned for testimony-shut up far away from the haunts of men--there seemed little then for "our brother and companion in tribulation," except to look for the Lord from heaven. (May this be the effect of all our trials.)

"I John, who also am your brother, and companion in tribulation, and in the kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, was in the isle that is called Patmos [deadly] for the word of God, and for the testimony of Jesus Christ."

John saw death on all that was of earth, and his face was forwards and away to the day when the Lord would reign in righteousness, and His dear ones be no longer the victims of brutal persecution. But a great voice behind him called to him, and looking back to earth, he beholds-not a coming Saviour

With the last apostle so shut up, the churches were bereft, then, of apostolic care and authoritative supervision, and being called to walk by faith in the Son of God, they needed being assured that His eyes as "a flame of fire" were on them. Human authority in the Church had come to an end, which made it all the more needful that the Lord's own authority—but a present Lord. And so, beloved, while we cherish thoughts of *Brass is a mixed metal, of comparatively modern invention, and in all probability unknown to the ancients.-CALMET'SDICT. deliverance by the coming of the Lord, let us also

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