Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1900-04-26


Avenue Baptist Church yesterday week.
In the afternoon the Rev. G.. |. Sco-
field began most beautiful exposition
of the XLl Psalm, which he said, was
sometimes called 1.-THE Sinners Way to
God. " tWe may not hate sipned as
David did" he explained, ''but we
have siDued, and the way back home
that David travelled is the way We
must travel If we are to he re5toI ed to
the place where we started from. This
is not question of our salvation: that
is already settled for every regenerate
man. This is Question of communion
and service. There are seven steps in
the process Of restoration namely: ],
confession of the sin Of which we are
guilty verses 1-4); 9, definite dealing
with self, which must be judged. (5-6JI;
8, the remedy tT.10); 4. joy and power
through the Spirit tll-12) 5. service
tl3l; 6. worship tl4.17); Z, fellowship
with him $780,"
Last night week IS meeting the subject
was 1.-The Messages to the Seven
Churches. . in the second and third
chapters Of the Revelations. In open
ing the discussion Dr. Scofield re-
minded his hearers of Gods own
analysis OF the Revelations in chapter
i; 10, X. v: "1l The things which
thou sawest; ~ the things which are,
and 49, the things which shall be here
afteI." He said the things which
John saw" referred to the vision of the
first chapter. 1.-The things which are"
referred to things Of the church age.
I We are now in the time Of these things.
We had in the seven epistles 10 the
seven churches in Asia, the second
division Of the book. There were seven
reasons why we believed there was
a prophetical feature in these seven
epistles, covering seven divisions of the
church period-a historical foieview of
the phases through which the church
was 10 pass:
/. 1t is incredible that in a prophetic
book and which stands at The beginning
OF the church period there should be
no prophecy concerning the church. 1t
( is Gods way, having put thing into
the world, to tell what it is going to do
beforehand.
2. These seven epistles contain that
prophecy If it is anywhere in tho
Revelations For nowhere after the end
Ut the third chapter is the church SO
mach as mentioned.
3. The number seven indicates COM
plete statement about something. The
number seven, as you know, stands in
the Scriptures for completeness.
& A. II is incredible that so much
space should be given in so short a
book to seven comparatively unim-
portant local churches, unless there
was prophetical feature connected
with it. -.. ..,
8. This occurs in the most symbolicai
book in Scripture. Truth is told in
symbol in this book. and 1t is fitting
that we should find church truth told
in that way.
G. When we come to examine these
epistles wS find terms which 60 far
beyond the scope Of the local churches.
T. These seven episrles, when com
pared with history, do present precisely
the phase through which the church
has passed.
Taking up these epistIes, he said,
I'VE have to remember, first of all,
that these churches really existed and
these letters had their Immediate use
and value. They describe conditions
really existing when the book was writ.
ten in A. D., &C. That is the historical
side of it. Secondly, although there
are but seven of them, yet it would be
difficult to think of any trouble thai
could be found in any church today
concerning which a rebuke could moi
be found in these letters. Then there
is an individual application, for there
is the reiterated promise for him thai
oyercometh. Lastly, there is tn,
propheJical application, applying to the
whole church during the entire dispen
sation.
The instructor then took up the letters
10 f1A nh -. I'll If A.
praise given to the Ephesian church
and said: II go about this country ;
great deal love the churches O
Jesus Christ; they are the best thini
In the world. And yet / do not know
OF o single church, which, as whole
deseiv yes the praise given to the ohurcl
at Ephesus. And yet, even the churcI
ut Ephesus was fallen church. 1t wa
fallen because its motive was wrong
The Ephesian Christians were laboriu,
for cause instead of for Christ.
''How is it with US? Is Christ him
self tho centre Of all our thought? Fl
told us to be constantly waiting ant
watching for Him to come back to us
Are we doing itP Or are we very wei
satisfied TO 60 on without himY''
AS to tho term Nicolaitanes, DR.
Scofield said it was taken from tw
Greek words, signifying "Conqueror O
the laity," and no doubt the erro
against which the church was warDe
was the incipiept priesthood whio
divided the equal brotherhood of tn
church into "clergy' and "laity.
This warning had nothing to do wit
the biblical Offices Of pastors, deacons
&C., but 1t was blow at the intro
duction Of judaism in the Church c
Christ.
Historically" he explained, seth
Church at Ephesus represents tn
Christian church at the eud of til
apostolic age The second epistIe, th
one to Smyrna, has to do with the perio
Immediately following the apostolic
Feriod. This was time OF great tria
and tribulation, and the 10 days re
fers to exactly 10 distinct attempts I
stamp out the infant church. Thi
brings us down in history to about til
time Of the conversion to Christianit
of the Emperor Constantine.
The attendance at the Bible Cor
ference conducted by Rev. g. /, See
field, d. D., Of Mortified, Mass, q
Delaware Avenue Baptist Church
arousing great interest. The audience
Thursday were large and the attentio
absorbing. IS.
The afternoon meetings are devote
to studies of Scripture bearing on besi
ing and power in the Christian life an
service. Continuing yesterday aftel
noon his expositions Of the 5lst Psalm
Dr.. Scofeld dwelt upon the petition
purge me with hyssop and | shall /
niQpns uasb mo ,nI sh,n L. III a.