The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1890-07-09
Selections from The Christian NGighbOr
NsThe MyStery.n

The leading definition of mystery,
as given in Webster, is: A profound
secret; something wholly unknown,
or something kept cautiously conceal
ed, and therefore exciting curiosity OF
wonder; hence. specifically, that
which is beyond human comprehen'
sion until explained.
What then is the mystery" often
mentioned in the Scriptures, particu'
larly in the epistles? E. &. awe
speak the wisdom of God in mystery,
even the hidden wisdom, which God
ordained before the world unto our
glory" This and other passages teach
that God had from the beginning kept
secret or concealed something of which
prophets spake without knowing the
mysterious import of something they
uttered, things which the angels deslr-
ed to look into. God intimated after
the fall in the garden what this myste-
ry was: 1T 1.-THE seed of the woman
shall bruise thy head and thou shalt
bruise his heel" In successive ages
intimations more or less significant Of
what was the mystery were given un
til the time had fully come for God to
send forth his Son made of a woman,
made under the law to redeem them
that were under the law. This was
the beginning of the full revelation of
the mystery. More and more was this
great mystery revealed or made known
as the Son lived, acted, suffered, died,
rose from the dead, commanded the
preaching of his gospel to all the
world, ascended up on high, crowned
King of kings. sent the Spirit on the
day of Pentecost. "Without contro-
versy great is the mystery of godli
ness: God was manifest in the flesh,
justified in the Spirit, seen of angels,
preached unto the Gentiles, believed
on in the world, received up into glo-
ry." Tim. iii 16.
When these things had come to pass
the mystery was no longer mystery,
but he came a matter of knowledge
even as Paul wrote of his acknowledge
in the mystery of Christ" to the Ephe-
slams and to other churches as well.
The burden of the worldwide mission
of The apostles was to proclaim the
great facts and truths of the now
made-known mystery" to make
known the mystery of the gospel"
And this is the burden of all apostolic
preaching to-day.
The design of this mystery in con-
ception, revealment and consumma-
tion was and yet is 'that the Gentiles
should be fellow-heirs, with the Jews
and of the same body, and partakers o.
his promise in Christ by the gospel"-
that whether Greek or Jew, circum-
cision or uncircumcision, Barbarian,
Scythian, bond or free, male or female,
all should be baptized by one Spirit in
to one body, and thus all be made to
drink into one Spirit. This gives the
"unity of the Spirit"--the only real
unity in the Church of Christ on
earth. For this Jesus prayed, and for
realization of this he has given his gos-
pei and the Holy Spirit including the
command to his disciples to strive in
teaching, living and suffering Ito
make" all men see what is the fellow
ship of the mystery, which from the
beginning of the world hath been hid
in God, who created all things by Je-
sus Christ"
And last, but not least, let all who
have been baptized into this one Spir-
it, with all lowliness and meekness,
with long-suffering, and forbearing
one another in love, endeavor to keep
the unity of the Spirit in the bond of
peace" That this is "the body" the
true Church of Christ, and that Christ
and Christ alone is the Head thereof in
all things world without end. Amen.