Unity Among Laborers
15
before it, and if the leaders had been united, it would have been,
through God, a still more powerful agent for the pulling down of the
strongholds of Satan; but variance arose among them, and the enemies
of truth greatly rejoiced.
Even so Satan will come in among us, and sow discord if he can.
How shall we resist him? By each cultivating love and forbearance
in his own heart toward his brethren. If you see that one of your
brethren is in fault, do not turn from him: and speak against him; but
see how much good you can do him by treating him tenderly. Instead
of allowing selfish feelings to arise, and seeking to preserve personal
dignity, let self drop out of sight. Jesus with his long human arm
encircles the fallen race and seeks to connect them with the throne of
the Infinite. This is the work that you should be engaged in. Do not
disappoint Jesus by your dissensions.
Even though you think you are right, you are not to urge your
individual ideas to the front, so that they will cause discord. Do not
take the position that you cannot err. All are liable to make mistakes;
all need to anoint their eyes with the eye-salve spoken of by the True
Witness, that they may see themselves as they are in God’s sight.
Here are two brethren laboring together. Will these brethren, if
the spirit of Christ reigns in their hearts, be found warring against
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each other? Will they cherish envy, evil surmisings, and hard feelings
against each other? Impossible. Neither one will possess exalted views
of himself while he undervalues his brother. Each will esteem the
other better than himself. “A new commandment I give unto you, That
ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.
By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one
to another.” The love here spoken of is not that sentimentalism, that
low order of love, that attracts the affections from Christ and places
them upon one another. The love here described is pure; it arises from
having the affections centered upon Jesus, making him first, and last,
and best in everything.
Brethren, it is your privilege to carry with you the credentials that
you are Christ’s,—love, joy, and peace. Will you seek earnestly to
have this heavenly plant of love become rooted in your hearts, and then
will you tenderly cherish it lest it wither and die? Let Christ appear.
Do not cherish a spirit of independence which will lead you to feel
that if your brethren do not agree with you they must be wrong. The