The Spirit Of Christ

THE precious blood of the Son of God, which was shed for the salvation of mankind, tells the worth of the soul. And he who, for the sake of sordid gain, will neglect laboring for the salvation of others, and will let worldly interest come in between him and such labor, deceives himself if he thinks he is possessed of the Christian religion. Christ left riches, honor, and glory, and took upon himself poverty in the extreme. He had not where to lay his head. Yea, we did esteem him smitten of God and afflicted. He was despised by men; yet he went about imparting life to the dead, health to the sick, and joy to the sorrowing. This was the missionary spirit as exemplified in the life of the Son of God. And if we have not the Spirit of Christ, we are none of his. It is said of an emperor and warrior, that when he had taken some golden images of the apostles from the Catholics, and had melted them into coin, he put them into circulation, saying, "Go about doing good, as the apostles did whom you represent." The same should be said of Christians. Instead of being a stationary guide board, bearing the name "Christian," and pointing to heaven in a formal manner, we should be active in scattering the seeds of truth, and exerting a holy influence upon all with whom we come in contact. Our talent is to be returned with usury. If we would wear a starry crown, souls must be saved through our instrumentality. "He that turneth many to righteousness shall shine as the stars forever and ever."

Disinterested acts of benevolence will alone secure this. Selfishness will not; it cannot save a single soul. A stream can rise no higher than its fountain. If the motive be selfishness, the fruit will be of the same nature. If the motive be purely unselfish, like that principle which Christ brought from heaven, it will bring forth fruit unto eternal life. There is no failure in this matter. What we sow, we shall also reap. If we sow unto the flesh, we shall of the flesh reap corruption. If we sow unto the Spirit, we shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting. This is the true missionary spirit that will bring souls to Christ.

The heart must first be changed, and become gentle, easy to be entreated, full of good fruits, without partiality or hypocrisy. It is God who gives this work success, and, therefore, it must be by the aid of his Spirit that the act is performed.

Then God's Spirit will affect hearts. When it is fully realized that God alone gives the increase, and the spirit of disinterested affection is the spirit of Christ, it will be considered a privilege to sacrifice for the advancement of the work of God, and with the apostle, we can exclaim "Most gladly, therefore, will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore, I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ's sake; for when I am weak, then am I strong."