Church discipline

Words in BIBLE THOUGHTS BY THE EDITOR 1 COR XVI 13 14 en HERE are five closing words of warning and counsel to the saints of Corinth If they who were riched in all utterance and in all knowledge and who came behind in no gift needed such words how much more we I Watch ye The servant takes up the master's words for these are specially Christ's words and of the twenty one times that they occur in the New Testament twelve are in the Gospels The Lord saw that his church would need such a word as her watchword and motto Our tendency is to be off our guard to fall asleep therefore we are exhorted to watch We are to watch against things both within and without We are to watch con stantly one unwatchful hour may work unspeak able evil to ourselves and to others Were a pilot to fall asleep at the helm or the keeper of the lighthouse or the engine man on one of our ex presses what would be the consequences We are to watch 1 Against ourselves our unbelief our carnality our indolence our selfishness our covetousness our bad temper our vanity our worldliness 2 Against the world its errors its follies its gaieties its temptations its open sins its novels its theatres its ball rooms its parties of pleasure its idle companionships 3 Against Satan his sophistries wiles delusions arguments fiery darts Against all these there must be vigor ous honest brave incessant uncompromising watchfulness No truce with the enemies of Christ no friendship with the seed of the serpent no alliance with this present evil world II Stand fast in the faith The word here is simply stand maintain your position and the stress is laid on the faith the things most surely believed The exhortation takes for granted that we have believed and it calls on us to adhere to the truths which we have thus received It is not of the quantity or quality of our own faith that the apostle is speaking but of the excellency and fulness and trueness and sufficiency of the things believed For it is out of these and not out of our own acts of faith that we extract all the peace and strength and holiness to which we are called by the gospel This standing is not founded on ignorance but on knowledge It is intelligent and reasonable It is not obstinacy nor crotchety ad hesion to one's own notions It is large minded large hearted cleaving to what is revealed and so ascertained to be true divinely true Stand fast in these days when so many are falling or stumbling or departing from the foundation Stand fast but be sure that it is in the faith the old apostolic faith The church's creed is not moveable but fixed for it is made up of the truth of the unchanging God not of the opinions of man or the speculations of the age III Quit you like men This literally means Be men or Be manly very different from muscular or materialized Christianity Your creed is the creed of men not of babes so let your walk and bearing be your whole life your conversation your recreations your literature Season your tones and looks No cant no whining no simpering no effeminacy no sentimentalism Let all about you be erect and manly Be manly yet calm be manly yet gentle be manly yet polite and courteous A true Christian should be the manliest of men Such was Paul such was John such was Peter Such was Knox and Calvin and Luther Men walking in the footsteps of these should be in the best sense of the word mascu line No duplicity no shuffling no insincerity Well wrote the poet There are no tricks in plain and simple faith God's design in conversion and the Holy Spirit's work in indwelling is to make us thoroughly what God when creating us meant us to be men true men in dignity in integrity in nobleness of bearing whether of soul or body I remember the remark of one regarding a young man newly converted he said his conversion had improved his very gait and given him a free and noble bearing which he had not before So let it be with us Popish saints are all pictured as hanging the head to one side looking demurely on the ground so let us not be but erect looking upward with joyous stedfast eye IV Be strong The word denotes vigour and power whether of soul or body It is the word used of John The child grew and waxed strong in spirit Luke i 80 It is the word used of Jesus The child grew and waxed strong in spirit Luke ii 40 We are to be strong in every way and in every sense strong in mind strong in will strong in purpose strong in faith Not feeble cowardly compromising yielding vacillating changeable timid and afraid to face danger or difficulty or toil or loss or shame A true saint is no coward no mere soldier on parade but ever ready for the field not turning back in the day of battle Chris tian strength is a real thing Christian vigour is one of those things by which we glorify God Christian bravery is that in which we are true followers of primitive saints of martyrs reformers covenanters and confessors While men deride us as professors of the soft theology let us show to all what true strength is enduring hardness and fearing no foe V Let all your things be done with charity Solomon's exhortation is Whatsoever thine findeth to do do it with thy might Paul's is charity Both must be remembered The and the might must go together Let love everything even your strongest words and energetic deeds The one need not exclude other nay they mutually help the love the might the mightier and the might makes love more loving Love one another Love brethren Love all men Let us go forth day in love to work the works and speak the of God Let all men see that we love and the love of God reigneth within Watch fast be men be strong yet above all be loving This is the best of gifts the more excellent way We have been loved let us love Let us put all hatred strife variance malice envy wrath unbrotherliness Let us be kindly affectioned to another Let love make us brave true fervent liberal noble yet not soft timid effeminate child ish either in word or deed