The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1886-06-09
TWO DOMINATING FORCES.

,.i,...I- -Abratam Coles, IN N. Z. Observer.
i
TWO DOMINATING FORCES.
The Love cf the World, and the Love Of
Pre-Eminence or Power.
One who shall carefully read his New
Testament-not forgetting the Old
will hardly fail to see pictures of hu-
man nature, of men and of women,
quite similar to the pictures which now
a-days are placed under the eye. He
will discern in all this what multitudes
before him all through the Christian
ages have discerned, viz: that none
but Divine hand could have drawn
such distinctive outlines of man as
man evermore is. Even of those with
in the enclosure of the zone fold,"
gathered by the lone Shepherd, we
trace manifestations of moral infirmi-
ty, and more than that, which are
quite unmistakable. 'sHe came to His
own, vet His own received Him not"
Following Him in the short journey of
His public ministry to His crucifixion-
for the less than four years embraced
in it-even when their feet, with His,
drew near toward the foot of the Cross,
we yet do not fail to note that among
these very disciples there were divis-
ions and strifes, On one occasion the
dipute was as to who should be the
pre-eminent and the preferred ones
as to who ''should be the greatest" T"
And these that were most instinct
with such q temper Of mind, so
alien to that of Him who was s.meek
and lowly in heart" scarcely quailed
before the Master when He visited on
them the rebuke: Eye know not what
spirit We are Of" All through the
four written gospels, how at every step
is one impressed with the slOwness of
heart and dullness of spiritual appre-
hension and of insight on the part
even of those who gathered to His feet
as claiming to be His loyal followers.
One whose thoughts seem to have been
occupied chiefly with her two children
Is heard praying that one may sit on
His right hand and the other on His
left, when He cometh into His king
dom. Not even to the end of the
New Testament record do we see this
obscurity and this darkening vail taken
off from the minds and the hearts of
Christ's avOwed disciples.
We can not fail to see that the taco
things which have ever confronted the
pure religion of the Gospel were espe-
cially present and especially assertive
all through its early history in the lives
of those who nominally espoused it.
These two things are just what the New
Testament itself phrases as "the love
of the world" chiefly of its riches; and
second, of the love of pre-eminence or
of power. As illustrative of this last,
ment in Zion. we easily call to mind
DR.. Daniel Sharp. who on public oc-
casion set forth of some men in the
church who were nothing, and would
be nothing, except they were recog-
nized as leaders. Said DR.. Sharp, with
characteristic point-speaking Of such
men" they will rage or they will rule,
and they will surely rage when they
rule" He as q well-instructed scribe
and teacher never essayed to be q
"lord over Gods heritage" but rather
to be ian ensample" to the flock of
Christ. What ian ensample'' as all
who knew him will readily call to
blessed remembrance!
There are two New Testament char
acters which are as fully drawn as il
volumes had been written concerning
them. Yet to each is given but a single
| sentence. But that sentence, like the
hand of Moses shifting the rock, lays
open all that is interior and all that is
essential in the man. These two men,
whose names begin with the same
initial, each illustrate the two things
alluded to in the foregoing paragraph.
They are Demas and Diotrephes. OF
| the former 1t Is recorded, "he hath
forsaken me. having loved this present
| world" OF the latter we have only
this significant, half-parenthetical sem
tence-" who loved TO hive the pre-
eminence." Here it-is ost tersely
stated, and yet in full outline; ON the
one hand, the love of the world, and on
the other, the love. of power, and yet
both alike protesting disciples Of the
Master. ,..e
We need no special quickness or
sharpness Of vision to see In every age,
in every cline and In every meridian.
these representative forces within the
realm OF even our concrete Christian
ity. We say Representative forces.' =
for that surely Is Q favored church. a
that 10 favored cause, which has
cleaving to 1t neither Demas nor Di-
otrephes. We bless God that such
churches and such causes there are
and yet many . reader Of these linei
will easily cali up the memory Of men.
some ono It may in given church ol
community, who was neutralized, OF
worse than neutralized. in influence,
because Of cherishing spirit, ripeninQ
in the conduct and the life. so utterly
alien to ''the spirit OF Christ" Nay,
much more than this. The influence
especially Of the man of the Diotrephei
type and temper, IL, as too many OK.
amples could be cited to show, de
structive in local churches, and where.
ever Il ID put forth and exerted dc
structive alike Of peace and resulting
il prosperity. The spirit which possessed
Demas. when 1t becomes regnsnt. lead
to apostasy-t0 . iorsaking oe th
church. But even this were bette
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