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Separation
and other
Ministry by C. W. Cooper

 
Introduction
Separation
Tears

Christian Unity and Fellowship
The Son of God
Cleaving

 






INTRODUCTION

Although little personal information is available as to him, 'Charlie' Cooper, of Belfast, was well known among the brethren as a poet.

In December 1960, "in order to maintain a good conscience before God", Mr. Cooper withdrew from what he judged was "becoming a sect".


It is interesting to consider the circumstances of each of the three items presented here:

1. Separation – in 1950, before the death of JT Senior in 1953 – is a balanced presentation in accord with the outlook of brethren of that time and earlier.

2. Tears – just a month after the 1959 London meetings – at which CWC was present – which heralded the beginning of the legal era – and presaged the sorrow soon to come upon the brethren.

3. Christian Unity and Fellowship – 1962, after his withdrawal from the legal sect – in his local meeting – shows his unwavering commitment to the truth in spite of what he calls "the shaking through which we have recently passed".


4. The Son of God – This undated item – received May 2009 – seems to be a wriitten article not an address.


5. Cleaving – 1962 – as article no. 3 – after his withdrawal from the legal sect – an address at Bournemouth – also shows his unwavering commitment to the truth in what he calls "days of extraordinary difficulty".

G.A.R.

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SEPARATION
1 Chronicles 12: 8; Numbers 8: 13-15;
Nehemiah 13: 1-3; 1 Chronicles 25: 1, 2, 6-7
Address at London, December 26, 1950
Words of Grace and Comfort, 1951, 27: 97-107


I desire to speak on the thought of separation. About 130 years ago there was published a tract which had widespread effects throughout Christendom;

Brethren at that time acted on the Scripture in 2 Timothy, which refers to vessels to dishonour and says,

There was a time in the history of Christendom when the church could effectively deal with evil by putting away wicked persons,

I have remarked already on what constant opposition there has been to this principle. That very fact alone should convince us that the principle is of God.

The early brethren, too, had to stand against current conditions in Christendom, but the enemy, not long after, brought about a system which might well be described as a half-way house.

Now the Scriptures are full of this thought of separation, but for certain reasons I have limited myself to these four, as conveying something of what is in mind just now.

1 Chronicles 12

In 1 Chronicles 12 it says, "And of the Gadites, there separated themselves to David in the stronghold in the wilderness",

We are often occupied with the negative side of separation: we think of all the places we cannot go to, and of invitations we have to refuse, but it is really a matter of separating to the Lord.

So it says of these men, "armed with shield and spear; whose faces were like the faces of lions". There was moral courage with them, and that is a feature very necessary for the conflict. Then it says,

The position of the stronghold goes down to verse 22. In verses 16-18, we read that there were some "of the children of Benjamin and Judah".

There are several references to 'captains' in the chapter. I believe it is to suggest that they were men prepared to accept responsibility, men who give a lead, who "take the lead", as the Scripture says.

Numbers 8

In Numbers we again find this thought of separation. Indeed it is emphasised in Numbers, for in this book we have the assembly in the wilderness.

It says, "Jehovah spoke to Moses, saying, Take the Levites from among the children of Israel" – which suggests God's sovereignty – "and thus shalt thou do unto them".

Now this chapter goes on to say,

Then it says, verse 7, "and shall wash their garments, and make themselves clean".

Nehemiah 13

Turning to the Scripture in Nehemiah, I might say that, in these two books – Ezra and Nehemiah – which belong to a broken day, the idea of separation is emphasised.

I just wish to make an appeal so that,

The chapter then goes on to tell us what the mixture was.

Then attention is called to "the men of Tyre" – verse 16 – a mixture in relation to business matters.

The next matter is in verse 23:

1 Chronicles 25

Finally I refer to 1 Chronicles 25, a suitable Scripture at this time, for it deals with the service of song.

I should remark that the names of these men are exceedingly instructive, and very suggestive. What is to be noted is that the name of Jah occurs in so many of them.

Many of our hymns in the past have been marked perhaps by a good deal of feeling, but there was too much about ourselves in them.

May the Lord bless His word!

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TEARS
2 Timothy 1: 1-4; Psalm 42: 1-3;
2 Kings 20: 1-5; Revelation 21: 1-4; Psalm 56: 8
Address at Dublin, August 22, 1959
Words of Grace and Comfort, 1960, 36: 214-24


What is before me tonight will be sobering rather than exhilarating. Nevertheless, I trust it will be profitable for us all.

So it is my desire to speak about tears. All the passages read refer to them and what I have in mind is governed by the Scripture in Psalm 56.

There is an injunction in Exodus 22 from God, through Moses, to the people of Israel, that they were not to delay the outflow of their winepress, and

Indeed, in relation to this matter of tears the Lord Jesus, as in everything else, takes the first place.

It is a comfort to us that the Lord Jesus has Himself gone before us in this pathway. We never shed a tear but He is ready to help us.

2 Timothy 1

The Scripture in the second epistle to Timothy is a word from an old man to a young one.

This word, as I said, is addressed to a young man; it would have equal forced to a young woman.

This was written many years ago and yet its application is as strong tonight as when Paul sat down and wrote this letter to his beloved child Timothy.

It is good for the young people to make themselves acquainted with the history of the professing church.

During the last century there came to light a wonderful revival.

From that time things began to move from two angles: they began to go forward in power as energized by the Spirit of God,

The decline and division I am speaking about began in Paul's lifetime and yet he is able to indicate that what is of God is going through.

Things in the Christian testimony were not (and are not) getting any easier.

Let us take account of the situation all around in Christendom.

Psalm 42

Now I go on to Psalm 42. We are moving on in our spiritual history now.

Paul knew something about the Jordan. He says,

Perhaps someone here is passing through a time of sorrow – maybe a bereavement, as in Bethany.

2 Kings 20

Now I speak about Hezekiah. In the account in 2 Chronicles the chapter begins in a remarkable way. It says,

There is a another message to him however. Isaiah is to

This illness was not by chance; it was not an accident. It all happened in the carefully planned ways of God. So may we be encouraged to see that we are "In every state secure, watched by the Saviour's eye".

From that point Hezekiah begins to get gain and he speaks about going up to Jehovah's house and says,

Revelation 21

I finish now with the Scripture in Revelation 21. How good it is to be able to turn to this Scripture.

This voice then says that

May we be encouraged even if we are found shedding tears in this way!

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CHRISTIAN  UNITY
AND  FELLOWSHIP
Deuteronomy 12: 8-14, 26-27;
1 Corinthians 10: 14-22; 2 Timothy 2: 19-22
Summary of a Reading at Belfast, January 13, 1962
Help and Comfort, April 1962, 1: 73-78


C.W.C. It was suggested that we should consider the thought of Christian unity and fellowship. The psalmist says

In John 17, we see now precious to the Lord was this thought of the unity of all His own, for He prayed

Deuteronomy 12

In Deuteronomy 12 reference is made, for the first time, to

1 Corinthians 10

The epistles to the Corinthians set out God's original thoughts as to Christian unity and fellowship.

"The communion of the blood of the Christ" is an expression which should affect us inwardly, because

2 Timothy 2

The second letter to Timothy was written in view of days like those in which we find ourselves, and is therefore, of inestimable value to any who desire to walk in the path of the Lord's will in the midst of the confusion.

The second chapter of the epistle shows that our first concern should not be to find the right company; this is a mistake made by many.

Having thus outlined a path amidst the ruin, the apostle Paul reminds Timothy that he had been thoroughly acquainted with Paul's teaching, and exhorts him to abide therein –

It is instructive to notice in the history of the kings of Israel that whatever their own lives had been, there is always a comment by the Spirit, that they did not depart from the sins of Jeroboam.

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THE  SON OF  GOD
No Date
This article appears to have been written rather than being an address.
It is an excellent summary of the truth of The Sonsdip of Christ.
The references to the Newberry Bible* have not been verified.
* "Thomas Newberry (born 1811, died January 16, 1901) was an English Bible scholar and writer, most well-known for his interlinear Englishman's Bible, which compared the Authorised Version of the Bible to the Hebrew and Koine Greek of the original texts, first published in 1886". From Wikipedia.
Mr. Newberry was with those commonly known as "open". GAR

In both the Old and the New Testaments there is great variety in the names and titles given to the Saviour, our Lord Jesus Christ, and each of these presents some distinct feature of His glory, His greatness, His grace and compassion.

It may be said, without fear of contradiction, that there is one name which appeals to every believer, irrespective of age, and that is the precious Name of Jesus; how rightly we sing

Never could we exhaust the blessedness of the Name of Jesus, which ever suggests lowliness, meekness, gentleness and grace, but we can also rejoice that at that Name every knee shall bow, for He is King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

In the gospel of John the Names “Son of God” and “The Son” have a prominent place, and the Apostle’s object in writing was that we might know that

1. In this he was divinely guided, for the opening verse of his gospel is outstanding both for its brevity and depth: it contains facts which are of the utmost importance in our apprehension of Christian doctrine.

2. The second statement in this first verse of John’s Gospel is

3. The third clause of verse 1 in this gospel states “the Word was God”. Glorious truth!

In our seeking after the truth we must keep in mind the three points of John’s first verse:

  1. the everlasting existence of Christ,

  2. His distinct personality

  3. and His eternal deity.

In addition to what has just come before us in John’s gospel there is another matter which requires holy care with us, lest we unwittingly carry back certain names of the Lord Jesus, and their implications, as if such names always applied to Him; reverence and humility become us in looking into such holy matters. We read in John 3: 13

Throughout the Old Testament, the incarnation was ever in view and His advent was always looked forward to by various writers; but 1 Peter 1: 12 enables us to see that these prophets sought out the bearing of their ministry and to them it was revealed that their service had another day in view – their ministry had our day in view

In connection with this profound matter of the Sonship of the Lord Jesus there are four passages of scripture which should claim our attention, especially as they were all uttered by the Lord Himself.

There will be much confusion of thought if we were to assume that the names and titles taken by the Lord in His lowly incarnation describe His position as in eternal Deity.

Concerning John the Baptist we read “there was a man sent from God, whose name was John”, John 1: 6.

The idea of the Lord being sent was in the counsels of God in the past, but it was not until He was thirty years of age that He took up His service, after that the Father had publicly declared His delight in the unrecorded years of secret history.

It is generally acknowledged that the title “Eternal Son” never occurs in either the Old or New Testament, but some are of the opinion that this idea is supported by several scriptures.

Isaiah 9: 6 is also referred to, and indeed it is often “unto us the Son is given”. We read “unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given”.

Next, the mention of Son of God in Daniel 3: 25 has led some to assume that even in the Old Testament times Christ was known as the Son. However, the more correct wording is that the fourth person was like “a son of the gods”.

In Acts 13: 33 we read in the Authorised version that God “hath raised up Jesus again as it is written in the second Psalm ' Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten Thee' ”.

In the opening verses of the epistle to the Hebrews it is said that the Lord Jesus “hath by inheritance a more excellent Name than the angels”.

In chapter 7 of the Hebrews it is said that Melchisedec was made like unto the Son of God and it has been suggested that this proves that Christ was the Eternal Son.

As we consider the Father’s delight in His Son during the thirty years of secret history, then in those years when He was anointed and sent forth in service, we are enabled to grasp, in some measure, the immensity of the sacrifice when

Before concluding it may be helpful to refer again to John 1: 18

One further remark demands our attention. If there was a special link between the Father and the Son in a past eternity then the Spirit was not in this relationship, and the truth that all Three were eternally equal could not be maintained. The Third Person, the Spirit of God was outside this supposed affinity.

In view of what has been set out in these scriptures which we have considered many believers refrain from using the expression “the Eternal Son” for no such title is ever applied to the Lord from Genesis to Revelation.

“The hidden things belong to Jehovah our God, but the revealed ones are ours and our children’s for ever”, Deuteronomy 29: 29.

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CLEAVING
2 Kings 18: 6; Ruth 1: 14; Acts 17: 33-34;
2 Samuel 20:2; Genesis 2: 24
Revised Notes of an Address at Bournemouth, September 8, 1962
This article is from a pamphlet published by Philip Haddad.
The editing is not up to Mr. Haddad's usual standard but,
– except for a few obvious errors – has been allowed to stand. GAR

It must be manifest, brethren, to any exercised believers at the present time, that we are not in the Pentecostal days of Church history. Our lot has been cast in the last days, not the first;

In view of the discord and ruin of Christendom, I wish to speak tonight, beloved brethren, of things that I want to cling to through thick and thin, and I want to encourage all the brethren here to cling to them likewise.

Following upon that, we read, that “he trusted in Jehovah, the God of Israel”, verse 5. That is, Hezekiah had a personal history with God, and he knew Him as the God of Israel. He recognized Him as his own God, but he claims God in relation to all His people

In the New Testament we read of Barnabas going down to a gathering of young Christians and he exhorted them,

So, we should each have it in mind, that if there is no collective position in our towns, we each want to be regulated by the truth, and we desire, as far as we individually are concerned, to be cleaving to the Lord with purpose of heart.

The next passage I read presents a rather different situation. I read from the book of Ruth, and the circumstances are well known, I judge, to all the brethren;

Now, one of her daughters-in-law expressed a good deal of affection for her; she kissed her, they lifted up their voice and wept.

Well, Ruth is not on that line, she is cleaving to her mother-in law, and we want to have such a link with the testimony of the Lord that although things are small and the pathway does not seem very attractive, we may be cleaving to that testimony, wherever we are.

There is no possibility of the whole Church being again gathered here on earth, despite talks today about church unity.

In the 17th chapter of Acts it says that some men joining themselves to him, that is Paul, believed.

Now what is it to abide with Paul, to join with Paul? That is the next point.

Then, there are all the other Epistles of Paul, Corinthians for instance; and if I cling to Paul I cleave to Corinthians. I do not give up the teaching as to the communion of the Body of Christ.

Paul tells us also about the House of God, and that keeps me balanced.

Now Paul would have us cleave to all these things. Cleaving to Paul, means that I am not surrendering any of the truth as taught by him, and Paul, as I have emphasised, was specially gifted to outline the light to regulate us in this dispensation.

The next Scripture I read was in relation to David in 2 Samuel 20. In case the younger people here are not acquainted with the circumstances of this chapter, I would say that a little while before this, David, the rightful king, had been set aside by a usurper – Absalom.

The same thing has happened in our time, beloved; so that this chapter has a present bearing upon us at the present moment; the enemy having been defeated in one point, is making another attack.

The enemy will very quickly take advantage of any such situation; and so

The enemy is never content to keep things in a locality, he wants to spread things in all the tribes of Israel. Is that not what the enemy is doing now? Let us not be deceived.

What are we going to do in the present emergency? Let us cleave to our King!

That is what is involved, and if that is how matters stand in any locality, let us cleave to our King.

So this mother in Israel appears, and she shows how matters stand and it says that

Now just a closing word on this passage in Genesis. The Scripture says,

The truth as to marriage is gone to pieces in the world, alas; these very Scriptures are being manipulated and misinterpreted, even by some Christians.

Let us cling to these thoughts; let us hold faithfully to the marriage bond, not getting involved in the sin of fornication, we speak very practically. Paul says, “flee fornication”.

May the Lord bless the word, for His Name’s sake.

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