Love Among Brethren
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sheep and every lamb of His flock touches His heart of sympathizing
love, and the cry for aid reaches His ear. One of the greatest sins of the
shepherds of Israel is thus pointed out by the prophet: “The diseased
have ye not strengthened, neither have ye healed that which was sick,
neither have ye brought again that which was driven away, neither have
ye sought that which was lost; but with force and with cruelty have ye
ruled them. And they were scattered, because there is no shepherd:
and they became meat to all the beasts of the field, when they were
scattered. My sheep wandered through all the mountains, and upon
every high hill: yea, My flock was scattered upon all the face of the
earth, and none did search or seek after them.”
Jesus cares for each one as though there were not another individual
on the face of the earth. As Deity He exerts mighty power in our behalf,
while as our Elder Brother He feels for all our woes. The Majesty of
heaven held not Himself aloof from degraded, sinful humanity. We
have not a high priest who is so high, so lifted up, that He cannot
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notice us or sympathize with us, but one who was in all points tempted
like as we are, yet without sin.
How different from this spirit is the feeling of indifference and
contempt that has been manifested by some in-----toward J and those
who have been affected by his influence. If ever the transforming grace
of God was needed, it is needed in this church. In judging and con-
demning a brother, they have undertaken to do a work that God never
put into their hands. A hardness of heart, a censorious, condemnatory
spirit that would destroy individuality and independence, has been
woven into their Christian experience, and they have lost the love of
Jesus out of their hearts. Make haste, brethren, to get these things off
your soul before it shall be said in heaven: “He that is unjust, let him
be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that
is righteous, let him be righteous still and he that is holy, let him be
holy still.”
You will have many perplexities to meet in your Christian life
in connection with the church, but do not try too hard to mold your
brethren. If you see that they do not meet the requirements of God’s
word, do not condemn; if they provoke, do not retaliate. When things
are said that would exasperate, quietly keep your soul from fretting.
You see many things which appear wrong in others, and you want to
correct these wrongs. You commence in your own strength to work for