Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1877-08-09

thing does not consist, than to show in what
it does consist. This being the case, We may
remark that brotherly love, in the scripture
sense, does not consist in loving our parents,
or our brothers and sisters, or our kindred.
If this we're the case, then we might safely
conclude that all of Adams race had been
born again. 1t would be difficult to find a
race of people, one characteristic of whom is
that they cherish no love for their kindred.
The most wicked sometimes love their kin
with great tenderness and devotion. No one
will deny this. Because brothers and sisters
love each other with devotion that nothing
can cool, is no sure sign that they have been
made new creatures in Christ Jesus.
Neither is denominational love an evidence
of that internal change which the Scriptures
call passing from death to life. We may
love those who are members of the same &c.
clesiastical organization with ourselves, and
still be dead in tresspasses and SINS Protes-
tants may love Protestants, aud Catholics
love Catholics, and both be in the bond Of
iniquity. The members of the various divis-
ions into which Professionalism is unfortunate.
ly divided, may love each other with an in.
tensity which enable them to die for each
other, and with each other, in defence of q
common creed. The number of the bands of
martyrs for falsehood, and the number in
those bands, if not equal to the number of
martyrs for the truth, are little less The
power of clanism is very great, and the love
which the members of these clans cherish for
each other, is exemplary. 1t il a difficult
thing, at least for some persons, to be con.
vinced that there are any Christians outside
of their particular sect. "We are the people
of God, and all others are gentiles, deluded
and hopeless" is sentence easily uttered by
unsanctifed lips, and most musical to unrs-
newed hearts. It is no difficult thing to come
the conclusion that our church is the Church,
and the members of our church are the only
Christians in the world. Our church may,
after all. be but fgment Of our own brain,
and the members of our church may be gross
idolators. Love for such church, and for
such church members, is no infallible evil
dence that we have passed from death unto
life. Jesus Christ established but one church.
There is but one faith-but one baptism. All
who are redeemed are redeemed by the same
Lord from the same state of condemnation.
The members of political parties are welded
to each other, and they love each other; but
this does not prove that they have passed
from death unto life. Neither does it follow
that we are children of God by regeneration,
because we love those with whom we are &C.
customed to meet once each week for the o.
tensible purpose of worshipping God. In
such love there is much that is good and ad.
vantageous to society but still it is not an
evidence of the new birth. The worst men
on earth love those who love them.
The love mentioned above may be called
brotherly love; but the brotherly love is not
that spoken of in the Bible. There is as
much difference between the two as there is
between night and day. The one is merely
human-the other is divine. Brotherly Love,
as used in the Scripture, is exceedingly com.
prehensive. First 1t embraces all Adams
race-ssints and sinners. The regenerated
man is made q new creature His intellect
is enlightened, his affections are renewed, and
his will is subdued. The soul of the regen-
Grated man is changed into the image Of
Christ Jesus. He becomes, in literal sense,
like his creator. He thinks like Jesus. He
loves the things that Jesus loves, and hates
the things that Jesus hates. Jesus hates sin,
but loves sinners. So the regenerate man
hates sin, but he loves sinners. He labors for
thei. conviction, for their conversion, for their
sancti6cation and for their everlasting saliva
ton. All men are his neighbors. Again. be
loves all who love Jesus. Every individual
who has passed from death unto life, is united
to Jesus Christ by faith. All truly regenera.
ted persons love each other because they are
united to Jesus Christ by the same bond of
union.
Evidently, in the Scripture sense Of The
word, there is but little brotherly love in this
world. Professed Christians too often fight
and strive against each other, as if the whole
of their work consisted in building up their
peculiar notions upon the ruins of some one
else's peculiar notions. The work of the
Christian is to build up Christ's kingdom, and
he loves all the laborers in that great work.