The Fremont County record. [volume] (Canon City, Colo.) 1877-18??, 1882-01-14

Eitual, and from this world to heaven.
Having completed His work, lie was
going away. This was expedient.
Yet, after all His lessons. the disci-
pies seemingly.could not understand
Him.
THERE WAS GREAT DIFFERENCE
between the Greeks aud the jews.
The Greeks were more spiritual or
ideal. They saw and deificd o spirit
in everything. They saw a spirit in
the wind and waves, in the streams
and stars, in the harvcst-fiel0s- and
growing woods. Nox ruled the night;
Aurora lifts with rosy fingers the
veil of night, sheds a radiant lustcr
over tho earth, and Disappears at the
entrance of Helios, who ruled the
day. They had thirty thousand gods;
and Paul, at Athens, made known to
them the true nature of tho unknown
God. .sifs4f tb n
But the Jews were materialists-I
low and sensual. They must have
some form before them TO worship.
Aaron made them a calf. They clung
to the forms and ceremonies of the
law. They were SO welded to the
material that, when Christ came, they
were about to worship Him as a
material being (John vi, s15). In
their enthusiasm for Him, they spread
their garments, aud stripped the
branches from the trees, and strewed
them in His way rs He went to Jeru-
salem. They looked for material
King in un earthly Kingdom. But
Jesus was true to His mission.
He, was not carried away from his
purpose by their demonstrations and
OF, Inns NJ. lr,,f xuI,o 10 ho m. n IN
known the nature of His, and had
given them an example to follow, He
said: st is expedient for you that
Iao AWAY.
must go to the cross and offer my
self sacrifice for sin. I must 60 to
the grave and rob it of its sting and
gloom, and bring life and immortali-
~ to light in My resurrection. L
must go into heaven and be crowned
as Priest and King. reign till all enc
mics are subdued."
l. 1t was expedient that He should
go away, for the spiritual growth or
faith of the disciples. They were ma
terialists; they changed their minds
to Him, but were still materialists.
In His absence they had not faith
enough to heal the sick, as lie had
commissioned them. They placed SO
much confidence in His person that,
when He slept on the sea, they were
afraid. Jesus upbraided them for
their lack of faith, assured them that
they must have correct views of His
kingdom, aud, in order to do this,
Hc must go away-He must become
spiritual, that they might place their
affection on Him as an ever present
Comforter. This teaching is
FAMILY ILLUSTRATED IN LIFE.
The babe is not left in the cradle
alone. This would not be expcdient.
The parents provide for it food and
clothing. Then the child goes to
school, to the seminary, and to the
college. He is learning the lesson of
self-reliance. How must the father
feel while teaching this lesson He
knows the son must sooner or later
60 away from home and launch out
into the ocean of life for himself; but
lie shrinks not from the faithful dis
charge of duty laid upon him. Here
let me say, as the flower expands in
to the fruit, and the mOuntain-rill
widens into the river, so let us keep
the spirit of childhood in the strength
of manhood.
Laws are enforced on us in child
hood before we understand the prin-
ciple. Laws are the shell, the casket,
containing the jewel. In after years,
when the jewel is set, when the prin-
ciple is fixed in our nature. the law
is laid aside. Let the young practice
virtue under restraints, if needs be,
and in age the practice will be natu- |
raj. What you are at IS you will be |
at 40. When Christ went away, He
nailed the law of Moses to the cross,
but left the morality; He took away
the material form, and left the spirit. |
This was
AN ExPEDIENT CHANGE.
The wisdom of God is displayed in
leading men along to look up 10 Him |
and trust in Him. Six thousand |
years of discipline only leave us
where we can catch glimpses of the |
Infinite One. and of our relation to |
the spiritual universe.
IL. 1t was expedient for Christ 10 |
go away, that lie might become uni
versal. When He WAS here lie was
local; His personal mission was to |
the Jews, and few persons could |
gather round Him. People got on
the housetops to see Hin; they low
ercu tuc SIGN iuCo his presence, Lnet
crowded through the multitude; and
Zaccheus climbed sycamore tree to
catch glimpse OF his Saviour. But,
when lie went away. in Samaria, in
Judea, in Europe, and everywhere.
men could look up to Him as an ever
present spirit and comforter. The
north star is such to all the people of
the globe, and though the earth may
be distant from its present position
in space 1s0, ,0O0, 900 miles, as it will
be in six months. still this star will
be the star of the north. So the Star
OF Bethlehem is ever our guide.
GO UP TO PENrECosT
and sec the influence of this spiritual
presence on the apostles. Once these
men were materialists, now they are
converted and haye just conceptions
of Christ's reign, aud the Spirit is to
them an inspiration. Peter, who
denied Jesus in tho presence of a
damsel-who once ha d NO faitli-now
is full Of faith, and grandly unfolds
the Lordship of Christ, aud max es
known the conditions of salvation.
What a changeis wrought In him
Henccforth, with boIdness and zeal
that persecution could not cause to