the acts of the apostles-第2节

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there　shall　be　showers　of　blessing。〃　〃And　I　will　raise　up　for　them　a　plant
of　renown；　and　they　shall　be　no　more　consumed　with　hunger　in　the　land；
neither　bear　the　shame　of　the　heathen　any　more。　Thus　shall　they　know　that　I
the　Lord　their　God　am　with　them；　and　that　they；　even　the　house　of　Israel；
are　My　people；　saith　the　Lord　God。　And　ye　My　flock；　the　flock　of　My　pasture；
are　men；　and　I　am　your　God；　saith　the　Lord　God。〃　Ezekiel　34：26；　29…31。

〃Ye　are　My　witnesses；　saith　the　Lord；　and　My　servant　whom　I　have　chosen：
that　ye　may　know　and　believe　Me；　and　understand　that　I　am　He：　before　Me
there　was　no　God　formed；　neither　shall　there　be　after　Me。　I；　even　I；　am　the
Lord；　and　beside　Me　there　is　no　Saviour。　I　have　declared；　and　have　saved；
and　I　have　showed；　when　there　was　no　strange　god　among　you：　therefore　ye　are
My　witnesses。〃　〃I　the　Lord　have　called　thee　in　righteousness；　and　will　hold
thine　hand；　and　will　keep　thee；　and　give　thee　for　a　covenant　of　the　people；
for　a　light　of　the　Gentiles；　to　open　the　blind　eyes；　to　bring　out　the
prisoners　from　the　prison；　and　them　that　sit　in　darkness　out　of　the　prison
house。〃　Isaiah　43：10…12；　42：6；　7。

〃In　an　acceptable　time　have　I　heard　thee；　and　in　a　day　of　salvation　have　I
helped　thee：　and　I　will　preserve　thee；　and　give　thee　for　a　covenant　of　the
people；　to　establish　the　earth；　to　cause　to　inherit　the　desolate　heritages；
that　thou　mayest　say　to　the　prisoners；　Go　forth；　to　them　that　are　in
darkness；　Show　yourselves。　They　shall　feed　in　the　ways；　and　their　pastures
shall　be　in　all　high　places。　They　shall　not　hunger　nor　thirst；　neither　shall
the　heat　nor　sun　smite　them：　for

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He　that　hath　mercy　on　them　shall　lead　them；　even　by　the　springs　of　water
shall　He　guide　them。　And　I　will　make　all　My　mountains　a　way；　and　My　highways
shall　be　exalted。　。　。　。

〃Sing；　O　heavens；　and　be　joyful；　O　earth；　and　break　forth　into　singing；　O
mountains：　for　the　Lord　hath　comforted　His　people；　and　will　have　mercy　upon
His　afflicted。　But　Zion　said；　The　Lord　hath　forsaken　me；　and　my　Lord　hath
forgotten　me。　Can　a　woman　forget　her　sucking　child；　that　she　should　not　have
compassion　on　the　son　of　her　womb？　yea；　they　may　forget；　yet　will　I　not
forget　thee。　Behold；　I　have　graven　thee　upon　the　palms　of　My　hands；　thy
walls　are　continually　before　Me。〃　Isaiah　49：8…16。

The　church　is　God's　fortress。　His　city　of　refuge；　which　He　holds　in　a
revolted　world。　Any　betrayal　of　the　church　is　treachery　to　Him　who　has
bought　mankind　with　the　blood　of　His　only…begotten　Son。　From　the　beginning；
faithful　souls　have　constituted　the　church　on　earth。　In　every　age　the　Lord
has　had　His　watchmen；　who　have　borne　a　faithful　testimony　to　the　generation
in　which　they　lived。　These　sentinels　gave　the　message　of　warning；　and　when
they　were　called　to　lay　off　their　armor；　others　took　up　the　work。　God
brought　these　witnesses　into　covenant　relation　with　Himself；　uniting　the
church　on　earth　with　the　church　in　heaven。　He　has　sent　forth　His　angels　to
minister　to　His　church；　and　the　gates　of　hell　have　not　been　able　to　prevail
against　His　people。

Through　centuries　of　persecution；　conflict；　and　darkness；　God　has　sustained
His　church。　Not　one　cloud　has　fallen　upon　it　that　He　has　not　prepared　for；
not　one　opposing

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force　has　risen　to　counterwork　His　work；　that　He　has　not　foreseen。　All　has
taken　place　as　He　predicted。　He　has　not　left　His　church　forsaken；　but　has
traced　in　prophetic　declarations　what　would　occur；　and　that　which　His　Spirit
inspired　the　prophets　to　foretell　has　been　brought　about。　All　His　purposes
will　be　fulfilled。　His　law　is　linked　with　His　throne；　and　no　power　of　evil
can　destroy　it。　Truth　is　inspired　and　guarded　by　God；　and　it　will　triumph
over　all　opposition。

During　ages　of　spiritual　darkness　the　church　of　God　has　been　as　a　city　set
on　a　hill。　From　age　to　age；　through　successive　generations；　the　pure
doctrines　of　heaven　have　been　unfolding　within　its　borders。　Enfeebled　and
defective　as　it　may　appear；　the　church　is　the　one　object　upon　which　God
bestows　in　a　special　sense　His　supreme　regard。　It　is　the　theater　of　His
grace；　in　which　He　delights　to　reveal　His　power　to　transform　hearts。

〃Whereunto；〃　asked　Christ；　〃shall　we　liken　the　kingdom　of　God？　or　with　what
comparison　shall　we　compare　it？〃　Mark　4：30。　He　could　not　employ　the　kingdoms
of　the　world　as　a　similitude。　In　society　He　found　nothing　with　which　to
compare　it。　Earthly　kingdoms　rule　by　the　ascendancy　of　physical　power；　but
from　Christ's　kingdom　every　carnal　weapon；　every　instrument　of　coercion；　is
banished。　This　kingdom　is　to　uplift　and　ennoble　humanity。　God's　church　is
the　court　of　Holy　life；　filled　with　varied　gifts　and　endowed　with　the　Holy
Spirit。　The　members　are　to　find　their　happiness　in　the　happiness　of　those
whom　they　help　and　bless。

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Wonderful　is　the　work　which　the　Lord　designs　to　accomplish　through　His
church；　that　His　name　may　be　glorified。　A　picture　of　this　work　is　given　in
Ezekiel's　vision　of　the　river　of　healing：　〃These　waters　issue　out　toward　the
east　country；　and　go　down　into　the　desert；　and　go　into　the　sea：　which　being
brought　forth　into　the　sea；　the　waters　shall　be　healed。　And　it　shall　come　to
pass；　that　everything　that　liveth；　which　moveth；　whithersoever　the　rivers
shall　come；　shall　live：　。　。　。　and　by　the　river　upon　the　bank　thereof；　on
this　side　and　on　that　side；　shall　grow　all　trees　for　meat；　whose　leaf　shall
not　fade；　neither　shall　the　fruit　thereof　be　consumed：　it　shall　bring　forth
new　fruit　according　to　his　months；　because　their　waters　they　issued　out　of
the　sanctuary：　and　the　fruit　thereof　shall　be　for　meat；　and　the　leaf　thereof
for　medicine。〃　Ezekiel　47：8…12。

From　the　beginning　God　has　wrought　through　His　people　to　bring　blessing　to
the　world。　To　the　ancient　Egyptian　nation　God　made　Joseph　a　fountain　of
life。　Through　the　integrity　of　Joseph　the　life　of　that　whole　people　was
preserved。　Through　Daniel　God　saved　the　life　of　all　the　wise　men　of　Babylon。
And　these　deliverances　are　as　object　lessons；　they　illustrate　the　spiritual
blessings　offered　to　the　world　through　connection　with　the　God　whom　Joseph
and　Daniel　worshiped。　Everyone　in　whose　heart　Christ　abides；　everyone　who
will　show　forth　His　love　to　the　world；　is　a　worker　together　with　God　for　the
blessing　of　humanity。　As　he　receives　from　the　Saviour　grace　to　impart　to
others；　from　his　whole　being　flows　forth　the　tide　of　spiritual　life。

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God　chose　Israel　to　reveal　His　character　to　men。　He　desired　them　to　be　as
wells　of　salvation　in　the　world。　To　them　were　committed　the　oracles　of
heaven；　the　revelation　of　God's　will。　In　the　early　days　of　Israel　the
nations　of　the　world；　through　corrupt　practices；　had　lost　the　knowledge　of
God。　They　had　once　known　Him；　but　because　〃they　glorified　Him　not　as　God；
neither　were　thankful；　but　became　vain　in　their　imaginations；　。　。　。　their
foolish　heart　was　darkened。〃　Romans　1：21。　Yet　in　His　mercy　God　did　not　blot
them　out　of　existence。　He　purposed　to　give　them　an　opportunity　of　again
becoming　acquainted　with　Him　through　His　chosen　people。　Through　the
teachings　of　the　sacrificial　service；　Christ　was　to　be　uplifted　before　all
nations；　and　all　who　would　look　to　Him　should　live。　Christ　was　the
foundation　of　the　Jewish　economy。　The　whole　system　of　types　and　symbols　was
a　compacted　prophecy　of　the　gospel；　a　presentation　in　which　were　bound　up
the　promises　of　redemption。

But　the　people　of　Israel　lost　sight　of　their　high　privileges　as　God's
representatives。　They　forgot　God　and　failed　to　fulfill　their　holy　mission。
The　blessings　they　received　brought　no　blessing　to　the　world。　All　their
advantages　they　appropriated　for　their　own　glorification。　They　shut
themselves　away　from　the　world　in　order　to　escape　temptation。　The
restrictions　that　God　had　placed　upon　their　association　with　idolaters　as　a
means　of　preventing　them　from　conforming　to　the　practices　of　the　heathen；
they　used　to　build　up　a　wall　of　separation　between　themselves　and　all　other
nations。　They

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robbed　God　of　the　service　He　required　of　them；　and　they　robbed　their　fellow
men　of　religious　guidance　and　a　holy　example。

Priests　and　rulers　became　fixed　in　a　rut　of　ceremonialism。　They　were
satisfied　with　a　legal　religion；　and　it　was　impossible　for　them　to　give　to
others　the　living　truths　of　heaven。　They　thought　their　own　righteousness
all…sufficient；　and　did　not　desire　that　a　new　element　should　be　brought　into
their　religion。　The　good　will　of　God　to　men　they　did　not　accept　as　something
apart　from　themselves；　but　connected　it　with　their　own　merit　because　of
their　good　works。　The　faith　that　works　by　love　and　purifies　the　soul　could
find　no　place　for　union　with　the　religion　of　the　Pharisees；　made　up　of
ceremonies　and　the　injunctions　of　men。

Of　Israel　God　declared：　〃I　had　planted　thee　a　noble　vine；　wholly　a　right
seed：　how　then　art　thou　turned　into　the　degenerate　plant　of　a　strange　vine
unto　Me？〃　Jeremiah　2：21。　〃Israel　is　an　empty　vine；　he　bringeth　forth　fruit
unto　himself。〃　Hose