Second Letter of Counsel to a Missionary in Africa
83
and in holy emulation will strive to show to others the tender sympathy
and love of which they feel such great need themselves. He who is
weak and inexperienced, although he is weak, may be strengthened
by the more hopeful and by those of mature experience. Although the
least of all, he is a stone that must shine in the building. He is a vital
member of the organized body, united to Christ, the living head, and
through Christ identified with all the excellencies of Christ’s character
so that the Saviour is not ashamed to call him brother.
Why are believers formed into a church? Because by this means
Christ would increase their usefulness in the world and strengthen their
personal influence for good. In the church there is to be maintained
a discipline which guards the rights of all and increases the sense of
mutual dependence. God never designed that one man’s mind and
judgment should be a controlling power. He never designed that one
man should rule and plan and devise without the careful and prayerful
consideration of the whole body, in order that all may move in a sound,
thorough, harmonious manner.
Believers are to shine as lights in the world. A city set on a hill
cannot be hid. A church, separate and distinct from the world, is in the
estimation of heaven the greatest object in all the earth. The members
are pledged to be separate from the world, consecrating their service
to one Master, Jesus Christ. They are to reveal that they have chosen
Christ as their leader. The work in Cape Town is an important work
and the church is to be as God designed it should be, a representative
of God’s family in another world.
“Wherefore laying aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies,
and envies, and all evil speakings, as newborn babes, desire the sincere
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milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby: if so be ye have tasted
that the Lord is gracious. To whom coming, as unto a living stone,
disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God, and precious, ye also,
as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood,
to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.
Wherefore also it is contained in the scripture, Behold, I lay in Sion
a chief corner stone, elect, precious: and he that believeth on him
shall not be confounded. Unto you therefore which believe he is
precious: but unto them which be disobedient, the stone which the
builders disallowed, the same is made the head of the corner, and a
stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence, even to them which stumble