By REV. JOHN COLQUHOUN, Glendale.
IN the Book of the prophet Malachi, we read that “they that feared the Lord spake often one to another.” The fact that they thus communed with each other shows that they had much in common. They all have this in common, that they “fear the Lord,” and this fearing of the Lord, which is not slavish but filial, came to be true of them in the day that they were effectually called by the Holy Spirit. A new principle was then begotten in their souls which breaks down the barriers of social and class distinctions so that nobles and peasants, learned and unlearned, people of different nationalities and colours are found companying together, and are being edified in each other’s society. They have a common theme to discuss and a mutual delight in discussing it.
When men have freedom in speaking to each other, they discourse on the matters which are uppermost in their minds, as being the matters which are of the greatest importance. In the minds of those who fear the Lord, that which is uppermost is the glory of God as that relates to the salvation of immortal souls. Where there is a close intimacy between gracious persons they have freedom to speak of their exodus from Egypt spiritually, and although different ways have been used, in this connection, with different persons, by the Holy Spirit, causing a great dissimilarity in their experiences, yet they can find much which they may reckon as common ground, enabling them to see the sovereignty of the Spirit in His use of means. A child of God, relating an experience in this connection, which he thought peculiar to himself, may be the means of breaking a temptation under which another may have been lying for a long time, concluding that it was not a real exodus from Egypt which he himself had.
Again, they speak often one to another concerning matters which meet them in their wilderness pilgrimage. Young inexperienced Christians, when they begin to meet with things which try them, often go to others who have more experience, and often the sad and deserted condition in which they find their aged friends answer their hard questions before these questions are put. Under these circumstances, an inexperienced Christian often finds that what he considered a great temptation was but a very small thing in comparison to the temptations of others. They speak to each other of their joys and sorrows, their sunshine and darkness, their long sojourns in the dark valleys of desertion and temptations, and the fleeting moments of fellowship and communion with Christ on the mountains of myrrh and the hills of frankincense.
They also speak often one to another concerning the Cause of Christ. Their hearts are united to Christ in an indissoluble union, and so they espouse His Cause as their own. They have no greater joy than to hear that the children of Christ’s spouse, that “elect lady” whom they love in the truth, are walking in the truth, and when they hear of a sinner being born again they forget the sorrows of their own spiritual travail through joy that a child is born into the kingdom of Christ. Likewise when anything is done against the Cause of Christ by open enemies or professed friends they take anxious counsel together concerning these things. It forms part of the subject of their prayers together and when they are apart, for their concern for Christ’s kingdom causes these matters to be uppermost in their minds. In days of adversity and persecution and hiding of Christ’s countenance there are many Elis whose hearts tremble for the ark of God.
They that fear the Lord often speak to each other by way of rebuking each other for some unseemly carriage. Where grace is in exercise, this is not done in a censorious spirit, but in love. While bitterly conscious of many great imperfections in themselves, which often sends them to a Throne of Grace, true Christians must be faithful to speak to their brothers and sisters in Christ concerning any inconsistency which they see in their walk and conversation, and in this they are doing nothing more than obeying the Scriptural injunction, “Thou shalt in any wise rebuke thy neighbour, and not suffer sin upon him” (Lev. xix, 17). Again, when grace is in the ascendancy in those who are rebuked, they accept the rebuke meekly and in the spirit in which it is given. “Let the righteous smite me: it shall be a kindness: and let him reprove me; it shall be an excellent oil, which shall not break my head: for yet my prayer also shall be in their calamities” (Psalm cxli, 5).
This speaking by way of rebuke to each other, not only shows love to the individual rebuked, but it also shows concern for the Cause of Christ in general. There is nothing that weakens the Church of God so much as an inconsistent walk in professors of religion. They give occasion to the world to speak slightly of religion, and become a stumbling-block to those who may be drawn after the gospel, and so it comes not only to be a kindness but also a mark of faithfulness to Christ, when the Lord’s people speak to one another by way of rebuke.
They speak often one to another in the public means of grace. Where there is a gospel ministry, there is a wonderful bond between the pulpit and the pew. A child of God may be in distress through a severe temptation or on account of some very trying circumstances in his lot. He finds it impossible to tell anyone but God of his troubles, but when he goes to the public means of grace he finds that the preacher seems to know everything about it. His trial is gone into in detail, the remedy set forth, and the Holy Spirit applies it in such a way that he gets strength to bear his burden. It is not only the hearer who is helped in the public means, but also the speaker. A true gospel minister is not a stranger to bonds in the performance of his duties as an ambassador of Christ. There are times when he goes into the pulpit, feeling as if he were unable to open his mouth, but when he is on the verge of breaking down under the crushing load, his eye catches the sorrowful countenance of some son or daughter of Abraham whom Satan has bound, and is led out of himself to administer consolation to such a one. Again, the Lord’s people in the pew speak to their pastor by their prayers which silently ascend on his behalf to the Throne on high, and in answer to these prayers seed is given to the sower and bread to the eater, causing both speaker and hearers to have a feast “of fat things full of marrow, of wines on the lees well refined.”
They speak often in fellowship one with another at a Throne of grace in secret. The Apostle says, “Brethren, pray for us,” and this is a duty which is incumbent on every child of God, even to pray not only for himself but for others also. A Throne of grace is the centre at which the whole family of Christ on earth meet. Let their habitations be as far apart as the poles, yet they all meet at this centre, and, while they have general petitions, the answering of which would be to the good of them all, they also have particular petitions for particular persons, and in thus praying for each other, they have fellowship often one with another.
This mutual communing with each other also takes place when they show their sympathy with one another. They bear one another’s burdens in afflictions, sorrows and bereavements, and endeavour thus to draw out the breasts of consolation to each other. In all these communings, they show that they are members of one family, having common aims and interests, all seeking the glory of God, the advancement of His Cause, and the good of never-dying souls, and by thus speaking often one to another, they succeed in maintaining the warmth among themselves which should characterise brothers and sisters in Christ.