Two Companies — A Contrast.

G. Cutting.

In Matthew 28:11-15, we have a company of Christ-haters produced by the religious world of that day. In John 20:19, we have a company of those who loved the Lord and they now formed the assembly. Every one belongs to one or other of those companies. The Spirit has come to bring heavenly things before those who form the assembly, so that we find our interest in them. The other company cast out the heavenly Man. With which company do we associate? Suppose the case of a mother with her children, through the hatred of another family, her husband had been banished. After a time the latter make pleasant advances to the children who are taken by the seeming friendliness, as kindly and agreeable, there can surely be no harm in responding to their overtures. But the mother answers "remember, that whatever they may say or do, they hate your father, the one who loves you." Let us each challenge our own hearts! Are we subject to the smiles of the world? Let us not forget what the world did to our blessed Lord! The Holy Spirit would impress us with the awfulness of belonging to such a company, and with the blessedness of belonging to the family of God.

Three things marked the company outside of those closed doors, in the strongest contrast to the company inside. There was no fellowship that day between the two. The cross of our Lord Jesus Christ created a great gulf between His crucifiers and those who loved Him and the coming of the Holy Ghost made the gulf more apparent. It will be the same today, if the Holy Ghost has his way with us. Three things mark the inside company: (1) Love; He loved them and in response they loved him. (2) Joy; the moment they apprehended His presence, joy filled their hearts. (3) Peace; His first word to them was "Peace unto you!" It was a foretaste of heaven and the Holy Spirit can still make Christ's presence known to us, so that we get a foretaste of heaven also. In the other circle there were : (1) Hate; they hated Him without a cause. (2) Selfishness; the soldiers took the money. (3) Trouble and disturbance; for He whom they hated was risen. The devil was greatly disturbed when Christ rose from the dead and had to cover his blunder with the greatest lie ever invented. All was discord. Why is there strife, sorrow and discord in the world? Because there are still present the hatred that refused Christ and its selfishness. The only bit of heaven the world will ever know is the bit they see in us! Love, peace and joy we know inside. As we are able to show a little of what we enjoy inside to those outside, we are witnesses for Christ here!

(Notes of an address by GEO. CUTTING, 1901).