A blessed bond of union among the family of God - J.C. Philpot

“Now grace in the heart of one child of God will ever unite with grace in the heart of another. If there be jars and divisions, if there be dispute and contention in churches and among individuals, let not these be fathered on religion. It is not grace but lack of it that gives them birth and maintains them in being. So far as grace rules and reigns, so far as the life of God is made manifest in the conscience, there is a blessed bond of union among the family of God. This bond of union may indeed lie very deep or be much hidden and covered—the brook of love that once flowed strong and clear may be diminished to a trickling rill—circumstances may separate the chief friends—ministers may be divided, churches split, congregations dispersed, the dearest ties severed—because iniquity abounds the love of many may wax cold.


But love itself can never die, for life and love are so one that love can only die with life, and life the with love. It is one of the three abiding graces; and as faith never ceases out of the believer’s heart, nor hope quite dies out of his soul, so love, however low it may sink or cold it may grow, never gives up the spirit. If a man could cease to love he would cease to believe; and if he could cease to believe he would cease to live; and if he ceased to live he would die out of the body of Christ as a dead branch out of a tree. But this we know is impossible with the people of God. “My sheep shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand;” “Because, I live, you shall live also.” -J.C. Philpot