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The leading elements which constitute a prosperous Church are —

I. PURITY OF DOCTRINE. It is fashionable to sneer at doctrine, to talk flippantly about "gnawing at the dry bones of doctrine," to endorse the sentiment of the poet who would hand over doctrine to bigots to fight about and would be satisfied with "the right life." There is a fallacy here. How can we tell what the right life is if we do not learn it from doctrine? As believers in the fact of a revelation, and that the Bible contains that revelation, we maintain that the man "whose life is in the right" is a man who knows what the doctrine of God's Word is concerning right living.

II. SPIRITUALITY. True religion is a life as well as a belief, a life founded upon a belief, but always a life. That life is produced by the Holy Spirit, who takes the things which are Christ's, and shows them unto us. True religion has to do with the spirit of man. It cleanses the fountain, and the streams which issue therefrom are pure. The man who has spirituality is a man of religious principle. He is the same whatever he does and wherever he goes. He is the same in politics as in ecclesiastics. He is a Christian in buying and in selling, a Christian at home and abroad, on land and on sea.

III. BROTHERLY LOVE. The Church is a family, the Head of which is Christ. The same spirit that is found in the Head is also found in the members of the family. Now, just as the members of a family love one another because of their blood-tie — relationship — so the members of the household of faith should recognize and exemplify their oneness in Christ. A minister was once asked what he thought of the doctrine of the mutual recognition of the saints in heaven. He replied, "I am much more concerned about the duty of my people to recognize one another here upon earth." The reply was caustic, but perhaps it was needed. Christians should love one another. They have the same Saviour and the same Spirit, and they travel the same journey. Alike they have encouragements and discouragements, conflicts and victories, duties and trials, and at last they shall be received into one everlasting home.

IV. EARNEST WORK. By exercise muscle is developed and the whole system is maintained in a state of vigour. Persons engaged in mental or sedentary employments cannot with impunity disregard this law of health. Just so is it in the domain of the spiritual. Exercise is necessary for spiritual development and spiritual strength. Here is another view: God has made Christian work imperative. He is pleased to employ His people in saying to them, "Go, work in My vineyard." As among them there is a great variety of talent, so in the vineyard there are many kinds of work. Every gift, no matter how humble, can find a field for exercise.

(John Currie, D. D.)

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KJV: Peace be within thy walls, and prosperity within thy palaces.

WEB: Peace be within your walls, and prosperity within your palaces.