Smyrna times., 1886-09-15
One family we dwell in him

ClAt idiiliA we uWell IN him
one church above, beneath
Though now divided by the stream
The narrow stream, Of death
one army of the living God
To his command we bow
Fart Of his host have crossed the flood
And part are crossing nOw'
And my father-in-law referring to
Jonathan stephenson, who had died in
the trumphs of the faith and was bur-
IGd on that day is across the food.
We seem sometime to separate the
Church Triumphant " and the Church
militant" as if they were un-
connected communities they are
all one,--these two Empires
on both sides of the River of
Death. So l say to you, that those of
us IN Jesus Christ are in sympathy
with those around the throne.
The next privilege that we want to
possess Is the right to the heaUeaLu in
heritdnce. We are not only united to
Christ and to each other, but God has
given unto us this right to our heav-
emily inheritance.
Turn now, if you please, to the four
teenth chapter of Johns Gospel and
read your title deed =
Let not your hearts be troubled .
ye believe in God, believe also in me
In my Fathers house are manv
mansions; if it were not so I wouId
nave told you. l go to prepare place
for you ''''NO
And IT l go to prepare a place for
you l Will come again, and receive
you unto myself; that where lam there
ye may be also"
There is title deed as irrevoc,hlo
as any title deed ever drawn upon the
earth. The ancient Jew couId hoast
the freedom of Jerusalem. but Jeruso'
lem became corrupt and God brushed
II from the earth. We can boast of the
freedom of the new Jerusalem. Into il
nothing shall enter that worketh an
abomination. All the elements thaten-
tered into the Jerusalem ofolda exclu-
ded from the Jerusalem ofthe Christian.
Now, having thus briefly glanced at
the privileges of Christ's Church. let
US look for moment or two at its cor
responding duties, and we find the du-
Ties to be in accordance with the priv-
lleges. You remember that said that
the first privilege that you and eniov
Is UtiOR Wtth Christ. As n matter of
course the first duty is loyalty to
Christ. This duty of loyalty to Jesus
Chrlst IS interviewer with the very web
OF the Scriptures. Now, the first duty
OF subjects is to their rulers the first
duty of Christians is to Christ, their
Head. As the Head of the Church He
mas just claim to our submission, but
when we remember that He is the foun-
1ation OF the Church; that He bought
70 at the cost of His most precious
blood, then, | say, it would be black
ngratitude to withhold from Him any
love of ours. Jesus said to His disci-
pies upon one occasion -" Ye call me
LORD and Master and ye do well,n and
lhls Is the very thought that l would
inject, ifpossible, into the Christian heart
d this community, that we do every
lhlhg that we can to advance the in
lerest of His Kingdom and the glory of
MS name, without swerving. When
aver | enter into conversation with n
man l like him to be decided. God ex-
poets every one of us to be bold to
AXE up a stand for Christ. He wants
rs US to let our lights-our upper
ignts, not our lower lights-shine. !
NOT only is loyalty to Jesus Christ one
d the imperative duties of the Chris !
ian Church; but the love of THE breth-
rem. Why, as Christian brethren thew
IRE entitled to our love and our conf |
ience. Just as soldiers who have
'tormed the same battlement have a
peculiar claim on each other just as