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Separation
Ministry by C. W. Cooper


Introduction Separation	Tears Christian Unity and Fellowship

INTRODUCTION

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

He has three fine hymns – No.'s 283, 494 and 530 – in the 1973 Hymn Book and the 1993 Supplement.
He is also wrote Beholding that Sight which will eventually appear on Poetry: The Alpha and Omega, along with several others of his poems.

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

He met with a small company of brethren in Belfast who had also withdrawn, who maintained practical fellowship with Mr. G. R. Cowell and other brethren.
CWC's ministry was highly valued among the brethren in the 1960's.

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

Separation – in 1950 before the death of JT Senior – is a balanced presentation in accord with the outlook of brethren of that time and earlier.
- Separation is not a popular subject. Many think it is merely negative, but separation from evil is necessary because of God's holiness.
  - "Be ye holy, for I am holy", 1 Peter 1: 18, Leviticus 19: 2. This is hardly negative.
- That exhortation is not merely to individuals but to brethren collectively as called to be "a holy priesthood" and "a holy nation", 1 Peter 2: 5, 9.
- Of course, to merely be separate without it springing from devotion and love to the Lord Jesus would be pharisaism.
Tears – just a month after the 1959 London meetings which heralded the beginning of the legal era – presaged the sorrow soon to come upon the brethren.
- This address was at Dublin – where the revival had begun with joy, just over 130 year earlier.
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".

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

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;

it was entitled
Separation from Evil – God's Principle of Unity.

The Spirit used it, and all over the world there came to pass the most wonderful recovery in the history of the church, and in this recovery – brought about in God's mercy and grace – we have part.
This recovery has continued until now, and I suppose there is not one principle that has been so much attacked by the enemy from that day to this, and is being attacked at the present times, as this principle of separation.
That is why it has been impressed upon me to speak about it tonight.

Brethren at that time acted on the Scripture in 2 Timothy, which refers to vessels to dishonour and says, "If therefore one shall have purified himself from these, in separating himself from them …"

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

but conditions in 2 Timothy days have become so bad that the servant of the Lord who still desires to be faithful finds a way to escape by separating himself from such persons.
So in those early days of the last century brethren acted in the light of this important principle of separation, and we can see that God has abundantly confirmed it.
It is for us to see to it that we are maintaining this principle that they recovered for us.
It can be said of us that other men have laboured and we have entered into their labour, John 4: 38,
and God is expecting that what is committed to us from those who have been before us in the testimony should be continued and maintained in power, so that,
if the Lord leaves us here, we may be able to pass on to others the principles that we, in our measure, have sought to maintain.

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 Bible is constantly attacked, because men know it is the truth, and,
- on the same account, this principle of separation is the cause of constant attack, and even imitation.
Not long after that recovery had come to pass, the enemy set up a rival system, imitating this idea of separation, but it did not go far enough.
I often think of a time in David's history when he had to act on this principle, and when he fled from Jerusalem. It says,
- "And the king went forth, and all the people after him, and stayed at the remote house" – Beth - Merchak, 2 Samuel 15: 17 – emphasising the fact that a great breach had come in and he must separate from what was current at Jerusalem.

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.

In case there should be a believer here seeking his way, I ask you to consider what is being said now, so as to avoid this half-way house, so that you may find your way to the "remote house". As we see with David, God supported it.

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", and that Scripture I want to use

to appeal to the young people here that they might make a full and definite committal to the Lord in "the stronghold in the wilderness", which answers to the Corinthian position.
- It is a fortified position and bears on our position in a military sense.
In this city of London and in other cities too, there is the evidence of a stronghold, secured by separation.
It is maintained by separating to the Lord, not to any religious company or a nice congregation of people, but to a Person.

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.

He is supporting a position in the wilderness, and we therefore want to be in that position wholeheartedly.
I link it up with the Corinthian position, which suggests a military setting, as it says here, "men fit for the service of war".
The earlier verses, down to verse 7, are like Romans – the kingdom – where it is a question of standing in our individual setting, confessing Christ in the office, at school, or at home.
When we come to this fortified position, something more systematic is suggested in "the service of war". We have now committed ourselves to a military position.
A soldier does not fight just when he feels like it, but he is entirely committed to the conflict. So in our case the separate position is in conflict and we are in the conflict with it.
Is that true of all? Have we all committed ourselves wholeheartedly in our localities? That is where the Lord expects us to be thoroughly in the conflict.

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, "who were swift as the gazelles upon the mountains". They were not only marked by courage, but alertness as to anything that would be a challenge to David, their rightful lord and king.
Does that mark us in our localities? Have we not often mourned how slow we have been to take up matters; how the enemy, through our delay, has gained a foothold he would not otherwise have had?
I am not seeking to discourage the brethren, but I desire that we might all be exercised to be marked by courage and alertness in meeting the attack of the enemy in anything that would be a challenge to the rights of the Lord Jesus.

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".

The children of Benjamin, of which tribe Saul came, and of Judah to which tribe David belonged, represent people who might have been marked by merely natural motives.
David wanted to make sure that they came because of love and loyalty to him, and we have to search our hearts as to whether true love for Christ is marking us as we commit ourselves to this position.
- David says, "but if to betray me to mine enemies!" What a challenge!
In the position of conflict, in the stronghold in the wilderness, it is possible there may be traitors. You know how in history traitors are regarded with shame and contempt.
What about our standing for Christ? Have we sometimes allowed the spirit of treachery or betrayal? I believe it is well for us to question ourselves as to our loyalty to Christ.
May we be able to answer as this man in verse 18:
- "And the Spirit came upon Amasai, the chief of the captains, and he said, Thine are we, David, and with thee, thou son of Jesse: Peace, peace be to thee! And peace be to thy helpers! For thy God helps thee".
That is, he saw that though the position outwardly was small – nothing palatial marked the stronghold in the wilderness – God was helping.
So we can see that God is helping His people as they seek to move on these lines, in the various localities where they are found.
Then as we realize that God is helping, we want to help, as verse 22 says,
- "there came men to David to help him".
How can we do that? By a full committal to this stronghold position.

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.

A captain does not push himself forward, but he is not afraid of accepting responsibility.
The time of rewards has not come yet. The Lord Himself is waiting the final vindication, but in that day to come there will be abundant compensation.

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.

Earlier in chapter 6 the idea of separation is mentioned in connection with the Nazarite, but in chapter 8 it is in connection with the Levites, those who serve the saints.
We might almost say that more rigid separation is called for in those who serve; not merely separation from evil as in an earlier Scripture, or separation from the world,
- but they had to go through a course which involved sacrifice, bringing home to them the deep, practical meaning of the death of Christ.

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".

The first idea is the sprinkling upon them the water of purification from sin.
From chapter 19 of this book we have some idea of what the water of purification suggests – man after the flesh entirely set aside in the death of Christ;
- whether it be man in weakness or man in all his dignity, all has to go.
That is where many make a mistake. Sometimes we are inclined to do as Saul did; we read that he put to death all that was weak and mean but spared the choicest of the sheep and oxen.
Jehovah had said that all was to go – there is no thought of selection. This is easy to say, but not so easy to work out in practice.

Now this chapter goes on to say,

"they shall pass the razor over all their flesh".

That means to say that the one who is serving the saints must be exceedingly careful to apply the sharp knife to all those features that are natural to him,
- not necessarily evil features, but what might mark him as a man in the flesh.
I am sure we have seen this exemplified in those who have served the saints in these days.
A man who passes the razor over all his flesh is not marked by anything to distinguish him naturally. It would deprive him of many things he might boast of.
- Absalom boasted in the hair of his head which distinguished him in a remarkable way in Israel.
On the other hand Paul did not want to be distinguished by anything natural but his service was in demonstration of the Spirit and of power.
I know as much as any the tendency for the natural to intrude in one's service, but what is suggested in these verses is that the natural is dealt with so as to make way for the Spirit.
- Any tendency to be comic or dramatic only distinguishes the natural at the expense of the spiritual.

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

This applies to the surroundings and associations of the Levite; he must be careful that there is nothing allowed to deprive him of power of service amongst the saints.
Then it speaks of their service, verse 22:
- "afterwards the Levites came in to perform their service … before Aaron, and before his sons".
That is something that those who serve should notice, that the Levites are called upon to serve before Aaron, and before his sons.
The saints are regarded as spiritual and priestly persons; so our service is not only before God and before the Lord, but before the saints, and they form a judgment of our service; it is right that they should.
- It says, "Let two or three prophets speak, and let the others judge", 1 Corinthians 14: 29.
The saints form a judgment both of the servants and the service.
As one moves on this line of separation, cleansing and purification, he will secure their commendation – a most important matter.
I would appeal to the young brethren here tonight, that they might be concerned as to what spiritual persons think of their service.
- Consider what the Lord thinks surely, but take into account what the spiritual think also.

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.

In the days in which these prophets lived the idea of separation was not being maintained, so I want to show how it applies to us today.
We can understand a little the Lord's jealousy as to anything that would be a challenge to His rights, anything that would defile or weaken the priestly service that is going on to God our Father.
This chapter has especially that in mind; purification is going on in view of the offering in the last section of the chapter. Nehemiah says,
- "I purified them from all foreigners, and appointed the charges of the priests and the Levites, every one in his service; and for the wood-offering, at times appointed, and for the first-fruits", Nehemiah 13: 30-31.
The idea is that there should be a pure offering. We are told in Malachi 3: 4:
- "Then shall the oblation of Judah and Jerusalem be pleasant unto Jehovah, as in the days of old".
As I remarked, the Lord is constantly raising this matter of separation as in the last chapter of Nehemiah, which is perhaps almost at the end of the Old Testament history.
I mention that because I think we are in similar times now, very near the return of our Lord Jesus Christ. We shall soon see the One about whom we were singing, who suffered in order to save us.
We have never seen Him yet, but we shall very shortly see Him; and our desire is that in the little while we are left here we may stand in fidelity to Him.
In these days of Ezra and Nehemiah the people had not been so careful in their associations, and so this matter is raised definitely now by Nehemiah, and the whole chapter deals with this matter of separation.

I just wish to make an appeal so that,

if there is anything we are allowing that we would be ashamed of if the Lord Jesus were to come tonight,

we might deal with it ourselves – separate from that mixture that so often marks us.
- "They separated from Israel all the mixed multitude", Nehemiah 13: 3.
Israel stands for the saints according to the purpose of God.
These people, as realising all the precious thoughts of God in relation to their calling, began to separate themselves from all that was beneath the dignity of their position.
There may be something in the lives of many that might well be scrutinised in view of the nearness of the return of the Lord Jesus.
We often sing, "At Thy call may we be ready". Would we be ready should the Lord Jesus come tonight? Would we be ashamed of anything allowed secretly that the brethren are not aware of?

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

"Eliashib the priest, who had the oversight of the chambers of the house of our God, a kinsman of Tobijah, had prepared for him a great chamber, where formerly they laid the oblations …", Nehemiah 13: 4-5.

That would speak of natural preferences we might allow which would be a definite hindrance in the service of God.
The result of this link was that, where formerly the oblations were, there was a chamber prepared for this kinsman.
You know how that works out. Perhaps natural links, mixed marriages or such-like things which cause the offerings to suffer, and the response to Divine Persons is not so fresh as it used to be.
If there is to be a full response to our God and Father, it can only be as we find all our springs in Zion.
- "The singers as the dancers shall say, All my springs are in thee", Psalm 87: 7.

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

How careful we need to be in our links when dealing with men of Tyre!
We know how advantageous it might seem to be to form such links in business, but we have to remember the service of God is going to suffer – I am quite convinced of that.
The Lord is raising this question in order that we might be
- "purified from all foreigners".

The next matter is in verse 23:

"I saw Jews that had married wives of Ashdod, of Ammon, and of Moab".

Ammon and Moab are nations that represent those not fully committed to the truth.
The men of Ashdod were Philistines; Ammon and Moab were religious enemies, and links with such people definitely hinder us in God's service.
So the Lord has many times in our day stressed that this principle of separation must be held faithfully amongst us.
Men of God who have gone before have given up much in order to stand for the truth.
- Have we given up anything in our day to maintain what has been committed to us?

1 Chronicles 25

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

"David and the captains of the host separated for the service those of the sons of Asaph and of Heman and of Jeduthun who were to prophesy with harps and lutes and cymbals".

We referred in our first Scripture to the service of the war, but we are on a higher level now; we are engaged with the service of song, and the important idea of separation comes in in that connection also.
- We have it before us now in connection with the present revision of our hymn book.
It is not simply that David and the captains were concerned to separate from what was evil, but they were concerned that the response might be in every way suited to the truth.
They were to prophesy with harps and lutes and cymbals – a very strong word meaning that the mind of God was conveyed in the song. It fits in with what is current amongst the saints.
- The brethren are concerned that there should be excluded from our hymn book anything that would not rightly represent the mind and truth of God, a very excellent thought.
So it says in verse 6 and 7,
- "All these were under the direction of their fathers … And the number of them, with their brethren that were instructed in the songs of Jehovah, all of them skilful, was two hundred and eighty-eight".
That is what is proceeding, that there might be intelligence and instruction in the service of our God.
The Spirit is helping us in that connection and it is something we might be well concerned about, not only that we may have a hymn book by which we might respond to God the Father,
- but that we might be skilful in the use of it when it comes to us, that we might be "expert ones", as the footnote suggests.

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.

One of them means 'Jah is great'; another means 'Fame of God', and another means 'Strength of God '.

It is all in view of what is said in verse 5,
- "All these were sons of Heman the king's seer in the words of God, to exalt His power".

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.

We may be occupied too much with our blessings; we want to be on a more elevated line than that, "to exalt His power", making much of the fame and greatness of our God.
That is the end before the brethren, that just before the close of our dispensation there might be a suitable flow of praise back
- to our Lord Jesus, the One who died;
- to the Holy Spirit, who has served us so well and faithfully throughout the dispensation;
- and, above all, to our God and Father who is supreme in this economy of love.
The whole idea is that God in His greatness and supremacy may be magnified. What a blessed end to keep before us!
As we enjoy something of this liberty in the service of song our judgment would be that separation is worth while.
In view then of the service of our God and Father, may we all be exercised to be separate from everything evil,
- and even from things merely natural or sentimental which would weaken our response to God!

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

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.

It is said in the book of Ecclesiastes
- "Vexation is better than laughter".
That is what the wise man of Ecclesiastes said, and he adds,
- "for by the sadness of the countenance the heart is made better".
That Scripture is one we might well think of, because sooner or later there are times in all our histories when we have sadness of heart.

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.

The psalmist there, in the midst of his wanderings, says to God,
- "Put Thou my tears into Thy bottle: are they not in Thy book?"
I would desire to speak for the encouragement of the brethren, young and old, about tears that go into God's bottle, tears that find a place in God's book.
It is encouraging that in times of sadness of countenance there is something being worked out, so that God is able to put tears into His bottle.
Not every tear goes into God's bottle; not all weeping finds a place in God's book,
- but the tears mentioned in the Scriptures in Timothy and in Psalm 42 and in Kings are all tears of the kind that will be treasured in God's bottle.
If there is sadness of countenance with us it is with the intent that there might be something secured for God's pleasure.

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

the footnote says that outflow is really tears –
- "thou shall not delay the tears of thy winepress".
God has in mind that in our tears there might be an outflow, that there might be some gain from the pressure and some spoil for the service of God.
The winepress is not part of God's purpose, but it is a very essential part of His ways, because, such as we are, sadness works better results than laughter. The winepress often works results that could never be secured in any other way.
There are psalms whose heading includes the word Gittith, a word which means winepress.

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

Think of what He endured at Gethsemane! Think of the strong crying and tears! Think of the Son of God shedding tears!
Think of Psalm 69, read it – and read it often – the sorrows that were heaped upon Jesus by men whom He had created. Think of the words of One who sought for comforters and found none.
Think of Psalm 102: its heading reads,
- "A prayer of the afflicted, when he is overwhelmed, and poureth out his complaint before Jehovah".
Then the psalmist speaks of being taken away in the midst of his days, so that we rightly refer, in speaking of such a subject, to the Lord Jesus Himself.
In the days of His flesh He offered up strong crying and tears to Him that was able to deliver him out of death. It does not read, 'deliver Him from death'; that was not the thought.
He went into death to be delivered out of it: the Lord Jesus went all the way. He was indeed the Man of Sorrows, the One whose face was marred more than any man's.

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.

We sometimes shed tears because we do not get our own way; sometimes we shed tears because of the consequences of our own wilfulness and disobedience.
Those tears never find a place in God's book, never are treasured in God's bottle. But the tears I speak of all find a place in God's book.

2 Timothy 1

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

The more I go on in the testimony of Lord the more I value the old men and the old women. Old disciples are valuable.
We read of one in the Acts, Mnason, an old disciple, and he was found with Paul.
- Even in his old age, at a time when Paul was not popular, this old disciple was found with him, supporting him.
The young should value the old, even if they have not much gift.

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

Paul thanks God as he thinks about this young man. Are you the cause of thanksgiving amongst the people God? Are they glad in having seen the work of God coming to light in your history?
- I have seen the work of God developing in people of tender age, and I have thanked God for it.
The work of God can be seen in different gradations, and it is beautiful in every feature. Whether it be just the bud or whether it be the full fruit, the work of God in anyone is a cause of thanksgiving.
Now Paul in this Scripture says he had remembrance of this young man in his supplications, and he remembered his tears. Had you ever shed tears like these?
They are very, very precious tears; their value could not be given in money – the value of tears like these! You can shed them at this very time.

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.

Timothy was not weeping about himself; he was weeping about the testimony of the Lord, and I would say to you dear young people, Well you might weep about it.
As I think of the Lord Jesus speaking to His disciples about one flock, I look over Christendom and I see division and ruin.
- Where is the expression of the one flock? Where do I see all believers in Christ gathered together as one, operating as one body?
Alas! I see the saints of God scattered in hundreds of sects and schisms all over Christendom.
- There are some denominations where I would not expect to find a Christian, but I can think of many others and know of Christians in them. Why is it they are not altogether?

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

Read the first two or three chapters of Revelation if you want the inspired account of it.

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

It began when a young man got an impression that, if there was a Head in heaven, there was a body on earth, and he sought to find the body.
That led him to get back to the original charter of the church of God and he sought to recognize the great truth of the Head in heaven and the Spirit down here.
It was the most wonderful revival that ever took place in the assembly history.

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

but the enemy got very busy too and within twenty years there was a division even amongst those who had part in this revival, nor has it been the last.

If you were to read the history of the testimony since 1830 you would have much cause to shed tears; if you have not shed a tear or two I am sorry for you.
You should make yourself acquainted with the history of the testimony that you might be able to shed tears to go into God's bottle.

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.

So be sure you are on the winning side, and commit yourself fully to the testimony of the Lord.
Persons like you are needed, as was said by the Lord Jesus long ago about a little colt,
- "The Lord has need of him".
Let us make sure that we ourselves are going on with Paul. He is the great example for us in the last days.
He encourages his child, he stimulates him, he says that, even in spite of all that has come in,
- God "has not given us a spirit of cowardice, but of power, and of love, and of wise discretion".
- And he exhorts him to "be not ashamed of the testimony of our Lord".
Have you taken your place in the support of the testimony of the Lord?
The Lord would make a fresh appeal. Do not hesitate, but take your share in the suffering.

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

Paul indicates that things will decline and rather get worse, and he says,
- "thou therefore, my child, be strong in the grace which is in Christ Jesus".
He is able to see the testimony and those connected with it through to the end. Why not have a part in it?
Paul was not in any doubt as to the end of things. He says,
- "I am not ashamed" because "He is able to keep for that day the deposit I have entrusted to Him".

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

Think of the ruin, think of the way man has handled these holy things, and let us sigh and cry over the ruin.
Some may say, 'Did not the Lord in Matthew 16 say that nothing would be able to overcome the church?'
- True, but that is the church as built by Christ.
We have another view of the church as committed to man in 1 Corinthians 3, and all kinds of builders and all kinds of materials are mentioned there. That is why we see around us such confusion.
Some have built in gold, some silver, some precious stones and some, alas, straw. So let us all be on the line of building, but of building something which will abide.

Psalm 42

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

This psalm is addressed to the Chief Musician, and the experiences recorded result in addition to the praises of God.
It is an instruction and it is composed by the sons of Korah. A very fine choir were the sons of Korah, but the experiences recorded in this psalm are not happy ones.
- "My tears have been my bread day and night, while they say unto me all the day, Where is thy God?" That is what the enemy is saying.
This is the second book of Psalms and in this particular book the children of Israel will find great comfort in a coming day.
It views the remnant as cast out of Jerusalem, and that is why it says,
- "I remember thee from the land of the Jordan, and the Hermons, from mount Mizar".
It speaks first of all of the land of the Jordan. We are not very old when we know something of the Jordan.
I often think of the vessels of Solomon's temple. It says that they were all cast in the clay ground beside the Jordan,
- and we are told in another part of Scripture that every now and then the Jordan overflowed its banks and that kept the ground soft and workable.
Had the clay been hard they would not have been able to make many vessels. That is an illustration of what God sometimes does in our histories.
He allows the waters of Jordan to overflow, for as we look on the histories of the children of God they may seem to have more sorrows than anybody else.

Paul knew something about the Jordan. He says,

"We who live are always delivered unto death on account of Jesus", 2 Corinthians 4: 11.

It was part of his spiritual instruction. God has to bring us that way in view of forming us for the Father's house.
So the psalmist speaks of Jordan and then of the Hermons, at the very extremity of the land. We might say he is nearly out of fellowship; then he speaks of mount Mizar, which means 'the little hill'.
In our histories there are often little hills which cause us much sorrow. They are not great things that others might take account of, but little things which are often the cause of our tears being our bread day and night,
- and the enemy says, Why does not God come in? – "Where is thy God?"
It is not that God finds pleasure in putting us through experiences like these; it is a part of the discipline that goes on in His school, and tears shed in this way have an abiding result. They find a place in God's bottle.

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

The brethren can see that; it is like the Jordan.

There are other times when only God knows, and that would be like mount Mizar. It is all intended to teach us more of God Himself, to teach us more of His love.
As the psalmist goes on to say "In the day-time will Jehovah command His loving-kindness, and in the night His song shall be with me". He is beginning to get help now.
- His tears were his bread, but now he says, "His song shall be with me".
How good to know a God who "giveth songs in the night"!
Some of the richest contributions to our hymn book were songs in the night.
Some of Mr. Darby's hymns were written during times of great personal sorrow and afflictions, some in the midst of conflicts for the truth, and they all have a place in God's treasury.
So this psalm would encourage us, that we might all know God as the One who gives songs, even in the night.

2 Kings 20

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

"After these things and this faithfulness"

certain things happened in his history, including the attack from the outside and his sickness unto death inside.
After all his faithfulness, after he had lived a life and been the means of a great revival in Judah – after all that these two things happened which tried him very much:
- the enemy outside the gates and his own sickness inside.
It says he was sick unto death. It is no light matter to get a message that you are going to die and not live. Sometimes the Lord allows us to have experiences of that kind.
He knew what Hezekiah had been, yet He allowed him to pass through these circumstances.

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

"Return and tell Hezekiah the captain of My people …"

God would assure Hezekiah that He knew all about the matter.
It was indeed an honour that was paid to Hezekiah, to be called "the captain of My people" by God! Earthly honours are a hindrance to the Christian, but not God's honours.
- God's says, "I have heard thy prayer, I have seen thy tears"
– they were all being recorded in God's book.

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".

Jehovah says "on the third day thou shalt go up to the house of Jehovah".

The addition to his life is not mentioned first in Kings, but the fact of his going up to the house of Jehovah on the third day.
If you want to find out how he went up read chapter 38 of Isaiah, for it shows the gain he got out of all these circumstances.
At the beginning of the chapter, in his lamentation, he is heart-broken. Everything seems to have gone the opposite way to what he had hoped.
But then he comes to a point where he says that God has done it. It is a great point in our spiritual history when we see that God's hand is behind things.

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

"We will play upon my stringed instruments all the days of our life".

When a brother has been under discipline others see that he has gained.
Paul says that at one point he despaired even of living, and he adds that the objective that God had in mind was that he should have his trust in God who raises the dead.
In all trials let us seek God's mind, let us seek to know why He has allowed the sorrow.
- "He does not willingly afflict or grieve the children of men".
His desire is that we might acquire a knowledge of Himself that will remain when the pressure is all gone, when our Mizar is levelled to the ground.

Revelation 21

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

Tears and weeping may be the order of the day now, but we can look forward by faith and by the Spirit's grace and power to a day when the last tear will be shed.
God will wipe away every tear from our eyes. Think of the blessed God Himself doing that.
He will wipe away every tear from our eyes. Think of God wanting to enter into our sorrows like that.
There is not a sorrow that Jesus has not been in before us and is not in with us now. So that we may be quite sure that God would do this service for us.
He would enter into our individual sorrows, wiping away every tear, doing it personally.
- He may do it mediately through one and another of the brethren – I would like to be used to wipe away a tear.

This voice then says that

"death shall not exist anymore, nor grief, nor cry, nor distress shall exist anymore".

What will exist? The city of God, the city that lies foursquare. All the gain of the sorrows, all that has been treasured up through many tears is in the city.
At the beginning of John 11, we are told that Lazarus of Bethany was sick, and that Bethany was the village of Mary and Martha; it is said also that
- "it was the Mary who anointed the Lord with ointment",
as if the Spirit would give us the gain of the sorrow before we have the experiences where the gain came from.
Where did Mary get the nard? Surely she got it in the sorrow. That is where the pound of ointment is acquired.
Now in Revelation 21 we have a time where the sorrow and tears will be over for ever.
The support we have had from Christ on high and from the Comforter here below will result in precious spiritual substance throughout the day of God.

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

Whatever be the cause, the Lord Jesus has something in mind for us; God has something in mind, and that is
that we may acquire treasure that will abide when the tears, and the sorrow that caused them, will have passed away for ever.

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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

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

"Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity"

but in Christendom we see a sorrowful picture of division and scattering.

We should recognize our own part in the general breakdown, indeed the Lord has brought it home to us, in the shaking through which we have recently passed.

Such experiences often tend to make us despondent, for it would seem that everything we have treasured had gone to pieces, but

the Lord wants us to re-examine our foundations, particularly our collective foundations.

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

"that they may be all one … that the world may believe".

This should stimulate prayer and exercise that we might be found walking together in true Christian unity and fellowship, always bearing in mind such thoughts as the one flock, the one body, the one faith, the one Lord, etc.

Deuteronomy 12

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

the "place which Jehovah your God will choose"

and it is evident, from the context, that this place was to be the centre of collective spiritual life for all Israel.
Two dangers are mentioned, firstly, the possibility of each one doing what was right in his own eyes, and secondly, the offering up of sacrifices in every place.
A somewhat similar warning had already been given in Leviticus 17: 3-5, when Moses had spoken against the formation of what might be called private or independent fellowships.
There was one place, and only one place where the Israelites could find God's altar, and this was where God had placed His Name.
This is equally true in this dispensation as it is said in Hebrews 13, "we have an altar".
- The altar suggests the place where God can be approached, and the place where the people could enjoy communion together in the eating of the sacrifices.
During the history of the people of Israel, king Jeroboam established a rival altar, and a system of religious observances which, though resembling in some respects what had been set up under Moses, was clearly marked off as being merely of man.
Many altars have been erected in the history of Christendom, hence the importance of getting back to first principles;
- this is what they did in the days of recovery under Ezra, when it says that they "set the altar on its base".
We are not called upon to re-organize, nor reform, neither are we commanded to set up anything new;
- the primary concern for us is to discover and hold fast the Divine pattern.

1 Corinthians 10

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

"In the power of one Spirit, we have all been baptised into one body", 1 Corinthians 12: 13.

This is the ground on which believers came together at the beginning, the Lord's Supper being the outward expression of the fellowship or communion which was based on this unity.
- There is no other ground of gathering today.
In the Psalms and the prophets we can see how faith always reverted to God's altar, so we, in this day, should ever keep in our thoughts that
- despite the general departure, God would still direct us to the true basis of Christian unity.
This one fellowship is described in different ways, and the Scripture read in Corinthians has a place of special importance in the consideration of this subject, because
- the instructions there given are intended to regulate our thoughts, outlook, and conduct throughout our responsible history, in view of our partaking of the Lord's Supper as outlined after chapter 11: 17.

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

it is a reminder to us of the mighty cost involved before the Christian altar could be established,
and also before anyone of us could be secured to enjoy this holy fellowship.

Then "the communion of the body of the Christ" suggests the intimate links we have as sharing together in the privileges and responsibilities of the fellowship.
This Scripture makes it perfectly clear that as breaking bread and walking together in fellowship we are not doing this as individuals but as in the communion of the altar, and as members of the one body.
To help us in this the apostle says, "See Israel according to flesh", so that a passage such as we have read in Deuteronomy 12 should enable us to grasp the meaning of communion with the altar.
Again as to collective responsibility, Joshua 7: 11 could be mentioned, where Jehovah says
- "Israel hath sinned";
one person, Achan, had committed a sin, but the whole company was involved.
This aspect of collective responsibility still obtains, as can be seen from 2 Corinthians 7: 11 where the apostle says
- "in every way ye have proved yourselves to be pure in the matter".
"The matter" referred to was a case of sin in the local gathering at Corinth, and all were involved, until they proved themselves clear.

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.

Paul's teaching – including Corinthians – had been given up; truth had been displaced by error, and instead of unity there was scattering.
In such circumstances it becomes a difficult matter to find Christian fellowship.
It is not now a question of finding a "place" geographically, as the Lord Himself said in John 4: 21
- – "neither in this mountain nor in Jerusalem";
it is now a matter of finding conditions which would be suitable to the Lord's Name:
- "Where two or three are gathered together unto my name, there am I in the midst of them".

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.

The first step in this searching exercise is for the individual believer to purge himself by withdrawing from iniquity and separating from those who, while they profess the Name of Lord, are nevertheless vessels to dishonour.
- This may involve "sitting alone", Jeremiah 15: 17.
As the chapter proceeds, however, the apostle says that the believer, having purified himself is to
- "pursue righteousness, faith, love, peace with those that call upon the Lord out of a pure heart".

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 –

this would certainly include the verses in 1 Corinthians 12 regarding unity and fellowship.

It is rather similar to the Scripture in the very last chapter of the Old Testament,
- "Remember the law of Moses my servant, which I commanded him in Horeb, for all Israel".
We are not enjoined to set up to something new, but rather are we thrown back on the divine ground of gathering,
- "the communion of the body of Christ".
This is still the only basis of fellowship.

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.

We cannot therefore ignore the history connected with the setting up of these rival altars;
- even during the past 150 years certain companies have come into existence, and we should make ourselves acquainted with their origins.
The Lord alone can guide His servants aright, and even after the exercises outlined in this chapter, we need peculiar grace to be preserved from what is sectarian.

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Separation Ministry by C. W. Cooper

1 Chronicles 12

Numbers 8

Nehemiah 13

1 Chronicles 25

2 Timothy 1

Psalm 42

2 Kings 20

Revelation 21

Deuteronomy 12

1 Corinthians 10

2 Timothy 2

Separation
Ministry by C. W. Cooper