The Pattern

CHRIST is the Christian's pattern. He says, "Learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart." "As I have loved you, that ye also should love one another." "I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done."

The apostles teach the same: "Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus." "He that saith he abideth in him, ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked." "And every man that hath this hope in him, purifieth himself, even as he is pure." "Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that we should follow in his steps; who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth; who, when he was reviled, reviled not again."

If those who profess faith in Christ would conform to the pattern, and fashion themselves by it, in spirit, in life, in labor, and in suffering, all would be well. But instead of this; the professed followers of Christ have been, and are, in the habit of "measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves," and those who do so, an apostle has said, "are not wise." This is the germ of apostasy from the faith and purity of the gospel. Following the example and teachings of men, instead of Christ and the inspired word, is the cause of confusion and corruption in faith and practice now existing among professed Christians. Hegesippus, of the second century, writes:—

"When the apostles were dead, then the church was gradually spotted and corrupted, as in her doctrine, so also in her worship, an infinity of ceremonies by degrees insensibly sliding in, very many of which were introduced within my limited time." (B. 3, chap. 32).

"Some came in through custom and tradition; one eminent man invented and practiced a certain action, which he used himself, as judging it fit and proper to stir up his devotion and affection; others, being led by example, performed the same; and others, again, imitated them; and so one followed another, till at length the action became tradition and a custom."—Tertullian, in Lord King's Inquiry into the Constitution, Discipline, Unity, and Worship, of the Primitive Church printed 1791.

If instead of following such a course, patterning after men, they had kept to the only true Pattern, truth and righteousness would have been the result, instead of error and iniquity.

To illustrate this, suppose a person is employed to make a great number of garments of the same size and shape, and an accurate pattern is put into his hands by which to cut them all. Now if he cuts every garment by that pattern, there will be great uniformity in the garments. But suppose he cuts one by the given pattern, then lays the pattern aside, and cuts the second by the first, the third by the second, and so on; what will be the result? There will be a gradual varying from the pattern, though almost imperceptible at first, and after a few thousands have been made up they will be almost as far from the original pattern, as professed Christians of our times are from Christ.

A few days since, a seemingly very humble and pious minister, on returning the Sermons on the Sabbath and the Law, which I had lent him, remarked that he must fall back upon such men as Wesley, and Whitefield; that they were evidently very good men, and thousands were converted under their ministry, and they kept Sunday for the Sabbath. This was all the argument brought against the Bible truth contained in the Sermons. Now if we go back to the time of the Wesleys, and other pious men of their times, and ask them why they kept Sunday, they would doubtless tell us that Luther, and Melancthon, and the other reformers of the sixteenth century kept Sunday, and they certainly were good men, and did a noble work for God in their times. Then if we could go back to Luther and others of his day, and ask them the same question, they could tell you that the governors of the Romish Church, and the popish councils were agreed in that practice, and still go back with them to the early fathers, who lived during the centuries preceding the full development of the Man of Sin, and find some of them calling the first day of the week, Lord's day. Instead of appealing to Christ and the apostles, and their inspired words, they refer to the pious fathers who lived in the days of the development of the Man of Sin. Why not go to the true Pattern? Why cut our garments by those of men that have never thought of looking up the original one, but have measured by their predecessors, and they by theirs, and so on, so long that scarcely a semblance of what a garment ought to be is seen remaining?

Let us look to the Pattern, and purify ourselves as he is pure, walk as he walked; and live up to the gracious teachings which he has given by the Holy Spirit. Let us not be so unwise as to measure ourselves by ourselves, and compare ourselves among ourselves; but let us exalt the great Pattern, and hasten to conform ourselves in all things to his lovely image.