The Only Pathway
To True Happiness

Chapter 5

Happy are the merciful,
for they will be shown mercy 
Matthew 5:7 

Representing our attitude towards others

An overview of the constitution of the kingdom, otherwise referred to as the Beatitudes, reveals that this constitution is made up of seven stipulations which are divided into three distinct stages.

(1) The first stage, comprising the first three stipulations, is designed to humble us and to lead us to an awareness of our desperate need of a righteousness that we do not possess. 

`The merciful are those who manifest compassion to the poor, the suffering, and the oppressed.' (MB22)

(2) This awareness lays the foundation for stage two, wherein the Holy Spirit fills us with a longing to possess that righteousness which we do not possess. 

(3) Stage three, comprising the last three stipulations or beatitudes, focuses on the miracle of miracles whereby God changes our characters by implanting in the soul the divine principles of merciful love, purity and peace. (PP79)

The following table gives us a broad overview of the seven Beatitudes and how they represent the falling and rising process that characterizes the pathway of sanctification.

Inspired by Love - To Love

Before we contemplate the last three stipulations or beatitudes, however, we would do well to once again consider God's strategy whereby He works to implant in the human soul the divine attributes of merciful love, purity and peace.

The foundation of God's plan for the metamorphosis of the human heart is found in His promise:

`I will never stop doing good to them, and I will inspire them to fear Me, so that they will never turn away from Me.' (Jeremiah 32:40)

This promise assures us that, contrary to the world's opinion of God, one that sees Him standing over His children with a whip and a long list of threats, He is in fact the Great Motivator - inspiring us to follow His wise counsel by presenting us with `eternal encouragement and good hope.' (2 Thessalonians 2:16)

This is precisely what Paul is referring to when he tells us that . . .

`The grace [the unmerited kindness] of God teaches us to say "No" to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives.' (Titus 2:11,12)

In other words, God's loving kindness empowers us and motivates us to do His will. Paul confirms this thought in his declaration that . . .

`The gospel [that being the good news of God's unfathomable kindness] . . . is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes.' (Romans 1:16)

Notice carefully, therefore, that the power of God to save us rests on our belief in an infinitely kind and gracious God - One who motivates us by doing good to us.

Once we understand that God desires only to do good to us, we can appreciate that His Word is not just a book of rules, but a treasure-house of promises. In presenting us with His commandments, He is not confronting us with the arbitrary requirements of an unfeeling authoritarian. His commandments are in fact the route-map to paradise and it is for our own sakes that He inspires us to live in harmony with His commandments. In fact, once we have a right knowledge of God, we will realise that . . .

`All things tell of His tender,
fatherly care and of His desire
to make His children happy.' (MH412)

A poignant example of God's motivational and inspirational prowess is found in a special invitation that He extended to the Israelites of old - and one that He still extends to us today. This invitation reads simply:

`There, above the cover between the two cherubim that are over the ark of the Testimony, I will meet with you and give you all my commands.' (Exodus 25:22; See PP349)

What is the relevance of this strange meeting place? Why does God invite us to meet with Him, and to receive His instruction, from a position "above the cover?" Why does He not invite us to meet with Him beneath the cover - alongside the tablets of the law? Why not from a position adjacent to the ark?

There are manifold answers to these questions but, before attempting to present these answers, we do need to realise that this meeting place "above the cover," is a figurative meeting place. In reality, the common Israelite was not permitted to enter the chamber that housed the ark of the covenant, let alone scramble on top of the cover along with all of his countrymen in order to meet with God. We must conclude, therefore, that God is here inviting us to meet with Him "above the cover" in a purely figurative sense. The reason why God chose this particular meeting place is because it speaks to us in powerful symbolic language of a God who is a Master at inspiration and motivation. 

To illustrate:

(1) Firstly, we are to meet with God to receive His commands "above the cover" because in this position the mercy seat stands between us and the law that is housed in the ark beneath the cover. In symbolic language, therefore, God is inviting us to receive His commands in the knowledge that, thanks to Jesus, and thanks to His mercy, we are protected from the accusing finger of the law. As we receive His instructions, God wants us to be joyfully aware that there is no more condemnation, that mercy has triumphed over justice, and that Jesus, by taking our punishment upon Himself, has reconciled us to God by satisfying the law on our behalf.

(2) Secondly, our figurative meeting place with God "above the cover," teaches us to approach the matter of obedience with correct motives. Had God invited us to meet with Him beneath the cover, alongside the tablets of the law, we would have felt sorely inclined to obey His commands with a view to satisfying a law that we are unable to satisfy. Proud human nature would have relished this idea, but our special meeting place above the mercy seat reminds us that God wants our obedience to find its starting point and motivation in His merciful kindness and not in the idea that our filthy rag righteousness can meet the claims of His law.

(3) Thirdly, we are invited to meet with God "above the cover" because it is in this position that He manifests His glory. The symbolic message in this case is that we may receive God's commands, not as the unbending requirements of an unfeeling dictator, but as the wise advice of One who loves us and who has a personal interest in our eternal welfare and in our ongoing character development.

(4) Lastly, God invites us to meet with Him "above the cover" in a position where we are sheltered by angel wings. The symbolic message in this case is that we may receive God's commands in the knowledge that heavenly messengers are watching over us and that they are ever ready to help us as we seek to do the will of our Heavenly Father.

This all helps us to appreciate that Jesus did not endure the atrocities of Calvary for the singular purpose of paying the price for our sins. Jesus' sacrifice accomplished much more than this. Besides all else that Calvary achieved, . . .

`The gift of God in His beloved Son was the expression of an incomprehensible love.' (5BC1132)

Calvary, therefore, was the ultimate demonstration of love, a demonstration to all the universe of the flawless character of heaven's King. More than this, it was a special demonstration of God's love for fallen man - a demonstration that would inspire us, motivate us, and empower us to obey His commands.

`He suffered the cruel death of the cross, bore for us the burden of guilt, "the just for the unjust," that He might reveal to us His love and draw us to Himself.' (MB114)

In His glorious plan to extricate us from the pit of sin, therefore, . . .

`God does not force the will or the judgment of any. He takes no pleasure in a slavish obedience . . . He desires only voluntary service, the willing surrender of the heart under the constraint of love. . . . He desires that the creatures of His hands shall love Him because He is worthy of love. He would have them obey Him because they have an intelligent appreciation of His wisdom, justice, and benevolence. And all who have a just conception of these qualities will love Him because they are drawn toward Him in admiration of His attributes.' (GC541; DA487)

God draws us to Him, He never drives us, and His love is the great drawing power.

"I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with loving-kindness have I drawn thee." (Jeremiah 31:3)

Thus we can better appreciate why God invites us to meet with Him "above the cover," for it is here that we find special evidence of His goodness and kindness; it is here that His love shines brightest and, as such, it is here that we will find our greatest motivation to obey.

You see, God surely knows that . . .

`As soon as we have a correct view of [His] love . . ., we shall have no disposition to abuse it [for] nothing reaches so fully down to the deepest motives of conduct as a sense of the pardoning love of Christ.' (1SM312; DA493)

God gave us His Son as the gift of His love, He gave us Calvary as the demonstration of His love, and He gave us the sanctuary to teach us of His love, and now He waits for us to respond.

In the verse following, the Psalmist speaks of this response of the heart to God's merciful love. Notice that it is a response that is driven, not by fear, but by gratitude and admiration.

`I love the Lord, for He heard my voice; He heard my cry for mercy. O Lord, truly I am your servant . . . [for] you have freed me from my chains.' (Ps 116:1,16)

Once we have a true appreciation of God's love, we can only join the hymn writer in the declaration:

Love so amazing, so divine
Demands my life, my love, my all

With this backdrop, therefore, we may return our attention to the last three stipulations or beatitudes, and to the discussion of how God implants in our hearts the divine principles of merciful love, purity and peace.

Blessed Are The Merciful

In our quest to understand the deeper meaning behind the promise that is made to the merciful, we need to first of all discover what type of person is considered by God to be amongst the merciful. The simple answer is that . . .

`The merciful are those who manifest compassion to the poor, the suffering, and the oppressed.' (MB22)

This is significant indeed for it tells us that the first fruit that God expects to grow out of our `hungering and thirsting' faith relationship with Him, is merciful love.

`God bids [us] with one hand, faith, take hold of His mighty arm, and with the other hand, love, reach perishing souls.' (2T170)

In this matter, Zachaeus was a fine example.

`The very first response of Zachaeus to the love of Christ was in manifesting compassion toward the poor and suffering.' (DA555)

Thus, as we take our first faltering steps along the path of sanctification, God gives us a vivid reminder that we should expect our devotional exercises to lead to an outward-looking rather than an inward-looking religion. In other words, while our search for truth will certainly do much for us, we are ever to remember that the ultimate objective of our search is not what our knowledge of God's love can do for us, but what it will ultimately lead us to do for others.

Human nature is sorely inclined to cherish a religion that is inward looking, one that revolves around our involvement in endless formalities, rites and ceremonies. Yet here God is reminding us once again that the study of His Word must lead, in the first place, to the practice of all that the word teaches. As we learn of Jesus, of His ways and of His character, we are challenged to follow Him, not only to the synagogue once a week, not only through the pages of holy writ, but also into the homes of all who are lonely, and hungry, and hurting.

`As He went from place to place, He blessed and comforted the suffering and healed the sick. This is our work.' (CH501)

Knowing us as He does, God surely foresaw that man would seek to be sanctified by the truth alone, and so He gave us many spirited lessons, such as this one, to remind us that . . .

`The soul is not sanctified through the truth that is not practiced.' (Ev290)

The challenge, therefore, is to practice the truth by showing mercy to others. The reason why this is so vital to the sanctification process is because those only who are acquainted, through personal experience, with the matter of mercy will ever be able to understand and accept God's mercy. Unless we have practical experience in showing mercy on earth, our minds will be incapable of comprehending that Mercy which originates in heaven. This, in a deeper sense, is the blessing that is offered to the merciful - they will be shown the depth of God's mercy - they will be enabled to comprehend the limitless dimensions of God's mercy.

Special Provision

By nature, the sinful heart will doubt the unfathomable kindness and mercy of God, and for as long as such doubting lingers in the soul, we cannot grow in grace for we are actually doubting the grace that makes us grow. Such doubting is well represented in the words of the Hymn writer:

`Depth of mercy! - can there be
Mercy still reserved for me?
Can my God His wrath forbear?
Me, the chief of sinners, spare?'

In His divine wisdom, therefore, God foresaw that He would have to give us opportunities to develop an intimate and practical knowledge of the matter of mercy - failing which we would never be able to experience the peace, the joy, the rest and the growth that come from an appreciation of His boundless kindness.

Therefore, . . .

`In the providence of God events have been so ordered that the poor are always with us, in order that there may be a constant exercise in the human heart of the attributes of mercy and love.' (RC227)

`The Lord saw that it was essential for us to be surrounded with the poor, who in their helplessness and need would lay claim to our ministration. They would be an aid to us in perfecting character; for in providing food for their tables and clothing for their bodies, we would cultivate the attributes of the character of Christ.' (RH10-15-95)

This means, in effect, that God ordained suffering so that His children might have the opportunity to appreciate His character, to bask in His loving-kindness, and to rejoice in the wonders of redeeming love. Some might be inclined to question such a claim, yet if it were possible to . . .

`Take away suffering and need, . . . we should have no way of understanding the mercy and love of God, no way of knowing the compassionate, sympathetic heavenly Father.' (7T226)

This is why . . .

`The people of God are in need of opportunities that draw out their sympathies, give efficiency to their prayers, and develop in them a character like that of the divine pattern. It is to provide these opportunities that God has placed among us the poor, the unfortunate, the sick, and the suffering. They are Christ's legacy to His church, and they are to be cared for as He would care for them.' (6T261)

From the above we realise that we are deeply indebted to the less fortunate of our planet, for every lonely, poor, sick, crippled, and heartbroken soul is a gift from God to His children - a gift of Infinite Love, given that we may understand the mysterious and most awesome qualities of divine mercy and grace - and be changed.

Seen in this light, we can better understand why the message of justification by faith remains a closed book to so many. This message constitutes the sweetest song that mercy has ever sung, yet for as long as we ignore the plight of the less-fortunate, and we thus deny ourselves the privilege of becoming acquainted with the life-changing wonders of God's mercy, we simply cannot appreciate the full significance and beauty of this message - no matter how many times we read about it or hear it preached.

This gives us some idea of how much we lose when we ignore the needs of those less-fortunate than ourselves. If only we would enter into this work with enthusiasm, we would be greatly blessed, for . . .

`He who has given His life to God in ministry to His children is linked with Him who has all the resources of the universe at His command. By the golden chain of the immeasurable promises His life is bound up with the life of God.' (HP238)

`There is sweet peace for the compassionate spirit, a blessed satisfaction in the life of self-forgetful service for others. . . . And in the hour of final need the merciful shall find refuge in the mercy of the compassionate Saviour and shall be received into everlasting habitations.' (MB23,24)

The Neglected Poor

Jesus surely knows that we need exercise in kindness. This is why He assured us that the poor would always be with us. Yet God never intended that the poor and the needy should suffer as they are suffering today for . . .

`God has made ample provision to supply the necessities of the poor.' (ST09-19-95)

Yet, despite this fact, . . .

`There are many who complain of God because the world is so full of want and suffering, but God never meant that this misery should exist. He never meant that one man should have an abundance of the luxuries of life while the children of others cry for bread. If men would do their duty as faithful stewards of their Lord's goods, there would be no cry for bread, none suffering in destitution, none naked and in want. It is the unfaithfulness of men that brings about the state of suffering in which humanity is plunged. If those whom God has made stewards would but appropriate their Lord's goods to the object for which He gave it to them, this state of suffering would not exist.' (RC227)

`To the rich, God has given wealth that they may relieve and comfort His suffering children; but too often they are indifferent to the wants of others. They do not put themselves in the poor man's place. They do not understand the temptations and struggles of the poor, and mercy dies out of their hearts . . .

`But Christ beholds it all, and He says, It was I who was hungry and thirsty. It was I who was a stranger. It was I who was sick. It was I who was in prison. While you were feasting at your bountifully spread table, I was famishing in the hovel or the empty street. While you were at ease in your luxurious home, I had not where to lay My head. While you crowded your wardrobe with rich apparel, I was destitute. While you pursued your pleasures, I languished in prison.' (DA639/640)

This may give us the idea that only the super-rich are indebted to the poor, but this is not the case for . . .

`Whatever you may possess above your fellows places you in debt, to that degree, to all who are less favoured. Have we wealth, or even the comforts of life, then we are under the most solemn obligation to care for the suffering sick, the widow, and the fatherless exactly as we would desire them to care for us were our condition and theirs reversed.' (MB136)

These are challenging thoughts indeed, especially when we consider that our debt to the poor is just as much a spiritual debt as it is a material debt, for by ignoring the solemn obligation that God has placed upon us, . . .

`The poor are robbed daily of the education they should have concerning the tender mercies of God.' (DA639/640)

Thus, by our neglect, we keep both ourselves and the less-fortunate from understanding God's mercy, and without such an understanding there is no good news, there is no motivation to submit the heart to God, and there is no hope whatsoever to cling to.

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Having considered this subject from the viewpoint of the more fortunate, we need also to consider how the less fortunate would relate to the above disclosure. No doubt some amongst this number would feel hard done by and would accuse God of being unjust. Yet such an accusation has no foundation. We may accuse the ones who were appointed by God to alleviate our suffering, but we cannot point a finger at God.

Instead of bemoaning our lot in life, however, should we not rather marvel that we have been chosen to emulate the Master by suffering for the good of others? Should we not feel a sense of honour that we have been chosen by God as instruments whereby others, and we ourselves, may be enlightened as to the glorious and otherwise incomprehensible character of the Almighty? As the less-fortunate of our planet, are we not honored that we are types of the great, self-sacrificing Antitype? Should we not stand aghast that Jesus does not just associate Himself with us, but that He invites the world to see Him in the person of us? Should we not marvel that . . .

`He identifies Himself as being in person the very sufferer?' (WM40)

What a high and holy calling is ours, therefore, if we are deprived of the luxuries and pleasures of this world, for if it were not for our deprivation, others would have no way of getting to know the One `whom to know is life eternal.'

Then, of course, . . .

`Has not God chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom?' (James 2:5)

Suffering is never easy to bear, but may we always remember that suffering is not always such a bad thing for . . .

`Temptation, poverty, adversity, is the very discipline needed to develop purity and firmness.' (DA72)

The Purpose of The Church

To reinforce what has been said elsewhere and, in the light of the above, we now focus our attention on the responsibility of the church as a body. Our quest is to answer the all-important question, What is the purpose of the church?

From the foregoing, we deduce that God intended that works of mercy, or works of welfare as we generally refer to them, should be the heart and soul of Christian living. This means that, as far as the organized church is concerned, works of benevolence should be the central focus of all church activities. This certainly was God's dream for His church, for we have been told that . . .

`The Saviour has given His precious life in order to establish a church capable of ministering to the suffering, the sorrowful, and the tempted.' (MH106)

Religion, therefore, is far removed from what many perceive it to be:

`True religion . . . consists not in systems, creeds, or rites, but in the performance of loving deeds, in bringing the greatest good to others, in genuine goodness.' (DA497)

In short . . .

`Pure and undefiled religion is not a sentiment, but the doing of works of mercy and love.' (WM38)

Throughout the ages past, nations and their people have neglected their solemn obligation to the less fortunate and downcast, and they suffered great loss as a result. It was just such neglect that led, in part, to the destruction of Sodom, for Scripture tells us that . . .

`This was the sin of . . . Sodom: She and her daughters were arrogant, overfed and unconcerned; they did not help the poor and the needy. They were haughty and did detestable things.' (Ezekiel 16:49,50)

As it was with Sodom, so it was with ancient Israel, they `brought ruin upon themselves by refusing to minister to others. Pride, self-exaltation, neglect of the poor, and partiality to the wealthy - these were the sins of Jerusalem.' (DA583, 8T133)

Then, with bowed heads, we notice that modern-day Israel is also neglecting her responsibility to the poor and the needy. This is certainly one good reason why we are in the condition that we are in for . . .

`The very life of the church depends on her faithfulness in fulfilling the Lord's commission. To neglect this work is surely to invite spiritual feebleness and decay [for] when there is no active labor for others, love wanes, and faith grows dim.' (DA825)

Our neglect of God's specific instruction in regard to the less fortunate has largely come about because we have not appreciated the deeper significance of commandment- keeping. Like Sodom, and Israel of old, we appear to have lost sight of the fact that . . .

`No one can live the law of God without ministering to others.' (DA584)

For long years, the church has left the care of the less-fortunate to the institutions of the world, and to those institutions that are run by the church, but in this we have erred to our own hurt, for . . .

`God has placed in our care the poor and the suffering, and these are to be cared for as Christ cared for them. The Lord would have this work done in the different churches, rather than that these unfortunate ones should depend so largely upon institutions; for this will take out of the hands of the churches the very work God has appointed them to do.' (MS105, 1899)

`The work that Christ requires of them is not to be done by proxy, placing on some committee or some institution the burden that they themselves should bear. They are to become Christlike in character by giving of their means and time, their sympathy, their personal effort, to help the sick, to comfort the sorrowing, to relieve the poor, to encourage the desponding, to enlighten souls in darkness, to point sinners to Christ, to bring home to hearts the obligation of God's law.' (6T263/4)

No matter how we view this matter, we cannot sidestep the fact that charitable work should be the foundation and focus of every department in the church. We simply cannot delegate welfare work to one department of the church, and to the few individuals elected to serve in that department, for welfare work is the lifeblood of Christian living. If every department were playing its part in preparing the church and it's members for ministry to the needs of a sad, bewildered, neglected, heartbroken, and impoverished world, what a different church we would be - and what a different world we would see!

We all are looking forward to the promised revival; to the outpouring of the Spirit, but what we must come to terms with is the fact that the Spirit of Christ is the Spirit of unselfish love and labour for others. (COL68)

`The capacity for receiving the holy oil [the Holy Spirit] from the two olive trees which empty themselves, is by the receiver emptying that holy oil out of himself in word and in action to supply the necessities of other souls. . . . The capacity for receiving is only kept up by imparting.' (4BC1180)

For as long as we fail to hear the Spirit's voice in the cries of the disadvantaged, there can be no significant spiritual growth, there can be no revival, and there can be no fruit borne to the glory of God.

When the church comes to grips with this fact, and she puts all her energies into her God-appointed work of helping the less-fortunate, we will have no more time for trivialities, for back-biting, and for complaining. When the departments of the church put less emphasis on the needs of the church member, and more emphasis on the needs of the world, the primary need of the church member will be met and, working hand-in-hand with the Master, we will be drawn together, our lives will be reformed, and the long-awaited revival will surely come. Then and only then will the world sit aghast as they see, through the selfless caring of a peculiar group of people, that God really is a merciful and loving Father.

`When the nature of man is renewed by grace, he will be full of tenderness, sympathy, and love. Thus the character of God will be unfolded to the world as it is.' (ST11-28-92.6)

Before this can take place, however, there is a mindset within our ranks that will have to be overcome. This is the widely held opinion that perceives of welfare work as a convenient public relations tool, one that gives the church visibility in the world, and one that opens doors for the proclamation of the gospel. If this is our primary motive for doing welfare work, then we have certainly "missed the boat." It should be as natural for believers to help others as it is for them to breathe. God requires us to be kind and compassionate to others, not for the primary purpose of making Christians of them, but because we are Christians and because, as such, helping others is second nature to us.

`Our Lord teaches that the true object of life is ministry. . . . By living to minister for others, man is brought into connection with Christ. The law of service becomes the connecting link which binds us to God and to our fellow man.' (COL326)

Clearly, therefore, when Jesus called His disciples to follow Him, He was speaking of something more than our spiritual meanderings through the pages of truth. He meant in a very literal sense that we must follow Him down the pathways that will bring us into contact with the poor, the hurting, the hungry and the oppressed.

Are we willing to do this work? Are we planning to do this work?

The sad truth is that . . .

`The leprosy of selfishness has taken hold of the church. There is a stupor, a paralysis, upon many of the people of God, which prevents them from understanding the duty of the hour.' (CS85; 8T119)

Yet, despite our failing, there is hope - if we will only follow the example of the Master.

`Christ gave no stinted service. He did not measure His work by hours. His time, His heart, His soul and strength, were given to labor for the benefit of humanity . . . and our only safe course is to follow His example.' (MH500; 4T408)

`Constantly He went about doing good, feeding the hungry and healing the sick. No one who came to Him for sympathy was disappointed. The commander of the heavenly courts, He was made flesh and dwelt among us, and His lifework is an example of the work we are to do. He went from house to house, healing the sick, feeding the hungry, comforting the mourners, soothing the afflicted, speaking peace to the distressed . . . He was willing to humble Himself, to deny Himself. Christ stands before us as a pattern man, the great Medical Missionary and example for all who should come after.' (WM53)

`Are we who profess to be followers of Jesus Christ, imitating His life? Are we following His example? If we are, we are in such a position that we can have a living connection with heaven. We are channels of light to the world.' (1SAT30)

No wonder our lights are burning dimly. No wonder we are having so little impact upon the world when that which affords us a living connection with heaven has been considered a non-essential at worst, and a mere public relations exercise at best.

Yet we serve a gracious Heavenly Father, One who has promised to heal us - One who has given us a sure remedy for our spiritual malady.

`The Lord Jesus Christ will heal the church of this terrible disease [the leprosy of selfishness] if she will be healed. The remedy is found in the fifty-eighth chapter of Isaiah. The work of beneficence enjoined in this chapter is the work that God requires His people to do at this time. It is a work of His own appointment.' (CS 85; WM33)

`This work [as outlined in Isaiah 58] is to be to the message what the hand is to the body . . . When the church accepts its God-given work, the promise is: Then shall thy light break forth as the morning, and thine health shall spring forth speedily: and thy righteousness shall go before thee; the glory of the Lord shall be thy rereward.' (WM33/34)

`This is the special work now before us. All our praying and abstinence from food will avail nothing unless we resolutely lay hold of this work. Sacred obligations are resting upon us. Our duty is plainly stated.' (2T34)

Is Jesus going to come again before we as individuals, and we as a church, have entered wholeheartedly into this work? Not likely.

If only the merciful can comprehend God's mercy, and if it is the knowledge of His mercy that inspires us to live an upright life, can we expect Jesus to come again while we are ignoring the needs of the world around us?

In Conclusion

`There are those who would think it lowering to their dignity to minister to suffering humanity. Many look with indifference and contempt upon those who have laid the temple of the soul in ruins. Others neglect the poor from a different motive. They are working, as they believe, in the cause of Christ, seeking to build up some worthy enterprise. They feel that they are doing a great work, and they cannot stop to notice the wants of the needy and distressed. In advancing their supposedly great work they may even oppress the poor. They may place them in hard and trying circumstances, deprive them of their rights, or neglect their needs. Yet they feel that all this is justifiable because they are, as they think, advancing the cause of Christ.

`Many will allow a brother or a neighbor to struggle unaided under adverse circumstances. Because they profess to be Christians he may be led to think that in their cold selfishness they are representing Christ. Because the Lord's professed servants are not in co-operation with Him, the love of God, which should flow forth from them, is in great degree cut off from their fellow men. And a large revenue of praise and thanksgiving from human hearts and human lips is prevented from flowing back to God. He is robbed of the glory due to His holy name. He is robbed of the souls for whom Christ died, souls whom He longs to bring into His kingdom to dwell in His presence through endless ages.' (COL382-3)