the Lord, beseech you, that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called, with all lowliness and meekness, with long-suffering, forbearing one another in love; endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all." It may be asked: "Is it possible that all who profess to believe in the truths of the Bible, will ever be brought to see every thing in the same light, and to follow in every minute particular the same track of thinking and acting?" This unity may, and ought to be maintained, in the grand essentials of the Gospel. And a beautiful union of faith and practice, of sentiment and feeling, does exist amongst real Christians, of all denominations, however they may differ about the terms and explications of some abstruse doctrines, or respecting the outward forms and modes of Church government: "for the kingdom of God is not in word, but in power." "It is not meat and drink, but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost." When these holy characters freely unbosom their hearts to each other, and discourse together on experimental and practical subjects; they find themselves standing on one common ground -connected by one common tie-united in one common cause-and drinking into one and the self-same spirit. They all mourn over, and are deeply humbled on account of the corruption of their nature and the sin of their lives. They all feel the plague of their own hearts, and so groan being burdened. They all are conscious of their utter inability to save themselves. They all know that they are naturally without strength. They are all enabled, through grace, to look unto Jesus, the eternal Son of God, as their only Saviour, whose blood cleanseth them from all sin; whose merits, received and applied by faith, form their only justifying righteousness; whose intercession for them prevails with God; whose promised gift, the Spirit of truth, dwells in their hearts, causing them to cry with filial love and confidence, Abba, Father. They all know and feel that they thus become the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus; and enjoying the presence and grace of their heavenly Father through the Son of his love, they are all enabled to resist the devil, to crucify the flesh, to renounce the world, and gradually to perfect holiness in the fear of God. They all confess how low their highest efforts fall beneath the elevated standard of Gospel holiness; yet forgetting the things which are behind, they press forward towards those things which are before; and long for that happy period, when having laid down their bodies of sin and death, they shall shine in spotless purity in the courts above. With these feelings and impressions, they all confess themselves to be pilgrims and strangers upon earth. Their hearts are set upon things above. They sympathize with each other's sorrows, and gladden with each other's joys. They love to bear each other's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ. As they all believe in the glorious doctrine of the Trinity in Unity; and in the divine and human nature of Jesus Christ; so they unitedly confess themselves to be sinners saved by grace through faith in a crucified Redeemer, and ascribe all their salvation from first to last, to the free, unmerited mercy of God in Christ. Thus, whilst they acknowledge the justice of that sentence, which condemns them as sinners to everlasting misery; they extol the vastness of that love, which so freely saves them from the wrath to come. With these holy views of the truth, they can each say from the heart, "My power is lost-the fault is wholly mine; Now if every faithful follower of Jesus can subscribe to these common points of Christian doctrine and experience, what is it that divides and separates the true family of Christ? Is it not the remaining corruption of our naturethe remaining darkness of our mind-and the subtle enemy of our souls? These are the foes which disturb the peace of the Church, and destroy much of her purity and spiritual prosperity. O! that the Holy Spirit may purge away this old leaven of malice and wickedness, and fill us with sincerity and truth; that we may become a new lump; be all new creatures in Christ Jesus; shine as lights in the world; and so advance that kingdom of holiness upon earth, which is criminally impeded in its progress, and marred in its beauty, by the disfiguring contentions, strifes, and divisions of those who call themselves the followers of the Lamb. In the revelation of mercy, as in the visible works of creation, there are mysteries which our finite minds cannot fathom; for what is man that he should be wise as his Maker? And yet how many dare to reject the oracles of God, because they cannot comprehend their elevated truths, or square their seemingly discordant statements with their preconceived systematic opinions. The word of God is "as a city which is at unity with itself." All is plain and clear to the divine Mind, who sees the end from the beginning, and who knows the infinitely varied movements of his own vast design. We see but a small part of his ways. Many a wheel enters into those darknesses of his impenetrable counsel, which we cannot trace. But still it is moving onward in direct progression towards that glorious period, when the whole stupendous work of mercy shall be displayed to the Church triumphant in heaven, and call forth her eternal songs of praise. There, in that bright world, those saints of God, who differed here below respecting some mysterious points of deep concealment, will see with one vision. The darkness being gone, the veil being withdrawn, and the truth standing fully revealed to their enraptured souls, in all its beauty, symmetry, and perfection; they will then utter no jarring sentiment; feel noun charitable emotion; experience no shyness of approach; but wrapt in holy admiration and humble reverence before the throne of God, every feeling will be love, and every view of the truth in perfect accordance with the mind and will of their Creator. There, with one heart and mouth they will glorify God and the Lamb, join in the same song, delight in the same work, being in every sense one in the presence of Him, who, when upon earth, interceded for his people: "The glory which thou gavest me, I have given them, that they may be one, even as we are one. I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one." Well then might the apostle say to the Corinthians, when lamenting their unhappy dissensions: "Are ye not carnal and walk as men;" as persons unconverted, as men destitute of the Spirit of Christ? While we remain in the body, differences of opinion on points confessedly mysterious must be expected; but may not this be designed by infinite wisdom, for the exercise of charity and forbearance towards each other, provided the great essentials of genuine Christianity are maintained and practically believed? This incapacity of our minds to grasp the mighty design of everlasting love towards creatures helpless in themselves, and unable to come to God; (John vi. 44.) and yet chargeable with the guilt of not coming to him; (John v. 40.) should teach us humility and entire dependence on the Spirit of truth to direct us aright in the way of life and salvation. The more we know ourselves, the more we shall learn to renounce our own reasonings, and to follow simply the direction of that blessed word, which is given us to be a light unto our feet and a lamp unto our path. Jesus said: "I am the light of the world; he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life." “ Walk while ye have the light, lest darkness come upon you: for he that walketh in darkness, knoweth not whither he goeth. While ye have the light, believe in the light, that ye may be the children of light." Merciful Lord, be pleased to "cast thy bright beams of light upon thy church," that all thy people being enlighted by the doctrines of thy word, may so walk in the light of thy truth, that at length they may attain to everlasting life. Preserve me thy unworthy servant from that unhallowed curiosity, which would presumptuously pry into those deep things, around which thou has thrown an impenetrable veil. Give me a mind enlightened to discover the truth as it is in Jesus; and a heart to love and practise the truth, as it is revealed to my soul. In the fulness of Christian charity enable me to say: 66 grace be with all them who love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity ;" and to call every one a brother, who bears thy holy image, takes up his cross, and follows thee. |