[Songs in the Night - November 18]
I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing. Genesis 12:2
THE fulfilment has already commenced in our
hearts, but that is not the end, not the fulness, not the
ultimate meaning of the promises; for by and by this
holy nation (the body of Christ, the church), shall be
great indeed when filled with the divine blessing and
power as God's glorified kingdom.
We realize too that
while it is our blessed privilege to let shine upon others
the light which the Lord by his Spirit has graciously
shined into our hearts, nevertheless our time for bestowing
the great blessing is still future—that it belongs
to the period for which we pray, "Thy kingdom
come.
Thy will be done on earth." We reason that although
our name may be now cast out as evil, and
the reproaches bestowed upon the Head of the body
may fall also upon us, his members, nevertheless the
time is surely hastening when the name Christ shall
be great throughout all the earth, and that being the
name of our Bridegroom it will also be our name as
his bride and joint-heir.
We look forward with joy to
the time when the holy nation, now so misunderstood
and considered a peculiar people, shall recompense the
poor, blinded, Satan-deceived world and nominal
church for all the evils inflicted upon The Christ, Head
and body, by blessing them, returning good for evil in
the highest degree—instructing and uplifting all who
will to return to divine favor. Z'01-231 R2847:2 (Hymn 310)