The Apostle was speaking to men of very diverse nationalities who had
been rent asunder by deep gulfs of mutual suspicion and conflicting
interests and warring creeds, and a great mysterious, and, as it would
seem to the world then, utterly inexplicable bond of unity had been
evolved amongst them, and Greek and barbarian, bond and free, male and
female, had come together in amity. The 'love of the brethren' was the
creation of Christianity, and was the outstanding fact which, more than
any other, amazed the beholders in these early days. God be thanked!
there are signs in our generation of a closer drawing together of
Christian people than many past ages, alas, have seen.
But my text suggests solemn and great thoughts with regard to Christian
love and unity. The road to unity lies through purity, and the road to
purity lies through obedience. Yes; what keeps Christian people apart is
their impurities. It is not their creeds. It is not any of the
differences that appear to separate them. It is because they are not
better men and women. Globules of quicksilver will run together and make
one mass; but not if you dust them over. And it is the impurities on the
quicksilver that keep us from coalescing.
So then we have to school ourselves into greater conformity to the
likeness of our Master, to conquer selfishness, and to purify our souls,
or else all this talk about Christian unity is no better than sounding
brass, and more discordant than tinkling cymbals. Let us learn the
lesson. 'The unfeigned love of the brethren' is not such an easy thing
as some people fancy, and it is not to be attained at all on the road by
which some people would seek it. Cleanse yourselves, and you will flow
together.
Here, then, we have Peter's conception of a pure soul and a pure life.
It is a stately building, based deep on the broad foundation of the
truth as it is in Jesus; its walls rising, but not without our effort,
being builded together for a habitation of God through the Spirit, and
having as the shining apex of its heaven-pointing spire 'unfeigned love
to the brethren.' The measure of our obedience is the measure of our
purity. The measure of our purity is the measure of our brotherly love.
But that love, though it is the very aim and natural issue of purity,
still will not be realised without effort on our part. Therefore my
text, after its exhibition of the process and issues of the purifying
which began with faith, glides into the exhortation: 'See that ye love
one another with a pure heart'--a heart purified by obedience--and that
'fervently.'