The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1899-05-02
YOUR ERRING

In G. Galatians 6 L we read the follow
ing words: Brethren, if a man be over
taken in a fault, ye which are spiritual
restore such an one in the spirit of
meekness; considering thyselt lest
thou also be tempted.
These words are addressed to the
Church, to Christians and they consti
tute an exhortation to the Church to
deal kindly, gently, and in a Christ
like AMI with those in the Church,
and outside of the Church who may
err, with all those who may 'be over
taken in q fault" The apostle does not
say that when one has erred the
Church should draw her cloak about
her and shun the one who has slnned
and thus say plainly to him, Il never
knew you" 1t is a sad comment upon
the Church and upon many individual
protesting Christians, however, that
Judging by these in many instances in
everyday life, the world at large would
be led to think that their profession
taught them to envelop themselves in
the mantle Of charity instead of throw
ing it over and around others But,
thank G0d, the real Church and true
Christians cannot be so accused. Jesus
Christ is the only perfect model yer
given to the world, and only when men
AID women follow Him in deed, word
and thought are they personitying the
word Christian, which mean like
Christ. When men and women learn
to restore such as fall, lin the spirit of
meekness, " instead of revealing their
faults unkiudly, to the world, the
world will the sooner be prepared for
the coming of our Lord. This day
would soon come if we would all stop
and think just long enough to realize
how much more Christian-like it is to
uplift, to 'lend a hand, than to put
down, we would endeavor more to be
like Hjm in all Of our interc curse with
our felloWmen. 1t would help US il we
would but remember that we have the
privilege of being ]co,laborers with
Him, but if we become such we must
be like Him. % laborers! This means
more than laborers for Him; it means
Iaborers with Him, aud for how little
He bestows this honor upon US.
II the Church, if Christianity fails in
the work of h%eIptulness to those who
err and to those who are in sin, it is
not the pure essence Of the holy life
which our Savior lived while here upon
earth, which life H gave us for an ex
ample, bidding Us to follow it.
We are too prone to criticise and con
denim when We should pity, sympa
thiz9 with and restore. What we need
is more Of the brotherly spirit, more of
the spirit which enables us to love one
another aud uplift all others as we up
lift our own brothers in the flesh.
Christianity after all binds US in one
gre { family, if we live it as we should,
and then We raise up thoseot our mum
Der who err and welcome into our CIR
Gle those who become one Of US by be
ing released from sin.
Yes, we need to think more of Jesus
Christ and grow more like Him. We
need to think more of Jesus at the
we'll of Samaria, to think more of Him
in the presence of the accusers of the
condemned woman II we will do this
we will live more like Him, we will
condemn sin, but love and plead with
sinners and thus draw them back into
the fold, from which they have wan.
dered, or II they have nsver known
the Great Shepherd, we will bring them
to HIM. More can be accomplished in
a tender talk of five minutes in which
a consistent Christian speaks gently to
the erring enc, then can be accom-
plished IN an hours discourse OF de
mandatory language against sinners
from the most polished orator. As q
rule, the seed in the first instance will
fall in fertile soil, while in the latter
only a sensation, with perhaps some
wounded feelings, will result. IL rarely,
II ever, results 10 good to publicly de
nounce the erring one. And then the
all important question must be an
sWered: is it brosherly, is it ChristIikei