Sidor som bilder
PDF
ePub
[blocks in formation]

pleased not himself." "Let no man seek his own, but every man another's welfare."

[ocr errors]

Christian love is to be manifested by visiting the sick and afflicted. "Pure religion, and undefiled, before God and the Father, is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.” "I was sick, and ye visited me."n This duty is by many much neglected, though the Saviour lays so much stress upon its performance, as even to mention it in the solemn account of those actions that will meet his approbation, when he appears as the Judge of all. Those who are unable to feed the hungry, or clothe the naked, may yet visit and console the sick and afflicted. Would every disciple of Jesus make a point of regularly paying one such visit in a fortnight; of spending but one half hour in that time in consoling, or praying with, and instructing, the afflicted, how much good would be done! and at how small an expense of time and exertion! A church of one hundred members would thus in a year pay two thousand six hundred such benevolent visits.

The same spirit is to be displayed by forbearing whatever might injure a weaker Christian's soul, even though the thing itself should be harmless. "When ye sin so against the brethren, and wound their weak conscience, ye sin against Christ. Wherefore, if meat make my brother to offend, I will eat no flesh while the world standeth, lest I make my brother to offend."

:

Christian love is to be shown by attending to those little offices of kindness, which may promote the comfort of others. "Be pitiful, be courteous."P Jesus said, "Ye call me Master and Lord and ye say well; for so I am. If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet, ye also ought to wash one another's feet. For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you." One of the humbler offices of kindness in Judea, where sandals were worn, appears to have been washing the feet. Of this kindness the blessed Saviour set an instructive example, an example not designed to inculcate on all his followers that particular action, but that spirit of humility and kindness, which indulged will lead to kind offices in a thousand varied ways.

(n) Matt. xxv. 36. (g) John xiii. 13-15.

(1) 1 Cor. x. 24. (m) James i. 27.
(p) 1 Pet. iii. 8.

(k) Rom. xv. 1, 2.
(0) 1 Cor. viii, 12, 13.

276

REMARKS ON MATTHEW XVIII. 15.

Christian love is to be displayed by honouring and esteeming others above ourselves. "Be kindly affectioned one to another with holy love; in honour preferring one another." "In lowliness of mind, let each esteem others better than themselves."s

Christian love is to be manifested by treating poorer brethren with as much kind attention as the rich. Read on this subject, the Epistle of James, chap. ii. 1–9.

Christian love is to be shown when discords arise, by attending to the directions which the Lord Jesus has given for their removal. 66 If thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone: if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother. But if he will not

hear thee, then take with thee one or two more, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses, every word may be established. And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell it unto the church: but if he neglect to hear the church, let him be unto thee as a heathen man and a publican."

§ 4. For the promotion and restoration of harmony and peace, there is not a more important rule than this in the Bible, and few so little heeded. Were it regarded, probably the fire of strife would be speedily extinguished in ninety-nine cases of dissension out of every hundred. The prosperity of churches, the honour of religion, the peace of individuals, and the comfort of families, would all be advanced. But instead of obeying this plain and positive law, the generality of those who profess religion act as if there were no such law in the Bible. Some, instead of expostulating in the Spirit of Christ with an offending friend, tittle-tattle about the real or fancied injury, till the report, with a hundred exaggerations, spreads through half a town. At the same time they greedily drink in every evil report, respecting the person who has injured them; to these again they give circulation, and thus become a hundred times more guilty than he whom they make an offender for a word, or even for a much more serious injury. Thus they injure the cause of religion, and load their own souls with sin. For first they are guilty of rebellion against Christ. He says, about an offending brother, Go and tell him his fault between thee and him ALONE; instead of that, they tell any body or every body except the offender, and thus

(r) Rom. xii. 10.

(s) Phil. ii, 3.

(t) Matt. xviii. 15-17.

SIN OF SLIGHTING THAT PRECEPT.

277

trample under foot the law of God. Were they to plunge into idolatry or drunkenness, they could but rebel against the Son of God, and they who make light of this solemn law of his are as truly rebels against him. Again, they are commonly guilty of slander and lying. The evil reports they greedily receive are most probably in a great degree false, and when they circulate these falsehoods they become guilty of scandal and lying. In connexion with this they are guilty of indulging the worst and most hellish passions of the human heart, rancour, malice, and resentment: if they did not indulge these hell-born passions they would not lend a pleased and attentive ear to every idle tale against an offending friend, nor be pleased, if that person had been ever so wrong, to publish his shame; they see the mote in their brother's eye, but they have a beam in their own.

Others pursue a different course; but a course of rebellion as real, though not carried to the same extent against the authority of the Lord Jesus Christ. Instead of taking the steps with an offending friend which he ordains, they sit down in sullen pride, and resolve to have no more to do with him. Instead of going and telling him his fault in private, and in the spirit of Christian affection, they at once treat him as a heathen man and a publican. The rebellion in such cases against the authority of the Lord is as complete as in the former. Nothing can be more opposite than his law and their conduct.

This wicked conduct is often rendered still more wicked, from the flagrant fact, that it is often indulged where there is no clear evidence that a brother has been an offender; and where perhaps there is nothing but vague report; yet instead of inquiring into the truth of this report, it is at once assumed to be correct, and that course of wickedness commences which has now been faintly delineated.

and

If you are one that thus trample under foot the authority of Christ, that pay no attention to his positive law upon this subject, mock him no longer with the title of your Lord and Saviour, while you are a real rebel against him; but go join the ranks to which you belong, the ranks of his enemies, the swearers, the drunkards, the liars, the scoffers, the blasphemers; they are but rebels, and while you neglect this precept, when a brother has offended you, you are as really a

278

WAYS OF DISPLAYING

rebel as they, and perhaps a worse enemy: they are opea enemies, not traitors in disguise. Rather let me say to you, if you have acted the part I have described, deplore your sin. Flee to the blood of sprinkling, and resolve that, in this respect, and every other, the laws of Christ shall govern you.

§ 5. Christian love is to be displayed by not rashly believ ing unfavourable reports against brethren and sisters in the Lord, and by forgiving those who may have committed faults, or even been the authors of repeated injuries. "Charity thinketh no evil; hopeth all things; endureth all things." "In malice be ye children." "And be ye kind one to another, tender-hearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake has forgiven you." "W "Peter said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times? Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times; but, Until seventy times seven."*

Christian love is to be displayed by hating tale-bearing, and by endeavours to promote harmony and peace. "Let all evil speaking be put away from you."y "Seek peace and pursue it."z "Have peace one with another." "Blessed are the peace-makers: for they shall be called the children of God."b

Christian love is to be shown by a watchful concern to give our brethren no cause of offence, and, if we have dealt unkindly to any, by speedily seeking reconciliation. "Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another.” "If thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath aught against thee; leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift.”d

§ 6. Christian love is to be displayed by warning brethren of sin, and by friendly reproof. "Thou shalt not hate thy brother in thine heart: thou shalt in any wise rebuke thy neighbour, and not suffer sin upon him." trespass against thee, TELL him his fault."f man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are

"If thy brother "Brethren, if a spiritual restore

such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted."

(u) 1 Cor. xiii. 5, 7. () Matt. xviii. 21, 22. (a) Mark ix. 50. (b) Matt. (e) Lev. xix. 17.

(v) 1 Cor. xiv. 22.

(3) Eph. iv. 31.

v. 9. (c) James v. 16.
(f) Matt. xviii. 15.

(w) Eph. iv. 32.
(z) Ps. xxxiv. 14.
(d) Matt. v. 23, 24.
(g) Gal. vi. 1.

[blocks in formation]

To reprove sin in fellow-disciples, or in others, is an act of sincere friendship, and an important Christian duty; but in its discharge much prudence should be exercised. Sometimes there is a propriety in openly reproving the profane or indecent conversation of worldly persons. At other times this may be done more effectually by slipping a tract against the sin committed into the offender's hand, or by a friendly private remark. The errors or faults of an offending friend should seldom be publicly reproved. To converse affectionately with relatives or friends in private, is the far more probable way of promoting their welfare. Such reproof should ever be administered with kindness and affection, not with the authority of a superior, but with the humility of a fellowsinner.

On excuses for neglecting this duty, nothing more shall here be said than is contained in a short anecdote.-One day a person being with a poor aged Christian, and lamenting a want of firmness to reprove the abandoned when travelling, as an excuse had recourse to that passage, "Give not that which is holy unto dogs; neither cast ye your pearls before swine." She seriously and hastily replied, "Oh, Sir, keen and just reproofs are no pearls. Were you to talk to a wicked coachman respecting the love of God shed abroad in the heart by the Holy Ghost, and the pleasures of communion with God, you would cast pearls before swine; but not in reproving sin."

[ocr errors]

§ 7. Christian love is to be manifested by endeavours to promote the spiritual welfare of our brethren in the Lord. Let us consider one another, to provoke unto love, and to good works: exhort one another daily, while it is called Today; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.' "Comfort yourselves together, and edify one another." Christian love and humility are to be displayed by receiving with meekness, and thankfulness, the admonitions and reproofs of those who wish us well. They are our best friends, whose faithfulness points out our faults, and occasions their correction. They who are too proud to listen to reproof, manifest a dreadful want of Christian spirit. "Let the righteous smite me, it shall be a kindness."i "Whoso loveth instruction, loveth knowledge: but he that hateth reproof is

[blocks in formation]
« FöregåendeFortsätt »