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GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



July 



hack unless there is an inclination in the backward 

 direction. .loin the church, place yourself in the 

 front ranks, stand beside the veteran in Christ's 

 service, and you will find it a wonderful stimulus 

 and help in the Christian life. 



II. Another answer to the question why you 

 should join the church if you consider yourself a 

 Christion is, Because you thus identify yourself with 

 the instrumentalities God has ordained for the ad- 

 vancement of his cause on earth. There can be no 

 question that Christ planned the establishment of 

 the church, and that he ordained it to be the center 

 of all activity and endeavor for the advancement 

 of his cause. He said to Peter: "Upon this rock 

 I will build my church " (Matt. 16: 18), thus promis- 

 ing' an institution the basis of which should be a 

 confession in him as the Son of God. He command- 

 ed regarding an offending brother, brought before 

 two or three witnesses: "If he shall neglect to 

 hear them, tell it unto the church; and if he shall 

 neglect to hear the church, let him be unto thee as 

 a heathen man and a publican" (Matt. IS: 17)— thus 

 providing for a visible church which should .judge 

 whether a man were a true member of the invis- 

 ible church. The company of the disciples whom 

 Christ gathered around him were the nucleus of 

 the church that was to be established by Christ, 

 through the Spirit, at the season of pentecost, from 

 which time on those who were converted were 

 further added by the Lord unto the church. The in- 

 visible church is the true church, cleansed and puri- 

 fied and sanctified, and therefore it can not be to 

 this but to the visible church, that Paul refers when 

 he says that "Christ loved the church, and gave 

 himself for it; that he might sanctify and cleanse it 

 with the washing of water by the word, that he 

 might present it to himself a glorious church, not 

 having spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that 

 it should be holy and without blemish " (Eph. 

 5:25— 27). It is quite popular to say that Christ did 

 not institute the church; but, like a great many 

 things that are popular, it is very far from the 

 truth. The church is the recognized means for the 

 advancement of the kingdom of Christ. It was his 

 <lisrii>lts whom he commanded: " Go ye into all the 

 world and preach the gospel to every creature." 

 The visible church is the organized army of Christ. 

 It is our place, if we would do our noblest for 

 Christ, to be found in it. It may have uuworthy 

 members; there may be found within it enemies 

 and traitors and spies; but that is no reason why 

 we should not be found there. So much the more 

 reason why we should join the ranks and counter- 

 act the influence of these who profess to be Christ's 

 and are not. What would have been thought of a 

 man who, in our nation's last great contest, should 

 have said: "Why, yes! 1 am in favor of the Northern 

 cause, and opposed to secession <tml slavery. 1 believe 

 the former should be put down, and the latter abol- 

 ished. But I think I can do more good in the army of 

 the S<m ih titan 1 can in the army of the North. I will 

 serve there, and try to win men to the Northern 

 cause. I will persuade them to desert, and join the 

 Northern army. I can do more good by going 

 among them as though I were one of them. I will 

 find out their plans, discover their strongholds, and 

 report them to the other side "—would not one of 

 two things be true— either such a man would not be 

 looked upon as loyal to the North, and his words 

 would have no effect in winning men from the 

 South, or be would be considered a spy, and the 



enemy would carefully conceal their plans from 

 him, and he himself would be cast out? Those who 

 claim to be Christ's, and yet march with the world, 

 upon the plea of the greater good they can do, will 

 meet with similar results. Men of the world will 

 say of them: " When they talk to us of joining the 

 army of Christ, they don't mean what they say; 

 for do you suppose that, if they were loyal to 

 Christ, we should find them in our ranks? Not by 

 any means!" Or they would say, " These men are 

 spies. They are working for the other side, and 

 are among us only to find out our plans and discov- 

 er our strongholds. We must look out and conceal 

 our purposes from them." In either case, those 

 who would influence the world by marching in 

 their ranks, fail of their purpose. Either their 

 sincerity Is called in question, or they are thwarted 

 because their true purpose is suspected. Either 

 men will distrust them or they will not confide in 

 them. Christ may want spies to spy out the land, 

 but he will choose them from his own ranks, and 

 not from those who are marching with the enemy. 

 if you would do something for Christ that is worth 

 doing, join his regular standing army, and get your 

 commission for service there. There is advantage 

 in guerilla warfare when it is directed by the gen- 

 eral in command, but otherwise it may do more 

 harm than good. If you would accomplish your 

 best work for Christ you must join the visible 

 church of Christ. 



III. Another answer to the question why one 

 should join the church is, Because by Unit means 

 alone can we let our lights properly shine for Christ. 

 A gentleman said to me, " 1 call myself a Christian ; 

 I try to throw my influence on the side of right— 

 what more is to be accomplished by joining the 

 church?" The gain is, that until one joins the 

 church the influence of his life can not be said to be 

 itll on the side of Christ. For example, I know a 

 man of upright life, honest and moral, who called 

 himself a Christian, who wanted to do all he could 

 for Christ, who nevertheless had not seen his way 

 clear to join the church. He thought that he was 

 doing all the good he could, and was influencing 

 other lives for Christ. I discovered a far different 

 state of affairs. I found that unconverted men 

 were pointing to him as their example and excuse. 

 They were saying of him, " There's the man I pat- 

 tern after. If he can be as" good a man as he is 

 without religion, I'm willing to take my chances." 

 That man was letting his light shine before the 

 world, but he was not letting it shine for Christ. 

 He waB in reality against Christ instead of for him. 

 He was not setting up a righteousuess of his own, 

 but he was leading men to Chink he was, and so was 

 exerting an influence against the Master's cause. 

 The enemy were counting him on their side, when 

 he counted himself on the other side, and all be- 

 cause he did not come out and unite with the 

 church and proclaim where he stood. It was for 

 self and Satan that his light shone, and not for 

 Christ. Christ says, " Let your light so shine be- 

 fore men that they may see your good works ami yk>- 

 rify not voit, but glorify— your kathek which is 

 in heaven." No matter how large and glaring a 

 watch-fire you may build, and no matter what your 

 purpose may be in buildiugit, if you build it in the 

 enemy's camp it shines to their advantage, and to 

 the disadvantage of the forces of truth and right- 

 eousness. If you would make sure to cast no un- 

 certain ray of light, you must at once pitch your 



