Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
The Union Of Love To God And Love To Man, A Sermon, Preached In St. Andrew's Church, New Town, Edinburgh,
of the members of the natural body . Thus * , - But now hath God set the members , every one of them in the body , as it hath pleased HIM .- And if they were all one member , where were the bod y <* But now are they many members , yet but one body . And the eye cannot say unto the hand , I have no need of thee ; nor again , the head to the feet , I have no need of you . That there should be no schism in the bodybut that the members should have the same care
, one for another . And whether one member suffer , all the members suffer with it : or whether one member be honoured , all the members rejoice with it . Now ye are the body of Christ , and members in particular . ' What a beautiful representation is this of the relation which subsists between Christ and his followers , and of that love which his followers
ought to have one toward another . We ought to love one another , because we do thereby nothing more than love a set of creatures , who are , as it were , 'bone of our bones , and flesh of our flesh . ' Malice , or fraud , or injustice , ought not to be so much as heard of among us ; because , by hurting our Brother , and more especially our Christian Brothereither in his personor propertyor characterwe hurt one
, , , , of our own members , or , a part of our ownselves , from our mutual relation to Christ , the S piritual Plead of the whole Christian body , and the Common Center of our mutual affection to one another . We Christians ought to Jove one another , because Christ , the Center of
our Brotherhood , loveth us , and died for us ; and because HE is taking care of our separated members , that is , our departed friends and Brethren , till we shall go to them . Out of this argument for mutual love among the Christian Brethren , there grows another , which is of equal force . From our relation to . Christ , who calleth us his Brethren , and in whom we have everlasting lifewe hope soon to be raised to those mansions of
feli-, city which he is gone to prepare for us , and to dwell therewith him , ancl with one another , through all eternity . Shall not we therefore love each other , who are thus designed to be friends and companions to one another through endless ages ? Our present acquaintance is but the beginning of our friendshi ps . It is to the friendship of the life to come , only what the seed-time is
to the harvest , or what a state of childhood is to mature age . And of our meeting together in a future state , where our friendships will be ' made perfect , and will be . uninterrupted and everlasting , there can be no doubt ; because , since Christ , who is the head of the members , is risen , we shall also rise again . ' I am the Resurrection and the Life' saith HE' whosoever believeth in MEthough he were
, ; , dead , yet shall he live : —because I live , ye shall live also . ' ' HE is become ' the first-fruits of them that slept ; ' and as the first-fruits betoken the approaching general harvest , so the general resurrection is drawing on . Since Christ , who is our Lord ancl Head , is entered into his glory , we , if we follow HIM by a life of sincere faith and . ho-
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
The Union Of Love To God And Love To Man, A Sermon, Preached In St. Andrew's Church, New Town, Edinburgh,
of the members of the natural body . Thus * , - But now hath God set the members , every one of them in the body , as it hath pleased HIM .- And if they were all one member , where were the bod y <* But now are they many members , yet but one body . And the eye cannot say unto the hand , I have no need of thee ; nor again , the head to the feet , I have no need of you . That there should be no schism in the bodybut that the members should have the same care
, one for another . And whether one member suffer , all the members suffer with it : or whether one member be honoured , all the members rejoice with it . Now ye are the body of Christ , and members in particular . ' What a beautiful representation is this of the relation which subsists between Christ and his followers , and of that love which his followers
ought to have one toward another . We ought to love one another , because we do thereby nothing more than love a set of creatures , who are , as it were , 'bone of our bones , and flesh of our flesh . ' Malice , or fraud , or injustice , ought not to be so much as heard of among us ; because , by hurting our Brother , and more especially our Christian Brothereither in his personor propertyor characterwe hurt one
, , , , of our own members , or , a part of our ownselves , from our mutual relation to Christ , the S piritual Plead of the whole Christian body , and the Common Center of our mutual affection to one another . We Christians ought to Jove one another , because Christ , the Center of
our Brotherhood , loveth us , and died for us ; and because HE is taking care of our separated members , that is , our departed friends and Brethren , till we shall go to them . Out of this argument for mutual love among the Christian Brethren , there grows another , which is of equal force . From our relation to . Christ , who calleth us his Brethren , and in whom we have everlasting lifewe hope soon to be raised to those mansions of
feli-, city which he is gone to prepare for us , and to dwell therewith him , ancl with one another , through all eternity . Shall not we therefore love each other , who are thus designed to be friends and companions to one another through endless ages ? Our present acquaintance is but the beginning of our friendshi ps . It is to the friendship of the life to come , only what the seed-time is
to the harvest , or what a state of childhood is to mature age . And of our meeting together in a future state , where our friendships will be ' made perfect , and will be . uninterrupted and everlasting , there can be no doubt ; because , since Christ , who is the head of the members , is risen , we shall also rise again . ' I am the Resurrection and the Life' saith HE' whosoever believeth in MEthough he were
, ; , dead , yet shall he live : —because I live , ye shall live also . ' ' HE is become ' the first-fruits of them that slept ; ' and as the first-fruits betoken the approaching general harvest , so the general resurrection is drawing on . Since Christ , who is our Lord ancl Head , is entered into his glory , we , if we follow HIM by a life of sincere faith and . ho-