Bulletin Volume 135-139 (Paperback)

Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: (.' all malice, and be ye kind to one another, " and-tender hearted,?forgiving one another, " even as God for Christ's sake," hath forgiven ..you." (Eph. iv. 31, 32.)?And in another Epistle he enjoins on his converts, " Let love .'' be without dissimulation?Be kindly affec- " tioned to one another, with brotherly love, in " honour preferring one another." (Rom. xii. 9 10l) This mutual affection so strictly enjoined by our Divine Master, and his apostles, is not an impracticable duty. It is enforced, not merely by commandments or exhortation, but by example. Our Lord might well in this respect, as in all others, charge us " to follow " him," for he loved us while we were yet enemies. His incarnation, his instructions, his sufferings, his miracles, and his death,?all are evidence of a transcendant, an unparalleled love ; as far beyond all precedent, as it is beyond the reach of complete imitation. So among the first converts to christianity,? what love and harmony, what confidence and union prevailed! Although " not many wise " men after the flesh,?not many mighty, not " many noble," were at first called, (1 Cor. i. 26.) yet so rich were those primitive christians in faith, so " kindly affectioned" that they sympathized with each other in all their sufferings.?All distinctions arising from rank, from talents, and from wealth, disappeared among them. Although "being many," they considered themselves as " one body in Christ Je" sus, and every one, members one of another." (Rom. xii. 5.) " All that believed were together, and had k ' all things in common ; and sold their posses- (( sions and goods, and parted them to all men " as every man had need,?and they continu- " ing with one accord in the temple, and in " creaking bread, from house to house;" (that is, celebrating th...