75. “W. L.,” Plymouth. The greatest care, tenderness and wisdom are needed in cases such as you refer to. A man may be “overtaken in a fault,” as in Gal. 6 In an unguarded moment a person may be led to take more stimulant than he ought, and perhaps he may seem to be the worse for drink. Should such an one be hastily thrust out of the assembly? Assuredly not. He should be lovingly and tenderly admonished by “the spiritual”—who alone know how to do it. He should be carefully looked after, not for the purpose of finding accusation against him, but to “restore” and deliver him thoroughly from the effect of his “fault.”
In short, there is a demand for the most tender, judicious, pastoral care, in cases of this nature; and as to the assembly, it should never be called into action save when there is no hope of restoration in any other way. Excommunication is the last sad act of the assembly, to be performed with broken hearts and weeping eyes, and only with a view to restoration. Salvation and not destruction is the object of the assembly’s discipline.
The assembly should never be called to discuss cases. It is called to act in simple obedience to the word of the Lord. The case should be so plain, so palpable, that all discussion is closed, and nothing remains but solemn and unanimous action. If this were more understood and attended to, we should have fewer complicated “cases” of discipline. If the assembly be called to discuss, you will rarely, if ever, get a unanimous judgment; hence if discussion be needed, the case is not fit to come before the assembly; and the spiritual must still wait on God in prayer, and watch the case in patient pastoral love. There should be no haste, on the one hand; no indifference, on the other.
The thirteenth chapter of Leviticus is a fine study for all who are really interested in the condition of the assembly. We cannot attempt to dwell upon it here; but we earnestly commend it to the attention of our brethren. The priest was not hastily to pronounce judgment in any given case. The most patient care was needed, lest anyone should be put out as a leper who really was not one; or lest any real case of leprosy should escape. There was to be no haste, and no indifference.
It is of the deepest importance to understand the real object, nature and character of discipline in the church of God. It is to be feared they are very little understood. Some of us seem to look upon discipline as a means of getting rid of people whose ways may be displeasing or discreditable to us. This is a fatal mistake. The grand object of discipline is the glory of God as involved in the holiness of His assembly; and the real good of the soul towards whom the discipline is exercised.
And as to the nature and character of discipline, we should ever remember that in order to take part in it, according to the mind of Christ, we must make the person’s sin our own and confess it as such before God. It is one thing to stand up, in heartless formality, and read a person out of the assembly; and it is quite another for the whole assembly to come before God in true brokenness and contrition of heart to put away, with tears and confession, some evil that could not be got rid of in any other way. If there were more of this latter, we should see more divine restoration.
We feel the deep solemnity and interest of the subject which your question has brought under our notice; and we trust it may receive more profound attention from the Lord’s people everywhere.
76. “Ε. M. C,” Edinburgh. Thanks for your note and the accompanying lines.