The Camden chronicle. (Camden, Tenn.) 1890-current, 1904-03-04

! CnI1st, church and minister alike are de-
pendent for their spiritual vitality. IL ~
only as they are together animated by the
warm impulse of His life thai ley live al
all. When the church will look TO the
Lord Of Life for it's life. then, aud not un-
til then, will it throb from head to foot
with real life and power.
Not only is Christ tine heart Of the
church, He is its head. We read that He
was given TO be head oyer all things to His
| church. He is the head Of the spiritual
| body-the head is tins governing or organ
izing power OF the hodv, From the head
comes the purposes that give directions 20
| the life. The will sways and t,rects all,
| The government and organization OF a
church are only the e.. -esslon Of the Will
| of Him who leads and directs it. This sug-
gests 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 tue life OF sin and cleave to
the promise of salvation in and through
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
qanizatiou connected with the church. Does
it directly accomplish this end? Does 1t
qualify men and women III brinong to pass
this desired result? If so it il Of Christ
and has a legitimate place in the church.
The thing the chu:eh should do at all times
in all it's parts il 10 discover tae Thought
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 II most assiduously
to'know the thudEht and purpose = Christ,
and which most prompt responds 10 that
thought and purpose. No man, minister,
deacon or any other has any authority to
he 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 recognizes it's vitAl connec-
ton with Jesus Christ ss its heart, its
head, it's life giving and directing powers.
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 viii of it's Lord at every
point 1t will not be content with seating
itse'f in softly cushioned pews once week
with the feeling that it has fulfilled its re-
liQious 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 SIN
sick world. As the growing lad cannot but
express the slIpera0oundng HE ieapng
through his veins. no more CO.. church;
ting!irg with the superaboundiug spiritual
life of Christ fail to give expression to its
powers. ;.
But that church has recognized only half
TIE 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.
ri. The church is the body of Christ.
Why the Creator saw fit to con6ne these
spirits of Ours in material body we cam
not know. Tie fact remains tPrat the. soll
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, lie
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 lncarnate is
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 manl-
fest to-day only through the church His
BODY. This is why the church fails in her
mission and lacks power. She has fal'ed |
70 psaIsed her -tstm in tie world She |
has not sufficiently appreciated her resnon-
sibilitv and the t,tvne dignity which IS
hers Think OF it! You are hand to do
His bidding, feet to fulfill His missions
ewes to look to His interests. ears to near
His truth tongues to, sound forth tnat
truth and utter His praise, Christ has IN
carnated Himself in Won: Through you
men must come to>know Hirq-
Except the church manifests the me OF
Christ it is no true church. except 1t per-
forms His mission it il not church OF the
Redeemer As the body is one and lath
many members and all the members OF the
body, being manv are one body, so also ~
the church. The body of Christ - one
though many, unity ijr diversity. All the
hos i'm
symmetry may be complete, and its useful
ness unimpaired
Independence is, the cry of our time-1n-
dependence of the nation. independence OF
the indwidtral. This spirit seen everywhere
has found a large Place in the church.
Within limits this is well. Within limits,
l say, for Just as soon as individuality ne,
comes obtrusfve or obstinate II has passed
she limit where it cam be OF the most use
to the world. Within the church thus IS
especially true. It Is one body-'t Is
Christ in, the world, each rart must he IN
closest union with every other nart. wore
and more, the church must work together,
more and more thn denominations mus
work as ore in 1ranifesting the life 'of Cod
to the world in the transformation a,sd sal
vstion of mer..
You. Have, before now seen c@'tp'e az
pups get a hold Of an cd rope a,rf then,
as though life depended on the process.
one mil one wav while the other tuGged
the other. 7 have seen chnrctses whose
condition wonrd rot he unapt,y. illustrated
by tne dogs. Lack Of unity il, .airn and ef-
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 a
curse rather than a BLESSING. AT the mem
hers Of the body must work together, Vita
red BY the heart directed hy the head
| One of the most beautiful sights in the
world is a symmetrical and RESPONSIVE hw..
man body One of the most PeantiNat!
sights to the spiritual eye is the body OF
Chr;aA-thn chrrnh- harrnnninuslv resrnnn.