All the divisions that have come in among us should be stirring us to deeply search our own heart.  It is plain to see that God has much to say to us. Our inability to bring about healing proves how utterly unable we are, apart from His grace, and our dependence on Him, to hold fast what has been committed to us.  Very early in church history, a great part of the truth was lost.  They did not hold it fast.

Are we really enjoying today the most remarkable testimony to the truth?  It is a testimony that has been given to the whole Church.  It has not been a mere part of the truth, but the truth as a whole.

In Luther’s day it was specially the truth of justification by faith.

In Wesley’s day it was more especially the necessity of the new birth, and a life corresponding to the nature and character of God.  Sadly, in none of these cases did they have the truth in its entirety and unity.

In the 19th century, however, did we get, not only new birth, eternal life, and justification by faith, but we learned that the Church is the one body of Christ, -one Spirit ... -the presence of the Holy Spirit on earth in and with the saints, the responsibility to keep the unity of the Spirit, the truth as to prophecy and the coming again of the Lord ... .  In fact the whole range of the truth of Christianity has been opened up in a most remarkable way.  This has already been done.  The truth was already in the inspired Word, but Christendom had become blind to it, and men’s minds being formed by the various creeds that have been developed, a vast mass of truth lay buried amid the rubbish of centuries.  In the goodness of God all this has been uncovered, and God has wrought in such a way as to call the attention of the whole Church to what has been brought out.  All this has been done.  The testimony has been given, and in this sense it is over.  It is not that we do not now have the truth.  We have it, and are responsible to hold it fast.  “Behold I come quickly, hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown.”

In the last century there was a blessed testimony to the one body—But where is it now?  (“Brethren?” They are broken up into fragments, and are a testimony in the most painful way to the irreparable ruin of the Church in its responsible character.  We have not held fast.  All the movements that have gone on under the leadership of men like F.W.G., C.E.S., F.E.R. and the like, have had a retrograde character.)  The truth had been already given and men were not content.  The truth alone did not suffice.  Christ alone was not enough.  As the Apostle says, “All seek their own, not the things of Christ.”  And this was said of those who labored with Timothy.  He was the only one he had who was “like-minded.”  When this is the state, Christ is not made the alone centre.

Men make centres of themselves, and then they “pervert things to draw away disciples after them”—not Christ.  So it has been among us.  And we are reaping the fruits.  I do not mean to say there are none who are holding fast the truth.  I believe there are, and that there will be to the end; but alas! how many have departed!  And how feeble those who in some degree have held fast!

But more.  The testimony God has given has been rejected by the professing Church as a whole.  And what is the result?  God is giving Christendom over to apostasy.  They would not have the truth:  He will let them have a lie.

Among many Satan is leading on to this:  Spiritism, Mormonism, etc.  All lead on to the final apostasy which will carry away the whole of Christendom, when the Lord has taken away the true saints.  All this is very solemn, and may well lead us to walk softly and in the fear of God.