The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1882-07-07
WHOLE NO. 1853

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pie, definite thing. 1t is that where.
in the living Christ dwells and lives
though faith. Self is given up for
"greater love hath no man than this,
that he gave up his life for his
friends" Self-will, pride, ambition,
envy, unbelief, sensuality, are emptied
out. There is not only a formal
and intellectual belief in an atone
ment wrought out by Christ ages ago,
but hearty and loving acceptance Of
Him as present and personal life, the
very substance, breath and power Of the
inward man going on from grace to
grace and from glory to glory,
changed into the same image, as by
the spirit of God.
Day by day, if we be true Christ
aims, the souls inner life grows deeper,
stronger and richer. 1t is not only
future Immortality, but the Heaven :
illness begins here, it is tasted now.
1t holds in it the promise, and it
obe,s the law Of an unlimited pro-
gression and sanctifcation. Never
satisfied with the holiness attained,
its large expectation is that of an
unbounded faith, and according to
its faith it is done, till this poor, old,
worn out body is exchanged for the
Resurrection Body, awaking in the
Lords likeness and satisfied with it.
In this way and no other the be-
lever is able to look calmly on the
changes of his mortality, on the
flight of time, on separation and
bereavment, on the advance of age,
on pain and infrmity, on disorder,
and on death itself. The outward
man perishes. Let it perish. It's
perishing will only set the inward
man free, in an infinite and everlast-
ing liberty. So martyrs sing their
lives away in the fire. SO sufferers
in our common dwellings give God
thanks in the midst of pain, their
eyes fixed on continuing city and
more enduring substance. At the
head of them all stands St. Paul him
self, in the fore front of this long
battle with the world, with the
whole armor of God upon him.
And these are the words that ring
exultingly from his lips, down the
lines of the christian ages after him.
"Neither count l my life dear to
myself, that 1 might win Christ and
be found !. in Him." 81 am now
ready to be offered and the time of
my departure is at hand. I have
fought a good fight, l have finished
my course, I have kept the faith"
"Henceforth there is laid up for me
crown of righteousness which the
Lord shall give me at that day."
81 die daily, but day by day my
crown is nearer"
see a great many young people
before me. Every day your body is
gaining strength. Even pulses, easy
movements, balanced forces, every
form of your outward life set firm in
its place. Who then will say that
this, "outward man" of yours, which
maketh daily increase, is perishing ?
The clock says so with every seconds
stroke. The sun dial, where the
shadow moves round and round and
never returns, says so. This growth
and gain of your body are only
prelude and preparation for the
inevitable decay which is close at
hand. A few swift months more,
and there will be some sign given
that the hill top is crossed, some
symptom of diminished power, less
endurance, slackened activity, or
sooner yet sharp sense of disease
and decay. There will come halt
ing and faintness. No reluctance,
no contrivance, no stimulant, no
vacation, no voyage can hide from
you the fact that your outward man
is perishing. 1t is true that there is
not one amongst us here to-day that
has not begun to die. What will
the end be? Will the end be sad
gathering of few friends to bid us
farewell as we lie in our casket
shrouded for the burial ? Beloved,