The Watchmen shall see eye to eye.
By Uriah Smith
THY watchmen shall lift up the voice; with the voice together shall they sing; for they shall see eye to eye when the Lord shall bring again Zion. Isa. lii, 8. It is the great characteristic of the church of Christ on earth, that they all have the same mind and speak the same thing. It is the great characteristic of their belief that it is in harmony with itself and the Bible and will admit of no diversity of sentiment. Thus was it designed to be. To this end was our Lord's prayer: [Jno. xvii, 20-22:] "Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word; that they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me. And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one even as we are one." To this end also are the exhortations of Paul: [Rom. xii, 16:] "Be of the same mind one toward another." 1 Cor. i, 10. "Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment." See also 2 Cor. xiii, 11; Eph. iv, 3; Phil. i, 27; ii, 2; 1 Pet. iii, 8. A writer in the Advent Watchman for Feb. 8, seems to differ with the above declarations of scripture. He says: "It is to be expected that there will be a difference of opinion in this fallen state; and all who expect 'the wise' will see alike till Jesus comes, will be mistaken." The promise is that the wise shall understand. How will they understand? Differently?! Certainly, if they do not see alike. The term then, the wise, would become exceeding broad. Every one would claim to be of that number; and every one might be, if it were possible for those who are the wise, who are to understand, to be holding at the same time sentiments essentially different from each other. There is no such folly in the Word of God. The wise shall understand alike. They shall understand the truth; and the truth shall make them free. Truth is a unit, and cannot be divided. It is a firm pillar and will not bend to the crooked theories of those who are limping along in the shackles of error. It is a shining light and has no union with the shades of darkness. It has but one voice and cannot speak with a diversity of tongues. It has but one path and those who walk therein will not be groping their way through the devious mazes of blindness and error. Strait is the way that leadeth unto life. In that way will the saints be found and all the wise, the beginning of whose wisdom is the fear of the Lord. Prov. ix, 10. They will all be traveling the same road: the same light will lead them on: the same motives will actuate them, the same mind will be in them and the same hope before them; for says Paul, There is one body and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all. Eph. iv, 4-6. Thus standing will the saints be found of Christ when he appears; thus only could they be approved of him; for thus only could they be one in him as he and the Father are one. There is in the world we know, as there ever will be, a difference of opinion, a diversity of sentiment. In the great Babel which embraces in its vast domain, all classes of society, may be found all creeds, all organizations, all conflicting opinions, all discordant theories, old dead dogmas of false tradition, theories at war with themselves, with reason, and the light of revelation, antiquated whims and foolish vagaries; while every distorted creed and ill-yoked fancy, has its bigoted zealots and staunch adherents. Here may we find confusion and mixture in all their luxuriance. In contradistinction to this discordant mass, stand out the servants of God, one in mind, one in faith and practice, one in hope and one in Christ. It may be thought charitable and liberal to have a good degree of union with all parties; and should we here be met with the cry of, Charity! we would reply, We may exercise all charity toward individuals: we may treat them with all meekness, patience, long suffering and forbearance, as in Christian duty we are bound to do, but we may not have union or fellowship with their wrongs; we may not lower the standard of truth for the sake of being on a good footing with their error: not however ourselves presuming to dictate what is truth, but God's Word being the only test: by that shall we all be judged at the last day. People may think they are sailing smoothly on, and still hold communion with the unfruitful works of darkness; but they will find it a hard matter to enter through those holy gates, under a variety of colors, and no small thing to "climb up some other way." The saints will understand their position and stand firmly therein. They are children, not of darkness but of light; and being children of light they will see eye to eye.