Church

He is speaking, not of a tree, but trees; a forest. He is likening Israel to a forest. It may be an olive-wood or a palm-wood, the oaks of Bashan or the cedars of Lebanon. Israel is the forest, God’s forest, planted by God, on God’s own hills and valleys. So also is the church; and each member is a tree in that forest. On that forest God has his eye; from its trees God comes seeking fruit. From the forest of Lebanon trees were once cut down for the temple; but this is for destruction, not for building nor ornament.

The Christian is a part of Christ, a member of His body. His every thought and word and deed proceeds from Christ, as the centre of volition. Thus he loves in the Lord, he hopes in the Lord, he boasts in the Lord, he labours in the Lord … He has one guiding principle in acting and in forbearing to act, μόνον ἐν Κυρίῳ (1 Cor. 7:39).

Verse 1

According to Thy gracious word,
In meek humility,
This will I do, my dying Lord,
I will remember Thee.

Verse 2

Thy body, broken for my sake,
My bread from heaven shall be;
Thy testamental cup I take,
And thus remember Thee.

Verse 3

Gethsemane can I forget?
Or there Thy conflict see,
Thine agony and bloody sweat,
And not remember Thee?

Verse 4

When to the cross I turn mine eyes,
And rest on Calvary,
O Lamb of God, my Sacrifice,
I must remember Thee.

Verse 5

Remember Thee, and all Thy pains,
And all Thy love to me:
Yea, while a breath, a pulse remains,
Will I remember Thee.

Verse 6

And when these failing lips grow dumb,
And mind and memory flee,
When Thou shalt in Thy kingdom come,
Jesus, remember me.

Verse 1

Alleluia, song of sweetness,
Voice of joy, eternal lay;
Alleluia is the anthem
Of the choirs in heavenly day,
Which the angels sing, abiding
In the house of God alway.

Verse 2

Alleluia thou resoundest,
Salem, Mother ever blest;
Alleluias without ending
Fit yon place of gladsome rest;
Exiles we, by Babel’s waters,
Sit in bondage and distressed.

Verse 3

Alleluia! songs of gladness
Suit not always souls forlorn:
Alleluia! sounds of sadness
Midst our joyful strains are borne;
For in this dark world of sorrow
We with tears our sins must mourn.

Verse 4

Trinity of endless glory,
Hear Thy people as they cry;
Grant us all our heart’s deep longing
In our home beyond the sky,
There to Thee our Alleluia
Singing everlastingly.

Verse 1

A mighty Fortress is our God,
A Bulwark never failing;
Our Helper He amid the flood
Of mortal ills prevailing:
For still our ancient foe
Doth seek to work us woe;
His craft and power are great,
And, armed with cruel hate,
On earth is not his equal.

Verse 2

Did we in our own strength confide,
Our striving would be losing;
Were not the right Man on our side,
The Man of God’s own choosing:
Dost ask who that may be?
Christ Jesus, it is He;
Lord Sabaoth His Name,
From age to age the same,
And He must win the battle.

Verse 3

And though this world, with devils filled,
Should threaten to undo us;
We will not fear, for God hath willed
His truth to triumph through us:
The prince of darkness grim,—
We tremble not for him;
His rage we can endure,
For lo! his doom is sure,
One little word shall fell him.

Verse 4

That word above all earthly powers,
No thanks to them, abideth;
The Spirit and the gifts are ours
Through Him who with us sideth:
Let goods and kindred go,
This mortal life also:
The body they may kill:
God’s truth abideth still,
His kingdom is for ever.

Verse 1

A mighty Fortress is our God,
A Bulwark never failing;
Our Helper He amid the flood
Of mortal ills prevailing:
For still our ancient foe
Doth seek to work us woe;
His craft and power are great,
And, armed with cruel hate,
On earth is not his equal.

Verse 2

Did we in our own strength confide,
Our striving would be losing;
Were not the right Man on our side,
The Man of God’s own choosing:
Dost ask who that may be?
Christ Jesus, it is He;
Lord Sabaoth His Name,
From age to age the same,
And He must win the battle.

Verse 3

And though this world, with devils filled,
Should threaten to undo us;
We will not fear, for God hath willed
His truth to triumph through us:
The prince of darkness grim,—
We tremble not for him;
His rage we can endure,
For lo! his doom is sure,
One little word shall fell him.

Verse 4

That word above all earthly powers,
No thanks to them, abideth;
The Spirit and the gifts are ours
Through Him who with us sideth:
Let goods and kindred go,
This mortal life also:
The body they may kill:
God’s truth abideth still,
His kingdom is for ever.

Verse 1

And are we yet alive,
And see each other’s face?
Glory and praise to Jesus give,
For his redeeming grace.

Verse 2

Preserved by power divine
To full salvation here,
Again in Jesus’ praise we join,
And in his sight appear.

Verse 3

What troubles have we seen!
What conflicts have we passed!
Fightings without, and fears within,
Since we assembled last!

Verse 4

But out of all the Lord
Hath brought us by his love;
And still he doth his help afford,
And hides our life above.

Verse 5

Let us take up the cross,
Till we the crown obtain;
And gladly reckon all things loss
So we may Jesus gain.

Verse 1

And is the time approaching,
By prophets long foretold,
When all shall dwell together,
One Shepherd and one fold?
Shall every idol perish,
To moles and bats be thrown?
And every prayer be offered
To God in Christ alone?

Verse 2

Shall Jew and Gentile meeting
From many a distant shore,
Around one altar kneeling,
One common Lord adore?
Shall all that now divides us
Remove, and pass away
Like shadows of the morning
Before the blaze of day?

Verse 3

Shall all that now unites us
More sweet and lasting prove,
A closer bond of union
In a blest land of love?
Shall war be learned no longer?
Shall strife and tumult cease?
All earth His blessed kingdom,
The Lord and Prince of Peace!

Verse 4

O long-expected dawning,
Come with thy cheering ray;
When shall the morning brighten,
The shadows flee away?
O sweet anticipation!
It cheers the watchers on
To pray, and hope, and labor,
Till the dark night be gone.

Verse 1

And let our bodies part--
To diff’rent climes repair;
Inseparably joined in heart
The friends of Jesus are.

Verse 2

Oh, let us still proceed
In Jesus’ work below;
And following our triumphant Head,
To further conquests go.

Verse 3

The vineyard of the Lord
Before his laborers lies;
And lo! we see the vast reward
Which waits us in the skies.

Verse 4

Oh, let our heart and mind
Continually ascend,
That haven of repose to find,
Where all our labors end.

Verse 1

A parting hymn we sing
Around Thy table, Lord;
Again our grateful tribute bring,
Our solemn vows record.

Verse 2

Here have we seen Thy face,
And felt Thy presence here;
So may the savor of Thy grace
In word and life appear.

Verse 3

The purchase of Thy blood,
By sin no longer led,
The path our dear Redeemer trod
May we rejoicing tread.

Verse 4

In self-forgetting love
Be our communion shown,
Until we join the Church above,
And know as we are known.

Be with each of us in our daily lives, guide us by Thy wisest counsel, draw near to us as we wait before Thee, and let our gatherings together be for the better and not for the worse. May we each, coming in Christ’s Name, find Him in the midst. Hear us; in Thy mercy forgive and answer and bless us, for Jesus Christ our Saviour’s sake.

Thus there are two cities, one of the wicked, the other of the just, which to endure from the beginning of the human race even to the end of time, which are now intermingled in body, but separated in will, and which, moreover, are to be separated in body also on the day of judgment. For all men who love pride and temporal dominion together with empty vanity and display of presumption, and all spirits who set their affections on such things and seek their own glory by the subjection of man, are bound fast together in one fellowship; and even though they frequently fight one with another for these ends, still they are flung headlong by an equal weight of desire into the same abyss, and are united to one another by the likeness of their ways and deserts. And again, all men and all spirits who humbly seek God’s glory, not their own, and who follow Him in godliness, belong to one fellowship. And yet God is most merciful and long-suffering toward ungodly men, and offers them room for repentance and amendment.