Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1883-01-22

when | would do good, evil is pres
INT with me. If, therefore, | do
hat which / would not, it is no long
er | that do it, but sin that dwelleth
IN me-
Some say this is not the photo
graph of the Christian that he new
er sat for so dark a picture, but rep
resents the condition of the convict
ed sinner groaning for deliverance.
While this view, doubtless, is correct,
yet this picture resembles large
class of believers who have forgot
ten their sonship, become legal in
spirit, and taken to working for
wages.
AS long as this warfare continues
the individual is not living a life of
complete trust. This contest must
cease in order to measure up to our
full privilege in Christ. We read
that: 'They overcame through the
blood of the Lamb and the word of
their testimony ITO him that
overcometh will l give to eat of the
hidden mamma, and will give him a
white stone, and in it a new name
written which no man knoweth saw
ing he that receiveth it.
Now this overcoming in an import
ant sense has reference to this life.
The Christian must become a victor
here; he must overcome the flesh and
the world. This world is the field OF
battle, the arena of conflict, and the
place where the victory must be won
and the conquest gained, if he wish
to be crowned in the end; and il
need not be deferred till death; to
postpone it to that solemn hour may
terminate in discontinue and utter
ruin.
Life is the time TO serve the Lord,
The time to insure the great reward"
All our foes except one may be con
quered prior to death. The last one
is death, to be overcome in that vic
torious hour, and there is verified thu
Scripture, ''Death is swallowed up il
victory"
1t is evident then that, in overcom
ing, the contest between the flesh anC
spirit has ceased the clamor of tn,
flesh is hushed, its lodgings are sti
fed, it's death knell sounded; it i
dead, for that is what is meant b,
being crucifed with Christ, so tina
with st. Paul we can exclaim g
live, yet not |, but Christ liveth il
me; and the life / now live, | live b.
faith on the Son of God" This i
what is understood by the entirel
sanctifed believer, the whole tren
of the nature of the latter being God
ward and heavenward. This is tn
life of implicit trust, ''that has tn
promise of the life that now is an
that which is to come. s'All al
yours, and We are Christ's and Chris
is Gods.
Conversion is the baptism of re
generation, called in Scripture th
baptism of John. That this is nc
sufficient in itself for our usefulness
happiness and security, and must b
supplemented by second worl
"the baptism of Power we cite 70
to St. PauPs writings in Acts 18tl
where we read of ''Apollos, an elt
quent man and mighty in the Scrip
lures, coming to Ephesus and teacl
ing diligently the things of the Lore
knowing only the baptism of JOIN
whom, when Aquila and Priscilla hs
heard, they expounded unto him tt
way of God more perfectly?"
What is meant by this ''more pc
fectly?" 1t must mean something
addition to Johns baptism of repen
ance, or conversion, for it is evide
that those persons who had avail'
themselves of Johns baptism had 1
pented of their sins and were co
verted, were Gods children, who h
received the Holy Spirit in measul
but Gods work was to be more pr
fcctly experienced or understo
when they received the Holy Spi
in his full overpowering and ov'
mastering manner, which is equiv
lent to knowing the way of G
I more perfectly.
The question was asked certs
e disciples, "Have We received
: Holy Ghost since We believed!" 1t
affirmed here that these disciples
! lieved. Let us examine what it is
believe. Is it. the exercise of m
cold intellectuality-the being GU
. ed by the dim lamp of reason
g lieving with the head only! Nay, V
~ ily. This is not the faith of the
ble-not the kind that saves it n
\. be the faith OF the legalist and
sceptic, but not of Gods childr
Faith, to be saving, inasmuch
spiritually discerned," must re
in the centre of mans moral being,
I'D
ed heart-for "with the heart mot
all
head) man believeth unto righteC
= ness, and create the consciousf
of its existence and saving power
ces an experimental knowledge of CT
] as a Saviour.