Unity of the Church by Jos. Clarke

Pacific Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Oakland, California · Oct 21, 1875

Unity of the Church.

By Jos. Clarke

It is natural to the carnal heart to endeavor to win, not only its own share of riches, honor, and happiness, but to aggregate to itself, all, without regard to others. This is the carnal heart; but the people of the Most High God are not thus governed and led. They are taught to regard the good of others, to love their neighbor as themselves.

The child of God regards himself as only a part of the great whole. He has duties towards others which he cannot evade if he would. This principle of unity is comprehended in the command to love the Lord with all the soul, and mind, and strength. This command, if obeyed, lifts man out of the deep ruts of selfishness, and exalts him to high and noble motives and aims.

It is always ennobling to love those who are our superiors in rank, ability, and goodness. This being so, it must appear that love and reverence for the greatest, and best, and noblest Being in the universe, conclusively shows that the one who exercises this love is on the way to a higher and more excellent life; for he cannot continue to love God without aspiring to be a partaker of his divine nature.

Union with God will also produce in the soul union with those who are like God, and with those who are members of his family. All the teachings of the word of God go to prove this unity, not only with God and his people, but they show a divine compassion for the sinner, and a desire for his present and future good. Those who do partake of this nature, stand ready when occasion demands the sacrifice, to lay down time, and talent, and treasure, and even life itself, if it is called for, in behalf of the salvation of their fellow-men.

The Saviour, in teaching his disciples to pray, regards this principle of care for others, and recognizes the unity of our race. Instead of praying, "My father," he prays, "Our father who art in Heaven." And so in the whole prayer, there is not one petition for favors in the singular number, but all of them are carefully worded so as to include all the race: "Forgive us our debts," not forgive me my debts. Me and mine, or I and mine, are not once used; but "ours" and "us," in all cases.

This is a remarkable thing, that the Saviour, in teaching his disciples to pray, should so carefully guard against egotism and selfishness as to frame this model prayer in such a way as to frown upon any prominence or undue setting up of one's own case as of superior merit; but it does teach, by this style of petition, that when we ask favors from God we should ask it for others also. Forgive us our sins; give us daily our needful food; keep us from temptation; deliver us from evil; not merely ask for blessings upon self and family, but for all our race wherever they may be.

Sympathy for the race, of which we form only an infinitesimal part, will not detract from our dignity, nor will it prevent the divine blessing; but it will elevate us in the scale of purity and holiness, and bring us into the most sacred union with those holy beings who are God's messengers, and with that Being whose name is too sacred to be spoken by unhallowed lips.

Jos. Clarke.