A Book of Gems, or, Choice selections from the writings of Benjamin Franklin. Бенджамин Франклин
any away from what the Lord gave. We may not preach any other gospel, or even pervert the gospel of Christ.
It was a little matter to charge that Jesus had “an unclean spirit,” but those who did it sinned against the Holy Spirit, and are in danger of “eternal damnation.”
It was a little matter for Ananias and Sapphira to lie about the price of their possessions, but it was soon followed by a judgment from the Lord.
It was a little matter for the Corinthians to get up a feast when they met to worship, but on account of it many were sickly, weakly, and some had died.
Some of the little matters now among us will be found sufficient to stop the ark of God, and cause more than three thousand to be defeated. If Moses were to address some of our men, he would say to them, as he did to Aaron, “What hath this people done to thee that thou hast brought so great a sin upon them?” or as Joshua said to Achan: “Why hast thou troubled us? The Lord shall trouble thee this day.” Let us hear and live.
ONE IDEA ISM.
WE are asked to define what we mean by one-idea ism, and explain to us how the universe is made up of atoms. With this request we will cheerfully comply. It is to be carried away with one idea. The idea may be a good one, or it may not; but one-ideaism, is giving an idea undue importance. A man addicted to one-ideaism, can no more cover it than a leopard can change his spots. If he attempts to pray, he will commence with something else as a stepping stone, regularly paving the way and unmistakably making his way to his favorite idea. When it is put forth and he is delivered of it he is relieved for the time being, especially, if he finds that it annoys some one. If you call on him for an exhortation, a sermon, or if he writes, he may wind round and round, trace back and forward, but it will, in spite of himself, in all his efforts to conceal it, be manifest to all, that he takes no interest in all he is saying, only as it subserves his purpose, in paving the way to the one idea, the center around which the whole man revolves, and to which his entire existence is subservient. If that one idea is not dragged in, the man is not relieved, his burden is still upon his soul, and he is in travail waiting to be relieved.
You will see this class of men at meetings, and conventions, both political and religious, without the most distant idea of promoting the objects of the meeting, convention, etc., as the case may be, but with no higher aim than introducing their idea to notice, making the meeting an engine, and men, met under other obligations, and with the ostensible object of the meeting before them, instruments to carry the pet idea on the high road to fame. Sometimes this class of men, because other men have other objects in view, are actually engaged in some good and great work, have not time, will not be annoyed nor turned aside to hear them nor dispute with them; or, if they do, give them but a passing notice—think all the world afraid of them. But they need have no fears on this score. An idea that has not force enough to burst its way forth in the world in defiance of all fogies and conservatives, would die a natural death, if the parent of it could get some one to bring it forth.
MINISTERING ANGELS.
WE have much in the present day on the spiritual care which the divine Father exercises over his creatures in this world. We consider it clear that God has angels who guard, protect, and take care of that portion of the human family which put their trust in him. That the first Christians believed that a good man had an angel, is clear, from Acts xii. 15. When the Apostle Peter was delivered from prison by a miracle, and his voice was heard at the gate, where several disciples were collected, they could not believe it was him, but said, “It is his angel.”
Speaking of his disciples, the Lord said, “In heaven their angels do always behold the face of my Father which is in heaven.” Mat. xviii. 10. This shows clearly that the disciples of Christ have angels. Paul says, “But to which of the angel said he at any time, sit on my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool? Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation?” The heirs of salvation then have ministering angels, who wait upon them continually, and at the same time behold the face of God in heaven.
Some men seem perplexed to see the use of prayer, unless God operates upon the hearts of christians by an abstract spirit; but if the ever blessed Father keeps ministering angels about them as a mighty wall, and thus guards, protects and preserves them, it would seem to involve the same necessity for prayer, that would be involved if he should do it any other way. Why should it not? With us, we consider ourselves under the same obligations, should God be pleased to preserve us in one way, that we would be, should he do it in another. Not only so, but the man of God ought to have confidence enough in God to believe he will answer any petition asked, according to his will, whether he has told us or not.
NO SIDE STRUCTURE.
WE can not recognize the side institution, nor the officers in it, as neither the one nor the other is known to the oracles of God, or to history for ages after the sacred canon was complete. What is the use to talk of a church of which there is not a trace in the volume of God, nor in anything written for hundreds of years after the apostles? There is not a trace of Romanism, of a pope, cardinal or archbishop in the Bible, except in the prophecies that foretell the apostasy, nor in any other writing of the first three centuries. Nor is there any account of any of the others we have mentioned for a much greater length of time.
We find “the body of Christ,” “the kingdom of God,” and “the Church of God,” spoken of in Scripture. The Lord says, “On this rock I will build my church.” Here is something clear and definite. We can bring this “body” before us, this “kingdom,” or “church,” be members of it, confine our minds and hearts to it; keep it and all its grand interest in view, and not some side structure, imitation or something like it.
The apostles and first evangelists, the overseers and deacons in the first church, were all ministers or servants in the grand work of the “one body,” or “the kingdom,” and not of any side structure. All who are really ministers or servants of Jesus now, are in this “one body,” “kingdom” or “church,” and devoted to its interests and growth, and not to the building up, extending or perpetuation of any side structure, under the pretext that it is like the original or any other, but for the original itself.
All these side structures, names and laws are usurpation, and the true ministers or servants of the kingdom, can but regard them as such, and labor to melt them all away and put all the good material there is in them into “God’s building,” “the temple of God,” and thus make this material useful and acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.
As to clerical airs, the peculiar cut of the coat, the white necktie, and all other such “outward signs of inward grace,” they are the offspring of shallowness, weakness and folly, and wholly incompatible with the plainness, meekness and humility of Jesus and of good taste and sense.
LIGHT WITHIN.