LOVE IN THE TRUTH
LOVE IN THE TRUTH
I am very thankful for the mercy vouchsafed to you in your discussion with ———. I love him much, and because I do so, the more distinctly do I show him my reserve, on account of his opposition to the truth. The greater the love, the greater the reserve, if the love be offended for the truth’s sake. A brother offended is like a strong city. The love is maudlin if the reserve because of offence is easy and vacillating. I am daily more convinced that though we cannot be too gentle in instructing those who oppose themselves, we fail much in proving to them that the offence is momentous. They are opposing the truth that ought to be everything to us. “For this I have come into the world, that I might bear witness to the truth” (John 18: 37). HE is the truth. The one I love best is the one who best knows how devoted I am to the truth, if I am devoted; and the more I love any brother, the more do I impress on him my appreciation through grace of the truth. The more truly I love him, the more he ought to feel from my attitude towards him, that because I so love him I could not in any way compromise what is of such essential blessing to himself. I could not meet him socially, my heart could not accept him on low ground, when I could not accord to him his true place, because it is in Christ that I love him. Believe me, if it were more felt (and it never can be felt by others until we feel it ourselves), that we were contending for truth, momentous truth, our testimony would have much more weight with souls. Saints often think that we are only contending for points. Leaven works strangely, but fearfully. Phinehas is the man, or kind of man, we want. Barnabas would patch up matters; nice, easy fellow, takes John Mark and goes to Cyprus, his native place — all in nature. Gracious Lord! surely we know that Thou dost trust even uncertain [p. 21] servants, and Thou dost restore them, as Mark was restored in the end, but we who know how weak we are in ourselves, ought never to elect to run in harness with stumbling steeds. On the other hand, you may be in the Lord’s hand the fit instrument to extricate others. The one who is delivered himself may be able to deliver others. The principle is — “When thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren” (Luke 22: 32).