The Brandon news., 1903-08-27

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of Him who leads and directs it. This sug-
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 its existence is
that through it His kingdom may be adj
vanced 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 IS
being accomplished here Christ has been
directing the work and the members har-
moniously doing His bidding;
This test must be applied to every or
ganization connected with the church. Does
it directly accomplish this end? Does it
qualify men and women In brlno.ng to pass
this desired result? If so it is of Christ
and has legitimate place in the church.
The thing the church should do at all times
of the head. That is the most. perfect
body which most perfectly responds to the
direction of the rain. That is the best
church which sets its IF most asslduously
to know the thought and purpose - Christ,
and which most promptlL responds to that
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 church recognize it's vital connec-
ton with Jesus Christ as its heart, its
nedQ, us lie giving anu QlItCIlbS pONFIS,
and its 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 it's 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 sim
sick world As the growing lad cannot but
express the superabounding life eapng
through his veins, no more can church,
tingling with the superabounding spiritual
life of Christ fail to give expression to its
powers.
But that church has recognized only half
the truth when it has come to know that
Christ is the life of the church. The 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 confine 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 ex-
preston. Why God was pleased to give
expression to His spirit through the
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
in the world to-day. He lives in and works
through His body the church. This should
be deeply solemn and impressive thought
to every church of the Redeemer God
also manifested Himself in Christ is mani
fest to-day only through the church His
body. This is why the church fails in her
mission and lacks power. She has failed
to realized her status in the world. She
has not sufficiently appreciated her respon-
sibility and the divine dignity which is
hers. Think of it! You are hand to do
His bidding, feet to fulfill His missions,
eyes to look to His interests, ears to hear
His truth, tongues to sound forth that
truth and utter His praise. Christ has IN
carnated Himself in you. Through you
men must come to know Him.
Except the church manifests the life OF
Christ it is no true church. except it per-
forms His mission it is not church of the
Redeemer. As the body is one and hath
many members, and all the members of the
body, being many, are one body, so also is
the church. The body of Christ = one
though many, unity in diversity. All the
members are necessary in order that the
symmetry may be complete, and its useful I
ness unimpaired.
Independence is the cry of our time-in-
dependence of the nation, independence of
the individual. This spirit seen everywhere
has found a large. place in the church.
Within limits this is well. Within limits,
[ say, for just 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 is
| especially true. 1t is one body-it is
Christ in the world, each part must be in
closest union with every other part. More 4
and more the church must work together, !
more and more the denominations must
work as one In nlanIfesting the life OF God
to the world in the transformation and sal
vation of men.
You have before now seen a couple of
pups get q hold of an old rope and then,
as though life depended on the process,
| one pull one way while the other tugged
the other. | have seen churches whose
condition would not be unaptly illustrated
by the dogs. Lack of unity in aim and eff
| fort IS great source of weakness to the
church. The spirit of independence, good
in itself, runs riot, until concerted action
to definite end is impossible. When in
dependence thus errs against unity it is
| curse rather than blessing All the mem
bers of the body must work together, vital {
ized by the heart, directed by, the head.
One. of the most beautiful sights in the s
world is a symmetrical and responsive hu-
man body. One of the most beautiful
sights to the spiritual eye is the body or B
Christ-the urch-harmoniousiy respon-
sive to His thought and purpose: In the
in the flesh the church can make &
no mistake as to her mission. She must 4
save souls. In the light of this purpose
every petty difference saould drop out of s
sight and the whole Christian body be-
come one mind in regard to the chief aim
of their existence. The educator will take
care of the education of the community,A
the aesthetic will look after the culture,
the reformer will lead reforms, but theE
church must save men from sin and mani7W
fest the life of God to the world
have seen in one of the great mills Of
our country two great wheels Note one
point, they fit each other. Moving In 4
ceaseless unison. If a single point be bro.
ken off the machinery CRATES, if number#
be broken the wheel silps and the wholek
network Of machinery is helpless Each
members of the church has his place If heM
fails the body is hampered in its efficiency.
But while there is to be union in diver
sity: there is also to be diversity in unity.
Individuality is not effaced by the Gospel
of Christ. This gives the widest possible
scope, to the churches ties which may be-
included within the church. There is a 4
place of usefulness for ALL Each one is to-
find his or her place and then in unionN
with the whole body work for its highest
efficiency.