word, and by it he merits the esteem and enjoys love of the brethren, who support him by voluntary contributions; for the labourer is worthy of his hire. 'Remember your conductors,' saith the Spirit, 'who have spoken unto you the word of God: whose faith follow, considering the end of their conduct.' (Heb. 13. 7.)

It is the duty of the Elder, as the Overseer of the assembly, not only to teach the brethren all things whatsoever the Lord has commanded, but to exhort them to observe the law of God, and to encourage them to do so by his own example, as Peter has taught us, saying: "The elders who are among you I exhort, who also am an elder, and a witness of the sufferings of the Christ, and also a partaker of the glory which shall be revealed; to feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind; neither as being lords over the heritage, but being examples to the flock. And when the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive the crown of glory that fadeth not away.' (1 Pet. 5. 1-4.) The Elder must, therefore, beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, who esteemed the gold that was in the temple to be more precious than the temple itself (Matt. 23. 16-21); for the love of money is the root of all evil in the Assembly of the Christ. (1 Tim. 6. 10.) But the crown of the faithful labourer in the Lord's vineyard will be like that of his Master, namely, a crown of thorns; for if he be the slave of the Christ he will not please the carnally minded brethren, nor the world. But in matters of faith he must obey God rather than men ; as Peter also testified when the Sadducees sought to prevent him from announcing to Israel the good news of the resurrection from the dead by Jesus. (Acts, 4. 1-19. 2 Cor. 4. 14.) And the apostle Paul, who is the highest type of ministerial fidelity, says, 'Let a man so account of us, as of the ministers of the Christ, and stewards of the mysteries of God. Moreover,

it is required in stewards, that each one be found faithful.' (1 Cor. 4. 1, 2. Comp. Luke, 12. 42-44.) And he who was appointed to be a teacher of the nations, in faith and in truth fulfilled his mission of mercy, as a faithful steward of the Lord, though bonds and tribulations awaited him in every city, leaving a noble and touching example for his brethren to follow.

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Every assembly which perseveres in the doctrine of the apostles is a faithful assembly, and it will enjoy the love of God and the grace of the Lord Jesus, for it obeys his commandments (John, 14. 21); and walking in the power the Holy Spirit it will be multiplied. (Acts, 9. 31. Comp. Eph. 3. 16; 5. 10.) For, 'Except Jehovah build the house, they labour in vain who build it.' (Ps. 128. 1.) The assembly of Philadelphia was by its fidelity a type of the bride of the Christ, for it preserved its virgin crown; and the sons of God should remember the words which Jesus addressed to it, saying: Behold, I come quickly, hold fast that thou hast, that no man take thy crown' (Rev. 3. 11); and hence the Lord warned his disciples to beware of false teachers, the wolves in sheep's clothing who are known by their fruits, for they cause them to depart from the faith (Rom. 16. 17. 2 John, 10); and he exhorted them to reject their false doctrines (Eph. 4. 14. 1 Tim. 1. 3-7; 6. 20, 21. Comp. Jer. 29. 8, 9); the baneful effects of which are shown in the following scriptures: Col. 2. 8. 2 Tim. 2. 18. 2 Pet. 2.2. God reproved the lying prophets who deceived his chosen people (Ezek. 13); and the Lord Jesus hates all false doctrine. (Rev. 2. 14-16.) Pride and covetousness are the chief causes of heresy (1 Tim. 6. 3, 4. Tit. 1. 11. 2 Pet. 2. 3), and the devil, who is the father of lies, is the author of it. (2 Cor. 11. 3, 13, 14. Rev. 12. 9.) Finally, the apostle Paul concludes his exhortation to Timothy as a servant of the Lord, saying: Meditate upon these things; give thyself wholly to them; that thy profiting may appear to all. Take heed

unto thyself, and unto the doctrine; continue in them: for by doing this, thou shalt both save (i. e. sanctify) thyself, and them that hear thee.' (1 Tim. 4. 15, 16.)

IV. Its Discipline.

As the Lord does not tolerate any other doctrine to be taught to his brethren but that of the apostles, who are his inspired witnesses for the truth, all heretics must be rejected after the first and second admonition (Titus, 3. 10, 11. Comp. Luke, 12. 45-48; 2 John, 10, 11); for false doctrine is the accursed thing from which the saints must keep themselves, lest they also be cursed. (Josh. 6. 17, 18.) In the assembly of Corinth there were some teachers, who denied the resurrection of the dead, against whom Paul warned the brethren, saying that they were "False prophets, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into apostles of the Christ; and no marvel, for Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light; therefore it is not extraordinary that his servants also transform themselves into servants of righteousness, whose end shall be according to their works.' (2 Cor. 11. 13-15. Comp. Phil. 3. 19.) These seducers of the brethren were with them, but they were not of them (1 John, 2. 19); and the apostle condemned them to be expelled from the assembly as unbelievers in the Lord. (1 Cor. 15. 12; 16. 22.) And it is recorded that Hymeneus and Alexander, who apostatised from the faith, were delivered over to Satan, that is, cast out of the assembly as heretics (1 Tim. 1. 6, 19, 20. 2 Tim. 2. 17); for it is thus that the temple of God is preserved from defilement, and guarded against the doctrines of seducing spirits, who lie in wait to deceive God's children, by teaching lies in his name; which Paul calls 'spiritual wickedness in the heavenlies,' that is, in the Sanctuary. (Eph. 6. 12. Matt. 7. 15. John, 10. 10. Acts, 20. 29. Rom. 16. 17, 18. 1 Cor. 3. 17. Gal. 1. 7, 9;

5. 10, 12. 1 Tim. 4. 1-4.) This is the spirit of the Anti-Christ, which had already manifested itself in the Assembly of God; and Paul says of the teachers of iniquity Anathema,' that is, let them be accursed, that is, excommunicated from the assembly; 'Maranatha,' the Lord cometh (1 Cor. 16. 22); for heresy is the poison of God's Assembly. (Rev. 22. 15.) In order, therefore, to avoid divisions and sects, all idle questions must be avoided. This is a very important point. (1 Tim. 1. 4. Titus, 3. 8,9.) 'Shun profane and vain babblings,' saith the apostle, 'for they [who indulge in them] will increase unto more ungodliness, and their word will eat as doth a gangrene, of whom is Hymenæus and Philetus.' (2 Tim. 2. 16, 17.) The Assembly of the Christ, when it was first manifested, was sanctified by his Word, for it persevered in the doctrine of the apostles, and in communication in the Holy Spirit, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers. (Acts, 2. 42.) It walked in the fear of the Lord, and in his Spirit, and kept itself pure, as it is written: 'Then had the Assembly peace throughout all Judæa, and Galilee, and Samaria, and was edified; and walking in the fear of the Lord, and in the power of the Holy Spirit, was multiplied' (Acts, 9. 31); for they who were unmindful of their holy calling, and who disobeyed the law of the Lord Jesus, were cast out, even as the unfruitful branches are cut off from the vine; for every assembly of the Christ is a tribunal which enforces obedience to his holy law, and from whose decision there is no appeal; for the Lord hath said: 'Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.' (Matt. 18. 17.)

There are three ways in which the disciples of Jesus may incur the judgment of God:

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1. By teaching doctrines in his name to the saints which he has not commanded them to teach. (Matt. 28. 20; 15.1-9.)

2. By committing certain scandalous sins which are specially prohibited. (Gal. 5. 18-21.)

3. By omitting to do those things which the Lord has commanded. (John, 15. 2. Jam. 2. 13. Matt. 25. 30.)

Accordingly, being invested with sovereign power, the assembly expels unworthy members, and restores the transgressors on their conversion; and its acts will be ratified by the Lord, provided they are sanctioned by his word (1 Cor. 5. 1-5. Heb. 2. 1-3; 13. 4. Jam. 2. 7–13; 5. 12. 1 Pet. 1. 17. 2 Cor. 2. 6-9); which is Living, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, judging the thoughts and intents of the heart. Neither is there any creature .hid before it, but all things are open unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do.' (Heb. 4. 12, 13. Comp. Matt. 5. 28.) The brethren of the Lord, being jealous of his glory, cannot tolerate any act of disobedience to his holy law, nor permit any one to teach any other doctrine than that of his apostles; for the Assembly must maintain its purity and separation from sinners as the Lord's body; and it cannot, therefore, worship with those who commit the scandalous sins enumerated by Paul in his letter to the Galatians. (Gal. 5. 18-21.) 'He that worketh deceit shall not dwell within my house, saith God; he that telleth lies shall not tarry in my sight. I will early destroy all the wicked of the land, that I may cut off all wicked doers from the city of Jehovah.' (Ps. 101. 7, 8.) And although the apostle Paul was not amenable to the judgment of the Assembly as regarded his doctrine, being a prophet (1 Cor. 2. 15; 4. 3, 4); yet he was under the law of the Christ as his disciple, as he testified, saying: 'I keep my body under, and bring it into subjection, lest that having preached to others, I myself should be cast out.' (1 Cor. 9. 27. Comp. 1 Cor. 9. 21.) It was thus he worked out his own sanctification, with fear and trembling. (Phil.