When brethren become alienated they frequently do not want to settle their difficulties, but to get an advantage over an opposing party. No court of appeal nor anything we can say will reconcile them. If we, in any part of the affair, agree with them, they there agree with us; but if we in any part of it differ from them they there differ from us. There the matter ends. Still, we will try and give a little attention to the matters in hand.
There are cases where nothing can be done. In other words, there are cases that can not be settled. Church members become like the man’s rails that had been in a crooked fence so long that they would not make a straight fence. Church-members sometimes have been crooked so long that they will not become straight. They continue in their alienation so long that it becomes a kind of habit with them and food for them. They can not do well without it.
If a church is about equally divided by a difficulty and can not settle the matter among themselves, and will not refer the matter to a committee, it simply can not be settled. A case that can not be settled must remain unsettled. We answer, that in that case nothing can be done. Some cases of difficulty will never be settled in this world, and will have to be referred to the last judgment for adjudication. It would be well, though, in such a case as stated, for the disaffected party to consider the matter well, and see to it that they have acted wisely and in the Spirit of the Lord in the whole matter. On the other hand, the church party should review the whole ground carefully, and see to it that all they can do to open the way for the disaffected party to become reconciled and brought into the unity of the Spirit and the bond of peace be done. Let no stone remain unturned, no effort untried and nothing remain undone that might bring peace.
OUTWARD APPEARANCE.
WE have made a standing arrangement for paper this year, of which the present pamphlet is a sample, and we shall do our utmost to have the whole volume printed in a neat and legible manner. As to fine paper, covers, etc., they are like fine clothes only necessary to encase the bodies and souls which will not pass without them. You have, no doubt, seen the preacher wrapped in the finest broadcloth, and a golden chain for a watch-guard, who, after a labored effort for an hour would only prove that he was a human frame, finely clad, but no preacher. In clothing our thoughts in pamphlets, as in clothing our persons, the proper rule should be, to have the apparel just such as not to be noticed at all, and then the thoughts in the pamphlet or the man himself may be seen. Let the attire be neat enough not to be observed for its shabbiness, and plain enough not to be noticed for its fineness, that the person in the attire may be seen. It is true, it is desirable to have a paper printed plain and neat, but all this and fine paper into the bargain will never make it go, if there be not some life, spirit and power in the articles themselves.
Some men seem astonished that their publications do not circulate, seeing that they contain such a display of the most elegant literary taste, not seeming to be aware of the fact, that not one common reader out of fifty ever perceives the mighty effort at all. Yet there can be no objection to fine style. The difficulty in that class to which we refer, is not that they write in fine style, but that there is nothing but the style—neither soul, body, nor spirit.
LITTLE MATTERS.
IT may seem strange that a human body, weighing one hundred and fifty pounds, would be disturbed by a little thorn in it, not an eighth of an inch long! But, strange as it may appear, it is a fact. And you can not accustom the body to it by piercing the thorn in deeper and deeper, till the body will become easy and comfortable; but you can in that way produce irritation, then inflammation, then mortification, and then death. Death has been produced in this way many times. He is no friend to the body who continues to push the thorn in deeper and deeper, nor is he who would excuse him in so doing, or encourage him in it. There is but one remedy, and that is to remove the thorn. Even if you have to make the wound much larger than it is, the thorn must be removed, or the end will be death.
There are cases in which a thorn might be pierced into the flesh an inch, and produce no pain or irritation; but they are cases where there is no life in the flesh. A thorn pierced into a dead body will produce no pain or irritation. A dead body has no power to resist it, and will make no effort. This is the reason precisely that a thorn produces no irritation or pain when pierced into certain bodies. They are dead bodies. It is no indication that the body is not alive and in healthy condition, to find it resisting foreign matter, and making an effort to remove obstructions; but when it can not do this, the body must die. It can not live and the obstruction remain, at least, only for a short time. But who will permit even a little thorn to remain in his flesh? We care not how little it may be; it is foreign, it is irritating, and, unless removed, will produce death.
It was a little thing for Eve to partake of the forbidden fruit. Thomas Paine inquired, “What harm was there in eating an apple?” This is the watchword with all the unlawful things that people desire to do. “What harm is it?” When we worship according to Scripture we never inquire, “What harm is it?” It is not in doubt, and calls out no such inquiry. It is not under any suspicion. To worship according to Scripture is manifestly right. Why should we lag in anything in doubt, under suspicion, and repulsive to any portion of the body, when we have a divinely-prescribed worship held in no doubt?
It was a little thing for Achan to take a Babylonish garment, some silver, and a wedge of gold, and secrete them in his tent; but when he came to confess, it was not a little matter.
He said: “I have sinned against the Lord God of Israel.” On account of this little matter, three thousand men were defeated, and Israel disgraced. “Joshua said, Why hast thou troubled us? the Lord shall trouble thee this day. And all Israel stoned him with stones, and burned them with fire, after they had stoned them with stones.” Here is a fine sample of little matters, and of troubling the people of God with little matters. See Joshua vii. 19–26.
It was a little matter for Uzza to “put forth his hand to hold the ark;” but he fell dead on account of it. See 1 Chron. xiii. 9. He appeared to have been friendly to the ark, sincere, etc., but his touching the ark brought death. What harm was there in touching the ark? It did not injure it. It may be that he saved it from falling. But he violated the law of God. He incurred the anger of God.
What became of them who offered strange fire on God’s altar? See Lev. x.: “And Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, took either of them his censer, and put fire therein, and put incense thereon, and offered strange fire before the Lord, which he commanded them not. And there went out fire from the Lord, and devoured them, and they died before the Lord.” That was a little matter; only slightly tampering with the worship; simply introducing a new element, which the Lord commanded them not, or did not command them. It is a fearful thing to tamper with the worship.
In one word: “If every transgression and disobedience received a just recompense of reward,” in God’s dealings with men in former ages, how shall we escape if we neglect so great salvation? If God allowed no departures in the typical worship, why should we assume that he will permit it in the worship typified? If everything had to be done according to the patterns given to Moses in the typical dispensation, how can any man infer that we may