Church of God General Conference: McDonough, GA; Digital Archives Library; https://coggc.org/ THE MESSENGER or THE CHURCHES: A MAGAZINE OF SCRIPTURE EXPOSITION, AND MEDIUM OF INTERCOMMUNICATION ON ALL SOCIAL AND PRACTICAL TOPICS OF IMPORTANCE TO THE BROTHERHOOD. WITH TDK CONGREGATIONAL INTELLIGENCE OF THE YEAR I8G5. VOL. L N k w Series. IS DIN ti U LI G H : PRINTED BY A. & W. R. WILSON, 56 IIIGII STREET. MDCCCLXV. Church of God General Conference: McDonough, GA; Digital Archives Library; https://coggc.org/ CONTENTS. PAOE Editorial Introduction J Abraham*. 2 “ The Meekness and Gentleness of Christ ’• . 5 The Gospel in the Second Psalm 8, 17 Paul’s Care for the Weak . , 12 Various Readings, v. 15 The Everlasting Punishment . 20 For whom did Christ dio 22 The Seed of Abraham . 25 Wrong Translations 28 The Throne of Christ 30 Shall Jesns return to Earth again 33 The Names of God 38, 49 Notos on Words . 41, 77 The Gospel in the Eighth Psalm 42 The First three Centuries and the Gospel of the Kingdom 53 “ The Lord is at Hand ” 55, 65 A Unity of Faith in the earlier and later Saints 59 Restored Israel .... 62 Tho Head and tho Heart 03 The High Calling 63 Tho Little Horn of the Goat 69 The Restoration of Israel . 71, 87 The Gospel in Acts xiii. 74 A New hearted Man 78 The Constrast between Protestantism and tho Gospel 79 Tho Time of the Lord’s Coming 81 The Remembrance of the Lord . 85 Faith in tho Lord’s Coming essential to Salvation 90 No more Curse 91 A Right Ambition • • - • 91 Unquenchable Firo 97 The Son of David Enthroned 102 Tho Latter Days 104 Wants of Humanity 109 Remarks on Eccles, xii. 7 110 1110 Annual Meeting, 1865 . 113 The Art of Prayer 126 The Land of Israel , • 129 Tho Good Confession . 134 The Union of Believers with Unbelievers 137 Tho Literature of Infidelity 142 The Little Horn 145 Israel’s Calling not Earthly 151 The Glory yet to be Revealed 154, 161 Church of God General Conference: McDonough, GA; Digital Archives Library; https://coggc.org/ contents. VAC.B The Blessedness of making the Good Confession 156, 1G4 “S;duto one another with a holy kiss '* 158 A Brotherly Letter 1G6 The Promises and Baptism . 16'9 The Hard Wood versus the Blunt Knife . 173 “ Be yo Angry and Sin not ’’ 174 Faith in Jesus as the Christ essential to Salvation 177 The Keys of tho Kingdom of Heaven 131 'Pho First and Lsist Curse . t 182 The Worship of'the Early Disciples 184 The World is Worse and Worse 186 Intelligence— Aberdeenshire 95 Buchan , ■ , 79 Burnley . 79 Cupar Fife 187 Dundee 187 Edinburgh 1C, 47, 03, 79, 111, 127, 143, 159 Fireshire 143 Galashiels ' 31 Geneva, Illinois, U.S.A. 16 Glasgow • . 31, 64, 80 Halifax 187 Huddersfield . - 31,159 Jarrow-on-Tyne 80, 143 Kirkcaldy 188 Lanark 159 London 95,143,175 Mumbles 31, 47, G4, 80, 95, 159, 175 Nottingham 48, 64, 143 Scarborough . 95, 111 Swansea 159, 175 Tranent . 48,127 Turriff . 1G, 64, 169, 188 Night Cry to God {verse} 15 The Kingdom coming to the Daughter of Jerusalem 38 Working Song • 62 The Gospel in. the Lord’s Supper . 87 A Word of Cheer 102 Psalm for the Annual Meeting 114 A Lately Life Song 127 “ JTe saved Others ” 134 The Forty sixth Psulm 159 'IheJSlixir • 181 Church of God General Conference: McDonough, GA; Digital Archives Library; https://coggc.org/ 7> /i Ki lcl •THE MESSENGER OF THE CHURCHES. ♦ " I SPEAK AS TO WISE MEN, JUDGE YE WHAT I SAY." No. 1. January 1865. New Series. Vol. I. EDITORIAL INTRODUCTION. Once more we start: not on a new mission—not with material changes in our plan of operations ; but in pursuit of the old work of helping the bro­ therhood. - Helping the brotherhood ! Yes, this is like the help which we give in congregational matters—somebody to open the door, somebody to' set the scuts, to arrange the table, to tidy up the fireside ; and then to slip 'aside, and mingle with the others as they assemble for their feast of charity If we ..aim at greatness, therefore, it is after the approved fashion set by the Lord himself, in word and deed,—“ Whosoever will be.great among you, let him be your, minister; and whosoever will be chief among you,: let him be your servant.” Because we have only acted this kind of service we have been found fault with ; and because we have (after opening the door) sat down among the rest, in liberty, equality, and fraternity, we have been complained of for opening our mouth, and expressing our judgment with the rest. But we do not much mind that; for we are all liable to grumble at that which does not please us so well: and were there no, imperfections, we would lack the opportunity of forbearance—we must have patience with one. another. , ■ • • • With the help of God, therefore, we shall do again as we have already' done. Here is furnished a 'museum for the storing of the brethren's thoughts and sentiments-—a roll for their true history—a messenger for their loves, and business, and seryice. Simply as curators of that museum, we shall endeavour to keep its stores well arranged and available; and, with gentle, yet firm remonstrance, shall keep out what is not worth pre­ serving—specially all ephemeral personalities, which only turn to rottenness after; and shall avoid verbiage as much as possible, for we have no room for it. As the transcribers of that roll of history, we desire it to be fairly written, and illuminated with loving and loveable pictures. And as the Church of God General Conference: McDonough, GA; Digital Archives Library; https://coggc.org/ 2 THE MESSENGER OF THE CHURCHES. immediate despatches of that messenger, we shall endeavour to have him carry a good and a plainly spoken message. This is our editorial work. And if thus we endeavour to help the brethren, we are not unreasonable in our request for them to help us ; not only to do the work, but to do it after this fashion, and in this spirit. Editors. I ABRAHAM. One of the most famous men of anti­ phetic record on to a very wide future. quity is Abraham ; his name is re­ But of Abram, and through Abram is vered alike by Moslem, Jew, and a world wide and enduring blessing. Christian. By the first as a great The first incident in hishistory shews prophet, by the second as the head the purpose of God in regard to him. and progenitor of their multitudinous In Gen. xii. 1-3, we read—as if it families, and by the third as the fa­ were a resume of former history—that ther of all the faithful, whether Jew “ The Lord had said unto Abram, get or Gentile. Throughout all the East thee out of thy country, and from thy the name of Abraham is spoken of kindred, and from thy father’s house, with respect, although often known into a land that I will shew thee; only by tradition ;* and in the West, and I will make of thee a great na­ where his written history is conned tion, and I will bless thee, and make with interest, the same respect is thy name great; and thou shalt be a shown his memory. Abraham, the blessing: and I will bless them that friend of God, is deserving of all the bless thee, and curse him that curseth culogium which is bestowed on him thee : and in thee shall all families by God and man. It is, therefore, of the earth bo blessed." This call instructive to study the various pe­ Abram obeyed, and “ departed as the riods of his history and points of his Lord had spoken unto him ; and Lot character, that we may appreciate the went with him ; and Abram was se­ reasons which have led to this uni­ venty and five years old when he de­ versal esteem. parted out of Harun. And Abram Of the family from which Abraham took Sarai his wife, and Lot his bro­ sprung, we know little more than the ther’s son, and all the substance that name : his father, Terah, had other they had gathered, and the souls that children, and we know that one line they had gotten in Haran ; and they of that family has a fame, although of went forth to go into the land of a less blessed character than that of Canaan, and into the land of Canaan his son Abram. Lot and bis fortunes they came.” The tenor of this little form an interesting chapter in the bit of history, supplemented by tho authentic history of early times : and recital of Stephen, in Acts vii. 2-4, his descendants, tho Moabites and teaches that this man had deliberately Ammonites, are spoken of in the pro- made such emigration, For some time had that word of the Lord been • Tho city of I’cbron. lu which ho soinotlnio ro- in his heart, and evidently had been uldcd.nttblH dny bonrH n niinio dorlvod from tho ostooui In which Abraham was hold In old thnu, spoken in his father’s house ; for it viz., El-Kaloel—tho city of thefrund (of Ood.) seemed to be in pursuance of that Church of God General Conference: McDonough, GA; Digital Archives Library; https://coggc.org/ ABRAHAM. ’3 same purpose that the whole family sequel of his history is found in Gen.