It would be well in forming our judgments of persons
professing religion, to follow the rule laid down by Christ, "By their
fruits ye shall know them. A good tree cannot bring forth bad fruit, nor
a bad tree good fruit." If men live soberly, righteously, and godly--if
they make great sacrifices, and incur reproach and persecution for
Christ, and labor zealously in His cause, it is no great stretch of
charity to go on the supposition, that their profession of faith in God
and Christ is sincere.
8. But suppose the churches should treat a convert from infidelity as
the church at Jerusalem treated Paul, what should he do? We would say,
Take all quietly, and go zealously on with your work. You are the
servant of God, and not of man; and you must not desert your Master,
because a number of His servants err in their judgment of you, or show,
in their conduct towards you, a lack of charity. Serve your Redeemer all
the more faithfully. This was the course which Paul took. He "increased
the more in strength;" and he abounded the more in labors. It would be a
poor excuse for the neglect of your duty to God and Christ, to
yourselves and your fellow creatures, to say, "The churches did not
treat us as kindly as they ought; they doubted our sincerity.
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