an open shame-consider all these things, and surely, it cannot be, but you will feel heartily sorry for these your misdoings; even with that godly sorrow, which worketh repentance unto salvation, not to be repented of." 66 Let Christians repent also of their mutual strifes and contentions. May not each of us exclaim in this respect, "I am verily guilty concerning my brother?" Yes, we have too much resembled communities necessarily and inevitably opposed, and whose aims and interests are essentially irreconcileable; instead of being like those whose aims and interests are really identical and inseparable. In place of contending with the common foe, with those weapons which are not carnal, but spiritual, we have unnaturally contended one with another; hereby weakening our cause, strengthening the hands of our enemies, and disgracing our holy Redeemer. It was remarked of old, “Behold, how these Christians love one another!" Alas! latterly it might be said, "Behold, how they bite and devour one another!" How contrary this course is to the mind and commands of CHRIST, a very few passages of his word will suffice to exhibit. "Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, (what obtestation could be more impressive?) that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind, and in the same judgment. For it has been declared unto me of you, brethren, that there are contentions among you. Now this I say, that every one of you saith, I am of Paul, and I of Apollos, and I of Cephas, and I of Christ. Is Christ divided ? " 1 &c. "For are ye not carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men? For while one saith, I am of Paul, and another, I of Apollos; are ye not carnal?" "There should be no schism in the body; but the members should have the same care one for another. And whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it; or one member be honoured, all the members rejoice with it. Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular." 3 "Let us, therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded; and if in anything ye be otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this unto you." The worst consequence resulting from these divisions is that they "grieve the Holy Spirit of God." As we may have witnessed in the season of Spring, the earth is cultivated and sown with seeds, but the ground is dry and chapped; and the clouds have been long gathering over the sky, and would fain descend in genial showers, and water the earth, and cause it to bring forth and bud; but a cold and piercing easterly wind prevails, and keeps away the wished-for effusion, so that the weather resembles a dry grief, and vege 1 1 Cor. i. 10-13. 3 Ibid. xii. 25-27. 2 Ibid. iii. 3, 4. tation is suspended. Even so it seems to be in the spiritual kingdom at present. The seed of the word has been plentifully scattered, and the church gasps as the arid ground for the fertilizing showers of grace: but alas! that "rain from heaven is restrained;" the Spirit of the LORD is straitened. A cold, contracting, and repulsive temper, prevailing among professors of religion, offends the blessed Reviver, and causes Him to withhold his precious communications. "Our iniquities have turned away these things, and our sins have withholden good things from us." Let us then learn wisdom for the future. Let us put off the old man with his deeds, and put on the new man:" "above all, let us put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness." Oh! for the grace to do this!" to lay aside all malice, all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil-speakings, -all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and to be kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God, for Christ's sake, hath forgiven us." Should not our present trials and perils soften and lenify our hearts? "Without are fightings, and within are fears." Even national enemies, when they meet in a foreign country, wisely forget their old animosities, and coalesce for their common advantage. Now are not we "strangers and pilgrims" upon the earth? Are we not in a foreign land, in an enemy's country? How much more then should we, who are "brethren," and not 66 foes, be perfectly joined together in amity and affection. It is noted by the Holy Spirit, in connexion with the disputes that arose between the herd-men of Abram and those of his nephew Lot, that the Canaanite and the Perizzite dwelled then in the land;" implying, that disputes, under such circumstances, were particularly impolitic and scandalous. Have we not all one Leader and Commander ?1 One banner-one armour 3—one war-song? And have we not all in view one glorious crown of conquest? O then, why fall out by the way? Why not march in harmony? why not step together, to the same divine music, the melody of Aaron's bells? O, that there were such an heart in us! In union is strength. With "bands" there is "beauty." The church is edified in love. Jerusalem is builded as a city that is at unity in itself: whereas, a kingdom divided against itself can never stand. Unity is policy,' says Matthew Henry. 'While the builders of Babel, though of different families, dispositions, and interests, were thus unanimous in opposing God; what a pity it is, and what a shame, that the builders of Zion, though united in one common head and spirit, should be divided as they are in serving God.' Then let us cease from contending, henceforth: or, if we must contend, let it be for the faith once delivered unto 1 Isaiah lv. 4. 3 Eph. vi. 11-18. 5 Zech. xi. 7. 2 Cant. ii. 4. 4 Exod. xv. 1-3. the saints. Christians should really lay this duty seriously to heart; for it is not a vain thing for us; because it is our life. Let us ponder deeply the injurious consequences arising from strifes and divisions, and the happy results likely to flow from unanimity, and charge our duty solemnly on our souls. Do we hold the head-even CHRIST? then let us hold together, as members of his body. While we act otherwise, we eat the flesh of our own arm. Do we agree in the "great things"? Let us not disagree about the minor ones. What is the chaff to the wheat? What are the circumstantials to the substantials? It is a time for all who love the Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity, to love one another without dissimulation. It is a time to exercise the utmost possible wariness, fidelity, and firmness. It is a time for Christians to stand by each other, in one invincible phalanx, one "band of brothers," and strive together for the faith of the Gospel. Our enemies live, and are mighty, are crafty as strong, and united as crafty. They are banded together, as one man, against the common salvation. Therefore, the jealousies of Christians, who are united substantially in their views of evan 1 'Bishop Bossuet prophesied an hundred and seventy years ago, that the Protestant religion would fall to pieces by its own divisions, and that, by simply adhering to unity of doctrine, the Catholic faith, one and indivisible, would ultimately again spread over the whole Christian world. The present times, more than any other that have existed since the prophecy was made, give too much reason to fear that it may be accomplished.'-From BLACKWOOD's Magazine for August 1835. |