One Secret Weakness by J. Brown

International Tract and Missionary Society · Oakland, California · Sep 3, 1885

FromThe Signs of the Times, Vol. 11, No. 34

One Secret Weakness.

By J. Brown

I BELIEVE the greatest weakness of the church to-day is her accursed worldliness. What is not done by them who bear the name of Jesus Christ now? What are not some of our sanctuaries coming to? As a minister of the gospel, I say it with the deepest regret, my sorrowful conviction is this, that some ministers are leading in these things. I long for the time when the church shall take her proper place—and her place is “outside the camp, bearing the reproach.” While we have members of our churches who sit at the Lord’s table on Sunday, and go to the theater on Monday, without solemn protest from the minister in his pulpit; whilst the world is creeping more and more into our congregations, and the clear line of demarkation between Christ and Belial is gradually being effaced, how can the church improve? We shall never win the people by meeting the world. May we have grace to take our place by the crucified Christ. The world does not like him more than it did 1850 years ago. Be true to him, and the world will not like you any more than it liked Christ. Stand by Christ and say to the godless world, “As you treat my Saviour, so shall you treat me. I will not accept your smiles whilst you frown on my Redeemer. If you spit in his face, it is as if you spit in mine, for I am one with my Lord and Master.”

May God baptize the church with Holy Ghost power and Holy Ghost living, so that we may live lives of a sublime creation; and so that, going forth to Jesus outside the camp, the church may take her proper place, the place of testimony and witness-bearing until he come.—Rev. J. Brown.