The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1905-02-09
UNITY CHRisTIANITY'S HOPE.

! its theme the unity of the church, anu
finds the bond of that unity to be
| Jesus Christ 1t is to Him that the
relative pronoun of our text refers. 1t
is from Christ that the whole body
makes increase of itself in love.
There are three things in this Scrip
| turc which especially attract the stu
| dent. The first is, the construction
of the church. Paul tells these Ephe-
slams that it is fifty framed, or nicely
fit together; that is, every part OF il IS
in its own place; there is no confusion,
no crowding. no overlapping and no
vase. When God looks upon it, as
He looked upon creation at the begin
ming, he pronounced it good and very
good. The only confusion that ever
cripples the church is caused by the
attempt Of men to improve upon the
haudiwolk of God, and set men in
places for which God has not prepared
them.
Many OF these insists mar the build.
ing. and give to it the unfinished APP
pearauce which it sometimes presents.
This is only in the visible church. In
the invisible all things ut together
nicely, and what a great gain it would
be if we would only permit that which
is invisible TO become real and Wis
ible!
We began early in this Improvement
business. When Judas fell away, the
disciples sought TO supply his place,
and Matthias was elected, but we
never hear Of him again. and it is
very much the same now with these
men Of our choosing. Then you Will
notice that it IS not only nicely fit
together but it is knit together. each
part holding some other. while 1t itself
is being held by another. and SO the
whole is held together in the provi-
dence Of God.
That may be very inefficient mem
Der. perhaps 40 far rs we may judge
bat if we could see the ligaments that
are formed by him 10 hold some one
else. We should conclude that he was
a very useful member. Andrew seems
to be Il very quiet and uuheard of mem
Der, but he held Peter to the body
while he did the great work which
is recorded Of him.
This, Of course, was instrNmcntally
done. When Carey goes down into
the mine Of India they see only the
great Ambassador, but out Of sight and
quite rs useful were those of his coun-
trymcn who held the ropes. We are
knit together. and it is of immense
Importance that each one hold his
place in the great web which the Al
mighty has woven There can be
no place here for jealousies or conten-
tions.
The second thing which attracts us
in This text l. the sourcn of church
growth Paul touS tlo Enheslans That
it is from Christ that The BODY. VIII. II
Is the church makes increase Of itself
in love. II is we'll for MS nj time
like this when mon ara carried away
by things seen 10 remember that therc
is an unseen mower from which this
body is 70 derive ifs power ia prow.
AS one looks upon one of our great
ocean steamers moving THROUGH thn
waves no & rcodv IA fake afr Iis hat
In admiration Of II hut bc shouId never
forget the men who are far down be-
low tho waves who in hear ANA dust
furnish the furnace Win coal
When the church loses IFS connection
with the Christ then IT ccosos to prow
~ am the vine. vc are the branches "
said the Master, ana a. the branch
cannot bear fruit onart from tho vine.
a., mona a., a., ahrr.l. ,,l,o.. 80.