Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-10-07

Father" They are divinely sealed with the
Holy SPIRIT Of promise, who 'beareth witness
with their spirits that they are the children Of
God They are also divinely impollcd. the
impulse OF the spiri, which forms them anew
urging them to follow after holiness" and
also urging them, like their divine examplar, 10
seek and to save that which was lost An IRE
pressible desire swelling up in the soul OF a
man-'ft by any means I might say some
is the mind of Him who loves US and gave
himself Tor us, working in His child.
Given, then. among men q race born Of God,
fashioned and sealed of the Holy Spirit. inn
PEELED by that Spirit to live for the end for
which our Savior lived rad died. you have .
race bearing two characteristics: The image Of
God and the devotion of their powers TO set for
ward HIS work. When the holy seed abounds
In any church then does she hold in her hand
credentials that no gainsaying can cancel, living
episties, not hidden in the parchments of the
scholar, but known and read of all men,
written with the niger OF the mighty God in
the hearts and read through the living and the
dolnss OF children who bear the likeness OF the
Father.
THE JEWELS OF THE CHURCH.
Any church that sbounds in such children,
though she be lacking in all other wealth. will
have her jewels. To her il will be said: AS a
young man msrrie.h virgin 20 shall thy sons
marry thee, "espousing her cause for better. for
worse, to live and TO die with her, and espous-
ing It for the legitimate and ineradicable rea-
son, Il wss born in her" And though not a
soldier owns her word OF command. for her will
march joyful sons, intrepid as army with
banners, resolute TO overcome the wicked one
and shouting Jesus the Conqueror reigns,"
they will take the prey from the lion and the
bear Aye, and richer endowment will she pos
sess. with higher defense than even the love
and duty of the best sons, for with the same
breath VIII be added unto her. AS the bride
groom rejoiceth over tho bride SO will thy God
rejoice over thee"
There remains for our attention the third form
OF credentials mentioned as springing out of
the presence of the Lord in the church, that.
namely, OF the power Of the Lord in her mis-
sion.
What is the scope Of her mission was made
very plain; she was sent into "all the world
no limit OF territory, to make disciples of all
nations no limit of race, to preach the Cos
pei to every creature'-no limit Of caste, class
OF condition, ncr yet any limit Of number, I'LL
I'll the last unit is reached. As thus distinctly
set before her tine objective point OF the church
is all mankind, taken both collectively and dis
tribntively. Her processes are distributive,
she baptizes every creature" one by one, but
her results are collective, ''all shall know the
Lord from the least to the greatest" And SO
long as any of the least are overlooked, or any
OF the greatest unconquered, SO long does her
commission remain in part unfulflled. Both the
papal and the positivist schools preconize
schemes for the reconstruction of society. Our
Lord and His apostles sought its regeneration.
ihey did not look upon it as one of these struc-
lures, made with hands, which can be pulled
Gown and built again, but as a structure built
up without hands, fifty Joined together" not
by labor from without. but by life force growing
from within. Such structures may indeed be
married by hands, but only the act of the Life
Giver can build them up by making their say
wholesome, which makes sound timber, with
healing leaf and nourisLipg fruit.
RKGESERATED WORLD.
The structure of society is settled. Il lies in
the couple, the family, the kindred, the neigh
borhood or township, the nation, and finally,
the circle of nations Regenerated individuals
constitute the basis of regenerated couples;
these OF regenerated families; these of re-
generated kindred; these Of regenerated towns;
these OF regenerated nations; and soon to a re-
generated world. Our work as set before u.s.
then, is not 20 give to the shoots of the wild
the new timber and the new bark. but to have
them all grated on new stems, which will give
them new sap; and then may we look for new
fruit The place of the church herself. as she
moves on her GRAND to bring all men to the
knowledge of Christ, by bringing Christ to the
knowledge of all men, is marked in the descrip-
ton of the place Of the forerunner John He
was sent to bear witness of that light" SO is
she. He was not that lights" no more is she
She is the candlestick. And even if the candle
stick glisten, it is not in its own light. At mid
night in room where no light is q golden
candlestick has no more brightness than one of
potter's earth.
John was a lamp which burned and shone
with his Lords Light. The church is a golden
candlestick which shines SO long as it is fed
with the oil of the Spirit. His presence is her
sole Illuminating power. She shines whom the
glory OF her Lord has risen upon her. And if,
as light, the Lord with her is her illuminat-
Ing power, so, as the salt Of the earth, the Lord
with her Is her savior, and when He withdraws
His presence the salt loses its savior. Yea, and
II the light OF love ceases to shine the candle
stick may be removed
The intention with which the church moves
in her mission is also indicated in the case of
the iorerunner. He bore testimony in order
that through Him all men might believe "
Were the testimony OF the Gospel intended
only as witness against the nations, that they
might be without excuse, then would the min
istry OF the follower be less glorious than that
OF the forerunoe for it would be q ministry OF
condemnation compared with q ministry of
righteousness. The LORD himself was sent of
the Father not to condemn the world but that
the world through Him might be saved To
Him testified the forerunner in order that all
men might believe. So did the Apostle Pau;
testify that His gospel and the preaching OF
the obedience Of faith" not for the scaling OF
their condemnation, albeit to those who refuse
the light condemnation must be the result. The
sanetifcation of Christs members the giving
of gifts to officers, the building up of churches,
the increase of the holy seed, though all In
themselves wide and glorious ends are at the
same time means toward the all-comprehen.
sive end, the salvation of the world. No less
than this was the end for which the Son cane
forth from the Father, and for which He will
be with his own seed and his seeds seed to the
end Of the days. 1t is an end demanding no,
only power, but power excelling all powers
And let us, in the depth of our souls say
All. Lord, in the sight Of this great mountain
which has to be moved, the excellency Of the
l'power is of Thee and not of us.
THE AGENTS OF THE CHURCH.
In fulfilling this blessed commission the
agents of the church include all her tru<
members. Her officers, of whatever grade, are
gifts given to her by her head, but not thes<
officers exclusively are to do her work, an,
more than are captains, colonies and generals
exclusively to do the work of campaign. The
church's officers are set for the prompting OF
the entire force to move upon the enemy, for
the leading of them on and for the setting OF
them in order as they advance. But the apos.
ties never divided the church into the teach
ing church and the learning church. Apollos
learned of AquiIla and Priscilla and they
learned of him. In the last chapter of the
Revelation. when we hear the voice of the
glorified Lord giving the worldwide invitation
to life and grace, we are struck with the pause
made in the midst of that invitation. He calls
Himself the root and the offspring of David
ard the bright and morning star and cries