The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1903-08-20

VI Iluu II IN uilCSlo ~ AhAo ~
gests a criterion by which we may judge
the church. Jesus Christ has made His
will concerning the BODY of disciples very.
clear. The sole object for it's existence is
that through it His kingdom may be adj
yanced; i. e., that through it men may be
led to abandon the life Of sin and cleave to
the promise of salvation in and through
Christ the Saviour. When this result 3
being accomplished here Christ las been
directing the work and the members har'
moniously doing His bidding;
This test must be applied to every or
canization connected with the church. Does
it directly accomplish this end? Does it
qualify men and women in BRINE ng to pass
this desired result! If so it Is OF Christ
and has a legitimate place in the church.
The thing the church should do at all times
in all its parts is 10 discove; tae thought
of the head. That is the most perfect
body which most perfectly responds to the
direction of the rain. That Is the pest
church which sets its II most assiduously
to know the thought and purpose . Christ,
and which most prompt. responds to thas
thought and purpose. No man, minister,
deacon or any other has any authority to
be head of the church. Christ is the head.
The chief business OF the church Is to
know the mind Of the Master.
Let a church recognize its vital connec-
ton with Jesus Christ as it's heart, It's
head. its life giving and directing powers.
and it's success as an agency in extending
the kingdom is already assured. Such .
church will be found much in prayer seek
ing to know the will Of its Lord at every
point. 1t will not be content with seating
itself in softly cushioned pews once a week
with the feeling that it has fulfilled its re-
ligious obligations. On the contrary. You
will find it seven days in every week out
searching the highways and hedges trying
to inoculate the life of the Lord into a sim
sick world. AS the growing lad cannot but
express the superabounding life ,eap,ng
through his veins, no more can a cnurcn,
~tingiing with the superaboundin2 spiritual
life of Christ fail to give expression to us
powers.
But that church has recognized only halt
the truth when it has come to know thai
Christ is the life OF. the church. Thu other
half is that while Christ is the heart and
the head we are the body.
II. The church is the body OF Christ.
Why the Creator saw fit to contine these
spirits of ours in a material body we can.
not know. The fact remains that the soul
must work through the body to find eT-
preston. Why God was pleased to CIV
church or His body We cannot say, he
has done it. We are the body OF Christ.
That organism through which He works.
by means of which He finds expression to
the world. Christ exalted is seated at the
right hand Of God, but Christ incarnate 10
in the world to-day. He lives in and works
through His body the church. This should
be a deeply solemn and impressive thought
to every church OF the Redeemer. GOO
also manifested Himself in Christ, is mani
fest to-day only through the church HIS
I'll. = Il. Sha ah,roh "a Ills 4 n her
mission and lacks power. She has fai!eo
to realized her status in the world. q
has not sufficiently appreciated her respon-
sibility and the divine dignity which -
hers. Think Of it! You are a hand to do
His bidding. feet to fulfill His missions,
ewes to look to His interests, ears to hear
His truth, tongues to souhd forth that
truth and utter His praise. Christ has in
carnated Himself in you: Through yor
men must come to know Him.
Except the church manifests the ilfe OF
Christ it is no true church. except it per-
forms His mission it is not a church or the
Redeemer. AS the body is ore and hath
many members. and all the members OF the
body. being many, are one body, so also ID
the church. The body of Christ one
though many, unity in diversity. ALI the
members are necessary in order that the
symmetry may be complete, and its useful
ness %unimpaired.
Independence is the cry Of our time-ir-
dependence of the nation. independence OF
the individual. This shirt seen everywhere
has found a large. place in the church.
Within limits this is well. Within limits,
I saw. for lust as soon as individuality be
comes obtrusive or obstinate, it has passed
the limit where it can be OF the most use
to the world. Within the church this -
especially true. It is one body-it is
Christ in the world, each mart must be In
closest union with every other part. More
and more tie church must work together,
more and more the denominations muss
work as one in manifesting the life OF God
to the world in the transformation and sal
vation of men.
You have before now seen n couple OK
pups get a hold OF an old rope and then,
as though life depended on the process:
one pull one way while the other tugged
the other. I have seen churches whose
condition would not be unaptly illustrated
by the dogs. Lack OF unity in aim and et-
fort is a great source of weakness 10 the
church. The spirit OF independence, good
in itself. runs riot. until concerted action
to a definite end is impossible. When IN
dependence thus errs against unitv 1t Is
curse rather than a Blessing. All the mem-
hers of the body must work together, vital
lied bv the heart, directed by. the head.
One of the most beautiful sights in the
world is a symmetrical and responsive hu.
man body. Ore of tie most beautiful
sights to the spiritual eye is the body OK
Christ-the church-harmoniously respon-
sive to His thought and purpose: In the
light of Christ's mission while lncarnate
in the flesh the church can make
no mistake as to her mission. She must
save souls. In the light Of this purpose
every petty difference sAould drop out OF
sight and the whole Christian body be-
come one mind in regard to the chief ann
of their existence. The educator will take
care of the education of the community.
the aesthetic will look after the culture,
the reformer will lead reforms, but the
church must save men from sin and mann
fest the life OF God to the world.
/ have seen in one OF the great mills OK
our country two great wheels. Note one
point. they fit each other. Moving, In
cc~easeless unison. If a single point be 6ro-
ken off the machinery CRATES. il a numoe
be broken the vince; sims and the whole
network of machinery is helpless. Each
tmembers of the church has his place: Ii he
fails the body is hampered in its efficiency
But while there is to he union IN diver
sitv. there is also to be diversity IN unity:
Individuality is not effaced by the Gospei
of Christ. This gives the widest possible
scope to the churches ties which may be
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